Several businesses are offering discounts and free products on June 15. That’s especially true of restaurants, with BOGO deals and discounts.
Dads love the adulation aimed their way on Father’s Day. The presents, though? Those sometimes fall short.
So this year, instead of spending money on something superfluous, maybe show dad that you appreciate all he’s done in a budget-friendly way. (You know he appreciates a budget by how he walks around the house yelling about lights being left on.)
While there aren’t quite as many giveaways and discounts being offered for dad’s special day as there were for mom’s, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. No matter what your budget is, there’s likely a way to show your dad you love him without breaking the bank.
Here are a few to keep an eye out for:
Burger King
If you’re a member of the company’s Royal Perks loyalty program, you can get a free Whopper with a purchase of one for full price.
Shake Shack
Prefer a different burger? Shake Shack is offering a buy-one-get-one Double Shackburger. Just use the promo code DADMODE on the Shack App or when ordering online. You can also use it when ordering at an in-Shack kiosk.
IHOP
Dad usually makes the pancakes, but maybe this year, you turn the tables. Order pickup or delivery at IHOP today and you’ll save 20% on your first online order. Use promo code IHOP20.
Dave & Buster’s
Loyalty members will get 50% off all food today.
KFC
KFC has not one, but two specials for Dad’s Day. For $20 you can get either a Fan-Favorites Box (which includes four pieces of KFC chicken, 12 KFC Nuggets, four biscuits, Fries, and four dipping sauces) or a Double Mash Meal (seven pieces of Original Recipe or Extra Crunchy chicken, two large Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, and four biscuits).
Rita’s Italian Ice
Things getting a bit hot where you live? Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard is offering app users a $1 Small Italian Ice with a $1 minimum purchase
Fogo de Chao
All dads who have a meal in-restaurant will receive $25 off Two Churrasco Experiences to be redeemed on a future visit. One lucky pop will also win their own at-home churrasco grill.
Almost a decade after he first proposed it, Donald Trump will see a military parade in the streets of Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
The parade, which is officially called the Army Birthday Parade and is meant to celebrate the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday, comes with a price tag of somewhere between $25 million and $45 million, will involve hundreds of Army vehicles, thousands of soldiers and dozens of warplanes, and will suspend passenger traffic at Reagan National Airport. It also happens to occur on Trump’s 79th birthday.
Trump, in his first term, pushed for a military parade, with soldiers marching through Washington and tanks rolling down the city streets, in 2018, following his attendance of Bastille Day in Paris. He told aides on Air Force One on the trip home that he wanted to create a similar show of military force in the U.S.
The idea was scuttled after military leaders calculated the parade would cost $92 million—and Washington city officials expressed concern about the impact of the parade on local roads and the $21 million it would cost for public safety.
While there’s plenty of controversy about this year’s parade, there’s also curiosity about it. Here’s all you need to know about the parade and how to watch it.
What time does the military parade start?
While the celebration of the Army’s birthday begins at 9:30 a.m. ET in Washington, the parade itself is scheduled to being at 6:30 p.m. ET.
How long will the military parade last?
The parade is scheduled to last about one hour and will be followed by a concert, then a fireworks display at 9:45 p.m. ET.
Will the military parade be aired on television?
So far, no major networks have announced plans to throw out their scheduled programming and air the parade. Same goes for any of the 24-hour new channels, though it’s likely all will air at least some of the parade, though the ‘No Kings’ protests that will be taking place across the country are likely to get more attention from many networks, especially with Trump’s recent deployment of the National Guard and Marines in California to quell protests.
C-SPAN will also air the parade, with commercial free coverage beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET. CNN has scheduled coverage as well. And NewsNation will cover the events all day, with a four-hour block of parade coverage starting at 6 p.m. ET.
Can I stream the military parade?
Yes. The parade will be livestreamed by a number of outlets, from local D.C. stations (such as WUSA9) to all U.S. Army social-media platforms.
Don’t have a cable subscription? You can watch news channels on several online streaming services:
Peacock
NBC’s streaming service carries a $8 or $14 monthly charge—and the service has recently done away with its free trial. (An annual plan starts at $80.)
Disney+
Disney’s bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ no longer has a free trial, so you’ll have to pay $17 per month for all three combined (or $27 per month for no ads on Hulu and Disney+).
Including Live TV in the bundle bumps the price to $83 per month ($96 with no ads).
Max
The once and future HBO Max doesn’t have a free trial, unfortunately. Subscriptions start at $9.99 per month.
Hulu with Live TV
The free trial on this service lasts three days. Afterward, it will cost you $83 per month.
YouTubeTV
After a free trial, you can expect monthly charges of $73.
Sling TV
Dish Network’s Sling lower-tiered “Orange” plan will run you $40 per month. Adding the more comprehensive “Blue” plan bumps the cost to $61 per month. The seven-day free trial is no longer offered.
DirecTV Stream
Formerly known as DirecTV Now, AT&T TVNow and AT&T TV, this oft-renamed streaming service will run you $80 per month and up after the free trial option.
Fubo TV
Soon to be part of the Disney family, this cord-cutting service carries broadcast networks in most markets. There’s a seven-day free trial, followed by monthly charges of $85 and up, depending on the channels you choose.
What’s the military parade route?
The parade will take place in Washington, D.C. along Constitution Avenue NW. It starts on Constitution Avenue NW and 23rd Street and ends at 15th Street near the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The parade will cross in front of Trump’s viewing stand on Constitution Avenue south of the White House.
When is the last time the U.S. had a military parade?
The last time the U.S. had a military parade was 1991, following the end of the Gulf War. That celebration, which saw armored vehicles and missile systems in the streets of Washington, D.C. and stealth fighters overhead, was the biggest military celebration since the end of World War II.
What can I expect from the Army Birthday Parade?
The 2025 processional will feature 50 aircraft, 34 horses, two mules, one dog, and 6,600 soldiers from every Army division, as well as 28 M1 Abrams battle tanks.
Amazon has increased the number of commercials it’s running on Prime Video content. The ad load has jumped from 2.5 to three minutes to between four and six minutes.
Amazon is getting a lot more comfortable with advertisements on its Prime Video streaming service.
The company has bumped up the number of ads on programming to between four and six minutes per hour, according to a study by Adweek. That’s up from between two to three and a half minutes just 18 months ago, when Amazon first added advertising in January of 2024.
Amazon had hinted last year that it was planning to increase its advertising load. It’s a notable shift from the company’s early claims that it would “strive to deliver an experience with meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers.”
Amazon in a statement to Fortune, said “We remain focused on prioritizing ad innovation over volume. While demand continues to grow, our commitment is to improving ad experiences rather than simply increasing the number of ads shown. … We will continue to invest in this important work, creating meaningful innovations that benefit both customers and advertisers alike.”
Amazon’s addition of advertisements and commercials angered many users who had gotten used to the service being ad-free for so many years. The vow of “meaningfully fewer ads” was meant to quell that discord. As other services have embraced ads and the streaming market has matured, though, Amazon seemingly sees an opportunity to increase the number it shows.
Because Prime Video is included in a Prime account, the service has a user base that is significantly larger than many other streaming services, but many Prime holders don’t watch Prime Video, so the value proposition for advertisers wasn’t ideal. (The company also lets viewers skip the ads by paying an extra fee each month.)
While the additional ads could frustrate some users, Adweek notes Prime Video viewers still see significantly fewer commercials than people who watch linear television. Ad loads on those networks typically range from 13 to 16 minutes per hour.
Bojangles has reportedly reached out to investment bankers to explore a possible sale. The expected asking price would be three times what it sold for six years ago. The exploration comes after Dave’s Hot Chicken sold for $1 billion.
With Dave’s Hot Chicken recently selling for $1 billion, another popular brand that largely operates in the Southeast is reportedly testing the acquisition waters.
The Wall Street Journalreports fast food chain Bojangles has reached out to investment bankers to potentially sell itself at a price tag of $1.5 billion.
No potential buyers have been identified yet and Bojangles could change its mind and not sell, the report warns. If the company does find a buyer willing to pay that amount, it would be approximately three times the $579 million it sold for in 2019, when it was taken private.
Bojangles, when contacted by Fortune, declined to comment on the report, citing its policy on rumor and speculation.
One thing is certain, however. Chicken-focused restaurants are on a long-standing tear. The chicken category saw sales increase 9% last year, according to Technomic. Burgers were up just 1%. In recent months, McDonald’s has added chicken strips to its menu and Taco Bell has permanently added chicken nuggets. On Thursday, Taco Bell also announced it would begin serving Crispy Chicken Tacos and Burritos on June 17.
Chick-fil-A is still the leader in the category, but the category truly began to take off in 2019, when Popeye’s launched its own chicken sandwich for the first time in its then-50-year history. The chain had what it thought was a two-month supply of chicken sandwich materials on hand when it launched the product. As social media chatter exploded, it exhausted that backstock in just two weeks.
Demand grew so great that Popeye’s, at one point, encouraged customers to bring their own bun to stores and create their own sandwich, using chicken tenders.
Tom Bodett is suing Motel 6. The long-time spokesperson says the chain is using his voice and name without permission. After 39 years of working together, Motel 6 allegedly failed to make an annual payment and has not rectified the situation, Bodett says.
For 39 years, Tom Bodett encouraged people to stay at Motel 6 with his signature line “We’ll leave the light on for you.” Now he’s suing the hotel chain.
Bodett has filed suit in a Manhattan federal court, accusing the company of using his name and voice without his permission. While the two have been inseparable in many people’s minds, due to the length of the partnership, Bodett says he cut ties with the company in January, after its new owner missed a $1.2 million annual payment.
Motel 6’s new owners made a number of excuses for their failure to make the required payment,” the suit reads. “First, they blamed the delay on the ownership transition and the need to work “through bank transfers.” Then, they claimed with no proof whatsoever that Plaintiffs had not performed their obligations under the Agreements, and threatened to sue Plaintiffs for non-performance if Mr. Bodett would not agree to simply let Motel 6’s breach lie.”
Motel 6, he says, has continued to use his name and voice on its reservation line, however. Bodett also says he coined the “We’ll leave the light on for you” tagline.
Bodett, in the court filing, said he spent five months trying to find a way for the partnership to end amicably and without “undue negative publicity,” but says the company has “only responded with misrepresentations, obfuscations, and delay tactics.” He’s seeking $1.2 million and additional damages.
Bodett, who has also voiced animated series on Saturday Night Live as well as several Ken Burns documentaries, has been the voice of Motel 6 since 1986. The ad campaign, a wry, bare-bones, folksy, low pressure series of commercials, has won numerous awards and has been inducted into the Clio Advertising Hall of Fame. It was so popular at one point that radio listeners would call the stations and request replays of the ads.
G6 Hospitality, Motel 6’s immediate parent, did not immediately reply to Fortune‘s request for comment about the complaint.
Beanie Babies, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Stanley coolers have all had their moments in the sun. Now, make way for Labubu.
The viral stuffed toy is already familiar to avid TikTok users, but it’s starting to ping the radar of the rest of the world—and it’s selling out at a ludicrous pace, with fans lining up outside of stores and stalking online refreshes.
So, what is a Labubu? It’s a plush pendant toy that’s part of a larger group of toys called “the Monsters.” Created by Hong Kong artist and author Kasing Lung, the characters made their debut in a 2015 book and were turned into toys in 2019 by toy company Pop Mart.
It wasn’t long before influencers and celebrities began attaching the creepy-looking “elvish creature” to their handbags and word began to spread.
Want to get up to speed? Here’s what you need to know:
How does one get a Labubu?
Luck helps. Labubus are typically sold in “blind boxes,” meaning the buyer doesn’t know what color or design they’re getting until they open it. And even getting your hands on one of those boxes is tricky.
Pop Mart restocks its online Labubu collections on Thursdays. Real-world stores (and vending machines) refresh on Friday. In both cases, people swarm the stores, with online refreshes selling in seconds and lines forming outside physical locations hours before they open.
What made Labubu so popular?
One of the first celebrities to popularize the toy was rapper Lisa of the K-pop group Blackpink (who also was featured on season 3 of The White Lotus). Last year, for example, she shared photos of a Christmas tree decorated with several of the dolls.
Other stars have since pledged their loyalty, including Rihanna and Kim Kardashian.
How much are people paying for a Labubu?
The dolls retail for as little as $44 (though certain vinyl-faced dolls go for $180 on Pop Mart), but because demand is so intense, there’s a thriving secondary market. Resale site eBay is loaded with people asking thousands of dollars for certain models (but with the “best offer” caveat letting them sell for much less). StockX, which lets people bid on items, has seen prices topping $5,000 for some of the dolls. And in China, a one-of-a-kind human-size Labubu doll recently sold for $150,000.
How many different kinds of Labubu are there?
The way to keep a viral sensation hot is to have lots of variety—with some being especially rare. There are over 300 different sorts of Labubu at this point, some dressed in special clothes, and some that are part of brand collaborations, like one with Coca-Cola.
Is it true some stores are refusing to sell Labubu?
Yep. Last month, Pop Mart decided to stop selling Labubus in its 16 U.K. stores for a while as people were getting into fights in their fervor to get (and possibly resell) one. The stores have reportedly since been restocked.
Okay, so what the heck is a Lafufu?
With something this popular, there were bound to be knockoffs. A Lafufu is a fake Labubu. If you see someone selling a Labubu on the street, it’s likely a Lafufu. Buyer beware when purchasing online from anyone other than Pop Mart as well.
Lawmakers were active stock traders in the days following Trump’s Liberation Day tariff announcement. A study of trades shows House lawmakers (or their families) made 1,865 trades in April. This comes amid calls for reform that would prevent lawmakers from trading individual stocks.
While the debate on whether to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks rages on, lawmakers were particularly active in April amid the announcement of Donald Trump’s tariffs.
A study by The Wall Street Journalfound that House lawmakers reported 1,865 trades by them or their families in April, the highest number, by far, since January 2024. From the period between April 2, when Trump announced the tariffs, to April 8, when he paused them, over a dozen members of the House and their family reported over 700 trades.
And the most transactions, the paper says, were made by Reps. Ro Khanna (D., Calif.) and Rob Bresnahan (R., Pa.), who have previously called for stock-trading bans. Both said their trades were made by outside financial advisors.
Lawmakers weren’t the only ones selling and buying stocks during that period, of course. The S&P 500 fell more than 4.5% for two consecutive sessions after the so-called Liberation Day announcements. And after the pause, the Nasdaq index saw its biggest gain in 24 years, a 12% increase.
Because of the vague nature of disclosure rules for members of the House, it’s not possible to determine if the lawmakers made or lost money in those trades.
Two lawmakers seemed well-positioned to have profited, however. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R., Ga.) and Jared Moskowitz (D., Fla.) both bought in early April, so were likely to see those investments gain value after the market rebounded. Greene spend roughly $28,000 on FedEx, Amazon.com, Lululemon Athletica and Palantir Technologies. Moskowitz made 23 stock purchases of at least $1,000 each in companies such as Amazon, Nvidia and Visa.
Paramount Global is laying off 3.5% of its staff, impacting hundreds of employees. The entertainment giant laid off roughly 2,000 workers last year. It’s in the process of trying to get approval for its merger with Skydance Media.
Paramount Global is downsizing its staff once again.
The entertainment giant, which owns CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, and more channels and properties, announced plans to reduce its U.S. headcount by 3.5%, which will impact hundreds of jobs. The company blamed the economy and decline in traditional pay-television revenues for the action.
“We recognize how difficult this is and are very thankful for everyone’s hard work and contributions,” the company wrote in a memo to staff. ”These changes are necessary to address the environment we are operating in and best position Paramount for success.”
Paramount, as of December, had 18,600 full- and part-time employees globally. (The company does not break that number down between domestic and international workers.)
This is the second (or third, depending on how you count) round of layoffs for the company in the past year. Last August, Paramount announced plans to cut 15% of its workforce, which impacted approximately 2,000 workers. The following month, the second round of those cuts occurred.
The company also laid off 800 workers last February, the day after it saw record Super Bowl ratings.
The cuts come as Paramount is seeking regulatory approval for its proposed merger with Skydance Media. The company has also made a controversial $15 million offer to settle a lawsuit Donald Trump filed last year over perceived “illegal” edits to a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump is seeking $20 billion in a suit that most legal experts have said he had no chance of winning.
Paramount’s decision to attempt to settle the case led to the departures of Bill Owens, longtime 60 Minutes executive producer; and Wendy McMahon, president of CBS News and Stations.
Adjustable weights from BowFlex are being recalled. Over 3.8 million units are impacted by the recall. More than 100 people have been injured by the weights so far.
Working out with BowFlex adjustable dumbbells? You might want to switch to another method for a while.
Over 3.8 million BowFlex 552 and 1090 adjustable dumbbells have been recalled, according to an announcement from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. That follows hundreds of reports of the plates dislodging during use. That has resulted in over 100 injuries such as concussions, abrasions, broken toes, or contusions.
The products were sold in stores, including Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Johnson Fitness & Wellness, and online on Amazon and the BowFlex website for between $200 and $800. The weights have been in stores since 2004.
Consumers are encouraged to stop using them immediately and return them for a refund.
Johnson Health Tech Trading, which sells the weights under the BowFlex name, is working with the CPSC to recall the products, including the ones sold under Nautilus, the former owner of the BowFlex brand.
To facilitate that, consumers will be sent a prepaid shipping label to return the handle and base for each returned dumbbell. Johnson Health Tech Trading plans to contact all known purchasers directly.
The black dumbbells were sold in pairs and single units. The 552 model adjusts from five to 52.5 pounds, while the model 1090 ranges from 10 to 90 pounds.
Recalls of exercise equipment by the CPSC are fairly rare. The most recent significant recall came in 2023, when Peloton was forced to recall 2 million exercise bikes, when it was discovered the seat could break during use, posing the risk of possible injury.
While it’s still summer, retailers are already promoting Halloween yard decorations. This year could be different than previous years as tariffs have raised fears about supply shortages and higher prices. Lowe’s is the latest to offer goods, with products that tie in to Disney’s Haunted Mansion attraction.
Holiday creep is the sort of thing that usually drives people a little bit crazy. So seeing yard decorations for Halloween cropping up in home improvement stores right as hurricane season gets underway might seem a bit much.
But 2025, by all signs, is not going to be the usual spooky season. And people who are hoping to have the latest and greatest ghouls in their front yard might want to consider stocking up a bit early this year.
Lowe’s is the latest store to offer early Halloween decorations, with several new decorations and animatronics from Disney’s Haunted Mansion ride. The store is offering several freestanding tombstones that visitors see when they’re waiting to enter the attraction, as well as decorations of popular ride characters, including the groundskeeper and the hitchhiking ghosts.
Critics might take issue with some of the design choices of these decorations (which are not exactly what you’d call a carbon copy of the ride characters), but as Oct. 31 draws nearer, the choices in stores might not be as robust as previous years.
Continuing questions about tariffs have pushed some retailers to pause or cancel orders for Halloween and Christmas decorations.
Lowe’s is hardly the first retailer to launch early Halloween sales. The Home Depot, in March, launched sales of select spooky decorations, such as its iconic 12-foot skeleton and a 15-foot animated scarecrow.
Several more items are still available on that company’s website, but if you’re hoping to pick up a 12-foot skeleton, you’ll have to wait until the Home Depot’s next big Halloween event, which usually takes place in July.
A film based on the coup against OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman is reportedly in the works. While no deals have been signed, Andrew Garfield is said to be the leading contender to play Altman. The film would be directed by Luca Guadagnino.
When Sam Altman was kicked out of OpenAI, it didn’t last long. Within five days, the co-founder of the artificial-intelligence giant was back in charge. But the drama surrounding that attempted coup is the sort of stuff Hollywood lives for.
Now, Amazon-owned MGM is reportedly fast-tracking a film about the events called Artificial. The Hollywood Reportersays that while nothing has been officially green-lit, the hope is that production will begin as early as this summer. Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name, Challengers) is being eyed to direct the film—and while no actors have been signed, pending Guadagnino’s deal closing, Andrew Garfield is the odds-on favorite to play Altman.
Monica Barbaro (A Complete Unknown) is rumored to be in line to portray Mira Murati, and Anora actor Yura Borisov would play Ilya Sutskever.
There could be as much drama offscreen as on with this film. Amazon has invested heavily in Anthropic, an OpenAI rival, which will have onlookers combing the frames for any perceived corporate bias.
Altman was abruptly kicked out of OpenAI on Nov. 17, 2023 in an effort led by Sutskever. Murati was named interim CEO, but relinquished that role soon after to Emmett Shear. Altman formally returned on Nov. 22, with Sutskever, Helen Toner, Tasha McCauley removed from the board.
Sutskever and Murati have since left OpenAI to launch their own artificial-intelligence companies.
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