(The Center Square) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom said if President-elect Donald Trump ends the $7,500 electric vehicle rebate program, he’ll get Californians to pay for new credits. However, the credits would not include Tesla, which is the most popular EV company and the only EV manufacturer in the state. This comes weeks after Newsom and his administration passed new refinery and carbon credit regulations that will add up to $1.15 per gallon of gasoline and require Californians with gasoline-powered cars to earn up to another $1,000 per year in pretax income to afford. “We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California,” said Newsom in a statement. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose rocket launches were recently blocked by a California regulatory board that cited his personal politics, shared his disapproval on his social media platform, X, after Newsom staff told Bloomberg that Tesla models would not qualify for California rebates. “Even though Tesla is the only company who manufactures their EVs in California,” said Musk. “This is insane.” Musk recently moved SpaceX and X out of California, citing a new law signed by Newsom banning parental notification for gender change requests from K-12 students. The credits would be paid for through California’s cap-and-trade program, which requires carbon emitters to purchase credits from the state — costs which are generally passed on to consumers in the form of more expensive gasoline, energy, and even concrete. Emitters buy a few billion dollars worth of credits from California each year, with the state’s $135 billion high speed rail project getting the lion’s share of the revenue. The California Resources Board — all but two of whose voting members are appointed by the governor — recently approved $105 billion in EV charging credits and $8 billion in hydrogen charging credits to be largely paid for by drivers of gas cars and diesel trucks. An investigation by The Center Square found the change was pushed by EV makers and the builders of EV charging systems. Buyers of EV chargers, who pay for the energy and own the charger, sign installation contracts that permanently give away their rights to government or other EV charging credits generated from fueling a vehicle with electrons instead of gasoline. These chargers are often bundled with the purchase of an EV, or covered entirely by utility or government rebates, meaning they are permanent, zero-or-low-cost revenue streams for the company collecting the credits. Get any of our free email newsletters — news headlines, sports, arts & entertainment, state legislature, CFD news, and more.
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Kroger stock hits 52-week high at $60.35 amid robust growthThe full report can be read in PDF form here . Below is a brief introduction. A pilot study conducted by CDT and Doublethink Lab examines “embedded propaganda” (EP) in African news media. Our study defines EP as the practice of republishing PRC state-media content under a local masthead. This practice is part of the PRC’s external propaganda localization strategy, often referred to as “borrowing a boat to get out to sea” ( 借船出海 ). We sought to track the extent of EP and whether or not it was properly attributed to its source. Focusing on text-based media outlets from Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana during the first 11 months of 2022, we made the following main findings: Our study found 1,203 EP articles across nine outlets in Kenya, Uganda, and Ghana. The majority were published in Uganda’s The Independent (534) and Ghana’s News Ghana (602), and EP comprised a relatively low proportion of the outlets’ total articles. The content of EP articles varied in terms of geographical subject matter, topic, and framing. This included articles both related and unrelated to the PRC and the outlets’ home countries. Most EP news items did not contain a significant pro-PRC bias. The type and consistency of attribution varied among different media outlets. Only a very small number of EP articles (7) failed to properly attribute the PRC state-media source. This is not enough data to provide strong explanatory correlations, but it is more likely that editors were inconsistent or inattentive rather than intentionally deceptive in their choices of re-attribution. The presence of EP articles is cause for concern, insofar as societies depend on citizens informed by transparent and independent media landscapes. As argued by Paul Nantulya , a research associate at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies who focuses on China-Africa relations, “The embedding of CCP media in African media ecosystems risks distorting Africa’s information spaces—and therefore access to independent information shaping citizen debates on a host of issues ranging from governance, society, and the economy.” To the extent that EP permeates African media ecosystems, the narratives that emerge from local information spaces may increasingly resemble PRC narratives rather than genuinely African ones. After all, PRC state media, in contrast to Western news agencies, exists explicitly to serve official interests . It is therefore important to closely track the spread of this phenomenon in order to better understand how to foster resilient and healthy media environments. The findings of our pilot study demonstrate how this methodology can be used for different types of evidence-based monitoring and analysis of EP that we hope can be replicated in future studies at a larger scale. The data has been published by Doublethink Lab and is publicly available on GitHub . The full report can be read here . Categories : CDT Highlights , China & the World , Level 2 Article , Politics , Society Tags : Africa , Africa relations , CGTN , Chinese media , people's daily , state media , Xinhua Related Posts Translation: Anodyne Winners of 34th China Journalism Awards Prompt Declaration That “News is Dead” Chinese Perspectives on the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election China Tightens Grip on Critical Minerals China’s Global Fishing Fleet Intrudes on Distant Waters Translations: “Real Reporters Are Rarer Than Pandas. We Can’t Send Them Off to Clown Around at the Olympics” (3) Sinopsis: How Pro-Russian Narratives Spread in Malaysian Chinese-language Facebook Circles Chinese Investment in Africa Under Scrutiny During FOCAC 2024 Ongoing Deletion of Investigative Reports on Corpse-Trafficking Scandal Mass Censorship of National Corpse Trafficking Scandal Hu Xijin Banned From Weibo for Comments on Private Economy Word of the Week: Garbage Time of History (历史的垃圾时间, lìshǐ de lājī shíjiān) Party Propagandists Promote, Then Backtrack on “Xi as Reformer” Narratives Amid Third Plenum Third Plenum Ends Without Major Announcements Beyond Praise of XiOn November 20, 2024, Alset Inc. finalized a significant transaction as outlined in their latest Form 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company had previously entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement with its subsidiary, Alset International Limited, acquiring 6,500,000 shares of HWH International Inc. These shares were obtained in exchange for a secured promissory note valued at $4,095,000 bearing an interest rate of 5% annually. The promissory note is set to mature on September 26, 2026, and is secured by collateral specified in a security agreement between Alset Inc. and Alset International Limited. The successful completion of this transaction was subject to the approval of Alset International Limited’s stockholders, which was obtained on November 18, 2024. The company is pleased to have met all closing conditions, finalizing the deal on November 20, 2024. The Board of Directors of Alset Inc. has thoroughly reviewed and approved this transaction, affirming that it aligns with the best interests of the company and its subsidiaries. As per the filing, the company also disclosed several related documents in the exhibit section. These include the Stock Purchase Agreement, the Promissory Note, and the Security Agreement, among others, previously filed with the SEC on September 27, 2024. For more details regarding this transaction, interested parties can refer to the full Form 8-K filing on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website. This article was generated by an automated content engine and was reviewed by a human editor prior to publication. For additional information, read Alset’s 8K filing here . About Alset ( Get Free Report ) Alset Inc engages in the real estate development, financial services, digital transformation technologies, biohealth activities, and consumer products businesses in the United States, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and South Korea. It operates through four segments: Real Estate, Digital Transformation Technology, Biohealth, and Other Business Activities segments. See Also
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SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was fully aware of and actively participated in a coup plot to remain in office after his defeat in the 2022 election , according to a Federal Police report unsealed Tuesday. Federal Police last Thursday formally accused Bolsonaro and 36 other people of attempting a coup. They sent their 884-page report to the Supreme Court, which lifted the seal. The unsealed document provides a first glimpse of several testimonies that describe the former president as one of the key leaders of the plot, and not a mere observer. “The evidence collected throughout the investigation shows unequivocally that then-President Jair Messias Bolsonaro planned, acted and was directly and effectively aware of the actions of the criminal organization aiming to launch a coup d’etat and eliminate the democratic rule of law, which did not take place due to reasons unrelated to his desire,” the document said. At another point, it says: “Bolsonaro had full awareness and active participation.” Bolsonaro, who had repeatedly alleged without evidence that the country's electronic voting system was prone to fraud, called a meeting in December 2022, during which he presented a draft decree to the commanders of the three divisions of the armed forces, according to the police report, signed by four investigators. The decree would have launched an investigation into suspicions of fraud and crimes related to the October 2022 vote, and suspended the powers of the nation's electoral court. The navy’s commander stood ready to comply, but those from the army and air force objected to any plan that prevented Lula’s inauguration, the report said. Those refusals are why the plan did not go ahead, according to witnesses who spoke to investigators. Bolsonaro never signed the decree to set the final stage of the alleged plan into action. Bolsonaro has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or awareness of any plot to keep him in power or oust his leftist rival and successor, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “No one is going to do a coup with a reserve general and half a dozen other officers. What is being said is absurd. For my part, there has never been any discussion of a coup,” Bolsonaro told journalists in Brazil’s capital Brasilia on Monday. “If someone came to discuss a coup with me, I’d say, that’s fine, but the day after, how does the world view us?” he added. “The word ‘coup’ has never been in my dictionary.” The top court has passed the report on to Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet. He will decide whether to formally charge Bolsonaro and put him on trial, or toss the investigation. The former president was formally accused of three crimes: violent elimination of the rule of law, staging a coup d'etat and forming a criminal organization. Rodrigo Rios, a law professor at the PUC university in the city of Curitiba, said Bolsonaro could face up to a minimum of 11 years in prison if convicted on all charges. “A woman involved in the Jan. 8 attack on the Supreme Court received a 17-year prison sentence,” Rios told The Associated Press, noting that the former president is more likely to receive 15 years or more if convicted. “Bolsonaro’s future looks dark.” Ahead of the 2022 election, Bolsonaro repeatedly alleged that the election system, which does not use paper ballots, could be tampered with. The top electoral court later ruled that he had abused his power to cast unfounded doubt on the voting system, and ruled him ineligible for office until 2030 . Still, he has maintained that he will stand as a candidate in the 2026 race. Since Bolsonaro left office, he has been targeted by several investigations, all of which he has chalked up to political persecution. Federal Police have accused him of smuggling diamond jewelry into Brazil without properly declaring them and directing a subordinate to falsify his and others’ COVID-19 vaccination statuses . Authorities are also investigating whether he incited the Jan. 8, 2022 riot in which his followers ransacked the Supreme Court and presidential palace in Brasilia, seeking to prompt intervention by the army that would oust Lula from power. Bolsonaro had left for the United States days before Lula’s inauguration on Jan. 1, 2023 and stayed there three months, keeping a low profile. The police report unsealed Tuesday alleges he was seeking to avoid possible imprisonment related to the coup plot, and also await the uprising that took place a week later. Hughes reported from Rio de Janeiro
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Hours after the Rangers bid farewell to one franchise staple, they recommitted to another for the long haul. The Rangers on Friday reached an eight-year extension with star goalie Igor Shesterkin for an average annual salary of $11.5 million, according to ESPN . It’s the highest annual salary for a goalie in NHL history, topping the $10.5 million-per-year contract Carey Price signed with the Montreal Canadiens in 2017. Shesterkin’s deal came on the same day the Rangers traded captain Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks, reportedly clearing about $8 million in cap space. Shesterkin, 28, entered Friday with a 143-68-19 record, a 2.48 goals against average and a .920 save percentage in six NHL seasons, all with the Rangers. In 2022, he received the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the league’s top goaltender. The extension served as a resolution after much discussion about the future of Shesterkin, who was in the last year of a four-year contract that paid him $5.66 million annually. His new deal features a significant raise, but Shesterkin’s salary still falls just short of the Rangers’ highest paid player, Artemi Panarin, whose average annual earnings are $11.6 million. Shesterkin played a starring role on the Rangers’ run to the Eastern Conference Final last season, but the Russian-born goalie’s stats are down to start the 2024-25 campaign. He entered Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden with an 8-9-1 record while putting up a career-worst 3.05 GAA and a career-low .908 save percentage. The Rangers as a whole are off to a slow start, entering Friday with a 13-10-1 record and as losers in six of their last seven games. The trade of the defenseman Trouba, meanwhile, brought back defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick. Trouba, who was in his sixth year with the Rangers, had a plus/minus of -3 in 24 games for the Rangers this season. He did not score a goal and had six assists. “I want to sincerely thank Jacob for his contributions to the Rangers and our community,” general manager Chris Drury said in a statement . “Jacob has been an example on and off the ice for our organization and played a major role in our success over the last several years. Since coming to New York five years ago, and serving as Captain for the last three seasons, he has demonstrated grit, toughness, and tremendous leadership and we can’t thank Jacob enough for everything he has done for the Rangers.” Trouba, 30, became the latest contributor from last year’s run to go. The Rangers waived forward Barclay Goodrow in June, and he was claimed by the San Jose Sharks.
None(The Center Square) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom said if President-elect Donald Trump ends the $7,500 electric vehicle rebate program, he’ll get Californians to pay for new credits. However, the credits would not include Tesla, which is the most popular EV company and the only EV manufacturer in the state. This comes weeks after Newsom and his administration passed new refinery and carbon credit regulations that will add up to $1.15 per gallon of gasoline and require Californians with gasoline-powered cars to earn up to another $1,000 per year in pretax income to afford. “We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California,” said Newsom in a statement. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose rocket launches were recently blocked by a California regulatory board that cited his personal politics, shared his disapproval on his social media platform, X, after Newsom staff told Bloomberg that Tesla models would not qualify for California rebates. “Even though Tesla is the only company who manufactures their EVs in California,” said Musk. “This is insane.” Musk recently moved SpaceX and X out of California, citing a new law signed by Newsom banning parental notification for gender change requests from K-12 students. The credits would be paid for through California’s cap-and-trade program, which requires carbon emitters to purchase credits from the state — costs which are generally passed on to consumers in the form of more expensive gasoline, energy, and even concrete. Emitters buy a few billion dollars worth of credits from California each year, with the state’s $135 billion high speed rail project getting the lion’s share of the revenue. The California Resources Board — all but two of whose voting members are appointed by the governor — recently approved $105 billion in EV charging credits and $8 billion in hydrogen charging credits to be largely paid for by drivers of gas cars and diesel trucks. An investigation by The Center Square found the change was pushed by EV makers and the builders of EV charging systems. Buyers of EV chargers, who pay for the energy and own the charger, sign installation contracts that permanently give away their rights to government or other EV charging credits generated from fueling a vehicle with electrons instead of gasoline. These chargers are often bundled with the purchase of an EV, or covered entirely by utility or government rebates, meaning they are permanent, zero-or-low-cost revenue streams for the company collecting the credits.
Ohio Representative-elect Matt Huffman, R-Lima, was the keynote speaker at Friday’s Allen County Republican Party monthly luncheon at the Lima Eagles. Craig Kelly | The Lima News LIMA — As Ohio Sen. Matt Huffman, R-Lima, prepares to transition back to the Ohio House of Representatives and to his new role as the incoming Speaker, the current Senate President took some time to reflect back on another political race that kept him occupied this past year: the campaign to defeat State Issue 1. Speaking at the Allen County Republican Party’s monthly luncheon Friday at the Lima Eagles, Huffman shared his experiences on the campaign trail trying to raise funds and convince voters to oppose the proposed constitutional amendment that would have caused significant changes in how political redistricting would have occurred. Despite being outspent by the pro-amendment campaign by a $20 million to $8 million margin, Huffman said, the anti-amendment side was able to deliver a victory on Election Day thanks in part to endorsements from national figures like President-elect Donald Trump, but primarily thanks to the grassroots efforts of local county Republican parties throughout the state. “They knew that this essentially was a progressive left takeover of the Ohio General Assembly and congressional delegation and that it really became a Republican versus Democrat issue,” he said. “I don’t think people knew at the beginning, but we were able to activate counties like the Allen County Republican Party and local legislators to communicate that.” With Ohio voters delivering a decisive win for Trump and other Republicans, Huffman is hopeful that the General Assembly will be able to tackle issues that he said drew interference from Democrats at the federal level. “For example, let’s talk about Medicaid reform,” he said. “When the pandemic came, there were a lot of people that got on Medicaid, and when the pandemic was over, these folks were still on Medicaid but they had health insurance potentially through their employer or they lived in another state. The Biden administration said, ‘We’re not going to let you kick anyone off of Medicaid.’ Well, here we are providing medical insurance to people we shouldn’t be providing medical insurance to and paying that bill. That’s not going to happen with the Trump administration.” Huffman is hopeful that this change in administration will also help in other areas, including education. “They’re talking about eliminating the federal Department of Education,” he said. “They should do that. It’s a huge waste of money. It’s absolutely zero value added to people in K-12. What it does do is give a lot of congressmen the opportunity to say, ‘We have $50 million for helping kids read. Here’s some money. We’re going to shovel it on top of this other money. And we don’t know whether it’s really helping kids read, but we can say we did something.’ So it’s a waste of money and it often gets in the way of people who are really trying to make a difference.”
The top 10 football teams in Maine as voted on by reporters from the Press Herald, Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel, Sun Journal and Forecaster, with first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points. Through games of 11/23/24 Comments are not available on this story. Send questions/comments to the editors. « PreviousIT and banking played a pivotal role in capping losses and driving the recovery in the benchmark. Broader indices also edged higher, with gains ranging between 0.9 per cent and 1.8 per cent Mumbai: Domestic stock markets are expected react, when it opens on Monday,to the recent election outcomes in Jharkhand and Maharashtra as well as domestic macroeconomic data and foreign Institutional fund flows, according to the market analysts. The market analysts say that the bi-monthly Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) which will take place in the first week of December will also have an impact of the activities of the investors, as analysts anticipate a 25-bps rate cut amid concerns of slowing economic growth and moderating inflation. The last trading session in the market ended with decent gains, offering relief after weeks of correction.Despite a negative bias for most of the week due to persistent FII selling, Friday's sharp recovery, led by bargain hunting in index heavyweights, helped indices close near their highs. The Nifty and Sensex gained nearly 2 per cent, ending at 23,907.20 and 79,117.10, respectively."Markets will first react to the outcomes of the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections. Additionally, macroeconomic indicators, including GDP and infrastructure output, will garner significant attention. Participants remain focused on FII fund flows, given their ongoing selling spree," said Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd."Looking ahead, the RBI's meeting from December 4th-6th is generating significant interest, with analysts anticipating a 25-bps rate cut amid concerns of slowing economic growth and moderating inflation," said Manish Goel, Founder and MD, Equentis observing the markets. Goel further added that the upcoming week is likely to bring heightened volatility and cautious trading as investors navigate political uncertainties, economic data releases, and corporate developments.Observing the mood of the market, Joseph Thomas, Head of Research, Emkay Wealth Management stated that despite the up seen in the market during the trading sessions, it remains to be seen to what extent the current momentum is going to be sustained next week."The Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Middle East situation which is still awaiting resolution, local election results in crucial states etc. are all factors that may have some impact on the markets in the coming wee," he added. Market experts are hopeful despite the high volatility in the markets, as Krishna Appala, Sr. Research Analyst, Capitalmind Research said, " Despite global challenges, India's long-term growth story remains compelling."Most sectors, except energy, contributed to the rebound, with realty, auto, and FMCG leading the pack. IT and banking played a pivotal role in capping losses and driving the recovery in the benchmark. Broader indices also edged higher, with gains ranging between 0.9 per cent and 1.8 per cent. On the other hand, the foreign investors extended their selling spree in Indian equity markets for the third consecutive week in November, according to data released by the National Stock Exchange. This week alone, foreign investors sold equities worth Rs 11,412 crore, adding to the ongoing selling pressure.With this, the net selling by foreign investors in November has reached Rs 41,872 crores, indicating persistent bearish sentiment from overseas players. The consistent outflow has weighed on market sentiments, creating volatility in the indices. Meanwhile, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) have continued to provide much-needed support to the Indian markets.This week, DIIs purchased equities worth Rs 11,035 crore, cushioning the impact of foreign outflows. Their total net buying in November now stands at Rs 37,559 crore. Stay informed on all the latest news , real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in india news and world News on Zee News.
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WHY Global Services: Empowering Businesses with Advanced IT Solutions 11-21-2024 10:24 PM CET | Business, Economy, Finances, Banking & Insurance Press release from: WHY Global Services / PR Agency: WHY Global Services #software development company WHY Global Services: Empowering Businesses with Advanced IT Solutions With over 13+ years of enjoyment, WHY Global Services has been at the leading edge of turning in modern IT solutions to groups internationally. Our challenge is to convert corporations by way of presenting extremely good, custom-designed generation services that meet the unique needs of the virtual age. We are proud to boast an impressive ninety percent customer satisfaction rate, having efficiently finished over 520+ projects and extremely joyful greater than 412+ glad customers throughout numerous industries. What Sets Us Apart At WHY Global Services, excellence isn't always just a goal-it's our well-known. 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This release was published on openPR.By ALEXANDRA OLSON and CATHY BUSSEWITZ NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart’s sweeping rollback of its diversity policies is the strongest indication yet of a profound shift taking hold at U.S. companies that are revaluating the legal and political risks associated with bold programs to bolster historically underrepresented groups in business. The changes announced by the world’s biggest retailer followed a string of legal victories by conservative groups that have filed an onslaught of lawsuits challenging corporate and federal programs aimed at elevating minority and women-owned businesses and employees. The risk associated with some of programs crystalized with the election of former President Donald Trump, whose administration is certain to make dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion programs a priority. Trump’s incoming deputy chief of policy will be his former adviser Stephen Miller , who leads a group called America First Legal that has aggressively challenged corporate DEI policies. “There has been a lot of reassessment of risk looking at programs that could be deemed to constitute reverse discrimination,” said Allan Schweyer, principal researcher the Human Capital Center at the Conference Board. “This is another domino to fall and it is a rather large domino,” he added. Among other changes, Walmart said it will no longer give priority treatment to suppliers owned by women or minorities. The company also will not renew a five-year commitment for a racial equity center set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd. And it pulled out of a prominent gay rights index . Schweyer said the biggest trigger for companies making such changes is simply a reassessment of their legal risk exposure, which began after U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in June 2023 that ended affirmative action in college admissions. Since then, conservative groups using similar arguments have secured court victories against various diversity programs, especially those that steer contracts to minority or women-owned businesses. Most recently, the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty won a victory in a case against the U.S. Department of Transportation over its use of a program that gives priority to minority-owned businesses when it awards contracts. Companies are seeing a big legal risk in continuing with DEI efforts, said Dan Lennington, a deputy counsel at the institute. His organization says it has identified more than 60 programs in the federal government that it considers discriminatory, he said. “We have a legal landscape within the entire federal government, all three branches — the U.S. Supreme Court, the Congress and the President — are all now firmly pointed in the direction towards equality of individuals and individualized treatment of all Americans, instead of diversity, equity and inclusion treating people as members of racial groups,” Lennington said. The Trump administration is also likely to take direct aim at DEI initiatives through executive orders and other policies that affect private companies, especially federal contractors. “The impact of the election on DEI policies is huge. It can’t be overstated,” said Jason Schwartz, co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group at law firm Gibson Dunn. With Miller returning to the White House, rolling back DEI initiatives is likely to be a priority, Schwartz said. “Companies are trying to strike the right balance to make clear they’ve got an inclusive workplace where everyone is welcome, and they want to get the best talent, while at the same time trying not to alienate various parts of their employees and customer base who might feel one way or the other. It’s a virtually impossible dilemma,” Schwartz said. A recent survey by Pew Research Center showed that workers are divided on the merits of DEI policies. While still broadly popular, the share of workers who said focusing on workplace diversity was mostly a good thing fell to 52% in the November survey, compared to 56% in a similar survey in February 2023. Rachel Minkin, a research associated at Pew called it a small but significant shift in short amount of time. There will be more companies pulling back from their DEI policies, but it likely won’t be a retreat across the board, said David Glasgow, executive director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at New York University. “There are vastly more companies that are sticking with DEI,” Glasgow said. “The only reason you don’t hear about it is most of them are doing it by stealth. They’re putting their heads down and doing DEI work and hoping not to attract attention.” Glasgow advises organizations to stick to their own core values, because attitudes toward the topic can change quickly in the span of four years. “It’s going to leave them looking a little bit weak if there’s a kind of flip-flopping, depending on whichever direction the political winds are blowing,” he said. One reason DEI programs exist is because without those programs, companies may be vulnerable to lawsuits for traditional discrimination. “Really think carefully about the risks in all directions on this topic,” Glasgow said. Walmart confirmed will no longer consider race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Last fiscal year, Walmart said it spent more than $13 billion on minority, women or veteran-owned good and service suppliers. It was unclear how its relationships with such business would change going forward. Organizations that that have partnered with Walmart on its diversity initiatives offered a cautious response. The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, a non-profit that last year named Walmart one of America’s top corporation for women-owned enterprises, said it was still evaluating the impact of Walmart’s announcement. Pamela Prince-Eason, the president and CEO of the organization, said she hoped Walmart’s need to cater to its diverse customer base will continue to drive contracts to women-owned suppliers even if the company no longer has explicit dollar goals. “I suspect Walmart will continue to have one of the most inclusive supply chains in the World,” Prince-Eason wrote. “Any retailer’s ability to serve the communities they operate in will continue to value understanding their customers, (many of which are women), in order to better provide products and services desired and no one understands customers better than Walmart.” Related Articles National News | Ex-FBI informant accused of lying about the Bidens is indicted on federal tax charges National News | Bird flu virus was found in raw milk. What to know about the risks National News | Ransomware attack on software supplier disrupts operations for Starbucks and other retailers National News | Man found guilty of holding down teen while he was raped at a youth center in 1998 National News | What Black Friday’s history tells us about holiday shopping in 2024 Walmart’s announcement came after the company spoke directly with conservative political commentator and activist Robby Starbuck, who has been going after corporate DEI policies, calling out individual companies on the social media platform X. Several of those companies have subsequently announced that they are pulling back their initiatives, including Ford , Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s and Tractor Supply . Walmart confirmed to The Associated Press that it will better monitor its third-party marketplace items to make sure they don’t feature sexual and transgender products aimed at minors. The company also will stop participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees. A Walmart spokesperson added that some of the changes were already in progress and not as a result of conversations that it had with Starbuck. RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, senior director of the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program, said companies that “abandon” their commitments workplace inclusion policies “are shirking their responsibility to their employees, consumers, and shareholders.” She said the buying power of LGBTQ customers is powerful and noted that the index will have record participation of more than 1,400 companies in 2025.Elias Cato scores 23 as Central Arkansas tops UNC Asheville 92-83 in double OT
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