The Minneapolis City Council is paying six social media influencers $2,000 each to spread city-approved messaging throughout the upcoming murder trial of former officer Derek Chauvin, who has been charged in George Floyd's death. The influencers will intentionally target Black, Native American, Somali, Hmong and Latinx communities with their messaging.  The goal is to "increase access to information to communities that do not typically follow mainstream news sources or City communications channels and/or who do not consume information in English," the Minneapolis City Council said in a statement. "It's also an opportunity to create more two-way communication between the City …

Organizers of the National Restaurant Association Show are canceling the 2021 convention, which was scheduled for May 22-25 in Chicago. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois has ordered restrictions on gatherings of 50 or more people until at least early June. The 2020 show was also canceled because of coronavirus uncertainty. The last show was in 2019, when the National Restaurant Association celebrated the gathering’s 100th year. The trade group hopes to be able to resume meeting next year and has scheduled May 21-24, 2022 for its next show.

Gap Inc. is investing to support its stated ambition of driving half of all sales through the web by 2023. The clothing chain expects to break ground in April on a new 850,000-square-foot Texas distribution center. The location will leverage a new fleet of Kindred robots helping to process 1 million units daily at full capacity. Gap reworked the timeline for the project …

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. pleaded guilty to charges that it participated in a conspiracy to fix prices and rig bids for broiler chicken products, according to WattPoultry.com. A plea agreement was reached in the U.S. District Court in Denver, in which Pilgrim’s admitted to participating in a conspiracy to suppress and eliminate competition. The company must pay nearly $108 million in criminal fines. In January, the company reached a deal to pay $75 million to its buyers to settle claims that it conspired with other poultry producers to fix chicken prices and rig bids.

A Chicago federal judge has rejected a bid by Society Insurance to toss lawsuits filed by businesses hit hard by the pandemic, a departure from recent rulings in other courts that sided with insurance companies. The ruling gives hope to dozens of restaurants, bars and other businesses whose claims for business interruption insurance were denied by the company after COVID-19 and government-mandated shutdowns forced them to close or severely curtail operations.

Legendary golfer Tiger Woods sustained serious injuries to both legs after a one-car vehicle crash near Los Angeles. The 15-time major champion golfer, whose current sponsors include Monster Energy and Upper Deck, had to be pulled out through the windshield, and his agent said he was undergoing leg surgery. “Woods was in Los Angeles over the weekend as the tournament host of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club, where he presented the trophy Sunday,” per The Associated Press. “He was to spend Monday and Tuesday filming with Discovery-owned GOLFTV, with whom he has an endorsement contract.”

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that movie theaters throughout the state – including in New York City – can reopen starting March 5. “Most of the theaters outside the city had already started to reopen after an October order allowed them to do so with limited capacity and COVID-19 safety measures,” per USA Today. “Cuomo has pushed to start easing COVID-19 restrictions on businesses this year in hopes of jumpstarting an economy hit by a drop in sales tax revenue.”

The Cherokee Nation is once again asking Jeep to change the name of its Cherokee and Grand Cherokee vehicles. Jeep has used the monikers for more than 45 years. Jeep said in a statement, "Our vehicle names have been carefully chosen and nurtured over the years to honor and celebrate Native American people for their nobility, prowess, and pride. We are, more than ever, committed to a respectful and open dialogue with Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr.”

With amusement parks across the country shuttered for the better part of a year, one Six Flags location might be wiling to be the test case for the rest of the country. The company says it plans to reopen its theme park and water parks in Illinois this spring, with a reservation system, on-site temperature checks and mask requirements. Six Flags Great America plans to open April 24, with water parks Hurricane Harbor Chicago and Hurricane Harbor Rockford returning on May 29. The company is hiring 4,000 seasonal workers in Illinois, said spokeswoman Sandra Daniels.

Nearly four years after a study showed that chemicals believed to cause health problems in children and reproductive issues in adults were found in mass-market macaroni and cheese packets, General Mills’ Annie’s Homegrown brand says it will purge them from its macaroni and cheese. “Annie’s, known by its cute bunny logo, disclosed its move in a statement on its website,” per The New York Times. Health advocates applauded General Mills for taking this step with Annie’s, one of its signature brands.