• From the Wall Street Journal:
"The gunman who killed 23 people in an attack targeting Latinos at an El Paso Walmart in 2019 was sentenced Friday to 90 consecutive life sentences in federal prison.
"Patrick Crusius was charged with 90 federal crimes for his role in one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history; 45 of the charges have been deemed hate crimes. In February, he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty, after federal prosecutors said they wouldn’t seek the death penalty in the case.
"Crusius, 21 at the time of the shootings, traveled about 10 hours from a Dallas suburb to the Texas border city to target Latinos in the attack. Authorities said Crusius published a manifesto online shortly before the attack, and said the planned massacre was in response to a 'Hispanic invasion' of Texas.
"He was also indicted on state capital murder charges and faces the death penalty if convicted, prosecutors said. On Thursday, El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks said his office would seek the death penalty when their case goes to trial and said they expected to have custody of Crusius in October or November."
• From the New York Times:
"The US labor market showed signs of continued cooling last month but extended a 2-1/2-year streak of job growth, the Labor Department said … US employers added 209,000 jobs, seasonally adjusted, and the unemployment rate fell to 3.6% from 3.7% in May as joblessness remained near lows not seen in more than half a century.
"June was the 30th consecutive month of job growth, but the gain was down from a revised 306,000 in May and was the lowest since the streak began.
"Wages, as measured by average hourly earnings for workers, rose 0.4% from the previous month and 4.4% from June 2022. Those increases matched the May trend but exceeded expectations, a potential point of concern for Federal Reserve officials, who have tried to rein in wages and prices by ratcheting up interest rates.
"Still, the response to the report from economists, investors and labor market analysts was generally positive. The resilience of the job market has bolstered hopes that inflation can be brought under control while the economy continues to grow."
• Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company to Fresco y Más, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie, announced a new, exclusive store brand product line dubbed Know & Love, which it says is "designed to offer customers a wide range of affordable, clean label products made with ingredients they 'know,' to create the everyday products they’ll 'love'."
According to the company, "SEG’s new Know & Love line builds upon the grocer’s commitment to provide its customers with quality products and services that stretch their wallets. The thoughtfully curated selection prioritizes value and great taste, offering products across a wide range of food, beverage and household categories that are free from nearly 100 undesirable ingredients, such as certified color additives, partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup and sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin and sucralose."
• Panera Bread announced a new grocery rewards program for the summer that will give is restaurant customers a $5 coupon to be used in supermarkets when they buy a minimum of $20 worth of Panera-branded items there.
Panera says that the goal is "to raise awareness about their Panera at Home retail products, which consist of pre-packaged soups, bowls, dressing, and breads," as well as to "establish a strong connection between individuals who shop for Panera products at grocery stores and those who dine at Panera locations."
• From the Associated Press:
"An influencer-backed energy drink that has earned viral popularity among children is facing scrutiny from lawmakers and health experts over its potentially dangerous levels of caffeine.
"On Sunday, Sen. Charles Schumer called on the Food and Drug Administration to investigate PRIME, a beverage brand founded by the YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI that has become something of an obsession among the influencers’ legions of young followers."
The AP writes that "PRIME was an immediate sensation when it launched last year, prompting long lines in grocery stores and reports of school yard resale markets.
Advertising itself as zero sugar and vegan, the neon-colored cans are among a growing number of energy drinks with elevated levels of caffeine; in PRIME’s case, 200 milligrams per 12 ounces, equivalent to about half a dozen Coke cans or nearly two Red Bulls.
"That high content prompted bans from some schools in the United Kingdom and Australia where some pediatricians warned of possible health impacts on young children such as heart problems, anxiety, and digestive issues.
"Company representatives, meanwhile, have defended the product as clearly labeled 'not recommended for children under 18.' They sell a separate sports drink, known as PRIME Hydration, which contains no caffeine at all. Representatives for PRIME did not immediately return a request for comment."
