Author: Gesi Lloyd

One of Texas’s oldest candy makers is preparing to shut down, bringing an end to a long running chapter in Austin’s retail and cultural history. Lammes Candies, a family operated business that began in the late 1800s, is closing after 141 years, citing economic pressure and changing market conditions. The decision marks the end of a brand that has been woven into the identity of Austin for generations. Known for its pralines, chocolate covered treats, and seasonal gift boxes, the company has long been part of holiday traditions and local celebrations across Central Texas. A legacy rooted in Austin history…

A new chocolate recall is putting food safety back in focus, especially for consumers with allergies. The alert, published by the Food and Drug Administration, centers on undeclared walnuts in a popular bonbon assortment. While recalls are not uncommon, this case highlights how a simple labeling mistake can create real health risks. For many consumers, especially those with food allergies, accurate labeling is not just helpful. It is critical. Chocolate recall highlights labeling risks The recall involves boxed chocolates sold in different sizes, all tied to specific batch numbers. These products were distributed across multiple states over a short period…

The Donald Trump administration has widened its approach to immigration enforcement, introducing stricter background checks that are already slowing parts of the legal immigration system. Internal guidance issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services outlines a new process requiring many pending applications to undergo enhanced federal screening. The directive applies to a wide range of cases, including asylum requests, green card applications and citizenship filings. Officials have instructed immigration officers to hold off on approving any case that has not completed the updated checks. The change has effectively paused progress on thousands of applications while the system adjusts. New FBI…

The story around Bloom Energy has shifted from niche clean power to a central player in the artificial intelligence buildout. The company’s latest results underline that change. Its first quarter revenue reached $751.1 million, up 130% from a year earlier, with margins improving and cash flow turning positive. Investors responded quickly. Shares surged more than 20% in early trading, extending a rally that has pushed the stock to record highs. The move reflects a broader realization that AI is not only about chips and software. It is also about power, and lots of it. Behind the numbers sits a deeper…

Kamala Harris delivered her first major keynote address since losing the 2024 presidential election on Saturday night, appearing before a packed ballroom in Little Rock at the Democratic Party of Arkansas’s annual Fisher Shackelford Dinner. The choice of venue was notable on its own. Arkansas is one of the most reliably Republican states in the country. Harris lost it to Donald Trump by 30 percentage points last November, and Republicans currently hold every statewide office, all of the state’s congressional seats, and majorities in both chambers of the legislature. She arrived in Little Rock earlier in the day, stopping first…

Comedian Kevin Fredericks, known widely as KevOnStage, built his career performing stand-up in churches across the country long before streaming specials or viral fame. That background has always made his voice on matters of faith carry a certain weight. Now it has placed him at the center of one of the internet’s most charged recurring debates. A clip from his recent appearance on former NFL quarterback Cam Newton’s ‘Funky Friday’ podcast spread rapidly over the weekend, drawing strong reactions from Christian audiences across social media. The interview covered KevOnStage’ career, his mentorship of younger comedians, and his television work, but…

Gunfire erupted Saturday evening outside the ballroom of the Washington Hilton, where the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner was underway, sending President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump rushing off the dais and out of the building. The incident unfolded roughly five minutes into the dinner hour, around 8:43 p.m., when a commotion broke out near a security checkpoint at the back of the venue. Trump later described the scene at a White House news conference, saying a suspect armed with multiple weapons charged toward the checkpoint before Secret Service agents moved in. He said he initially mistook…

Megan Thee Stallion did not call a publicist. She opened Instagram. On Saturday, the three-time Grammy winner posted a message to her Instagram Stories that made clear her relationship with Dallas Mavericks forward Klay Thompson was over. Without naming him directly, the target of her message was unmistakable. She described supporting him through difficult stretches of his basketball season only to have him question whether he could maintain a monogamous relationship. She closed the post by saying she needed a real break and signing off entirely. The post was up long enough to spread across social media before the conversation…

Calvin Duncan spent nearly 28 years in a Louisiana prison for a murder he did not commit. After his exoneration, he ran for clerk of criminal court in Orleans Parish and won with 68% of the vote. He has not yet taken office. The Louisiana Legislature may make sure he never does. The Louisiana House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 256 by a vote of 63 to 28, approving a measure that would consolidate the Orleans Parish Criminal and Civil Court clerks’ offices into a single position. The effect is straightforward. Duncan’s office disappears. His election result becomes irrelevant. Governor…

Bronny James played nine minutes in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 112-108 overtime win over the Houston Rockets in Game 3 on Friday night. He took two shots and made both of them. He scored five points. Houston’s entire bench combined for three points on 1-for-11 shooting. That comparison tells a story that goes well beyond a bench player’s modest line. In a playoff game decided by four points after overtime, those five points were not garbage time production. They arrived during a meaningful second-quarter stretch when the Lakers needed something from their reserves, and the Rockets were getting nothing from…