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Walmart Abandons DEI Ahead of Trump’s Inauguration

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Walmart Scales Back DEI Ahead of Trump Inauguration
Walmart Scales Back DEI Ahead of Trump Inauguration

Walmart has declared that it will scale back some of its DEI programs, making it one of the most notable firms to do so as activist pressure grows. Joining a growing trend of American companies that have ditched their DEI policies.

The world’s largest retail chain declared it would stop using the abbreviation DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and no longer use the Human Rights Campaign’s corporate equality rating system. It also ended its $100 million Center for Racial Equity, expected to expire in 2025.

The corporation will also discontinue all sexual and transgender products targeted at youngsters.

Walmart will also review its supplier diversity program to ensure that no preferences are based on race, and it will discontinue using the phrase “LatinX” in official communications to refer to people with Latin American cultural or ethnic identities.

According to John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., Walmart’s plan to scale back some of its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies across the country is intended to “ensure every customer, every associate,” feels welcome and belongs.

Corporations Abandoning DEI

Last summer, home improvement major Lowe’s (LOW), rural retailer Tractor Supply (TSCO), and tractor manufacturer John Deere (DE) announced their departure from DEI rules. Harley-Davidson (HOG), Jack Daniel’s producer Brown-Forman (BF-A), Polaris (PII), and its motorcycle business, Indian Motorcycle, have all experienced recent stock declines.

Meanwhile, Robby Starbuck, a former music video director who has championed various right-leaning causes on social media, claims that many of the canceled diversity programs occurred after he disclosed plans to “expose” woke practices.

He did it again on Monday with Walmart, stating in a post on X that he told executives that he was “doing a story on wokeness there” and that he and Walmart “had productive conversations to find solutions.”

Citing the company’s actions, he stated, “This is the biggest win yet for our movement to end wokeness in corporate America.”

Meanwhile, President-elect Trump has promised to abolish diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in companies and educational institutions on the first day of his administration.

“President Trump has been very clear about ending the woke DEI garbage that is infecting this country, and the American people voted overwhelmingly to do just that,” Trump spokesman Steven Cheung stated.

Stephen Miller, a senior Trump aide named the new administration’s top policy architect, has spent the last four years preparing for this fight, filing lawsuits against “woke” firms. Miller has advocated repurposing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to address what he refers to as awakened discrimination in the labor market.

Public opinion has also evolved. Consumer boycotts that lowered sales prompted firms like Bud Light and Target to discontinue LGBTQ+ marketing programs.

According to a new Pew Research Center survey, American workers’ attitudes toward the role of DEI in the workplace have shifted from positive to unfavorable since last year.

Ontario Woman Finds a Black Widow Spider in Grapes From Walmart

Ontario Woman Finds a Black Widow Spider in Grapes From Walmart

 

 

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Bitcoin Recovers Above $96,000 as Investors Aim for a $100,000 Milestone Before Thanksgiving.

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Bitcoin
Ozan Kose | Afp | Getty Images

(VOR News) – Bitcoin saw a minor rebound on Wednesday following a drop earlier this week that sent it plummeting from all-time highs.

Bitcoin fell from its prior highs as a result of this drop. The cryptocurrency’s worth surpassed $95,000 once more.

The flagship cryptocurrency’s price most recently increased by 5%, reaching $95,886.00, according to Coin Metrics. This sum is an increment of considerable magnitude.

While all of this was going on, the price of ether increased by over 7% to $3,555.82. The CoinDesk 20 index indicates that the whole cryptocurrency market had a 5% increase. When the market was assessed, this was noted.

Although the cryptocurrency bitcoin is sometimes seen as a store of wealth and a digital version of gold, it often swings in lockstep with the stock market. Most of the time, this is the case.

However, it was separated from the Nasdaq Composite, a technology-heavy index that had a 1% drop on Wednesday. Furthermore, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 are also presently on a downward trajectory.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies rose in value, boosting Coinbase.

The share price of Robinhood, a business that provides cryptocurrency trading services and is thought to stand to gain from a more crypto-friendly environment in Donald Trump’s upcoming administration, increased by 4%. The cryptocurrency known as MicroStrategy, which is thought to be a stand-in for bitcoin, had a 7% increase.

With a spike of more than 38 percent, Bitcoin has been consistently breaking records since the election on November 5. This took place while the election was still in progress. In the past week, the price has tested the $90,000 support level after hitting its highest point ever on Friday, $99,849.99.

The report, which was released on Wednesday, claims that the bull market has legs. The bull market has legs, according to Galaxy Digital’s head of firmwide research, Alex Thorn.

It is important to prepare for the potential for disruptions and any necessary repairs. The markets will be alarmed by any dubious regulatory or law enforcement actions taken by former vice president Joe Biden’s administration. It is impossible to rule out this possibility.

The upcoming U.S. administration appears to be quite supportive of bitcoin, and strong positioning and network data all suggest that prices will rise in the near and medium term going ahead.

Bitcoin companies, enterprises, and nations may use more technology, raising prices.

Fairlead Strategies employee Katie Stockton said that bitcoin investors are presently in “uncharted territory in terms of where there is resistance – which, of course, there is none.” This claim was made during Monday’s “Squawk Box” episode on CNBC.

The amount of funding, however, is approximately $74,000. For the first time in its existence, the price of bitcoin exceeded $92,000 two weeks ago on November 13. This was an important turning point.

According to her, “Bitcoin does have a tendency to stairstep both to the downside and to the upside,” meaning that it has extremely quick spikes before descending to its previous level. This suggests has a propensity to stairstep both upward and downward.

People should be willing to give cryptocurrencies in general greater leeway because of the volatility that occurs in the cryptocurrency space as well as the long-term potential. People ought to be prepared to give bitcoin more leeway because of this.

The value of bitcoin has increased by 124% so far this year, and it is still generally predicted that it will surpass $100,000 before the year is over.

Ether is currently trailing bitcoin in terms of performance from the start of the year to the present, with a 55% gain. Ether has been the most successful investment since the election

SOURCE: CNBC

SEE ALSO:

Walmart Is The Most Recent And Largest Firm To Reverse Its DEI Practices.

Chill Guy Memes Creator Threatens Over Copyright

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Chill Guy Memes Creator Threatens Over Copyright

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Chill Guy Memes Creator Threatens Over Copyright
Just putting it out there, chill guy has been copyrighted. like, legally.

If you’re a regular on social media, you most likely came across the viral “Chill Guy” memes. Users on many different sites have expressed interest in this dog meme.

Illustrator Philip Banks brought chill man memes to life; he debuted them on October 4, 2023, and the internet has not stopped buzzing.

What, then, makes the Chill Guy memes so appealing?

The “Chill Guy” memes center around an image of an elegant, anthropomorphic dog. Wearing a grey sweater, rolled-up blue pants and red trainers, the figure exudes a naturally laid-back attitude. His hands, or paws, lie carelessly in his pockets, along with a faint, confident smile.

The internet immediately embraced this loose attitude. Social media users have been redefining the character in several ways and using him to comment on anything from daily challenges to political concerns.

The meme’s relatability appeals to everyone. Memes with “Chill Guy” are now showing up on Instagram and X (previously Twitter), and many people use the moniker “Chill Guy” to post their original works.

Not even big names have resisted the trend. ‘Chill Guy’ memes have been used in advertising campaigns by companies such as Sprite, CBS, and the National Football League (NFL).

Philip Banks has not, however, been welcoming of the evolution. He threatened to send takedown warnings for assets or applications using the character a few days ago.

On his X handle, he wrote, “Just putting it out there, the chill guy has been copyrighted. Like, legally. I’ll be issuing takedowns on for-profit-related things over the next few days.

In a subsequent post, he added, “Not like brand accounts using him as a trend, that’s kinda something I don’t really care about (i do just ask for credit. or xboxes.). mainly unauthorized merchandise and shitcoins.”

He also commented on Instagram to criticize his work’s use on crypto-related projects. In a post, he said, “I do not, and will never, endorse or condone any crypto-related projects involving my work.”

The Chill Guy meme doesn’t seem to be nearing death anytime soon. Given Phillip Banks’ growing focus on copyright protection, however, it is uncertain how much this relaxed approach will appeal.

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Walmart Is The Most Recent And Largest Firm To Reverse Its DEI Practices.

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Walmart
Steven Senne/AP

(VOR News) – Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is now joining a growing number of prominent companies that have reversed their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in response to criticism from conservative activists.

Walmart announced the significant changes on Monday, which include the withdrawal from a renowned homosexual rights index and the non-renewal of a five-year commitment to an equality racial center that was established in 2020 in response to the police shooting of George Floyd.

Furthermore, Walmart will not grant suppliers preferential treatment on the basis of their gender or race.

Walmart’s moves highlight the mounting pressure on American businesses as they contend with the ramifications of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2023 ruling abolishing affirmative action in college admissions.

Conservative organizations have litigated against firms on analogous grounds, focusing on workplace policies such as diversity initiatives and employment practices that favor historically underrepresented groups, following that verdict.

Robby Starbuck, a conservative political commentator and activist, has been criticizing corporate DEI policies and naming specific businesses on the social media platform X. Since then, Ford, Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s, and Tractor Supply have announced that they are ceasing their campaigns.

However, with 1.6 million employees, Walmart is the largest US employer.

Starbuck stated on X, “This is the most significant victory for our movement to eradicate wokeness in corporate America,” and he disclosed that he had conversed with Walmart regarding the matter.

Walmart informed The Associated Press that it will maintain a more vigilant approach to its third-party marketplace products to prevent the inclusion of sexual and transgender items that are intended for minors.

The company has stated that these would consist of breast attachments that are specifically designed for young individuals who are transitioning to a different gender.

The Bentonville, Arkansas-based company will also be evaluating grants to Pride events to prevent it from financially promoting sexualized content that may not be suitable for children. For example, the organization declared its intention to guarantee that a family pavilion at a Pride event is not situated in close proximity to a drag production.

Additionally, Walmart will cease to employ gender and ethnicity as criteria for expanding its supplier contracts. The organization declared that it did not maintain any quotas and would not do so in the future.

These programs will not use Walmart demographics for loan eligibility.

Furthermore, Walmart declared that it would not be renewing a racial equity center that was established as part of a $100 million, five-year philanthropic commitment.

According to its website, the center’s objectives were to “address the root causes of gaps in outcomes experienced by Black and African American people in the education, health, finance, and criminal justice systems.”

Furthermore, it would cease to participate in the Human Rights Campaign’s annual benchmark index, which evaluates the degree of inclusivity in workplaces for LGBTQ+ employees.

“We acknowledge our imperfections, yet every decision is driven by a desire to cultivate belonging, create opportunities for all our associates, customers, and suppliers, and to embody a Walmart for everyone,” the business stated.

The changes are a result of the election victory of former President Donald Trump, who has criticized DEI programs and surrounded himself with conservatives who share his views. Stephen Miller, his former adviser, is the director of America First Legal, a group that has opposed corporate DEI policies. Miller was appointed deputy director of policy in the Trump administration.

Walmart has been developing policy modifications for an extended period, according to a representative. In the context of work titles and communications, the term “dei” has been progressively replaced by the term “belonging.”

Additionally, it initiated modifications to its supplier program subsequent to the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling. Some individuals have encouraged companies to comply with their DEI policies.

Last month, a delegation of congressional Democrats presented a case to Fortune 1000 executives, contending that DEI initiatives offer equal opportunities for all individuals to achieve the American ideal.

SOURCE: NPR

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