Anne McElvoy and guests discuss the concentration, distribution and morality of wealth now and look back at An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, published by the Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith in 1776, which gives an early account of what builds nations’ wealth and introduced concepts such as free markets, the division of labour, and productivity.

Our guests for this episode of BBC Radio 4’s Friday night ideas discussion programme are:

Vicky Pryce, economist and business consultant and co-author of Mismanaged Decline What Politicians Won’t Tell You About the Economy

Maha Rafi Atal, Adam Smith Senior Lecturer in Political Economy at the University of Glasgow and author of the forthcoming book When Companies Rule: Corporate Power from the East India Company to Silicon Valley. The University is holding a series of events to mark the 250th anniversary of the publication of The Wealth of Nations.

Dafydd Daniel, Lecturer in Divinity at the University of St Andrews

Allister Heath, business journalist

Hettie O’Brien, Guardian writer and author of The Asset Class: How Private Equity Turned Capitalism Against Itself

Producer: Eliane Glaser

You can hear another discussion about searching for economic solutions in the most recent episode of Start the Week, Radio 4’s Monday morning discussion programme where Tom Sutcliffe was joined by Mariana Mazzucato, Jeremy Hunt and Patrick Foulis.

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Harley-Davidson’s recent executive hires risk alienating Americans fed up with alleged wokeness from corporate icons like the motorcycle manufacturer, a conservative activist is warning.

Robby Starbuck, who has waged a public campaign against corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies and wokeness, criticized Harley-Davidson in a post on X for appointing Artie Starrs as CEO last year due to his sponsorship of groups contributing to San Francisco Pride and offering antiracism training to teachers while in his previous corporate stops.

Starbuck led a consumer boycott against Harley-Davidson in 2024, which prompted the company to announce a rollback of DEI programs, but he warned that the hire suggests the company wasn’t committed to those changes over the long-term.

“Harley-Davidson’s recent hires show me they didn’t learn anything from the backlash they already faced for going woke,” Starbuck told FOX Business.

WHITE HOUSE STUDY SAYS DEI POLICIES COST US ECONOMY BY PROMOTING UNQUALIFIED MANAGERS

“You can’t tell working-class American riders that you respect them while filling leadership with people tied to woke policies, DEI activism and cultural radicalism. It is out of step with Harley’s customer base and heritage,” Starbuck said.

“At this point, enough is enough. They don’t deserve another chance. It’s time for riders to go elsewhere. Only through a real power struggle can Harley be saved,” he added.

Starbuck’s social media criticism of Harley-Davidson also included the company’s chief brand officer, Marcus Fischer, who previously led an advertising agency and encouraged efforts to boost transgender representation.

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
HOG	HARLEY-DAVIDSON INC.	24.35	+0.10	+0.41%

IS CORPORATE AMERICA BREAKING UP WITH DEI OR JUST TAKING ITS RELATIONSHIP UNDERGROUND?

“I expose this stuff because consumers deserve to know who is running the brands they support and what values those companies are pushing behind the scenes,” Starbuck said. “This isn’t about revenge. It’s about accountability. Companies should be politically neutral, merit-based and focused on making great products, not chasing approval from far-left activists.”

“My goal is to give forgotten consumers a voice and make it clear that if brands keep choosing woke ideology over their customers, those customers can and should walk away. There are consequences for woke behavior and woke executives,” he added.

DEI DISCLOSURE PARTICIPATION PLUMMETS AMONG MAJOR COMPANIES AS CORPORATE PULLBACK CONTINUES

FOX Business has reached out to Harley-Davidson for comment.

Harley-Davidson provided a statement to USA Today in a report about Starbuck’s criticism that defended its CEO.

“Since stepping into the role eight months ago, CEO Artie Starrs has spent time across the country listening directly to our riders, dealers, employees, and unions,” Harley-Davidson said in the statement. 

“As our dealers and employees can attest, our only agenda is getting back to basics: building great motorcycles, strengthening our network of 500+ U.S. dealers, and supporting a workforce that is proud of the product they put on the road. We have made meaningful improvements and changes, and that work continues,” the company added.

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TOMY International issued a recall Thursday for roughly 40,000 reusable baby bottles sold exclusively at Walmart after more than 130 reports were sent in about a potential choking hazard.

The advisory impacts Boon NURSH 8 oz reusable baby bottles, specifically the three-pack bottles sold in the “pink tie-dye” color pattern, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

WALMART WARNS SHOPPERS COULD FACE HIGHER PRICES AS FUEL COSTS SURGE, TAX REFUNDS DRY UP

The CPSC said the hard plastic outer shell of the bottle can bubble or partially peel off, which creates loose pieces of plastic film that pose a choking risk to young children.

The affected products, which were manufactured in Vietnam, were sold at Walmart stores nationwide and online at Walmart.com from November 2025 through May 2026 for around $20. 

ASBESTOS FEARS SPARK URGENT RECALL OF 120K+ SQUEEZE TOYS SOLD AT WALMART, OLLIE’S

So far, TOMY has received 135 reports of the outer plastic shell bubbling or peeling, though no injuries have been reported.

Consumers are urged to stop using the recalled baby bottles immediately. 

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Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
WMT	WALMART INC.	119.77	+2.03	+1.72%

Customers can contact TOMY to receive a replacement set of three bottles in a different color or a refund in the form of a $22 store credit for booninc.com.

TOMY and Walmart did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

PUNE: The statistical models used by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had failed to predict all the three droughts in India in the last decade. Though statistical models will still be used for monsoon forecast, the ministry of earth sciences is putting more emphasis on dynamic models.

M Rajeevan of National Atmospheric Research Laboratory said, “the failure to predict the 2009 drought has raised many serious issues. On the other hand, the state-of-the art coupled ocean atmospheric models have sho-wed improved skills in predicting inter annual variability of Indian summer monsoon rainfall.”

He was speaking at the golden jubilee conference of Indian Institute of Climate Change (IITM), Pune, on ‘opportunities and challenges in monsoon prediction in changing climate’. Since 2011, the IITM has used the coupled model for monsoon forecast.
Better weather forecast needs data from all parts of the globe. “In every part of the world, farmers are saying that the climate is not as it used to be. Hence, traditional knowledge is also failing. For better prediction of weather, we need observations from all countries. We need super computers of even higher capacities. We need to have knowledge about how to translate scientific progress into concrete applications,” said Michel Jarraud, secretary general, World Meteorological Organisation.

New Burscough site would be three times the size of Ormskirk site

Marks & Spencer could close its Ormskirk town centre store and move to a new, bigger site at Burscough.

The retailer is working on plans for a new 18,000 sq ft food-hall near Ringtail Retail Park in Burscough. The new site would be three times the size of the current M&S food store in Ormskirk, according to M&S.

Existing staff working in the Ormskirk site will transferred to the new site and around 25 additional jobs will be created, if the changes go ahead. The Ormskirk shop, off Market Way, would close.

Property developer Rothstone Estates is working with the retailer on plans for the proposed new Burscough site, near the A59 Liverpool Road South and Pippin Street roundabout. Customers would access the store from High Lane. The site was previously occupied by a care home.

M&S has opened a public survey on-line, asking people about the idea.

It said: “We have been searching for a new site locally for some time, so we can provide a better shopping experience and wider product range for customers. We are keen to secure our future locally so we can continue to offer our high quality, award-winning products for Burscough and Ormskirk residents. If planning is approved, the new store will stock the full M&S food range, including fresh produce and the latest product launches.”

The plan includes an in-store bakery, dedicated flower and wine shops, and a click and collect point for on-line orders.

Outside, 152 parking spaces are proposed and electric vehicle charging points. Landscaping is also around the site perimeter. M&S expects the new site will be open from 8am-9pm on Mondays to Saturdays, and 10am to 4pm on Sundays.

West Lancashire Council is expected to handle the Burscough planning application, if M&S goes ahead with the ideas. The plan could spark a debate among councillors, businesses and residents about the impact on Ormskirk, the local economies of different towns and future traffic levels in Burscough.

M&S says it has long-standing relationships with 9,000 select farms across the UK including 20 in Lancashire.

Rothstone Estates is described as a specialist in mixed-use property schemes, roadside and food retail developments. Based in Yorkshire, it has worked on developments across the country including other new M&S stores.

To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your community, visit the Public Notices Portal.