Companies from Delta Air Lines to Portillo’s are engaging their employees in brand-building efforts.
In many cases, this involves formal programs designed to encourage staff participation.
By involving employees directly, these companies aim to strengthen their brand identity and create a cohesive message across all customer touchpoints.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/25/business/dealbook/employee-social-media-influencers.html
XRP Price Surges 2.94% to $2.48, Outperforming Broader Crypto Market
XRP’s price today surged by 2.94% to reach $2.48 over the past 24 hours, outperforming the broader cryptocurrency market, which recorded a modest 0.9% gain. This rally is fueled by growing institutional interest, driven by Ripple’s recent strategic moves and positive market developments.
**Ripple Prime Launch Boosts Institutional Adoption**
On October 24, Ripple finalized its acquisition of prime brokerage Hidden Road, rebranding it as Ripple Prime. This milestone positions Ripple as the first crypto firm to operate a global multi-asset prime brokerage, providing institutions with direct access to XRP, Ripple USD, and RLUSD for cross-border settlements and collateral management.
Integration with Ripple’s custody and payment infrastructure is expected to accelerate XRP adoption across more than 300,000 FX derivatives markets. This launch follows Ripple’s aggressive expansion strategy, having completed five major acquisitions since 2023, underscoring the company’s push into institutional finance.
Key indicators to watch include the adoption rate of the RLUSD stablecoin on Ripple Prime, which could further strengthen XRP’s utility in traditional financial markets.
**XRP Derivatives and ETF Growth Signal Strong Institutional Demand**
Institutional demand for XRP is also evident in derivatives activity. Since May 2025, XRP options have reached $26.9 billion in notional volume, averaging $213 million in daily trading. Approximately 567,000 options contracts have been traded, compared to a daily spot volume of 600 million XRP.
Meanwhile, the first U.S.-based XRP ETF, ECARP, has surpassed $100 million in assets under management (AUM). Offering regulated exposure to XRP, this ETF has attracted interest from hedge funds and wealth managers. Additionally, CME-listed XRP derivatives have seen open interest rise to 10,100 contracts, signaling increasing institutional participation.
Analysts suggest that growing ETF inflows could reduce sell pressure on XRP, providing further support to its price.
**XRP Price Analysis**
From a technical perspective, XRP recently reclaimed the $2.30 support level, where 70% of recent trading volume occurred. The Relative Strength Index (RSI-14) stands at 39.69, indicating neutral momentum, while the MACD indicator is approaching a bullish crossover.
Fibonacci retracement levels show the 38.2% retracement at $2.50, aligning closely with the 30-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $2.61. A successful break above $2.61 could target a price of $2.73.
However, traders should remain cautious, as approximately 6 million XRP were moved to exchanges in the past week, potentially signaling selling pressure from whale investors.
—
Overall, ongoing institutional developments and technical indicators suggest a positive outlook for XRP, but market participants should monitor key resistance levels and whale activity closely.
https://coinpedia.org/news/why-xrp-price-is-up-today-institutions-are-making-a-big-move/
During Cloudflare’s recent Birthday Week, the company announced the private preview of its Cloudflare Email Service. This new globally managed service enables developers to send and receive emails directly from Workers using native bindings—without the need for API keys.
The managed Email Service allows developers to send transactional emails directly from Workers, automatically configure SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for improved deliverability, and route and parse incoming emails using Workers AI.
Thomas Gauvin, product manager at Cloudflare, and Celso Martinho, senior director of engineering, explained the focus of the new service:
> “We’re focusing on deliverability and time-to-inbox with Cloudflare Email Service. We’re tightly integrating with DNS to automatically configure the necessary DNS records like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, such that email providers can verify your sending domain and trust your emails.”
According to the documentation, developers will be able to use Workers to process incoming mail and even store attachments in R2, Cloudflare’s S3-compatible object storage. Additionally, tasks can be added to Cloudflare Queues for further processing.
To simplify testing, developers can use Wrangler to emulate the email sending process locally. Here’s an example snippet:
“`javascript
export default {
async fetch(request, env, ctx) {
await env.SEND_EMAIL.send({
to: [{ email: “hello@example.com” }],
from: { email: “api-sender@your-domain.com”, name: “Your App” },
subject: “Hello World”,
text: “Hello World!”
});
return new Response(`Successfully sent email!`);
}
};
“`
While Amazon SES is a similar service from AWS and is available in multiple regions, Cloudflare has simplified the user experience by offering a single global endpoint—consistent with many of its other managed services.
Gauvin and Martinho further emphasize:
> “In true Cloudflare fashion, Email Service is a global service. That means we can deliver your emails with low latency anywhere in the world, without the complexity of managing servers across regions.”
This announcement is not Cloudflare’s first foray into mail-related products. In 2021, the company launched Email Routing, a service focused on forwarding inbound emails.
Jamie Lord, solution architect at CDS UK, commented on the latest announcement:
> “Cloudflare just solved one of development’s most persistent headaches. Cloudflare’s approach cuts through this complexity entirely. The combination with Email Routing creates something powerful. Inbound emails can trigger Workers that process content, whilst outbound emails close the loop—turning email from a necessary burden into a genuine application component.”
The new Email Service supports both REST APIs and SMTP, making it compatible with existing email frameworks like React Email. This arrangement simplifies the process of sending HTML-rendered emails to users.
Zeno Rocha, founder and CEO of competing service Resend, shared his perspective on Twitter:
> “Email is not a winner-takes-all kind of market, and that’s why we’ve been able to enter such a competitive space and still thrive. Competition is good because it forces the best product to win.”
The private beta of Cloudflare Email Service was just one highlight of Birthday Week 2025. In celebration of their 15th anniversary, Cloudflare also introduced a Data Platform designed to ingest, store, and query analytical data tables using open standards like Apache Iceberg.
In addition, Cloudflare unveiled Observatory and Smart Shield—monitoring tools integrated into the Cloudflare dashboard that provide actionable recommendations and one-click fixes for performance issues.
The beta for Cloudflare Email Service is scheduled to launch in November and will require a paid Workers subscription. Message-based pricing is still being finalized.
https://www.infoq.com/news/2025/10/cloudflare-email-service/?utm_campaign=infoq_content&utm_source=infoq&utm_medium=feed&utm_term=global
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump pulled out of trade talks with Canada Thursday night, furious over what he called a “fake” television ad from Ontario’s provincial government. The ad quoted former U.S. President Ronald Reagan from 38 years ago, criticizing tariffs—Trump’s favorite economic tool.
The ad features audio excerpts from an April 25, 1987, radio address in which Reagan said: “Over the long run such trade barriers hurt every American worker and consumer.”
Trump attacked the ad on Truth Social Friday, posting: “CANADA CHEATED AND GOT CAUGHT!!! They fraudulently took a big buy ad saying that Ronald Reagan did not like Tariffs, when actually he LOVED TARIFFS FOR OUR COUNTRY, AND ITS NATIONAL SECURITY.”
The Canadian premier has since said he will pull the ad that prompted Trump to end trade talks with his country.
### Reagan Foundation Condemns Ad
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute criticized the ad on X Thursday night, posting that it “misrepresents the ‘Presidential Radio Address to the Nation on Free and Fair Trade’ dated April 25, 1987.” While Trump called the ad fake, Reagan’s words were real—but context is missing.
### The Facts Behind Reagan’s Stance
Reagan, who held office during a period of growing concern over Japan’s rising economic power, made the address a week after imposing tariffs on Japanese semiconductors. He was attempting to explain this decision, which seemed at odds with his reputation as a free trader.
Reagan did not, in fact, love tariffs. He often criticized government policies—including protectionist measures such as tariffs—that interfered with free commerce. Much of his 1987 radio address outlined the case against tariffs.
He said:
> “High tariffs inevitably lead to retaliation by foreign countries and the triggering of fierce trade wars. The result is more and more tariffs, higher and higher trade barriers, and less and less competition. So, soon, because of the prices made artificially high by tariffs that subsidize inefficiency and poor management, people stop buying. Then the worst happens: Markets shrink and collapse; businesses and industries shut down; and millions of people lose their jobs.”
### Reagan’s Complex Trade Policies
However, Reagan’s policies were more complicated than his rhetoric. In addition to taxing Japanese semiconductors, he imposed levies on heavy motorcycles from Japan to protect Harley-Davidson. He also pressured Japanese automakers into accepting “voluntary” limits on their exports to the United States, encouraging them to establish factories in the American Midwest and South.
He further pressured other countries to devalue their currencies to help make American exports more competitive globally.
Robert Lighthizer, a Reagan trade official who served as Trump’s top trade negotiator from 2017 to 2021, wrote in his 2023 memoir that “President Reagan distinguished between free trade in theory and free trade in practice.”
In 1988, an analyst at the libertarian Cato Institute declared Reagan “the most protectionist president since Herbert Hoover, the heavyweight champion of protectionists.”
Despite this, Reagan was no trade warrior. Discussing his semiconductor tariffs in the April 1987 radio address, he said he was forced to impose them because the Japanese were not living up to a trade agreement and that “such tariffs or trade barriers and restrictions of any kind are steps that I am loath to take.”
### Trump’s Tariff Approach
Trump, on the other hand, has no such reticence. He argues that tariffs can protect American industry, bring manufacturing back to the United States, and raise money for the Treasury.
Since returning to the White House in January, he has slapped double-digit tariffs on almost every country and targeted specific products including autos, steel, and pharmaceuticals. The average effective U.S. tariff rate has risen from around 2.5% at the start of 2025 to 18%—the highest since 1934—according to the Budget Lab at Yale University.
Trump’s enthusiastic use of import taxes has earned him the nickname “Tariff Man.” However, his approach has drawn challenges from businesses and states, claiming he overstepped his authority.
The Constitution gives Congress the power to levy taxes, including tariffs, though over time lawmakers have gradually ceded considerable authority over trade policy to the White House. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in this case early next month.
### Trump’s Claim on Canadian Ad
Trump claimed Thursday that the Canadian ad was intended “to interfere with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, and other courts.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/24/trump-canadian-ad-tariffs-explainer/
**La Dope-a Nostra: How the New York City Mob Has Faded into a Shadow of Its Former Self**
The New York City mob is a far cry from the powerhouse it once was, now reduced to a pitiful shell full of small-time crooks, rats, and dimwits, according to law enforcement sources and experts. John Gotti, the notorious mob boss, would surely roll in his grave over how weak and brainless the Big Apple’s five families have become.
With a no-killing approach meant to keep them under the radar, each family now consists of only about 100 to 250 members, the sources revealed. “The mob is so watered down now,” said a longtime law enforcement official, speaking after a mafia-linked NBA gambling bust and a garbage scheme plea deal thrust La Cosa Nostra back into the headlines over the past week.
“Today they are letting car thieves in. In the old days, most made men had to do a [murder] hit. And if not, they had to be big earners,” the source explained. “Today it is slim pickings.”
### The Five Families: Reduced but Still Operating
The Big Apple’s infamous “five families” — Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese, and Lucchese — still largely profit from gambling, loan sharking, and extortion schemes. However, their wise guys are “nowhere near as rich as their predecessors,” the source said.
“You still have some guys who don’t want to get up and go to work in the morning [who are] looking for get-rich-quick schemes. Problem is, they’re not as smart or as tough as their predecessors,” the source added. These modern-day mafiosi are more likely to flip on their accomplices, further weakening the organization.
“They are a shell of themselves, but they still exist,” he said, referring to the crime families. “You still have to be Italian, that is about the only thing that hasn’t changed in 100 years, except if you’re a son of John Gotti.”
### A Laughable Legacy
Asked about the current state of the mob, another law enforcement insider scoffed, “Don’t make me laugh.”
“If these guys were around in the old days, I wouldn’t even ask them to get me a cup of coffee because they would mess up the order,” he said. “If you did a job with them, if they didn’t screw it up, they would rat you out if they got caught.”
### From Family to Business: The Changing Culture
Experts say the mob’s new culture fuels more rats and plea deals. “For the old-time guys, mafia was a way of life, it was family. For guys today, it’s just a way to make money,” said mafia expert George Anastasia, author of *The Goodfellas Tapes* and *Mobfather*.
“It has an impact when you’ve got an investigation and someone gets jammed up. It becomes, ‘Am I gonna be a stand-up guy and go to jail or am I going to cooperate [with feds]?’” Anastasia explained. He covered organized crime at the Philadelphia Inquirer for nearly four decades and was once placed on a hit list by Philly mobster John Stanfa.
Today’s mob is “scraping the bottom of the gene pool” for made men because second- and third-generation Italian Americans have more opportunities, and anyone with a brain can make money legally, Anastasia said.
### The Current Mob Leadership
Law enforcement sources identify the alleged New York City mob leaders as:
– Theodore “Teddy Boy” Persico, reputed head of the Colombo family
– Michael “Big Mike” DeSantis, reputed head of the Lucchese family
– Barney Bellomo, reputed head of the Genovese family
– Mike “The Nose” Mancuso, reputed head of the Bonanno family
– Lorenzo Mannino, reputed head of the Gambino family
All five reputed bosses are currently out of prison.
Persico, a nephew of former mob boss Carmine “The Snake” Persico, pleaded guilty to a labor union extortion plot in July 2023. DeSantis, of Brooklyn, became the new acting boss of the Lucchese family after taking over from Bronx-based Matthew “Matty” Madonna in 2019.
Mancuso was sent to prison for 11 months in July 2023, partly due to a phone conversation with an alleged fellow wiseguy about making pasta “gravy,” after serving a decade behind bars for signing off on a murderous hit. Mannino is a former capo about whom little is known.
The Gambino and Genovese families have roughly 200 to 250 members each, while the other three families have about 100 to 150 members. They continue to rake in money through traditional crime schemes that have persisted for decades, Anastasia said.
### Still Italian, Still Earning
The New York City mob has very rarely “bent the rules” to admit non-Italians, but “more important than being Italian is are you an earner,” insiders note.
Meanwhile, mafia expert Jerry Capeci observes that the New York City mafia has become less murderous over the past two decades.
“The big difference between the mob today and 20 years ago is they have stopped killing people — that’s a big deal,” said Capeci, who runs the website Gang Land News. Ending murders reduces federal scrutiny, making it less likely the mob will be aggressively targeted.
“[But] there’s still almost nothing they can’t do to make a buck,” he added.
—
Despite their diminished power and influence, New York’s five families continue to exist, adapting to a new era while clinging to some of their old traditions. But as insiders admit, the once fearsome La Cosa Nostra is now little more than a shadow of its legendary past.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/24/us-news/the-nyc-mob-is-a-pathetic-shell-of-what-it-used-to-be-full-of-small-time-crooks-rats-and-dimwits-sources/
**YouTube TV and Disney in Ongoing Negotiations Over ABC and ESPN Content**
YouTube TV is currently engaged in critical negotiations with Disney to continue offering Disney-owned content, including ABC and ESPN, to its subscribers. The outcome of these negotiations could significantly impact YouTube TV users, with the potential removal of popular channels if an agreement is not reached.
—
**The Current Situation**
On October 24, YouTube TV released a statement addressing the ongoing talks. The platform emphasized that it has been negotiating “in good faith” to secure a fair deal with Disney. However, YouTube TV claims that Disney’s proposed terms are “costly” and would likely lead to higher subscription prices for customers. They also noted that the deal could limit consumer choices while benefiting Disney’s other live TV services such as Hulu + Live TV and FuboTV.
Disney, on the other hand, accused YouTube TV of “exploiting its position at the expense of their own customers,” according to a spokesperson who spoke with the press. The stakes are high; in addition to popular entertainment channels, major sports programming like the NFL, NHL, and college football could also disappear from YouTube TV if negotiations fail.
—
**Deadline Approaching**
Both parties have set a firm deadline to resolve the dispute: October 30 at 11:59 PM ET. If no agreement is reached by then, Disney’s content will be removed from YouTube TV’s lineup. In response, YouTube TV has pledged that if Disney’s channels remain unavailable for an extended period, subscribers will receive a $20 credit.
—
**Past Negotiation Challenges**
This is not the first time YouTube TV has faced tough negotiations with major content providers.
– In 2021, during discussions with NBCUniversal, there was a significant risk of losing roughly 14 channels from the platform. After tense deliberations, the parties eventually reached a positive agreement.
– Earlier this year, YouTube TV also had to renegotiate terms with Paramount to keep CBS and CBS Sports available. This process threatened about 30 channels, drawing notable public attention. Although a deal was secured, YouTube TV subsequently raised its subscription price by $10 per month.
These past experiences highlight the recurring challenges YouTube TV faces in balancing content costs with service pricing.
—
**What’s Next?**
Subscribers should monitor announcements closely as the October 30 deadline approaches. The potential removal of Disney channels like ABC and ESPN would mark a significant change to YouTube TV’s offerings, especially for sports fans and those who regularly watch Disney’s programming.
Stay tuned for updates on the negotiation progress and any official statements from either company.
https://www.androidcentral.com/streaming-tv/youtube-tv/youtube-tv-may-lose-espn-abc-as-disney-delivers-a-stern-warning
Multiple reports are now pointing to Battlefield 6’s free-to-play battle royale mode launching next week as a shadowdrop, leaving the gaming industry on edge in anticipation. Rumors about the mode’s release have been swirling for weeks, and video leaks of the playtest in Battlefield Labs have only fueled hope and excitement among players.
As for what the game will actually be called, that has been a topic of much speculation. According to Battlefield and Call of Duty news account ModernWarzone—who has been leading the charge in reporting unconfirmed details—the Battlefield 6 battle royale mode will be named **Battlefield: RedSec**. This mode is also expected to be free-to-play.
Industry reporter and leaker Tom Henderson added more credibility to the rumors this morning, stating that he “can now independently verify” that Battlefield 6’s battle royale mode will arrive on **October 28**. He also confirmed that it will be a shadowdrop, releasing with no prior announcement this Tuesday.
The name “RedSec” might not exactly roll off the tongue, especially when compared to popular titles in the genre like *Warzone* or *Fortnite*. It’s likely the general gaming public will find it a bit unusual. However, if the gameplay is enjoyable, the name itself probably won’t matter in the long run.
While I’m admittedly not the biggest Battlefield fan, the fact that this mode will reportedly be free-to-play means there’s no downside to giving it a try if and when it launches next week.
It seems the gaming industry has shifted away from battle royale games in recent years, focusing more on extraction shooters for hyped releases. But if received well by fans, Battlefield: RedSec could quickly blow up into a major success.
If you had any gaming plans next week—such as full releases for *ARC Raiders* and *The Outer Worlds 2*—consider leaving some room in your schedule. You might want to check out what could be the next big thing in the gaming world.
https://www.destructoid.com/battlefield-battle-royale-terrible-name-hope-its-fun/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=battlefield-battle-royale-terrible-name-hope-its-fun
**Plant-Based Kosher Chain Shouk Closes Permanently Amid Protests and Boycotts**
Shouk, a plant-based kosher street-food chain based in Washington, D.C., has permanently shut down its final locations this month. The closures come after two years of protests and boycotts led by anti-Israel activists, which significantly impacted the business.
Once celebrated by the Food Network and *The Washington Post* for its popular “Shouk Burger,” the chain operated five stores across the region. However, local activist group DC for Palestine spearheaded a boycott campaign alleging that Shouk’s falafel and other menu items “appropriated” Palestinian cuisine. The group also accused the owners of being “complicit in Israeli apartheid.”
Dennis Friedman, a Jewish American co-owner who, along with Israeli partner Ran Nussbacher, opened the first Shouk location over a decade ago, rejected these accusations. Speaking to Fox News Digital, Friedman emphasized that Shouk’s mission was to bring people together.
“I don’t agree with that because the intention of Shouk was pure and good,” Friedman said. “When my business partner came to me, it wasn’t ‘let’s make Israeli food.’ He wanted to make plant-based food that reminded him of his childhood and home. That was the core of where we started to build the recipes.”
Friedman explained that Shouk has primarily been promoted as a Mediterranean, plant-based, and Middle Eastern restaurant. “Very rarely have we claimed anything else. That’s why Shouk is written in both Arabic and Hebrew in all the stores because we are a place to bring everyone together.”
He described Shouk as “a gathering place for people of all races, colors, and creeds to come together to enjoy food” that is good for customers and the planet alike.
The co-owner noted that their Georgetown location was the first target of protests, citing its proximity to Georgetown University and the area’s “heavy Muslim population.” Friedman said business was thriving before October 7, but protests quickly began to damage their income.
“We reached out to local business groups and representatives and hired security outside our stores,” Friedman said, describing the experience of being harassed by protesters over the past two years as “scary and unnerving.”
He recounted some disturbing incidents: “We had everything from little children coming into the store during a busy lunch screaming ‘Free Palestine’ while their parents videoed for social media.”
Friedman called the protests part of a “very coordinated” and effective effort by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement to hurt Shouk.
“There were posters of dead baby Palestinian children on the windows or on our seating outside. It ranged from vandalism to intimidation to maybe things that we don’t even know,” he added.
Reflecting on Shouk’s 12-year run, Friedman called it an “amazing experience” beyond his “wildest dreams.” He said the business was “near and dear” to his heart, and stressed that he and Nussbacher made every effort to support their employees throughout the closures.
“Most of our staff have been with us since we opened,” Friedman said. “Our turnover was very low because we ran the company ethically, we ran it well, and we ran it fairly. So our staff became part of our family, and they didn’t want to leave.”
Shouk closed its last locations just days before a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was reached.
DC for Palestine celebrated the closures as a “BDS win” in an Instagram post, writing:
“Shouk WAS one of the main targets of our ‘APARTHEID? I DON’T BUY IT’ consumer boycott initiative! Much of what they served was Palestinian food that they culturally appropriated as ‘Israeli street food.’ Additionally, they imported Israeli ingredients for their dishes. TODAY WE ARE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT, AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2025, SHOUK HAS CLOSED ITS DOORS, PERMANENTLY!”
The group urged supporters to continue boycotting U.S. and local businesses that sell Israeli products.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/24/business/israeli-restaurant-chain-closes-after-getting-hit-by-gaza-protests/
Lamar Jackson has been sidelined since straining his right hamstring during the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The injury occurred in the loss, impacting Jackson’s availability for subsequent games. The team is monitoring his recovery closely as they aim to get their star quarterback back on the field.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/news-lamar-jackson-questionable-diarrhea-incoming-nfl-fans-react-ravens-qb-buying-chicken-high-school-friend-s-business
Criminal charges related to a wide-ranging betting ring have raised serious concerns about the sports world’s increasing embrace of legalized gambling.
As the industry continues to expand, questions are emerging about the potential risks and ethical implications involved. This recent development highlights the need for stricter oversight and more robust measures to ensure the integrity of sports and protect all stakeholders involved.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/24/business/dealbook/nba-insider-trading-gambling.html
