Archive

May 6, 2025

Browsing

Friedrich Merz, the conservative leader who was poised to become Germany’s next chancellor, failed to win enough votes to secure the country’s top position.

This leaves German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in power even though he had already delivered a farewell address. Merz’s loss marks a historic moment, as it is the first of its kind in post-war Germany.

The result came as a major upset, as Merz was widely expected to win, thanks to a coalition deal involving his party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU); its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU); and the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

In February, Merz led his party to a federal election victory and later signed the deal that many assumed would secure him the votes needed to become chancellor. However, on Tuesday, Merz received 310 votes—falling short by six—as at least 18 Members of the German Parliament in the coalition did not back him, according to Reuters.

To secure the position of chancellor, Merz would have needed to win 316 out of 630 in the Bundestag. The coalition of CSU/CDU and SPD has 328 seats, more than enough to secure a majority victory. However, Merz received 310 votes, while 307 members voted against him and nine others abstained.

Despite his unexpected loss, Merz is not out of luck. The Bundestag now has 14 days to elect the next chancellor, and Merz still has a chance of winning the position. Germany’s socialist Left Party, however, is pushing to hold another round of chancellor elections as soon as Wednesday, according to Germany-based news outlet DW.

Merz had already lined up victory trips to France and Poland on Wednesday, Reuters reported, though it is unclear whether he will proceed with the visits as planned following the defeat.

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

A resurfaced clip of Dem. Rep. Ilhan Omar, a member of the progressive ‘Squad’ in Congress, sparked a frenzy on social media this week with conservatives blasting the congresswoman over her comments regarding the ‘radicalization of White men.’

‘I would say our country should be more fearful of White men across our country, because they are actually causing most of the deaths within this country,’ Omar said in a 2018 interview with Al-Jazeera while discussing the domestic terrorism threats in the United States and responding to a question on how much concern ‘jihadism’ poses to the United States. 

 ‘And so if fear was the driving force of policies to keep America safe, Americans safe inside of this country, we should be profiling, monitoring, and creating policies to fight the radicalization of White men.’

The clip, posted by conservative influencer accounts including Laura Loomer and LibsofTikTok with millions of impressions, sparked outrage from conservatives on social media, including from inside the White House. 

‘This isn’t just sick; it’s actually genocidal language,’ Vice President JD Vance posted on X. ‘What a disgrace this person is.’

‘This is blatant racism,’ GOP Sen. Mike Lee posted on X. ‘Who condemns it?’

‘@ilhanMN never ceases to be an embarrassment for Minnesota,’ GOP Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, who represents Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, posted on X. 

‘There’s never been a more anti-American member of Congress than Ilhan Omar,’ conservative influencer Paul Szypula posted on X. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Omar’s office for comment. 

The social media firestorm comes shortly after Omar sparked controversy for telling Daily Caller News Foundation reporter Myles Morell to ‘f— off’ after he asked her a question about fellow Democratic Party figures traveling to El Salvador to defend illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was deported to the country by the Trump administration.

Omar later responded to the clip being shared on X, stating, ‘I said what I said. You and all your miserable trolls can f— off.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS

Footwear giant Skechers has agreed to be acquired by private equity firm 3G Capital for $63 per share, ending its nearly three-decade run as a public company, the retailer announced Monday.

The price 3G Capital agreed to pay represents a 30% premium to Skechers’ current valuation on the public markets, which is in line with similar takeover deals. Shares of Skechers soared more than 25% after the transaction was announced.

“With a proven track-record, Skechers is entering its next chapter in partnership with the global investment firm 3G Capital,” Skechers’ CEO, Robert Greenberg, said in a news release.

“Given their remarkable history of facilitating the success of some of the most iconic global consumer businesses, we believe this partnership will support our talented team as they execute their expertise to meet the needs of our consumers and customers while enabling the Company’s long-term growth,” he said.

The transaction comes at a difficult time for the retail industry and in particular, the footwear sector, which relies on discretionary spending and overseas supply chains that are now in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump’s trade war. 

Last week Skechers signed onto a letter penned by the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America trade group asking for an exemption from Trump’s tariffs.

And, a little over a week ago, Skechers withdrew its full-year 2025 guidance “due to macroeconomic uncertainty stemming from global trade policies” as companies brace for a drop in consumer spending that will disproportionately impact the footwear and apparel sectors. 

Skechers declined to say how much of its supply chain is based in China, which is currently facing 145% tariffs, but cautioned that two-thirds of its business is outside of the U.S. and therefore won’t see as much of an impact. 

A source close to the deal who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic details said the trade environment didn’t force Skechers into a deal and that 3G Capital had been interested in acquiring the company for years.

Tariffs do present some uncertainty in the short term, but 3G Capital believes the long-term outlook of Skechers’ business remains attractive and is well positioned for growth, the person said.

Skechers is the third-largest footwear company in the world behind Nike and Adidas.

Greenberg will stay on as Skechers’ CEO and continue enacting the company’s strategy after the acquisition is completed.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

U.S. pharmacy chain Rite Aid on Monday filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time in as many years, according to a court filing.

Pharmacy chains, such as Rite Aid, Walgreens and CVS, have been under pressure as falling drug margins and competition from Walmart and Amazon have led to a closure of hundreds of stores.

Walgreens, facing significant losses, recently agreed to a $10 billion buyout by private equity firm Sycamore Partners — a dramatic decline from its $100 billion valuation a decade ago, underscoring the severe challenges facing traditional pharmacy retailers.

Rite Aid used its previous bankruptcy in 2023 to cut $2 billion in debt, close hundreds of stores, sell its pharmacy benefit company, Elixir, and negotiate settlements with its lenders, drug distribution partner McKesson and other creditors.

The previous bankruptcy also resolved hundreds of lawsuits alleging that Rite Aid ignored red flags when filling suspicious prescriptions for addictive opioid pain drugs.

But despite those settlements, Rite Aid still had $2.5 billion in debt when it emerged from bankruptcy as a private company owned by its lenders in 2024.

According to Monday’s court filing, the company has estimated assets and liabilities in the range of $1 billion to $10 billion.

The company was unable to secure additional capital from lenders, which it needed to continue operating the business, Bloomberg News reported earlier in the day, citing an internal letter from CEO Matthew Schroeder to the company’s employees.

The letter also states that the drug store chain intends to reduce its workforce at its corporate offices in Pennsylvania.

Rite Aid operated about 2,000 pharmacies in 2023 but now has only 1,250 stores across the U.S., with recent closures significantly reducing its presence in markets such as Ohio and Michigan.

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS