What started as a simple consumer complaint has blossomed into a shining moment for the gluten-free community. Abby Kreger has gone viral for "calling out" The Kraft Heinz Company for not including cheese packets in four boxes of Gluten Free Original Mac & Cheese . In three TikTok videos, which had drawn more than 3.1 million views by Friday evening, the 29-year-old Kreger shared that she continued to bring home macaroni and cheese boxes that didn't have any sauce packets even after she connected with Kraft's costumer support team and got free coupons for future purchases. Kreger, who is the director of Pet Angel Adoption & Rescue in Frankenmuth, Michigan, was diagnosed with celiac disease about five years ago. Celiac is a chronic autoimmune disorder that damages the body's small intestines and prevents the body from absorbing nutrients from food. Individuals with celiac cannot eat gluten because their immune system attacks gluten as if it were a threat to the body, according to the Mayo Clinic . A few months after receiving her diagnosis, Kraft released its Gluten Free Original Mac & Cheese, which quickly became a "staple" in Kreger's diet. Well, until recently. Four boxes. No cheese sauce. Unknowingly, Kreger's world began to change on Oct. 1, when she opened two boxes of Kraft Gluten Free Original Mac & Cheese and neither had cheese sauce packets. Kreger contacted The Kraft Heinz Company's customer support, submitting photos of the boxes and providing necessary product information. Not long after, she received two coupons in the mail for two free boxes of the gluten-free macaroni and cheese. Kreger redeemed one of the coupons on Nov. 12, but when she opened the box back home, there was no cheese sauce packet. She contacted customer support again and was sent another coupon. On Monday, Kreger redeemed her latest coupon and like clockwork − no sauce. "I was like, 'This is ridiculous. Am I cursed?'" Kreger told USA TODAY in an interview. Turning to TikTok for help Kreger decided to turn to TikTok to share her story, hoping a "higher up" at Kraft would take notice. "I was thinking maybe like, 1,500 views because if you look at my videos, that's typically where my cat rescue videos sit around," Kreger said. As of Friday evening, the video had 2 million views and Kreger's TikTok had 320,000 followers. Kreger said she was surprised at how positive the majority of the comments on the video are, with many TikTok users claiming they too had similar experiences with the gluten-free macaroni and cheese. Kraft's social media response garners attention In response to Kreger's video , Kraft's TikTok account commented, "Hello. We apologize for this issue. We're not having any quality issues with our gluten-free Kraft Mac and Cheese." Kreger was surprised by the comment, but her followers didn't hesitate to let Kraft know how they felt. As of Friday evening, the three most recently posted videos on the Kraft TikTok account feature comments referencing Kreger's video. In response to Kraft's comment, Kreger posted another video on Thursday, sharing more details about her correspondence with Kraft. Shortly after posting the second video in the mac and cheese saga, Kreger received a call from an "executive" with The Kraft Heinz Company who told her the company was investigating the issue and she should expect free goodies soon. In a statement provided to USA TODAY, a Kraft Mac & Cheese spokesperson said the company has been in touch with Kreger to apologize and "make things right." "We are working closely with our response teams to ensure all future inquiries are treated with the care and respect they deserve," the spokesperson said. "Our Quality Assurance team is also diligently investigating the production issue to determine the root cause and to fix it." With hopes to show Kreger they can do better, several companies have reached out to her, offering to send free gluten-free products. As of Friday evening, she had received gluten-free products from Stouffer's, California Pizza Kitchen and Instacart. Kreger told USA TODAY that she has also been in contact with companies like Banza, Annie's Homegrown, Craftmix and Texas-based Roni's Mac Bar, which has pledged to donate to Pet Angel Adoption & Rescue. Kreger said the free products have been "so unnecessary" and not what she had hoped for when reaching out to company initially. She just wanted the cheese packets. "Something in my heart kind of broke on the day I was diagnosed (with celiac) and how much support and overwhelming love and kindness that has happened through all of this has truly healed that part of my heart," Kreger said. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com .
As Manchester United continues to navigate the challenges of the upcoming season and looks to strengthen its squad for the future, the news that Rashford remains a key part of their plans will be welcomed by many. His combination of talent, dedication, and leadership qualities make him a valuable asset both on and off the pitch, and it is clear that he has a bright future ahead of him.
2024 Sanya International Yacht Show Opens: Set Sail in Sanya, Enter the Free Trade Port
As AI rapidly transforms workplaces, employees are on edge. Roughly two years after ChatGPT's release sparked widespread interest in generative AI, it's becoming clear that most workers' jobs will fundamentally change — and some may disappear. An analysis by the International Monetary Fund published in January forecast that artificial intelligence would affect nearly 40% of jobs. But the impact of AI on employment is complex and far-reaching. Some roles may become obsolete; others may be augmented or even created by AI. Workers are simultaneously experiencing anxiety, doubt, and excitement . What new skills will I need to develop? How can I stay relevant? And importantly, is my organization prepared for this AI-driven future? Whether employees can trust their organization's leaders to navigate these opportunities is a pivotal question, said Brian Solis, the head of global innovation at ServiceNow, a cloud-based automation platform, and author of the book "Mindshift: Transform Leadership, Drive Innovation, and Reshape the Future . " He said that while many executives recognize AI's promise in increasing efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, they often fail to grasp the technology's profound potential . "Leaders talk about the new normal or the next normal, but then they natively snap back to business as usual," Solis said. "It's the leaders who explore and ask: 'What if? Who will unlock entirely new ways of working?'" Workers themselves have a responsibility to learn and grow, he added. They need to experiment with new technologies both in and outside work and challenge themselves to push beyond their comfort zones. "You need to literally rewire your brain," he said. "If you're waiting for someone to tell you what to do, you're on the wrong side of innovation." 'Workers need to be proactive' Despite the breathless headlines about AI changing everything about the way we work, the reality is more mundane. In a quarterly Gallup survey of American workers conducted in May, seven in 10 respondents said they never used AI in their jobs, and only one in 10 said they used it regularly. The survey used a random sample of 21,543 working adults. Among those who said they did use AI, the most common applications included generating ideas, consolidating information, and automating basic tasks. Still, investment in AI continues to surge. A report from IDC predicted that global spending would reach $632 billion by 2028, more than double what it is now, covering AI apps, infrastructure, and related services. Companies are investing in AI to avoid falling behind , said Mansour Javidan, an expert in digital transformation and the executive director of the Najafi Global Mindset Institute at Arizona State's Thunderbird School of Global Management. "There's a lot of hype driven by board expectations, and that's led to a herd mentality to move quickly," he said. "No CEO is going to look bad by investing in AI right now." Workers, meanwhile, are caught between uncertainty and anticipation. "There's a disconnect," Javidan said. "At the highest levels of the organization, there's a lot of excitement about AI. But among lower- and midlevel employees, there's a good deal of anxiety and ambiguity because there's no clear path." But "workers mustn't rely on senior executives and hope things will turn out rosy," he said. Javidan advises employees to seize development opportunities within their organizations and seek out online courses. Many top universities, including MIT and Stanford, provide free classes and workshops to help people build their skills. Grassroots and community-based learning groups, such as Women Defining AI , can be valuable resources. "Workers need to be proactive and educate themselves," he said. AI as a strategic collaborator Beyond formal training and coursework, getting comfortable with AI requires a fundamental mindset shift, experts say. "We were born with skills like curiosity, wonder, and imagination, but we often unlearned these in schools," Solis said. "The aim with AI should not be to generate expected answers or reinforce existing thinking but to challenge our conventions." Solis said he uses AI as a tool for perspective taking, asking it to generate responses from the personas of the Apple founder Steve Jobs and Walt Disney. This approach helps him identify blind spots, explore alternative viewpoints, and seek inspiration. "They're my personal coaches," he said. Molly Sands, the head of the teamwork lab at the software company Atlassian, which studies teamwork in the age of AI and distributed work, recommends viewing AI as a creative partner , not just a task-completion machine. "The people who are saving the most time and seeing the biggest benefits are those who see AI as a strategic collaborator," she said. This involves engaging with AI through dynamic, iterative conversations — much like working with a team of experts, she said. A new study by researchers at the MIT Sloan School of Management backed this up, finding that human-AI teams showed the most promise in creative tasks like generating content and imagery and translating software code. "A lot of people use it for one or two use cases, but the growth we're going to see in the next year or two is the people who think about it more ubiquitously," Sands said. "Agents will be a key driver of this." Her team at Atlassian, for example, has developed a custom agent designed to help employees write more clearly. Essentially, she said, workers "word-vomit" into the agent with information about their audience, context, and key details. The agent then offers up a tailored draft in the worker's voice. "Our workdays are consumed by writing emails, creating slide decks, and other routine tasks," Sands said. "If AI can take on some of this load — freeing us up for creative thinking and solving meaty problems — the better off we'll be." The value of soft skills Learning how to work with AI is imperative for most workers, but it's important to recognize that human skills remain essential . After all, said Hakan Ozcelik, a professor of management at California State University, Sacramento, the value of human workers lies in their cognitive, behavioral, and emotional abilities. "There are all sorts of skills that AI doesn't have yet, and maybe never will," he said. "Humans are inherently social beings, constantly interacting with customers, colleagues, competitors, and their physical environment," Ozcelik said. "These interpersonal skills are invaluable assets for any organization." While AI can process information and perform repetitive functions with speed and accuracy, it lacks the soft skills necessary for effective communication and strategic decision-making. A report by Cornerstone , a skills-development platform, said that while generative-AI-related job postings had risen 411% since 2023, the demand for soft skills such as leadership, communication, and emotional intelligence outpaced digital skills by 2.4 times in North America and 2.9 times in Europe. This is why Ozcelik advises employees to embark on what he calls "a process of professional soul-searching." Closely analyze your daily activities to determine your unique contributions and core competencies that cannot be outsourced, he said: "Dissect your work and look at what you offer your organization in a given day or a week." Also, identify areas where AI could offer assistance. For example, teachers may realize that while AI can handle grading for grammar and syntax, they should focus on evaluating students' ideas and nurturing creativity. Similarly, healthcare professionals can leverage AI for administrative tasks or data analysis while dedicating more quality time to patients. In an AI-driven world, the need for human skills will not change; instead, these skills will become even more vital as workers learn to collaborate effectively with technology, Ozcelik said. "It's about what you contribute and the value you bring," he said.
In the final moments of the championship match, Team Answers faced off against their formidable opponents in a showdown that kept viewers on the edge of their seats. With the spotlight shining brightly upon them, Team Answers delivered a performance of sheer brilliance, outmaneuvering their rivals with calculated precision and unwavering resolve. Every move, every decision, and every play reflected their commitment to excellence and their relentless pursuit of victory.Pivotal poll cycle strengthens BJP, blunts Oppn stingNone, , , even have all put their own spin — literally — on a moment from "Wicked. " The choreography from “What Is This Feeling?” is being re-created all over social media, and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down. “It’s blowing my mind,” Christopher Scott, the film’s choreographer, tells TODAY.com. Now, Scott is helping viewers with their dancing skills. He recently on how to perform the breakdown from the song's outro, recognized by the repeated refrain of "loathing." The musical sequence, and p , sees Glinda (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) express the depths of their disdain for each other during their early days at Shiz University. In the dance flooding TikTok, Glinda — then known as Galinda — marches with her school pals flanked behind her. Scott says it was one of the first group scenes filmed, as the movie was primarily choreographed in sequential order. When he initially showed the moves to his team of dancers, they loved it. Grande gave her blessing, too, he says. “She was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ That was one of the first things she’s seeing of the work — which was pressure on me, because I want her to feel taken care of in this film," he says. "So if she thinks the choreography is not strong, and she’s a part of it, it can mess with people. So it’s important to deliver for them." The dance is meant to physically invoke feelings of frustration, he says. The 25 seconds of viral choreography comes at the very end of the song, as Glinda and Elphaba's "loathing" reaches a fever pitch. “They’re slapping on the books. The way that they twist their body, because they’re irritated by this woman. The thought of Elphaba is making them cringe,” Scott says of the sharp, staccato dance moves. "Wicked" is filled with memorable dance sequences, including the , in which Glinda and Elphaba finally move from enemies to friends. So why did section go so viral? “I think a big part of it is because it came from a place of being connected to the music,” Scott says. “I do think that tapping on the books gave a rhythm for people to become kind of musicians. And I think that level of fun is all part of it. "When you're watching it, it’s like, 'I want to play in that space. I want to be one of those people in Glinda’s crew. And I want to become a part of the movie,'" he adds. One of Scott’s favorite interpretations that he’s seen so far has fittingly The stage musical that inspired the 2024 and 2025 films has been running at the Gershwin Theatre since 2003 and Mary Kate Morrissey as Elphaba and Alexandra Socha as Glinda. “Watching them re-create the choreography from the film that was a re-creation of what they created made me feel like I’m part of the family of ‘Wicked’ and not just the outsider that got to do the film,” Scott says. Scott started working with "Wicked" director Jon M. Chu 15 years ago, including most recently on 2021's "In the Heights," based on Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical of the same name. Scott choreographed the show-stopping number which featured dancers performing styles of dance inspired by Busby Berkeley, ballet, bone-breaking and more — all in a swimming pool. Scott recalls the memorable way Chu asked him to be a part of "Wicked." In March 2022, Chu surprised Scott with a hat from the Broadway musical and said, “You ready to choreograph 'Wicked'?” Then it was time to get to work on the monumental task at hand, Scott says. Here's how he pulled off some of the film's most memorable dance sequences. Scott says he leaned into each actors’ strengths. For instance, once he learned Jonathan Bailey, who plays Fiyero, did gymnastics as a kid, Scott incorporated the actor's exceptional front walkover into the introduction of “Dancing Through Life.” That number, set in a library at Shiz University, features a physical wheel, known as a tornado wheel, that the actors dance on, slide off, climb up and more throughout the song. “There was actually a question on whether or not they were going to let the actors in the space, because for insurance purposes," Scott says. For , Scott used the actor's existing climbing skills from starring in Broadway's "SpongeBob SquarePants" in the "Dancing Through Life" choreography. "If (Slater) auditioned as a performer going into the tornado wheel, he would have booked the job," he says. "It’s very rare you have an actor that can do all of that stuff, to music and the timing." "Dancing Through Life" smoothly transitions into a party scene set off-campus at the "scandalocious" Ozdust Ballroom. While Glinda and Fiyero dance the night away, Elphaba arrives wearing a pointy black hat that Glinda had encouraged her to wear, becoming the laughingstock of the party. Putting on a false confidence, Elphaba starts to dance alone in the middle of the room, before Glinda hesitantly joins her, learning the moves as they go. And with the popular girl's buy-in, the rest of the attendees start dancing, too. The secret sauce for the scene was to not teach the dancers the choreography that Elphaba and Glinda do in the center of the dance floor to make the moment feel organic. “I want to make it believable. I hate when a movie in five seconds, someone does a move and everyone knows the move,” he says. Erivo had been practicing the choreography for days. Grande, however, was introduced to it briefly. “We taught her a very little bit of the movement. Then we just follow along. And she just went with it,” Scott says. For those wondering, yes, it is indeed Jeff Goldblum tap dancing before his song “A Sentimental Man.” “He knows how to tap. He’s a jazz musician. He’s a mover. That man is musically brilliant. I have video. It’s one of my favorite things I own, and I am going to keep it in my little vault,” Scott says. To first learn just Goldblum could move, Scott put on a Frank Sinatra track and freestyled with Goldblum in the room. “‘You got to give the people — rat-a-tat-a-tat — what they want.’ That’s him (tapping)," Scott says of Goldblum's mini song and dance at the Emerald City palace. "We got to set the record straight. And that’s him behind the curtain,” Scott adds. “That is 100% Mr. Goldblum, national treasure at its finest, dancing his face off.”
The Haryana government on Friday approved the purchase of 650 buses, including 150 air-conditioned buses, for the state roadways fleet at ₹ 300 crore. The approval was granted in a meeting of the high-powered purchase committee (HPPC) meeting chaired by chief minister Nayab Singh Saini. An official spokesperson said approvals for contracts and procurement of goods worth ₹ 1,329 crore were given in the meetings of the HPPC, departmental HPPCC and high-powered works purchase committee (HPWPC). After negotiations with various bidders, the government has made a saving of over ₹ 38 crore, the spokesperson added. The spokesperson said approval was given for setting up four types of information and communication technology (ICT) labs in 801 government schools under the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India and Samagra Shiksha Schemes at an estimated cost of ₹ 50 crore. A sum of ₹ 33 crore was approved for the purchase of teaching-learning materials for government primary schools in the state for classes 1 to 5. In the meeting, approval was also given for the expansion and renovation of existing structures at the waterworks and boosting stations in Mahendergarh town at a cost of ₹ 15.80 crore was also approved. Also, the augmentation of the water supply scheme (water works at Khera Murar), including laying a distribution system, constructing water tanks and boosting stations in Bawal town at a cost of ₹ 17.15 crore, and the construction of a 19.50 MLD capacity STP for industrial waste treatment in Jagadhri and Yamunanagar at a cost of ₹ 93 crore, were approved. In addition, approval was given for the construction of Sultanpuria Kharif Channel 2nd from RD 0 to 26000 off takes from RD 19800-R Ghaggar River, at a cost of approximately ₹ 14 crore. This will provide irrigation water to various villages. Approval was also given for the special repair work of various master roads from Sector 75 to 89 in Greater Faridabad at an estimated cost of ₹ 29 crore. Furthermore, the work of development of infrastructure facilities at HSIIDC, Sector 37, Karnal and infrastructure facilities in newly carved out pocket in Sector 33 B, Ph-II, IMT Rohtak, at a cost of ₹ 36 crore and ₹ 16 crore, respectively, has also been approved. Approval was also granted for the purchase of two genetic analysers/automated DNA sequencers and other equipment for the FSL in Madhuban, Karnal, and Gurugram, at ₹ 3.92 crore. Besides this, approval was given for the purchase of 430 computer systems for 14 CCTNS training laboratories.Refereeing a match of this magnitude comes with immense pressure and scrutiny, and Taylor will be under the spotlight as he navigates through the intense atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium. The expectations will be high for Taylor to make impartial and accurate decisions, ensuring a fair contest between the two rival teams.The decision to create the Application Algorithm Department underscores Xiaohongshu's commitment to innovation and its relentless pursuit of excellence in the ever-evolving landscape of social e-commerce. By tapping into the power of advanced algorithms, Xiaohongshu aims to revolutionize the way users interact with the platform, making the shopping experience more seamless, personalized, and engaging.
The highly anticipated horror film "The Curse of Mysterious Play" officially kicked off production recently, with popular actors Chen Yanxi and He Rundong teaming up to delve into the eerie world of supernatural terror.
NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s recent dinner with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his visit to Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral were not just exercises in policy and diplomacy. They were also prime trolling opportunities for Trump. Throughout his first term in the White House and during his campaign to return, Trump has spun out countless provocative, antagonizing and mocking statements. There were his belittling nicknames for political opponents, his impressions of other political figures and the plentiful memes he shared on social media. Now that’s he’s preparing to return to the Oval Office, Trump is back at it, and his trolling is attracting more attention — and eyerolls. On Sunday, Trump turned a photo of himself seated near a smiling first lady Jill Biden at the Notre Dame ceremony into a social media promo for his new perfume and cologne line, with the tag line, “A fragrance your enemies can’t resist!” The first lady’s office declined to comment. When Trudeau hastily flew to Florida to meet with Trump last month over the president-elect’s threat to impose a 25% tax on all Canadian products entering the U.S., the Republican tossed out the idea that Canada become the 51st U.S. state. The Canadians passed off the comment as a joke, but Trump has continued to play up the dig, including in a post Tuesday morning on his social media network referring to the prime minister as “Governor Justin Trudeau of the Great State of Canada.” After decades as an entertainer and tabloid fixture, Trump has a flair for the provocative that is aimed at attracting attention and, in his most recent incarnation as a politician, mobilizing fans. He has long relished poking at his opponents, both to demean and minimize them and to delight supporters who share his irreverent comments and posts widely online and cheer for them in person. Trump, to the joy of his fans, first publicly needled Canada on his social media network a week ago when he posted an AI-generated image that showed him standing on a mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!” After his latest post, Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday: “It sounds like we’re living in a episode of South Park.” Trudeau said earlier this week that when it comes to Trump, “his approach will often be to challenge people, to destabilize a negotiating partner, to offer uncertainty and even sometimes a bit of chaos into the well established hallways of democracies and institutions and one of the most important things for us to do is not to freak out, not to panic.” Even Thanksgiving dinner isn’t a trolling-free zone for Trump’s adversaries. On Thanksgiving Day, Trump posted a movie clip from “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” with President Joe Biden and other Democrats’ faces superimposed on the characters in a spoof of the turkey-carving scene. The video shows Trump appearing to explode out of the turkey in a swirl of purple sparks, with the former president stiffly dancing to one of his favorite songs, Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” In his most recent presidential campaign, Trump mocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, refusing to call his GOP primary opponent by his real name and instead dubbing him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” He added, for good measure, in a post on his Truth Social network: “I will never call Ron DeSanctimonious ‘Meatball’ Ron, as the Fake News is insisting I will.” As he campaigned against Biden, Trump taunted him in online posts and with comments and impressions at his rallies, deriding the president over his intellect, his walk, his golf game and even his beach body. After Vice President Kamala Harris took over Biden’s spot as the Democratic nominee, Trump repeatedly suggested she never worked at McDonalds while in college. Trump, true to form, turned his mocking into a spectacle by appearing at a Pennsylvania McDonalds in October, when he manned the fries station and held an impromptu news conference from the restaurant drive-thru. Trump’s team thinks people should get a sense of humor. “President Trump is a master at messaging and he’s always relatable to the average person, whereas many media members take themselves too seriously and have no concept of anything else other than suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome,” said Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director. “President Trump will Make America Great Again and we are getting back to a sense of optimism after a tumultuous four years.” Though both the Biden and Harris campaigns created and shared memes and launched other stunts to respond to Trump’s taunts, so far America’s neighbors to the north are not taking the bait. “I don’t think we should necessarily look on Truth Social for public policy,” Miller said. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Gerald Butts, a former top adviser to Trudeau and a close friend, said Trump brought up the 51st state line to Trudeau repeatedly during Trump’s first term in office. “Oh God,” Butts said Tuesday, “At least a half dozen times.” “This is who he is and what he does. He’s trying to destabilize everybody and make people anxious,” Butts said. “He’s trying to get people on the defensive and anxious and therefore willing to do things they wouldn’t otherwise entertain if they had their wits about them. I don’t know why anybody is surprised by it.” ___ Gillies reported from Toronto. Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed to this report. Advertisement Advertisement