On Wednesday, 23rd July, President Donald Trump banned “woke AI” and AI models from government contracts. At an AI summit in Washington, Trump condemned “woke Marxist lunacy in the AI models” before signing the orders on stage at the Mellon Auditorium, as reported by The Guardian. The new order states that any artificial intelligence company receiving federal funding must maintain ideologically neutral AI models that are free of “ideological dogmas such as DEI.” This comes after Trump revoked a six-decade-old executive order that prohibited workplace discrimination by federal contractors. President
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved two T-Mobile deals after the company rolled back its DEI efforts following pressure from the Trump administration. T-Mobile was permitted to purchase nearly all of regional carrier United States Cellular’s wireless operations, including customers, stores, and 30% of its spectrum assets, in a deal valued at $4.4 billion, according to Reuters. T-Mobile was also granted permission to acquire internet service provider Metronet, which serves over 2 million homes and businesses in 17 states. The FCC approves two T-Mobile deals In a letter
Paramount Global is waiting for one last step before completing its sale to independent film and TV producer David Ellison’s Skydance Media. The Federal Communications Commission must approve the transfer of the company’s broadcast licenses, according to Bloomberg. The agency is concerned about news bias inside the media company, as well as the legality of its DEI efforts. Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media Paramount’s transfer to Skydance Media progressed after the media group settled Trump’s news-bias lawsuit against its CBS News division by agreeing to pay $16 million for his legal expenses and a donation
Unemployment rates for Black women are rising, and economists believe this signifies a broader problem. Black women’s unemployment rate increased from 5.1% in March to 6.1% in April and reached an all-time high in May at 6.2% before dropping to 5.8% in June, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported by The 19th. Rates for white and Asian women remained close to 3% and 5% for Latinas, in comparison. Experts believe that this highlights a strain in the economy. Why is this concerning? Due to systemic racism
Dutch semiconductor equipment supplier ASML has ended its DEI targets in the US to comply with executive orders in the country. The company made the announcement on Wednesday, stating that its diversity and key performance targets would not apply to US workers to the point that its inclusion and diversity policies conflict with US laws and orders. Still, it would remain intact in all other markets. ASML rolls back its DEI efforts ASML becomes another European company ending its DEI initiatives to avoid any disciplinary action from the executive orders
The pace of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy rollbacks at the nation’s largest corporations is slowing, despite high-profile political and corporate pushback, a new study has found. The findings follow a renewed anti-DEI wave, triggered by President Donald Trump’s January 20 executive order ending all federal diversity initiatives. Since then, major companies like Meta, Google, JP Morgan, and Target have scaled back or altered their DEI policies. But according to a new Gravity Research report, while the initial response was swift, the momentum behind corporate DEI dismantling has since
References to DEI on annual reports of FTSE 100 companies in the UK have declined, according to The Observer. Mentions of DEI, as well as the number of pages containing the phrase and revisions on it, fell by more than 16% compared to the annual reports for 85 companies in 2023 and 2024. While references to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and revisions on the term decreased by 22%, the data points to influence from the US after President Trump revoked a six-decade-old executive order that prohibited workplace discrimination by
The US House of Representatives bill, which has imposed a 5% tax on remittances sent abroad by non-citizens, could significantly impact African countries, according to Techpoint Africa. “The One Big Beautiful Bill” was passed on May 22, 2025, by the US House of Representatives, backed by President Donald Trump, which includes a provision imposing a 5% excise tax on remittances sent abroad by non-citizens. The bill intends to create revenue and highlight immigration concerns by targeting outbound money transfers from non-citizens, including people with green cards and temporary visas. How the
The South African government will alter its Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) regulations to allow Starlink to operate in the country. Bloomberg reported that the offer came at a last-minute meeting on Tuesday, 21 June. Foreign investors in South Africa’s telecom sector are required to allocate 30% of a project’s equity to Black-owned businesses to obtain a license. However, Elon Musk’s satellite internet provider will be allowed to meet BEE requirements through equity-equivalent investments instead. South Africa’s Workaround for Starlink South Africa created the BEE laws to address racial inequalities stemming from
Levi’s shareholders voted against a proposal that asked the company to end its DEI efforts. The National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative think tank, submitted a proposal to shareholders urging the company to “consider abolishing its DEI program, policies, department and goals,” according to WWD. Numerous companies, retailers, and even universities have called back on their DEI efforts to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders. In January, Trump revoked a six-decade-old executive order that prohibited workplace discrimination by federal contractors. Levi’s maintains its DEI efforts A company
