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Retail chain Forever 21 announced it will enter bankruptcy proceedings for a second time, and is set to permanently close all its U.S. stores while it seeks a buyer for the company. The Los Angeles-based F21 as well as some of its U.S. subsidiaries entered into a plan with lenders for Chapter 11 protections in a Delaware U.S. bankruptcy court. In 2019, the fashion retailer filed for Chapter 11 in order to “facilitate a global restructuring” that included the closing of most of its Asian and European international locations.

Brad Sell, chief financial officer of F21 OpCo, wrote in a news release: “While we have evaluated all options to best position the company for the future, we have been unable to find a sustainable path forward, given competition from foreign fast fashion companies, which have been able to take advantage of the de minimis exemption to undercut our brand on pricing and margin, as well as rising costs, economic challenges impacting our core customers, and evolving consumer trends .. Following the conclusion of our strategic review and after careful deliberation, we made the decision to file for Chapter 11 to implement a court-supervised marketing process to solicit a going concern transaction, and, in the absence of such an arrangement, an orderly wind down of operations.”

The company said that stores and the company’s U.S. website will remain open as Forever 21 starts winding down operations and seeks a last-minute bidder for its assets. Their website and U.S. stores will remain open, with company officials hoping that a “dual-path process” will “best maximize optionality and value.” In the event of a successful sale, Forever 21 may opt to pivot to facilitate a transaction.

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Harvard University announced on Monday that it is making tuition free for families who earn less than $200,000 annually, aimed to make the Ivy League institute more affordable for middle-income families.   The move comes as the Trump administration targets university funding as a part of a crackdown on diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) practices.

Harvard, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, added that for families earning less than $100,000, the university will also cover expenses like housing, travel fees, health insurance – as well as a $2,000 start-up grant to get students situated.   According to Harvard’s website, the average annual tuition for an undergraduate student is $56,550; with the addition of housing, food, health services and other student services, the annual cost of attending Harvard is $82,866.

Harvard President Alan Garber said in a press release: “putting Harvard within financial reach for more individuals widens the array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that all of our students encounter, fostering their intellectual and personal growth, and will help make a Harvard College education possible for every admitted student.”

William R. Fitzsimmons, Harvard College’s dean of admissions and financial aid, wrote in a statement: “We know the most talented students come from different socioeconomic backgrounds and experiences, from every state and around the globe. Our financial aid is critical to ensuring that these students know Harvard College is a place where they can be part of a vibrant learning community strengthened by their presence and participation.”

Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hoekstra added: “Harvard has long sought to open our doors to the most talented students, no matter their financial circumstances. This investment in financial aid aims to make a Harvard College education possible for every admitted student, so they can pursue their academic passions and positively impact our future.”

The policy will begin in the 20255/ 2026 academic year, and will allow roughly 86% of US families to qualify for Harvard’s financial aid. A number of elite universities in the US have taken similar steps in recent years, including the University of Pennsylvania and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which also have free tuition for families making less than $200,000.

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Per NBC News: at least 36 people have died across Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama and Mississippi as powerful storm systems swept through the Midwest and South, with Sunday marking the third day of the damaging storm system.

Millions of Americans across the country remain on alert for severe weather outbreaks as tornadoes and hail are expected across the Midwest and South, with the cross-country storm moving east. The storms have left hundreds of thousands of customers without power, injured dozens in Arkansas and caused fatalities linked to wildfires in Oklahoma.

The same storm system also led to wildfires and severe dust storms that left more than a dozen people dead in Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma.  In addition, nearly 9 million people are under tornado watches, including in Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. Another 82.8 million are covered by wind advisories, particularly in the middle of the country.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, more than 50 cars were involved in a pileup, which led to the deaths of at least 8 people, with multiple others injured and transported to medical care facilities.

The Dallas Morning News reported that dust storms also caused car accidents in the Texas Panhandle that killed at least 3 people, with the Texas A&M Forest Service saying it responded to 13 wildfires that burned 27,717 acres across the state.

The Oklahoma State Highway patrol said in a statement that it assisted the Enid Police Department with responding to a fatal crash tied to the weather and otherwise responded to 42 injury-causing crashes and 36 fires.

The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency posted on social media that there were “at least 12 confirmed confirmed weather-related fatalities,” with Gov. Mike Kehoe calling the devastation “heartbreaking.”

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement that his state has counted six deaths — one in Covington County, two in Jeff Davis County, and three in Walthall County. Three additional people are currently missing, and 29 people have been injured statewide. Reeves said that there was damage from the storm system in 21 of the state’s 82 counties while as many as 30,000 customers were initially without power.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said at least two people were killed in her state, one in Plantersville and one in Winterboro, with the state suffering damage in 52 of its 67 counties:  “We pray for those lives we lost, as well as those who were injured, and we pray for our first responders, emergency management officials and linemen who are doing incredible work on the ground right now.”

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A California man was awarded $50 million in damages in a lawsuit against Starbucks, due to burns that he suffered while being handed a tray of hot drinks at a Starbucks location in southern California in 2020.

Postmates driver Michael Garcia sued the cafe chain after being burned on Feb. 8, 2020 when a “scalding hot” cup of tea spilled into his lap after a Starbucks worker handed him a tray containing three venti-sized hot-tea drinks through the drive-through window of the Exposition Park Starbucks at 1789 W. Jefferson Blvd. Video provided by Rowley’s firm shows the Starbucks employees preparing the drinks and the moment the tea spills into Garcia’s lap.

Garcia said a Starbucks barista acted negligently by not properly securing the drink and its lid in the drinks tray, which he said caused the drink to spill and burn him within 1.4 seconds of receiving it.  The plaintiff said he suffered life-changing third-degree burns, nerve damage and permanent injuries to his genitals and has PTSD following the mishap.

Garcia said he sought treatment from the Grossman Burn Center in Los Angeles six days later, with treatments including skin grafts that caused Garcia to permanently lose feeling in affected body parts. The jury deliberated Friday for 40 minutes before delivering its verdict and awarding Garcia $50 million in damages.

Starbucks offered originally offered to settle the matter for $3 million prior to the trial and afterward increased the settlement offer to $30 million, which Garcia accepted.  However, Garcia also demanded Starbucks apologize, change its policies and notify all Starbucks locations to ensure all drinks are secure before giving them to customers — when Starbucks refused to abide those terms, the case went to trial.

Garcia’s attorney, Nicholas Rowley, told jurors Garcia has undergone several surgeries and experiences pain every day. He said after the verdict:  “Michael Garcia’s life has been forever changed. No amount of money can undo the permanent catastrophic harm he has suffered, but this jury verdict is a critical step in holding Starbucks accountable for flagrant disregard for customer safety and failure to accept responsibility.”

A Starbucks spokesperson said that the coffee chain disagrees with the jury verdict and intends to file an appeal: “We sympathize with Mr. Garcia, but we disagree with the jury’s decision that we were at fault for this incident and believe the damages awarded to be excessive. We plan to appeal. We have always been committed to the highest safety standards in our stores, including the handling of hot drinks.”

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