Brand Keys reveals that Americans have once again chosen Jeep as the most patriotic brand, followed in order by Disney, Ford, Coca-Cola and Levi Strauss. The survey found that consumers self-identifying as patriotic increased overall, with baby boomers and traditionalists the most patriotic at just over 90% and Generation Z the least patriotic at 58%.
⋅ CNBC
Retailers are combining their brick-and-mortar stores with e-commerce to generate greater sales. A study by Internet Retailer found that the companies most effective at using both stores and e-commerce are, in order, Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Best Buy, Macy's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Kohl's, Nordstrom, Lowe's and J.C. Penney.
⋅ Xconomy
University of Michigan professor Tim McKay and several colleagues have begun the Sloan Equity and Inclusion in STEM Introductory Courses project, which seeks to reform the approach to introductory STEM courses and boost diversity. The program will encourage participants to analyze and share their results while developing annual projects to encourage diversity in STEM.
The US has requested that a World Trade Organization investigation of complaints about China's intellectual property practices be suspended until Dec. 31. The US and China have agreed to suspend action on the dispute after China revised or repealed rules the US had complained about, a source says.
⋅ CNN
Walmart is hoping to boost its credibility with shoppers by selling its own Angus beef. "This became a really important priority for the company," says Scott Neal, Walmart's senior vice president of meat, adding that meat is an important driver for customers.
Philips surveyed more than 3,100 health care professionals in 15 countries and found those who don't share patient data, both inside and outside their facilities, cite lack of access to data sharing systems, preference for traditional formats, concerns about privacy and security, and lack of interoperability.
Wieden+Kennedy Portland's "Dream Crazy" campaign for Nike has won the Outdoor Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for its billboard displaying a black-and-white image of Colin Kaepernick, accompanied by the copy, "Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything." Grey's John Patroulis, who led the Outdoor category jury, said that the campaign was the runaway winner, noting, "[W]e found that we were actually trying to give the others a chance against this one."
Kohl's is launching apparel for children with special needs, with an eye on style as well as utility, the retailer said. "We have made every effort to ensure that the product looks as close to our core line as possible," said Kara Smoltich, associate product manager for Jumping Beans, one of three house brands to feature the new clothing.
Qualcomm, Intel and other US chip manufacturers are reportedly lobbying the US government to lift restrictions that ban sales to the world's largest telecommunications equipment company, Huawei. The US prohibited sales to Huawei because of what it said were national security issues.
⋅ Reuters
A lawsuit challenging a Trump administration rule that would require pharmaceutical firms to disclose the list prices of their products in direct-to-consumer television ads starting next month has been filed by Merck, Amgen, Eli Lilly and Co., and the Association Of National Advertisers. Amgen said the rule raises concerns about free speech and "fails to account for differences among insurance, treatments and patients themselves, by requiring disclosure of list price."
AT&T will compete for streaming video customers by dipping into its huge library of content to provide more programming choices to consumers, said John Stankey, the CEO of AT&T's WarnerMedia arm who is charged with consolidating the telecom's various media pieces. Toward that end, AT&T put WarnerMedia Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt in charge of Otter Media, the company's collection of digital services.
By 2025, the roofing market in the US and Canada will be worth $47.5 billion, up from $29.9 billion in 2017, an Allied Market Research report finds. Roofing membrane will likely continue to be the largest segment of the market, although metal roofing will gain ground.
Elon Musk on Wednesday said that Tesla's Solar Roof tiles will be manufactured at a slower rate to ensure they last as long as expected. Musk's comment came as his company reported a reduction in solar installations.
⋅ CNN
Southwest Airlines is cancelling flights involving its 34 Boeing 737 Max planes for the rest of the summer travel season. The airline said it is eliminating the flights in advance to avoid last minute cancellations and passenger inconvenience.
⋅ Vogue
Serena Williams is carrying on the rich tradition of braiding that began in Namibia and has been a signature style for the tennis great since she and sister Venus wore beaded braids on the court as kids. She highlights the importance of the braiding tradition as she shares it with her own daughter.