According to CNN, at least 50 meteorologists in roughly two dozen local television stations have either been let go or reassigned. These changes affect employees across the country, from Massachusetts to Hawaii. They will be replaced by a feed beamed to individual stations from The Weather Channel. “Kevin and I have come into your homes for decades — nearly 37 years for me,” Patrece Dayton, a news anchor in Terre Haute, Indiana, told audiences on last Friday. And more than 40 for me,” Kevin Orpurt, the TV station’s chief meteorologist
CEO of JPMorgan, Jamie Dimon, is standing firm on its diversity, equality, and inclusion commitments after facing pressure from an activist shareholder, as per Business Insider. JPMorgarn Reaffirms DEI commitments During an interview with CNBC at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Dimon said the bank will continue to move forward with its work in DEI work and environmental, social, and governance policies. This month, the National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative nonprofit, suggested that the company assess how executive compensation is linked to the company’s racial equity
Nigerian fintech unicorn Moniepoint has received a “strategic investment” from Visa, according to Techcrunch. The funding aims to propel financial inclusion and support the expansion of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Africa. Moniepoint’s Series C Sources close to the deal say Moniepoint received over $10 million from Visa after securing a $110 million Series C round last October. Now, its Series C surpasses $120 million, and the company is allegedly speaking to other investors and could potentially attract more funding in the coming months while continuing its billion-dollar valuation.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced the launch of new company called Stargate, which intends to build new AI infrastructure for OpenAI in the US. A $500 billion investment will help the initiative through an executive action that would employ emergency declarations to fast-track production and streamline regulatory hurdles for participating companies. The announcement of Stargate comes after the president revoked a six-decade-old executive order that aimed to end DEI programs within federal agencies, with plans to deter DEI in the private sector. However, three companies participating in the Stargate
According to a Tuesday court filing, Mastercard has agreed to pay $26 million to settle a proposed class action lawsuit which alleged it underpaid female, Black, and Hispanic employees, as per The New York Times. Four Masterard employees who previously worked at the company believed it had hired women and workers of color into lower-paying roles. Their suspicions grew as employees received fewer raises and promotions than white men doing similar work. Additionally, the lawsuit charges Mastercard with violating federal laws banning pay discrimination and workplace sex and race bias.
Yesterday, President Trump revoked a six-decade-old executive order that prohibited workplace discrimination by federal contractors. President Lyndon Baine Johnson had signed the executive order just one year after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and months after the Voting Rights Act. Trump revokes Executive Order 11246 Executive Order 11246 stopped federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. This law applied to federal contractors and was implemented just two years after Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave
Kevin Hart has become CEO of his entertainment company, Hartbeat Productions. Two CEOs left the company within 15 months, while nearly 20 employees were dismissed during the same period. The CEO’s exits were due to differences of opinion over the company’s strategic direction. However, they left the company on good terms, according to Bloomberg. Layoffs in Hollywood These layoffs speak to the challenges all independent production companies are experiencing during Hollywood’s time of austerity. Production companies struggle to sell many shows, forcing major studios and networks to limit their output
Robin AI, a Black-owned legal AI startup, has won second place on the Startups 100 index. The startup uses AI to automate contract reviews, slashing costs and freeing up legal teams. Last year, it raised $25 million in a unique extension of its Series B funding round. The company was founded in 2019 by former Clifford Chance lawyer Richard Robinson and machine learning researcher James Clough. “Robin AI are truly ground breaking in their innovation, aiming to cut down legal processing times. Despite the challenges, the UK is still a
Fundment, a Black-owned all-in-one tech platform for financial advisers, raised £45 million ($55.4 million) in Series C led by Highland Europe, as per Tech Funding News. The investment will scale the team, develop the product, and achieve future growth. Financial advisers are under more pressure than ever, which is why the global financial planning software market is set to amount to $18.1 billion in the next decade. For this reason, Fundment aims to create innovative solutions for financial advisers that will allow a smooth experience for their clients. “Financial advice is
After 20 years, Mellody Hobson will leave her board role at Starbucks. Hobson’s career at Starbucks began after she was recruited to serve on the Board by Howard Schultz in 2005; she became vice chair, chair, and independent director. “On behalf of everybody at Starbucks — and every partner who has gone before — thank you, Melody, for your leadership, your tremendous care, your passionate support, and for being a loyal shareholder,” Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol said in a statement to partners. Hobson at Starbucks Hobson spent
