Israel’s intelligence operations may be brilliant, but its political and communications judgment is astonishingly naïve.
Politics
CEOs and the $4.8T Looting of Corporate America
Corporate America has spent more than $4.8 trillion buying back its own stock since 2018.
CEOs say buybacks signal confidence because they believe their companies’ shares are undervalued.
Then why are so many executives selling their own stock while their companies are buying it?
The Marketing Tragedy of Ford’s Mustang Mach-E
Ford’s Mexican-made Mustang Mach-E has muscled its way big time onto the roads of my west Los Angeles neighborhood. For years I rarely saw the vehicle, which first went on sale in December 2020, but these days they’re everywhere, in some pretty sweet color schemes, I must add. I saw…
Munitions Mary and GM’s Weapons of War
GM CEO Mary Barra’s ability to reinvent herself rivals that of a career politician switching platforms on the campaign trail. First there was “No More Crappy Cars Mary,” a promise she made on CNBC when she oversaw the automaker’s new product development. Then there was “Mechanic Mary,” a moniker she…
Jocelyn Benson: Michigan’s Counterfeit Populist
Michigan is a national tragedy. The state’s household income has plummeted to 40th in the nation from 16th and now sits 13% below the national average. Six out of every 10 jobs fail to pay what is generally considered a middle-class wage. Unless the trend is reversed, Michigan is on…
A Deli Platter and Jamie Dimon’s Quality of Mercy
JPMorgan’s $4.25 million defeat over a $642.50 deli platter is understandably generating plenty of yuks on social media. Here’s why the award is no laughing matter and another indictment of Jamie Dimon’s leadership.
GM’s $12.8M Love Tap for Spying on Californians
GM CEO Mary Barra has previously raved that California is home to the best technologists. Here’s another reason she’s come to appreciate The Golden State.
Trump’s National Security War on Organized Labor
The Trump administration is using national security concerns to reshape organized labor, with the UAW especially vulnerable. The implications extend well beyond the controversial auto and student workers union.
Lululemon and Ken Paxton’s Frontier Justice
Although it couldn’t happen to a more deserving company, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s disclosure that he’s investigating Lululemon for toxic “forever chemicals” smacks of performance politics.
Paxton’s press release briefly wiped out billions in Lululemon’s market value before any facts were established — violating the principle that even corporations are innocent until proven guilty.
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Third-Party Repair
Here’s why Deere’s $99 million class action settlement with farmers could become GM CEO Mary Barra’s next major problem after misjudging American demand for electric vehicles.