Panera Bread is launching a multimillion-dollar initiative to overhaul its operations to boost traffic and reverse years of stagnant sales growth. Panera, one of many fast-casual restaurants contending with a challenging landscape, announced its transformation strategy on Tuesday, dubbed “Panera RISE,” which is focused on refreshing the menu, boosting its value proposition and customer experience by enhancing the look of its restaurants and expanding its network. The company aims to use this strategy to help it reach more than $7 billion in systemwide sales by 2028, up from the $6 billion it currently brings in annually. In 2023, U. S. sales peaked at $6. 5 billion, but its units and sales haven’t substantially increased since, according to reports citing data from Technomic. “As we transform our business, we are investing in four strategic pillars that put the guest at the very center of everything we do,” Panera Bread CEO Paul Carbone said, adding that the company has already “made considerable progress in strengthening” its foundation. The fast-casual chain specializing in salads, sandwiches and baked goods, had 2, 239 bakery-cafes, company-owned and franchise locations across North America. Part of the turnaround includes building new locations and “modernizing” its current portfolio of restaurants “to ensure consistent operational excellence across franchise and Panera company bakery-cafes,” the company said. Panera didn’t disclose where the new locations would open or what they would look like. The company said its plan also includes elevating the company’s food served throughout the day to “incorporate abundant, flavorful and distinctive, high-quality ingredients.” It also aims to enhance its bakery and beverage options. Panera will also promise to have a “variety of price points” so its menu remains affordable. The company will also deploy more staffing into front-of-house service to enhance the experience for guests. Panera is the latest company to initiate a major turnaround as the industry contends with supply-chain disruptions and rising labor costs coupled with subdued traffic. Starbucks chief Brian Niccol announced a “Back to Starbucks” turnaround program shortly after taking the reins in 2024. The program is focused on driving traffic through operational improvements, store portfolio optimization and innovation. Earlier this year, TGI Fridays CEO Ray Blanchette told FOX Business that it was revamping its menu as part of its comeback from bankruptcy. Similarly, Hooters is also trying to make a return after emerging from bankruptcy this year. Its new owners are updating its menu and changing the image that once defined the restaurant chain. Meanwhile, Dine Brands Global CEO John Peyton told FOX Business that the company is working to boost sales by strategically combining its morning-focused brand, IHOP, with its evening-centric one, Applebee’s. The goal is to create a dual-branded model that allows it to capture and serve customers throughout every daypart breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night in a way that, as Peyton puts it, “no other restaurant company can.”.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/18/business/panera-launches-multimillion-dollar-turnaround-strategy-to-drive-up-sales/
Investigations increasing into violent online 764 network targeting minors
CHICAGO (WLS) — The 764 network operates not only in the United States but all over the world using threats, blackmail, and perverse manipulation to groom children for violence and pain. Members force young people to perform depraved acts against themselves and others. “When we started seeing these reports concerning online enticement, but with extremely egregious sadistic elements our team immediately knew this was an outside of the norm and began tracking this trend specifically,” said Fallon McNulty. She is the executive director of the CyberTipline at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch McNulty says members of 764 start to groom their victims on seemingly innocuous platforms and blackmail them into producing sexually explicit material, harming themselves, or even other children. “Offenders are first making contact with children through online gaming platforms or through social media and then trying to move children to more private or encrypted messaging spaces,” McNulty told the I-Team. The more debased and violent the image or video a member is able to coerce a child to produce, the higher their standing in 764. “They’re striking up communication or chat in gaming, they are trying to seek what that child’s interests are, what that child’s vulnerabilities are, their personal information, and then they’re using that against the child,” warned McNulty. SEE ALSO | ’10 minutes of murder’: Why one family is speaking out about the online extremist network 764 The FBI is now comparing 764 actions to those of terrorist organizations. “Lots of commonalities with other types of terrorist activity,” said Javed Ali, an associate professor at the University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy. Ali worked at the FBI and National Security Council during the Trump Administration. “All this activity that is just so reprehensible. What’s to say that they wouldn’t go to another level and try to commit an act of terrorism, even though it may not be part of the origin, origins, or the initial ideals of what the 764 network tries to do,” said Ali. But there are real challenges to dismantling a network that exists all over the world and primarily online. “How do you, either from a parenting side, or from a national security perspective, how do you get your arms around it? Because it is so vast, and it’s so unregulated for the most part,” Ali told the I-Team. Additional resources: To report an incident to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline: For more resources on child sexual exploitation, including how to talk to your child about this topic: To report an incident of child exploitation to the FBI:.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/what-is-764-group-investigations-increasing-violent-online-network-targeting-minors/18171678/
XAU/USD climbs above $4,050 amid risk-off sentiment
Gold price XAU/USD attracts some buyers to around $4,070, snapping the three-day losing streak during the early Asian session on Wednesday. The precious metal rises amid the risk-off sentiment as traders brace for the long-awaited return of US economic data. The FOMC Minutes will be the highlights later on Wednesday, ahead of the US September Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report. US NFP reports for September and October 2025 were not released as scheduled due to a US government shutdown. The delay in employment data complicates the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) decisions regarding interest rates ahead of its December meeting. This, in turn, could boost a traditional safe-haven asset like Gold. The US employment report for September is now expected to be released on Thursday. The US economy is projected to see 50, 000 jobs added in September, while the Unemployment Rate is forecast to stay at 4. 3% during the same period. If the report comes in weaker than expected, this could exert some selling pressure on the US Dollar (USD) and support the USD-denominated commodity price. On the other hand, hawkish remarks from the Fed officials tempered expectations of a December rate cut and might cap the upside for the yellow metal. Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson said on Monday that the Fed should proceed “slowly” with further rate reductions. Meanwhile, several Fed policymakers, including Atlanta Fed President Bostic and Kansas City Fed President Schmid, voiced concerns about inflation or signaled support for holding rates steady. Traders are currently pricing in a 46. 6% chance of a 25 basis points (bps) rate cut in December, down from more than 60% last week, according to the CME FedWatch tool.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/finance/xau-usd-climbs-above-4050-amid-risk-off-sentiment/
Gen Alpha kids explain the “6-7” phenomenon and other language quirks
Each generation adds to our collective vocabulary. Generation Alpha gave us “6-7.” Elaine Quijano set out to define and explain it.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/gen-alpha-kids-explain-the-6-7-phenomenon-and-other-language-quirks/
Federal Reserve releases new guidance for bank oversight in move praised by industry
The guidelines are set out in a memo originally distributed Oct. 29 but released Tuesday.
https://www.thereporter.com/2025/11/18/federal-reserve-bank-supervision/
How Far Can RentStac Go? Analysts Suggest RNS Could Potentially Reach $1
Growing Interest Around the Presale Momentum around RentStac is increasing as the (RNS) presale advances through its early stages. In a market that’s shifting toward structured models tied to real economic flows, several analysts have started monitoring the project more closely. The goal is to understand how the model fits into the expanding RWA sector and what kind of growth potential it could show in the months ahead. Why Investors Are Turning Toward RWAs Real-world asset tokenization has become one of the standout trends of 2025. Investors are showing renewed interest in projects linked to physical assets, operational income and more predictable yield systems. This shift reflects a broader move away from purely speculative cycles. RentStac fits squarely within this movement by bridging real estate with blockchain infrastructure, offering a format that lowers the entry barrier to property-backed exposure. A Presale with a Clear Structure The RentStac presale is divided into seven phases with defined price increases. The total supply of RNS is two billion tokens, with forty percent allocated to the sale. The current phase lists the token at 0. 025 dollars, rising step-by-step to 0. 055 dollars in the final stage. If all seven phases reach full distribution, the total raise would exceed 27 million dollars. According to the project, presale tokens will be tradeable immediately at TGE with no lock-up. The platform also includes sections dedicated to operational updates and reward mechanisms, available on the official site. How the RentStac Model Works RentStac operates by tokenizing real-estate yield. Each property is placed inside a dedicated SPV, which manages rental income and operational flows separately from the rest of the system. These flows feed a dual-layer structure: a base yield reflecting property performance and an additional layer accessible through staking in property pools. This creates a direct link between real-world assets and token holders, while keeping the mechanics simple enough for users unfamiliar with traditional real estate. Security and Transparency Measures The project incorporates external smart-contract audits, multisig wallets and independent oracles to enhance transparency and protect user assets. SPVs legally isolate each property, while the roadmap outlines a gradual shift toward community governance, allowing token holders to vote on asset acquisitions and operational policies. These elements form part of the technical foundation analysts are evaluating as the presale progresses. Tokenomics and Utility RNS functions as a multi-utility token, enabling staking, access to property pools and future marketplace interactions. Token distribution spans the presale, treasury, liquidity reserves and development funds, aiming for a balanced structure that supports both utility and secondary-market stability. Analysts following the RWA sector note that this format aligns with the current demand for clearer and more sustainable token models. A Reference Based on Presale Progression The presale’s price progression already provides an internal reference for token valuation. RNS is priced at 0. 025 dollars in the opening phase, rising to 0. 055 dollars in the final stage. This built-in difference is one of the metrics analysts are tracking, as it highlights a notable nominal variation within the presale structure itself. Analysts Discuss Long-Term Scenarios In recent weeks, discussions among RWA analysts and sector commentators have included several long-term scenarios for projects similar to RentStac. Within these conversations, some have considered the possibility that, if the RWA market continues to expand and the project maintains consistent growth, the RNS token could approach the one-dollar mark over the span of a year. These are not official forecasts but rather exploratory models circulating within ongoing market analysis. What the Market Is Watching Now The growing attention around RentStac reflects the broader moment in the crypto sector, where investors are exploring alternatives grounded in real-world value. With its link to property-based income and a presale structure built on clarity, the project has emerged as one of the names regularly monitored in the expanding RWA category. As the presale continues and the market searches for equilibrium, RentStac is likely to remain on the radar of analysts observing the evolution of tokenized real-estate models. Learn more on the official website at rentstac. com.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/finance/how-far-can-rentstac-go-analysts-suggest-rns-could-potentially-reach-1/
Worldcoin Extends Its Downtrend as Open Interest Falls and Price Stabilization Attempts Remain Weak
The asset remains near multi-month lows as momentum weakens across both spot and leveraged markets, offering limited evidence of a near-term trend reversal. Open Interest Declines as Price Forms Lower Lows on the 1H Chart Open interest in WLD derivatives has steadily decreased over recent sessions, mirroring the asset’s consistent downtrend on the 1-hour timeframe. After posting levels above 83. 5M, open interest slid toward the 82M range during the sharp decline between the 12th and 14th, indicating that traders were closing positions rather than adding new short pressure. Source : Open Interest & Price Action The 1H chart shows a textbook bearish structure, with lower highs and lower lows forming from November 10 onward. While price experienced a slight stabilization near the 17th-18th, the recovery has been shallow, producing small-bodied candles and wicks that signal indecision rather than renewed buying strength. The mild uptick in open interest during the consolidation phase suggests early positioning-potentially accumulation or short covering-but the magnitude remains too small to shift market structure. For now, the combination of falling price and reduced leveraged exposure underscores a market still in de-risking mode, lacking the conviction needed for a meaningful reversal. WLD Trades at $0. 67 as Market Cap Holds Above $1. 56 Billion According to BraveNewCoin data, Worldcoin is currently trading at $0. 67, reflecting a -1. 50% decline over the past 24 hours. The project’s market capitalization is reported at $1, 569, 369, 054, supported by $182, 784, 361 in daily trading volume. Circulating supply is recorded at 2, 331, 503, 775 tokens, placing Worldcoin at Rank 73 by market capitalization. Despite the controlled pullback, intraday price ranges remain tight, and liquidity flows show moderation. Worldcoin’s subdued session reflects a broader theme of consolidation and low volatility, with spot metrics providing no clear signal of bullish momentum returning in the short term. Daily Chart Shows Multi-Month Breakdown and Bearish Continuation TradingView’s WLD/USDT daily chart reveals a prolonged downward trajectory extending from earlier highs near $1. 80 in June. After a strong rally in early summer, the asset shifted into an extended consolidation range from June through August, with reduced volatility indicating hesitation among market participants. The coin now trades around $0. 67, near its yearly lows, with elevated sell-side volume confirming persistent bearish sentiment. Volatility remains moderate, and no major reversal structure has yet formed. Price continues to trend downward in alignment with weakening momentum, while the overall pattern reflects a slow grind lower rather than sudden capitulation.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/tech/worldcoin-extends-its-downtrend-as-open-interest-falls-and-price-stabilization-attempts-remain-weak/
Bitcoin Price Drop Tests Strategy BTC Holdings, But Gains Persist
TLDR Strategy’s Bitcoin holdings remain profitable despite Bitcoin’s recent price drop below $92,000. The company’s average purchase price for Bitcoin is significantly lower than the current market price, providing a cushion against volatility. Despite market fluctuations, Strategy continues to accumulate Bitcoin and dismisses the idea of selling during market stress. The CryptoQuant uPnL chart shows that Strategy’s holdings have remained in profit even after past market crashes. Prediction markets are pricing in a further Bitcoin price decline, but Strategy’s Bitcoin strategy remains unchanged. Bitcoin’s recent drop below $92,000 has raised concerns about the sustainability of Michael Saylor’s BTC holdings under the Strategy. Despite the price decline, a CryptoQuant chart shows that the Strategy’s holdings remain in profit, even after multiple market crashes. The company has maintained an aggressive Bitcoin accumulation strategy, dismissing volatility as a temporary concern. However, recent developments are testing investor confidence. Strategy’s Bitcoin Holdings Remain Profitable Despite Market Decline CryptoQuant’s unrealized profit and loss (uPnL) chart, which tracks Strategy’s Bitcoin position since 2020, paints a positive picture. Despite Bitcoin’s recent price drop of over 13% in the past week, Strategy’s holdings still show substantial unrealized gains. The chart shows persistent green bars, indicating that the company’s Bitcoin bet remains profitable even through multiple market dips. During past crashes, such as in 2021 and 2022, there were brief periods of unrealized losses, marked by red zones on the chart. However, these losses were short-lived and quickly reversed. “The company’s average purchase price for Bitcoin is well below the current market price, giving them a significant cushion against volatility,” said an industry analyst. Even with the ongoing sell-off, Strategy continues to hold and accumulate Bitcoin. Michael Saylor has made it clear that his company will not sell its Bitcoin holdings, despite market fluctuations. “Bitcoin is an exponential treasury asset,” Saylor stated. He believes that, in the long run, Bitcoin will outperform other assets, including gold. Bitcoin’s Decline Raises Concerns Over Sell-Off Risks Bitcoin has fallen by more than 16% over the past six months, and recent price action is testing investors’ resolve. The current market downturn has heightened fears among traders. Recent events, including the movement of Bitcoin from the Mt. Gox wallet to Kraken, have sparked rumors of further sell-offs, adding to market uncertainty. The sell-off has contributed to increased volatility and growing concerns about Strategy’s balance sheet. While the company’s BTC holdings are still in profit, the broader market remains under pressure. Prediction markets are now pricing in the possibility of Bitcoin dropping below $80,000, with odds increasing to 38%.
https://blockonomi.com/bitcoin-price-drop-tests-strategy-btc-holdings-but-gains-persist/
‘Meet the Cartozians’ Review: Who Gets to Be White in America?
Talene Monahon’s captivating play uses a 1925 court decision to explore what identity means to Armenians here (a certain reality TV star included).
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/theater/meet-the-cartozians-review.html
The GameCube Lost The Console War Of Its Time, But It Won My Heart
It’s fascinating to look back at Nintendo’s history. Just like all of us, the company has made some wise moves and some absolute splatteringly disastrous missteps, but that’s the rich tapestry of life. Sometimes, you have to have an appalling relationship before you meet your soulmate, and other times, you have to release the poor old Wii U before you can drop the now-beloved Nintendo Switch. The GameCube’s position, I’ve often thought, falls somewhere in between those two extremes. In the battle against Xbox and PS2, it was utterly outshone by the monstrous success of the latter in particular. However, it also brought the world a string of wonderful new games. Some of the most beloved titles of all time found homes on the GameCube, and similarly, it marked the beginning of some now-iconic IPs too. In 2001, with the Millennium Bug (whatever that was supposed to be) safely behind us, two incredible events happened that would impact my gaming life forever: the Game Boy Advance and GameCube both released, months apart. My very first gaming system was the original Game Boy (Super Mario Land: Six Golden Coins was a heck of an introduction to the industry), but the Game Boy Advance and its companion cube (as I liked to call it) were the first gaming systems I bought with my own money, and I felt utterly flush with riches as I did so. I was 14 at the time and a lot of the money had been given to me for my birthday by my grandparents, but that doesn’t at all diminish my achievement. I chose the black model of GameCube over the ‘default’ purple, and there were two reasons for this. The first was that black was far more stylish and sophisticated, and the second was so that it would be a life decision I could regret later. I must have known even then that I’d spend a lot of time doing this in the years to come, so it was nice to get the practice in. Purple is now my favorite color, you see, but back then, I was a far more conventional red enjoyer. That shade of purple would go on to be as emblematic of the GameCube as the beloved start-up jingle. So, unfortunately, would a “for kids” reputation that surely contributed to the system’s relative failure that era compared to its rivals. I remember a wave of “Fisher Price” jokes about the system’s appearance, and it’s certainly true that it didn’t look like a sleek multimedia system. That’s partially because it wasn’t: Instead of pulling double-duty as a DVD player, it was instead made compatible only with those adorably dinky disks Nintendo made for it. The era of memory cards was a special one, but that’s more of a general thing. Beloved In Hindsight, One Mighty Little Cube “Cute” could be the word used to describe the GameCube aesthetically, and for the crowd for whom appearances are everything, that was less than ideal. Of course, you can simply store your console in a TV unit or similar, meaning that the design of the box itself really doesn’t matter very much. What should and did matter the most is the crop of games available on said system, and here again the GameCube was controversial: A little after launch, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker arrived, and it had been widely disparaged for its art style since the public first caught a glimpse of it. The cel-shaded look was considered a huge misstep by those who had seen that initial footage of a rather more realistic Link in action, and cemented for some the idea that Nintendo wasn’t to be “taken seriously.” Nintendo is well-known for the strength of its first-party titles, often suffering when it comes to the third-party side of things. Logically, then, if you’re not interested in the former, you may not sign up for the system just for the multiplatform titles on it that are available elsewhere. Xbox’s now legendary Halo also launched in 2001, a paradigm-shifting exclusive and launch title that became more of a wider movement than a game. It was unfortunate that the GameCube’s launch line-up was less than stellar, with Luigi’s Mansion being the highest-profile Nintendo release. The system didn’t have that Super Mario 64 appeal to kick off with. Nonetheless, almost 25 years of hindsight later, it’s clear to see just how important and influential the GameCube era was for the company. Wind Waker is now one of the most beloved Zelda games ever among fans and critics (it was much-lauded by the latter on its arrival anyway), Super Smash Bros. Melee is often considered the competitive pinnacle of the beloved series, and the Resident Evil remake was the definitive way to play this classic until its HD remaster arrived (there were some fantastic horror games on the GameCube). Super Mario Sunshine, though it continues to divide opinion, was a creative and innovative new entry in the series that wasn’t afraid to experiment. The system was far from awash with third-party releases, but what a line-up it ended its run with. That deal with Capcom brought not only then-exclusive Resident Evil titles, but cult classics like Viewtiful Joe too. From curios like Doshin the Giant and Cubivore to mega-hits like the formerly exclusive Resident Evil 4 and classics like Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Beyond Good and Evil, GameCube owners had a wide range of fascinating games to enjoy. Some, today, are valuable collector’s items. Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader is yet another example, a technically impressive and visually stunning journey through some of the biggest setpieces of the original trilogy. There were some excellent games every year of the system’s run. When it comes to Nintendo’s own offerings, Pikmin would rise to become iconic, as would Metroid Prime. Luigi’s Mansion, meanwhile, was a bold new direction to take the character in. The GameCube wasn’t my introduction to gaming, but it’s the system I look back upon most fondly. It’s also the one for which I have the biggest physical games collection (kindly stored at my parents’). When some GameCube titles arrived for the Switch 2’s Nintendo Classics range, I was playing back through Metroid Prime Remastered, and it all just coalesced to remind me how much this system continues to mean to me.
https://www.dualshockers.com/gamecube-lost-console-war-but-won-my-heart/