A mother and daughter were stopped by two Denver police officers after a Southwest flight attendant reported possible human trafficking. The mother is white and her 10-year-old daughter is Black. “The flight attendant told police she flagged the family as suspicious because they were the last to board the plane and asked other passengers to change seats so they could sit together,” per NBC News. The flight attendant said she didn’t see the mother and daughter speak on the plane and that the daughter was instructed not to talk to the flight crew, per the police report. 

Kroger is investigating a fake press release claiming the grocer would accept bitcoin cryptocurrency at its stores this holiday season. The company is the second major retailer in recent weeks to get entangled in a crypto hoax. The release appeared on Kroger's investor relations page and was later deleted. “The company said the page, which gets automatically updated, receives a direct feed from PR Newswire, where the fake release also appeared,” per Reuters. 

Sustainable shoemaker Allbirds raised more than $300 million in its initial public offering, with shares surging 91% on the first day of trading to give the company a valuation of $4.1 billion. "The San Francisco-based company, known for making sneakers out of wool, sugarcane and other natural materials, increased its offering to 20.2 million shares at $15 each on Tuesday evening, up from its original target of selling 19.2 million shares priced between $12 and $14," per Forbes. "It is the latest in a wave of venture-backed retailers to go public, following Warby Parker and Rent The Runway, both of whose share prices have …

Facing criticism over comments made in a private text message exchange that was made public this week, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski says they “lacked empathy and compassion.” The text in question was sent in April to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot following the shooting death of two children earlier this year in which he appears to blame the children’s parents for the incidents.

Birchbox, the beauty brand that delivers samples in pretty boxes, will relaunch as a product-discovery service that goes beyond beauty, expanding into personal care and wellness. The company was recently acquired for $45 million by FemTec Health, a new female-focused startup. Birchbox cofounder Katia Beauchamp will leave her post as CEO and sell her remaining stake in the business to become a strategic advisor.

Only one luxury Hummer with a price tag of $285,000 will be offered in a special edition via the Neiman Marcus’ Fantasy Gifts list. The recipient will get free delivery of the vehicle as well as several other experiences including a trip to the 2022 Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson auction event. The vehicle will include two-tone leather upholstery, red-colored anodized metal accents, and several Neiman Marcus logos, while the steering wheel sports the logo of car auction company Barrett-Jackson.

Fans of the McDonald’s McRib sandwich are rejoicing over its return with a  slew of posts and memes on various social media platforms. Even @MorningBrew got into the act with the observation: “The market performs much better on average when @McDonalds sells the McRib than when it doesn't. Trade accordingly.”

Hims, a direct-to-consumer telemedicine company founded in 2017, offers the likes of minoxidil and generic Viagra to  young men. “In the words of one of the brand’s designers, the core customer was 'coastal or urban, with a diverse cohort, aware of what’s going on in culture, cares about how they look,’” per New York Magazine. “The Hims Man could order sildenafil [for ED] while waiting in line for Sweetgreen, changing in the Equinox locker room, obtaining knitwear on Mr Porter.”

Venture capital fund S2G Ventures, whose biggest funder is Luke Walton, is focused on making the food system healthier and more sustainable. It has invested in more than 60 companies, from Beyond Meat to Sweetgreen, since it launched in 2014. Walton, the 35-year-old billionaire grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, has been quietly helping create a new platform that he says is designed to tackle systemic social challenges, per Fast Company. 

Customers will soon be able to order Instacart delivery from nearly 13,000 Dollar Tree discount stores across 48 states and Washington D.C. The two brands first partnered to launch same-day delivery from Family Dollar in November 2020. Following a successful pilot, the companies expanded the partnership to more than 6,000 Family Dollar stores at the beginning of the year and began testing same-day delivery from Dollar Tree in August, per Progressive Grocer.