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Insight News • February 3, 2025 - February 9, 2025 • Page 1
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February 3, 2025 - February 9, 2025
Vol. 52 No. 5• The Journal For Community News, Business & The Arts • insightnews.com
As attacks against DE&I heighten, Costco and Apple prove inclusion remains good business By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia Under President Donald Trump’s Project 2025, the administration has launched an unprecedented effort to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) programs. Federal agencies are now prohibited from observing Black History Month, and employees involved in DE&I initiatives have been terminated. Critics argue these measures represent a full-on attack on marginalized communities and signal a clear directive for corporations to follow suit. Trump’s administration, which has no diversity in its ranks, has been accused of setting a dangerous precedent. Some companies, however, remain committed to their DE&I
efforts. Organizations like Costco, JPMorgan Chase, Delta Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Apple continue to view diversity as a cornerstone of their workforce strategies, refusing to back down despite mounting pressure from conservatives and the White House. Corporations Holding the Line Costco’s board of directors recently rejected the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) proposal that sought to force the company to publish risks associated with its DE&I programs or eliminate them. The board reaffirmed the company’s commitment to inclusion ahead of a January 23 shareholder vote. “Our success at Costco Wholesale has been built on service to our critical stakeholders: employees, members, and suppliers,”
the board said in a statement reported by Forbes. “Our efforts around diversity, equity, and inclusion follow our code of ethics. These efforts remind and reinforce with everyone at our company the importance of creating opportunities for all.” JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has also resisted calls to retreat from diversity programs. “We will continue to reach out to the Black community, the Hispanic community, the veterans’ community, and LGBTQ. We have teams with second chance initiatives — governors in blue states and red states like what we do,” Dimon said in an interview with CNBC. Apple’s leadership has similarly rejected proposals to scale back DE&I, labeling such measures as attempts to “micromanage” the company’s operations. The board stated, “The proposal is unnecessary as Apple already has a well-
established compliance program,” as reported by Tech Xplore. Walmart’s Retreat Draws Outrage Walmart, by contrast, joined corporations like Meta, McDonald’s, Ford Motor Co., and Molson Coors in rolling back its DE&I initiatives. In response, longterm shareholders representing $266 billion in funds wrote a letter to CEO Doug McMillon on January 14, expressing their disappointment. “Seeing the company retreat from its stated values and the business opportunities associated with a diverse and inclusive workforce is very disheartening,” the letter, organized by the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, stated. Caroline Boden of Mercy Investment Services, a signatory of the letter, added, “DEI initiatives aren’t just
‘nice to have,’ they are essential to breaking down systemic inequities hindering our economy and preventing society from fully thriving. Inequity is bad for business and, ultimately, investors.” A coalition of 14 attorneys general, including Maryland’s Anthony G. Brown, also sent Walmart a letter urging reconsideration. Speaking to CBS News, Brown said, “When major companies roll back their commitments to these efforts, they signal to smaller businesses that it is acceptable to do the same, creating a ripple effect that inflicts lasting harm across our State and nation.” Advocates Warn of LongTerm Consequences Leaders in DE&I initiatives continue challenging corporate rollbacks, warning of the harm such decisions could cause. Tinisha Bookhart, co-founder and director of IT and DE&I at Primary Talent
Partners, described the move to abandon diversity programs as deeply troubling. “When implemented correctly, DE&I solutions aim to provide opportunities to qualified individuals who, due to conscious or unconscious bias, might not otherwise have them. Abandoning DE&I altogether is a grave misstep that only serves to perpetuate existing disparities in the workforce,” she said. In an interview with CWS 3.0, Omni Inclusive CEO Perry Charlton said corporations like Costco and Apple serve as shining examples of why DE&I matters. “Diversity in the contingent workforce is not just a moral imperative — it’s an essential driver of innovation, growth, and long-term success. Abandoning these efforts now undermines progress and jeopardizes the future of equitable work environments,” Charlton said.
Federal grants freeze exposes disproportionate impact on red states, showing Trump’s willingness to sacrifice his own supporters By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia The White House’s decision to pause federal grants and loans has sent shockwaves across Washington, D.C., and beyond, exposing vulnerabilities in Republican-leaning states that heavily depend on federal funding. In a memo issued Monday, acting Office of Management and Budget director Matthew J. Vaeth instructed federal agencies to halt all activities related to federal financial assistance, leaving questions about the legality and long-term impact of the directive. Federal funding plays a significant role in Washington, D.C., where $6.3 billion was allocated in fiscal year 2021 to support Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF), public schools, and infrastructure. These funds accounted for 32.2% of the district’s revenue. The freeze now threatens programs critical to D.C. residents, especially the city’s most vulnerable populations. However, the impact of this freeze could hit Republican states hardest. According to data from MoneyGeek, seven of the 10 states most dependent on federal funding are Republicanleaning, with these states receiving an average of $1.24 for every dollar contributed. In contrast, Democratic-leaning blue states received $1.14 per dollar paid in federal taxes. New Mexico, a state that leans blue, saw the highest return on federal spending at $3.42 per dollar contributed, while Delaware, another blue state, had the lowest return at $0.46. Despite these outliers, higher-
income, blue states generally contribute more to federal coffers than they receive, due to higher tax revenues and lower reliance on federal assistance. Experts say the freeze will likely hit red states the hardest, as they are more dependent on federal funding. “Higher-income states produce the majority of the tax dollars that go into the federal government’s pocket,” Kathy Fallon, a human services practice area director at Public Consulting Group, told MoneyGeek in October. “Because of the higher income, states and their residents need less support and use fewer federal dollars.” Tax code changes in recent years have further increased the financial burden on wealthier blue states. “Before, people who paid large state income taxes would deduct those from their federal tax payments,” Fallon explained. “Now, state tax deductions are
Photo by Douglas Rissing
American Politics - Congress Political Divide - Partisan Politicians capped. Ironically, it means the wealthier states’ populations
are
paying even more.” This dynamic
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