Tag Archives: business

Bil Browning writes at LGBTQ Nation: One month after the mass shooting in Orlando at a gay nightclub, congressional Republicans are holding a committee hearing to discuss legalizing discrimination against LGBT people. Despite repeated calls from fellow lawmakers, activists, and civil rights organizations, chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) refused to cancel or postpone the hearing. The hearing will focus on the …

From the Raleigh News & Observer: American Airlines, Microsoft and Marriott are among 68 companies that signed an amicus brief in the lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s House Bill 2. Former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson authored the brief on behalf of Human Rights Campaign, the LGBT advocacy group that is leading opposition to the law. The brief will be filed …

From Toledo’s ABC affiliate: It certainly wasn’t the text message Candice Lowe was expecting to get on her honeymoon. She says it came from the owner of Take the Cake Bakery in Toledo, canceling the order for her wife’s birthday cake. Lowe says, “after she saw my Facebook page, she found out that I was in a same-sex marriage and …

From Raleigh’s NBC affiliate: Raleigh could lose as much as $40 million in convention business from the state’s controversial law on transgender rights. Statistics from the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau show that 16 trade associations or corporate groups have canceled gatherings in Raleigh because of House Bill 2, causing an estimated economic loss of $5.6 million. Raleigh is …

The Huffington Post recaps: Bill Maher ripped into the GOP’s policy of cutting taxes for the rich on Friday night. The “Real Time with Bill Maher“ host said the state of California was proof that doing the reverse, and instead raising taxes on the most wealthy, could actually lead to a booming economy. The comedian gloated about how The Golden …

The Daily Beast recaps: Last week, British satirist John Oliver spent a considerable portion of his late-night HBO program, Last Week Tonight, addressing the upcoming EU referendum, and urging his viewers that it would be “absolutely crazy” for Britain to leave the European Union, warning of “wide-ranging implications both for the U.K. and the world’s economy.” Well, it turns out …

NBC News reports: The Dow Jones Industrial average plunged 500 points on Friday morning — the index’s biggest drop in 10 months — as markets around the world reacted to a vote by citizens of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. The Dow fell as much as 538.27 points and the S&P 500 dropped as much as 58.49 …

Bloomberg reports: Global markets buckled as Britain’s vote to leave the European Union drove the pound to the lowest in more than 30 years and European banks to their steepest losses on record. “It’s scary, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” said James Butterfill, 41, head of research and investments at ETF Securities in London. “A lot of people …

TIME Magazine reports: Thanks to Burger King, we now have something called Mac n’ Cheetos in our world. It’s exactly what you think: basically a giant, crunchy Cheeto stuffed with oozy macaroni and cheese. Also thanks to Burger King, we can say goodbye to our waistlines, because these look to be both ridiculously addictive-tasting and also crazily artery-clogging. Take your …

Via Politico: Apple CEO Tim Cook will host a fundraiser with House Speaker Paul Ryan next week as the iPhone maker tries to strengthen its relationships with key Republicans — despite its decision to pull support for the GOP convention because of its distaste for Donald Trump. Cook will help generate cash for Ryan at a private breakfast on June …

Politico reports: Apple has told Republican leaders it will not provide funding or other support for the party’s 2016 presidential convention, as it’s done in the past, citing Donald Trump’s controversial comments about women, immigrants and minorities. Unlike Facebook, Google and Microsoft, which have all said they will provide some support to the GOP event in Cleveland next month, Apple …

Bloomberg reports: A growing number of prominent U.S. corporations are opting to drop or scale back their sponsorship of the Republican national convention next month in Cleveland, as the nomination of Donald Trump promises a level of controversy rarely seen in such gatherings. Among those to signal in recent days that they won’t sponsor the convention this year are Wells …

From NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke’s internal email to employees: It has been a heartbreaking week for our nation and for each of us as members of the NBCUniversal family. On Monday, I shared with you that two employees, Luis Vielma and Jonathan Camuy, died in the incomprehensible tragedy in Orlando. Sadly, we now know that four additional people associated with …

WOW. From Disney’s corporate blog: Today, the Walt Disney Company is announcing a $1 million cash commitment to the OneOrlando Fund, established by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer to assist those affected by the tragic events in Orlando. Also, eligible donations from Disney employees will be matched dollar for dollar by Disney Employee Matching Gifts: A Program of The Walt Disney …

From JetBlue’s website: Like many of you, we continue to watch reports of the Orlando nightclub shooting with great sadness. Our thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. This weekend’s events are felt by all of our 19,000 crewmembers, many of whom live in, work from and travel through Orlando – one of our focus cities – at …

Homocon Peter Thiel is probably doing cartwheels in his mansion. Via the Hollywood Reporter: Gawker Media has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a Florida judge issued a $140 million final judgment in favor of Hulk Hogan in the invasion-of-privacy lawsuit over the posting of a sex tape. The online news organization founded in 2003 by Nick Denton which now …

Big story from USA Today: Donald Trump casts himself as a protector of workers and jobs, but a USA TODAY NETWORK investigation found hundreds of people – carpenters, dishwashers, painters, even his own lawyers – who say he didn’t pay them for their work. At least 60 lawsuits, along with hundreds of liens, judgments, and other government filings reviewed by …

Colgate has launched what is reportedly the the first gay-themed television commercial to air in Mexico. In the spot, an older man and his apparent grandson welcome a gay couple to their apartment building and help them move a sofa. The clip concludes with the couple happily collapsing onto the sofa and holding hands. On Facebook, Colgate has tagged the …

Just as they did at PepsiCo’s shareholders meeting in North Carolina last month and at Walmart’s shareholders meeting in Arkansas last week, anti-LGBT activists from the National Center for Public Policy Research ambushed Target executives at yesterday’s annual shareholders meeting in Costa Mesa, California. A spokesman for the group confronted Target’s board of directors, demanding to know if they had …

From the Straits Times: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Tuesday (June 7) it will “take steps to make it clear that foreign entities should not fund, support or influence” events held at Speakers’ Corner, like the annual Pink Dot event last Saturday. This year’s event – the eighth such – attracted 18 sponsors, twice as many as …