‘Shortcuts Everywhere’: How Boeing Favored Speed Over Quality

In February last year, a new Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max plane was on one of its first flights when an automated stabilizing system appeared to malfunction, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing soon after they took off.

Less than two months later, an Alaska Airlines 737 Max plane with eight hours of total flight time was briefly grounded until mechanics resolved a problem with a fire detection system. And in November, an engine on a just-delivered United Airlines 737 Max failed at 37,000 feet. READ MORE

Stellantis uses ‘mandatory remote work day’ to cut 400 white-collar jobs

White-collar workers at Chrysler-parent Stellantis have reason to be nervous if they ever receive a company notice telling them it’s mandatory that they work remotely on a particular day.

That’s what happened to 400 or so of their colleagues on Thursday. They were informed via a notice that the next day the carmaker would be “holding important operational meetings that require specific attention and participation." READ MORE

Where the DEI pushback leaves employers

It’s the “D” in DEI that gets all the attention. The “equity and inclusion” goals are very much on the sideline, in part because they don’t bring to mind any particular practice or change; diversity focuses attention on hiring as a means of change.

It is a hot-button issue because of the perception that diversity programs are about giving preference in hiring and promotions to people other than white men. The widespread belief that DEI is another word for hiring preferences is unfortunate, given that—except in very limited situations—any such practice violates the law. Affirmative action is also assumed to be a synonym for preferential hiring, but again, except in very unusual circumstances, it is limited to reducing bias and shaping the applicant pool. READ MORE

Dave Calhoun was hired to fix Boeing. Instead, ‘It’s become an embarrassment’

Hardly a day has gone by in 2024 without a bad headline for Boeing, from life-threatening mid-flight crises up above to entrenched business debacles happening on the ground. So how does CEO Dave Calhoun still have a job?

“It’s become an extreme embarrassment,” Richard Aboulafia, a longtime aviation analyst, told me. “The board seems weirdly absentee, investors seem weirdly complacent, and the government doesn’t seem to have a mechanism for dealing with this.” READ MORE

Former Google consultant says Gemini is what happens when AI companies go 'too big too soon'

A former Google consultant said the backlash to the company's Gemini artificial intelligence (AI) resulted from going "too big too soon" and floated several ideas for how Big Tech can offer transparency to the public.

Speaking with Fox News Digital, DataGrade CEO Joe Toscano said Google was left without a solution when groundbreaking tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney came to market and has since been trying to meet the competition. READ MORE

Steve Jobs' Daughter Claims He Told Her She 'Smelled Like A Toilet' While On His Death Bed — But She Clarifies He Was Being Honest: 'I Really Did'

In “Small Fry,” a memoir by Lisa Brennan-Jobs, the estranged daughter of Steve Jobs, readers are offered a profound insight into her complicated relationship with the iconic Apple co-founder. Known for his unfiltered approach to communication, Jobs never hesitated to express his opinions, no matter how sharp or direct. Published excerpts in Vanity Fair in 2018 drew considerable attention, revealing the depth of their strained interactions and emotional distance. READ MORE

Electric 18-wheelers are even stupider than electric cars

“It still boggles my mind,” says Jeffrey Short, Vice President of the American Transport Research Institute.

Mr. Short was talking about the findings of a study conducted by ATRI recently, which quantifies how much additional power generation capacity would have to be added to America’s existing electric grid to convert the nation’s entire heavy truck fleet to battery electric vehicles. READ MORE

Warren Buffett Proposed A Way To Ensure 'Anybody Who's Willing To Work 40 Hours A Week Has A Decent Living' — And It Wouldn't Cost Employers Anything

In a 2016 interview with CNN, famed investor Warren Buffett shared insightful views on the state of the economy, the distribution of wealth and the mechanisms through which a fairer economic system could be achieved. Buffett’s observations came years before concerns over inflation intensified. Given that the federal minimum wage has remained unchanged at $7.25 since 2009, his proposals for ensuring a livable wage have become increasingly relevant today.

Buffett emphasized the disparity within the American economy, noting, “We’re in an economy where specialized talents bring incredible sums and where if you’re a little bit where you really don’t fit well into the market system you are left behind.” READ MORE

Wells Fargo slowly starts to shed the problems of its past

Wells Fargo's stock (WFC) is up 12% this year, outperforming all big bank rivals and within sight of an all-time high.

One big reason: Investors believe the San Francisco lending giant is slowly starting to shed some of the problems of its past.

It received a big boost last month when regulators with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency lifted a consent order tied to a 2016 fake accounts scandal. READ MORE

BlackRock admits ESG advocacy could prove bad for business

Investment management company BlackRock admitted in its annual filing to the Securities and Exchanges Commission that CEO Larry Fink’s environmental, social, and governance policies (ESG) advocacy could harm its reputation and hurt its bottom line. 

"BlackRock’s business, scale and investments subject it to significant media coverage and increasing attention from a broad range of stakeholders," the filing submitted late last month said. "This heightened scrutiny has resulted in negative publicity and adverse actions for BlackRock and may continue to do so in the future." READ MORE