Ford announced Thursday that it’s planning to expand its manufacturing presence in Kentucky with a $1 billion investment in a new state-of-the-art paint shop at its Kentucky Truck Plant.

The investment will allow for the construction of a new paint shop, which will replace its existing paint shop and further the modernization of the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville.

The upgraded technology in the paint shop will provide cleaner and more efficient paint quality, boosting efficiency and environmental sustainability in production processes, Ford said.

Ford is also undertaking a major overhaul of its nearby Louisville Assembly Plant ahead of Fathom electric truck production in 2027. (Ford Motor Co.)

Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant is the automaker’s largest and highest revenue manufacturing plant, with a vehicle rolling off the assembly line every 45 seconds, the company noted. It produces vehicles including the F-Series Super Duty pickups, the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs.

FORD’S US MANUFACTURING EXPANSION TO BRING ‘THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF JOBS,’ LUTNICK SAYS

“For more than a century, Ford and Kentucky have grown together, and we’re investing to ensure that relationship remains strong for generations to come,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said.

“These investments demonstrate our confidence in Kentucky’s workforce, our commitment to American manufacturing and our belief that the future of mobility and energy will be right here in the United States.”

Ford said in its announcement that groundbreaking on the project is expected by late this year. The company is also planning to host a Kentucky Truck Plant Family Open House on Sept. 13 for employees and their families to spotlight the work that goes on at the facility.

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Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant produces F-Series Super Duty pickups, the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. (Ford Motor Co.)

Ford’s nearby Louisville Assembly Plant is also in the midst of a significant update, with Ford installing its new Universal EV Production System at the facility. That investment will support production of the recently unveiled Ford Fathom, a midsize electric pickup truck that’s planned to launch in 2027, and transform the facility into one of Ford’s most advanced and flexible manufacturing plants.

Ford’s presence in Kentucky dates back to 1913, when the first Model T rolled off the assembly line in Louisville. The Bluegrass State is also home to over 6,000 Ford retirees.

A worker at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville. (Ford Motor Co.)

The automaker previously announced a $2 billion investment in Ford Energy, which will enable the conversion of a former battery manufacturing site in Glendale, Kentucky, into a large-scale producer of battery energy storage systems.

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The company noted a 2020 study by the Boston Consulting Group found that Ford contributes $11.7 billion annually to Kentucky’s economic output, with nearly 120,000 people in the state employed by Ford, its suppliers and dealers.

A 2023 report by University of Louisville professor Thomas Lambert found that Ford’s total economic impact in Kentucky tops $33 billion across its network of vendors and suppliers.

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EMERYVILLE, CALIF. — Petit Pot, a self-manufacturing startup that makes French-inspired refrigerated desserts, raised a seven-figure Series A funding round co-led by Eclair Partners and Terri and John Penshorn. The specific amount raised was not disclosed.

Founded in 2014 by Maxime Pouvreau, Petit Pot offers French-inspired refrigerated desserts and will use what the company said is its first institutional funding round to accelerate product innovation and expand distribution.

Prior to its Series A, the company said it has been funded by angel investors to help the company build out its manufacturing capabilities. 

“Growing up in France, dessert was never just an afterthought,” Pouvreau said. “It was a small daily pleasure. I started Petit Pot to bring that same experience to more people through desserts made with real ingredients and a lot of care.”

The company’s lineup includes Creamy French Desserts, served in glass jars made with organic ingredients; Creamy French Puddings, served in 3.5 oz and 14 oz paper cups, and its newest Creamy French Puddings with Protein, served in 3.5 oz paper cups. 

“Petit Pot combines a joyful brand, outstanding products, and real manufacturing know-how,” said Laurent Marcel, managing partner at Eclair Partners. “It is rare to see a young food brand with this level of product obsession enabled by in-house production. We believe Petit Pot has the potential to become one of the defining premium brands in refrigerated desserts, and we are proud to support Maxime, Eric, and the team as they scale.”

Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC on Thursday announced that it’s recalling over 200 cases of broccoli sprouts over concerns that they may be contaminated with salmonella, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Evergreen said that it’s recalling 215 cases of broccoli sprouts, each of which includes six four-ounce bags per case, because of the risk of salmonella contamination.

Salmonella is a foodborne illness that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, as well as those who have weakened immune systems.

Evergreen Fresh Sprouts LLC is recalling 215 cases of broccoli sprouts. (Getty Images)

The recalled broccoli sprouts were delivered to three distributors in the state of Washington from Aug. 24 to Sept. 2, with the product possibly distributed and sold in retail stores to consumers in Idaho, Montana and Washington.

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The broccoli sprouts were packaged in clear plastic four-ounce zip lock bags, with the UPC code 8 38796 00105 1, and with use by dates of 9/7/26, 9/9/26, 9/11/26, 9/14/26 and 9/16/26.

Consumers who purchased the affected broccoli sprouts are urged to immediately discard the product. Businesses are urged by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to not sell or serve recalled broccoli sprouts, and to wash and sanitize items and surfaces that may have come in contact with recalled broccoli sprouts.

Consumers who purchased the affected broccoli sprouts are urged to immediately discard the product. (Getty Images)

CDC has recorded a total of 22 cases in Idaho, Washington, Montana and Utah.

DOG SUPPLEMENTS RECALLED OVER POTENTIAL SALMONELLA CONTAMINATION

Evergreen said that it was notified the broccoli sprouts have been related to a multistate salmonella outbreak, which included 22 cases as of Sept. 9. 

It initiated the recall when broccoli sprouts with a use by date of 9/16/26 tested positive for salmonella in an analysis conducted by a third-party lab. The company stopped producing and distributing broccoli sprouts on Sept. 4 and is undertaking a root cause investigation, Evergreen said.

MORE THAN 1,500 POUNDS OF PORK RECALLED OVER LISTERIA CONTAMINATION RISK

Symptoms of salmonella typically include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps. Some people – particularly young children, adults age 65 and older and people with weakened immune systems – may experience more severe illnesses requiring medical treatment or hospitalization, according to the CDC.

Evergreen initiated the recall when broccoli sprouts with a use by date of 9/16/26 tested positive for salmonella in an analysis conducted by a third-party lab. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

People who may have been exposed to salmonella should contact their healthcare provider if they have any of the following symptoms: 

• Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102 degrees Fahrenheit;
• Diarrhea for more than two days that isn’t improving;
• Bloody diarrhea;
• So much vomiting that you can’t keep liquids down;
• Signs of dehydration like not peeing much, dry mouth and throat, or feeling dizzy when standing up.

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HANOVER, PA. — Hanover Foods Corp. is unveiling a line of GLP-1-friendly frozen meals.

Each Skinny Veg-branded meal is formulated with one vegetable, one grain or legume, avocado oil, pepper and sea salt.

The lineup is available in four varieties: broccoli and quinoa, brussels sprouts and couscous, spinach and blackeye peas, and riced cauliflower and lentils.

“We believe the ingredient list should be the least surprising part of your meal, which is why Skinny Veg is intentionally simple,” said Jeff Warehime, chief executive officer. “Our Skinny Veg sides have just five simple ingredients. No additives or preservatives. Just real food for real people.”

The frozen meals are now available at select retailers and will launch nationally in 2027. 

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple stock jumped after the iPhone Duo debut and then split Wall Street down the middle: more units at $1,999, thinner hardware margins, and a foldable that cannot ship until Oct. 23.

Shares rose about 3.6% in the session after the Sept. 9 “Surprise and Shine” event, trading near $327. Consensus from 29 analysts compiled by Benzinga was still Buy with an average target around $335 — only a few points of implied upside. The range underneath that average is the story. TD Cowen’s Krish Sankar kept Buy and $400. Barclays’ Tim Long rated Sell and $245. Jefferies’ Edison Lee stayed Underperform near $264. Morningstar lifted its fair value only to $290 and still called the stock lightly expensive.

The product is not in dispute. John Ternus, in his first event as chief executive, called the Duo “the most transformational change to iPhone since the original.” It opens to 7.6 inches, closes to a 5.4-inch cover, starts at $1,999 for 256GB and runs to $3,199 for 2TB. Preorders start Oct. 16. Citi’s Atif Malik kept Buy and $365 and called the foldable Apple’s “biggest new hardware category” since Watch and AirPods. Evercore ISI’s Amit Daryanani, also Buy at $365, said Apple will sell every Duo it can build in the first six months.

Volume forecasts cluster near 6 million units in the second half of 2026, in line with Counterpoint Research’s earlier 25% foldable-share sketch and a supply cap that keeps the category a rounding error next to 250 million-plus iPhones. Oppenheimer said 8 million to 10 million this year is the ceiling. TD Cowen modeled about 6 million Duo units at roughly 56% hardware gross margin, better than the mid-40s it assigned the iPhone 18 Pro.

That last comparison is why some desks bought the keynote and sold the multiple. Bank of America’s Wamsi Mohan reiterated Buy but cut his target to $370 from $380. “In our opinion, iPhone Duo stole the show,” he wrote — then lowered average-selling-price assumptions by $14 for fiscal 2027, to $1,099, after Apple priced the foldable under the $2,300–$2,500 many investors had marked. He raised iPhone unit forecasts by 2 million this fiscal year and 5 million next, to 256 million, and still took $10 off the target because memory costs are rising faster than list prices.

Tim Cook told analysts on the July 30 call that Apple was seeing “a 100-year flood on the memory pricing with exponential increases in memory prices” and that the company had “reluctantly raised prices.” The fall lineup skipped a cheap iPhone 18 until spring, added $100 to Pro models and used the Duo as a $1,999 halo instead of a $2,499 scarcity play. Rosenblatt stayed Neutral at $303, saying the “light touch” on pricing could weigh on gross margin. UBS stayed Neutral at $296. Jefferies said Apple is protecting volume at the expense of margin to keep supplier leverage.

Needham’s Laura Martin kept Hold and argued a bigger screen does not fix Apple’s AI lag. She praised Ternus as a “wartime CEO” and still called the new Siri agent in iOS 27 “too little, too late.” AT&T Chief Executive John Stankey, speaking after the event, said the Duo “is not new” and “tends to function more as a specific niche type application as opposed to it’s broadly accepted.”

Buyers of the stock are underwriting three things that can all be true at once: a scarce foldable that prints high margin on 6 million units; an install base that still refreshes Pro phones at higher ASPs; and a company that can raise prices when DRAM is a flood. Sellers are underwriting the opposite arithmetic: $1,999 is not $2,499, 6 million units do not move a $3 trillion-plus market cap, and memory inflation hits every other SKU in the bag.

The practical split for a portfolio is time, not theology. A six-week wait to first sale means fiscal 2027, not the September quarter, carries the Duo. Holiday mix will show whether Pro price hikes stick when the cheap slot is empty. Margin commentary on the next earnings call will show whether Mohan’s $14 ASP cut was enough. Until those prints, Apple is a Buy on the average target list and a debate on every individual ticket — up 3% on a phone that is not in stores, with a ceiling set by hinge yield and a floor set by NAND.

India, like many developing economies, “remains largely peripheral to both the origination and propagation of global imbalances; yet, we continue to face their spill-over effects”, the minister said.

Sitharaman made the statements while representing India at a virtual meeting on the Global Convergence for Growth Summit, presided over by French President Emmanuel Macron, the finance ministry said in a post on microblogging site X.

“In today’s interconnected world, prosperity and challenges are shared, but the consequences of conflicts and uncertainty fall disproportionately on developing countries and the Global South. The situation demands coordinated global action,” the minister said during her intervention at the summit.

“We must strengthen multilateral cooperation to build resilient economies, accelerate sustainable development and ensure inclusive growth that benefits all,” she added.

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The summit was held to bring together leaders of advanced and emerging economies to deliberate on ways to support a balanced and efficient global framework. The senior leadership of all the G7 nations and India, Brazil, China, Kenya, South Korea and the International Monetary Fund participated in the summit.
Making her observations on global imbalances, the minister said: “Not all imbalances are alike, some reflect differences in demographics, development stages, resource endowments, or economic structures.””Our focus should, therefore, remain on excessive and persistent imbalances while recognising that the scale of domestic needs varies significantly across countries,” she said.

Medium-term growth, MDB reforms
India’s growth is projected to remain strong at about 7% over the medium term, the minister said, stressing that the country remains the world’s fastest-expanding major economy.

The country’s growth is primarily led by domestic demand, with a largely market-determined exchange rate, she added.

Sitharaman called for better, bigger, more effective and more representative multilateral development banks (MDBs) that can deliver greater financing to developing countries and emerging economies. Bolstering their financing capacity, operational agility and responsiveness will be critical, she said.

Former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has reportedly sold a waterfront Maryland estate for $7.2 million.

The six-bedroom, eight-bathroom home on Gibson Island changed hands in an off-market sale on Aug. 4, less than three months after Powell concluded his eight-year term as chair of the Federal Reserve, Realtor.com reported, citing public property records.

The 7,155-square-foot home sits on a two-acre waterfront lot overlooking the Magothy River, the outlet reported.

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Former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has reportedly sold a waterfront Maryland estate for $7.2 million. (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)

The home was not publicly listed on a multiple listing service, with the Baltimore Business Journal first reporting the sale.

Built in 2004, the shingle-style mansion features water views from nearly every main room, along with a waterfront swimming pool, stone terraces, a private pier with a boat lift and landscaped grounds, according to Realtor.com.

Powell purchased the property for $3.86 million in 2006.

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Powell purchased the property for $3.86 million in 2006. (Google Earth)

The former Fed chair and his wife, Elissa Leonard, continue to own another home on Gibson Island that they purchased for about $3 million, Realtor.com reported.

The couple’s primary residence is in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Powell concluded his tenure as Fed chairman in May, with Kevin Warsh succeeding him.

POWELL SAYS HE’LL STAY ON FED BOARD AFTER CHAIRMANSHIP ENDS BUT WON’T BE A ‘SHADOW FED CHAIR’

Kevin Warsh succeeded Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chairman earlier this year. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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During his time leading the central bank, Powell frequently clashed with President Donald Trump over interest rate policy.

FOX Business reached out to Powell and Gibson Island Real Estate for more information.

OAKBROOK TERRACE, ILL. —Sara Lee Frozen Bakery is adding new frozen desserts to its Sweet Moments portfolio. The launch includes individual-sized cakes and four-layered cheesecakes.

The cakes are available in gooey butter cake, chocolate chip brookie and cinnamon caramel crunch varieties.

The cheesecakes include strawberry shortcake, lemon blueberry and fudge brownie varieties.

“Sweet Moments and its expansion come as consumer trends converge around demand for greater portion flexibility,” said Derek Wong, director of marketing, retail at Sara Lee. “Smaller households, the rise of ‘little treat’ culture and everyday indulgence, and the growing adoption of GLP-1 medications may be changing consumer behavior for different reasons, but together they point to greater interest in smaller portions and more flexible ways to indulge. Sweet Moments sits naturally at that intersection, giving consumers a premium dessert experience sized for one and giving retailers an opportunity to create occasions beyond traditional celebrations.”

The desserts may be purchased at retailers nationwide.