Catégorie oBox : OBOXMA

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been the talk of the town recently.

Another controversy splashed the septuagenarian, when he published a photo of himself and his grandchildren swimming in Washington’s Rock Creek.

Mother’s Day hike in Dumbarton Oaks Park with Amaryllis, Bobby, Kick, and Jackson, and a swim with my grandchildren, Bobcat and Cassius in Rock Creek. pic.twitter.com/TXowaSMTFY

— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) May 11, 2025

The problem?

Their swim was extremely risky, as the stream in question is contaminated with multiple bacteria, including E. coli.

For ages, the National Park Service (NPS) has been warning the DC population of this very high bacterial risk and RFK Jr. exposed his grandchildren. In fact, these restrictions/warnings have been in place for over 50 years, no less.

There’s even talk of widespread fecal contamination in the vicinity…

"Robert F. Kennedy Jr. submerges in creek with high bacteria levels, including E. coli"

Or to put it another way, "Secretary of Health and Human Services swims in sh*t."https://t.co/RKaa4ZYFwE

— Craig Rozniecki (@CraigRozniecki) May 13, 2025

The symptoms of E. coli should be taken seriously, as they include nausea, fever, headaches, vomiting, severe stomach cramps and watery and/or bloody diarrhoea.

We recently learned that Joe Biden had been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer, which had apparently spread to his bones.

The news prompted a reaction from former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was quick to take to his social networks to offer his heartfelt thoughts to his friend Joe Biden.

It should be remembered that, although aggressive, the cancer suffered by the former president is, according to several specialists, still a treatable form.

We send him much courage and good wishes.

Walmart, the retail giant known for its slogan « Save money. Live better » and its promise to offer low-cost products to improve its customers’ lives, has just announced a notable turnaround.

Walmart announces plans to start raising prices on some items later this month due to higher tariffs

— CNN (@cnn.com) 2025-05-15T11:41:25.280Z

By the end of the month, Walmart plans to impose major price hikes, citing tariffs that have simply become « too high », a direct consequence of the trade war launched by Donald Trump since his arrival in the White House.

According to CNN, the company’s CEO Doug McMillon said Walmart simply couldn’t absorb all the pressure, given the reality of tight margins in the retail sector.

According to the company’s CEO, the numerous tariffs imposed worldwide, including in China, Costa Rica and even Peru, are driving up costs in several product categories, particularly electronics, toys and many foods.

Walmart’s CEO thus announced that by the end of May, consumers would see significant price increases in its stores, adding that the situation would worsen next month, when we would « certainly see a lot more in June ».

While the company had welcomed the Trump administration’s decision to temporarily ease the trade war with China by reducing tariffs from 145% to 30% as part of a 90-day truce agreed in May, Walmart believes that current levels nevertheless remain « too high ».

By comparison, under the Biden administration, tariffs had remained relatively stable at around 20%, with only a few targeted increases on strategic products such as electric vehicles and semiconductors.

Costco stores in the U.S. recently decided to limit the number of gold bars that can be purchased per customer, in response to massive demand that emptied stocks within minutes.

Where Costco shoppers could originally purchase two one-ounce gold bars per transaction, they can now buy just one at a time.

— Business Insider (@businessinsider.com) 2025-05-12T17:04:51.263Z

This gold rush comes amidst a climate of financial market instability and global trade tensions triggered by Donald Trump, driving many Americans to turn to gold en masse as a safe haven.

As a result, stocks were quickly depleted and many customers left empty-handed.

In order to manage a demand that has become difficult to control, the wholesale retailer has seen a marked increase in gold bullion purchases in recent weeks.

Costco began selling gold bullion in 2023, an initiative that met with dazzling success, with over 75% of inventory sold out in the first week on the market.

Since their launch, these sales are said to be earning the company between $100 and $200 million a month, according to Wells Fargo.

In response to recent events, Costco has announced that a maximum of two gold bars per transaction will now be imposed on its customers within a 24-hour period.

Things aren’t looking too good for Japanese carmaker Nissan these days, as bad news begins to emerge.

According to NHK, Nissan intends to eliminate 15% of its job lots very soon. That’s about 10,000 people losing their jobs across the globe. Add to this the 9,000 jobs cut last November, and we’re talking about almost 20,000 jobs lost in the space of a few months.

In addition, 7 of Nissan’s 17 facilities will disappear by 2027.

Steps were taken to form a partnership with Honda in 2024, with the aim of helping each other create a joint product, but all that fizzled out last winter, leaving Nissan’s prospects in limbo.

Add to this the monstrous customs tariffs imposed by Donald Trump.

Nissan to cut 20,000 jobs as Trump's tariffs complicate plans to escape its financial crisis https://t.co/4yDqk53rfN

— Business Insider (@BusinessInsider) May 13, 2025

In short, Nissan would definitely like to catch up with its competitors when it comes to electric, but let’s just say that this problematic situation is delaying the process.

How global are the world’s top 10 best-selling car brands in 2024?
 
The chart confirms that Toyota is a brand that is available in every single market on earth thanks to a big lineup that includes 81 different models. #automotive #carsales #carstats #toyota #ford #honda #nissan pic.twitter.com/SD3a5xirb7

— Car Industry Analysis (@lovecarindustry) May 12, 2025

Will this be enough to save them from a full-blown meltdown? Time will tell…

But in the meantime, thousands of people are suffering the consequences…

Bad news for the former president and his family.

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an agressive form of prostate cancer, reports CNN.

BREAKING: Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer, which has spread to his bones. cnn.it/4kpDRYA

— CNN (@cnn.com) 2025-05-18T20:12:39.092Z

According to the same source, the cancer has spread to his bones, as confirmed by the New York Times.

Despite the gloomy initial details, many specialists agree that Joe Biden’s form of cancer is still treatable.

So there are still grounds for optimism in the camp of the 46th President of the United States.

Nearly $150 million was reportedly spent by participants in a contest where entrants had to buy meme coins featuring Trump for a chance to win dinner with him.

Buyers of $TRUMP meme spent US$148 million to win dinner with U.S. President Trump

— CTV News (Unofficial) (@ctvnews-rss.bsky.social) 2025-05-12T19:10:50.839300+00:00

However, not all participants were offered this chance: only the 220 highest contributors to the contest were awarded a place at a gala event scheduled for May in Washington D.C., which Donald Trump is due to attend.

And among these 220 largest donors, the top 25 will be treated to dinner at an « ultra-exclusive VIP reception » in the presence of the President, as well as a « special VIP tour ».

It’s worth noting that the $TRUMP corner meme was launched on January 17, 2025, just three days before Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.

The launch quickly came under heavy criticism, not least because of its timing, but above all because of the possible ethical implications it raises.

$TRUMP meme currencies soared to $75 a few hours after Trump’s announcement on his inauguration weekend, before dropping to less than $8.

The $TRUMP is currently trading around $14, but since its launch in January, nearly 600,000 wallets have accumulated losses totaling $3.9 billion, according to Inca data reported by CTV News.

Canadiens Prime Minister Mark Carney has strongly denounced Keir Starmer’s surprise invitation to Donald Trump for a second state visit to the UK, made during his recent visit to the White House.

Canadian PM criticises UK's invite to Trump for state visit reut.rs/4jOII5C

— Reuters (@reuters.com) 2025-05-14T08:25:12Z

This decision is all the more controversial given that Trump regularly threatens to make Canada the 51st U.S. state, even though the country is a historic member of the Commonwealth and a staunch ally of the UK.

In an interview with Sky News, Canada’s new Prime Minister expressed his disappointment at Keir Starmer’s invitation to Donald Trump on February 27.

This initiative came at a time when Donald Trump was stepping up his comments calling into question Canada’s sovereignty and the legitimacy of its border.

According to Mark Carney, it has weakened efforts to present a united front in the face of Donald Trump’s rhetoric evoking the annexation of Canada.

Mark Carney recently invited King Charles III to deliver the Speech from the Throne on May 27, marking the first opening of a Canadian parliamentary session by a monarch since 1977.

With this highly symbolic gesture, the Prime Minister intends to unambiguously reaffirm Canadian sovereignty, in response to Donald Trump’s statements evoking the annexation of Canada as the 51st U.S. state.