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Whether you love business news or feel like you’re supposed to know it but hate it, Business Pants is business news for humans. Snarky and irreverent, deeply researched and factual, a podcast devoted to market quirks and the humans that make up companies. Investing isn’t a what, it’s a who.

  1. HACE 2 DÍAS

    2026 continues the bro-IPOs, plus OpenAI’s curious sexual discrimination firing

    The 2026 IPO Quiz: Since January 1, 2026 How many companies? 20 How many total founders? 34 How many female founders? 2: Cassandra Curtis and Jennifer Garner How many companies have female founders? 1: Once Upon a Farm How many companies with only female founders? 0 Once Upon a Farm: J. Garner, J. Foraker, C. Curtis, A. Raz Co-founded in 2015 by Cassandra Curtis and Ari Raz In 2017, Jennifer Garner joined as a co-founder and “Chief Brand Officer”, alongside CEO John Foraker Most represented industry? Healthcare (5), including Pharma, Biotech, and AI Biotech  How many are already down from their offer price (as of 10:45am)? 17 How many female chairs? 1: Shoushana Ohanessian: VenHub Global How many female CFOs? 1: Cantor Equity VI: Jane Novak (F) How many female CEOs Zero How many directly associated with Epstein Island? 1: Cantor Equity VI: Cantor was founded over 75 years ago and was led by Howard W. Lutnick from 1992 until February 2025 when he became the United States Secretary of Commerce Son Brandon G. Lutnick CEO/Chair Trump Commerce Sec. Lutnick admits visiting Epstein island during family vacation How many boards have ZERO male directors? ZERO How many boards of zero female directors? Only six! How many with one? Only six! How many boards with at least 30% women? 4 AgomAb Therapeutics 2/6 33% Green Circle Tech 2/5 40% Once Upon a Farm 4/9 44% (CEO/Chair, CFO, Nominating Committee chair, Compensation Committee chair = MEN) VenHub Global Total percentage of women? 18% BONUS HEADLINES QUIZ Kraft Heinz pauses work to split the company as new CEO says ‘challenges are fixable’ What were the two new companies? Strategic Flavor Holdings Co. and North Atlantic Provisions Co. Global Taste Elevation Co. and North American Grocery Co. North Atlantic Snack Holdings and Strategic Grocery Development Group International Flavor Solutions Co. and United Continental Grocery Co. Universal Taste Logistics Co. and North American Food Alignment Co. Proxy Voting: Asset Managers Increased Their Support for Management in 2025 What percentage of management resolutions did the Big Three index managers support in the 2025 proxy year? Hint, it’s up 3% since 2023. 99% (98.7%), up from 96% in 2023 Top 10 U.S. asset managers in 2025? 98% Top 50 U.S. asset managers in 2025? 96% What percentage of shareholder resolutions did the Big Three index managers support in the 2025 proxy year? Hint, it’s down 1.5%. 7.5% True or False: in a landmark social media case that seeks to hold tech companies responsible for harms to children, A google lawyer said this to Jurors yesterday: “It’s not social media addiction when it’s not social media and it’s not an addiction.” True or False: xAI cofounder Jimmy Ba, the second cofounder [Tony Wu] to depart xAI in less than 48 hours, said this yesterday: "It's time to recalibrate my gradient on the big picture. 2026 is gonna be insane and likely the busiest (and most consequential) year for the future of our species." According to a new report from the WSJ, why did OpenAI fire Executive Ryan Beiermeister? sexual discrimination What’s the story behind the story? Ryan Beiermeister, one of OpenAI’s top safety executives, a vice president leading OpenAI’s product policy team, was accused of sexual discrimination against a male employee after she voiced opposition to the controversial rollout of AI erotica in its ChatGPT product saying  that she opposed adult mode, worried it would have harmful effects for users, and that she believed OpenAI’s mechanisms to stop child-exploitation content weren’t effective enough, and that the company couldn’t sufficiently wall off adult content from teens. Beiermeister started a peer-mentorship program for women at OpenAI in early 2025.

    46 min

  2. 6 FEB

    Epstein (non)accountability, Disney’s shiny CEO toy, Nike vs. EEOC, Texas oil blacklist is illegal

    Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE. Story of the Week (DR): Epstein: The tech bros Reid Hoffman (2,658 Files) Bill Gates (2,592 Files) Peter Thiel (2,281 Files) Elon Musk (1,116 Files) Kimbal too (100+ files) Larry Page (314 Files) Sergey Brin (294 Files) Mark Zuckerberg (282 Files) Jeff Bezos (196 Files) Eric Schmidt (193 Files) Epstein: the lack of US-based corporate fallout MM Head of firm founded by Mandelson to quit after Epstein releases Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, the chief executive of the lobbying firm co-founded with Peter Mandelson, has announced his resignation after information in the Jeffrey Epstein files detailed apparent links between the company and the convicted sex offender. ‘Ignore It.’ How the Elite Consoled Jeffrey Epstein Over His Crimes. A Revolt Inside Paul Weiss Over the Epstein Files Took Down Brad Karp On Wednesday, an exclusive group of 10 or so Paul Weiss partners met unbeknown to their longtime chairman, Brad Karp, to discuss whether he could continue to lead the law firm. The partners, who manage the firm and refer to themselves as the “Deciding Group,” were grappling with the release of new emails suggesting Karp had a more extensive relationship with Jeffrey Epstein than they realized, including in the months before the convicted sex offender’s death.  Karp led one of the country’s biggest law firms for 18 years and had survived a maelstrom less than a year ago when he struck a first-of-its-kind settlement with President Trump on his firm’s behalf. He wouldn’t survive a second controversy as the firm’s leader.  World Economic Forum investigates its CEO over Epstein links CEO Borge Brende Wasserman Group CEO issues public apology after being mentioned in Epstein files Casey Wasserman Peter Attia, longevity doctor named in Epstein files, no longer listed on advisory board on sleep tech company's website But still at CBS: but Bari Weiss hates cancel culture Elon Musk announces SpaceX’s acquisition of AI startup xAI Record-Breaking $1.25 Trillion Valuation Goal: Orbital AI Data Centers Consolidation of the "Muskonomy" Disney Josh D’Amaro (Incoming CEO): Currently the Chairman of Disney Experiences (Parks and Resorts), D’Amaro will officially become CEO on March 18, 2026, following the Annual Shareholder Meeting. He is a 28-year Disney veteran credited with driving the $36 billion revenue growth in the parks segment. Disney's next CEO often dresses like Bob Iger. Is it a good idea to copy your boss's style? Dana Walden (New President & CCO): In a historic move, Walden (formerly Co-Chair of Disney Entertainment) has been named President and Chief Creative Officer. Reporting directly to D'Amaro, she will oversee the creative direction of the entire company, ensuring brand consistency across all storytelling platforms. Same Old Disney: Woke Exec Elevated to Top Position as ‘Head Storyteller’ Bob Iger (Senior Advisor): Iger will step down as CEO on March 18 but will remain as a Senior Advisor and Board Member until his formal retirement on December 31, 2026, to ensure an "orderly transition." Pay Base Salary Target Bonus Annual Equity One-Time Award Total Year 1 Josh D’Amaro $2.5M $6.25M $26.25M $9.7M $44.7M Dana Walden $3.75M $7.5M $15.75M $5.26M $32.26M Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR): DR: Judge rules Texas anti-ESG law is unconstitutional MM: 38% of Companies’ Emissions Trajectories Are Aligned with Global Climate Goals: MSCI Assholiest Triggeringiest of the Week (MM): Nike among the first targeted by EEOC for DEI activity DR The charge: Specifically, on May 24, 2024, EEOC Commissioner (now Chair) Andrea R. Lucas issued Charge No. 551-2024-04996, alleging that Respondent NIKE may have violated Title VII “by engaging in a pattern or practice of disparate treatment against White employees, applicants, and training program participants in hiring, promotion, demotion, or separation decisions (including selection for layoffs); internship programs; and mentoring, leadership development, and other career development programs.” This is crazy to me: EEOC counsel signatory GWENDOLYN YOUNG REAMS - a black woman who signed off on this lawsuit was the subject of an entire article on the amazing power of Title VII for the civil rights movement in July of 2024.  Reams has been at EEOC since 1972, and Biden made her acting general counsel. Trump took over, appointed Andrea Lucas as chair who DEMOTED Reams to Associate General Counsel to make room for Catherine Eschbach, a Federalist Society who has SIX YEARS EXPERIENCE AT A LAW FIRM who got her Bachelor’s in 2010 and her law degree in 2015 (a whole 10 years experience!), but had this to say upon her appointment:  “President Trump made clear in his executive order on eliminating DEI that EO 11246 had facilitated federal contractors adopting DEI practices out of step with the requirements of our Nation’s civil rights laws and that, with the rescission of EO 11246, the President mandates federal contractors wind those practices down within 90 days. As director, I’m committed to carrying out President Trump’s executive orders, which will restore a merit-based system to provide all workers with equal opportunity.” All the other lawyers signing were white, and I can only guess Reams had no choice but to sign unless she decided to do MLK dirty 60 years after seeing him in college But literally, the EEOC discriminated against a black lawyer who was in charge to put white lawyers in charge to bring discrimination cases against companies NOT TO MENTION, here is Nike’s workforce composition in 2024: 57% white, 50% male overall 65% white, 55% males for management 77% white, 62% male for leadership The EEOC workforce demographics as of 2022, when it was WOKEST: 60% white, 56% male NIKE IS WHITER THAN THE EEOC FROM MANAGEMENT UP Blackrock and every Wall Street bank that quit Net Zero Alliance Rather than sticking it out and fighting, knowing that you were correct and legally able to invest however you wanted and associate with anyone you wanted, you all cowered when Texas passed the first law saying you “discriminate against” fossil fuels and generated an arbitrary “black list” Now, this: Texas anti-ESG law declared unconstitutional by US judge In a decision made public on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Alan Albright said the law violated First Amendment free-speech protections because it punished businesses for speaking about fossil fuels and associating with organizations that oppose fossil fuels. First Amendment!  The very first one!  You didn’t even have to read ALL the amendments to figure out which  Stewardship whining The UK Investment Association stewardship working group, a group that included Aegon, BlackRock, Fidelity, M&G, Schroders, Artemis, CCLA, Legal and General, and Royal London Asset Management, put out a paper: Realigning Stewardship: Delivering sustainable value through Stewardship The group wants you to know some things about stewardship, specifically: Stuff happening in the future is too far away for us to care now:  “The need for realism over what stewardship can achieve – There are potential time horizon trade-offs between achieving real world outcomes on sustainability themes such as climate change and delivering financial returns to clients. These trade-offs need to be actively considered. Additionally, there are concerns that targeted sustainability goals may not always be realistic, and that government and other stakeholders may have developed unrealistic expectations of stewardship's capacity to deliver systemic change.” Translation: if we actually invested for climate and were stewards of climate in our portfolios given that climate change will totally fuck up everything we know and invest in, we’d have to give up on, like, AI and oil and stuff… we can’t really do that because there’s too much money and stonks and rockets and whatever, so we’ll give up on climate, but just like, for NOW, later we’ll fix it by asking nicely Despite historically having voted 96% in favor of virtually EVERYTHING:  “There is an undue focus on voting as a barometer of good stewardship, which does not reflect the role of all stewardship mechanisms.” Translation: we get no credit for talking about this for a decade and voting for everything - like, NONE.  Stewardship teams are seen as cost centers, not alpha generation.  But we should get credit for talking about stuff in the hopes that things change over a long period of time. We are poor:  “There are different costs associated with the process of stewardship for both investors and companies, who have finite resources.” Translation: I mean, PLENTY of resources for CEO pay that outstrips inflation and massive AI investments to displace workers and stuff, but you know… poor. OMG, stop whining… the vote IS THE MECHANISM YOU’VE NEVER USED!  Your owners WANT YOU TO and you vote with management at a higher rate than people in the US believe in the moon landing! Headliniest of the Week DR: The meritocracy is officially a lie: Elon Musk's hiring advice: 'Don't look at the résumé — just believe your interaction' DR: It’s official, we are right about everything: Disney’s Bob Iger achieves an essential feat for outgoing CEOs: giving his successor a clean slate MM: Hillary Clinton wants testimony on Jeffrey Epstein in public: 'Let's stop the games' MM: My neighborhood is pushing back against sidewalk delivery robots. The fight’s coming to your town next Picture of the week from inside a Cracker Barrel, which is getting its mojo back: Who Won the Week? DR: The Epstein Bros (see Matt’s winner) MM: White men (again) - I am already filing a lawsuit against that girl in high school who wouldn’t make out with me for discriminating against white men with ugly glasses and long noses.  It’s racism of

    1 h

  3. 3 FEB

    Epstein execs, Target’s new forceful boss, Disney new CEO, SpaceX mashups, and Pfizer’s inspiration

    In our 'We officially don't care anymore' headline of the week. Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘Wild’ Dinner With Epstein Revealed in Files Jeffrey Epstein emails reveal extensive ties with top Goldman Sachs lawyer Former Windows 8 boss recruited Epstein to help negotiate his messy Microsoft exit CBS News weighs firing Peter Attia in wake of Jeffrey Epstein emails - Bari Weiss reluctant to ax him Jeffrey Epstein asked for Snow White costume weeks before Jes Staley email Brad Karp Says He Regrets Interactions with Epstein ARMI board says it plans to review Kamen’s ties to Epstein Elon Musk Emailed Extensively With Jeffrey Epstein, Asking to Visit His Notorious Island DOJ Epstein release outlines ties with Boulder restaurateur Kimbal Musk Google co-founder [Sergey Brin] had long relationship with Maxwell and visited Epstein’s island Epstein Files Reveal Peter Thiel’s Elaborate Dietary Restrictions Epstein contacted women for Steve Tisch, co-owner of the Giants Emails flesh out warm relationship between Epstein and Richard Branson Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick planned a trip to Epstein’s island in 2012 The Tech Elites in the Epstein Files Reid Hoffman (2,658 Files) Bill Gates (2,592 Files) Peter Thiel (2,281 Files) Elon Musk (1,116 Files) Larry Page (314 Files) Sergey Brin (294 Files) Mark Zuckerberg (282 Files) Jeff Bezos (196 Files) Eric Schmidt (193 Files) DAMION1 In our 'If Musk can manipulate the market with fake promises why can't I?' headline of the week. Nvidia's CEO says $100B pledge for OpenAI was 'never a commitment' *************** In our 'Anybody but Bob Chapek or a woman or a woman named Bob Chapek' headline of the week. Disney names parks boss Josh D’Amaro as its next CEO to succeed Bob Iger In our 'Congratulations, shareholders—your vote has been forwarded to the Illusion of Control department' headline of the week. Reclaiming the vote. What the rise of pass-through voting means for banks***************  In our 'I'm not sure what all the fuss is about, he did say he would "listen closely" AND "guests want great design, real value and experiences that delight"' headline of the week. In his day one message, Target’s new CEO ignored the elephant in the room. People noticed.***************  In our 'Forget those a******s, we're curing baldness' headline of the week. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative cut 70 jobs as the Meta CEO’s philanthropy goes all in on mission to ‘cure or prevent all disease’***************  In our 'But forget that shit, Go Seahawks!' headline of the week. Microsoft AI CEO says Moltbook shows how convincing AI can be mistaken for consciousness***************  In our 'Finally, a business model built entirely on who CEOs can control better' headline of the week. CEO of $1.25 billion AI company says he hires Gen Z because they’re ‘less biased’ than older generations—too much knowledge is actually bad, he warns***************  In our 'A*****e Oligarch finds an even less regulated jurisdiction than Texas' headline of the week. Elon Musk's SpaceX acquiring AI startup xAI ahead of potential IPO***************   In our 'Truth Has Side Effects' headline of the week. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla’s best leadership advice: Being optimistic is better than being right***************  In our 'Target CEO gives Seminar on Moral Silence' headline of the week. German FA slaps down proposal to boycott World Cup as Trump rebuke: ‘debates on sports policy should be conducted internally and not in public’***************   MATT1 In our 'Report: Elon Musk will earn a 10% merger fee for negotiating with himself during merger talks' headline of the week.  Elon Musk's SpaceX acquiring AI startup xAI ahead of potential IPO “My estimate is that within 2 to 3 years, the lowest cost way to generate AI compute will be in space,” Musk wrote.  Using my Musk calculator (which calibrates for the fact that Musk said in 2016 he would land on Mars in 2022, but now is shooting for 2030 but more like 2050, and also that we needed to colonize Mars immediately before the sun swallows the earth... in 2 billion years), that means AI space compute could be anywhere from 10 to 400 years away In our 'They somehow misspelled both "restauranter" AND "brother"' headline of the week.  DOJ Epstein release outlines ties with Boulder restaurateur Kimbal Musk Experts predict the latest news will bring the vote down from 79% in favor to 76% in favor. In our 'CEO of company says he hires based entirely on sock color - "socks say more about a person than background, personality, education, or conversation every could"' headline of the week.  CEO of $1.25 billion AI company says he hires Gen Z because they’re ‘less biased’ than older generations—too much knowledge is actually bad, he warns In our 'After trying waterboarding, tickling, and ACTUAL blackmail, Albert Bourla says he preferred psychological torture to incentivize his workers' headline of the week.  Pfizer CEO says he used ‘emotional blackmail’ to get employees to achieve impossible goals during COVID-19 All around the office, Bourla put up signs that read, “Time is life.” On several occasions, employees came to him to say there would need to be a delay of several weeks in meeting deadlines. In response, Bourla asked them to calculate how many people would die during the additional weeks they requested. In our 'BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: New Target CEO says Target loves gays and brown folk, hates ICE, and is officially rebranding as "Tar-jay" in new statement' headline of the week.  Target just made a big change this weekend. Here’s what to know Fiddelke’s big move list: Leading with merchandising authority, Elevating the guest experience, Accelerating technology, Strengthening our team and communities. "In the weeks ahead, my focus is simple: listen closely, move with clarity and urgency, and lead with purpose" In our 'This is not the company I signed up for' headline of the week.  Employees say Target is MIA in Minneapolis: 'This is not the company I signed up for' "This is what leadership I want to follow looks like," the Target worker said of Patagonia's statement. - CEO Ryan Gellert wrote: This has been a moment of incredible pain for so many. The shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti happened about 20 minutes from our St. Paul store, a location that’s been part of the community for 21 years. It’s part of a tragic pattern that has seen U.S. citizens snatched by federal agents and shipped to facilities far from friends and family, and children as young as five detained, all with ever-shifting explanations and overheated rhetoric that changes with each passing news cycle. Tragically, it is not just Minneapolis that is affected. We are witnessing the militarization of our cities, the expansion of unchecked enforcement power, and a pattern of violence that disproportionately targets the most vulnerable communities and populations. In our 'We can finally go from 99.8% of directors winning elections to 99.9% of directors winning elections' headline of the week.  Reclaiming the vote. What the rise of pass-through voting means for banks In our 'Gus, good news.  You've been promoted.  We will now refer to you as the "in house proxy voting system".  No no, it comes with no new responsibilities - we know you're busy ordering the office supplies.  No, this is actually LESS responsibility.  Just find the "FOR" button for every director, and "AGAINST" button for everything from an investor.  Got it?  Congratulations!  It also comes with no extra pay!' headline of the week.  Wells Fargo switches to in-house proxy voting system WIM will determine proxy votes for these assets using a policy and set of instructions it has developed In our 'Not to be outdone, the Trump administration is looking into inventing a new type of energy they call "hot star energy"' headline of the week.  The Amount of New Solar Power Production Capacity China Is Manufacturing Is Legitimately Mind-Blowing In our 'Men say Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and ChatGPT conversations that convinced them they had a "revolutionary idea" about beer koozies were the number 1 reason they let their wives do the caregiving and childcare last year according to new data' headline of the week.  Women say caregiving and child care costs are the No. 1 reason they quit the workforce last year, according to new data

    38 min

  4. 30 ENE

    CEOs on ICE, the SEC kills small investors, the manchild economy, and AI navel gazers

    Story of the Week (DR): Trump's ICE tactics force CEOs to choose between staying silent and risking White House backlash MM CEOs of Target and Minnesota’s Biggest Companies Call for ‘De-Escalation’ After Shooting Minnesota workers pressure employers to take action against ICE operations CEOs, long silent on Trump’s immigration crackdown, seem to hit their breaking point over killing of Alex Pretti in Minnesota Target's incoming CEO tells staff violence in Minneapolis is 'incredibly painful' – without naming Trump or ICE Jan 28: Target Unveils Largest Spring Beauty Assortment Ever — Making Trend-Driven, Expert-Backed Beauty More Accessible Tech's top CEOs mum after ICE killings, while leaders like Reid Hoffman, Yann LeCun speak out ICE is going too far': Sam Altman, Jamie Dimon, and more CEOs on the unrest in Minnesota Reid Hoffman says business leaders are wrong to stay silent about the Trump administration Apple's Cook says he's 'heartbroken' by Minneapolis events and has spoken with Trump Companies reap $22bn from Trump’s immigration crackdown Meta blocks links to ICE List across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads As Big Tech CEOs speak up about violence in Minneapolis, 1 in 3 corporate leaders think ICE tensions are ‘not relevant to their business’ How ICE Already Knows Who Minneapolis Protesters Are Agents use facial recognition, social media monitoring and other tech tools not only to identify undocumented immigrants but also to track protesters, current and former officials said. Freefloatanalytics data blast: Palantir Technologies: Continues to be a primary partner. In 2025, they were awarded a $30 million contract to build "ImmigrationOS," a platform designed to provide "near real-time visibility" on individuals for the purpose of streamlining apprehensions and tracking self-deportations. Gender Influence Gap -26% RELX: LexisNexis Risk Solutions: Provides ICE with investigative databases used to track, vet, and target individuals. Their current contract is valued at over $22 million. Gender Influence Gap -24% Thomson Reuters: Supplies ICE with access to massive databases, including over 20 billion license plate scans. This data allows agents to track vehicle movement history and identify where individuals may be living or working. Gender Influence Gap -28% Clearview AI: Recently signed a $3.75 million contract (September 2025) to provide facial recognition technology. While officially limited to certain types of investigations, procurement records suggest its use is expanding. Gender Influence Infinity% (no women on advisory board; Hal Lambert and Richard Schwartz as co-CEOs) King “Bumps” JPMorgan’s Dimon sees 10.3% pay bump to $43M Disney CEO Bob Iger’s Pay Increased 11.5% to $45.8 Million in 2025 Goldman Sachs hikes CEO David Solomon's pay 21% to record $47 million Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf Gets 28% Pay Boost to $40 Million Why Starbucks is letting Brian Niccol use the company plane for more personal travel “Following a security review of risks, the Starbucks board of directors made the decision to enhance security measures for Brian,” a company spokesperson said. “This included a decision by the board to require Brian to use private aircraft for all travel.” $96M in 2024; $31M in 2024, including temporary housing expenses in the amount of $371,536; and security expenses in the amount of $1,142,700; and $997,392 in expenses related to his use of Starbucks aircraft for commuting and personal use median employee: $17,279. CEO Pay ratio 1,794 to 1 (January 1st: 10:10am) Temporary housing expense ratio: 22:1 The docu-bribe: At ‘Melania’ Premiere, the President Sees ‘Glamour’ and Others See Graft Amazon paid Melania Trump’s production company $40 million for the movie and then paid another $35 million to promote it. Guests included: Jordan Belfort: The real-life "Wolf of Wall Street." Director Brett Ratner, accused of rape, sexual assault, sexual harrassment, and homophobic abuse by at least 9 women: Melania Trump documentary marks a post-#MeToo comeback for its director Brett Ratner was all but exiled from Hollywood after facing sexual misconduct allegations. Trump’s win gave him an opening to return. Tim Cook (Apple) Andy Jassy (Amazon) Lisa Su (AMD) Eric Yuan (Zoom) Lynn Martin (President of the NYSE) Larry Culp (GE) Sam Altman (OpenAI Satya Nadella (Microsoft) Sundar Pichai (Google) Safra Catz (Oracle): David Brown (Victory Capital) David Ellison (Skydance/Paramount) Marc Benioff (Salesforce) Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR): DR: Diversity on Fortune 50 boards: white men haven’t been a majority for 3 years in a row Whereas about a decade ago, white men held two-thirds of the seats on the top 50 Fortune boards, in 2023, for the first time, they held fewer than 50%. In 2024, that number dropped to 48.4%, but this year it climbed back to 49.7%. Since white men make up about 31% of the U.S. population, they still have been very much overrepresented in all three years. DR: National Shutdown: General strike on January 30 aims to push ICE out of Minnesota. Stores closed, protests scheduled in all 50 states MM: Delivery Robot Gets Stuck on Train Tracks, Gets Obliterated by Locomotive MM: Judge greenlights Massachusetts offshore wind project halted by Trump administration Vineyard Wind, which joins Revolution Wind, Empire Wind, and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind in restarted because laws Assholiest of the Week (MM): WHICH A*****E DO YOU BLAME: Trump's ICE tactics force CEOs to choose between staying silent and risking White House backlash Trump/ICE His personal military got orders to be “ethical”, but to fuck up everyone - and recruited specifically targeting Call of Duty players and lonely, angry men who wish they could call their friends “retarded” again but it isn’t politically correct Palantir and the ICE industrial complex Alex Karp went out of his way to insist to his disgusted employees that AI and Palantir “bolsters civil liberties” Meanwhile, Palantir employees signed a letter from tech employees pondering whether or not they are actively destroying our country and abetting oligarchs But Palantir, while making some of the creepiest, most heinous software known to man (I mean, worse than CHINA!  And we all HATE CHINA, RIGHT???), has $100m in contracts with ICE In fact, there’s a whole private infrastructure complex that’s largely not politically agnostic that’s made $22bn from ICE and immigration crackdowns - and it’s only been a year!  That’s some awesome shareholder value illegally sending weeping mothers to countries they don’t live in with no due process! CEOs (Target, looking at you) DR They managed to find a pen and craft a strongly worded letter that asked, pretty please, for “de-escalation”, calling ICE out not by NAME of course, but as a “recent challenge” that created “widespread disruption” - and named the White House only as someone they are “communicating” with.  Signed by 60 Minnesota CEOs, co-signed in spirit by the Business Roundtable (though not like, officially), they managed to write a whole 199 words about the execution of a VA nurse whose crime was filming the Gestapo in action Target’s incoming CEO (obviously not the CURRENT CEO Brian Cornell, he’s busy polishing his mahogany chair for board meetings where he will be Executive Chair, making as much as a CEO with none of the responsibilities) also addressed the unlawful and unwarranted arrests of Target employees in Minneapolis by thugs - oh, wait, no he didn’t - he said, “The violence and loss of life in our community is incredibly painful.” - IT WAS YOUR EMPLOYEES IN THE CROSSHAIRS, SCHMUCK.  Target employees are currently skipping work in Minnesota, but solid leadership. Boards of directors Our analysis of the boards of the Minnesota 60 showed that nearly half of them sit on each other’s boards.  Basically, you have a massive groupcoward problem - about 25 of the CEOs sit on some other CEOs board or overlap in some way, and the lawyers that carefully crafted the letter absolutely had to have it run through every other board and company lawyer, a task made easier when half of you are on the board with each other.  No need for authenticity when you have collective ass covering. Jeffrey Epstein If not for those files, there wouldn’t NEED TO BE MURDERS so you look somewhere else! Investors If not for “shareholder value”, we could pay attention to humanity and authentic real world values! WHICH A*****E DO YOU BLAME: As You Sow leads criticism of SEC’s updated restrictions on smaller shareholders Smaller investors! For three decades, small investors have used precatory proposals either as a means to extract more data, a means to improve governance, or a means of advertising - many of the non profits use it as a fundraising tool as much as a means of change Meanwhile, those proposals have almost entirely failed at the vote - though they HAVE succeeded in increasing our data over time (the long arc of disclosure) Then the zone gets flooded by the anti-woke shareholders looking to de-trans companies, and now we have a massive influx of performative proposals Now that the insiders are in charge (vs. career bureaucrats), in a six month period, virtually all rights have been revoked with threats of paperwork for non compliance As a final cherry, they are now trying to keep EXEMPT SOLICITATIONS off the filing docket unless you have $5m in stock, so you can’t even file your intent to vote directionally unless you’re super rich John Chevedden The gadflyfather - if not for being the winningest shareholder in history with a nearly obsessive focus on improving shareholder rights, the most boring of topics, the SEC would probably have ignored the whole thing But the data shows the SEC is taking the time to blanket ignore everyone BUT Chevedden, responding to affirmatively say no to his proposals JC, no one likes a repea

    1 h y 3 min

  5. 28 ENE

    The feckless Minnesota CEO response: George Floyd vs. Alex Pretti

    At the beginning of December 2026: ICE announced an enforcement surge in the Twin Cities. January 6, 2026: DHS announced what it called the largest immigration enforcement operation ever carried out, sending 2,000 agents to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area.  January 7, 2026: ICE agent Jonathan Ross fatally shoots Renée Nicole Good January 8–14, 2026: Protests, vigils, and marches continue in Minneapolis against ICE and Operation Metro Surge January 13, 2026: ‘Madness’: two US citizens violently detained by ICE in Minnesota, officials say. Two Target employees forced to the ground, then into SUV, then dumped in different parking lot January 14, 2026: A different ICE agent shoots and injures a man in north Minneapolis; the man survives after being shot in the leg. This second shooting further intensifies public anger and calls for an end to the federal surge January 17, 2026: National Anger Spills Into Target Stores, Again January 22, 2026: Target Store Staff Are Skipping Work Over ICE's Crackdown in Minnesota January 23, 2026: A statewide Day of Truth & Freedom / Minnesota general strike is held, described as the first U.S. general strike in about 80 years, explicitly targeting ICE operations and Operation Metro Surge. On that day, many workers, businesses, schools, and institutions in Minneapolis and across Minnesota participate in work stoppages, marches, and large rallies against federal immigration enforcement. January 24, 2026: Federal Border Patrol agents assigned to the metro surge shoot and kill Alex Jeffrey Pretti January 25, 2026: The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce released this letter on behalf of more than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies today. Eight people have died in dealings with ICE so far in 2026. Keith Porter, Parady La, Heber Sanchaz Domínguez, Victor Manuel Diaz, Luis Beltran Yanez-Cruz, Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, and Geraldo Lunas Campos. The high-profile fatal shootings follow the deaths of at least 32 people in ICE custody in 2025 – the highest number since 2004. Minnesota CEOs Seek De-Escalation After Border Police Shooting “The business community in Minnesota prides itself in providing leadership and solving problems to ensure a strong and vibrant state. The recent challenges facing our state have created widespread disruption and tragic loss of life. For the past several weeks, representatives of Minnesota’s business community have been working every day behind the scenes with federal, state and local officials to advance real solutions. These efforts have included close communication with the Governor, the White House, the Vice President and local mayors. There are ways for us to come together to foster progress.   With yesterday’s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.   We have been working for generations to build a strong and vibrant state here in Minnesota and will do so in the months and years ahead with equal and even greater commitment. In this difficult moment for our community, we call for peace and focused cooperation among local, state and federal leaders to achieve a swift and durable solution that enables families, businesses, our employees, and communities across Minnesota to resume our work to build a bright and prosperous future. “ 3M – William Brown, Chairman and CEO Ameriprise Financial – James Cracchiolo, Chairman and CEO APi Group – Russell Becker, CEO Best Buy – Corie Barry, CEO  C.H. Robinson – Dave Bozeman, President and CEO Deluxe Corporation – Barry McCarthy, President and CEO Donaldson Company, Inc. – Tod Carpenter, Chairman and CEO Ecolab – Christophe Beck, Chairman and CEO General Mills – Jeff Harmening, Chairman and CEO H.B. Fuller – On behalf of our entire organization [CEO Celeste Mastin] Hormel – Jeff Ettinger, Interim CEO Medtronic – Geoff Martha, CEO and Chairman nVent – Beth Wozniak, Chair and CEO   Patterson Companies – Robert Rajalingam, CEO Pentair – John L. Stauch, President and CEO Piper Sandler – Chad Abraham, Chairman and CEO Sleep Number – Linda Findley, CEO (4/2025) Solventum – Bryan Hanson, CEO SPS Commerce – Chad Collins, CEO  SunOpta – Brian Kocher, CEO Target – Michael Fiddelke, Incoming CEO  Tennant Company – Dave Huml, CEO The Toro Company – Rick Olson, Chairman and CEO U.S. Bancorp – Gunjan Kedia, CEO Winnebago Industries – Michael Happe, CEO Xcel Energy – Bob Frenzel, Chairman and CEO  Keith Rabois, Managing director of Khosla Ventures: “no law enforcement has shot an innocent person.  illegals are committing violent crimes everyday.” Khosla Ventures: “We prefer brutal honesty to hypocritical politeness.” “Technology and innovation have reshaped our world and disrupted the way we all live and work. The future may not be knowable, but it is inventable—and it belongs to those who dare to imagine what’s possible.” Managing Directors: 5 dudes (3 stanford; 3 harvard) Founder Vinod Khosla: “I agree with @EthanChoi7. Macho ICE vigilantes running amuck empowered by a conscious-less administration. The video was sickening to watch and the storytelling without facts or with invented fictitious facts by authorities almost unimaginable in a civilized society. ICE personnel must have ice water running thru their veins to treat other human beings this way. There is politics but humanity should transcend that” Target’s incoming CEO Michael Fiddelke in a video message sent to employees (January 26, 2026): “Right now, as someone who is raising a family here in the Twin Cities and as a leader of this hometown company I want to acknowledge where we are. The violence and loss of life in our community is incredibly painful. I know it’s weighing heavily on many of you across the country, as it is with me. What’s happening affects us not just as a company but as people, as neighbors, friends and family members.” A company spokesman declined to comment. Still nothing official on website. Lloyd Vogel, CEO Garage Grown Gear: said he felt compelled to condemn the shootings in a LinkedIn post because he lives and works in the Twin Cities. "My primary rationale was to show solidarity with my community," he told Business Insider. "It's also just bad for business when people are afraid to leave their homes." "There's so much fear in Minnesota right now," he said. "It would just be cowardice to not have a perspective on this." JPMorgan Chase CEO and Chair Jamie Dimon 1/22/26 Davos): ″I don’t like what I’m seeing, five grown men beating up a little old lady. So I think we should calm down a little bit on the internal anger about immigration… We need these people. They work in our hospitals and hotels and restaurants and agriculture, and they’re good people.… They should be treated that way.” On Saturday evening (1/24/2026), top technology executives gathered in Washington to attend a screening of “Melania,” a documentary produced by Amazon about the first lady, Melania Trump. Black-tie event: guests were handed monogrammed buckets of popcorn, framed screening tickets for their trophy shelves, and a limited-edition copy of Trump’s 2024 book of the same title as her documentary, “Melania.“ Among them was Andy Jassy, the chief executive of Amazon; Tim Cook, the chief executive of Apple; and Lisa Su, the chief executive of chip maker AMD. Also: Eric Yuan – CEO, Zoom; Lynn Martin – President, New York Stock Exchange; General Electric CEO Larry Culp Apple CEO Tim Cook says it's 'time for de-escalation' in Minneapolis Cook came under fire for appearing at The White House just hours after federal immigration authorities killed Alex Pretti, a veterans' nurse, in Minnesota “This is a time for de-escalation,” Cook wrote to Apple staff. “I believe America is strongest when we live up to our highest ideals, when we treat everyone with dignity and respect no matter who they are or where they’re from, and when we embrace our shared humanity.” Cook said he “had a good conversation with the president this week where I shared my views, and I appreciate his openness to engaging on issues that matter to us all."  Apple’s Cook says he’s ‘heartbroken’ by Minneapolis events and has spoken with Trump Open AI CEO Sam Altman (1/27/26): I love the US and its values of democracy and freedom and will be supportive of the country however I can; OpenAI will too. But part of loving the country is the American duty to push back against overreach. What’s happening with ICE is going too far. There is a big difference between deporting violent criminals and what’s happening now, and we need to get the distinction right. President Trump is a very strong leader, and I hope he will rise to this moment and unite the country. I am encouraged by the last few hours of response and hope to see trust rebuilt with transparent investigations. As a company, we aim to stick to our convictions and not get blown around by changing fashions too much. We didn’t become super woke when that was popular, we didn’t start talking about masculine corporate energy when that was popular, and we are not going to make a lot of performative statements now about safety or politics or anything else. But we are going to continue to try to figure out how to actually do the right thing as best as we can, engage with leaders and push for our values, and speak up clearly about it as needed. James Dyett, Global Business at OpenAI: “There is far more outrage from tech leaders over a wealth tax than masked ICE agents terrorizing communities and executing civilians in the streets. Tells you what you need to know about the values of our industry.” Angel Investor Jason Calacanis: Once again, I will remind everyone that our leaders are failing us. True leadership would be to calm this situation down by telling these non-peaceful pr

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  6. 23 ENE

    Jamie Dimon is non-binary, Chip Wilson hates Chip Wilson at LULU, anti-woke winning the proxy

    Story of the Week (DR): CEOs are finding their blowhard whistles? Jamie Dimon is done being ‘binary’: On Trump’s ‘economic disaster’ credit card plan, foreign policy, and NATO Jamie Dimon issues rare CEO criticism of Trump's immigration policy: 'I don’t like what I’m seeing' JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said Trump's proposed 10% cap on credit card rates would be an 'economic disaster' Jamie Dimon issues rare CEO criticism of Trump's immigration policy: 'I don’t like what I’m Of course… Trump sues ‘woke’ JP Morgan for $5bn over debanking Nestlé chief blames Trump for company going quiet on sustainability Amazon CEO Jassy says Trump's tariffs have started to 'creep' into prices Ryanair CEO rips Trump as a 'liar' who is 'historically wrong' Of course… Minneapolis ICE Standoff Has Become the Political Issue CEOs Can’t Ignore Employees in Minnesota are afraid to show up to work Target in Your Town: How We’re Showing Up in Communities from Coast to Coast Last "statement:" Target Statement on Texas Floods (July 8, 2025) And two new dudes on the board: John Hoke, former Chief Innovation Officer at NIKE Steve Bratspies, former CEO of HanesBrands Some stakeholder wins? Trump administration drops appeal over anti-DEI funding threat to schools and colleges Trump administration concedes DOGE team may have misused Social Security data Jamie Dimon tells Davos: ‘You didn’t do a particularly good job making the world a better place’ Jamie Dimon says government should have power to intervene in AI-driven mass layoffs Rollout of AI may need to be slowed to ‘save society’, says JP Morgan boss Salesforce's Benioff calls for AI regulation, says models have become 'suicide coaches' BlackRock’s billionaire CEO warns AI could be capitalism’s next big failure after 30 years of unsustainable inequality after the Cold War BlackRock CEO says capitalism isn't spreading the wealth – and AI might not either Brett Kavanaugh says letting Trump fire Lisa Cook ‘would weaken, if not shatter, the independence of the Federal Reserve’ A majority of millionaires say extreme wealth is a threat to democracy Amazon Joins Microsoft In Pledge To Self-Fund Power Grids, While CEO Andy Jassy Questions OpenAI's 'Ambitious' Spending The board matters?? Lululemon founder Chip Wilson blames board for 'total operational failure' in Get Low launch [more later] Early 2026 season proxy indicators MM Apple: 1 SHP National Center for Public Policy Research: China Entanglement Audit Excluded: National Legal and Policy Center: Financial Impact of Renewable Energy Implementation Disney: 4 SHPs Bowyer Research: How the Employee Gift-Matching Program May Impact Risks Related to Religious Discrimination Against Employees National Center for Public Policy Research: Return on Investment from Climate Commitments National Legal and Policy Center: Cumulative Voting for Board Elections Erik G. Paul: Accessibility and Disability Inclusion Practices Qualcomm: 2 SHPs John Chevedden: Shareholder Ability to Call for a Special Shareholder Meeting Bowyer Research: Risk of China Exposure Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR): DR: America could ‘lose the AI race’ because of too much ‘pessimism,’ White House AI czar David Sacks says MM: Elon Musk Says 'They Will Eventually Apply the Wealth Tax to Everyone' —Just Like How Income Tax Started As A 'Temporary' Tax For Top 1% This is a great idea MM: AOC and Paris Hilton team up on a bill targeting AI deepfake porn What a team Assholiest of the Week (MM): Governance a*****e: Chip Wilson DR Lululemon's founder is blasting the company for selling sheer leggings, calling it a 'new low' Lululemon founder Chip Wilson blames board for 'total operational failure' in Get Low launch “In 2013, Lululemon recalled 17% of all its pants for being too sheer. At that point, the company blamed the manufacturing error on an incomplete testing protocol” Wilson owned 29.22% of the stock at the time SAME BOARD MEMBERS THAT CHIP WILSON PICKED: Martha Morfitt (2008) David Mussafer (2014) Michael Casey (2007) Emily White (2011) 40% of the board IS CHIP WILSON’S HAND PICKED PEOPLE Last week: Lululemon founder Chip Wilson launches proxy fight for board shakeup Wilson has nominated three independent director candidates to be elected at the 2026 annual meeting and submitted a proposal to "declassify" the board so that all members must stand for election annually HE CLASSIFIED THE BOARD - sucks to be on the outside looking in Capitalist a******s: Davos BlackRock CEO says capitalism isn't spreading the wealth and AI might not either BlackRock’s $40 billion deal highlights the unstoppable AI data center gold rush, as CEO Larry Fink pushes back on AI bubble fears Jamie Dimon tells Davos: ‘You didn’t do a particularly good job making the world a better place’ As he attends every year without irony - and this: How Wall Street Turned Its Back on Climate Change Billionaire Marc Benioff challenges the AI sector: ‘What’s more important to us, growth or our kids?’ Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says he cut 4,000 support roles because of AI So not THEIR kids obviously “Antimicrobial resistance pandemic will kill more people than cancer by 2050 and no one at Davos is talking about it" – leading scientists speak out at Frontiers Science House The anti-education uber-wealthy tech bros: Nvidia's Jensen Huang says it's a good time to be a plumber; and not just because it's an AI-proof job Palantir CEO says AI ‘will destroy’ humanities jobs but there will be ‘more than enough jobs’ for people with vocational training Headliniest of the Week DR: Ryanair launches 'Great Idiots' seat sale 'especially for Elon' as feud escalates DR: Palantir CEO Alex Karp says humanities jobs are doomed in the age of AI: 'Hopefully you have some other skill' 62% of bachelor’s degrees in the humanities were earned by women; 63% of masters MM: Nestlé chief blames Trump for company going quiet on sustainability  Uh… you… run… the… company? MM: How anti-doomscrolling influencers are combating social media addiction Alcoholics typically use alcohol to get over their addiction to alcohol Who Won the Week? DR: ani-China right wing blowhards MM: Private jets: Business Insider tracked at least 157 private jets that arrived near Davos, using data from ADS-B Exchange and JetSpy. They included airplanes belonging to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Jets from companies like Aramco, BlackRock, Blackstone, Citigroup, Google, HP, JPMorgan Chase, Lockheed Martin, and the quantitative hedge fund Two Sigma also arrived in the area. Predictions DR: Target soft-launches brown-colored oranges to see if America is ready to care about race again MM: Jamie Dimon officially declares himself as “non binary” and requests the media address him as “they” whenever quoting him.  They then contacts Fortune after reading this headline about himself - Jamie Dimon says he’d have no issue paying higher taxes if it actually went to people who need it—right now it just goes to the Washington ‘swamp’ - and demands an edit to “Jamie Dimon says they’d have generally some but not none issue paying higher or lower taxes if it actually went to poor or rich people, but now it goes to the Washington swamp or everglade or desert, either way it’s delightful but also could be terrible.

    58 min

  7. 20 ENE

    BLAME GAME: WestJet’s cramped seats, Walmart’s exec planning, SEC proxy voting, Netflix movie list

    DAMION MLK Day: Incoming Walmart CEO John Furner: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy reminds us blahblahblah.  During our annual MLK Day Celebration, we reflected on blahblahblah. We care for people. Blahblahblah We strive to be honest, fair, and courageous. And we put others first in the work we do to help people live better. When we lead with care, show respect and do what’s right, we honor Dr. King’s legacy through action and continue building a Walmart that reflects our purpose and values. Walmart: $27,408,854, the fiscal 2025 annual total compensation of our median associate was $29,469, and the ratio of these amounts was 930:1. By 11:14 AM: He has earned $29,469 (the median worker’s entire year of labor). Total Earnings by MLK Day: ~$1,425,000 That $1.4 million is equivalent to the lifetime earnings of 48 median Walmart associates (assuming each works for one year at $29,469) As of January 20, 2026, the combined net worth of the Walton family has reached a historic $513.4 billion, according to the latest Bloomberg and Forbes data. As of January 2026, the Walton family collectively receives approximately $3.4 billion per year in dividends from Walmart. Per Day: The family earns roughly $9.27 million every day just by owning the stock. Per Hour: They earn about $386,000 per hour, 24 hours a day. King was literally campaigning for a living wage in Memphis when he was shot by the FBI. your move, walmart CEO John Furner WHO DO YOU BLAME? WestJet reverses cramped seating layout after viral videos show passengers' knees pressed against seats. In the reconfigured layout, which rolled out in late October on select Boeing 737s, space between rows was reduced to 28 inches to accommodate an extra row of seats. WestJet also made economy class seats non-reclinable, offering passengers the option to pay extra for adjustable seats. In a news statement, the company said it will reverse what it called the "densified seating" by removing the additional row of seats. WHO DO YOU BLAME? Samantha (Sam) Taylor was appointed WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Experience Officer  March 2025. Sam joined Sunwing in March 2020 as Chief Marketing Officer. Sam’s portfolio is accountable for critical touch points in the guest journey and includes leading all Marketing, Guest Experience and Contact Centres for WestJet and Sunwing Vacations. MM Stakeholders! Customers: WestJet’s rollout of the reconfigured seats has sparked widespread outrage among travelers and even crew members. Employees: Reuters reported that pilots and flight attendants have raised concerns over the new configuration's comfort and safety, specifically whether passengers could safely evacuate the plane in an emergency due to the confined seating. Journalists: Reuters reported that pilots and flight attendants have raised concerns over the new configuration's comfort and safety, specifically whether passengers could safely evacuate the plane in an emergency due to the confined seating. Labor Unions: Alia Hussain, president of the union local representing WestJet cabin personnel, said: "It created a hostile working environment for us as cabin personnel." Onex Corporation, WestJet’s publicly traded owners Which is really founder and board Chair Gerry Schwartz (annual Chair fee of $1 million), who maintains 100% control of the Multiple Voting Shares (MVS) of Onex Corporation, which effectively grants him 60% of the total voting power in the company. This control allows him to elect 60% of the members of Onex's Board of Directors. While he also personally holds a significant portion of the Subordinate Voting Shares (SVS)—roughly 11.3% as of late 2024—the primary mechanism of his control is the MVS class. All stupid U.S. dual class dictatorships who do not do this!! The "Sunset" Provision: In May 2023, Onex shareholders approved a plan to implement a "sunset" on these special voting rights. Under this agreement, Schwartz’s multiple voting rights are scheduled to expire three years after the effective date of the amendment (roughly May 2026). Current Status: As we are currently in early 2026, Schwartz remains the controlling shareholder. Upon the "Event of Change" later this year, the Multiple Voting Shares will convert into Subordinate Voting Shares, and he will lose his absolute control, shifting the company toward a more traditional governance structure. Matt Damon says Netflix wants to make action movies differently to account for shorter attention spans How the art of filmmaking is being subverted The "Say What You Do" Rule: Writers are frequently being told to eliminate subtext. In traditional filmmaking, if a character is sad, you show them staring at a cold cup of coffee. Now, streamers often request that the character explicitly say, "I’m just so sad right now," or have another character ask, "Why are you so sad?" The Reason: If you are looking at your phone during a silent, emotional shot, you miss the story. If the character says it out loud, you can follow the plot without looking at the screen. Heightened Audio Cues: If you’ve noticed that modern movies have very aggressive sound design—sudden loud bangs, dramatic musical stings, or high-pitched notification-like sounds—it’s often intentional. The "Audio Hook": These sounds act like a "ping" to pull your eyes back from your phone to the TV. It’s a literal alarm clock for your attention. The "First 10 Minutes" Mandate: In the past, a movie could have a "slow burn" opening (think 2001: A Space Odyssey). Today, Netflix and other streamers use data that shows exactly when a user hits the "Back" button. The Note: Writers are told that a "major event" (an explosion, a death, or a massive hook) must happen within the first 2 to 5 minutes. If the "inciting incident" happens at the 20-minute mark, the data shows they will lose 30% of the audience to TikTok. Centered Framing: Cinematographers are increasingly being told to keep the "important" action in the center of the frame. The Reason: This makes the content easier to view on a mobile device if the user decides to switch from the TV to their phone, or if they are watching a cropped "clip" of the movie on social media later. Increased "Recapping":  Have you noticed characters summarizing what just happened more often? The "TikTok Brain" Fix: Because people are multitasking, they often lose the thread of the plot. Streamers now encourage dialogue like, "So, let me get this straight, we have to get the key from the vault before the guard returns in five minutes?" It’s a recap for someone who tuned out for the last three minutes. WHO DO YOU BLAME? Netflix: Ted Sarandos & Greg Peters (Co-CEOs of Netflix), Reed Hastings, Jay Hoag Drug CEOs (re: The Algorithm): Passive Viewing: Data shows that up to 94% of people use a phone while watching TV. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew: TikTok is widely considered the pioneer of the "Short-Form Video" era. Its algorithm is specifically designed to provide "intermittent reinforcement" (like a slot machine), which studies suggest can reduce the ability to focus on long-term tasks. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg: Zuckerberg pivoted Facebook and Instagram (Reels) to aggressively compete with TikTok. Critics argue this transition turned a platform for connection into one of "passive scrolling" that further erodes focus. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan: Under his leadership, YouTube Shorts was launched to capture the short-attention-span market. Even YouTube co-founder Steve Chen has recently warned that these short videos are "shrinking kids' attention spans." Smartphones: Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs MM Stanford: The "Father of Persuasive Tech": B.J. Fogg Stanford’s Persuasive Technology Lab, run by B.J. Fogg, taught many of the founders and early employees of Instagram and Facebook. The "Fogg Behavior Model" taught engineers how to use "triggers" and "rewards" to change human behavior through software. He provided the scientific framework that allowed tech companies to treat the human brain like hardware that could be "hacked" for maximum engagement. Trump calls NYSE Dallas expansion plans 'unbelievably bad' for New York: Trump says move poses 'big test' for newly inaugurated Mayor Zohran Mamdani. WHICH HYPOCRISY DO YOU BLAME? The Free Market B******t Trump and Texas leaders have long championed the freedom of businesses to flee blue-state regulations. However, now that a prestigious icon like the NYSE is actually expanding to Dallas, Trump has pivoted to calling it "unbelievably bad" for New York. The Anti-Woke /Anti-ESG scaremongering Texas frames itself as a "Sanctuary from Socialism," yet the Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) is being used to bypass ESG transparency. While railing against woke mandates, these leaders are creating their own ideological silos—demanding a protected market where management isn't held accountable by shareholders for social or environmental impacts. Texas AG Ken Paxton described BlackRock, State Street, and Vanguard as an "investment cartel" that was "illegally controlling national energy markets" and "squeezing more money out of hardworking Americans." Paxton sent a formal warning to Larry Fink and other CEOs, stating that their "radical environmental policies" and "race-based quotas" (DEI) would face severe enforcement actions if they prioritized "politics over consumers." Lead by example: Trump quits NYC and Musk’s Dexit to Y’all Street Throughout his 2024 campaign, Trump consistently compared New York unfavorably to states like Florida and Texas: as an example, he pointed to the lack of state income tax in Florida as a reason why "everyone is leaving New York."  Elon Musk’s Dexit from Delaware/California is sold as a strike for freedom, yet his empire is built on nearly $40 billion in government subsidies and contracts. He moved to Texas to escape over-regulation (re: his pay package and people being mad about nooses in his factories) while simultaneously headi

    1 h y 1 min

  8. 16 ENE

    Brian Cornell and Target’s silence, Bill Ackman’s fat mouth, and the manbaby economy

    Story of the Week (DR): Target silent after federal immigration agents arrest Twin Cities employees, operate near stores DR Press Release, January 14, 2026: Target Expands Its Style Offerings with Exclusive Bedding Collection from Acclaimed Interior Designer Jeremiah Brent Quote from the investors page: “Together, Target’s purpose-driven team of more than 400,000 works daily to help all families discover the joy of everyday life.” Brian Cornell, Chair and Chief Executive Officer Bill Ackman defends donation to ICE officer who shot Minnesota woman: 'Presumed innocent until proven guilty' Chipotle clarifies Bill Ackman 'not affiliated' with chain after billionaire's ICE agent donation Ford worker suspended for calling Trump 'pedophile protector' has 'no regrets' for 'embarrassing' president Suspended Michigan autoworker who heckled Trump gets outpouring of donations Grok blocked from undressing images in places where it’s illegal after global backlash I asked Grok's AI to undress me after X's new limits. It's still easy on the app Grok was finally updated to stop undressing women and children, X Safety says Grok Is Getting Access to Classified Military Networks Elon Musk's xAI probed by California DOJ over Grok's deepfake explicit images Elon Musk’s X Under UK Investigation Over Grok’s Sexualized A.I. Images Opposition to Elon Musk’s AI Stripping Clothing Off Children Is Nearly Universal, Polling Malaysia and Indonesia block Musk's Grok over sexually explicit deepfakes Ashly St Clair, the conservative influencer who had Musk’s baby, just sued Xai for sexualizing her - after saying in 2024 that X and Musk were “essential” to free speech, that Musk was the only one doing it, and that, “Truly, the only things they will ban are things that are against the law”... oops? Trump canceled or stopped enforcement against 166 corporations in his first year. Many of them were donors New analysis finds federal agencies halted or limited enforcement and prosecution, including many involving companies and individuals with ties to President Donald Trump Ripple, the cryptocurrency company behind XRP, donated $4.9 million — among the largest donation — to Trump's inauguration events. Shortly afterward, the Securities and Exchange Commission withdrew an appeal seeking nearly $2 billion in penalties against the company, settling instead for $125 million. After he and his wife donated $1.8 million to Trump's reelection, Trevor Milton — the CEO of electric vehicle startup Nikola, who was convicted in 2023 of defrauding investors — received a presidential pardon wiping out over $660 million in restitution. Milton’s legal team included Attorney General Pam Bondi’s brother, Brad Bondi. Amazon was facing an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission lawsuit for allegedly discriminating against pregnant workers. After Trump signed an April 2025 executive order directing agencies not to rely on disparate impact analysis — an important tool for proving discrimination — the EEOC then dismissed the case. The report details how Amazon donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, made another $1 million in-kind donation by streaming the inauguration on Amazon Video, and is backing Trump's $300 million “Golden Ballroom” in the White House's East Wing. The company also announced a deal to stream The Apprentice, resulting in "unspecified" payments to Trump, who starred in and executive-produced the show. The company reportedly also paid $28 million to first lady Melania Trump for a documentary. What’s more, Attorney General Pam Bondi worked as a registered lobbyist for Amazon in 2020 and 2021, while Trump ally Brian Ballard lobbied on Amazon's behalf in 2024. Trump tries to reduce CEO pay and halt billions in stock buybacks at defense contractors Trump threatens to sideline Exxon from Venezuela's oil: 'They're playing too cute’ Justice department opens investigation into Jerome Powell as Trump ramps up campaign against Federal Reserve Fed chair accuses DoJ of threatening criminal charges over building renovation projects because central bank defied Trump’s interest rate demands Goodliest of the Week (MM/DR): DR: MacKenzie Scott is using her $26 billion philanthropy push to rescue organizations in danger after the Trump administration’s funding cuts MM: RFK Jr.’s Health Department Is Studying Health Effects of Cellphones Not that there are any doctors there, or that anything they do anymore is science, BUT THIS IS GREAT Even if they end up with spurious research that says “your cellphone and wifi will give you ballsack cancer”, it means less phones, less online, and happier humans with human friends and going outside more Assholiest of the Week (MM): Brian Cornell “That could have been one of my Target team members”. “We have to be the role models that drive change and our voice is important. And we’ve got to make sure that we represent our company principles, our values, our company purpose on the issues that are important to our teams.” “The eyes of America, and the eyes of the world were on Minneapolis.” “As a Target team, we’ve huddled, we’ve consoled, we’ve witnessed horrific scenes similar to what’s playing out now and wept that not enough is changing. And as a team we’ve vowed to face pain with purpose.” “We’ve got to stand up and do more” Oh, wait, that’s not when ICE shot a woman without due process or outside of every protocol?  That was when there was a lot of money in saying “we’re for DEI” and every other CEO put out the same statement?  Ahhh… maybe one of your board members should say something…  Derica Rice flipped on DEI at Disney, probably not him Dmitri Stockton flipped on DEI at both Deere and Black & Decker, probably not him… Grace Puma is on the board of Phillips 66 who wants in on Venezuelan oil, probably not her… Christine Leahy is the CEO of CDW who has had 11bn of government contracts in the last decade, and 270m+ last year, so probably not her… David Abney is on the board of Northrup Grumman… Monica Lozano was on Disney…  Brian Cornell and Michael Fidelke run the board… That leaves a minority of directors who MIGHT have said something!   Bill Ackman DR  The woman shot in the face was apparently NOT innocent until proven guilty, or at least Bill can’t find a way to get her any money because “her GoFundMe had closed”... also, she’s dead Ackman needs to get punched in the mouth - no one should care what he thinks about anything, every, at all.  He’s the worst kind of blowhard - has he ever offered a full throated defense of a blank person?  A woman he’s not married to who’s not on Fox News?  Does he ever admit he’s wrong, biased, or a fucking hypocrite?  Oh, but he says we all are?  Shut. Your. Mouth. But Ackman is part of a bigger problem - at this point you are either aiding ICE’s tactics, which have crossed fully into unaccountable personal army of the US dictator, or you’re not aiding them. ICE abetting includes:  AT&T Booz Allen Hamilton Comcast Dell General Dynamics L3Harris Technologies Motorola Solutions Men from Stanford saying they love people who didn’t go to school Google’s Sergey Brin admits he’s hiring ‘tons’ of workers without degrees: ‘They just figure things out on their own in some weird corner’ Go hire some homeless people, too Headliniest of the Week DR: Tech Billionaire Forced to Rename Humongous Yacht After Realizing It Spelled Something Horrible Backwards Larry Ellison: “Izanami.” MM: Opposition to Elon Musk’s AI Stripping Clothing Off Children Is Nearly Universal, Polling Shows NEARLY 96 percent said they shouldn’t be able to generate “undressed” images of minors only wearing clothing like underwear So… should they release the names and addresses of the 4%? MM: Jamie Dimon slams DOJ probe of Jerome Powell, warning investigation could stoke inflation Not says, SLAMS Who Won the Week? DR: Acclaimed Interior Designer Jeremiah Brent and his new Exclusive Bedding Collection at Target MM: Rhode Island - 350,000 homes will be powered by wind despite Trump’s make believe “radar interference” Predictions DR: Target lazily repurposes its October 20, 2025 news feature “Target’s Partnership with RICE — fueling a more inclusive economy” to “Target’s Partnership with ICE — fueling a more exclusive economy” MM: Brian Cornell, after seeing the error in his ways, is seen outside of ICE officer Jonathan Ross’s house kneeling in solidarity and burning gay pride merchandise as a tribute

    55 min
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Whether you love business news or feel like you’re supposed to know it but hate it, Business Pants is business news for humans. Snarky and irreverent, deeply researched and factual, a podcast devoted to market quirks and the humans that make up companies. Investing isn’t a what, it’s a who.

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    Free Float Media Inc.
  • Años de actividad
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodios
    314
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    Explícito
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