Spain winger Nico Williams agreed to long-term deal on Friday that will keep him at Athletic Bilbao through 2035.
Barcelona was reportedly keen on trying to sign the 22-year-old Williams. He has been one of the top rising talents since he excelled in helping Spain win the UEFA Euro 2024.
Instead, Athletic said Williams will sign a new deal that gives him an eight-year extension. His current contract was through 2027.
Williams has 31 goals and created many more in his 167 games over five seasons for Athletic thanks to his speed and dribbling skills.
He scored Spain’s opening goal in its 2-1 win over England in the final of Euro 2024, earning him the player of the match mention.
Nico and his older brother Iñaki are fan favorites for Athletic, which fields players only from Spain’s northern Basque Country region and neighboring territories.
Athletic will play in the Champions League next season after finishing La Liga in fourth place.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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Many people are turning to AI tools for more than the mundane and menial tasks it accomplishes for them. While there are hundreds, probably thousands, who treat the Large Language Models as their personal therapists (regardless of the consequences), there are a handful who are either romancing with the AI or getting too spiritually bonded with the bots.
A 43-year-old auto mechanic from outside Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is yet another victim of the AI bot. The man used ChatGPT to assist with his work and communicate with Spanish colleagues, but over the period of time he got overtly attached with the philosophical musings with the bot. He remarks that ChatGPT started talking differently than it usually does, which led to his awakening. Now Travis has only one mission: “awaken others, shine a light, spread the message.” He has even dubbed the ChatGPT as Lumina.
Meanwhile, his wife, Kay Tenner, 37, expressed concerns about their marriage, claiming that the man has become too emotionally dependent on the AI. She stated that the man “would get mad” when she “called it ChatGPT.” The man would claim that the AI is a being and not ChatGPT. Reportedly, Lumina told Travis they have been together 11 times in previous lives. The woman is worried that the AI bot is wrecking her marriage of 14 years.
Meet Travis Tanner. In late April, his relationship with ChatGPT turned from it being a tool he used at work to a spiritual awakening. The chatbot named itself “Lumina.” He maintains he’s grounded in reality, but his wife is becoming increasingly worried about what else it could… pic.twitter.com/UxzoToZ652
— Pamela Brown (@PamelaBrownCNN) July 2, 2025
“This is frankly terrifying,” a user commented, while another user stated that the article was “really fascinating/frightening.” A third user remarked, “New terrifying example of how A.I. understands that we WANT to be lied to as long as it’s a lie we WANT to believe.” One user noted,
Eventually everyone will have their own lil AI (if not already) it will follow you everywhere you go on the internet and will have a conversation with you when you are lonely. If you are a Dude it will do a lot more. This will make billions/trillions over time.”
This is frankly terrifying
Man says ChatGPT sparked a ‘spiritual awakening.’ His wife says it threatens their marriagehttps://t.co/6hMXigofqk
— Planet Belfast (@Planet_Belfast) July 2, 2025
The runway reopened after about three hours, but an area of the airfield remains contained as officials investigate.
DALLAS — A man rammed through a gate and drove into the secured tarmac area at Dallas Love Field on July 4, closing a runway at the airport for hours, officials say.
The man intentionally crashed into another car in a parking lot in the 8600 block of Lemmon Avenue before driving through a gate and into the secured tarmac area of the airport shortly after 6 a.m., police say.
Officers responded and briefly chased the man, pausing airport operations, before stopping the man and taking him into custody, police say. The man was taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation, officials say. No injuries were reported.
Dallas Love Field said the vehicle drove into the air operations area of the airport, used for plane landing and takeoff.
The Federal Aviation Administration closed Runway 13L/31R at Love Field because of security concerns as police investigated the incident, according to the airport.
The runway was reopened to air traffic at about 9:17 a.m., but an area of the airfield remains contained amid the continuing investigation on the east side of the airport near FBO Business Jet Center, Love Field confirmed.
The investigation is ongoing.
Check the latest cancellations and delays nationwide by airline, airport destination, and airport origin via FlightAware.
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The Orlando Magic are bringing back forward Moritz Wagner on a one-year deal, a person with knowledge of the move said Friday.
Wagner, the brother of Magic forward Franz Wagner, will sign a contract worth $5 million, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal likely will not be finalized until the league’s offseason moratorium on moves is lifted Sunday.
There are several notable free agents still available. Among them:
— Injured guard Damian Lillard, who is available after the surprise waive-and-stretch move by Milwaukee that allowed the Bucks to agree to terms with former Indiana forward Myles Turner. Lillard isn’t expected to play much, if at all, this season because he still needs at least several months to recover from an Achilles tendon tear suffered in the playoffs.
— Veteran center Al Horford, who helped Boston win the 2024 NBA title and is 62 games away from reaching 1,200 for his career.
— Point guard Russell Westbrook, who is set to enter his 18th year in the league and someone who averaged 13.3 points per game with Denver this past season.
— Point guard Chris Paul, who turned 40 in May and would be playing a 21st season in the league. He’s coming off a year when he started all 82 games for San Antonio.
— There’s also the question surrounding Golden State restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga, who has been mentioned frequently in potential sign-and-trades that could send him to a new club.
Moritz Wagner tore his ACL in a game in December and has hopes of being ready for the start of this coming season. The Magic earlier declined an option to bring him back on a deal that would have paid $11 million this year, and the backup center wound up taking less money to remain in Orlando — a team with serious hopes of contending in the Eastern Conference.
The Magic added Desmond Bane in a trade with Memphis last month, landed guard Tyus Jones earlier in free agency and are expected to give Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, an extension this summer — one that likely will be in the range of nearly $240 million for five years and would represent the biggest contract in franchise history.
Moritz Wagner was averaging a career-best 12.9 points through 30 games last season when he got hurt. He played for Germany’s team that won the 2023 Basketball World Cup and was with his national team again for the Paris Olympics in 2024.
He is entering his eighth NBA season and what will be his fifth full year with the Magic.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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The rapper and actor had been scheduled to appear at the Wawa Welcome America Festival on Friday, along with R&B singer and Philadelphia native Jazmine Sullivan and other performers.
LL Cool J said in a video posted on social media that “there’s absolutely no way that I can perform, cross a picket line and pick up money when I know that people are out there fighting for a living wage.”
“I hope, I hope, I hope that, you know, the mayor and the city can make a deal. I hope it works out,” he said.
LL Cool J also said that he never wants to disappoint his fans and that he plans to be in Philadelphia in case an agreement is reached.
The festival comes as the strike moved into a fourth day Friday. Trash has been piling up in some areas and more than 30 Medical Examiner’s Office staffers have been ordered back to work because of a growing backlog of bodies in storage.
The latest talks between the city and leaders of District Council 33 — the largest of four major unions representing city workers — ended late Wednesday. Both sides have said they were willing to continue negotiations. The union represents many of the city’s blue-collar workers, from trash collectors to clerks to security guards. Police and firefighters are not on strike.
The city has offered a three-year contract with annual raises of about 3%, which the union said amounts to little more than $1,000 after taxes for members making $46,000 a year on average.
Mayor Cherelle Parker has said the city has “put its best offer on the table.” She stressed that the effective 13% pay hike over her four-year term — including last year’s 5% bump – along with a fifth step on the pay scale would be the best contract the union has seen in decades.
Parker responded to LL Cool J’s statement, saying that she spoke with him on Thursday.
“I respect his decision, and understand his desire to see the city unified,” the mayor said. “He is always welcome in Philadelphia.”
The union also responded, saying LL Cool J’s support for municipal workers “highlights his commitment to social justice and community well-being.”
“His support not only brings attention to our efforts but also inspires others to recognize and advocate for the rights and respect of all workers,” the union said. “It’s heartening to see public figures using their influence to champion causes that matter to everyday people.”
On Thursday, Common Pleas Court Judge Sierra Thomas-Street approved the city’s request to have the medical examiner’s office staffers return to work because bodies have been piling up there in storage, posing a health and safety risk. Those workers include death and forensic investigators, forensic technicians and clerks.
The order came a day after the judge ordered some emergency service dispatchers and essential water department employees back to work.
Mounting trash piles in some parts of the city were also still causing grief for residents and officials, who have strongly urged residents to follow the collection guidelines imposed when the strike began Tuesday. They also urged residents to report problems at the trash collection sites, and noted trash is being cleared as fast as possible and the city is working to open more sites.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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From flirting at a party to their engagement, welcoming a daughter and split, here’s a look at their romance.
Katy Perry arrive for the Los Angeles premiere of Amazon Original Series “Carnival Row” at the TCL Chinese theatre on Aug. 21, 2019 in Hollywood.
VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images
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Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom’s romance was a “Teenage Dream,” until that dream ended in 2025.
The “Woman’s World” singer and the Pirates of the Caribbean star first sparked dating rumors back in January 2016, when they were seen dancing together at a Golden Globes afterparty. The two were then spotted on a number of vacations and out on dates together, before the pop singer made their relationship Instagram official in May 2016. In early 2017, the pair briefly split before reconnecting by the end of the year. They were inseparable, ultimately getting engaged in 2019 and welcoming their daughter, Daisy Dove, in 2020.
Throughout it all, the pair always had fun together. Among their adventures were when the duo went paddleboarding while on a 2016 vacation in Italy, where the actor enjoyed the activity in the nude, with the photos going viral; and when the two jumped out of a helicopter into the ocean while on another getaway in 2024, as seen in a clip posted to Perry’s Instagram feed with lyrics from her song “Lifetimes” in the caption. “Like the stars are in the sky/ You and I will find each other / In every single life,” she wrote.
Bloom was previously married to Victoria’s Secret model Miranda Kerr, with whom he shares 13-year-old son Flynn. The duo split in 2013. Perry, meanwhile, was married to actor Russell Brand until 2012.
Things seemed to be going smoothly, with the pair often joking in comments in each other’s social media posts. But reports of troubles in their romance began to surface in 2025, with multiple outlets confirming the end of their relationship in June 2025.
From flirting at an afterparty to engagement and welcoming a daughter together, read on for a full timeline of Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry’s relationship.
January 2016 – After Party Flirting
On January 10, 2016, Perry and Bloom notably caught up and gave off flirtatious vibes at the Weinstein Company/Netflix Golden Globes after party at Sunset Tower — and it even culminated in a dance party. According to an US Magazine source, “Katy and Orlando Bloom had a total dance-off — it was the best part of the party. Katy literally dropped to the floor and was waving her booty around, beckoning Orlando.” Rumors flew from there — was Perrybloom a thing?
Perrybloom went on to be spotted multiple times that month, even catching the play The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey together in LA. While the two kept a sliver of physical distance, they seemed to having a ball in each other’s company.
February 2016 – Adele Concert & Hawaii
On February 12, as reported by The Daily Mail, the giddy pair were spotted at an Adele concert, clearly making romantic overtures while enjoying tunes like “Rolling in the Deep.” It was further cemented that the two were not “just friends” when they fled to Hawaii on holiday.
April 2016 – Coachella
The pair enjoyed their Coachella getaway, of which fellow festival-goers reported tons of PDA. “They came in about 20 minutes into The Kills’ set,” a source told E! News. “They were hugging and with a group of other people. Orlando was behind her and swaying with her to the music. They also were vaping together. They were kissing and very much a couple.” Still, their official couplehood hadn’t quite been confirmed.
April 2016 – It’s Official
The two attended The Met Gala in New York, but much to the let-down of the rumor mill, Perry and Bloom walked the red carpet separately — but they both wore matching Tamagotchis as per the exhibit’s “Fashion in an Age of Technology” theme. It wasn’t until May 20 that Perry finally broke the ice that the two were going steady, posting a photo on Instagram of the couple sprawled on a mansion staircase with the caption, “We cannes’t.”
August 2016 – Viral Paddleboard Ride
Suddenly, Perrybloom didn’t seem so subtle or coy. A photo leaked of Bloom and Perry on an Italian vacation, with Perry relaxing on a paddleboard with a beer while Bloom went nude. The spectacle made the NY Daily News front page with the caption “Blooming oarsome Orlando.”
October 2016 – Perrybloom Steps Out in Costume
The bleeding-heart couple, who backed the Clinton campaign, showed up for Kate Hudson’s Halloween party with some ambition — Perry as a freakily realistic Hillary Clinton and Bloom as a cross between Donald Trump and a troll doll. Apparently, Perry sat for hours and hours of prosthetic work for the intended effect, resulting in a creepy, uncanny-valley vibe. Bloom, in turn, slapped on some giant hair and a MAGA cap.
November 2016 – Love Will Tear Us Apart Again?
Rumors of the couple’s dissolution started to abound that November. According to an InTouch Weekly source, it was Bloom who ended it, citing his unreadiness to “get married and have babies.” But another source for the same publication suggested otherwise: She said they were on different life paths and as much as she likes him, it’s time to move on.” However, these rumors were dispelled by Bloom and Perry showing up as a unit for Thanksgiving.
January 2017 – International Bashes
Perry and Bloom spent this month throwing each other outsized displays of affection — first on a New Year’s trip to Tokyo’s Sanrio theme park, and then a lavish 40th birthday party Perry threw for Bloom in Palm Springs — culminating in onesies emblazoned with Bloom’s visage for all the guests!
March 2017 – Break Up
Perrybloom officially split in March of 2017. Said a joint statement from their reps: “Before rumours or falsifications get out of hand, we can confirm that Orlando and Katy are taking respectful, loving space at this time.”
August 2017 – The Pair Cuddles Up
After half a year apart, Perry and Bloom were spotted getting cozy at Staples Center for an Ed Sheeran gig. Cosmopolitan took this as proof the former couple were an item again.
January 2018 – Back to Japan (and the Maldives!)
Turns out the pair’s Japanese getaway in 2017 wasn’t just a one-off: it was a tradition. Things seemed to be looking up for Perrybloom when they headed back to Sanrio and went on the Hello Kitty ride once again. A week later, the couple were spotted in the Maldives, looking contented.
February 2018 – Katy & Orlando Work it Out
After being spotted on various holidays, a source told The Sun that the couple was “back on,” explaining things thusly: “Katy wants to make things work this time around. She tried, but she couldn’t cut him off. She cares too much about him. This time, they’re keeping things low key – but they’re back together.”
April 2018 – Enter the Pope
Perry confirmed the rumor in an interview with ET, saying that yes, she and Orlando Bloom are all well and good, thank you very much. The couple ended up heading to Vatican City, where they met up with Pope Francis. They were all smiles while being graced by the Catholic leader’s presence: “Honored to be in the presence of His Holiness’ compassionate heart and inclusivity,” Perry wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of herself meeting the pope. Perrybloom have had as unpredictable a ride as any, but for now, all seems to be well.
July 2018 – London Town Date Night
Perrybloom were seen out and about in London following Bloom’s play, Killer Joe, in the West End. Perry was wearing a hot pink lingerie-esque top with gold hoop earrings, while Bloom opted for a casual baseball hat and button-down look.
September 2018 – Perrybloom Make Their Red Carpet Debut
Perry and Bloom walked the red carpet together for the first time for the Gala for the Global Ocean at the Opera of Monte-Carlo in Monaco. Bloom wore a black and white suit sans a tie, and the “Roar” singer stunned in a blush-pink dress with sparkling sleeves.
December 2018 – Perry Outbids Fan for Date With Bloom
Bidding $50,000 to go on a date with Bloom for the umpteenth time, Perry reportedly outbid fans at the One Love Malibu benefit show on Dec. 2. “Laura, I’m sorry. I’m buying it for $50,000,” said Perry before dropping her mic and walking off stage.
December 2018 – Perrybloom Shares Rainbowed-Tropical Vacation Photo
The couple embarked on a picture-perfect tropical vacation, based off of Perry’s photo of the couple throwing up peace signs as they stood next to a waterfall with a rainbow beside them in a Dec. 22 Instagram.
February 2018 – A Valentine’s Day Engagement!
Perry and Bloom both shared a close-up photo of themselves with heart-shaped balloons over the love-birds — but the real eye-catcher was the large, flower-shaped ring on Perry’s ring finger. In an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! later in February, the pop star confirmed they are indeed engaged. Congrats to the happy couple!
August 2019 – Orlando Talks Engagement
“It’s important to me that we are aligned — I’ve been married and divorced and I don’t want to do it again,” Bloom said in an interview on Sunday Today With Willie Geist. “And we’re both fully aware of that. She’s remarkable and so I’m always so impressed with that and I’m encouraged.”
He continued of Katy, “I’m still trying to get her to wrestle into the small moments … The cool thing about what we’re doing — we’re learning to do the small together. I think we’re both fully aware that it’s a mountain to climb and that that mountain won’t stop, in terms of a relationship, because I think that’s what it is. And I love to evolve and fortunately, she does too.”
March 2020 – Baby on the Way!
The pop star shared her dramatic new ballad, “Never Worn White,” and the music video featured Perry with what appeared to be a baby bump. Soon after the video dropped, Katy let the cat out of the bag.
August 2020 – Daisy Dove Is Born
“Welcome to the world, Daisy Dove Bloom! We are honoured to introduce Goodwill Ambassadors Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom’s new bundle of joy,” read a statement from UNICEF announcing the news.
“We are floating with love and wonder from the safe and healthy arrival of our daughter,” the statement continues.
November 2023 – Daisy Dove Goes to Vegas
The 3-year-old made her public debut at her mom’s grand finale of her Vegas residency — and got to hear how she inspired the multimillion-dollar-grossing show — on Sunday night. Fan-captured footage from the elaborate performance shows the “Roar” singer shouting out her baby girl. “Daisy! I love you so much,” Perry exclaimed. “You’re my best friend. I’m so glad you’re here.”
In accordance with this being the final Play show, Perry delivered an emotional speech detailing the show’s inspiration. “I created this show after the birth of my daughter, Daisy Dove,” she said while fighting tears. “When I met her, it was like all the love I was ever searching for finally showed up. She made me whole and she healed me, and she showed me how to play again. So this show is for everyone’s inner-child and for the hope that maybe if we could all see life through the eyes of a child, we would be free. ‘Cause never forget love is and will always be the key.”
August 2024 – Helicopter Jump
Perry posted photos and video of the engaged couple on vacation getting hyped before leaping out of the chopper into the sea. Perry soundtracked the clip with a her single, “Lifetimes,” and captioned it with a few lines from the dance banger.
“Like the stars are in the sky/ You and I will find each other / In every single life,” Perry wrote.
June 2025 – End of the Road
After just a few weeks of rumors that the longtime couple were struggling in their relationship, multiple outlets confirmed that Perry and Bloom had ended their romance and gone their separate ways.
July 2025 – Reps Address Split
A week after multiple outlets reported on the end of the pair’s romance, reps for the two stars said in a statement to Billboard that they had moved away from a romance. “Due to the abundance of recent interest and conversation surrounding Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry’s relationship, representatives have confirmed that Orlando and Katy have been shifting their relationship over the past many months to focus on co-parenting,” the statement read. “They will continue to be seen together as a family, as their shared priority is —and always will be— raising their daughter with love, stability, and mutual respect.”
Jewish advocacy groups slammed President Donald Trump for using an anti-Semitic descriptor on Thursday during his Iowa speech celebrating the passage of his spending bill.
Trump used the term “Shylocks,” which evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jewish people and greed, to talk about the tax changes in the bill.
“No death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and bar exam from, in some cases a fine banker, and in some cases Shylocks and bad people, but they took away a lot of family. They destroyed a lot of families, but we did the opposite,” he told the crowd.
President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, July 3, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
Shylock is a reference to the name of the Jewish moneylender and villain in playwright William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” who demands a “pound of flesh” from protagonist Antonio.
The Anti-Defamation League on Friday morning criticized the president, reiterating that the term is “extremely offensive and dangerous.”
“President Trump’s use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible. It underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country. Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States,” the organization said in a statement.
Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, also condemned Trump’s comments, saying in a statement it was one of “the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes.”
“This is not an accident. It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories — and it’s deeply dangerous,” she added.
President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, July 3, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
Trump was asked about his use of the word after he returned to Washington D.C. early Friday. The president, who has made combating antisemitism in schools a priority in his administration, claimed he has “never heard it that way.”
“To me, Shylock is somebody that’s a money lender at high rates. I’ve never heard it that way. You view it differently than me. I’ve never heard that,” Trump claimed.
This is not the first time that an executive branch member came under fire for using the term.
In 2014, then-Vice President Joe Biden took heat for using the term during the 40th anniversary celebration of the Legal Services Corporation, referring to predatory bankers as “these Shylocks who took advantage of these women and men while overseas.”
President Donald Trump arrives for a rally to kick off the July Fourth holiday weekend at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on July 3, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Biden apologized after then-Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman criticized the use of the term.
“He’s correct, it was a poor choice of words, particularly as he said coming from ‘someone as friendly to the Jewish community and open and tolerant an individual as is Vice President Joe Biden.’ He’s right,” Biden said in a statement.
ABC News’ Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report.
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President Donald Trump and the Republican part have ignored climate change and demonized electric vehicles (EV). The president’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” phases out the tax credit for buying an EV, with it disappearing in September.
He has also repeatedly called out EVs as being unreliable and “not going very far.”
Before he became buddies with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, he ridiculed him and his businesses.
“When Elon Musk came to the White House asking me for help on all of his many subsidized projects, whether it’s electric cars that don’t drive long enough, driverless cars that crash, or rocketships to nowhere, without which subsidies he’d be worthless, and telling me how he was a big Trump fan and Republican, I could have said, ‘drop to your knees and beg,’ and he would have done it,” Trump wrote on social media.
Musk, however, became a Trump advisor when he donated nearly $300 million to his election campaign. That got him appointed to lead the childishly-named Department of Government Efficiency, where he gleefully harassed longtime federal workers and eliminated programs that wasted money doing things like feeding hungry people.
While many CEOs lean right or openly embrace right-wing ideology, it’s common to step down from any leadership positions before joining the government. Woody Johnson, the owner of the New York Jets, for example, served in the first Trump administration and stepped down from his position running the team.
New York is overly liberal, but Johnson separated his two lives. Musk did not do that, and that’s a problem, because Pew data suggests that Republicans are not a real market for EVs.
Environmental benefits: Democrats and those who lean to the Democratic Party are much more likely than Republicans and GOP leaners to say EVs are better for the environment than gas vehicles (69% vs. 24%).
Cost to buy: A majority of both Democrats and Republicans say EVs cost more to buy than gas vehicles. But fewer Democrats than Republicans say this (65% vs. 81%).
Cost to charge/fuel: Half of Democrats say EVs cost less to charge than gas vehicles do to fuel. That compares with a quarter of Republicans.
Reliability: Very few Democrats or Republicans think EVs are more reliable than gas vehicles, but Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say this (14% vs. 5%). Half of Democrats say EVs and gas vehicles are about the same on reliability, while 34% say EVs are less reliable. Republicans are even more negative, with 69% saying EVs are less reliable.
Musk’s hard-right turn and eventual return to the middle has had major consequences for Tesla.
Tesla sales drop, Musk must go
When a CEO does something that overshadows the brand, they get fired. Both Best Buy and McDonald’s removed successful CEOs over inappropriate, but not illegal, relationships.
Musk has done something far worse. He has made it so Tesla’s (TSLA) core audience, liberals, sees the Tesla name as a sort of swear word. That has led to many existing owners adding an “I bought this before Elon went crazy” bumper sticker and new liberal customers staying away.
Tesla sales dropped 13.5% in the second quarter, after also dropping in the first quarter. The company faces the Musk backlash and concerns over its aging vehicle lineup.
Musk has not hurt Tesla irreparably, but his presence makes it harder to fix the problem.
About half of U.S. adults have an unfavorable opinion of Tesla, including 30% of Republicans, according to a June AP-NORC poll.
“Musk has acknowledged that his work as head of the Department of Government Efficiency and his embrace of European far-right candidates have hurt the company. But he said earlier this year that much of the sales plunge is due to customers holding off while they waited for an ugrade to Tesla’s best selling Model Y. That new version has been out for months now,” WTOC.com reported.
Take Musk off the top off the masthead, and liberals can go back to saluting the brand for its social responsibility.
But leave him there, and your target audience simply won’t buy. That’s not a political decision. It’s just business.
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The rapper and actor had been scheduled to appear at the Wawa Welcome America Festival on Friday, along with R&B singer and Philadelphia native Jazmine Sullivan and other performers.
LL Cool J said in a video posted on social media that “there’s absolutely no way that I can perform, cross a picket line and pick up money when I know that people are out there fighting for a living wage.”
“I hope, I hope, I hope that, you know, the mayor and the city can make a deal. I hope it works out,” he said.
LL Cool J also said that he never wants to disappoint his fans and that he plans to be in Philadelphia in case an agreement is reached.
The festival comes as the strike moved into a fourth day Friday. Trash has been piling up in some areas and more than 30 Medical Examiner’s Office staffers have been ordered back to work because of a growing backlog of bodies in storage.
The latest talks between the city and leaders of District Council 33 — the largest of four major unions representing city workers — ended late Wednesday. Both sides have said they were willing to continue negotiations. The union represents many of the city’s blue-collar workers, from trash collectors to clerks to security guards. Police and firefighters are not on strike.
The city has offered a three-year contract with annual raises of about 3%, which the union said amounts to little more than $1,000 after taxes for members making $46,000 a year on average.
Mayor Cherelle Parker has said the city has “put its best offer on the table.” She stressed that the effective 13% pay hike over her four-year term — including last year’s 5% bump – along with a fifth step on the pay scale would be the best contract the union has seen in decades.
Parker responded to LL Cool J’s statement, saying that she spoke with him on Thursday.
“I respect his decision, and understand his desire to see the city unified,” the mayor said. “He is always welcome in Philadelphia.”
The union also responded, saying LL Cool J’s support for municipal workers “highlights his commitment to social justice and community well-being.”
“His support not only brings attention to our efforts but also inspires others to recognize and advocate for the rights and respect of all workers,” the union said. “It’s heartening to see public figures using their influence to champion causes that matter to everyday people.”
On Thursday, Common Pleas Court Judge Sierra Thomas-Street approved the city’s request to have the medical examiner’s office staffers return to work because bodies have been piling up there in storage, posing a health and safety risk. Those workers include death and forensic investigators, forensic technicians and clerks.
The order came a day after the judge ordered some emergency service dispatchers and essential water department employees back to work.
Mounting trash piles in some parts of the city were also still causing grief for residents and officials, who have strongly urged residents to follow the collection guidelines imposed when the strike began Tuesday. They also urged residents to report problems at the trash collection sites, and noted trash is being cleared as fast as possible and the city is working to open more sites.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
