UNEXPECTEDLY: Shake Shack to shut 6 California locations, including 5 in LA, after state’s $20 minimum wage hike. “It’s the first time the chain will close restaurants for purposes that were not construction-related, a spokesperson told trade publication Restaurant Business, which first reported the news.”

NOW WE’LL ALL DIE OF FREEZING OCEANS: So About Those Oceans That Were Just About to Boil Away…

Assuming you survived the Trump tax cuts and the end of Net Neutrality, that is.

CRUEL BUT FAIR: Rape, drugs, adultery, DUI all OK. But if you back Trump, the Kennedys will disown you. “The more you look at the Kennedy family of the 20th Century, the more you realize it is what the Biden family would look like if everyone in it were Hunter Biden.”

ANALYSIS: TRUE. Alexander Vindman Represents Everything That’s Wrong With Our Officer Class.

YOUR BODY, HER CHOICE:

In case you forgot who mandated the Covid vaccine. pic.twitter.com/iU8T2BJj94

— Robert Hyde for U.S. Senate (@HydeforSenate) August 27, 2024

Community Notes remains undefeated.

HELLUVA PICK, KAMALA: Forget About a Wall China Paid for. This ‘Walz’ Was Bought & Paid for by LGBTQ Extremists.

HONG KONG: Jury convicts 1, clears 6 over 2019 bomb plot in Hong Kong’s first UN anti-terror trial

Lai Chun-pong was found guilty of the alternative charge of conspiracy to cause explosion with intent to endanger life or property. He was found not guilty of the original charge of conspiracy to commit bombing of prescribed objects, and cleared of a separate charge of conspiracy to murder.

The panel delivered their verdicts on Thursday following the landmark trial under the UN (Anti-Terrorism Measures) Ordinance.

Cheung Chun-fu, Cheung Ming-yu, Yim Man-him, Christian Lee, Justin Hui, Lau Pui-ying, and Lai were charged over a thwarted bomb plot to murder police officers during a rally in Wan Chai on December 8, 2019.

Lau was cleared of conspiracy to provide or collect property to commit terrorist acts. Lee, Hui, Yim, Cheung Chun-fu and Cheung Ming-yu were all cleared of the alternative bombing conspiracy charges and the murder conspiracy charges.

The nine-member jury of six women and three men had to reach a unanimous decision, or a decision agreed on by at least seven jurors, for an effective verdict.

Seven members of the panel found Lai guilty, while two said he was not guilty. He was found not guilty for the alternative bombing conspiracy charge and the murder conspiracy charge, both with an 8-to-1 split.

The other defendants were unanimously found not guilty for the bombing conspiracy and murder conspiracy charges. Lau Pui-ying was found not guilty by a seven-juror majority.

Clearly not the result Beijing would have wanted — Hong Kong still has some fight left in it.

UPDATE: A friend from Hong Kong notes that Hong Kong judges, in judge-only trials, have been much quicker to convict than juries. This makes sense, as judges are far more dependent on — and part of — the apparat than juries are. Which is why we have juries. And, probably, why Hong Kong soon won’t.

BIDENFLATION: Subway’s $6.99 Foot-Long Deal Sparks a Revolt Among Largest Franchisee.

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE FROM THE LEFT? Oil Tanker Attacked by Houthis Is at Risk of Leaking in Red Sea.

The Suezmax tanker—the largest size that can transit the canal when laden—had taken on cargo in Iraq, and its final destination was Europe, brokers said. It is one of dozens of commercial ships that risk traversing the Suez route each day despite ongoing threats from the Houthis.

The extent of the damage to the vessel isn’t known because efforts by salvage teams to reach it have been stymied by the Houthis, according to U.S. and United Nations officials.

“Sounion now sits immobilized in the Red Sea, where it is on fire and appears to be leaking oil, presenting both a navigational hazard and a potential environmental catastrophe,” Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said late Tuesday.

The Biden-Harris administration is notably silent, too.

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEFING: Revisiting the ‘Kamala Harris As Sacrificial Lamb’ Theory. “The powers that be in the Democratic party could be thinking that, if Harris wins, they will need another bus under which to throw the head of the party. They can triple the amount of handlers that Biden had and she’ll still find a way to muck up the works.”

UPDATE (FROM GLENN):

Kamala Harris’ only job in the interview is not to embarrass herself.

Dana Bash’s job is to pitch softballs so she doesn’t embarrass herself.

Tim Walz’s job is to jump in and save her if it looks like she will embarrass herself.

Kamala Harris will still embarrass herself.

— David Sacks (@DavidSacks) August 29, 2024

ANOTHER UPDATE: A friend writes: “She’s running on ‘HOPE.’ As in they hope you forgot the last three and a half years.”

WINNING: Ford joins list of companies walking back DEI policies.

The automaker has taken “a fresh look” at its DEI policies and practices over the past year to take in to account the evolving “external and legal environment related to political and social issues,” according to an internal communication that was shared with global Ford employees and posted on X on Wednesday by an anti-DEI activist. Ford confirmed the letter was authentic and said it had no additional comment on the matter.

Ford’s move follows retailer Tractor Supply, which one of the first major companies to stop its DEI efforts, as it severed ties earlier this summer with the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, and retired DEI targets like boosting the number of employees of color at the manager level.

Harley Davidson, whose board of directors includes Ford CEO Jim Farley, also decided last week to stop consulting the HRC’s metric for treatment of LGBTQ+ employees and affirmed that it does not have a DEI function.

Home improvement retailer Lowe’s joined the efforts earlier this week, and noted that it might also make additional changes to the policies over time.

The companies have cited conservative backlash or changing social and political environments in their announcements. Tractor Supply and Harley Davidson also noted a desire to appeal to their more rural or conservative-leaning customers.

Companies that make pickups, motorcycles, and tractors should have known better before they went all-in on DEI.

THEY REALLY DON’T WANT YOU RAISING YOUR OWN KIDS: Biden’s Surgeon General Warns That Parenting Is Hazardous to Your Health.

OUCH: Car insurance premiums could skyrocket 50% in some states this year.

Naturally, California seems to be getting the worst of it:

Premiums in California are expected to jump 54% this year, to about $2,681 on average.

California froze insurance rates during the COVID-19 pandemic; as a result, some insurers are requesting double-digit hikes as they struggle to return to profitability, while others are leaving the state altogether, according to the report.

“California kept rates frozen for longer than any other state. And during that time, costs were getting more expensive nationally and in the state. Accident rates were increasing. Inflation, particularly for vehicle repairs and maintenance and for new vehicles, kept getting worse. Natural disasters were kind of increasing in frequency,” Gardner said.

As a result, when the price-hike moratorium came to an end, many insurance companies sought “dramatic” increases in an attempt to make up for that lost time, he added.

TANSTAAFL, as the wise man said.

SERIOUSLY, DON’T GET COCKY: The Biden-Harris Administration Is Acting Like Trump Is Going to Win<./a>

MIDDLE EAST: Israel Launches Massive Raid on the West Bank.

ASKING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Kamala’s Policies Are Getting Americans Brutalized. How Much Will We the People Endure?

KNOW YOUR PLACE, DISSIDENT: Michael Sparks, the first Jan. 6 defendant to breach U.S. Capitol, sentenced to 53 months in prison.

DIDN’T EARN IT: Disney Seeks DEI Director, Offering Salary 4x The National Average. “We’re seeking a Director of Strategic External Engagement – Enterprise DEI to lead our efforts in building strategic relationships with external stakeholders, driving community engagement, and generating valuable insights to support our diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) objectives.”

Funny, but there’s nothing in there about trying to make shows and movies that don’t lose money or destroy franchises.

MEANWHILE, OVER AT VODKAPUNDIT: We Came THIS Close to RFK vs Trump Instead of RFK Endorsing Trump.