Whoa, baby! The real story behind the adorable star of 'Fantastic Four'

<p>-

  • Whoa, baby! The real story behind the adorable star of 'Fantastic Four'</p>

<p>Brian Truitt, USA TODAYJuly 31, 2025 at 6:21 PM</p>

<p>Spoiler alert! We're discussing important plot points and the ending of "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" (in theaters now), so beware if you haven't seen it yet.</p>

<p>"The Fantastic Four: First Steps" brings a superpowered quartet into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but there's an important fifth member of that group: an adorable hero baby.</p>

<p>Directed by Matt Shakman, the newest Marvel movie is a retrofuturistic sci-fi adventure in which the Fantastic Four deal with the arrival of a world-devouring giant called Galactus (Ralph Ineson). He'll spare Earth if he can have the baby son of superhero couple Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) and Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby). The Fantastic Four choose to fight, and little Franklin (Ada Scott) becomes a key figure in the action-packed climax.</p>

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<p>Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) brings son Franklin Richards (Ada Scott) into their world in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps."</p>

<p>The MCU is famous for its top-notch casting, and finding the right baby was as significant to Shakman as choosing his other main actors. "We knew that the baby would ultimately probably be the biggest challenge of the movie," he says. "Just because it's a little bit easier to pull off a Silver Surfer than it is a baby who needs to be a big part of these emotional scenes."</p>

<p>Filmmakers went down two different roads. Several babies were brought in for production purposes because they could only have youngsters on the set for short periods of time. (For example, they used a three-week-old infant for Sue's zero-gravity space birth.) At the same time, Shakman also needed to cast a "hero baby," which involve screen testing a bunch of kids, looking for the right one to be a scene partner for the A-list stars.</p>

<p>Who is the baby in 'Fantastic Four'?</p>

<p>They ultimately cast Ada, a little British girl who was 3 months old during filming. "She has so much charisma," Shakman says. "There's so much intelligence in those eyes. Those eyes look just like Vanessa's eyes, they're kind of extraordinary in that way."</p>

<p>Ada's face was scanned "extensively multiple times" so that they could build a CGI model of her to use in effects-heavy action scenes or put on top of other babies' bodies for sequences that filmed over multiple nights, like Sue's big speech outside of the Baxter Building.</p>

<p>But the real Ada wowed Shakman in a couple of key emotional scenes. One featured just her and Pascal, as Reed Richards tells his son that he doesn't want Franklin to be like him and talks about his insecurities to the child. "She's looking at him with such understanding but also curiosity," the director says.</p>

<p>Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal, left) and wife Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) aim to keep their newborn son Franklin (Ada Scott) safe from a cosmic menace in Marvel's "The Fantastic Four: First Steps."Is the baby in 'Fantastic Four' CGI?</p>

<p>The other major scene is at the end, where Franklin – who's embued with the "Power Cosmic," a big deal in Marvel lore – resurrects his mom after she dies in battle defeating Galactus.</p>

<p>"She showed up to play" that day, Shakman says of Ada. "It was a really important moment, and Ada knew it was time to turn it on. It was kind of crazy. She seemed to understand, and I don't know how, what the scene was about. She was fully engaged with Vanessa, she was hyperfocused. Her little hands going down on the chest, that's her. The clapping after Vanessa comes back to life, that's her. That's all in camera."</p>

<p>Behind the camera, Shakman had plenty of help with all things baby, too. There was an assistant director whose job was to find the various babies used for filming, while production assistants "would sometimes jump in with toys trying to get eye lines to work," Shakman says. Plus, there was a teacher or welfare worker on the set with the babies, along with the mom, dad and/or primary caregiver. In fact, Ada's mom sometimes dressed up in Kirby's supersuit to help get shots early on during filming.</p>

<p>By the time the movie finished, Ada "was very comfy crawling around on Vanessa," Shakman says. And Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who played the motion-capture role of the Thing, also acted as "an on-camera baby wrangler."</p>

<p>While Shakman loves working with babies, there are times when they aren't always in the best mood or dozing off or upset because they're hungry. "But I got so lucky," the director says. "I had this really special baby who delivered an incredible performance and I still don't know how it happened. So I thank the movie gods for that."</p>

<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who plays Franklin, Reed and Sue's baby, in 'Fantastic Four'?</p>

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Whoa, baby! The real story behind the adorable star of 'Fantastic Four'

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Some companies held off on price hikes as Trump delayed tariffs. That ends soon.

<p>-

  • Some companies held off on price hikes as Trump delayed tariffs. That ends soon.</p>

<p>Emily LorschJuly 31, 2025 at 5:38 PM</p>

<p>Companies behind the best-known brands are sounding the alarm: Prices are going up.</p>

<p>Hershey, Procter & Gamble and Mondelēz have said price adjustments will soon start showing up on store shelves. For shoppers, that could mean higher prices for popular items like Bounty paper towels, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Clif Bars.</p>

<p>Numerous companies told analysts and investors on recent earnings calls that higher tariffs are going to hike costs. In many cases, that will translate to higher prices for consumers.</p>

<p>Concerns about inflation persist even though price growth has come down considerably from its heights during the Biden administration. On Thursday, the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation gauge climbed more than expected. The personal consumption expenditures price index, a measure of consumer spending on goods and services, rose 2.6% from a year ago. Analysts were expecting a rise of 2.5%.</p>

<p>Experts have warned that elevated tariffs would mean higher prices on consumers, but President Donald Trump's delays mean some of the most expansive and aggressive tariffs have yet to be implemented.</p>

<p>That changes Friday, when Trump's reworked global tariffs take effect after he suspended them in mid-April. Some are as high as 50% for countries like Brazil, while others are 15% to 30% for the European Union and countries like South Korea, Japan and India.</p>

<p>Proceeds from tariffs that Trump has already implemented are indeed bringing in additional revenue to the U.S. Treasury. In June, $27.2 billion landed into its coffers. In May, it was $22.8 billion.</p>

<p>And Trump and his administiration have stressed that tariffs can bring jobs back to the U.S. while generating revenue that can pay down the U.S. debt or end up in taxpayers' pockets.</p>

<p>"President Trump's tariff policies have drawn historic investments and opened up global markets for U.S. businesses," Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick posted Wednesday on X.</p>

<p>Trump has also announced deals with a handful of major U.S. trading partners including South Korea, Pakistan, the E.U., Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan, though details of some of the deals remain largely unknown.</p>

<p>In North America, Procter & Gamble recently announced price adjustments on about 25% of its products, which will go into effect in the next few months. It said the average increase will be roughly 2.5%, broadly in line with overall inflation.</p>

<p>"These adjustments reflect a mix of factors, including higher raw-material and supply-chain costs, investments in product innovation and the impact of recently announced tariffs," a spokesperson said.</p>

<p>The global snacking giant Mondelēz, which is behind brands such as Oreo and Ritz, also announced incremental pricing to take effect in the coming months.</p>

<p>"We are clearly at a point in time where we see inflation going up," Chief Financial Officer Luca Zaramella said.</p>

<p>Zaramella said the price of raw materials is rising, especially as it relates to cocoa.</p>

<p>Hershey, too, is seeing the effects of the spike in its essential ingredient. It said in a statement that its price adjustment with retail customers is not related to tariffs or trade policies but instead reflects "the reality of rising ingredient costs including the unprecedented cost of cocoa."</p>

<p>Cocoa prices have skyrocketed more than 165% over the last two years.</p>

<p>For years, "we've worked hard to absorb these costs and continue to make 75% of our product portfolio available to consumers for under $4.00, ensuring that Hershey treats stay accessible and affordable for families everywhere," the company said.</p>

<p>The apparel sector is also feeling the pressure and warning of price hikes. The German sportswear giant Adidas said Wednesday that it might have to raise prices, in the United States only, because of the significant impact tariffs will have on the company's cost of U.S. goods. Adidas reported tariffs would add around 200 million euros ($231 million) in costs in the second half of this year.</p>

<p>"What we can say is we will not be the price leaders. We will move slowly and see what is happening in the market," CEO Bjørn Gulden said on an earnings call.</p>

<p>Many more companies are also reporting dented profits due to Trump's tariffs.</p>

<p>On Tuesday, Stanley Black & Decker said it expects to incur an $800 million annualized impact from policy changes that are tied to tariffs. And Conagra Brands said tariffs are likely to raise costs of goods sold by 3%, which would be an annual increase of more than $200 million, according to its CEO, Sean Connolly.</p>

<p>The auto industry seems to be making adjustments, as well. Elon Musk's Tesla said costs as a result of tariffs have increased about $300 million, and General Motors said earnings before interest and taxes in this most recent quarter dropped by $1.1 billion, which it attributed to tariffs.</p>

<p>Ford said Wednesday that it sees up to a $3 billion impact from tariffs but expects to be able to offset $1 billion of that.</p>

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Apple revenue forecast beats estimates, tariff costs projected at $1.1 billion

<p>-

  • Apple revenue forecast beats estimates, tariff costs projected at $1.1 billion</p>

<p>Stephen Nellis and Akash SriramJuly 31, 2025 at 3:30 PM</p>

<p>By Stephen Nellis and Akash Sriram</p>

<p>SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Apple forecast revenue for the current quarter ending in September well above Wall Street's estimates on Thursday, sending shares up despite a warning from CEO Tim Cook that U.S. tariffs would add $1.1 billion in costs over the period.</p>

<p>As the centerpiece of U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war, those tariffs cost Apple $800 million in the June quarter and spurred some customers to buy iPhones in late spring this year. Those purchases helped Apple's fiscal third-quarter sales beat expectations by the biggest percentage in at least four years, according to LSEG.</p>

<p>The company still forecast growth, though, with Chief Financial Officer Kevan Parekh saying the company expects revenue growth for the current quarter in the "mid to high single digits," which would exceed the 3.27% growth to $98.04 billion that analysts expected, according to LSEG data.</p>

<p>Apple reported $94.04 billion in revenue for its fiscal third quarter ended on June 28, up nearly 10% from a year earlier and beating analyst expectations of $89.54 billion, according to LSEG data. Its earnings per share of $1.57 topped expectations for $1.43 per share.</p>

<p>Apple shares were up 3% in after-hours trading, extending gains after Apple provided its forecast.</p>

<p>Sales of iPhones, the best-selling product for the company based in Cupertino, California, were up 13.5% to $44.58 billion, beating analyst expectations of $40.22 billion.</p>

<p>Apple has been shifting production of products bound for the U.S., sourcing iPhones from India and other products such as Macs and Apple Watches from Vietnam.</p>

<p>The ultimate tariff rates many Apple products could face remain in flux, and many of its products are currently exempt. Sales in its Americas segment, which includes the U.S. and could face tariff impacts, rose 9.3% to $41.2 billion.</p>

<p>In Greater China, where Apple has faced long delays in approval to introduce AI features on its devices, sales were $15.37 billion, up from a year ago and above expectations of $15.12 billion, according to a survey of five analysts from data firm Visible Alpha.</p>

<p>That gain was a turnaround from a year-over-year decline in China sales in the March quarter.</p>

<p>In a conference call with analysts, Cook said some of that was due to a subsidy program in China to help revive the smartphone market, which boosted some of Apple's products.</p>

<p>"It was the first full quarter of the subsidy playing out," Cook told analysts.</p>

<p>In an interview with Reuters, Cook said the company set seasonal records for upgrades of iPhones, Macs and Apple Watches. He said Apple estimates about 1 percentage point of its 9.6% of sales growth in the quarter was attributable to customers making purchases ahead of potential tariffs.</p>

<p>"We saw evidence in the early part of the quarter, specifically, of some pull-ahead related to the tariff announcements," Cook told Reuters, though he also said the active user base for iPhones hit a record high in all geographies.</p>

<p>The U.S. is still negotiating with both China and India, with Trump saying India could face 25% tariffs as early as Friday. However, analysts said India could still retain cost advantages for Apple in the longer term.</p>

<p>"The pull-forward in demand due to tariffs was somewhat expected given the uncertainty around pricing. However, it's important to put this in context as this is typically a slow quarter for Apple, yet they still delivered exceptional results with iPhone growth," Emarketer analyst Jacob Bourne said.</p>

<p>Tariffs are only one of Apple's challenges. The company faces competition from rivals such as Samsung Electronics Co in a tough market for premium-priced mobile phones. On the software front, Apple faces challenges from Alphabet, which is quickly weaving AI features into its competing Android operating system.</p>

<p>While AI leaders Microsoft and Nvidia have seen their stock market values soar to record highs, Apple's shares have fallen 17% in 2025, with investors concerned about the impact of tariffs, and about what they view as slow progress integrating AI features into its products.</p>

<p>Apple has delayed the release of an AI-enriched version of Siri, its virtual assistant, but Cook said the company is "making good progress on a personalized Siri." He also said Apple, which has thus far not engaged in the massive capital expenditures of its Big Tech rivals to pursue AI, is "significantly growing" its investments in artificial intelligence.</p>

<p>"Apple has always been about taking the most advanced technologies and making them easy to use and accessible for everyone, and that's at the heart of our AI strategy," Cook said.</p>

<p>Apple faces regulatory rulings in Europe that threaten to undermine its lucrative App Store business. Apple said sales from its services business, which includes the App Store as well as music and cloud storage, were $27.42 billion, topping analyst expectations of $26.8 billion.</p>

<p>Sales of wearables such as AirPods and Apple Watches were $7.4 billion, missing estimates of $7.82 billion. Mac sales of $8.05 billion beat expectations of $7.26 billion, while iPads hit $6.58 billion in sales, missing expectations of $7.24 billion.</p>

<p>Apple said gross margins were 46.5% in the fiscal third quarter, beating analyst expectations of 45.9%, according to LSEG estimates. The company forecast gross margins for the current quarter of 46% to 47%, with the entire range above estimates of 45.9%, according to LSEG data.</p>

<p>(Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San FranciscoEditing by Noel Randewich, Rod Nickel and Tom Hogue)</p>

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Dunkin's new ad about a celeb's 'genetics' draws comparisons to Sydney Sweeney

<p>-

  • Dunkin's new ad about a celeb's 'genetics' draws comparisons to Sydney Sweeney</p>

<p>KiMi Robinson, USA TODAY July 31, 2025 at 5:58 PM</p>

<p>It's becoming the summer of dunkin' on brands.</p>

<p>Social media users are scrutinizing a new social media ad Dunkin', starring "The Summer I Turned Pretty" leading man Gavin Casalegno, with people honing in on the actor mentioning his "genetics" while hawking the company's new drink.</p>

<p>"Look, I didn't ask to be the king of summer. It just kinda happened," the 25-year-old says in the video shared July 29. "This tan? Genetics. I just got my color analysis back. Guess what? Golden summer. Literally.</p>

<p>"I can't help it; every time I drink a Dunkin' Golden Hour Refresher, it's like the sun just finds me," he continues. "So if sipping these refreshers makes me the king of summer? Guilty as charged."</p>

<p>View this post on Instagram</p>

<p>A post shared by Dunkin' (@dunkin)</p>

<p>USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Dunkin' and Casalegno for comment.</p>

<p>The messaging has divided social media, with some doubling down on their support of the coffee chain while others are drawing parallels to American Eagle's "genes" campaign starring Sydney Sweeney.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, a few people are left confused by the ad's script, with one Reddit user writing: "Not a single part of this ad makes sense? It's literally just word salad." One TikTok commenter wrote: "Genuinely what does a drink have to do with genetics???"</p>

<p>Dunkin' calls the video 'playful'</p>

<p>In a July 29 press release, Dunkin' called the promotion "a playful new social video (titled) 'King of Summer,'" from Casalegno, who'd previously starred in their "Not Just a Snack" campaign. "Casalegno now claims his crown, a playful nod to his effortlessly sunny energy and the golden glow of his order: the Golden Hour Refresher."</p>

<p>For his part, Casalegno said in the press release that said: "There's just something about a summer sunset that makes everything feel a little better, and Dunkin's Golden Hour Refresher really captures that vibe. It's refreshing and kind of just lifts your mood. I've been a Dunkin' fan for years, so teaming up again is such a fun way to celebrate summer."</p>

<p>'Why are ads so obsessed with genetics all of a sudden?'</p>

<p>The promotion of Dunkin's newest offering arrives on the heels of American Eagle's July 23 launch of its new campaign with "Euphoria" star Sweeney, which includes a pair of pants – called "The Sydney Jean" – that raises money for the Crisis Text Line.</p>

<p>In one of the promotional videos, Sweeney playfully interchanges the homophones of "jeans" and "genes," with the campaign's messaging indicating that the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actress from Washington has both "great" jeans and genes. Critics of the slogan have said it evokes the discredited philosophies of eugenics and glorifies whiteness.</p>

<p>The top-voted comment under Dunkin's TikTok post with Casalegno reads: "Why are ads so obsessed with genetics all of a sudden." Some of the other top-rated messages also posit rhetorical questions of the same nature.</p>

<p>"The genetics talk is so damn weird. Sincerely, a white guy," one Instagram comment reads, while another says, "Weird time to drop an ad talking about genetics."</p>

<p>People celebrate 'non-woke' messaging</p>

<p>There's also a contingent of people who are on board with the coffee that "America runs on."</p>

<p>"Guess I'll have to stop by Dunkin and get a drink on my way to go buy a pair of American Eagle jeans! Loving all of this non-woke" messaging," an Instagram commenter writes. Another user seemingly celebrated the release of an ad that reflects similar themes to Sweeney's amid American Eagle's controversy: "I love it! The libs are losing their weak minds."</p>

<p>These comments echo the views of President Donald Trump's administration, which chimed in on the discourse when White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, on July 29, wrote on X that "This warped, moronic and dense liberal thinking is a big reason why Americans voted the way they did in 2024."</p>

<p>Marcus Collins, clinical assistant professor of marketing at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, previously told USA TODAY that in the case of some brand launches, the scrutiny may be the point. In 2025, the language comes amid a zeitgeist defined by major brands rolling back diversity and inclusive initiatives, according to Collins.</p>

<p>"This feels pretty on brand for (companies) these days," Collins said.</p>

<p>Contributing: Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY</p>

<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dunkin' ad with Gavin Casalegno draws comparisons to Sydney Sweeney</p>

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Dunkin's new ad about a celeb's 'genetics' draws comparisons to Sydney Sweeney

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MLB trade deadline: Rangers acquire pitcher Merrill Kelly from Diamondbacks, who continue sell-off

<p>-

  • MLB trade deadline: Rangers acquire pitcher Merrill Kelly from Diamondbacks, who continue sell-off</p>

<p>Ian CasselberryJuly 31, 2025 at 11:38 PM</p>

<p>The Arizona Diamondbacks' sell-off continued Thursday with starting pitcher Merrill Kelly being traded to the Texas Rangers, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported.</p>

<p>Kelly, who turns 37 on Oct. 14, provides another reliable arm for the Rangers' veteran starting rotation, joining Jacob deGrom, Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi. He has been the D-backs' most consistent starter this season, compiling a 3.22 ERA over 22 starts with 121 strikeouts in 128 2/3 innings.</p>

<p>The Rangers' starting pitchers have the best ERA in MLB at 3.16, led by deGrom (10-3, 2.55 ERA) throwing like the ace who won NL Rookie of the Year and two Cy Young Awards with the New York Mets. Corbin (3.78 ERA) has experienced a career resurgence after struggling the past five seasons with the Washington Nationals. And Eovaldi (9-3, 1.49 ERA) has been one of the best starters in baseball the past six seasons.</p>

<p>Texas (57-52) is a postseason contender, tied with the Seattle Mariners for second in the AL West, five games behind the Houston Astros. The Rangers and Mariners are also tied for the AL's third wild-card playoff berth, 2.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians and three ahead of the Kansas City Royals and Tampa Bay Rays.</p>

<p>In exchange for Kelly, who can be a free agent after the season, the D-backs will receive Triple-A left-hander Kohl Drake, Double-A arm Mitch Bratt and Single-A pitcher David Hagaman. Drake, 25, was ranked as the Rangers' No. 5 prospect by MLB.com, while Bratt, 22, was No. 9 and Hagaman, 22, was No. 13.</p>

<p>Kelly was a late bloomer as an MLB pitcher, an eighth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010 after he was drafted the previous two years by the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians but didn't sign. He played nine years in the minors before making his major-league debut with the D-backs in 2019.</p>

<p>In his seven-year MLB career, Kelly has a 3.74 ERA and 62-50 record, averaging 8.2 strikeouts and 2.7 walks per nine innings. He's two seasons removed from his best year in 2023, when he registered a 3.29 ERA and 12-8 record in 30 starts, adding 187 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings.</p>

<p>Kelly was the fourth regular to be dealt from Arizona leading up to the MLB trade deadline. First baseman Josh Naylor began the D-backs' trade season by going to the Seattle Mariners last week. That was followed by outfielder Randal Grichuk being traded to the Kansas City Royals and third baseman Eugenio Suárez also going to Seattle on Wednesday night.</p>

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MLB trade deadline: Rangers acquire pitcher Merrill Kelly from Diamondbacks, who continue sell-off

<p>- MLB trade deadline: Rangers acquire pitcher Merrill Kelly from Diamondbacks, who continue sell-off</p> ...
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