(NEW YORK) — The LEGOLAND Hotel in New York is almost open for business.
The hotel just announced it will open for overnight bookings beginning on Aug. 6 following the opening of LEGOLAND New York Resort on July 9.
This will be the first and only Lego-themed hotel in the Northeast and features 250 guest rooms.
All of the rooms are decorated with Pirate, Kingdom, Lego Friends and Lego Ninjago themes that feature separate sleeping areas for kids.
“Guests are greeted by a fire-breathing dragon at the hotel entrance and will discover more than 2,000 LEGO models inside the hotel,” according to a press release from LEGOLAND New York.
Activities for hotel guests include visits from Lego characters, a heated outdoor pool and creative workshops for kids.
Located at the main entrance of the resort, guests will be close enough to explore all seven lands at the new LEGOLAND New York Resort.
Reservations can be booked now on the LEGOLAND website.
(BEDMINSTER, N.J.) — Former President Donald Trump announced Wednesday he is filing class action lawsuits against three of the country’s largest tech companies — Facebook, Twitter, and Google — all of which have banned the former president from their social media platforms.
At a press conference at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club, Trump announced a “major class-action lawsuit” against the three companies, demanding “a stop to the blacklisting, banishing, and canceling that you know so well.”
The former president is currently banned from Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
“Today, in conjunction with the America First Policy Institute, I’m filing, as the lead class representative, a major class action lawsuit against the big tech giants, including Facebook, Google, and Twitter, as well as their CEOs, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, and Jack Dorsey, three real nice guys,” Trump said.
The former president said the lawsuits seek injunctive relief to “allow prompt restitution and, really, restoration.”
“In addition, we are asking the court to impose punitive damages on these social media giants,” he said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — As the Suns and the Bucks face off in the NBA Finals, Chipotle is giving away millions in free burritos.
Amid the on-court action of Tuesday’s Game 1 broadcast, Chipotle raised the stakes for the commercial breaks and hid a keyword that unlocked 10,000 free burritos at the end of its ad.
The fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain announced Wednesday that it has hidden up to $1 million — or possibly more, depending on if the teams go further than Game 4 — worth of free burritos in its TV ads.
As the series progresses, Chipotle will continue to offer a number of prizes that vary from game to game hidden in the end card of the commercial.
Now the word is officially out, the brand said it expects codes will go fast. To score a free entrée, fans will have to put a full court press on texting the keyword to 888-222.
“The final games of the basketball season are arguably some of the most entertaining moments of the year,” Chris Brandt, Chipotle’s Chief Marketing Officer said in a statement. “Along with the high-profile player matchups, off-court storylines, and fan interactions, our hidden code giveaway creates another ‘game within the game’ and elevates the viewing experience for our fans during breaks in the action.”
Check out the full NBA Finals schedule below to make sure you’re tuned in and ready to go.
Game 2 – Thursday, July 8: 10,000 free burritos
Game 3 – Sunday, July 11: 20,000 free burritos
Game 4 – Wednesday, July 14: 30,000 free burritos
Game 5 (If necessary) – Saturday, July 17: 40,000 free burritos
Game 6 (If necessary) – Tuesday, July 20: 10,000 free burritos
Game 7 (If necessary) – Thursday, July 22: 10,00 free burritos
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for ULTA Beauty / KKW Beauty
(NEW YORK) — Kim Kardashian is saying goodbye to KKW Beauty.
Kim took to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday to announce that she’ll be temporarily shutting down the website and relaunching it “under a completely new brand with new formulas.”
“To our loyal customers, [i]t all started with a contour kit and expanded to eyes, lips, body and many incredible collections over the past four years,” she said in a statement.
“On August 1st at midnight we will be shutting down the KKWBeauty.com site so that we can come back to you under a completely new brand with new formulas that are more modern, innovative and packaged in an elevated and sustainable new look,” she continued.
The 40-year-old beauty and fashion mogul also teased a new “shopping experience,” which will allow customers to purchase all of her beauty and cosmetic products in one place.
“I’m excited to continue to develop and expand my product range and for you to finally be able to experience it the way that I have always envisioned,” she said. “In addition, my team is hard at work to improve the customer shopping experience where you will be able to purchase my beauty and cosmetic offerings in all categories from one single website.”
Kardashian launched her line in 2017. She sold 20% of the company to Coty in 2019 for $200 million, although the deal wasn’t finalized until this past January.
(NEW YORK) — At the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, consumers had a hard time finding household products like toilet paper, hand soap and hand sanitizer because people were stockpiling these items. But now, store shelves are filled and it’s the supermarkets that are stockpiling goods.
The reason why? Price increases.
Grocers are setting aside larger amounts of products to stay ahead of big price hikes and spare shoppers from sticker shock at checkout.
ABC News’ Stephanie Ramos appeared on Good Morning America Wednesday to discuss the move:
(WASHINGTON) — After years of legal wrangling, the Department of Defense has canceled its cloud-computing contract with Microsoft that could have been worth $10 billion.
The contract to build a cloud-computing system for the Pentagon was the subject of a lengthy legal battle, as Amazon alleged it was passed over for the lucrative deal due to political reasons.
The Department of Defense did not mention the legal battle, but said the contract was canceled due to evolving requirements, tech advances and different needs than when the contract was first offered.
“With the shifting technology environment, it has become clear that the JEDI Cloud contract, which has long been delayed, no longer meets the requirements to fill the DoD’s capability gaps,” a DoD spokesperson said in a statement.
Instead, the Pentagon will now offer deals to Microsoft and Amazon Web Services — the only companies cleared to meet the military’s security requirements — for individual contracts for specific needs.
The Jedi Cloud can be thought of as the military’s classified version of Apple’s iCloud where information could be stored securely and shared across the military’s computer system.
Amazon and Microsoft did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment Tuesday after the news broke.
(NEW YORK) — Crude oil prices briefly reached their highest levels in six years early Tuesday before retreating slightly, as surging post-pandemic oil demand and fizzled talks among producers casts new volatility over energy markets.
Futures on West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. crude benchmark, were trading at $73.32 a barrel by midday Tuesday after topping $76.90 a barrel earlier. The price of WTI crude has skyrocketed by more than 50% since the beginning of the year.
Futures on Brent crude, the international benchmark, was $74.50 by midday Tuesday, a slight fall from its early morning high of $77.82. Since the beginning of the year, prices for Brent crude have climbed more than 45%.
The volatility comes as the waning pandemic is leading to a surge in demand for oil as industries reopen and global travel bounces back. In addition, a meeting of members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries scheduled for Monday was abruptly called off. In a brief statement, OPEC Secretary General HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo did not give a reason for the last-minute cancellation, saying the date of the next meeting will be decided “in due course.” The oil producers were expected to discuss increases in production after failing to reach an agreement last week.
Americans are also seeing no relief from soaring gas prices at the pump. On Tuesday, the national average gasoline price was $3.13 per gallon, according to American Automobile Association data.
Moreover, the AAA predicts that gas prices will increase another 10 to 20 cents per gallon through the end of August, bringing the national average to more than $3.25 later this summer.
“Robust gasoline demand and more expensive crude oil prices are pushing gas prices higher,” Jeanette McGee, an AAA spokesperson, said in a statement. “We had hoped that global crude production increases would bring some relief at the pump this month, but weekend OPEC negotiations fell through with no agreement reached. As a result, crude prices are set to surge to a seven year-high.”
States that saw the largest weekly increases at the pump include Idaho (which saw an average increase of 10 cents), Alaska (a 9 cent increase) as well as Washington, Oregon and Colorado (which all saw an increase of 7 cents).
The AAA noted that the last time the national average gas price was $3.25 was in October 2014.
Gas prices have been steadily climbing since the beginning of the year. The national average on Tuesday was 95 cents higher on average than during the same time period one year ago.
(NEW YORK) — When Lara Adekoya started baking cookies at the start of the pandemic, she never anticipated that a year later, celebrities like Issa Rae, Jenna Dewan, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Melissa Benoist and Lena Waithe would be lining up to order from her Los Angeles business, Fleurs et Sel.
“What I’m doing is reaching beyond just the backyard,” Adekoya, 28, told ABC News’ Good Morning America. “It’s refreshing to have their support, because these are people that now know who I am, and they know that I make really great cookies.”
Her Hollywood clientele isn’t just limited to celebrities either. The business owner has catered to Amazon Studios, A24, the Oprah Winfrey Network, HBO’s Insecure set and, most recently, National Geographic. But even though Fleurs et Sel has quickly risen as a business that’s only a year old, its success is anything but a fluke — Adekoya said she hustled to make a name for herself.
“I’m customer-obsessed and social media-driven, and I use those skills to create community through my cookies,” the baker of Nigerian and Japanese descent said. “I hope that my voice transcends communities and transcends different cultural groups so people know that we, as young Black women, we are capable of doing so many things.”
Adekoya’s venture started when she was laid off during the pandemic as a designer shoes salesperson at Nordstrom. Like many Americans, the pandemic prompted her to reimagine her career goals. According to a survey by Prudential, 50% of workers admitted that the pandemic made them rethink their careers, and another study by Microsoft found that 41% of employees are considering leaving their current employer this year.
Despite the career change, Adekoya said her job at Nordstrom was invaluable to the success of Fleurs et Sel because of the work values and connections she built there.
“The key to me working in designer shoes was building relationships, because in order to be successful, my work was strictly commission driven, so it was up to me to make money — I wasn’t going to be there and not hustle,” she said.
Two important relationships she cultivated there were with female entrepreneurs Aderiaun Shorter and event planner Mindy Weiss, the latter who is known in Hollywood for throwing lavish parties for the Kardashians, Justin Bieber, Ciara and many others. When Adekoya started sharing her baking hobby on social media, her two former Nordstrom clients were the first to buy cookies and promote her. That’s when her idea for Fleurs et Sel really kicked off.
“I got a new entire following, and I was introduced to a new crowd that I would have never otherwise been exposed to,” Adekoya said. “Aderiaun and Mindy are both self-made women entrepreneurs, and they were both instrumental in mentoring me as a woman entrepreneur in this new space.”
The women’s support helped leverage Adekoya’s presence on social media, which in turn exposed her to high-end clientele. Adekoya credits community word-of-mouth and digital promotion for the social media craze of Fleurs et Sel.
“When I have encountered the celebrities, they too have shared their excitement and love for Fleurs et Sel on social media,” the baker said. “They are part of our online community, and they have helped strengthen and solidify our reach and success.”
Adekoya’s time at Nordstrom also came full circle when she was invited by Rick Caruso, the real estate mogul behind L.A.’s premiere shopping center, The Grove, to do a pop-up event right across from the Nordstrom where she used to work.
“They’ve had Lululemon, Yves Saint Laurent, they had Skims most recently, big names,” the businesswoman said. “They’re not housing just anyone, not anyone can just have a pop-up there.”
The pop-up event at The Grove was so triumphant, the event sold out in two hours.
“Hundreds of people were there for me and the cookies, and [Caruso’s team] was like ‘Whoa,’” Adekoya said. “It was the first day, and I had a line from the pop-up all the way to the valet, and I sold out in two hours.”
Selling out of popular treats like the bae bar or the vanilla bean sugar cookie might be easy for Adekoya, but creating the products comes with a lot of work and sacrifice. The baker said she’s no stranger to staying up past midnight or waking up at 4 a.m. to fulfill orders from her Culver City kitchen.
“It’s challenged me to be very organized. I have to be — I’m the only person behind Fleurs et Sel,” she said.
Adekoya has managed to thrive beyond the pandemic to establish herself as a legitimate force in the cookie industry. She’s working on two new flavors coming later this summer, including a vanilla chai cookie, and will continue expanding Fleurs et Sel.
“I’m a multicultural woman, and look at what I’m doing — and especially during this time, with all of these cultural and social movements, it is so amazing to have this much support and this diverse of an audience,” she said. “Everyone’s here for the cookies, but also to share in community.”
(NEW YORK) — While some tech companies, such as Twitter and DropBox, have said that employees may work remotely forever, many companies are planning a partial or full return to the office this summer or fall.
For other workforces, that transition is already in swing. Among adults who are employed at least part-time, 61% say they currently work from a location outside their home, 19% are exclusively remote and 21% work partially from home and partially from another location, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey published in June.
For those making the switch from fully remote to in-person or hybrid work, the key to a successful re-entry is staying true to the spirit of the word “transition,” experts say.
“What transition really means is that we need to ease into it,” said Dr. Victor Carrión, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. “There’s going to be this impetus to completely return back to normal, but the reality is that life is different now,” he said. “We not only want to be resilient, but we want to be adaptive.”
Instead, workers and bosses should approach the transition period as a different animal than either working from home or pre-pandemic office work. It’s a chance incorporate the best parts of each and synthesize them into a better model of work, as well as process trauma from the pandemic that led to remote work in the first place. Workforces that skip the synthesis and processing steps may do so at their peril.
“There’s a human impulse right now to suppress and move on and return to normality,” said Ezra Bookman, a New York-based ritual designer who consults for companies and communities. “I think that that’s part of the energy that we’re receiving from leadership. That’s the very American way of dealing with trauma: suppress and move on.”
One tool for processing that trauma and creating a tangible transition back to the office could be creating a ritual around it, Bookman explained, but cautioned against a topdown approach that doesn’t engage with why employees might be hesitant to return to work in the first place. Rituals aren’t likely to have much effect if leaders aren’t modeling vulnerability, treating workers as individuals and engaging with their concerns. “I think that what leadership does in this moment is going to be super, super important,” he said. “No ritual is going to magically change the imbalance of power and the fact that employers are not listening to their employees,” he said.
With all that in mind, there are practical steps workers and bosses can take to make the process easier for everyone, as well as a guide to creating a personal or collective back-to-office ritual.
Step 1: Go slow
“People who jump too fast may find themselves feeling exhausted very quickly,” Carrión warned. He recommended gradual re-entry as opposed to heading back to the office five, or even three days a week.
“If your goal is to be in the office four days a week and you’re unsure about the delta variant and only feel good going one day a week, go one day a week,” he said. “Once you’ve dealt with that, you can work toward your goal.” During that transition period, self-care is equally as important as it was during the height of the pandemic. Get a good night’s sleep. Eat well. Exercise. Avoid leaning on alcohol or drugs as coping mechanisms. Remember that everyone had different pandemic experiences and it’s okay to go at your own pace.
“It’s going to be different for different people,” Carrión said.
Step: 2: Acknowledge the pandemic
Part of returning to the office should include reflecting on why we left in the first place, experts say. Holding a moment of silence for those who died of COVID-19 is one potential place to start. Depending on the size of your organization that moment of silence could be with the whole company or just with your team. Bookman suggested pausing and reflecting for 3.9 minutes, in honor of the 3.9 million people who have died worldwide from the virus.
“That gives people permission to say we’ve acknowledged, we’ve made space, we’ve recognized the loss of life,” Bookman said.
Step 3: Create a ritual
Acknowledging COVID as a group is a good springboard for a ritual Bookman calls a “litany of losses.”
Either as group, or individually, people can write down everything they’ve lost over the past year. It can be helpful to read that list aloud or have someone witness it, Bookman said, but you could also do this exercise alone.
“Write down every single thing that you’ve lost and then hold onto that paper until you don’t want it anymore. Until you’re ready to let go.” Then Bookman recommends getting rid of the paper in an intentional and symbolic way. You could burn it, bury it, put it out to sea or use any other method that speaks to you and isn’t part of your regular routine. “Something more than putting it in the recycling bin,” Bookman advised. “It doesn’t mean that the all those things magically go away and suddenly you’re fine with it, but it does give you a different point in your psychological map.”
Carrión recommended a different twist on a litany of losses: writing down your experiences over the past year to incorporate them into your memory and build a personal narrative around them. “If we don’t, some experiences may not be processed and they may continue to be in our brain, nagging us and getting in the way of our functioning,” he said.
“It is very important as we transition we don’t forget the year that has passed.”
Tips for managers and team leaders: One size does not fit all
Making Carrión and Bookman’s advice a reality requires a flexible and empathetic employer, they both acknowledged.
“People feel very differently about returning to work, and they’re all occupying the same space again,” Bookman explained. Some may have had the best year of their lives and spent more time with their kids, he noted. Others, who lost family members or friends or had their marriages fall apart, are still grieving. Still others may have been totally isolated and crave socialization.
Carrión seemed to agree.
“I think managers need to be very sensitive about the differences between individuals. They can not think that there is one solution or formula for everyone,” Carrión said. “They may have to tailor approaches to different individuals and create environments in the workplace that are supportive and promote coping and self-care.”
As for employees, if you can do so safely, speak up about your concerns and needs. “I really want to encourage people to not be chill,” Bookman said. “This moment to be direct, to be brave. Chances are everyone else in the room is feeling similarly and will feel relieved that someone is stepping up to advocate for a smarter, healthier, more real, honest and authentic return to work.”
(NEW YORK) — Does every automaker have to go electric?
Industry trends and government regulations are pointing in that direction. No more naturally aspirated engines. No more turbochargers. No more engines, in fact. Instead, mute conveyances happily trundling along on city streets and highways, the roars, barks and pops of internal combustion engines a distant memory.
Not so fast.
Illustrious French automaker Bugatti has been building powerful race cars since 1909. There are no plans to replace the marque’s deafening, rocket-like, quad-turbo 16-cylinder engines with electric motors.
Volkswagen AG, the automotive conglomerate that owns Bugatti, has recently ramped up its electric vehicle efforts and reportedly may find a new owner for the brand. Can Bugatti’s thirsty 8.0-liter engines mesh with Volkswagen’s electrification strategy?
“Customers are not asking for electric Bugattis,” Cedric Davy, chief operating officer of Bugatti of the Americas, told ABC News. “We live and breathe the W16 [engine]. A lot of customers say, ‘This may be my last chance of owning the iconic W16. I don’t know what will come next.'”
In June, Bugatti showed off the new $3.9 million Chiron Super Sport, the latest member of the Chiron family that launched in 2016 and succeeded the Veyron supercar. The Chiron Super Sport’s 8.0-liter W16 engine delivers 1,577 horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque and reaches an electronically limited top speed of 273 mph. Redline happens at 7,100 rpm.
Last year Bugatti unveiled the $4 million Chiron Pur Sport, a 1,479 hp unadulterated beast that’s raw, loud, nimble and engineered with shorter gear ratios for faster acceleration and cornering prowess. The fixed wing in the rear spans more than 6 feet across, generating more downforce than previous Chirons. Only 30 Super Sports will be produced; 60 for the Pur Sport.
“The Pur Sport is not a rocket someone put wheels on,” longtime Bugatti test driver Butch Leitzinger told ABC News. “This car is meant to work for you. I can talk until I am blue in the face about how easy it is to drive but no one believes me nor should they.”
Bugatti’s Chiron Super Sport 300+ shook up the automotive community in 2019 when test driver and Le Mans winner Andy Wallace piloted the car to history. The slightly modified 1,600 hp Chiron reached 304.773 mph, the first car ever to reach a speed of over 300, an incredible feat of engineering. The Chiron Super Sport 300+ was immediately declared the “fastest sports car in the world.”
Even with Bugatti’s staggering prices — upward of $3 million per vehicle — and the COVID-19 pandemic, the company reported record first-quarter sales, delivering more vehicles between January and March than the first three months of any year in the company’s modern history. Davy said the Pur Sport in particular has helped to boost sales, with 70% of Pur Sport owners in North America new to the brand.
“It’s a more visceral driving experience and we’re seeing more drivers than collectors with the Pur Sport,” he said.
A Pur Sport owner in France racked up 2,000 miles on the odometer the weekend he took delivery of the car, according to Davy, proof that these rarefied vehicles offer comfort and convenience as well as insane power and speeds.
“The cars are extremely reliable. There are customers with well over 10,000 miles on their Chirons,” he said.
Jason Cammisa, a veteran automotive journalist, said the Chiron could have been even more fearsome and supreme with an electric or hybrid powertrain.
“The Chiron was a missed opportunity. If Bugatti was looking far enough ahead, they would have known electrification means incredible amounts of acceleration,” he told ABC News. “Gas engines will be legislated out of existence and it’s in Bugatti’s interest to go electric.”
Cammisa noted that the $130K Tesla Model S Plaid sedan, which hurls occupants from zero to 60 mph in a reported 1.99 seconds, will trounce a Chiron on the track — a problem for Bugatti and other carmakers that rely on their performance laurels to sell cars.
“There’s no Chiron buyer who would get out of that and not be impressed,” he said. “The acceleration of the Plaid is painful, terrible, nauseating. In the real world that thing is a magic trick.”
Erin Minoff, a specialist in the motoring department at Bonhams in New York, said every industry has its “moment of terror.” Unlike mainstream brands, however, Bugatti is not trying to sell a lot of cars or please a lot of people, he said.
“Bugatti has different motivations than what Ford, Mercedes and even Rolls-Royce are trying to pursue,” he told ABC News. “No one is buying a Bugatti or any supercar because they are looking for an efficient mode of transportation or because they are an environmentalist.”
Jalopnik editor-in-chief Rory Carroll doubts Bugatti will upend its business model to accommodate government policies. Volkswagen had larger aspirations for the struggling marque when it acquired the rights to Bugatti in May 1998, he argued.
“Bugatti was effectively a dead brand when Volkswagen bought it and was revived to build a car that would break a speed record and do so in comfort,” he told ABC News. “Bugatti demonstrates technical prowess and attracts talent for the VW Group.”
Cammisa and Minoff both pointed out that the most in-demand toy right now for the uber wealthy is not electric or even a hybrid. It’s a six-speed manual transmission, mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, high-revving lightweight supercar that makes 650 hp from a 12,100 rpm naturally aspirated V12 engine. The T.50, the latest creation of Gordon Murray, the brilliant designer behind the famed McLaren F1, costs $2.6 million and all 100 units sold out within 48 hours of the prototype’s debut.
“There have been several bespoke EV hypercars — Rimac and Pininfarina’s Battista — and no one wanted any of them,” Cammisa said.
Bugatti has amazingly survived two world wars, worker strikes, the death of its founder, Ettore Bugatti, and his son, Jean Bugatti, the company’s designated heir, the sale of its Molsheim factory, bankruptcy and multiple owners. But the greatest threat to its existence may be the electric motor. Bugatti, however, has an “enduring appeal” that will keep fans wanting more from the company in the years to come, according to Carroll.
“An electrified Bugatti — that’s not the point of the brand,” he said. “There’s something very human about Bugatti’s superlatives and achievements. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bugatti never did an electric vehicle.”
Added Minoff: “Enthusiasts want the fastest, most visceral machine they can purchase. Electric vehicles are like appliances. Bugatti will continue to build these hyper luxury supercars.”
