Walmart shareholders advise the company to rethink its decision to pull back on DEI efforts. Bloomberg reported that over 30 shareholders asked Walmart Inc. to explain why they’ve decided to retreat on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, calling the choice “disheartening.” The letter to Chief Executive Officer Doug McMillon stated that the company had given in to “bullying and pressure from anti-DEI groups.” CEO of SHARE Kevin Thomas, who signed the letter, said, “It’s worrying for shareholders because management appears to be swayed by threats from internet trolls who are already
Drake has retracted the petition he filed against Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) after alleging both parties of boosting the numbers of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track ‘Not Like Us. Yesterday, Journalist Bryson “Boom” Paul announced on X that Drizzy’s Frozen Moments, LLC withdrew a petition with the Supreme Court against Spotify and UMG on January 14. Frozen Moments, LLC will cease the legal proceedings at no financial expense to both parties. Spotify previously filed an opposition but did not protest the withdrawal; UMG, however, “reserved its position on the matter,”
BlackRock Inc. executive Adebayo Ogunlesi has joined OpenAI’s board of directors. The billionaire investor has experience in infrastructure investing, aligning with OpenAI’s to expand data centers and energy resources to grow AI development. Ogunlesi, a senior managing director and board member at BlackRock, joined the company last year after it bought his previous business, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), for around $12 billion, making him a billionaire. Who is Adebayo Ogunlesi? Ogunlesi created GIP in 2006 before spending 23 years at Credit Suisse, holding several senior positions such as Executive Vice
MSNBC’s Rashida Jones resigned from her role as president on Tuesday to pursue new opportunities on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg. Jones served as president for four years and was the first Black executive to head a major television network. Her resignation comes as the network’s parent company, Comcast Corp., prepares to spin offs several of its cable TV assets. Why is Rashida Jones stepping down from her role? “I came to this decision over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey and the many successes we’ve achieved together as a team,” Jones
HBCU alumni Terry Comer and Khalil Thompson have raised $2.25 million for NIL FanBox in a seed funding round led by sports tech venture capital firm KB Partners. The subscription platform delivers autographed college memorabilia to sports fans’ doors every season, sharing profits with student athletes and their schools. What’s the story behind NIL FanBox? NIL FanBox’s website states that it is 100% university-approved and endorsed by the players. “They [FanBox] make it super easy for players to engage directly with fans,” Drake Maye from the North Carolina football team said.
Fanbase is climbing its way through the app store as TikTok users in the US are finding alternative apps to move to. The Supreme Court is set to rule a law on 19 January for TikTok that will determine if they will sell its US operations or outline a ban for TikTok users. Users of the app are looking for new social media apps to use, and Fanbase appears to be one of them. Isaac Hayes III said that the app reached number 6 on the Apple App Store for
Pryce Yebesi, 24, has sold Utopia Labs, his crypto invoicing business, to Coinbase and announced the launch of his new startup, Open Ledger. Open Ledger implants automated accounting software into products that small businesses currently use and has already raised $3 million in a round led by Kindred Ventures and Blank Ventures, as first reported by TechCrunch. Why did Yebesi launch Open Ledger? Pryce Yebesi started thinking about Open Ledger while running Utopia Labs as the product and operations lead. After noticing that the businesses he operated with still used
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have raised their concerns over Meta ending its fact-checking system, arguing that the changes directly undermine free speech. What are Meghan and Harry’s Concerns? “Contrary to the company’s talking points, allowing more abuse and normalizing hate speech serves to silence speech and expression, not foster it,” they said. In a statement on their website, the pair accused the company of lacking integrity and believed the move was “responding to political winds; they once again abandon public safety in favor of profit, chaos, and control.”
Techish is back with a fresh new season to kick off 2025! Michael and Abadesi dive into US politics—talking elections, inflations, and the role of ‘liberal elites’. They break down the debate about H-1B visas (no, Trump and Musk don’t actually care about immigrants), Zuckerberg’s MAGA pivot, and what censorship on social media actually means. They wrap things off by asking what owning an Android means for your dating life. Chapters Why Trump Won The Election (00:00) Trump and Musk Back H-1B Visas (08:05) Mark Zuckerberg Pivots to MAGA (15:30)
Singer Jason Derulo is set to join will.i.am’s FYI.AI creative collaboration platform company, Celebrity Access reports. will.i.am is the founder and CEO of the company and appointed Derulo as the Ambassador and Intelligent Media Leader at FYI.AI. “Jason’s passion about AI, his enthusiasm and optimism about the intersection of technology and creativity, entrepreneurial skills, and community reach make him a fantastic addition to the FYI team to help shape our creative strategy going forward,” will.i.am said. What will Jason Derulo do at FYI.AI? Derulo will work with will.i.am and other
