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(NEW YORK) — The Powerball jackpot for Monday’s drawing rose to $675 million after no one won on Saturday.

A single winner would have taken home an estimated $340.9 million cash option before taxes — the ninth largest Powerball jackpot on record and the second largest Powerball jackpot of 2023. Officials, however, announced early Tuesday morning ET there had been no winner.

The lucky numbers in Monday’s drawing were 2, 24, 34, 53 and 58, with 13 as the Powerball.

The prize for Wednesday’s drawing is now an estimated $725 million.

The April 19 drawing was the last time the Powerball was won, with an Ohio ticket taking a grand prize worth $252.6 million. The following 34 drawings didn’t have any winners, the lottery said.

A single ticket won a $2.04 billion jackpot in November 2022, marking the largest-ever jackpot in the Powerball’s history.

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(NEW YORK) — Negotiations broke down this week between UPS and its Teamster-represented workers, weeks before their contract is set to expire.

As a potential strike looms, UPS workers across the country have been holding “practice pickets,” holding signs that say, “Just practicing for a just contract.”

Here’s what you need to know about the labor situation and the impact of a potential strike.

Stalemate in negotiations
The UPS Teamsters contract covers more than 340,000 full- and part-time workers for the shipping giant and is set to expire on July 31, according to the union.

Following the latest round of negotiations on Wednesday, each side accused the other of walking away from the table.

“Following marathon negotiations, UPS refused to give the Teamsters a last, best, and final offer, telling the union the company had nothing more to give,” the Teamsters said in a statement.

The union claimed that UPS “walked away from the bargaining table after presenting an unacceptable offer,” which the UPS Teamsters National Negotiating Committee “unanimously rejected.”

UPS, meanwhile, claimed that the Teamsters “have stopped negotiating despite historic proposals that build on our industry-leading pay.”

“We have nearly a month left to negotiate. We have not walked away, and the union has a responsibility to remain at the table,” UPS said in a statement while calling on the Teamsters to “return to the table to finalize this deal.”

No additional negotiations are scheduled, according to the Teamsters.

Last month, rank-and-file UPS Teamsters authorized a strike and the union has said UPS members will not work beyond the expiration of the current contract.

Any tentative agreement would need to be endorsed by the Teamsters’ national committee before being voted on by the membership by the end of the current agreement, the union said.

What the Teamsters are demanding
The Teamsters have said they want an agreement that “guarantees better pay for all workers, eliminates a two-tier wage system, increases full-time jobs, resolves safety and health concerns, and provides stronger protections against managerial harassment.”

The two sides have made some progress since negotiations began earlier this year, including reaching an agreement on heat safety that UPS said would equip all newly purchased U.S. small package delivery vehicles with air conditioning starting Jan. 1, 2024.

The sides also agreed to end a two-tier wage system for drivers, establish Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a full holiday for the first time and end forced overtime on drivers’ days off, according to the union.

The Teamsters are still pushing to raise wages for part-time workers at the company, with union leaders pointing to UPS’ rise in profits during the pandemic. According to global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes, UPS saw a 5.5% increase in revenue year-over-year in 2022 and generated the highest revenue among other carriers.

“We’re trying to get a deal. We’re very close,” Teamsters’ General President Sean O’Brien told “Good Morning America” on Friday. “We’re trying to make certain that they understand how important this fight is for our 340,000 members that delivered goods and service through the toughest times we’ve seen.”

According to UPS, delivery drivers on average earn $95,000 per year in wages and part-time workers earn an average of $20 per hour and receive the same health and pension benefits as full-time employees.

O’Brien argued that that salary is for drivers working 60 to 65 hours per week, and that part-time wages are “selective.”

“It’s an extremely tough job. And when you talk about the part-timers, their part-time wage rate right now is about $16 per hour,” O’Brien said. “We want to establish a livable starting wage for part-timers, but also make sure we reward those part-timers who work through the pandemic.”

Economic concerns

UPS is among the largest shipping companies in the U.S. According to Pitney Bowes, UPS shipped 5.2 billion U.S. parcels in 2022, representing nearly a quarter of all parcels shipped in the country.

Should the UPS Teamsters go on strike, there’s “no doubt” the economy would be impacted, from businesses to individual households, Thomas Goldsby, a professor in logistics at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business, told ABC News.

“You just don’t take a player the size of UPS out of the market or largely out of the market without people having to take notice,” Goldsby said.

The last time UPS Teamsters went on strike was in 1997. The 15-day strike “largely crippled” the company and “created myriad inconveniences, large and small, for companies and consumers across the nation,” the New York Times reported at the time.

In the decades since then, the volume of parcels shipped has significantly grown due to e-commerce, while other players, such as Amazon, have also entered the industry.

A potential strike could present a “golden opportunity” for competitors, including regional carriers, Goldsby noted. Companies have also worked to diversify their portfolio of shipping options during what has been a volatile period over the past three years, making them more prepared for a strike, though smaller merchants could be more limited in their options if other shippers are full, he said.

Another area that could potentially be impacted is the business of returns, Goldsby said.

“About 20% of the stuff that goes out through e-commerce comes back,” he said. “UPS handles a lot of returns for companies, and so it’s not just the forward deployment of that inventory going out to market.”

The negotiations could also have implications in the labor industry, in particular the Teamsters’ efforts to unionize Amazon drivers, according to Broughton Capital managing partner Donald Broughton.

“The bigger of a win [O’Brien] has against UPS, then the bigger his credibility is to go around to Amazon workers and say, ‘Hey look, I could really help you guys out,'” Broughton said on CNBC’s “Closing Bell Overtime” this week. “It’s not just UPS management bargaining with the Teamsters; there’s a lot more at play.”

Broughton said UPS’ “best offer” likely won’t come until it’s down to the wire.

“Both the UPS management and the Teamsters know that you probably don’t get the best deal until the 11th hour,” he said.

UPS on Friday again called on the Teamsters to return to the table with three weeks to go until the contract expires.

“Refusing to negotiate, especially when the finish line is in sight, creates significant unease among employees and customers and threatens to disrupt the U.S. economy,” UPS said in a statement.

Goldsby said if the Teamsters were to strike, he does not think it would be sustained for long. Though he said he remains optimistic that a strike can be averted, particularly after the supply chain pains in recent years.

“No one really has the appetite for a strike that could be really detrimental to business and our economy and society,” he said. “Whether you’re on the labor or the management side, I just don’t think that anyone’s wanted to accept the black eye that would come with it.”

ABC News’ Jessica Hornig contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — Workers for UPS are edging closer to a strike after a breakdown in talks between the delivery giant and the Teamsters union representing its employees. Both sides have accused each other of walking away from negotiations.

A walkout would have ripple effects across the entire economy, with the company employing 340,000 workers who deliver millions of packages every day. The value of the goods it delivers annually has been estimated at 6% of the U.S. economy.

UPS workers are negotiating for better pay and the elimination of a two-tier wage system for part-time and full-time workers. Sean O’Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, spoke to “GMA3” about what’s at stake.

DEMARCO MORGAN: Sean, good to see you. Thanks for being with us. So UPS is saying you guys walked away from the table. You’re saying UPS walked away from the table. What happened and what’s wrong?

SEAN O’BRIEN: Well, UPS can tell their story. We know the real story at 4:15 a.m., July 5, when we’re trying to get a deal, we’re very close, they said they had no more to give and so they actually walked away. And that’s why we’re here right now. We’re trying to make certain that they understand how important this fight is for our 340,000 members that delivered goods and services through the toughest times we’ve seen [in the] pandemic.

EVA PILGRIM: What needs to happen to prevent this?

O’BRIEN: Well look, I mean, our part-timers at UPS are working for poverty wages. Some of them are single mothers, single dads working crazy hours. And look, everybody loves the UPS drivers, who work extremely hard. But those packages do not get on those trucks without those part-timers. And, you know, UPS has the opportunity right now to do the right thing, because they can set the tone on how it is to reward their employees who have made them the success that they are. I mean, they made $100 billion with a B, and our members deserve to reap those benefits as well.

MORGAN: And speaking of part time, Sean, you’ve called part-time worker wages, part-time poverty. Let’s look at some numbers. UPS tells us that on average, they pay their drivers $95,000 a year with benefits and part-time workers get $20 an hour with health care eligibility, pension plans. Why do you call this part-time poverty?

O’BRIEN: Because they’re not telling the true story. $93,000 for a full-timer is accurate, but they’re working 60, 65 hours. It’s an extremely tough job. And when you talk about the part-timers, their part-time wage rate right now is about $16 per hour. UPS is selective. They pick and choose on who they’re going to pay, what area, and they can raise the rates.

We want to establish a livable starting wage for part-timers, but also make sure we reward those part-timers who work through the pandemic. We lost members as a result of going to work when there were no vaccinations, no protections. And all the while, bottom line of their balance sheet kept growing and growing and growing.

We want to be rewarded. There was no hazard pay. There wasn’t anything other than these people, our members, 340,000, providing goods and services to keep this country running.

PILGRIM: And we were all ordering all the packages because people didn’t want to go out. UPS issued this statement saying in part, “The Teamsters have stopped negotiating despite historic proposals that build on our industry-leading pay…refusing to negotiate, especially when the finish line is in sight, create significant unease among employees and customers, and threatens to disrupt the U.S. economy.”

O’BRIEN: We are not refusing to negotiate. They know what we want. They know what our members need. And if UPS causes a strike, it’s going to be on UPS. I mean, they’re going to self-inflict these wounds on themselves. Our members are the best in the business. They provide the best services. And it’s shame on UPS. They have an opportunity right now to do the right thing and be the model employer for the entire United States.

MORGAN: Can you talk about the concerns that you’ve been hearing from some of the Teamsters themselves?

O’BRIEN: Well, I mean, mostly it’s the wages. I mean, look, UPS is a very difficult job. We’ve made significant progress in negotiations. We’ve been negotiating since January. But it’s significant wage increases for the part-timers, but more importantly, dignity and respect in the workplace.

PILGRIM: What gets you guys back to the table? Is there something that needs to happen?

O’BRIEN: UPS just has to pick up the phone, tell us they’re going to agree to what our bottom line is and they know what our bottom line is. We’ve been very transparent in these negotiations, and they know what needs to happen.

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(NEW YORK) — Years after the death of George Floyd shined a spotlight on societal inequities, diversity professionals say some companies are turning their backs on the progress that’s been made to address them.

Madison Butler is one of the many diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professionals that companies previously brought on their payroll to ensure their business is equitable and accessible for people of all backgrounds.

But in recent months, Butler said she has found it increasingly hard to find work — and she’s not alone.

DEI positions have been disproportionately hit by layoffs across industries, but particularly at tech companies, which have faced financial challenges as sales slowed from the blistering pace attained during the pandemic.

When Butler reached out to DEI professionals who planned to hire her for consulting, she said companies have told her: “‘Oh, this person is no longer with the company.’ ‘Oh, this person has been laid off.’ ‘Oh, this person no longer works here effective last month.’

Melody, who is using only her first name for privacy reasons, is also a DEI professional and said she was laid off along with others on her DEI team within just a few months of their hiring.

“It’s difficult to be somewhere for a brief period of time and feel like you didn’t even have the time to make the impact you wanted to make,” Melody told ABC News.

“The workplace is so full of human beings and we’re not robots,” she added. “We definitely need people at work who can help us feel like we belong there.”

Nationwide call to action

George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a Minneapolis police officer in May 2020 during an arrest. His death prompted a nationwide movement in which protesters demanded individuals and organizations alike take action in addressing societal injustices that impact historically marginalized groups.

To do this, some companies sought out the expertise of DEI professionals like Butler and Melody.

“We suddenly saw everyone coming out of the woodwork wanting to hire a lot of them, hiring inaugural DEI folks,” Melody said. “And you had to wonder, like, are people actually ready for this? Or is this a trend that we’re seeing?”

DEI initiatives are often intended to address workplace culture and conditions, such as inaccessibility in the workplace for disabled people, poor retention rates for workers of color and other inequalities faced by marginalized groups.

From September 2019 to September 2020, job postings for diversity, inclusion and belonging positions on the hiring website Indeed rose by 56.3%, the company said.

A LinkedIn study found that chief diversity and inclusion officer positions grew by 168.9% from 2019 to 2022.

The rapid organizational movement toward addressing inequalities was initially exciting for DEI professionals. But in just a couple of years, that excitement wavered as growth rapidly fell apart.

“The honeymoon is over,” Cecil Howard, a DEI consultant and former chief diversity officer at the University of South Florida, told ABC News.

“Right after George Floyd’s killing, everybody who didn’t have a diversity office quickly created a diversity office,” he added. “A few years later, they started realizing, ‘We checked the box and things are a little quieter now.'”

DEI begins to disappear

Starting in late 2020 — months after the killing of Floyd set off a racial reckoning — a host of companies escalated cuts of DEI professionals, a survey of more than 600 companies from data firm Revelio Labs found.

Last year, the layoffs accelerated significantly, the study found.

One in three DEI professionals lost their roles over a one-year period ending in December, the survey said. Over that period, the study added, non-DEI workers experienced a relatively lower attrition rate of 21%.

The job losses owe to several trends: a sluggish economy that prompted cost cuts, a softening of the scrutiny that held corporations to account over racial justice and a rise of conservative backlash against DEI, some DEI professionals told ABC News.

“In 2020 a lot of organizations reacted to the market, reacted to social events taking place without really having a clear understanding of what DEI is and how it should be enabled in business,” Christie Lindor, a diversity strategist and CEO of Tessi Consulting, told ABC News.

“When things get rough, these are the areas that go,” Lindor added.

Speaking to laid-off DEI professionals, Howard noticed job losses concentrated among individuals who criticized an employer’s diversity-related policies or offered ambitious ideas for reform, he said.

“The separations weren’t coming from organizations that were really serious about enhancing their culture,” he said, describing a chilling effect for DEI professionals: “We don’t need you to be a voice; we need you to be a face.”

At the same time, conservative elected officials such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began to target DEI initiatives.

DeSantis last month signed into law a bill that prohibits state or federal spending on DEI programs at public universities in Florida.

The acronym, DeSantis said, should be reinterpreted as “discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination.”

In February, Abbott’s office ordered state agencies to stop using diversity, equity and inclusion programs in hiring, calling them “illegal.”

Abbott’s chief of staff, Gardner Pate claimed these programs “proactively encourage discrimination in the workplace,” and do the opposite of what they claim to do.

And in June, Abbott signed a ban on diversity offices in state-funded higher education institutions.

In a statement, a spokesperson from Abbott’s office told ABC News that “the issue is not diversity – the issue is that equity is not equality, and DEI practices conflate the two.”

The statement continued, “Some universities and woke professors have been using DEI to advance political agendas and exclude conservative viewpoints on college campuses. These efforts adversely affect our students, limit exposure to diverse thought, and destroy our education system.”

DeSantis’ office did not respond to ABC News’ requests for comment.

Lindor accused elected officials like Abbott and DeSantis of “weaponizing” DEI for political purposes, calling conservative political attacks one of the “driving forces” behind cuts in the field.

Butler and Melody believe that anti-DEI policies intend to turn back progress made by marginalized groups toward equality.

“People fear losing power,” said Butler. “So much of this work has to be centered around deconstructing things like white supremacy, deconstructing status quos. And those status quos and white supremacy protect people in positions of power.”

Without these DEI policies, professionals fear that organizations may fall back into patterns that create unhealthy or exclusive work cultures that drive away diverse candidates, employees and customers alike.

“If we don’t have employees that understand people of different cultures, different backgrounds – companies are going to find themselves losing good employees to discriminatory practices,” said Brit Levy, a former DEI employee who was laid off from Meta.

She continued, “It’s going to be an uphill battle for retention. Employee morale is going to go down because now you have these employees that feel like targets they have targets on their back.”

Companies choosing to slash DEI programs could face difficulty hiring candidates from underrepresented groups and understanding the needs of a diverse customer base, Lindor said.

“It’s not just about being progressive as an organization,” Howard said. “Start looking at the bottom line.”

Some states that have banned workplace affirmative action — a diversity initiative that allows employers to consider race as one factor in hiring — saw that such bans negatively impacted diversity in the workplace, according to a Harvard study. The study analyzed the workforces of four state government following the ban and found that these states saw significant declines in the number of Black women, Latino men and Asian women working there.

Meanwhile, the number of white men in the workplaces increased, the study says.

Diversity has also proven to be good for business, according to several studies that indicate that companies that are more diverse are more innovative and in turn, more profitable.

Companies that fail to diversify could fall behind, especially in the tech industry, where a surge in the development of AI has heightened the importance of innovation, Lindor said.

“We’re seeing more candidates who want to join companies that align with their values,” Lindor said. “It’s difficult for companies to authentically say DEI is a priority when they’re cutting.”

“We’re going to start to see the results of that in the marketplace in the years to come,” she added.

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(SAN FRANCISCO) — Asian Americans throughout Silicon Valley are unifying in support of one man after a new lawsuit was filed last month against Lumentum Operations, LLC, alleging Asian discrimination throughout the company.

The lawsuit, filed June 30 by Andre Wong, seeks $20,000,000 in damages, claiming “Lumentum had a culture of prejudice against Asians,” according to the lawsuit.

“The damages figures reflect the impairment of Andre’s future expected compensation, how he’s been impacted personally and other matters, including making an example out of Lumentum and its bad behavior,” said Charles Jong, the leading attorney on the case.

The plaintiff, Wong, was an employee of the technology company for over 20 years, according to the lawsuit, before eventually becoming the vice president of strategic marketing, which Wong described as a “glass cliff job.”

While working at the company, Wong created and developed a new product line that specialized in 3D sensing and facial recognition technology, bringing the business $1 billion in revenue, according to the lawsuit.

Despite Wong’s success, he told ABC News he consistently struggled with rising in the ranks of the company.

“I noticed that I was kind of stalled in my career,” Wong told ABC News. “I had this sort of revolving door of white managers that would come through time and again, and even though I created the business, I would always have to train each of these new white managers, and I just felt frustrated.”

Wong told ABC News that during the rise of anti-Asian hate crimes during the pandemic, many of the Asian Americans at Lumentum began to talk about the alleged discrimination in the workplace, sharing similar experiences to his own. This led him to co-found Lumentum’s Asian employee resource group.

Shortly after forming the group, Wong said he was laid off.

“We expect social change and change specifically within the company,” Jung told ABC News. “It’s the disparity between the regular workers, mid-level people and the executives with respect to representation. It’s very difficult to explain any other way other than inappropriate conduct. And we expect to vindicate Andre’s rights in court and also to achieve change within the company.”

Lumentum did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Stand with Asian Americans (SWAA), a coalition of Asian American activists, released a statement in support of the lawsuit, including statements from other Asian Americans speaking out against the technology workplace environment.

“Hate and discrimination at work is one of the most insidious ways anti-Asian racism shows up in our society,” said Justin Zhu, co-founder and executive director of SWAA. “Andre’s experience showcases how even in fields that heavily rely on Asian American labor, anti-Asian racism remains pervasive. His speaking up is an act of bravery, moving us closer to securing fair treatment for our communities.”

Vaishnavi J., former Head of Youth Policy at Meta, also spoke out in the press release about Asian employees continuously struggling for promotions despite qualifications they may have.

“Our contributions are valued and even weaponized against other communities of color as long as we keep our heads down and know our place. But once we dare to suggest that we are just as good, just as objectively qualified as anyone else for leadership roles, we experience exclusion, derision and retaliation,” she said in the release. “This is something we have whispered about as a community for decades in living rooms and over the dining table, but our parents and grandparents had to stay silent to build a better life for their children. We owe it to them to be the generation that ends this ignominy.”

If Wong wins the lawsuit, he plans to donate a “significant portion of the net proceeds to the cause of fighting anti-Asian discrimination,” according to the lawsuit.

“The main reason why I’m doing this lawsuit is to make sure that we can make this donation to the civil rights movement for Asian Americans and to continue to support this effort,” Wong told ABC News. “I think it’s an effort that is sort of in its infancy, but there’s a lot of stories and there’s a lot of activities that need to continue to happen.”

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(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission have jointly issued warning letters to six companies that they say illegally sold copycat food products that look like regular candies and snack foods, but contain edible Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

“These products can easily be mistaken for traditional foods like chips, cookies, candy, gummies or other snack food items,” the FDA said in a statement. “The FDA is concerned that these products can be accidentally ingested by consumers, including children, or taken in higher doses than intended.”

In a separate statement, the FTC said it sent cease and desist letters “after reviewing online marketing for Delta-8 THC products sold by the six companies” and determining that “their advertising may violate Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts in or affecting commerce, including practices that present unwarranted health or safety risks.”

The letters were sent to Delta Munchies, Dr. Smoke LLC, Exclusive Hemp Farms/Oshipt, Nikte’s Wholesale LLC, North Carolina Hemp Exchange LLC and The Haunted Vapor Room.

ABC News has reached out to the companies for comment on the matter but did not immediately hear back from some of them.

In a statement to ABC News, North Carolina Hemp Exchange said the FDA had requested that it no longer sell “four specific products,” and that it had complied with that request, immediately removing the items from its website and retail locations.

“Our response was immediate and in full cooperation with the FDA’s request,” manager Diane R. Becker stated. “We understood their concern about the packaging of those particular products and relayed their concerns to the vendor that sold the products to us. We did not manufacture any of the products.”

Becker said the company would “continue to comply with any requests” from the FDA, emphasizing that the products it pulled this week “are only a small segment of items we sell.”

The cease and desist letters demand the companies “stop marketing edible Delta-8 THC products that imitate conventional foods using advertising or packaging that is likely to appeal to young children,” according to the FTC.

“The FTC also strongly encourages the sellers to review all of their marketing and product packaging for similar edible THC products, and to take swift action and steps to protect consumers, especially young children, from these products,” the agency stated.

Additionally, both agencies have requested the companies respond to the letters within 15 days.

The FDA said it has requested written responses from each company detailing “how they will address these violations and prevent their recurrence,” adding that failure to do so “may result in legal action, including product seizure and/or injunction.”

The FTC said it “has asked each company to contact agency staff within 15 days to detail the specific actions it has taken to address the Commission’s concerns.”

According to the FDA, “Delta-8 THC is a substance found in the Cannabis sativa plant, of which marijuana and hemp are two varieties.” The agency says the substance’s psychoactive and intoxicating effects “may be dangerous to consumers and it has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for safe use in any context, including when added to food.”

Additionally the FDA said it has “received reports of serious adverse events experienced by people who have consumed these products, such as hallucinations, vomiting, tremor, anxiety, dizziness, confusion, and loss of consciousness.”

“Children are more vulnerable than adults to the effects of THC, with many who have been sickened and even hospitalized after eating ‘edibles’ containing it,” FDA Principal Deputy Commissioner Janet Woodcock, M.D., said in a statement on Wednesday. “That’s why we’re issuing warnings to several companies selling copycat food products containing delta-8 THC, which can be easily mistaken for popular foods that are appealing to children and can make it easy for a young child to ingest in very high doses without realizing it.”

She added, “We’re also concerned that adults could unintentionally take them or take a higher dose than expected and suffer serious consequences. This risk is especially dangerous for those who are driving, working, or have other responsibilities.”

Woodcock added that the products in question “intentionally mimic well-known snack food brands by using similar brand names, logos, or pictures on packaging, that consumers, especially children, may confuse with traditional snack foods.”

Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, called marketing of edible THC products in this way “reckless and illegal.”

He said the onus is on companies to ensure their products are “marketed safely and responsibly, especially when it comes to protecting the well-being of children.”

The FDA previously warned consumers in June 2022 about consumption of food products containing delta-8 THC after the agency said it received over 125 adverse event reports from Jan. 1, 2021, through May 31, 2022, related to children and adults who consumed edible THC products.

“Ten of the reports specifically mention the edible product to be a copycat of popular snack foods,” the agency noted this week.

The FDA and FTC have sent similar joint letters to other companies in the past. According to the FTC, the agencies issued warning letters in March 2019 to “three sellers of cannabidiol (CBD), a chemical compound derived from the cannabis plant,” and “sent a second round of letters to three additional CBD sellers in September 2019, warning them that that it is illegal to advertise that a product can prevent, treat, or cure human disease without competent and reliable scientific evidence to support such claims.”

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(NEW YORK) — Twitter sent Meta a cease-and-desist letter over the newly launched Threads app, sources familiar with the letter’s existence told ABC News.

The letter was sent by Twitter’s legal team Thursday, the sources said.

The letter accused Meta of misappropriating Twitter’s trade secrets and said Meta hired former Twitter employees who retained proprietary information, the sources said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(NEW YORK) — Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has officially launched Threads, a new “conversation” app that appears to be the firm’s long-awaited counterpart to Twitter.

The app surpassed “2 million sign-ups in the first two hours,” Mark Zuckerberg wrote on his Threads page.

Zuckerberg and Elon Musk averted a cage fight last month, but the companies they oversee — Meta and Twitter, respectively — are now squaring off in direct competition.

Zuckerberg’s latest platform — which launched Wednesday, a day earlier than anticipated — offers a place “where communities come together to discuss everything from topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,” an app store description said.

“Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world,” the app store description added.

Users, who must be at least 12 years old, are afforded the option to log into Threads through a preexisting Instagram account. For users under 16, (or under 18 in certain countries) their accounts will default to a private profile when they join Threads.

The platform allows users’ posts to be up to 500 characters, including links, photos and videos running up to 5 minutes in length.

A privacy policy provided in the app store indicated that Threads may collect data from users related to a slew of categories: health and fitness, financial information, contact information, search history and purchases, among others.

Twitter, by comparison, collects information from users during use of the platform, when users provide the information directly and when Twitter receives data from third parties, the company’s privacy policy says.

Responding sarcastically to news of the app, Musk criticized Meta in a tweet: “Thank goodness they’re so sanely run,” he said.

The comment made reference to language reportedly used by Meta executives in a derisive description of Musk’s performance atop Twitter.

Meta and Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the launch of the app.

The new app from Meta arrives days after Twitter weathered its latest in a string of difficulties under Musk, suffering an outage over the weekend across thousands of users in multiple countries, according to online tracking site DownDetector.

In turn, the platform imposed “temporary limits” on the number of posts users could view in a single day, Musk said on Saturday.

Musk, who runs Tesla and SpaceX, stepped down as CEO last month but retained a prominent role in the company as its executive chairman and chief technology officer.

In recent months, Twitter has appeared to take aim at services offered by Meta. In May, Twitter added encrypted messaging and announced plans to offer voice calls — both key features of Meta-owned WhatsApp.

The jockeying between the two companies escalated into apparent animosity between Musk and Zuckerberg last month.

In response to a post mentioning a Meta-owned counterpart to Twitter, Musk said in a tweet that he was willing to fight Zuckerberg in a “cage match.”

On Instagram, Zuckerberg posted a screenshot of Musk’s tweet and a caption: “Send Me Location.”

The fight between the rival billionaires has not materialized. On Monday, however, Musk trained with Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Georges St-Pierre, according to a tweet from St. Pierre that included a photo of Musk.

The launch of Threads also drew criticism from former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who targeted the app’s data collection policy.

“All your Threads,” Dorsey said. “Belong to us.”

Dorsey previously criticized Musk’s leadership at Twitter, saying in April that “all went south” at the platform after Musk’s acquisition, CNBC reported.

Earlier this year, Dorsey launched his own alternative app: Bluesky Social. The platform remains invite-only as it undergoes testing. The company has not offered a timeline for when it plans to make the site public.

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(NEW YORK) — A pair of belVita Breakfast Sandwich products have been voluntarily recalled because they have potential “undeclared peanut,” according to the company that makes the biscuits.

Mondelēz Global announced the recall on Monday, saying in a press release that the biscuits may contain the substance as a result of cross-contact on one manufacturing line.

“We became aware of this issue during an internal manufacturing inspection when we found the potential presence of peanut protein residue on the line used to make these products,” the company said in Monday’s release.

The voluntary recall only applies to two varieties in the U.S.: belVita Breakfast Sandwich Cinnamon Brown Sugar with Vanilla Creme and belVita Breakfast Sandwich Dark Chocolate Creme. Markets outside the U.S. are not impacted by the recall, the company said.

Mondelēz Global said Monday it was aware of three unconfirmed reports of possible allergic reactions connected to the biscuit varieties.

Peanuts are one of the eight foods that “account for the most severe allergic reactions in the United States,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A food allergy affects one in 13 children in the U.S., the CDC said.

There isn’t a cure for food allergies, according to the CDC.

People with peanut allergies often have to change the way they travel, where they eat and how they live. Exposure — even in very small amounts — can lead to skin rashes, trouble breathing or even death, medical experts have said.

Van’s International Foods issued a voluntary recall on Monday in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration after the company found some of its gluten-free waffles may contain undeclared wheat.

“The recall was initiated after it was discovered that wheat-containing product was distributed in packaging that did not reveal the presence of wheat,” the recall notice said.

Van’s said the recall was “initiated in an abundance of caution due to potential presence of wheat in certain products labeled as gluten-free.”

Subsequent investigation indicated that the problem was caused by the inclusion of a limited number of cartons for Van’s Gluten Free Original Waffles with a pallet of cartons intended for wheat-containing products. Immediate steps were taken to prevent a recurrence, the recall notice said.

The company said no allergic reactions or illnesses associated with eating the product have been reported.

The affected Van’s products are lot code #UW40193L, with an expiration date of 1/19/2024. The company has asked consumers to dispose of the cartons immediately or return them to the store for a refund.

As for the belVita products, the recalled products have a “best when used” by date before and including Feb. 25, 2024, and the following retail UPCs:

BelVita Breakfast Sandwich, Cinnamon Brown Sugar with Vanilla Creme variety

• 8.8 oz carton. Retail UPC: 0 44000 06304 7
• 1.76 oz pouch. Retail UPC: 0 44000 06370 2

BelVita Breakfast Sandwich, Dark Chocolate Creme variety

• 8.8 oz carton. Retail UPC: 0 44000 04328 5
• 14.08 oz carton. Retail UPC: 0 44000 05723 7
• 14.08 oz carton. Retail UPC: 0 44000 06330 6
• 1 lb 5.12 oz carton. Retail UPC: 0 44000 05861 6
• 2 lb 12 oz carton. Retail UPC: 0 44000 04602 6
• 1.76 oz pouch. Retail UPC: 0 44000 04070 3

In its recall notice, Mondelēz Global told consumers they could contact the company at 1-855-535-5948, 24 hours a day, for additional information.

To report an issue with FDA-regulated products, consumers should call 1-888-463-6332, according to the FDA.

ABC News’ Kelly McCarthy, Dr. Johanna Kreafle and Dr. Sumir Shah contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk averted a cage fight last month but the companies they oversee — Meta and Twitter, respectively — are set to square off in direct competition.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, revealed on Monday a new “conversation” app called Threads that appears to be the firm’s long-awaited counterpart to Twitter.

Set to launch on Thursday, the platform will offer a place “where communities come together to discuss everything from topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow,” an app-store description said.

“Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world,” the app-store description added.

Users, who must be at least 12 years old, will be afforded the option to log into Threads through a preexisting Instagram account, according to a screenshot preview featured on the app-store page.

The platform will allow users to post short messages to a wider audience and respond when others post, a screenshot preview indicated.

A privacy policy provided in the app-store indicated that Threads may collect data from users related to a slew of categories: health and fitness, financial information, contact information, search history and purchases, among others.

Twitter, by comparison, collects information from users during use of the platform, when users provide the information directly and when Twitter receives data from third parties, the company’s privacy policy says.

Responding sarcastically to news of the app, Musk criticized Meta in a tweet: “Thank goodness they’re so sanely run,” he said.

The comment made reference to language reportedly used by Meta executives in a derisive description of Musk’s performance atop Twitter.

Meta and Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The new app from Meta arrives days after Twitter weathered its latest in a string of difficulties under Musk, suffering an outage over the weekend across thousands of users in multiple countries, according to online tracking site DownDetector.

In turn, the platform imposed “temporary limits” on the number of posts users could view in a single day, Musk said on Saturday.

Musk, who runs Tesla and SpaceX, stepped down as CEO last month but retained a prominent role in the company as its executive chairman and chief technology officer.

In recent months, Twitter has appeared to take aim at services offered by Meta. In May, Twitter added encrypted messaging and announced plans to offer voice calls — both key features of Meta-owned WhatsApp.

The jockeying between the two companies escalated into apparent animosity between Musk and Zuckerberg last month.

In response to a post mentioning a Meta-owned counterpart to Twitter, Musk said in a tweet that he was willing to fight Zuckerberg in a “cage match.”

On Instagram, Zuckerberg posted a screenshot of Musk’s tweet and a caption: “Send Me Location.”

The fight between the rival billionaires has not materialized. On Monday, however, Musk trained with Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Georges St-Pierre, according to a tweet from St. Pierre that included a photo of Musk.

The launch of Threads also drew criticism from former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who targeted the app’s data collection policy.

“All your Threads,” Dorsey said. “Belong to us.”

Dorsey previously criticized Musk’s leadership at Twitter, saying in April that “all went south” at the platform after Musk’s acquisition, CNBC reported.

Earlier this year, Dorsey launched his own alternative app: Bluesky Social. The platform remains invite-only as it undergoes testing. The company has not offered a timeline for when it plans to make the site public.

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