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☆ $500 million Harvard megadonor halts donations, says elite schools produce ‘whiny snowflakes’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

At a conference in Miami on Tuesday, Griffin expressed deep frustration with the state of American universities, including the disastrous testimony before Congress by the presidents of Harvard, MIT and UPenn. Griffin, the founder of hedge fund Citadel, said he is no longer supporting Harvard financially but would like that to change. The donor backlash at Ivy League schools raises questions about the sway wealthy individuals hold over educational institutions. Just last April, Griffin made a $300 million gift to Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS). Griffin suggested that students at elite schools are “just caught up in the rhetoric of oppressor and oppressee and… just like whiny snowflakes.”The billionaire also reiterated that he won’t hire students who signed an anti-Israel statement issued by Harvard organizations in October.

Persons: Ken Griffin, ” Griffin, Griffin, CNBC’s Leslie Picker, ”, “, “ Will, it’s “, Leslie Wexner, Len Blavatnik Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Harvard University, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, MIT, UPenn, Citadel, MFA Network Miami, Ivy League, Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, FAS, Harvard College, Bloomberg Locations: New York, Columbia, Miami, microaggressions, Israel

☆ Premarket stocks: Why the American Whiskey industry is freaking out
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Between June 2018 and December 2021 there was a 25% tax imposed on the spirit, which decreased American whiskey exports by 18%. American whiskey exports to the EU jumped 118% in the first half of 2023 when compared to the same period in 2022. They went back and forth until 2021 when the tariffs on American whiskey were suspended and we took a great sigh of relief. The Biden administration’s leadership and efforts on this have enabled the suspension of tariffs on American whiskey and all distilled spirits products, but we are rightly anxious because a 50% tariff on American whiskey would be beyond devastating to exports. Since those tariffs have been suspended, we’ve seen American whiskey exports rebound to beyond pre-pandemic levels.

Persons: Bell, Chris Swonger, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Ursula von der Leyen, we’re, Biden, We’ve, we’ve, It’s, Gina Raimondo, ” Raimondo, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Raimondo, ”, Read, Bill Ackman, Leslie Wexner, —, “, Claudine Gay, Dean, Harvard College Rakesh Khurana, Gay Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, EU, European Commission, European Union, Biden administration’s, US, China, Commerce Department, Harvard, Harvard University, Pershing, Harvard College, Harvard College Jewish Alumni Association, ” Harvard, “ Harvard, Council, Advancement Locations: New York, United States, EU, China, Taiwan, Israel

☆ Harvard alumni group threatens to withdraw donations over antisemitism concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Organizers say it is the first Jewish alumni association in the history of the university. Harvard President Gay wrote a letter to members of the larger Harvard community addressing the tensions on Thursday. While a large chunk of university donations come from big gifts, small donations from alumni are becoming an increasingly important source of funding for higher education, according to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Universities like to tout the high number of donations they receive to show that they have an engaged alumni base, said CASE. More than 300 Cooper Union alumni also recently threatened to end donations over the New York school’s response to anti-Israel protests.

Persons: Bill Ackman, Leslie Wexner, —, “, ”, Claudine Gay, Dean, Harvard College Rakesh Khurana, Rebecca Claire Brooks, Gay, Brooks, ” Brooks, ” Cooper Organizations: New, New York CNN, Harvard University, Harvard, Pershing, Harvard College, Harvard College Jewish Alumni Association, Organizers, Jewish, Holocaust, CNN, “ Harvard, Council, Advancement, Universities, Cooper Union Locations: New York, Israel

☆ Harvard could face funding consequences if it fails to tackle antisemitism, says Bill Ackman in letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ackman, who met with a group of more than 200 Harvard students and faculty last week, said the university’s administration is not doing enough to protect them. “Harvard student disciplinary actions should not be outsourced to the police department,” he wrote. When contacted, Harvard directed CNN to earlier statements from Gay and Harvard’s Executive Vice President Meredith Weenick about community conduct. Ackman and others suggested there should be employment consequences for students who had signed the letter. In his letter, Ackman acknowledged the success of that message and suggested that Harvard administrators warn students of the potential consequences.

Persons: Bill Ackman, ”, Ackman, Claudine Gay, Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar, ” Datar, “, Harvard’s Slack, Meredith Weenick, Gay, ” Gay, Leslie Wexner, Abigail, Lawrence Summers, Clinton, ” Summers Organizations: New, New York CNN, Billionaire, Harvard University, Harvard, Israel, Harvard Business School, Harvard University Police Department, FBI, “ Harvard, CNN, Gay, Harvard Hillel, Palestinian, Elite, Wexner Foundation, Pershing Square Capital Management, Civil, Defamation Locations: New York, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Harvard’s

☆ Abercrombie & Fitch, ex-CEO sued over sex abuse and trafficking accusations
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Abercrombie and Fitch is in the midst of a major comeback, but the retailer is still being haunted by the alleged sins of former chief executive Mike Jeffries. The company was sued Friday for turning a blind eye to Jeffries' alleged misconduct, court records show. He's accused of running a sprawling sex trafficking ring that exploited young men hoping to become models for the brand. It comes just weeks after the BBC published an investigation into Jeffries and Abercrombie that made similar accusations. Following the event, Bradberry was flown to Nice, France, where he was again forced to perform sex acts on Jeffries, the suit states.

Persons: Abercrombie, Fitch, Mike Jeffries, Jeffries, He's, who's, Brian Bieber, didn't, Mr, Bieber, David Bradberry, Bradberry, Michael Jeffries, lightheaded, Andrews, Leslie Wexner, Fran Horowitz, Wall Organizations: BBC, CNBC, Hamptons, Alcott Locations: Manhattan, Nice, France

☆ Harvard and UPenn donors are furious. It may have a financial domino effect
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Donors often give for specific purposes — facilities, faculty research, technology on campus, athletics, scholarships and financial aid for low-income students. The Wexner Foundation said it’s breaking off ties with Harvard University, alleging the school has been “tiptoeing” over Hamas’ attacks. Lawrence Summers, the former president of Harvard and US Treasury Secretary, has criticized the “morally unconscionable” student statement and Harvard leaders’ response. But he said that financial threats from donors were not the right solution to influencing universities’ positions on these issues. Organizers of the Palestine Writes festival denied that it embraced antisemitism, according to UPenn student newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian.

Persons: ”, Lee Gardner, Adam Glanzman, Sara Harberson, ” Gardner, “, Indiana University’s, ” Harvard, Harvard “, Leslie Wexner, Abigail, Charles Mostoller, Claudine Gay, Boycott, Lawrence Summers, ” Summers, Jon Huntsman, Marc Rowan, Billionare Ronald Lauder, Susan Abulhawa, ” UPenn, Liz Magill, ” Magill Organizations: New, New York CNN, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Ivy League, Harvard, Higher Education, Philanthropy, Bloomberg, Getty, “ Ivy League, Indiana, Indiana University’s Lilly Family School, “, ”, “ Revenue, Wexner Foundation, Palestinian, College Hall, Israel, Israel Fellows, Wexner, US, CNN, Wall, Daily, University Locations: New York, Israel, UPenn, United States, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, U.S, “, Palestine, Palestinian

☆ Opinion: Why student protests against Israel are so painful, polarizing and complicated
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Opinion Nicole Hemmer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Student radicals have been targets of condemnation since at least the early 1960s, when they experimented with new forms of protest against anti-Black racism, the Vietnam War, poverty and censorship. “I think they oughta shoot ‘em if they’re carrying the Vietcong flag,” actor John Wayne said of the protests. In the 1960s, student radicals occasionally waved the Viet Cong flag to show solidarity with the people of Vietnam. But students did have the power to disrupt, to grab camera time and to create the iconic imagery of an era. You may hate these student activists’ words and actions, but they’re not the ones with the power here.

Persons: Nicole Hemmer, Carolyn T, Robert M, “, Who, Stanford ”, ” Nicole Hemmer, Bill Ackman, —, Victoria’s, Leslie Wexner, Abigail, Jon Huntsman, Huntsman, John Wayne, it’s, Mao Zedong, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Israel, Christopher Rufo, they’re Organizations: Rogers Center, Vanderbilt University, “ Partisans, Conservative, CNN, “, Harvard, Hamas, University of Pennsylvania, Huntsman Foundation, Utah Gov, Penn, Democratic Party, Capitol, United, Getty, Viet, Universities, Police, National Students for Justice, Israel, Democratic Socialists of America Locations: Israel, Gaza, Vietnam, Iraq, Washington, United States, AFP, firefights, Viet, Viet Cong, California, Palestine

☆ ‘Stunned and sickened.’ Wexner Foundation cuts ties with Harvard over ‘tiptoeing’ on Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —A nonprofit founded by former Victoria’s Secret billionaire Leslie Wexner and his wife Abigail is breaking off ties with Harvard University, alleging the school has been “tiptoeing” over Hamas’ terror attacks against Israel. Citing the “absence of this clear moral standard,” the Wexner Foundation said it has determined the Harvard Kennedy School is no longer a “compatible” partner for its organization. In a statement to CNN, Harvard reiterated comments by university leadership condemning both the attacks against Israel and terrorism. “We are grateful to the Wexner Foundation for its very longstanding support of student scholarships,” a Harvard spokesperson said in the statement. They feel abandoned,” the Wexner Foundation said.

Persons: Leslie Wexner, Abigail, ”, “, Larry Summers, ’, ” Summers, Obama, Clinton, Idan Ofer, Batia, Claudine Gay, ” Gay, Gay, Harvard “, Les Wexner, Wexner, Jeffrey Epstein Organizations: New, New York CNN, Harvard University, Harvard, Forbes, Wexner, Harvard Kennedy School, CNN, Wexner Foundation, University, “, North American Jewish, Kennedy School of Government, Israel Fellows, Body, Limited Brands Locations: New York, Israel, Bath

☆ The Justice Department investigated Jeffrey Epstein's death. Then it went silent.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +25 min

Jeffrey Epstein's death in a federal jail was seen as a shocking Justice Department failure. But more than three years later, the office still hasn't released its report into the circumstances of Epstein's death. "We all took it by surprise," Mark Epstein told Insider. Barr tasked the Justice Department's inspector general, Michael Horowitz, and the FBI with investigating "the circumstances of Mr. Epstein's death." Mark Epstein told Insider that he spoke to his brother about once a month in the years before his death.

☆ A mysterious 'Doe 183' is trying to keep Jeffrey Epstein documents under seal. Could it be Les Wexner?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

"In the court's view, there's no reason to redact Doe 183 from the documents." And when Insider asked that lawyer about his work for Doe 183, a representative for Wexner responded, declining to comment. But if Doe 183 wins their fight to keep the documents redacted, their name and the context surrounding it would remain behind those blacked-out lines. While he never identified himself verbally, the transcript's cover sheet identifies him as an attorney representing Doe 183. Of those 21 documents, there are seven docket entries where Doe 183 is the sole Doe mentioned.

☆ Victoria’s Secret brand CEO abruptly resigns
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN Business —Victoria’s Secret brand CEO Amy Hauk has resigned less than a year into the job, the company said Tuesday. She will leave Victoria’s Secret in March. Martin Waters, the CEO of the brand’s parent company, Victoria’s Secret & Co., will take over as CEO of the brand. Shares of Victoria’s Secret dropped 8% on the news during after-hours trading Tuesday. But Victoria’s Secret sales have been uneven since the start of the pandemic.

☆ JP Morgan 'pulled the levers' of Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking operation, US Virgin Islands says in new lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new lawsuit alleges JP Morgan facilitated Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking scheme. Earlier this year, the US Virgin islands settled a separate lawsuit, first brought in 2020, with Epstein's estate and its executors. "JP Morgan ignored numerous red flags and failed to comply with federal banking regulations until years later after JP Morgan was no longer benefiting from Epstein's business," the lawsuit says. In addition to the US Virgin Islands, an anonymous "Jane Doe" filed lawsuits against JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank in November, alleging the financial institutions benefitted from Epstein's sex-trafficking operation. That same company, Hyperion Air, is identified by the US Virgin Islands Attorney General as one of Epstein's accounts with JP Morgan.

Carl Icahn had a textbook strategy for the Nevada-based energy utility Southwest Gas Holdings. In August, Southwest Gas' board decided against a divestiture, and the sale of subsidiaries that Icahn had urged remains uncertain. "Shareholders don't want to hear it, but you really have great difficulty selling a company at a good price today," the widely followed activist investor Icahn told Insider. via CNBCBut, like Icahn in the case of Southwest Gas, participants in this new onslaught may find themselves confounded by an increasingly complex and fraught business environment. According to Lazard, 37% of activist campaigns this year were launched by first-timers, the highest proportion since the company started tracking these figures in 2015.

Carl Icahn had a textbook strategy for the Nevada-based energy utility Southwest Gas Holdings. In August, Southwest Gas' board decided against a divestiture, and the sale of subsidiaries that Icahn had urged remains uncertain. That means that the sale of companies like Southwest Gas is off the table for the time being — or will get done at prices far lower than before. via CNBCBut, like Icahn in the case of Southwest Gas, participants in this new onslaught may find themselves confounded by an increasingly complex and fraught business environment. According to Lazard, 37% of activist campaigns this year were launched by first-timers, the highest proportion since the company started tracking these figures in 2015.

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