Tag: corporations

As Anger Over Wealth Inequality Deepens, Wall Street Bonuses Are 4 Times a US Worker’s Pay

Amid growing discontent over surging economic inequality in the U.S.—and the Trump administration’s elevation of unelected billionaire Elon Musk to the upper reaches of the federal government—the New York state comptroller’s report on rising Wall Street bonuses was met with condemnation on Wednesday.

“Something is very broken and this is why people are so disenchanted,” wrote one commenter on an article about the report at The Washington Post. “There is no American dream. Just fat cats getting fatter.”

Another added that “the inequity of taxation on wealth in this country is shameful.”

New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli lauded Wall Street’s “very strong performance” in 2024 as he announced the average bonus paid to employees in the securities industry reached $244,700 last year—up 31.5% from 2023—as Wall Street’s profits skyrocketed by 90%. The bonus pool reached a record $47.5 billion.

But as researcher Rob Galbraith pointed out on social media, the record-breaking take-home pay of Wall Street executives was 3.5 times the median household income for a family in Erie County, New York—leaving doubt that many workers in the state will immediately join in celebrating what DiNapoli said was “good news for New York’s economy and our fiscal position” due to the bonuses’ impacts on tax revenue.

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FBI Becomes Rent-A-Cops for CEOs

America’s top law enforcement agency is pimping itself out to corporate America to protect business executives from the American people, according to an FBI threat assessment marked “Law Enforcement Use Only” and reported here for the first time.

The FBI assessment, “Heightened Threat to Chief Executive Officers Following the Shooting of a Healthcare Senior Executive,” is dated February 19, and is a striking illustration of the new and growing Domestic War on Terrorism that I’ve been writing about.

The assessment, and statements from top Trump officials, seek to label growing outrage against corporations as terrorism. The Trump administration is particularly spun up about the spate of arson and vandalism attacks against Tesla automobiles and facilities since its CEO became plenipotentiary to the world’s most powerful man.

The FBI document was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by transparency nonprofit Property of the People. “If the government truly cares about preventing death and suffering, perhaps tax dollars should be spent on healthcare for the people instead of mass surveillance and security for wealthy executives,” executive director Ryan Shapiro told me.

Part of the FBI’s campaign involves monitoring social media posts supposedly threatening corporate executives. The assessment claims that there has been a spike of such threats across multiple industries since Luigi Mangione’s alleged murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December. That month, I reported on a separate NYPD threat report warning that “online reactions” to the Thompson murder suggest “extremists may view Mangione as … an example to follow.”

The new FBI assessment follows the same line of thought, saying, “This rhetoric has displayed an elevated threat of violence to executives and highlighted a need for increased situational awareness among private sector partners.” Social media threats have “risen” across all sectors and industries, it adds.

FBI Director Kash Patel said during his swearing in that the Bureau is going to carry out “the world’s largest manhunt” against “anyone that wishes to do harm to our way of life,” as I’ve previously reported. On Monday, Patel announced a “crack down” on vandalism directed at Tesla, calling the acts “domestic terrorism.” 

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23andMe Files For Bankruptcy, CEO Resigns – Fate Of Americans’ DNA Data Now In Court-Supervised Sale

Shares of 23andMe crashed in premarket trading on Monday after the genetic testing unicorn startup filed for bankruptcy in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, following a slide in demand for its ancestry kits and a data breach. The bankruptcy raises one alarming question about DNA security: What will happen to the genetic data of the company’s more than 15 million customers?

23andMe announced that its CEO, Anne Wojcicki, has resigned immediately and will remain on the company’s board of directors. She led the cash-burning startup that never turned a profit and once commanded a market capitalization of nearly $6 billion in late 2021. Shares plunged 44% in the premarket to $1.

“After a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives, we have determined that a court-supervised sale process is the best path forward to maximize the value of the business,” Mark Jensen, Chair and member of the Special Committee of the Board of Directors wrote in a statement. 

Jensen said, “We expect the court-supervised process will advance our efforts to address the operational and financial challenges we face, including further cost reductions and the resolution of legal and leasehold liabilities. We believe in the value of our people and our assets and hope that this process allows our mission of helping people access, understand and benefit from the human genome to live on for the benefit of customers and patients.”

“We want to thank our employees for their dedication to 23andMe’s mission. We are committed to supporting them as we move through the process. In addition, we are committed to continuing to safeguard customer data and being transparent about the management of user data going forward, and data privacy will be an important consideration in any potential transaction,” he added.

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Family Of Dead Boeing Whistleblower Sues Over Suicide

The family of John Barnett, a former Boeing quality control manager who became a prominent whistleblower over aviation safety concerns, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the aerospace giant, accusing it of a campaign of harassment and intimidation that they allege led directly to his suicide.

Mr. Barnett, 62, was found dead in his truck in what was determined to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 9, 2024, in Charleston, South Carolina, according to local police reports. At the time of his death, he resided in Louisiana. The tragic incident followed days of intense questioning by attorneys regarding allegations he made against Boeing related to aircraft safety defects, according to court documents.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court in South Carolina, claims that Boeing orchestrated a systematic “campaign of harassment, abuse, and intimidation intended to discourage, discredit, and humiliate him until he would either give up or be discredited.”

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Rolls-Royce Planning to Shift Production to United States to Avoid Trump Tariffs: Report

British engineering giant Rolls-Royce is reportedly preparing to increase manufacturing production in the United States to avoid tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.

London’s Daily Telegraph reported that Rolls-Royce is currently drafting contingency plans to avoid the impact of trade restrictions imposed by the Trump administration. The plans are said to include ramping up production in America and hiring more workers in the United States.

According to the report, the aerospace and defence company is considering shifting production from countries impacted by the trade war, such as China, Canada, and Mexico, where it currently has around 6,000 workers.

A source told the British broadsheet, “If you are making something in countries like China, then you’ll be looking at whether you can do it in the US instead.”

Additionally, Rolls is also considering potentially shifting production from the UK and Europe should tariffs threaten its manufacturing sites in the regions.

In a message to shareholders, the firm said that trade restrictions “could lead to increased costs and consequently realign the global supply chain”.

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Facial Recognition Company Clearview Attempted to Buy Social Security Numbers and Mugshots for its Database

Controversial facial recognition company Clearview AI attempted to purchase hundreds of millions of arrest records including social security numbers, mugshots, and even email addresses to incorporate into its product, 404 Media has learned. 

For years, Clearview AI has collected billions of photos from social media websites including Facebook, LinkedIn and others and sold access to its facial recognition tool to law enforcement. The collection and sale of user-generated photos by a private surveillance company to police without that person’s knowledge or consent sparked international outcry when it was first revealed by the New York Times in 2020. 

New documents obtained by 404 Media reveal that Clearview AI spent nearly a million dollars in a bid to purchase “690 million arrest records and 390 million arrest photos” from all 50 states from an intelligence firm. The contract further describes the records as including current and former home addresses, dates of birth, arrest photos, social security and cell phone numbers, and email addresses. Clearview attempted to purchase this data from Investigative Consultant, Inc. (ICI) which billed itself as an intelligence company with access to tens of thousands of databases and the ability to create unique data streams for its clients. The contract was signed in mid-2019, at a time when Clearview AI was quietly collecting billions of photos off the internet and was relatively unknown at the time. 

Ultimately, the entire deal fell apart after Clearview and ICI clashed about the utility of the data with each company filing breach of contract claims. The dispute ultimately went into arbitration where it is common for disputes to be settled privately. The arbiter ultimately sided with Clearview AI in 2024 and ordered ICI to return the contract money. To date, ICI has not paid Clearview, with the company now seeking a court order to enforce the arbiter’s ruling. The president of ICI, Donald Berlin, has been previously accused in a lawsuit of fabricating intelligence reports and libel. Clearview currently advertises to customers that its technology “includes the largest known database of 50+ billion facial images sourced from public-only web sources, including news media, mugshot websites, public social media, and many other open sources,” and Clearview has previously told customers that it was “working to acquire all U.S. mugshots nationally from the last 15 years.”

ICI and Clearview did not respond to multiple requests for comment. 

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Company Behind Edible Arrangements Enters Cannabis Industry With New Hemp Delivery Service—And A Different Kind Of Edible

The company behind Edible Arrangements is entering the cannabis market, launching a new delivery service for hemp products.

Edible Brands, best known for its line of ornate fruit arrangements, announced on Thursday that it was expanding to start selling different kinds of edibles: hemp gummies, drinks and supplements.

The products can be purchased for delivery from a new site, Edibles.com.

“Edible Brands’ wellness-driven approach aligns with the evolving future of this category,” Thomas Winstanley, the executive vice president of Edibles.com, said in a press release. “With our robust infrastructure and nationwide footprint, we are uniquely positioned to accelerate industry growth.”

“Joining an organization that prioritizes consumers, advocacy, and innovation allows us to strengthen and shape this emerging market,” he said.

That emerging market—which proliferated after hemp was federally legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill—has been facing challenges in recent years, as more states and Congress have pushed to reign in business selling intoxicating cannabinoid products.

Edibles.com isn’t currently servicing California, where the governor recently signed an emergency order banning hemp-derived products containing any traces of THC. However, the company didn’t reference the policy and simply said it was “unable to offer our products to California residents at this time, but stay tuned as we expand.”

It is launching hemp deliveries in Texas, though. But that would likely be complicated if a bill that passed the state Senate on Wednesday is ultimately enacted into law, similarly prohibiting any consumable hemp products that don’t exclusively contain non-intoxicating CBD or CBG.

It’s relatively rare to find cannabis products with no THC at all, and federal law provides that hemp is legal as long as it contains no more than 0.3 percent THC by dry weight.

In any case, Edible Brands evidently sees an opportunity even amidst the shifting policy landscape. And after Texas, it said it will be expanding to serve consumers in Florida and Georgia. Certain products will be available for shipping nationwide, depending on the state laws.

“The hemp industry is evolving rapidly, but consumers still face challenges with perception, education, and accessibility,” Somia Farid Silber, CEO of Edible Brands, said. “We’re making it easier than ever for consumers to access premium, vetted products with the convenience they expect today.”

Jake Bullock, CEO of the cannabis drink company Cann, which is part of Edible.com’s product offerings, called this market development “a defining moment for the hemp industry.”

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Ben & Jerry’s Parent Company Ousts Its Far-Left CEO and Demands ‘Dismantling’ of Brand’s Progressive Values

Ben & Jerry’s reputation as America’s wokest brand may soon be at an end.

The ice cream company, notorious for its calorie-laden products, has accused its parent company of sacking CEO Dave Stever after he refused to “oversee the dismantling” of its progressive values.

Ben & Jerry’s claimed in a filing to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York that Unilever, the UK-based consumer giant behind brands like Marmite and Dove, sought to prevent the company’s leadership from making political statements.

These included statements critical of President Donald Trump.

Anuradha Mittal, the chair of Ben & Jerry’s independent board, wrote in the court filing:

Dave has courageously advanced the company’s social mission and values, has continued to drive innovation in its super premium product range, and has delivered strong financial results, far outpacing the rest of Unilever’s ice-cream business,” said Anuradha Mittal, the chair of Ben & Jerry’s independent board.

What Dave hasn’t done is what Unilever would like him to do, which is to oversee the dismantling of Ben & Jerry’s mission, progressive values. That is why the independent board has sued Unilever and why Unilever is seeking to punish the chief executive.”

Unilever has repeatedly threatened Ben & Jerry’s personnel, including CEO David Stever, should they fail to comply with Unilever’s efforts to silence the social mission.

On 3 March 2025, Unilever informed the independent board that they were removing and replacing Mr Stever as Ben & Jerry’s CEO.

Ben & Jerry’s was founded in 1978 in Vermont by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, initially as a small ice shop.

It grew rapidly, becoming known not just for its ice cream but also for its left-wing activism.

When Unilever acquired the company in 2000, an independent board was set up to try and protect its “progressive values” from Unilever.

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What If The America You Pledge Allegiance To Isn’t The One Running The Show?

What if the America you pledge allegiance to isn’t the one running the show? This investigation examines how America’s governance system fundamentally transformed since 1871 through a documented pattern of legal, financial, and administrative changes. The evidence reveals a gradual shift from constitutional principles toward corporate-style management structures – not through a single event, but through an accumulation of incremental changes spanning generations that have quietly restructured the relationship between citizens and government.

This analysis prioritizes primary sources, identifies patterns across multiple domains rather than isolated events, and examines timeline correlations – particularly noting how crises often preceded centralization initiatives. By examining primary sources including Congressional records, Treasury documents, Supreme Court decisions, and international agreements, we identify how:

  • Legal language and frameworks evolved from natural rights toward commercial principles
  • Financial sovereignty transferred incrementally from elected representatives to banking interests
  • Administrative systems increasingly mediated the relationship between citizens and government

This evidence prompts a fundamental reexamination of modern sovereignty, citizenship, and consent in ways that transcend traditional political divisions. For the average American, these historical transformations have concrete implications. The administrative systems created between 1871-1933 structure daily life through financial obligations, identification requirements, and regulatory compliance that operate largely independent of electoral changes. Understanding this history illuminates why citizens often feel disconnected from governance despite formal democratic processes – the systems managing key aspects of modern life (monetary policy, administrative regulation, citizen identification) were designed to operate with substantial independence from direct citizen control.

While mainstream interpretations of these developments emphasize practical governance needs and economic stability, the documented patterns suggest the possibility of more fundamental changes in America’s constitutional structure deserving closer scrutiny.

I stumbled across a peculiar reference to the 1871 Act while browsing on Twitter. The post suggested that the United States had undergone a secret legal transformation in 1871, converting it from a constitutional republic into a corporate entity where citizens were treated more like assets than sovereigns. What caught my attention wasn’t the claim itself, but how confidently it was stated – as if this fundamental transformation of America was common knowledge.

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