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☆ DeSantis is trashing Disney all over America, accusing the company of trying to 'sexualize' children. Don't expect Disney to hit back in court, defamation experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Ron DeSantis is campaigning for president, touting his record in Florida and dragging Walt Disney World through the mud everywhere he goes. Then, DeSantis lobs an incendiary accusation: Disney, by opposing the schools bill, was promoting the "sexualization of children." Part of Disney's hurdle in the courts would be that DeSantis' statements are his own opinion. Similarly, even though DeSantis appears ready keep raising Disney at every campaign stop, a defamation lawsuit would take on another dimension that gets loads of news coverage. Even though Disney would be the plaintiff in a defamation lawsuit, materials uncovered during discovery could put Disney in the position of defending its internal communications or business practices.

Persons: DeSantis, —, Ron DeSantis, Walt, David Logan, Roy Gutterman, Newhouse, Bob Iger, Daniele Venturelli, Eugene Hoshiko, Lidsky, Barbra Streisand, Logan, Charles Glasser, Glasser, Charles Sykes, Paul Hennessy, Gutterman, John Bazemore DeSantis, that's, it's, Disney Organizations: Disney, Service, Gov, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Company, Roger Williams University School of Law, Liberty, Center, Free Speech, Syracuse University, —, University of Florida, Florida Gov, Getty, New York University, Walt Disney World, AP Locations: Florida, North Carolina, Orlando, Philadelphia, Hill, California, Smyrna, Ga

“As president, I could have declassified, but now I can’t,” Trump says, according to the transcript. CNN obtained the transcript of a portion of the meeting where Trump is discussing a classified Pentagon document about attacking Iran. The transcript of the audio recording suggests that Trump is showing the document he’s discussing to those in the room. Look, look at this,” Trump says at one point, according to the transcript. Look, look at this.”“Secret” and “confidential” are two levels of classification for sensitive government documents.

Persons: Donald Trump, ” Trump, Trump, Jack Smith’s, he’s, Trump’s, Mark Meadows, Margo Martin, CNN Trump, Mark Milley, Susan Glasser, Milley, –, Smith, General Merrick Garland Organizations: CNN, “, Mar, White, Publicly, Trump, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Yorker, Defense Department, Justice Department Locations: Iran, Florida, Bedminster , New Jersey

☆ Trump on tape: Here’s what it means and what’s next
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Zachary B. Wolf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Most people recall the “Access Hollywood” tape of Trump using vulgar language to argue that “stars” can grab women. It also adds his Bedminster club to the potential locations where Trump had classified documents after leaving office. In response to the report, a Trump campaign spokesman said “leaks” are meant to “inflame tensions” around Trump. (The document Trump references was not produced by Milley, CNN was told.) Besides the ongoing investigations into the aftermath of the 2020 election, here’s what else is looming over Trump.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, Joe Biden’s, Jack Smith, who’s, ”, Elie Honig, Jake Tapper, ” Trump, undercuts, Smith, CNN’s Katelyn Polantz, Paula Reid, Kaitlan Collins, Mark Milley, Susan Glasser, Milley, CNN’s Haley Britzky, ” Beth Sanner, “, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Organizations: CNN, GOP, Trump, Department of Justice, ” CNN, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Milley, Chiefs, National Intelligence Locations: New York, Georgia, Peach State, Bedminster, Trump, Iran, Milley, New Hampshire

The recording indicates Trump understood he retained classified material after leaving the White House, according to multiple sources familiar with the investigation. Meadows didn’t attend the meeting, sources said. The revelation that the former president and commander-in-chief has been captured on tape discussing a classified document could raise his legal exposure as he continues his third bid for the White House. On the recording and in response to the story, Trump brings up the document, which he says came from Milley. However, there’s no indication Trump followed the legally mandated declassification process, and his attorneys have avoided saying so far in court whether Trump declassified records he kept.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jack Smith, Mark Milley, Trump’s, Mark Meadows, Margo Martin, Meadows, Trump “, ”, Dave Butler, Martin, Olivier Douliery, Susan Glasser, Milley, Glasser, ” Milley, Honig, They’ve Organizations: CNN, Federal, White, Justice Department, Trump, Prosecutors, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Milley, Capitol, Getty, Yorker, National Archives, Records Administration, The Justice, Lago, Office, Fox News Locations: Iran, Bedminster , New Jersey, Washington ,, AFP, New, Milley, Lago, Florida, Bedminster, Trump

☆ Amazon workers plan to walk out over 'lack of trust' in leadership
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Annie Palmer | In Annierpalmer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Amazon employees plan to walk off the job Wednesday in protest of the company's recent return-to-office mandate, layoffs and its environmental record. ET, with about 900 of those workers gathering outside the Spheres, the massive glass domes that anchor Amazon's Seattle headquarters, according to employee groups behind the effort. The walkout is being organized in part by Amazon Employees for Climate Justice, an influential worker organization that has repeatedly pressed the e-retailer on its climate stance. The group said employees are walking out to highlight a "lack of trust in company leadership's decision making." Amazon employees are walking off the job at a precarious time inside the company.

Persons: Andy Jassy, Brad Glasser, we've, Glasser, Amazon Organizations: Seattle, Amazon Employees, Climate Justice, Employees, Amazon, CNBC, Puget, The Center, Investigative, Greenhouse, Accounting Locations: Seattle , Washington, Seattle, Seattle , New York, Northern California

[1/3] Amazon workers participate in a walkout at Amazon Headquarters, in Seattle, Washington, U.S., May 31, 2023. REUTERS/Matt Mills McKnightSEATTLE, May 31 (Reuters) - Some Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) employees staged a walkout on Wednesday in protest of the e-commerce giant's changes to its climate policy, layoffs and a return-to-office mandate. More than 1,900 employees had pledged to protest globally, according to the organizers, an activist group known as Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ). In a statement, Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser said the company is pushing hard to cut its carbon emissions. He added that Amazon listens to employee feedback and was happy with the collaboration that arose from its return-to-office policy.

Persons: Matt Mills McKnight, AECJ, Brad Glasser, Matt McKnight, Tiyashi Datta, Jeffrey Dastin, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Amazon Headquarters, REUTERS, Inc, Amazon Employees, Climate Justice, Amazon, Thomson Locations: Seattle , Washington , U.S, Matt Mills McKnight SEATTLE, Seattle, San Francisco, Bengaluru, Palo Alto , California

☆ Amazon corporate workers plan to stage walkout, citing ‘lack of trust’ in leadership
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Nearly 2,000 corporate workers at Amazon have pledged to walk off the job on Wednesday to signal a “lack of trust” in the company’s leadership, in what could be the most visible sign of dissent among the e-commerce giant’s office workers in recent memory. Organizers said they will also have a way for employees at other Amazon corporate offices to participate virtually. All told, Amazon has said this year that it is laying off some 27,000 workers over multiple rounds of cuts. At the same time, Amazon and other tech companies are trying to get workers into the office more. “Amazon must keep pace with a changing world,” the group wrote in a Twitter thread last week calling for the walkout.

Persons: ”, Amazon, it’s, ” “, Brad Glasser, “, we’ve, who’ve, ” Glasser Organizations: CNN, Amazon, Amazon’s Seattle, Organizers, Twitter, Workers, Big Tech, Puget, Amazon Employees, Climate Justice Locations: Amazon’s, Los Angeles

☆ Amazon employees plan to walk out and accused the company of 'actively accelerating' the climate crisis, leaked email shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Eugene Kim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

In the email, the organizing group encourages employee participation in the walkout by pointing out five areas of concern over Amazon's climate initiatives. Here's what the email says:Emissions that are rising: Amazon's emissions have increased 40%(!!) Partnering with Big Oil: AWS Al and machine learning are being used by Big Oil to greatly accelerate oil and gas discovery and extraction. Amazon launched the Climate Pledge in 2019, committing to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Partnering with Big Oil: AWS Al and machine learning are being used by Big Oil to greatly accelerate oil and gas discovery and extraction.

☆ Opinion: What happens when you knock on a door
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. In Kansas City, Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old White homeowner shot Ralph Yarl, a Black teenager who rang his doorbell. And, “with Trump as the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, Fox has resumed coverage of him which often veers into the free-advertisement category. Neither Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who announced his candidacy last week, nor Marianne Williamson represents a serious threat, Axelrod noted. “The calendar reads 2023,” wrote the Republican former lieutenant governor of Georgia, Geoff Duncan, “but it feels like 2016 all over again.

WASHINGTON, April 20 (Reuters) - Mike Lindell, a prominent ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has been ordered to pay $5 million to a man who debunked Lindell's false claims of election fraud, the plaintiff's law firm said on Thursday. An arbitration panel ordered Lindell, the founder of pillow manufacturer My Pillow and a well-known election conspiracy theorist, to pay cyber expert Robert Zeidman after he won a contest Lindell hosted in Nevada in July 2021. "Lindell's claim to have 2020 election data has been definitively disproved." A significant portion of self-identified conservatives in the U.S. continue to falsely believe that the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost, was marred by widespread fraud. In 2021, Dominion Voting Systems, which just reached a $787.5 million settlement with Fox Corp and Fox News, sued Lindell for damages related to his vote-rigging claims.

☆ Mike Lindell was ordered to pay an expert $5 million for proving his election-fraud claims were wrong. Lindell wouldn't say if he has the money to pay up.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Mike Lindell has been ordered to fork over $5 million to a cybersecurity expert who proved his election-fraud claims were wrong. "Three judges unanimously decided that we proved to 100% certainty that Mr. Lindell's data was not related to the 2020 election," Glasser explained. He proved the data Lindell LLC provided, and represented reflected information from the November 2020 election, unequivocally did not reflect November 2020 election data," the panel wrote in its ruling. "Failure to pay Mr. Zeidman the $5 million prized was a breach of the contract, entitling him to recover." When asked by Insider on Thursday whether he had the cash to pay Zeidman the $5 million, he called it a "stupid question."

☆ My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell ordered to follow through with $5 million payment to expert who debunked his false election data
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Sara Murray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Washington CNN —My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell has been ordered to shell out $5 million to an expert who debunked his data related to the 2020 election, according to a decision by the arbitration panel obtained by CNN. CNN has obtained arbitration documents and video depositions, including a deposition of Lindell, related to the dispute. “He proved the data Lindell LLC provided, and represented reflected information from the November 2020 election, unequivocally did not reflect November 2020 election data. Thus, the contestants’ task was to prove the data presented to them was not valid data from the November 2020 election,” the arbitration panel wrote. Nor was the Panel asked to decide whether Lindell LLC possessed data that proved such interference, or even whether Lindell LLC had election data in its possession,” according to the arbitration panel.

☆ News outlets will face slew of coverage conundrums as Trump is arraigned on criminal charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The extraordinary moment will present newsrooms with a slew of coverage conundrums and test how well outlets have adapted to reporting on Trump since he left office in disgrace and largely vanished from the public view. Beware making this some Mano a Mano, Alvin Bragg versus Donald Trump story.”► Molly Jong-Fast: “He needs to be covered as a truth sandwich. if you can don’t repeat the lies. Trump is a candidate and also likely a defendant, treat him like every other candidate and defendant. Don’t give him the benefit of the doubt.”► Alyssa Farah: “Be careful not to be spun by Trump world.

☆ Retired GATX Corp. CEO Found a Tricky Nonprofit Encore
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( James R. Hagerty | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

James Glasser was credited with finding an accord that set the Chicago Community Trust up for growth and improved performance. After retiring as head of the railcar-leasing company GATX Corp. in 1996, James Glasser dreaded the risk of boredom. The Chicago Community Trust, which funds programs aimed at reducing poverty, provided a worthy perch. His work there proved trickier than expected, however. Relations between the trust and one of its biggest backers—the Searle family, heirs to a pharmaceutical fortune—had soured by the time Mr. Glasser became chairman of the trust’s executive committee in 1998.

☆ Amazon is trying to fix employee frustration over plunging pay by letting them pledge stock for home loans in a deal with Better
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon employees, even those who have left, can pledge their stock as collateral for home mortgages. Under the new program, Amazon employees will be able to use their vested stock as collateral in the home-buying process, Better said in a statement on Tuesday. The company's stock price hovered around $93.50 on Tuesday morning — a drop from more than $150 a year ago. The home loan benefit applies to both "current and former Amazon employees with vested equity in Amazon," per Better's statement. Amazon employees have flagged concerns about the company's compensation packages trailing those of its Big Tech peers.

☆ Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to run against Trump for the GOP nomination for president: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Cheryl Teh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Nikki Haley is running for president, per a report from a South Carolina paper. The Post and Courier reported that Haley will formally announce a run on February 15 in Charleston. If Haley announces, she will be running against former President Donald Trump for the 2024 nomination. Nikki Haley is running for president, according to a new report. When one is considering a run for president, Haley said, you would consider two things: "Does the current situation push for new leadership?

☆ The new 'Yellowstone' prequel '1923' is reportedly getting double the episodes originally planned
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Paramount+'s new "Yellowstone" prequel "1923" is reportedly getting eight more episodes. Paramount+'s new "Yellowstone" prequel, starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, is getting eight more episodes, on top of the originally planned first eight, according to a new Wall Street Journal story published on Saturday. WSJ categorized these additional episodes as "more '1923,'" but the "Yellowstone" expanded universe has sparked confusion before regarding the first prequel, "1883." It also announced a second prequel, which ultimately became "1923." They so far include "Mayor of Kingstown," "Tulsa King," and the "Yellowstone" prequels "1883" and "1923," all for Paramount+.

☆ Long Covid patients can face a battle trying to claim benefits through their workplace disability insurance
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Many workers get disability coverage via an employerAn estimated 43% of private industry workers have access to short-term disability insurance through their employer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Long-term disability insurance, which is intended to kick in when necessary after short-term disability benefits run out, is available to 35% of workers. After 10 weeks of struggling, he filed another short-term disability claim when it was clear he was not improving. Toward the end of 2021, with five doctors agreeing that his condition was disabling, he again filed a long-term disability claim. In fact, cases involving denial of long-term disability benefits for long Covid are cropping up around the country.

☆ Amazon reviewing unprofitable business units to cut costs - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 10 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) is reviewing unprofitable business units, including the devices division that houses its voice assistant Alexa, to cut costs, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, sending the e-commerce company's shares up 11%. Following a months-long review, Amazon has told employees in some unprofitable units to look for jobs elsewhere in the company, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The devices unit had an operating loss of more than $5 billion a year, WSJ reported citing documents. "We're of course taking into account the current macro-environment and considering opportunities to optimize costs," Amazon spokesperson Brad Glasser said. Last week, Amazon said it will freeze hiring to corporate workforce for the next few months due to an "unusual macro-economic environment".

☆ Analysis: Silicon Valley's greatest minds misread pandemic demand. Now their employees are paying for it.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN Business —In the early months of the pandemic, Facebook only grew bigger and more central to our lives. On Wednesday, however, Zuckerberg reversed course and laid off more than 11,000 employees, marking the most significant cuts in the company’s history. In a memo to staff, Zuckerberg coughed up some of the hardest words in the English language. The Federal Reserve maintained near-zero interest rates at the time, giving tech companies easier access to capital. And private and public market valuations for tech companies only seemed to go higher.

☆ A hiring freeze finally comes to Amazon Web Services as enterprise spending slows
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Katherine Long | Ashley Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meanwhile, at least two AWS engineering orgs are planning to freeze headcount until the end of 2023, according to two current employees. People who depart may be replaced, but the goal is to keep total headcount static, according to two of the current employees. AWS reported its slowest revenue growth ever last quarter, which Olsavsky attributed to reduced enterprise spending as cloud customers gird themselves for potential economic turmoil. Amazon announced a hiring freeze in its advertising business on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported. The New York Post reported last week on a hiring freeze in AWS.

☆ Amazon is forcing some logistics employees to relocate to Phoenix or lose their jobs, a sign that its 'return to an office-centric culture' is finally here
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amazon told employees of its logistics operations center they must go into the office in person. Many of those employees were hired as remote workers in the past two years, meaning some will be forced to relocate to the hub's Phoenix offices – or lose their jobs. The freight logistics hub these employees work at, called the Relay Operations Center, is responsible for responding to unexpected shipping disruptions. Inside Amazon, remote work remains popular. Relay Operations Center employees did not take the survey, the results of which were obtained by Insider.

☆ Behind the bombshells: How the LA Times used secret recordings to expose racism at the highest levels of city government
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The account tagged two reporters at the Los Angeles Times, as well as the newspaper’s politics account. More conference calls were held early Sunday morning until the reporters and editors agreed on a final draft. President Joe Biden even weighed in, calling on the three council members caught on the tapes, all Democrats, to resign. The other two council members have not stepped down. And the paper has been publishing stories daily, covering the fallout while still trying to determine who is behind the leaked audio.

☆ Amazon shutters 'ORCA' robotics team and 'Explore' travel venture in its latest sign of a hyper-focus on frugality
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon is shuttering a virtual travel division and a warehouse robotics team, Insider has learned. Amazon is scrapping another warehouse robotics team, ORCA, amid a larger reduction in robotics personnel. It's not clear how many people worked on the ORCA team. In addition, the company is ending Amazon Explore, a virtual travel experiences platform launched amid pandemic lockdowns in late 2020. In an all-hands meeting this week, Amazon executives instructed employees to tighten their belts.

☆ Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner knew the 2020 election wasn't stolen and began to distance themselves before the results were even called, a new book says
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Peter Baker | Susan Glasser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

In their new book, journalists, Peter Baker and Susan Glasser go behind the scenes of the Trump White House. As the 2020 election results came in, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump had already moved on, the book says. They had their own future to think about, one that would no longer involve the White House. While still in the White House, he began writing a memoir focused on Middle East peacemaking. "We either have a vote WE control and WEwin OR it gets kicked to Congress 6 January 2021," Don Jr. wrote.

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