Latest news with #Melts
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
People protest in Indio against ICE immigration raids
About 150 people opposed to the Trump administration's immigration crackdown protested Wednesday night at an Indio hotel, as a similar protest was planned in Palm Springs. The events came amid an increase in visible immigration arrests in public places in the Coachella Valley and hours after 70 to 75 undocumented immigrants were arrested during what authorities called a drug investigation in Thermal. A social media flier, headlined "ICE MELTS IN THE DESERT," advertised protests at the Fairfield Inn & Suites in Indio, on Marmara Street, and the Courtyard by Marriott in Palm Springs, on Tahquitz Canyon Way. The reason for the locations wasn't stated on the fliers, but in other cities, people have protested at hotels where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were staying or believed to be staying. That happened Tuesday night at a Hilton Garden Inn in Pomona, as well as last week at several other hotels in Southern California cities. At the Indio hotel on Wednesday, a band played and protesters held signs with messages including 'Don't Separate Families,' 'Remember Ice Melts,' 'This is not about politics, this is about humanity!' and '¡Raza Si Migra No!' (a message in support of the people and against immigration agents). Many cars driving by honked in support. Joaquin Rosales, who was banging a drum by the entrance of the hotel, said he wanted to make noise so guests would look out their windows and see how many people are disgusted by what's going on in their community. 'We're not going to stop fighting until this is done,' he said. He saw the arrests in Mecca and Oasis earlier on Wednesday while he was driving by and said: 'They're grabbing people like we're animals, and it's just very, very bad.' Earlier Wednesday, elected officials and immigrant rights groups said, agents made immigration arrests in the eastern Coachella Valley. Some of the latter arrests came as federal agents were conducting what they called "a vast investigation involving multiple illegal marijuana grow operations in Thermal." A day earlier, on Tuesday, a man was arrested in Cathedral City by masked men who would not identify themselves or their agency. One of the masked men wore a "CBP" patch, although a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the parent agency of the Border Patrol, said it did not conduct an operation in the Coachella Valley on Tuesday. More: More immigration arrests in Coachella Valley; massive drug bust in Thermal This is a developing story and will be updated. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: People protest in Indio against ICE immigration raids
Miami Herald
09-04-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Burger King menu's new Whopper blends Mexican, American tastes
Burger King has made the Whopper the cornerstone of its innovation. The famous burger, which was actually launched about a decade before the McDonald's Big Mac, offers a sort of blank canvas for innovation. Related: Pepsi quietly discontinued a fan-favorite soda flavor At its core it's a fairly simple burger. The iconic sandwich has a flame-grilled beef patty, sesame-seed bun, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, and sliced onion. Any of those toppings can be swapped out to make something entirely new. The chain has been very innovative in its use of the Whopper, which has really been the core of the chain's "Reclaim the Flame" effort to redo its restaurants and change its reputation. "By emphasizing operational excellence and investing in modern, welcoming restaurants, we're setting the brand up for long-term success. Recent menu initiatives - such as the Addams Family Menu (featuring Wednesday's Whopper), the Million Dollar Whopper campaign, and the Melts platform - have reinforced that guests crave innovation and high-quality food at a great price," CEO Josh Kobza shared during the chain's fourth-quarter earnings call. Melts are Whoppers that use bread instead of a bun. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Aside from introducing a Breakfast Whopper (although there have been limited-time-offer Breakfast Melts), Burger King has done nearly everything imaginable with its signature sandwich. Now, it has added a new version of the classic to one of its menus, but not in the United States yet. Restaurant Brands International's (QSR) Burger King in Japan has often added menu items that would seem out of place in the United States. Sometimes the chain uses ingredients that are popular locally but have not crossed over to the chain's home market. In this case, the "Home of the Whopper" has added a new variant of the famour burger in Japan that seems like it would fit in immediately on the American menu. The chain's Japanese operations shared a Tweet on the new burger (translated from Japanese). This is not the first time Burger King has sold a "Mexican" Whopper in Japan. Earlier versions of this burger, in single, double, and cheese versions, were offered in 2023 and 2024. The chain has not yet brought the offering to its U.S. stores. Burger King faced some franchisee-related struggles in the U.S. in 2024, but its global business has been growing steadily. "Shifting now to international, which continues to be a strong growth engine, [we are] closing the year with over 15,600 restaurants and over $18 billion in system-wide sales, approximately 60% of which was driven by our top 10 markets. We feel very good about the relative performance of our international business versus our global peers," Kobza said. Overall, Burger King's restaurants have been performing well. "In 2024, international comparable sales grew 3.3%, including 4.7% growth in the fourth quarter. We saw solid growth in many of our largest markets, including Australia, Spain, the U.K., and Brazil, thanks to well-executed calendar initiatives, compelling core value offerings, and great restaurant-level execution," he added. Related: Another burger, fast-food chain closing all locations The chain has also been adding restaurants. "We achieved net restaurant growth of 6.1%, despite temporary headwinds from geopolitical pressures in certain markets, as well as net closures in BK China. While we don't have an update on BK China today, we're optimistic we'll have a resolution relatively soon," he added. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
