Trump administration moves to squash “socially responsible” investing
By: CBS News July 16, 2020 The Trump Administration is moving to dramatically curtail “socially responsible” investments, an area that has seen a surge of interest in recent years amid mounting alarm about climate change. The Department of Labor is proposing to change a rule governing employee retirement plans to discourage money managers from so-called socially responsible investing. Under […]
Demand for robot cooks rises as kitchens combat COVID-19
By: AP News July 14, 2020 Robots that can cook – from flipping burgers to baking bread – are in growing demand as virus-wary kitchens try to put some distance between workers and customers. Starting this fall, the White Castle burger chain will test a robot arm that can cook french fries and other foods. […]
US asset managers set to fight proposals on ESG investments
By: Financial Times July 10, 2020 Asset managers are gearing up for a battle with the Trump administration over a new proposal that threatens investors’ ability to incorporate environmental, social and governance principles into pension portfolios. Late last month, the Department of Labor proposed a new rule that would require private pension administrators to prove […]
Axa IM to implement tough gender diversity targets
By: Financial Times July 09,2020 AXA Investment Managers SA said it will implement a 33% diversity target in a bid to address gender diversity issues in its companies globally. The target is meant for listed companies in developed market economies, starting in 2021. At least one-third of boards in developed market economies like North America, […]
Virtual Salon from Singularity – Want Not: The Great Global Food Waste Disruption
By: Singularity University July 09, 2020 Surplus and waste are among the most pressing problems facing (and opportunities for disruptive thinking around) the global food supply. Environmentally, economically, municipally, and ethically, it grows consistently as one of the great challenges of our time. In this Next:Food virtual salon, we’ll explain how this problem is created, […]
Facebook decisions led to serious setbacks for civil rights – report
By: The Guardian July 08, 2020 Facebook’s decisions over the last nine months have resulted in “serious setbacks for civil rights,” according to the damning conclusion of a two-year-long audit commissioned by the social network to review its impact on the world. The final report, which focuses primarily on decisions made since June 2019, praises […]
Microtargetting by all and sundry – Cambridge Analytica style
By: AP News July 06, 2020 The Spanish-language ads for Joe Biden used the same slogan to contrast him with President Donald Trump — “los cuentos no pagan las cuentas,” a play on words that roughly means “telling stories won’t pay the bills.” But the narrator for the version that aired in Miami had a […]
Trump, Biden fight for primacy on social media platforms
By: AP News July 06, 2020 On an average day, President Donald Trump sends about 14 posts to the 28 million Facebook followers of his campaign account. His Democratic rival, Joe Biden, delivers about half that many posts to an audience of just 2 million. The numbers are similarly skewed in other spheres of the […]
Big Tech’s Washington hearing will be a spectacle for the ages
By: Financial Times July 03, 2020 Strength in numbers — or guilt by association? When Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg appear together to answer questions from U.S. lawmakers in the coming weeks, it could be a watershed moment for Big Tech. Their appearance before a House committee looking into whether Amazon.com […]