Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever, accused of censoring a statement on Trump
CNN
Ben & Jerry’s on Friday accused its parent company Unilever of suppressing a social policy statement that mentioned President Donald Trump.
Ben & Jerry’s on Friday amended a censorship lawsuit from November against parent company Unilever, claiming the consumer goods giant had suppressed a social media statement that mentioned President Donald Trump. The Vermont-based ice cream maker alleged in the complaint that its management and board sought to release the post, which referenced abortion, climate change, minimum wages and universal healthcare — issues that face uncertain futures under the Trump administration — but Peter ter Kulve, Unilever’s president of its ice cream division, “unilaterally barred Ben & Jerry’s from issuing the post because it specifically mentioned ‘Donald Trump.’” “According to Mr. ter Kelve, despite four decades of progressive social activism—and years of challenging the Trump administration’s policies specifically—criticizing Trump was now too taboo for the brand synonymous with ‘Peace, Love, and Ice Cream,’” the lawsuit reads. Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever (UL) did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. Ben & Jerry’s initial lawsuit, filed in the US Southern District of New York, alleged Unilever silenced its attempts to publicly support Palestinian refugees and resolutions to end military aid to Israel, where the company had done business since 1987. It also alleged that Unilever threatened to dismantle Ben & Jerry’s board and sue members because the company’s management and board planned to issue a statement calling for “peace” and a “permanent and immediate ceasefire.” “Ben & Jerry’s has on four occasions attempted to publicly speak out in support of peace and human rights. Despite its contractual commitment to ‘(r)espect and acknowledge’ the Independent Board’s primary responsibility over Ben & Jerry’s Social Mission and Essential Brand Integrity, Unilever has silenced each of these efforts,” the lawsuit reads.
Eggs are estimated to cost another 20% throughout 2025 because of new avian flu outbreaks.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday batted down the national security concerns surrounding TikTok, saying, “Is it that important for China to be spying on young people? On young kids watching crazy videos?”
Some of the biggest brands in America, including Amazon, Meta, Walmart and McDonald’s, have recently changed or ended their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs. But e.l.f. Beauty, a popular cosmetics brand, is a rare company vocally touting its diversity efforts and inclusive marketing like its “So Many Dicks” campaign.
The point of Donald Trump’s jab at Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan was not just to dunk on one prominent financier. It was also a warning to every executive at Davos, and everyone watching the livestream around the world, that any slight — real or imagined — against his base won’t be tolerated.
Coca-Cola lovers for more than a decade were forced to wash down their $1.50 hot dogs at Costco’s food courts with Pepsi. But Costco plans to bring back Coca-Coca at its food court soda fountains this summer and ditch its archrival.
Target is joining a wave of US companies pulling back on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, as right-wing pressure leads companies to alter their commitment to hiring diverse candidates and expanding access.
Sales of existing homes in the US fell last year to the lowest level in almost three decades, as sky-high home prices and elevated mortgage rates squeezed home buyers.
Costco shareholders voted strongly against a proposal requesting a report on the risks of maintaining its diversity and inclusion initiatives, the U.S. company said on Thursday, sending a message running counter to the intense scrutiny many such corporate policies face.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has a new target to cut down costs: the US penny.
Tourism is booming in Spain, helping the economy rival even healthy US growth. It will also be a buffer against Trump’s tariffs.
President Donald Trump, with the stroke of a pen, could plunge America’s closest neighbors into recession.
On the outskirts of Altadena, where one of the most destructive firestorms in Los Angeles history had just receded, a group of volunteers worked last week to gather fallen tree branches and leaves — removing fuel for potential future fires, bagging them up and taking them away.
The Bank of Japan raised interest rates on Friday to their highest since the 2008 global financial crisis, underscoring its confidence that rising wages will keep inflation stable around its 2% target.
President Donald Trump on Thursday shrugged off an ugly back-and-forth between tech CEOs Elon Musk and Sam Altman that pitted one of Trump’s most visible lieutenants against a key participant in a massive $500 billion AI project Trump announced Tuesday.
UnitedHealthcare announced a new CEO on Thursday, filling in the spot after Brian Thompson was shot and killed in midtown Manhattan in a targeted attack.
With no way for users to download TikTok, thousands of eBay sellers have listed phones with the app installed — hoping to capitalize on TikTok’s disappearance from US app stores following a brief ban.
Purdue Pharma and its Sackler family owners have reached a new $7.4 billion settlement to resolve thousands of lawsuits alleging that the pain medication OxyContin caused a widespread opioid addiction crisis in the U.S., several state attorneys general said Thursday.
It was no surprise when President Donald Trump this week issued a memorandum to the heads of federal departments and agencies, essentially directing them to get their employees back to the office full-time.