Episodios

  • Buffett donations, Bezos’ nuptials, racist investors, and Musk is sorry
    Jul 3 2025
    Story of the Week (DR):‘Merica:Elon Musk says he'll form the 'America Party' if Trump's 'insane' spending bill passesTrump says he'll 'look' at deporting Musk as feud reignitesBuffett donates $6B in Berkshire stock to 5 foundations: Lifetime giving tops $60B MM9.43 million shares to the Gates Foundation943,384 shares to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation;660,366 shares to each of three charities led respectively by his children Howard, Susie, and Peter: the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Sherwood Foundation and NoVo FoundationMark Zuckerberg sees 'the beginning of a new era' for humanity in superintelligenceTech Workers Say They're Rapidly Being Replaced by AIBurger King to roll out 1,900-calorie 'yokozuna' burger in sumo collabThe 2,590-yen ($18) Baby Body Burger features five flame-grilled beef patties, four slices of bacon and four slices of cheddar cheeseJeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's Extravagant Wedding Sparks Global Debate on Wealth InequalityThe reportedly $50m affair booked all nine of Venice’s yacht ports, closed parts of the city to the public and forced the relocation of hotel guests to make room for the happy couple.Though Sánchez claims to be “dedicated to fighting climate change”, and Bezos has called the issue “the biggest threat to our planet”, their guests arrived in the City of Bridges via 96 private jets, the most carbon-intensive mode of transportation.If Caitlin Clark’s worth a ‘billion’ to WNBA, why is she paid only a fraction of that?$78,066Average annual salary for NBA players during the 2024-25 season: approximately $12MGoodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Zohran Mamdani’s victory in NYC mayoral primary leaves Wall Street 'alarmed' and 'depressed' MMMM: EU Regulators Propose Integrating ESG Risks into Stress Tests for Banks, Insurers DRThis might be the realest use of ESG data everAssholiest of the Week (MM): Jeff BezosJeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's lavish Venetian wedding by the numbersJeff Bezos Planned $5.4 Billion Amazon Stock Sale on Wedding DayAmazon deploys its 1 millionth robot in a sign of more job automationDisabled Amazon workers in corporate jobs allege ‘systemic discrimination’Proxy seasonBetter than expected, but uncertainty remains: The 2025 US proxy seasonHere’s the summary:The number of shareholder proposals are down in the USBut investor support for the non anti-woke proposals remains steady at around 20% in favor, which is greatNo actions by the SEC have increased in number, but not percentage holding steady at 69% rejected, but companies are still listening to investors through engagementNot in the summary:NOT SINGLE MENTION OF A DIRECTOR VOTEDirector votes make up 98% of global voting - 98%! And proxy season is only shareholder proposals and the anti woke? Are you fucking joking?No mention of the average approval for directors?No mention of the rise of activists - this is the most active year for activist investors in recent memory? Mike Levin has been cataloguing it on the Shareholder Primacy podcast - more activism, larger slates, more wins?Isn’t the story how ISS and Glass Lewis ignore directors unless there’s an activist involved? Or that views on how to measure director performance are shifting?No, the constant story we hear is about the 500 or so shareholder proposals that happen - not the 80,000 active directors that get a voteInvestors are racistPhilippine corporate governance hindered by highly concentrated ownership, OECD saysCONCENTRATED corporate ownership, particularly among family owned listed firms, undermines corporate governance, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said.“These ownership structures often blur the lines between ownership and management, which can lead to the appointment of successors based on family ties or loyalty rather than qualifications, increasing the risk of poor leadership and weak oversight,It said such controlling shareholders may choose to benefit themselves at the expense of minority shareholders through related-party transactions, asset transfers or the appropriation of company resources for personal or familial use.The OECD said corporate governance weaknesses and concentrated ownership structures continue to weigh on investor confidence in some Asian marketsI read the Sweden report - Sweden is majority dual class shareholders held by foundations, with power concentrated amongst white men even though they mandate 40% women on boardsMinority shareholders basically have no real rights, as the companies are owned by a web of family and foundation interests - but OECD said:… a shareholder with practical majority control of the votes in the company can exert significant control, but also that efficient governance requires there to be a shareholder, or a coalition of shareholders, that monitors the company, engages with the board, and proposes and votes on important matters such as the election of board directors. Dual class share structures ...
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    50 m
  • Zaslav’s payday, Tesla’s robotaxi test, AI cash burn “for humanity”, tech boys love defense spending
    Jun 20 2025
    Story of the Week (DR):Warner Bros. Discovery Reworks CEO Pay, Reducing David Zaslav’s Massive Compensation DRDavid Zaslav will take a pay cut after Warner Bros. Discovery splits up—with a big hit to his bonusDavid Zaslav Is Getting a Pay CutWarner Bros to significantly slash CEO David Zaslav’s pay packageWarner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav Pay to Drop After Company SplitDavid Zaslav’s Pay To Be “Substantially” Lowered Ahead Of Split, WBD Says, But CEO Will Still Reap RewardsIf Zaslav hits 100% of his operational and financial goals in the first year after the split, his target pay will be $16.5mn, compared with $37mn in the current contract. If he hits 200% of the targets, it will be as high as $30mn, the company said on Monday.However, the bulk of Zaslav’s future pay will be based on stock options after shareholders rebuked a model based on free cash flow generation.The securities filing made late on Monday said the beleaguered media boss would receive about 24mn in WBD shares that could be purchased for the current $10.16 price.If the share price were to double, the package could eventually be worth nearly $250mn.Two weeks after 60% of Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders rejected CEO David Zaslav’s $52M pay plan, the Compensation Committee restructured his plan using Hollywood’s latest CGI, special effects, and most seasoned stunt doubles: his new plan reduces his annual pay targets significantly–from $37M to $17M if he hits 100% of his targets–but the devil is in the details as he is eligible for $37M if he reaches 200% of his targets and is getting a massive option grant of 21 million shares at an extremely low strike price of around $10 per share, giving him the theoretical opportunity to make $1.4B if Warner Brothers’ share price regains its 2021 high of $77.Boeing’s longest-tenured director Lynn Good joins the Board of Morgan Stanley just two days after the crash of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner in India killed more than 200 people.Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says his company is a 'convenient scapegoat' as European cities protest overtourism“In Barcelona, housing prices rose 60% over the past decade, but Airbnb listings actually decreased. So we can't be the culprits.”Corporate Italy lacks female CEOs, stock exchange head warnsClaudia Parzani, the head of Milan’s stock exchange: Italy lacks women in position of leadership and that’s a cultural issue that the business community needs to fix: “Last year we probably reached the lowest level of female CEOs leading listed companies at Milan’s Stock Exchange.” Of course the article provided no data.Australia's highest-paid CEOs revealed — and the one woman on the listShemara Wikramanayake, the only woman in the top 20, made $30 million as CEO of Macquarie Group.Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: What Is a ‘Fridge Cigarette’? A New Term for Diet Coke Gains Traction. MM DR MM: Lawyers Just Discovered Something About Meta's AI That Could Cost Zuckerberg Untold Billions of DollarsIt spits out large portions of books verbatimMM: Disturbing Test Shows What Happens When Tesla Robotaxi Sees a Child Mannequin Pop Out From Behind a School BusAssholiest of the Week (MM): Musk’s xAI Burns Through $1 Billion a Month as Costs Pile Up DRxAI: $12bn/yr burnWe build AI specifically to advance human comprehension and capabilities.Musk says SpaceX vision for Mars will save humanity as he continues to push human extinction fearsOpenAI: $5bn/yr burnOpenAI is an AI research and deployment company. Our mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.Anthropic: $3bn/yr burnWe strive to make decisions that maximize positive outcomes for humanity in the long run.Act for the global good.Low end estimate to end world hunger per year: $7bnWorld Bank estimate for clean water for all humanity: $150bn/yearNumber of US households without water access: 19mCompliance costs for Clean Air Act: $65bn/yrAnd the great AI investment is getting us…Lowe's CEO says young workers should stay away from the corporate office and close to the cash register"AI isn't going to fix a hole in your roof," Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison said. "It's not going to respond to an electrical issue in your home. It's not going to stop your water heater from leaking."Amazon CEO tells employees to expect cuts to white-collar jobs because of AIAs ChatGPT Linked to Mental Health Breakdowns, Mattel Announces Plans to Incorporate It Into Children's ToysSeems like, like all tech bro toys, they start with “good of humanity” and end with “rich”Dario Amodei net worth: 1.2bnMusk net worth: 406bnAltman net worth: 1.8bnSpotify’s Daniel Ek leads $694 million investment in defense startup Helsing DRPalantir, Meta, OpenAI execs to commission into Army reserve, form ‘Detachment 201’OpenAI wins $200 million U.S. defense contractSpeaking of tech bro middle school manbabies… ever notice how when they’re done building their “innocent” ...
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    1 h y 3 m
  • Kraft de-dyes, Zaslav’s fake pay drop, Amazon’s hour of SAF, Whirlpool finds a woman
    Jun 17 2025
    TraditionalKraft Heinz to remove artificial dyes from U.S. products by end of 2027 SEC Drops Proposed Anti-Greenwashing Fund Disclosure RulesInitially launched by the SEC in 2022, the proposed “Enhanced Disclosures by Certain Investment Advisers and Investment Companies About Environmental, Social, and Governance Investment Practices” rule was designed by the Commission to address the lack of clear rules communicating the ESG attributes of an increasing number of funds marketing themselves using terms such as “green” or “sustainable.”At the time, the Commission said that the lack of consistent and comparable data “makes it difficult for investors to make better informed investment decisions that are in line with their ESG investment goals,” and “may lead to potential greenwashing.”Peru’s Climate Education Revolution: A Blueprint for Global ActionOn World Environment Day 2025, the Government of Peru launched a national initiative to embed climate and environmental education into the country’s school system.This move sets an example for the rest of the world and shows how education can and should be a central part of a country’s climate strategyPresident Dina Ercilia Boluarte led the announcement of a formal agreement between the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM) and the Ministry of Education (MINEDU).Warner Bros. Discovery Reworks CEO Pay, Reducing David Zaslav’s Massive CompensationIf Zaslav hits 100% of his operational and financial goals in the first year after the split, his target pay will be $16.5mn, compared with $37mn in the current contract. If he hits 200% of the targets, it will be as high as $30mn, the company said on Monday.However, the bulk of Zaslav’s future pay will be based on stock options after shareholders rebuked a model based on free cash flow generation.The securities filing made late on Monday said the beleaguered media boss would receive about 24mn in WBD shares that could be purchased for the current $10.16 price.If the share price were to double, the package could eventually be worth nearly $250mn.Bank unveils green loans plan to unlock trillions for climate finance An innovative plan to use public money to back renewable energy loans in the developing world could liberate cash from the private sector for urgently needed climate finance.The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), who developed the proposals, believes the plan could drive tens of billions of new investment in the fledgling green economy in poorer countries within a few years, and could provide the bulk of the $1.3tn in annual climate finance promised to the developing world by 2035.Amazon Buys More than 9 Million Liters of Sustainable Aviation Fuel for Cargo FlightsVenice locals protesting Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's wedding: 'No space for Bezos'Rate the New Woke/DEI Hire:MI6 Names Its First Female Chief, Career Spy Blaise Metrewelifirst woman to lead Britain’s foreign intelligence service in the agency’s 116-year history "C"; most recently the director general of technology and innovation "Q"Whirlpool Corporation Welcomes Judith Buckner to Board of Directorsonly 4th woman on 13-member board with -12% gender influence gap; President of Reynolds Cooking & Baking; other leadership roles including Director of Manufacturing, Plant Manager, Director of Engineering and New Product Development and Vice President of Operations and Engineering. Degree in Chemical Engineering; Whirlpool board knowledge dominated (27%) by Economics and AccountingLynn Good Elected to Morgan Stanley Board of Directorslongest-tenured Boeing director (2015-)Rate How “Good” the Headline Is Speed Round: Trump's $499 smartphone will likely be made in ChinaThe Trump Organization’s newly-announced smartphone will likely be made in China, experts say, despite claims that the device will be manufactured in the U.S.Her Boss Has Been Spelling The Company Name Wrong For Over A Year, So She Anonymously Reports Him To The Board Of DirectorsGeneral Mills CEO Harmening: ‘We don’t sell Cheerios in the morning and then think about sustainability in the afternoon’Companies Bragging About Their AI Furious as Job Applicants Use AI During InterviewsFu Yu’s independent directors resign, leaving CEO as only one on boardFinally, rate how good this should/could be for Free Float Analytics:Half of company directors think their board is of no value to the businessAlmost half (46 percent) of company directors in the US and UK think their boards do not add enough value to their organisation, according to the Board Value Index from Board Intelligence. The Board Value Index is based on responses from more than 200 executive and non-executive directors from companies with over $50 million in turnover across the UK and US. Almost a third (31 percent) of directors surveyed said that their board adds no value at all, with half of that group believing their board is actively holding their organisation back.
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    43 m
  • Boeing crash, Starbucks discovers people, Texas bans Texas, everyone’s a coward (except Hulk Hogan)
    Jun 13 2025
    Story of the Week (DR):Boeing Crash in India Is First Fatal Incident Involving a 787 Jet: Tragedy threatens to throw plane maker’s fragile recovery into question MMBoeing stock slides after Air India 787 Dreamliner crashesAI Overviews hallucinates that Airbus, not Boeing, involved in fatal Air India crash One of the Dreamliners That Gave a Boeing Manager Nightmares Just CrashedWhistleblowers always warned that passengers would pay a price for Boeing’s tyrannical corner-cutting, especially with the planes shipped overseas.Starbucks accelerates new staffing model to all company-owned North American storesStarbucks has launched its biggest hiring spree in history — aimed at finally tackling the number one gripe from frustrated customers. The recruitment blitz— adding as many as 85,000 workers across its 17,000 US locations — is a bold move aimed at slashing long wait times.CEO Brian Niccol, speaking to 14,000 store managers at a Las Vegas event on Wednesday, called it 'the biggest human capital investment in connection in the history of Starbucks.' Five years ago, Starbucks stores averaged 23 employees. Cost-cutting has since trimmed that number down to 18 to 19 — four to five fewer workers per location.Howard Schultz says he ‘did a cartwheel' when Starbucks CEO Niccol coined ‘back to Starbucks' strategyNETFLIX: 78% NO Jay Hoag“In accordance with the Company’s director resignation policy, Mr. Hoag offered his resignation from the Board, conditioned upon Board acceptance. The Nominating and Governance Committee will consider Mr. Hoag’s resignation and recommend to the Board regarding whether to accept or reject the resignation or take other action.”Jay Hoag chairs the Nomination CommitteeThe Nominating and Governance Committee met two times in 2024. Each member attended all the Nominating and Governance Committee meetings held in 2024, other than Mr. Hoag who did not attend one meeting.2024: 9% NO; 2023: 23% NO; 2020: 55% NO; 2017: 49% NO; 2014: 49.7% NO; 2011: 9% NOMGMT proposal to declassify the board 99.6% YESMGMT proposal to eliminate supermajority voting provisions 99.6% YESSay on Pay: 2023: 71% NO; 2022: 73% NOSHP Wins (22?)SHP Lobbying Activity Report/Political Disclosures (2 wins): 2022: 60% YES; 2021 80% YESSHP repeal classified board (6 wins): 2017: 63% YES; 2016: 83% YES; 2015: 80% YES; 2014: 82% YES; 2013: 88% YES; 2012: 78% YESSHP simple majority vote (9 wins): 2022: 58% YES; 2021: 90% YES; 2020: 73% YES; 2019: 88% YES; 2018: 84% YES; 2017: 63% YES; 2016: 82% YES; 2015: 80% YES; 2013: 81% YESSHP majority voting policy (4 wins): 2016: 87% YES; ; 2014: 82% YES; 2013: 81% YES; 2011: 72% YESSHP independent board chair: 2013 (1 win): 73% YESNetflix Director Jay C. Hoag sold 31,750 shares of Netflix stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,252.35, for a total value of $39,762,112.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 63,040 shares of the company's stock, valued at $78,948,144.Why Companies with More Female Board Members Have Better Workplace SafetyThat’s the conclusion of “From the Boardroom to the Jobsite: Female Board Representation and Workplace Safety,” written by a pair of Notre Dame professors and a colleague from Villanova University. Examining government and corporate worker safety data from 266 companies between 2002 to 2011, the trio determined that the number of workplace accidents and injuries tended to be lower at businesses that had higher numbers of women on their boards.Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Rubrik's CEO let 800 employees sit in on board meetings — and he says it supercharged the companyFor the first seven to eight years of building the company, Rubrik's CEO opened board meetings to all staff.Bipul Sinha said as many as 800 staff members tuned in to these meetings.The data management firm went public in April 2024 and is worth $19 billion.MM: McDonald's downgraded on GLP-1 drug worries: Wall Street's top analyst calls MMAssholiest of the Week (MM):One story, three asshole options:Texas DRTexas Removes BlackRock From Energy Boycott Blacklist2022: Texas bans local, state government entities from doing business with firms that “boycott” fossil fuels““Our review focused on the boycott of energy companies…”Bills That Could Have Hurt Renewable Energy Die in Texas LegislatureTexas finalizes $1.8B to build solar, battery, and gas-powered microgrids2025: Texas Leads U.S. Renewable Energy Generation by a Country Mile - since 2019, renewable energy has nearly doubled to account for 30% of Texas energyBlackrockTexas Removes BlackRock From Energy Boycott Blacklist“BlackRock does not boycott fossil fuels — investing over $100 billion in Texas energy companies on behalf of our clients proves that.Fink letter to clients in 2020: Our role as a fiduciary is the foundation of BlackRock’s culture. The commitments we are making today reflect ...
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    52 m
  • Zaslav loses, Texas is put on Texas’s ESG ban list, and a Netflix director is busy
    Jun 10 2025
    DAMION1In our 'Glass Lewis complained that the gum-based equity should vest after being stuck to the bottom of his chair in 5 years and not 3 while ISS said, "shit, it just feels like it might be a lot of money probably"' headline of the week. Warner Discovery Shareholders Vote Against CEO David Zaslav’s Pay In our 'When 52% is way too wimpy and 54% is a step too far' headline of the week. Cement Industry Pledges 53% Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050In our 'Immature college dropout finally realizes full professional potential' headline of the week. Misogyny in the metaverse: is Mark Zuckerberg’s dream world a no-go area for women? In our 'Has this weird kind of taste, almost as if it came from McDonald's' headline of the week. McDonald's McCrispy Strips receive mixed reviews as analysts question impact on upcoming Snack WrapI just like to point out how stupid and serious headlines like this areIn our 'What do you mean I can't take a 24-gallon container of hand sanitizer in my carry-on bag?' headline of the week. Sorry, you can't use your Costco membership card to get through TSAMATT1In our 'Also known as $45,555 per military personnel deployed in LA.' headline of the week. Taser Boss Tops Ranking of Highest-Paid CEOs, With $165 Million. Here’s the List.The marines have been deployed - there are 76 active director veterans tagged in our database, including 6 admirals and 13 former marines. So far, zero statements yet about using the military to quell protests?In our 'We were 91% in favor of you when you were lead independent director with a 24 year tenure and connections to most of the board, but this year, you missed an important meeting where we asked Reed and Ted what we're supposed to do so we call all agree. This is unacceptable. You're fired.' headline of the week. Netflix Shareholders Vote to Oust Jay Hoag, Its Lead Independent Director, but the Board May Decide to Keep HimIn our 'Waltons reject all proposals, but maybe we can make that headline sound better' headline of the week. Walmart, PayPal shareholders reject DEI overhauls as corporate America continues retreat from social issuesOrganization United for Respect racial equity audit: 6.8%. National Center for Public Policy Research's report investigating delays in reversing DEI: 0.4%. But yes, shareholders reject DEI overhauls.In our 'I'm telling mom! Moooooom!' headline of the week. Trump attacks Musk and questions their future ties amid growing feudIn our 'Get some' headline of the week. Lessons in corporate governance from the Trump-Musk spatDAMION2In our 'Men' headline of the week. Women hold 24% of CEO pipeline roles, but just 8% of promotions. What’s going wrong?In our 'Disney teases summer blockbuster movie starring Zac Efron: "Revenge of the College Dropout"' headline of the week. Inside OpenAI’s Plan to Embed ChatGPT Into College Students’ LivesMeta forming new AI lab helmed by Scale AI CEO Alex Wang: MIT dropoutIn our 'Is this why 66% of Americans think that "society is broken" according to an Ipsos survey released this week?' headline of the week. Just one woman has ever founded and led a Fortune 500 company. Here’s her storyThe only woman ever to run a Fortune 500 company she founded was Marion Sandler. She was the cofounder of mortgage lender Golden West Financial, which she led with her husband and co-CEO Herb Sandler for more than four decades. She was one of the first two women CEOs on the Fortune 500 in 1997 In our 'As long as he's not drinking Dr. Pepper I think he'll be ok' headline of the week. Keurig Dr Pepper’s CEO drinks at least 300 milligrams of caffeine per day. Is that safe?Tim Cofer-17% gender influence gap: 3W total of 11% influence2W of 10 execs (one is HR)In our 'Other candidates considered were Dyle T Lick and Tyle L Dick' headline of the week. BJ’s Restaurant announces Lyle D Tick as new president and CEO MATT2In our 'It ISN'T about the middle school manflake dictator' headline of the week. United Airlines Shuts Down Starlink WiFi Service on Its Planes After the Antennaes Caused Problems With Its Jets' EquipmentIn our 'It IS all about the middle school manflake dictator' headline of the week. United Airlines CEO: ‘We’re probably doing more AI than anyone’Just obviously without the antennasIn our 'Texas's attorney general announces Blackrock is no longer woke, but will remain on the "suspiciously Jewish" list' headline of the week. BlackRock Escapes Texas Oil-Boycott List After ESG RetreatIn our 'Texas's attorney general announces they are replacing Blackrock with Texas on Texas's investment ban list going forward' headline of the week. Texas finalizes $1.8B to build solar, battery, and gas-powered microgridsIn our 'There are none reasons' headline of the week. Why Apple iOS 26 might make you want to make phone calls againTim Cook and Arthur Levinson’s greatest innovation yet: call holding.
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    28 m
  • BlackRock back in Texas, pride out everywhere, Zevra’s proxy battle, “reverse discrimination”, and Taser billions
    Jun 6 2025
    Story of the Week (DR):The Baby Billionaire Bromance is Over: Savannah Guthrie Says Elon Musk and Donald Trump Are 'Giving 7th Grade Girl' as President Says Tesla CEO 'Has Lost His Mind'"It's so confusing isn't it? So much going wrong, so much to say, and all of it happening so quickly. The pace of oppression outstrips our ability to understand it. And that is the real trick of the Imperial thought machine.”BlackRock removed from Texas boycott list after quitting climate groupsIn a notable reversal, Texas removed BlackRock from its investment blacklistThis decision followed BlackRock's withdrawal from several climate-focused initiatives, including the Net Zero Asset Managers alliance and Climate Action 100+Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar cited these actions, along with BlackRock's support for the new Texas Stock Exchange, as reasons for the delisting.“More than $4 billion in Texas funds are invested with BlackRock,” the rep said.The Larry Fink-led company had $11.55 trillion in assets under management at the end of the fourth quarter in 2024.0.0346% Is that possible?Larry Fink; $31M; $11M bonus: “These amounts represent the discretionary annual cash Bonuses … The amount of incentive compensation awarded … was based on subjective criteria”“Lead in a changing world: Completed the creation of a more modern and unified Corporate Affairs function and leveraged the function to refresh the firm's corporate narrative and strengthen its brand.”“Corporate sustainability: Achieved BlackRock’s 100% renewable electricity match goal and enhanced the Company’s approach to procuring market solutions.”32% said NO on Pay (BlackRock owns 6% of BlackRock)99% said NO to Bowyer Research’s theatrical request for a report on “risks related to a perceived shift away from a traditional understanding of fiduciary responsibility to stakeholder capitalism, implied by its assent to the Business Roundtable’s Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation, as well as a high-profile embrace of ESG and DEI.”BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has some words of wisdom for leaders navigating the age of populism and social media: Watch what you say: "You have to be a lot more guarded. I can't say everything I really want to say to all of you right now. The reality is you have to be a lot more systematic in what you say and how you say it internally or externally. I mean, we live in a terrarium today. We live in a glass bottle."Big brands are pulling back on Pride merchandise and events this year MMCorporate America Pulls Back from PRIDE in 2025, No Rainbow Logos from Big Brands as June StartsUnitedHealth Group AGM:94% average director support93% Stephen HemsleyHemsley is stepping forward to acknowledge the fallout and chart a new course, promising a comprehensive review of some of the company's most controversial practices.The Wall Street Journal noted in its report on the company's annual shareholder meeting on Monday that Hemsley apologized for UnitedHealth's recent performance and cited a need to rethink many internal processes.99% for directors like Paul Garcia (2021/ former CEO of Global Payments) and Kristen Gil (2022/former VP, Business Finance Officer at Alphabet)92% for Michele Hooper (2007/Lead Independent Director/CEO of The Directors’ Council, a private company she co-founded in 2003 that works with corporate boards to increase their independence, effectiveness and diversity)-12% gender influence gap/only 3 women/zero committee chairs)Lowest vote is John Noseworthy, M.D. (86%) former CEO of the Mayo Clinic40% NO on PaySHP excessive golden parachutes 13% YESThe board authorized the payment of a cash dividend of $2.21 per share, up from the prior dividend of $2.10, to be paid June 24 to common stock shareholders of record as of the close of business June 16Hemsley: as of the proxy date: $2.8M (as of 5/16: $3.8M)The previous dividend was $2.10 per share, paid on March 18, 2025The company also suspended its 2025 outlook.Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: The Trump EPA tried to bury some good newsA climate report acquired by a Freedom of Information Act request shows that U.S. climate pollution declined in 2023.The EPA report documents that in 2023, U.S. climate pollution fell by 2.3%. That’s about 147 million metric tons, or MMT, of reduced carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gases.2023 was the first full year after President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, the Democrats’ signature climate law that committed hundreds of billions of dollars to reducing climate pollution.DR: How a Peruvian farmer’s legal defeat raised new risks for companies DRPeruvian farmer Saúl Luciano Lliuya filed a lawsuit against German energy company RWE, asserting that the company's greenhouse gas emissions contributed to the melting of glaciers near his hometown of Huaraz, Peru.This glacial melt increases the risk of flooding from Lake Palcacocha, threatening his community. Lliuya sought approximately $17,500 from RWE, ...
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    59 m
  • FTC advertiser war, defense is ESG at Allianz, yoga climate goals, Musk v. Trump, and immortal (rich) humans
    Jun 3 2025
    Securities body considers rollback of DEI and ESG goalsInternational Securities Services Association debates changes as political climate shifts under Trump 2.0.In the UK, both the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority have scrapped mandatory DEI rules in the financial sector, citing costs and the additional regulatory burden.F.T.C. Investigates Ad Groups and Watchdogs, Alleging Boycott CollusionThe Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether roughly a dozen prominent advertising and advocacy groups violated antitrust law by coordinating boycotts among advertisers that did not want their brands to appear alongside hateful online contentClimate Startups Are Pausing Operations, Cutting Staff and Entering Bankruptcy as Trump Policies BiteEnergy Department announced $3.7 billion worth of funding cuts for clean-energy and climate projects on Friday—in latest blow to green sectorAllianzGI Says First ESG Defense Allocations Likely This YearAllianz Global Investors expects some of its ESG funds to start adding defense holdings in the coming months, as the money manager updates prospectuses to match the political mood in Europe.EU to propose more flexible climate goal in JulyThe European Commission will propose a new EU climate target in July that includes flexibilities for how countries meet it, as Brussels attempts to fend off mounting criticism of Europe's environmental aimsThe proposal will set an EU goal to cut net greenhouse gas emissions 90% by 2040, compared with 1990 levels.However, the EU executive plans to add flexibilities to that target, which could reduce what it demands from domestic industriesThe flexibilities include setting an emissions-cutting target for domestic industries that is lower than 90% and letting countries buy international carbon credits to make up the rest, to reach 90%.Meta wants to replace its human workers with AI to review privacy and societal risksIt’s been revealed that Meta plans to replace its human staffers with AI in reviewing the platform’s privacy and societal risks.According to the company’s internal documents obtained by NPR, the algorithm could automate up to 90% of all risk assessments previously done by people. This means that essential updates to Meta’s safety features, programming, and content-sharing capabilities will be mainly optimized by AI‘Something is awry in Delaware’: New study reveals lawyers in the smallest U.S. state are winning fee ‘multipliers’ from major companies up to 66 times their normal hourly rateA new study shows attorneys in corporate cases in Delaware are earning as much as 66 times their hourly rateThat has prompted venture capitalists to increase calls for their businesses to incorporate elsewhere or move their corporation out of the stateElon Musk Reportedly Owes Donald Trump a Colossal Sum of MoneyMusk reportedly still owes president Donald Trump an eye-watering $100M out of the $300M he committed to get the reality TV star elected.Secret OpenAI Memo Describes Plans to Make Users Rely on "Entity"As The Verge reports, the Justice Department's ongoing attempts to break up Google's alleged monopoly garnered an OpenAI memo detailing the latter company's plans to build out ChatGPT an integral part of users' lives — acting as an "entity" that would "understand" them and be their "interface to the internet."Humans will live forever by 2050 thanks to android bodies and AI minds'the rich will use advanced tech to upload their brain to computers or android bodiesFuturologist Dr Ian Pearson believes advances in computing, genetic engineering, and robotics will let people become immortal: “By 2050, it will only really be for the rich and famous” SPEED ROUNDCEO pay rose nearly 10% in 2024, Associated Press analysis findsAlaska Will Lose 69% of Its Glacier Mass Under Current Climate Change PledgesWomen run 11% of Fortune 500 companies in 2025—but progress is still slowDollar General posts record sales as bargain stores attract more people anxious about the economyJamie Dimon for president? Why the banking CEO would be a welcome alternative for many voters
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    36 m