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This article reveals that Game Of Thrones is ending, but its merchandise will still be sold as it still shows much profit for HBO. Would shows canceling merchandise after a show is cancelled be harmful for every show?

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From wine to clothing to tours, HBO and retailers have cashed in through the years with "Game of Thrones" merchandise. "Thrones" is not only a huge international show but also a massive business, with all sides hoping to pad the bank during the show's eighth and final season.

"It's thousands of products, just a lot of stuff all around the world," said Jeff Peters, HBO's vice president of licensing and retail. "We're so busy we don't stop and count."

Products include makeup, beer, toy collectibles and even high fashion collaborations.

But while the show itself is a TV phenomenon, that doesn't guarantee fans will flock to stores.

"It's certainly good to be lucky. But you don't get to where the merchandising programs are with HBO and what they've done with 'Game of Thrones' unless you have a true, point-by-point marketing and merchandising and retail strategy," said product and licensing expert Tony Lisanti.

"This is a global property and every country may resonate a little different," he said.

California-based Vintage Wine Estates has been making the official "Game of Thrones" wine for three years now, said Pat Roney, the company's CEO. "Just the excitement all over the world with the calls that we get from almost 40 different countries to sell wine - it's just amazing," he said.

Popular tours of "Game of Thrones" filming locations in Croatia and Ireland have boosted small, local economies there, according to TripAdvisor's Andrew Aley.

"Some really positive examples like Northern Ireland, for example, where it's not somewhere that's always been on every tourist's radar and it's now become one of the major pillars of tourism in that local economy," he said. "But it's one of those factors that's then driving tourism to other attractions as well, like at Belfast Titanic or Giant's Causeway."

It wasn't always this easy for HBO to find retailing partners for "Game of Thrones," Peters said.

"At the beginning, nobody really knew what it was," he said. "So, we were the ones making phone calls and we were saying, 'Hey, you got to get in on this. We think there's a great opportunity.' As the show got established and got big, then all the calls came to us and people were just throwing ideas and pitches."

Some of those ideas resulted in fashion collaborations with companies like Adidas, who created the now hard-to-find "Adidas x Game of Thrones Ultra Boosts" shoes, as well as a collection with men's fashion designer John Varvatos.

"The one thing that always stands out in my mind from the first season was all the textures, all the way the leathers are finished, the artisan fabrics, and it's a lot of what we do," said Varvatos. "But I also didn't want to make 'Game of Thrones' (clothes) where someone felt like they were wearing a costume around town. ... So what you wanted to do is take that inspiration with a lot of the great details from the wardrobe from the show and put that into product that people actually could wear."

There are also "Thrones"-themed board games like "Monopoly," ''CLUE" and "Risk"; Danielle Nicole's "Game of Thrones" handbags; and beer made by upstate New York's Brewery Ommegang.

Just how much money is being made? No one really knows except HBO. And the number's hard to estimate, for a reason.

"HBO wants to get as high a licensing fee as possible. It will not want the companies that license 'Game of Thrones' to know what deals HBO is striking so that those companies seek to obtain a lower fee," wrote Dr. Larry Chiagouris, professor of marketing at Pace University, in an email to the Associated Press.

His broad guess of how much HBO is bringing in: "It's a lot!"

Aside from the chance to make money, there have been other benefits to retailers joining forces with HBO. Take Urban Decay's new makeup collection, for example.

"A couple of these products didn't even exist in our line before. So the lipsticks were reimagined and have new casings and everything else," said Wende Zomnir, founding partner and chief creative officer of Urban Decay (the company previously worked with HBO on the show "Vinyl").

There's been a push to get new "Thrones" products out in time for the last season, but Lisanti thinks that even when the show ends, the products will stay in demand thanks to streaming and planned spinoffs.

"As long as there's new content, then the franchise will continue to be popular. And that content doesn't have to be another series," said Lisanti. It could be events such as a "traveling exhibition, concerts series, and events in cities and around the world."

HBO isn't worried.

"We're striking right now while the iron is hot," said Peters. "But we're pretty confident that there will be interest in 'Game of Thrones' for a long time."

___

Follow AP Entertainment journalist Gary Gerard Hamilton at http://www.twitter.com/garyghamilton

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'Thrones' is ending, but will live on in merchandise

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From wine to clothing to tours, HBO and retailers have cashed in through the years with "Game of Thrones" merchandise. "Thrones" is not only a huge international show but also a massive business, with all sides hoping to pad the bank during the show's eighth and final season.

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FOX: Walgreen's hiking minimum age for tobacco purchase. 

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FOX: Walgreen's hiking minimum age for tobacco purchase. 

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This article explains that Walgreen's will be raising its minimum age for tobacco purchase. Should Walgreen's get penalized for having a low tobacco use age?

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Walgreens has decided to raise its minimum age for tobacco sales several weeks after a top federal official chastised the drugstore chain for violating laws restricting access to cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Deerfield, Illinois-based Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. said Tuesday that it will require customers to be at least 21 years old to purchase tobacco in any of its more than 9,500 stores nationwide. The policy starts Sept. 1.

Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said in March that Walgreens was a top violator of tobacco sales laws among pharmacies that sell those products. Rival CVS Health Corp. stopped several years ago.

Laws restricting tobacco sales vary nationally.

Most states have set a minimum age of 18, while a dozen have raised that to 21, according to the American Lung Association. Alaska and Alabama set their minimum ages at 19. Many cities and counties also have passed local laws establishing the minimum at 21.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said last week that he plans to introduce legislation to raise the minimum age to 21 nationally. The Kentucky Republican called the legislation a top priority.

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Walgreens to hike minimum age for store tobacco sales

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Walgreens has decided to raise its minimum age for tobacco sales several weeks after a top federal official chastised the drugstore chain for violating laws restricting access to cigarettes and other tobacco products. Deerfield, Illinois-based Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.

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This article revealed that CVS is moving into dental care as it is offering teeth straightening services. Would Walgreen's benefit by competing with CVS and also creating a dental section in stores?

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CVS Health is venturing into dental care with plans to offer a relatively new teeth-straightening service.

The drugstore chain said Thursday that it will add SmileDirectClub locations to hundreds of its stores, where customers can get started on getting their teeth straightened without an in-person visit with a dentist or orthodontist. That lack of an office visit has drawn criticism from orthodontists.

CVS Health and other drugstores have been pushing in recent years to add more services to their store locations, in part to help their customers stay healthy. They're also trying to attract customers for profitable beauty products and stave off competition like the online retail giant Amazon.com, which provides same-day delivery for many of the products that drugstores sell outside their pharmacies.

Under the CVS plan, customers get a 3D image of their mouth made by a SmileDirect employee at one of the drugstore locations. The image is sent to a dentist or orthodontist who approves the patient's treatment plan. Patients are shipped clear, removable aligners designed to straighten their teeth.

They check in remotely with a dentist or orthodontist, often by smartphone. The service costs $1,850 before insurance.

The American Association of Orthodontists has criticized the service, warning that in-person visits are important in this type of care. Dentists can spot gum disease during these visits and X-rays can detect bone loss not seen in a photo, the group's lawyer Sean Murphy said.

"Our concern is patient health and safety," Murphy said.

CVS Pharmacy President Kevin Hourican said he has no concerns about safety with SmileDirect, which he said provides a "high quality" product and limits care to patients who don't have complex dental needs.

SmileDirect spokeswoman Carrie Moore said the company, which started in 2014, has served more than half a million people. She said in an email that it is common for "traditional industry representatives to balk" when a new business model gains acceptance.

CVS Health also will add SmileDirect service as a covered option in the dental care network of its recently acquired Aetna health insurance business. Another insurer, UnitedHealthcare, announced a similar coverage expansion Thursday.

The SmileDirect locations will appear in only a small percentage of CVS Health's 9,800 retail locations nationally. But company officials say they may eventually expand to more than a thousand locations. The company started testing the approach in a few stores last fall.

CVS Health found in its pilot that the SmileDirect locations attracted younger, new customers.

"People want to improve their smile, and they feel better about themselves," Hourican said.

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CVS moves into dental care with teeth-straightening service

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CVS Health is venturing into dental care with plans to offer a relatively new teeth-straightening service. The drugstore chain said Thursday that it will add SmileDirectClub locations to hundreds of its stores, where customers can get started on getting their teeth straightened without an in-person visit with a dentist or orthodontist.

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This article explains that Kohl will be accepting Amazon returns very soon nationwide. Should Amazon partner with more stores to accept returns?

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Starting in July, Kohl's will begin accepting Amazon returns at all of its stores nationwide. Retail analyst Hitha Herzog reacts to the announcement.

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The article focuses on rapper Lil Pump enabling bitcoin payments on his website. Should bitcoin be more used as a form of payment?

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Lil Pump is giving bitcoin a much-needed boost after the cryptocurrency took a dip this week.

The 18-year-old Colombian-American rapper - who landed on Forbes' 30 under 30 music list this year - confirmed on Twitter Thursday that he would be accepting bitcoin payments on his merchandise store, Unhappy, through bitcoin's Lightning Network.

Customers will have two crypto options upon checkout: paying with a regular bitcoin wallet or opting for the Lightning Network.

The online merchandise store is powered by OpenNode, Yahoo! Finance confirmed.

On its website, OpenNode touts itself as "a robust platform that consists of an easy to use eCommerce and retail plug-in solution, payment infrastructure API's for developers, and the fastest payment processor limits to allow for brand new payment models and instantaneous settlements."

In the past, billionaire and bitcoin enthusiast Tim Draper has cited OpenNode as one of his reasons he's "optimistic" about the cryptocurrency despite its volatile markets.

"I am still very much optimistic. In fact, more optimistic since I am seeing services like Lightning Network and Open Node working to make bitcoin ubiquitous," Draper previously told Fox Business, estimating that bitcoin will hit $250,000 by 2022.
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Bitcoin reportedly plunged up to 5 percent this week, but Forbes reported Thursday that the price is still hovering around $5,400.

Backers are hoping recent promotion by Lil Pump, who's known for his catchy "Gucci Gang" track, will help encourage other young people to jump onboard.

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Rapper Lil Pump's merchandise store now accepts bitcoin as payment

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Lil Pump is giving bitcoin a much-needed boost after the cryptocurrency took a dip this week. The 18-year-old Colombian-American rapper - who landed on Forbes' 30 under 30 music list this year - confirmed on Twitter Thursday that he would be accepting bitcoin payments on his merchandise store, Unhappy, through bitcoin's Lightning Network.

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The article focuses on McDonald's boost in profit after it announced a one hour free bacon event. Should more restaurants be offering free food?

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McDonald's turned to a sure thing in the first quarter, bacon, and it paid off.

The world's biggest burger chain on Tuesday reported a first quarter profit of $1.33 billion, or $1.72 per share. Earnings, adjusted for pretax expenses, came to $1.78 per share, which is a nickel better than industry analysts had expected, according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research.

McDonald's revenue fell 3.5% to $4.95 billion, also topping Wall Street's expectations. Revenue was expected to fall as McDonald's puts some company-owned stores back in the hands of franchisees. Around 90% of the company's stores globally are run by franchisees; McDonald's wants to bring that to 95%.

At the beginning of the year, McDonald's Corp. offered bacon on anything customers wanted for an hour. That - along with new menu items like doughnut sticks - generated both hype and store traffic.

U.S. same-store sales were up 4.5%, beating expectations. The company said it's also seeing gains as U.S. stores come back into service after renovations. McDonald's is modernizing its restaurants with digital ordering kiosks, table service and curbside pickup for mobile orders. This year, 2,000 U.S. restaurants will be renovated.

Global sales at restaurants open at least a year jumped 5.4% in the January to March period. That was better than Wall Street's forecast of 3.4%, according to analysts polled by FactSet.

During the quarter, the Chicago company bought Dynamic Yield, an Israeli artificial intelligence startup. It plans to use the company's technology to personalize customer ordering; for example, it will be able to vary Drive Thru menu suggestions based on the weather or the time of day. The technology will also be used in McDonald's app and at in-store kiosks.

The acquisition didn't close until April, so there was no impact to first quarter earnings.

Shares of McDonald's Corp. rose about 2% before the opening bell.

_____

This story was generated by Automated Insights using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on MCD at https://www.zacks.com/ap/MCD

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McDonald's turns to bacon and wins (surprise, surprise)

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McDonald's turned to a sure thing in the first quarter, bacon, and it paid off. The world's biggest burger chain on Tuesday reported a first quarter profit of $1.33 billion, or $1.72 per share. Earnings, adjusted for pretax expenses, came to $1.78 per share, which is a nickel better than industry analysts had expected, according to a survey by Zacks Investment Research.

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The article focuses on how the CEO of CVS is showing support for the "Medicare for all" legislation, eliminating private insurers. Should all CEO's be involved with political legislation?

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The top executive at CVS Health on Wednesday joined fellow health care industry leaders in pushing back against Democratic party attempts to advance so-called "Medicare for All" legislation that would eliminate private insurers.

Health care is likely to be one of the most fiercely debated topics during the upcoming 2020 presidential election, as President Trump pushes Congress to repeal Obamacare and Democrats increasingly call for a move to government-backed insurance.

Sharp divisions in both parties are emerging, however, as Republicans push Trump to delay his calls to eliminate former President Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement and Democratic 2020 candidates like former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., push back against more radical proposals from progressives like Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.

Regardless of the future of the U.S. health care system, CVS will "continue to be an active participant" in the discussion, according to CEO Larry Merlo.

"Regardless of what shape and form the next stage of healthcare takes, we remain confident that the private sector will play an essential role in both shaping and executing that stage," he told investors.

His comments come after UnitedHealth Group's CEO David Wichmann said a "Medicare for All" system would lead to a "wholesale disruption of American health care."

Health care stocks like CVS were hammered in recent weeks as House Democrats intensified their efforts on legislation to move all U.S. individuals from a private insurance plan to a government-sponsored plan. The House Rules Committee on Tuesday held its first hearing on the measure.

Alongside potential changes to the overall health care system, the White House is proposing a rule to eliminate the lucrative drug rebates in Medicare Part D that bolster profits at middlemen pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

The rule, which is not yet final, was originally proposed to take effect in 2020, though experts predict the timeline will slip. The Trump administration is also allowing insurers to ease-in to the new regulations by participating in a two-year pilot program.

Merlo on Wednesday said CVS would participate in the demo.

"This demonstration project will allow the administration to evaluate in real-time the potential impact to Part D members' premium and to the actual costs that will be incurred by CMS," he said on the firm's earnings call.

Large PBMs, the bulk of which also operate a separate health insurance business, warn they will have to raise premiums to compensate for the lost revenue from the rebates.

CVS now expects 2019 profits to be as high as $6.90 per share, up from a prior estimate of $6.88 per share.

Meanwhile, CVS revenue in the first quarter rose 34.8 percent to $61.6 billion. Profits in the three months through March grew 42 percent to $1.4 billion, or adjusted to $1.62 per share. Both results were higher than Wall Street expected.

Driving the increase in the period was higher costs for brand name drugs, the Woonsocket, Rhode Island-based pharmacy chain said.
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CVS recently closed its merger with health insurer Aetna, one that the combined company now expects to generate up to $2 billion in annual savings by 2022.

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CVS Health CEO rebukes 'Medicare for All' push

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The top executive at CVS Health on Wednesday joined fellow health care industry leaders in pushing back against Democratic party attempts to advance so-called "Medicare for All" legislation that would eliminate private insurers.

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This article shows that Elon Musk is planning on buying 25 million dollar worth of tesla stock to raise Tesla's capital 2.5 billion. Should more billionaires invest in their companies?

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk intends to purchase $25 million in company stock as the embattled electric-car maker looks to raise roughly $2.7 billion in capital.

"Elon Musk, our Chief Executive Officer, has indicated his preliminary interest in purchasing up to 102,880 shares of our common stock in the concurrent common stock offering for a purchase price of approximately $25.0 million at the public offering price," the company said in a filing on Friday.

The company's planned offering increased in size compared to one day earlier, when it said it would seek to raise up to $2.3 billion in a bond and stock sale. Tesla will offer $1.6 billion in debt that will come due in 2024.

Musk initially said he intends to purchase $10 million in additional stock.

The Tesla CEO long resisted the notion of raising more capital despite the company's heavy spending to ramp up production of its flagship Model 3 sedan.
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However, Musk acknowledged that there was "merit to the idea" of raising money in a conference call after a rough quarterly report. The company saw a major drop in car deliveries and saw its cash stockpile drop more than 40 percent to its lowest level in three years.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk to buy $25M in stock as company aims to raise $2.7B

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk intends to purchase $25 million in company stock as the embattled electric-car maker looks to raise roughly $2.7 billion in capital. "Elon Musk, our Chief Executive Officer, has indicated his preliminary interest in purchasing up to 102,880 shares of our common stock in the concurrent common stock offering for a purchase price of approximately $25.0 million at the public offering price," the company said in a filing on Friday.

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This article explained that Warren Buffet and apple have team up up to make an app about delivering paper. Should apple collaborate with more technophobes?

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What we're covering here
What we're covering here

Berkshire Hathaway's (BRKB) annual shareholder meeting is on Saturday.

Thousands of Berkshire shareholders travel long distances to hear what famed billionaire investor Warren Buffett thinks about the stock market and the economy as a whole.

Berkshire Hathaway's ( BRKB) annual shareholder meeting takes place in a giant arena in Omaha. CNN Business' Paul La Monica is in the exhibit hall, where investors and fans alike can see products from dozens of Berkshire-owned companies, like Coca-Cola ( KO) and Duracell.

Here's what it's like on the ground:

Berkshire owns nearly 27% of Kraft Heinz ( KHC). The stock has plunged nearly 20% this year.

Coca-Cola is one of Buffett's favorite stocks.

Berkshire Hathaway bought the battery company in 2014.

Tens of thousands have descended on this Nebraska city to watch Warren Buffett talk about the market and economy at the Berkshire Hathaway () annual shareholder meeting Saturday.

Here are some of the likely talking points for Buffett and Berkshire vice chairman Charlie Munger.

Amazon (AMZN): Buffett just revealed that Berkshire bought some shares after shunning it for two decades

Apple (AAPL): It's now Berkshire's top holding.

Kraft Heinz (KHC): Does the Oracle Of Omaha think the struggling company can turn things around?

Wells Fargo (WFC): Who does Buffett think the bank should hire to fix its fake accounts mess?

Has Warren Buffett lost his magic touch?

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway's ( BRKB) has lagged the broader market this year. The stock is up just 7% in 2019, compared to a nearly 18% gain for the S&P 500.

Several of Buffett's favorite stocks - most notably Wells Fargo ( WFC) and Coca-Cola ( KO) - have underperformed. Another top pick, Kraft Heinz ( KHC), has been an outright disaster, plunging more than 20% this year.

Buffett and Berkshire vice chair Charlie Munger will probably face questions from investors about those struggling stocks, possible Berkshire acquisitions and succession plans at the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting in Omaha this weekend.
Click here for some top questions that should be on the minds of the Berkshire Hathaway faithful.

Warren Buffett revealed on Thursday that Berkshire Hathaway( BRKB) has been buying Amazon shares.

The exact amount will be disclosed in Berkshire's quarterly report to the Securities and Exchange Commission that's filed later this month.

Buffett is well-known for not being the biggest fan of tech stocks.

But he has made no secret of his admiration for Amazon ( AMZN) and Jeff Bezos, repeatedly praising the e-commerce company and its chief executive during past Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meetings.

Yeah, I've been a fan, and I've been an idiot for not buying" Amazon shares, Buffett told CNBC earlier this week.

Warren Buffett has said he's ready to invest in Britain. Even for the legendary investor, that could be a tough bet.

Buffett's record in the United Kingdom is spotty.

He's referred to his investment in supermarket chain Tesco ( TSCDF) as a "big mistake." And an attempt by Berkshire Hathaway ( BRKB)-backed Kraft Heinz to buy Unilever in 2017 collapsed after the consumer goods giant said it wasn't interested.

Still, Buffett has made it clear that he's eager to plow some of Berkshire's cash into a huge deal, and that Britain remains on the table.

🇬🇧 Here are some companies he could target.

Warren Buffett hasn't been shy about politics.

He publicly backed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and has been critical of some of President Donald Trump's tax cuts even though Berkshire Hathaway has benefited from them.

Buffett told CNBC in February that he'd back fellow billionaire Michael Bloomberg if he ran for president.

He also said he thought it would be a bad idea for former Starbucks () CEO Howard Schultz to run as a third-party candidate. Bloomberg said in March that he has ruled out a run. Schultz has said he is " seriously thinking" about it.

So would Buffett want to throw his support - and some of his nearly $90 billion in net worth - behind another candidate? Maybe former vice president and Democratic front runner Joe Biden?

It's not too soon to ask. But don't be surprised if Buffett doesn't want to tip his hand just yet.

Warren Buffett said recently he's looking for an "elephant" of a deal to help Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio fly higher.

The Oracle of Omaha wrote in his latest annual shareholder letter in February that he's itching to make a sizable acquisition.

Buffett conceded that the likelihood of an imminent deal is remote because the stock market rally has made most takeover targets prohibitively expensive.

"Prices are sky-high for businesses possessing decent long-term prospects," he wrote, adding that this "disappointing reality" will likely mean that Berkshire will add to its pile of cash.

We continue, nevertheless, to hope for an elephant-sized acquisition," Buffett said.

What we're covering here

Berkshire Hathaway's (BRKB) annual shareholder meeting is on Saturday.

Thousands of Berkshire shareholders travel long distances to hear what famed billionaire investor Warren Buffett thinks about the stock market and the economy as a whole.

Berkshire Hathaway's ( BRKB) annual shareholder meeting takes place in a giant arena in Omaha. CNN Business' Paul La Monica is in the exhibit hall, where investors and fans alike can see products from dozens of Berkshire-owned companies, like Coca-Cola ( KO) and Duracell.

Here's what it's like on the ground:

Berkshire owns nearly 27% of Kraft Heinz ( KHC). The stock has plunged nearly 20% this year.

Coca-Cola is one of Buffett's favorite stocks.

Berkshire Hathaway bought the battery company in 2014.

Tens of thousands have descended on this Nebraska city to watch Warren Buffett talk about the market and economy at the Berkshire Hathaway () annual shareholder meeting Saturday.

Here are some of the likely talking points for Buffett and Berkshire vice chairman Charlie Munger.

Amazon (AMZN): Buffett just revealed that Berkshire bought some shares after shunning it for two decades

Apple (AAPL): It's now Berkshire's top holding.

Kraft Heinz (KHC): Does the Oracle Of Omaha think the struggling company can turn things around?

Wells Fargo (WFC): Who does Buffett think the bank should hire to fix its fake accounts mess?

Has Warren Buffett lost his magic touch?

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway's ( BRKB) has lagged the broader market this year. The stock is up just 7% in 2019, compared to a nearly 18% gain for the S&P 500.

Several of Buffett's favorite stocks - most notably Wells Fargo ( WFC) and Coca-Cola ( KO) - have underperformed. Another top pick, Kraft Heinz ( KHC), has been an outright disaster, plunging more than 20% this year.

Buffett and Berkshire vice chair Charlie Munger will probably face questions from investors about those struggling stocks, possible Berkshire acquisitions and succession plans at the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting in Omaha this weekend.
Click here for some top questions that should be on the minds of the Berkshire Hathaway faithful.

Warren Buffett revealed on Thursday that Berkshire Hathaway( BRKB) has been buying Amazon shares.

The exact amount will be disclosed in Berkshire's quarterly report to the Securities and Exchange Commission that's filed later this month.

Buffett is well-known for not being the biggest fan of tech stocks.

But he has made no secret of his admiration for Amazon ( AMZN) and Jeff Bezos, repeatedly praising the e-commerce company and its chief executive during past Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meetings.

Yeah, I've been a fan, and I've been an idiot for not buying" Amazon shares, Buffett told CNBC earlier this week.

Warren Buffett has said he's ready to invest in Britain. Even for the legendary investor, that could be a tough bet.

Buffett's record in the United Kingdom is spotty.

He's referred to his investment in supermarket chain Tesco ( TSCDF) as a "big mistake." And an attempt by Berkshire Hathaway ( BRKB)-backed Kraft Heinz to buy Unilever in 2017 collapsed after the consumer goods giant said it wasn't interested.

Still, Buffett has made it clear that he's eager to plow some of Berkshire's cash into a huge deal, and that Britain remains on the table.

🇬🇧 Here are some companies he could target.

Warren Buffett hasn't been shy about politics.

He publicly backed Hillary Clinton in 2016 and has been critical of some of President Donald Trump's tax cuts even though Berkshire Hathaway has benefited from them.

Buffett told CNBC in February that he'd back fellow billionaire Michael Bloomberg if he ran for president.

He also said he thought it would be a bad idea for former Starbucks () CEO Howard Schultz to run as a third-party candidate. Bloomberg said in March that he has ruled out a run. Schultz has said he is " seriously thinking" about it.

So would Buffett want to throw his support - and some of his nearly $90 billion in net worth - behind another candidate? Maybe former vice president and Democratic front runner Joe Biden?

It's not too soon to ask. But don't be surprised if Buffett doesn't want to tip his hand just yet.

Warren Buffett said recently he's looking for an "elephant" of a deal to help Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio fly higher.

The Oracle of Omaha wrote in his latest annual shareholder letter in February that he's itching to make a sizable acquisition.

Buffett conceded that the likelihood of an imminent deal is remote because the stock market rally has made most takeover targets prohibitively expensive.

"Prices are sky-high for businesses possessing decent long-term prospects," he wrote, adding that this "disappointing reality" will likely mean that Berkshire will add to its pile of cash.

We continue, nevertheless, to hope for an elephant-sized acquisition," Buffett said.

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What's happening at Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting 2019: Live updates

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What we're covering here What we're covering here Berkshire Hathaway's (BRKB) annual shareholder meeting is on Saturday. Thousands of Berkshire shareholders travel long distances to hear what famed billionaire investor Warren Buffett thinks about the stock market and the economy as a whole.

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The article explained that Burger King has introduced new happy meals which claim that not all people are happy all the time for mental health awareness. Should retail be involved with psychological issues?

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burger king spoofs mcdonald's with not-so-happy meals - cnn video

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Burger King spoofs McDonald's with not-so-Happy Meals - CNN Video

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Burger King is rolling out Real Meals like the Pissed Meal and DGAF Meal. The ploy aims to bring awareness to mental illnesses and let its customers know that "no one is happy all the time".

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The article focused on Tesla's impact on solar energy as Tesla has solar power costing less than the national average. Should Tesla invest more into solar cars?

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why tesla is offering rock-bottom solar panel prices - cnn

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Why Tesla is offering rock-bottom solar panel prices

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Tesla's solar ambitions sometimes feel like they've been lost in the shuffle as Elon Musk focuses on building electric cars, devising robo-taxis and fighting with the SEC.

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The article explained that Walmart will be including AI technology in the stores, which will check for old fruits, and call for employees when the checkout lines are getting long. Should Walmart invest lots of money into this?

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Who's minding the store? In the not-too-distant future it could be cameras and sensors that can tell almost instantly when bruised bananas need to be swapped for fresh ones and more cash registers need to open before lines get too long.

Walmart, which faces fierce competition from Amazon and other online retailers, is experimenting with digitizing its physical stores to manage them more efficiently, keep costs under control and make the shopping experience more pleasant. On Thursday, the retail giant officially opens its Intelligent Retail Lab inside a 50,000-square-foot Neighborhood Market grocery store on Long Island.

Thousands of cameras suspended from the ceiling, combined with other technology like sensors on shelves, will monitor the store in real time so workers can quickly replenish products or fix other problems.

The technology, shown first to The Associated Press, will also be able to spot spills, track when shelves need to be restocked and know when shopping carts are running low. Cameras, for example, can determine how ripe bananas are from their color, and workers will get an alert on their phone if they need to be replaced.

Walmart's deep dive into artificial intelligence in its physical store comes as Amazon raised the stakes in the grocery business with its purchase of Whole Foods Market nearly two years ago.

That's put more pressure on Walmart and other traditional retailers like Kroger and Albertsons to pour money into technology in their stores. At the same time, they're trying to keep food prices down and manage expenses. Amazon has been rolling out cashier-less Amazon Go stores , which have shelf sensors that track the 1,000 products on their shelves.

Walmart's online U.S. sales are still a fraction of Amazon's online global merchandise empire, which reached $122.98 billion last year. But Walmart says more than 140 million U.S. shoppers visit a store in person or online per week, creating a treasure trove of data. In its latest fiscal year ended Jan. 31, Walmart generated more than $500 billion in overall sales globally.

Walmart hopes to start scaling some of the new technology at other stores in the next six months, with an eye toward lower costs and thus lower prices. As the shopping experience improves, the retailer expects to see higher sales.

"We really like to think of this store as an artificial intelligence factory, a place where we are building these products, experiences, where we are testing and learning," said Mike Hanrahan, CEO of Walmart's Intelligent Retail Lab and co-founder of Jet.com, purchased by Walmart three years ago.

Hanrahan says the cameras are programmed to focus primarily on the products and shelves right now. Sensors embedded in shelves will give the store extra information because they know what's at the back of the shelves that the cameras can't see.

Cameras do not recognize faces, determine the ethnicity of a person picking up a product or track the movement of shoppers, he says.

Some other companies have recently started experimenting with store shelf cameras that try to guess shoppers' ages, genders and moods.

There are signs throughout the Neighborhood Market educating shoppers about how it is being used as a lab. Still, the cameras could raise privacy concerns.

"Machine learning fundamentally finds and matches patterns," says Steven M. Bellovin, a computer science professor at Columbia University and a privacy expert, who hasn't seen the new Walmart AI Lab. But he says companies run into trouble when they start to match behavior to a specific customer.

Hanrahan says Walmart has made sure to protect shoppers' privacy and emphasized that there are no cameras at the pharmacy, in front of the rest rooms or in employee breakrooms.

The lab is Walmart's second in a physical store. Last year, Walmart's Sam's Club opened a 32,000 square foot lab store, a quarter of the size of a typical Sam's Club. The lab is testing new features surrounding the Scan & Go App, which lets customers scan items as they shop and then buy from their phones, skipping the checkout line.

The retail lab is the third project from Walmart's new incubation arm, created after the Jet.com acquisition as a way for the discounter to shape the future of retail.

It follows the launch of Jetblack, a shopping by text service aimed at affluent shoppers in New York. Walmart's second incubation project was Spatial&, a VR tech company. As part of the launch, it's bringing tractor-trailers to some of Walmart parking lots so customers can experience DreamWorks Animation's "How to Train Your Dragon" through virtual reality.

Hanrahan says the company is embracing the labs in stores to better understand the real ways that technology affects customers and workers. It also wants to educate shoppers. Walmart has made a point to not hide the technology, and small educational kiosks are set up throughout the Neighborhood Market. Shoppers can peer through a glass enclosed data center at the back of the store. It houses nine cooling towers, 100 servers and other computer equipment that processes all the data.

Despite the signs and visible cameras, many shoppers, including Marcy Seinberg from Wantagh, New York, didn't seem to notice or care.

"I am not bothered by it," Seinberg said. "If technology saves me money, I would be interested."

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Walmart experiments with AI to monitor stores in real time

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Who's minding the store? In the not-too-distant future it could be cameras and sensors that can tell almost instantly when bruised bananas need to be swapped for fresh ones and more cash registers need to open before lines get too long.