What I Read This Week (and a few subtle opinions)
Unfortunately, Los Angeles continues to experience loss as the fires remain uncontained and the winds press on. There’s been at least 25 confirmed deaths and more than 15,000 first responders have descended on the area. The official cause of the fire remains under investigation. This week a number of brands have shown their support in the form of donations and goods as so many remain displaced. The blow back to California residents will be felt far and wide as the ability to secure (affordable) homeowners’ insurance has been tough over the last several months and now will continue to be scarce and under security. The Los Angeles area is also expected to have a prolonged housing shortage and those in the area see rents skyrocket. ?
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The world waited, and the Supreme Court ruled. The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a federal law requiring TikTok’s Chinese owners to sell or shut down the social-media app by Jan. 19th.
Throughout the week many TikTok creators are rushing to find alternatives so they can continue posting videos while waiting to see what happens with TikTok. RedNote is at the top of the Apple App store and has seen a flurry of downloads. Despite the uncertainty around the app and its future, it’s still producing trends - the latest “Goodbye to my Chinese spy’.” Those not so sad about the potential ban, YouTube and Meta however their stock prices have taken an unexpected dip.
Sharing an interesting Fast Co. article and perspective as the reporter notes TikTok’s user base is?younger and more politically engaged?than most. What will happen when the platform for this younger generation is pulled – will they stay engaged and informed or care? How consumers and young people consume news is ultimately going to shift again. ?
While the country prepares for the transition of power and leadership on Monday the Biden Administration had a very productive last week. Biden implemented sweeping new export controls for advanced AI chips causing a stir among industry players. The new rules impose strict limitations on the global flow of AI chips and models. ?Mexico, Portugal, Israel and Switzerland are among the nations that could have limited access to chips needed for AI data centers and products, though much of the underlying focus is aimed at China. The Biden Administration dug its heels in further Wednesday tightening the oversight on chip makers that ship advanced semiconductors to China, requiring them to seek licenses for transactions unless the chips’ performance falls below a technical threshold.?
In other news, Healthcare industry leaders gathering in San Francisco for an annual? J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. More than 500 companies, ranging from drugmakers such as Pfizer and wholesalers such as Cencora to dozens of biotechnology companies, are scheduled to give presentations to investors.
Zuck was on a roll again this week, turning heads and turning some off given his PR blitz in favor and support of Trump and his policies. His appearance on Joe Rogan recently called for America to become more masculine. More specifically he called for more “masculine energy” in corporate America. Umm. No. Hard no.
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives continue to be a hot topic and will be at the top of the agenda at Apple’s shareholder meeting in February. Apple's board has asked its investors to vote against a proposal to end its DEI programs. This move comes after the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), called on the technology giant to abolish its DEI policies.
Next week will be a busy one. Monday is MLK Day, let’s stop and pause and honor him the way he deserves.
Monday also marks the Inauguration of President Trump and Vice President Vance. The event has been moved inside due to the cold and to ensure the appearance of a full house. While I’m not sure why the Y.M.C.A has become the song of the time I did appreciate the Village People’s public statement after agreeing to perform (statement in part below).
"We know this [won't] make some of you happy to hear however we believe that music is to be performed without regard to politics," the group stated. "Our song Y.M.C.A. is a global anthem that hopefully helps bring the country together after a tumultuous and divided campaign where our preferred candidate lost," they added,?referencing current vice president?Kamala Harris.
"Therefore, we believe it's now time to bring the country together with music which is why VILLAGE PEOPLE will be performing at various events as part of the 2025 Inauguration of Donald J. Trump."
The World Economic Forum also commences next week under the theme of “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.” More to come next week.
Lastly in sports and entertainment news, the industry said goodbye to film maker David Lynch and sportscaster and Mr. Baseball Bob Uecker this week.
In the words of Jerry Springer, Take Care of Yourself and Each Other.
News Driving News
·?????? LA Fires: Los Angeles Braces for Resurgent Winds as Wildfire Death Toll Rises
·?????? LA Fires: Disney announces a $15 million pledge for L.A. wildfire relief
·?????? LA Fires: Female founders jump into action to provide relief for Los Angeles wildfire victims
·?????? LA Fires: Major Fortune 500 companies including Cisco and Mattel describe how they’re showing up for Los Angeles-based employees during the fire emergency
·?????? Politics: Inside Elon Musk’s Plan for DOGE to Slash Government Costs
·?????? Health: FDA Bans Artificial Dye Red 3 From Food
·?????? Middle East: Israel, Hamas Agree to a Deal to Pause Fighting in Gaza
·?????? Business: Why Costco Isn’t Joining the Backlash Against DEI
·?????? Tech: 5 ways TikTok profoundly changed the culture
·?????? Tech: ‘The TikTok era comes to an end’: Creators are revealing their secrets, saying goodbye ahead of the U.S. ban
What Else I Read
·?????? Politics: Trump Plans ‘Energy Dominance’ Executive Orders After Inauguration
·?????? Parenting: Kids Turn to a Mental-Health Chatbot to Share Their Anxieties
·?????? Retail: Skechers Went After the Customers Nike Didn’t. It Paid Off.
·?????? Media: How ‘legacy media’ became a toxic brand
·?????? Media: Free Our Feeds wants to build a social media ecosystem ‘resistant to billionaire influence’
·?????? Media: Rashida Jones, MSNBC President, Steps Down
·?????? Media: The Washington Post’s New Mission: Reach ‘All of America’
·?????? Marketing/Media: Meta’s Community Notes Won’t Apply to Paid Ads. Marketers Still Have Questions
·?????? Marketing/Media: State Farm Cancels Its Super Bowl Ad, Citing Los Angeles Fires
·?????? Tech: It’s time to stop making dumb AI wearables
·?????? Tech: Reasons not to ban TikTok: Fans share their favorite viral videos in a last-ditch attempt to prove the platform’s value
·?????? Tech: As NVDA stock drops on Biden’s proposed AI rules, Nvidia flatters Trump in statement blasting ‘government overreach’
·?????? Tech: How U.S. AI chip-export curbs threaten Nvidia’s revenue
·?????? Tech: Instagram head Mosseri says app will prioritize original content, with potential TikTok ban days away
·?????? Tech: Zuckerberg Debuts ‘Real Mark’ in Push to Woo Trump
·?????? Tech: Tech CEOs are just postponing their Trump 2.0 reckoning
·?????? Tech: Google’s Resolution for 2025: Catch Up to ChatGPT
·?????? Tech: The Lure of Chinese App Red Note
·?????? Healthcare: People are unhappy with rising healthcare costs and decreased access around the world: survey
·?????? Finance: Wall Street job losses may top 200,000 as AI replaces roles
·?????? Personal Finance: $49 billion in medical debt will be wiped off Americans’ credit reports—what you need to know
·?????? Personal Finance: Capital One is facing a major service outage, leaving many without access to their paychecks
·?????? Marketing: One of these Doritos commercials will win a million dollars
·?????? Leadership: BlackRock Executive Seen as Leading CEO Contender to Leave Firm
·?????? Workplace: Balance of Power Shifts Back Toward Bosses
·?????? Personal Finance: Your Money in the New Trump Administration: Four Things to Watch
·?????? Insurance: More Americans, Risking Ruin, Drop Their Home Insurance
Extra addition here given so many medias in and around the industry.
·?????? Bloomberg News reporter Ashlee Vance is leaving the news organization to start a sci-tech media company called Core Memory.
·?????? Will Cain, co-host of the weekend edition of “Fox & Friends,” will take over Neil Cavuto‘s slot on Fox News, reports Brian Steinberg of Variety.
·?????? January 13 kicks off the beginning of Jenna & Friends — the successor to “Hoda & Jenna.”
·?????? Fortune has hired Beatrice Nolan as a reporter in London covering technology. She has been at Business Insider as a tech reporter in the UK, covering tech and the future of work, with a focus on artificial intelligence.
·?????? Financial Times correspondent Rafe Uddin has moved to its San Francisco bureau. He will be covering Amazon, Microsoft, Uber, the gig economy and enterprise providers including Oracle and Salesforce.
·?????? CNBC has hired Hayley Cuccinello as a reporter covering family offices and high-net-worth investment trends for the brand’s recently announced “Inside Wealth” vertical.
·?????? The Financial Times has hired Melissa Heikkil? as its artificial intelligence correspondent. She will start on Jan. 27.
·?????? TechCrunch global managing editor?Matt Rosoff?has left the news organization
·?????? Fortune tech correspondent Kali Hays has resigned from the news organization.
·?????? Axios Pro media deals reporter?Kerry Flynn?is moving to Axios to cover the media industry broadly and launch a newsletter for media executives with?colleague Sara Fischer
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It sounds like you had an interesting week diving into those headlines! What caught your attention the most?