Trump's donors, a Disney-Starbucks collab, and Spirit Airlines after bankruptcy: Business news roundup

Starbucks is looking to reignite consumer interest by teaming up with Disney for a limited-edition Minnie Mouse-themed collection.

The 24-ounce stainless steel cold cup, priced at $45, features a satin red metallic base, white polka dots, and Minnie’s face. Alongside the cold cup, Starbucks is also offering a $50 Minnie Mouse Steel Travel Tumbler, which bears a striking resemblance to Stanley’s popular Quenchers.

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Taco Bell (YUM) is expanding its Luxe Cravings Boxes to attract budget-conscious consumers grappling with inflation.

Starting Jan. 16, the Tex-Mex chain will launch new $5, $7, and $9 Luxe Cravings Boxes as it looks to solidify its position in the fierce “value wars.” The new promotion builds on the success of the $7 option introduced in Jun 2024.

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John Deere is going all in on autonomous tractors.

The company, which first introduced a driverless vehicle in 2022, said self-driving machines will revolutionize the field and address labor shortages. It will soon be selling self-driving dump trucks, more driverless tractors, and a robot lawn mower.

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Spirit Airlines may not have a lot of money at the moment, but it hopes it can at least get some attention. Ad Age reports that the bankrupt carrier is rolling out a new ad campaign titled “More Fly.”

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President-elect Donald Trump is set to break another record: the most cash ever received by a presidential inauguration committee.

According to ABC News, the Trump-Vance inaugural committee is on track to surpass its $150 million fundraising goal as pledges pile up.

Taken at face value, that’s a lot of money. But it means a lot more when compared to the fundraising totals racked up by Trump’s 2017 inaugural committee and President Joe Biden’s 2021 committee.

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El Lilly’s (LLY) blockbuster weight-loss drug Zepbound is now eligible for Medicare coverage. The news could significantly expand access to the popular, yet costly treatment.

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While campaigning for Donald Trump in October, Elon Musk claimed he could slash “at least $2 trillion” in government spending. Now that Musk has started laying the groundwork for his so-called “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, he’s not as confident.

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Disney (DIS) announced on Monday that it will be merging its Hulu + Live TV business with FuboTV (FUBO). The deal will allow Disney to continue with its sports streaming joint venture with Fox Corp. (FOX) and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD).

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Starbucks (SBUX) is adding several new items to its menu in a bid to boost sales and attract customers, many of whom are feeling the pinch of rising prices. After a series of disappointing earnings reports in 2024, the coffee giant’s new strategy could help compete in the “value wars” gripping the fast food sector.

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Mark Zuckerberg’s metamorphosis from liberal tech titan to libertarian Donald Trump ally is gaining steam.

Zuckerberg on Tuesday announced a series of major changes to Meta’s (META) content moderation practices that resembled those of Elon Musk’s X, mirroring his rival’s free-wheeling, hands-off approach to information on digital platforms. Instead of employing dozens of third-party fact-checkers to keep misinformation in check, Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, and Threads will rely on crowd-sourced contributions from active users.

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