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Mustard and hot dogs just seem to go together — but which mustard? There are so many. The National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wis., has 5,975 mustards in its collection — and sells more than 450 of them. But then there are a lot of dogs out there waiting to be slathered with mustard. Americans will eat 150 million hot dots on July Fourth alone, according to an estimate by the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, a Washington, D.C.-based industry group. Twelve mustards were put to a blind comparison, starting with yellow mustard, the traditional go-to for hot dogs. Then we added brown, Dijon and deli mustards because they represent popular varieties. This was a blind tasting, meaning those who took part didn’t know which mustard was which. Each taster was asked to sample and rate each mustard on its own, assessing appearance, aroma, texture and flavor. They were then asked to rate the mustards with a hot dog. We used a top-selling national brand, Oscar Mayer Classic Wieners, made with chicken, turkey and pork.

Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant, which makes the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs, was been closed for much of the spring, idling about 5,200 employees working three shifts. It reopened in June, but shut down again this month, with plans to resume two shifts beginning Aug. 2, Ford spokeswoman Kelli Felker said.

U.S. cases of COVID-19 last week increased by 17,000 nationwide over a 14-day period for the first time since late fall, and an increase in death historically follows a spike in illness. Much of the worsening problem is being driven by the delta variant first identified in India, that has since hit the United Kingdom and other countries, said U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

At Kohl’s, kids’ apparel sales have been solid because kids needed to replace clothes they’ve outgrown even if they are taking virtual classes, but the broader return to in-person education means there’s “an added layer of excitement,” chief merchandising officer Doug Howe said in a statement.

Foxtrot’s blend of a convenience store and cafe fits with a trend toward “blurred lines” between different types of dining options that accelerated during the pandemic, when fine dining restaurants offered takeout and some restaurants sold packaged goods along with meals, said David Henkes, senior principal at Technomic, a Chicago-based food service research and consulting firm.

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, July 19, 2021. Stocks are falling sharply Monday as worries sweep from Wall Street to Sydney that the worsening pandemic in hotspots around the world will derail what’s been a strong economic recovery. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) (Richard Drew/AP)

Retired Chicago Cubs starting pitcher and Marquee Sports Network analyst Ryan Dempster paid $2.125 million to buy a six-bedroom French Provincial-style mansion in Wilmette from former Crate & Barrel CEO Sascha Bopp. Dempster then had a change of heart and placed the home back on the market for $2.2 million just a few days later. – Original Credit: VHT Studios (VHT Studios / HANDOUT)

A hiring sign is displayed at a retail store in Schaumburg, Ill., Thursday, July 15, 2021. The recession that broke out with onset of the coronavirus pandemic officially ended in April, making it the shortest downturn on record, according to the committee of economists that determines when recessions begin and end. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)

The companies include HR Sherpaz, a Wisconsin-based firm with leaders who have consulted for Panera Bread, an 89-store Pizza Hut chain and Burlington department stores; and Uplifting Impact, which offers DEI coaching and training on unconscious bias and microaggressions. Uplifting Impact, a minority- and woman-owned business, is certified by the Intercultural Development Inventory, which specializes in intercultural competence.

People sit under Delta sign at Salt Lake City International Airport on July 1, 2021, in Salt Lake City. Air travel in the United States hit another pandemic-era record over the weekend as vacationers jammed airports, but shares of airlines, cruise lines, hotels and almost anything else related to travel are tumbling on growing concerns about highly contagious variants of coronavirus. (Rick Bowmer/AP)