Elon Musk ought to apologize for making enjoyable of gender pronouns, says HRC

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and managing director of Tesla Inc., is coming to the Axel Springer awards ceremony in Berlin on December 1st, 2020.

Liesa Johannssen-Koppitz | Bloomberg | Getty Images

In a series of tweets this week, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk mocked people listing the pronouns that were supposed to be used by others to describe them in their online BIOS. Now a group that gave Tesla top marks as a great place to work for LGBTQ people says it should apologize.

Companies are under more pressure than ever to create an inclusive environment and support a diverse workforce. The practice of displaying pronouns on social media and executive bios is used by people who want to show respect or identify themselves as trans, non-gender, gender-specific, non-binary or intersex. (They are represented by the T and Q in the LGBTQ acronym.)

For example, Apple managers Tim Cook and Greg Joswiak use pronouns in their Twitter BIOS. The Facebook settings allow users to customize their gender information and preferred pronouns or not show them if they prefer.

Musk’s first tweet included the words “if you put him / her in your bio” next to a picture of a soldier rubbing bloody hands over his face.

After fans and critics alike criticized the tweet, he defended himself by tweeting, “I totally support trans, but all of those pronouns are an aesthetic nightmare.” He then pointed out that Tesla is number one on the Corporate Equality Index, an annual list of the best places to work for LGBTQ employees.

This prestigious list is compiled annually by the Human Rights Campaign, a non-profit foundation that focuses on gender equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Well, this group says Musk should apologize.

“Musk’s insensitive comments are completely at odds with what HRC’s Workplace Equality Program works with companies on a daily basis to provide a safe, inclusive and fair working environment for employees,” the group wrote in response to a request from CNBC.

The organization’s president, Alphonso David, emphasized: “Elon Musk’s tweet mockery pronouns are exactly the opposite of what inclusive leadership looks like today. It is also definitely not in line with the best practices we recommend to companies.” He also said, “Musk should apologize.”

Tesla and Musk did not immediately return a request for comment.

Musk has been accused of being transphobic in the recent past. In July, he tweeted that “pronouns suck,” but deleted the tweet after his partner, Canadian musician Grimes, confronted him.

Here is the full statement from the human rights campaign:

The Corporate Equality Index (CEI) is a comprehensive measure of non-discrimination policies, practices and benefits in the workplace, which are critical to the full protection and inclusion of LGBTQ workers. Tesla scored a 100 at the 2020 CEI based on this critical foundation of inclusive anti-discrimination strategies and benefits.

No benchmarking tool can fully take into account the day-to-day experiences of LGBTQ employees. The CEI criteria alone are a necessary foundation for LGBTQ admission, but do not represent the entirety of what is required to ensure a fully inclusive and welcoming environment. The CEI is not a cover for bad personal behavior, and HRC condemns Musk’s tweets that mock pronouns.

Musk’s insensitive comments are at complete contradiction of what HRC’s Workplace Equality Program works with companies on a daily basis to provide a safe, inclusive, and fair work environment for employees.

In line with At Dwelling CEO, the retailer can almost triple its variety of shops

At Home CEO Lee Bird told CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Thursday that business had grown exponentially during the pandemic and that the company had expansion plans on the horizon.

As the home decor superstore invests in expanding its digital presence, the company continues to see opportunities in physical stores, which Bird calls “the center of our universe.”

The chief executive currently operates around 220 stores in 40 states and sees scope for a list of 600 locations, nearly three times its current footprint.

California, the New York Tri-State Area and the Midwest are expected to expand.

“We’re making a lot of money, but we have a lot of growth ahead of us,” Bird said in a Mad Money interview.

The comments came after Cramer Bird, who has headed the company for eight years for $ 1.1 billion, asked about the quarterly results the company released earlier this month from the third quarter of fiscal 2021. Amid a home renovation boom during the pandemic, At Home’s business grew more than 47% to reach $ 470 million for the quarter. Sales in the same store increased 44%.

Bird said it was a record quarter for sales, earnings and free cash flow. The company also focused on deleveraging on the balance sheet, he said.

“We have great momentum throughout the fourth quarter and we believe it will continue to do so for the next year,” he said. “We are certainly growing three to four times as fast as the industry average. We are making a lot of money, but we have a lot of growth ahead of us.”

At Home stock rose 3% to $ 16.47 on Thursday. The stock is up nearly 200% since the start of the year but is behind its 215% gain over $ 28.3 billion competitor in Wayfair.

“We have a lot of growth ahead of us and we believe that over time the market will take care of itself in terms of stock price,” said Bird.

Jerry Harris pleads not responsible of seven baby pornography prices

TO UPDATE: According to a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice Jerry Harris pleaded not guilty to seven sex crimes during a virtual court appearance on Thursday, December 17.

To learn more about the seven fees, read below.

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Federal prosecutors have brought additional charges against cheer star Jerry Harris, adding to a previous child pornography production crime.

In a new seven-count indictment filed on Thursday, December 10th, the Netflix docu series cast member has full name Jeremiah Harriswas charged with sex crimes allegedly involving five minors. If convicted, he faces 15 to 30 years in prison. Harris, 21, has remained behind bars since his arrest in Chicago in September.

Harris has been accused of receiving and attempting child pornography and four cases of minors “behaving sexually explicit” to produce, use, persuade, induce and mislead child pornography. The offenses allegedly took place between December 2018 and last August in Harris’ hometown of Naperville, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago and in Corsicana, Texas, home of Navarro College, where Harris was a student and a member of the school’s cheerleading team featured in Netflix’s Cheer.

EV start-up Canoo is introducing a brand new car forward of its Nasdaq debut

Canoo’s van – known as a multi-purpose delivery vehicle (MPDV) due to its equipment options – is designed for commercial customers.

Canoo

Electric vehicle start-up Canoo unveiled a new van on Thursday ahead of its public debut on Nasdaq next week.

The futuristic-looking van, known as a multi-purpose delivery vehicle (MPDV) due to its equipment options, is designed for everything from last-mile deliveries to food trucks, according to the California company. It is expected to start at around $ 33,000.

“There are many use cases that this vehicle can perform,” said Tony Aquila, chairman of Canoo, a major investor in the company, during a video reveal of the MPDV. “We wanted it to look very chic and modern and at the same time be very affordable.”

Production of the vehicle is scheduled to begin in 2022 and start in 2023. The company did not disclose any specific production plans, but previously announced a strategic relationship with auto supplier and contract manufacturer Magna International.

Such commercial vehicles are expected to be a major driver of the sales of profitable electric vehicles for the automotive industry. It’s a segment that startups and older automakers want to get into quickly in the years to come. Ford Motor, which leads commercial vehicle sales, plans to release an electric vehicle in 2021, followed by an electric version of its F-150 pickup truck the following year.

Interior of the Canoo delivery van, also known as the multipurpose delivery vehicle or MPVD.

Canoo

Canoo said the MPDV will come in two sizes with different EV ranges and battery sizes. The company says the smaller van, known as MPDV1, is expected to range between 130 miles and 230 miles, while the larger van, MPDV2, is between 90 miles and 190 miles based on battery sizes. Canoo takes reservations and refundable deposits of USD 100 for the vehicles on its website.

Canoo is part of a wave of new speculative EV start-ups that are planning to enter the market through reverse mergers with special purpose vehicles, also known as blank check companies, after the IPO. The company announced its merger agreement with Hennessy Capital Acquisition Corp. in August. known.

Canoo is expected to be listed as “GOEV” on Tuesday after a general meeting on the Nasdaq to approve the merger on Monday. The deal is expected to provide Canoo with approximately $ 600 million to support the production and launch of electric vehicles.

Hennessy’s shares fell 10% to around $ 18 on Thursday lunchtime. The stock is still up around 69% since the deal with Canoo was announced on Aug. 18.

This is Canoo’s second planned vehicle. The first was a smaller, pill-shaped vehicle that was more intended for consumers. It is expected to be available via a company’s member-only vehicle service from 2022, according to Canoo.

During the vehicle reveal on Thursday, the company also teased a two-sheet car and pickup truck.

Correction: This story has been updated to take into account that Canoo’s expected ticker symbol is “GOEV”. The company had previously announced a ticker symbol for “CNOO”.

Mitch McConnell has confirmed 1 decide for each 1,340 People who’ve died from COVID

Senate Republicans have still not agreed on a pandemic relief package, but they have confirmed 1 judge for every 1,340 Americans who have died from COVID.

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) tweeted:

235 right judges
0 new Covid Relief
0 new stimulus tests
0 new unemployment
314,991 dead Americans

Another judge today. That’s one judge for every 1,340 Americans dead. pic.twitter.com/ulKPJI0Rcx

– Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) December 17, 2020

McConnell’s priorities are clear. He wants to fill the judiciary with right-wing judges so that the unpopular Republican ideology will influence American life even when the Republicans no longer have power in the legislature and executive.

A Senate majority leader who worked for and cared for the American people would have done more COVID relief before poverty rose to levels not seen since the 1960s. If you live in Georgia and believe that poverty, suffering and death are a fair tradeoff for right-wing judges, Mitch McConnell is your type.

America could have a Senate that puts the needs of the American people first, and that Senate can become a reality if the Democratic candidates win the Georgia Senate runoff.

Thousands of Americans die every day because Mitch McConnell is more interested in validating judges than saving their lives.

For more discussions on this story, join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC groups.

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Mr. Easley is the Founder / Executive Editor, White House Press Pool, and a Congressional Correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His thesis focused on public order with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and professional memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association

Hospital bosses see skeptical staff who ultimately take it

Some health care workers are reluctant to get the coronavirus vaccination, but the hospital’s CEOs told CNBC on Thursday that attitudes will change after a larger percentage of employees are vaccinated.

“I think everyone will want to attend soon,” Will Ferniany, CEO of UAB Alabama Health System, told Squawk on the Street. “About 60% are eager to take it and want to know as soon as they can,” he said, referring to a staff survey. “Twenty percent want to take it, but are careful, and 20 percent are very skeptical about it.”

UAB hospital was due to offer shots to health care workers starting Thursday after receiving 10,725 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine earlier this week. The first vaccinations in the U.S. outside of clinical trials came on Monday, just days after the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency approval.

Ferniany said some employees’ reluctance to take the vaccine was not surprising. “But I think when you see what happens to your friends and when this comes out – and the vaccine has been introduced very smoothly in Alabama – I think almost everyone wants to get the footage,” he said.

The multi-hospital system in Birmingham, Alabama, cannot make Covid-19 vaccination mandatory because the vaccine has only received government approval in an emergency, Ferniany said. However, he said employees need to be vaccinated against the seasonal flu. Last year, about 52% of Americans who were six months or older got the flu vaccine.

“But we’ve given our staff a considerable amount of information, FAQs, and Zoom forums for everyone. I believe if they get training they will,” Ferniany said of the Covid vaccine.

Dr. Marc Boom, CEO of Houston Methodist in Texas, told CNBC that more than 11,000 of its employees have signed up for the vaccination. “There’s a large percentage of our population headed for it,” he said, adding that it brings comfort to health workers who have witnessed the ravages of the pandemic up close. “There was so much relief and so much hope from the vaccine,” he said on Squawk on the Street.

However, Boom said, “There’s an entirely different group that is waiting” in the eight-hospital system that is also part of the sprawling Texas Medical Center.

As Ferniany said, Boom said that additional training and experience from other employees should help more workers get the new vaccine comfortably. “We’ve been mandating a flu vaccine for over 15 years, so we always get a full shot. We’ll get there at some point,” even if it takes a while, Boom said.

The Covid vaccine launch this week comes at a critical time in the U.S. coronavirus epidemic. The seven-day average of new infections in the US is at an all-time high of 215,729, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Daily deaths are also at a record 2,570, based on a seven-day average.

In Texas, where hospital stays have stabilized over the past week, more rural parts of the state are now harder hit than they were earlier this summer, according to Boom.

Hospital stays for Covid patients in Alabama are at a record high, according to the COVID Tracking Project run by journalists in the Atlantic. While complimenting the state governor, Republican Kay Ivey, for extending his mask mandate, Ferniany said coronavirus cases are increasing “rapidly”. “Some of our rural hospitals that we manage, nearly 50% of their hospital are now with Covid patients,” Ferniany said.

The Covid pandemic brought about hundreds of firms to chop 401 (ok) posts

Jamie Grill | Mix pictures | Getty Images

46,000 plans

According to Will Hansen, the group’s executive director, the total percentage of companies that have made changes is relatively small, but amounts to tens of thousands of 401 (k) plans that have reduced the benefits to employees.

According to the latest data from the Employee Benefits Security Administration, there are approximately 572,000 401 (k) plans in the United States.

Extrapolating the survey data would mean that more than 46,000 plans cut 401 (k) funding for employees, and another 5,000 are considering it.

According to the survey, they did this in a number of ways. Most of the 401 (k) plans – nearly 4% – no longer paid a match to the workers. Another 1.5% reduced their match.

Firms also eliminated or reduced mismatched contributions – around 1% and 1.5%, respectively.

For example, companies may choose to pay a mismatched benefit in years of high profits. And unlike 401 (k) matches, they are often created at the end of the year instead of every pay cycle.

“Everyone can guess”

Small businesses were most likely to make changes, according to the survey of 139 companies in November of 139 companies on the impact of the 401 (k) pandemic. The size of the respondents ranged from fewer than 50 employees to more than 5,000.

Companies could choose to reinstate their 401 (k) contributions if business recovers quickly, Hansen said.

Economic growth has slowed significantly in recent months, according to indicators such as job growth and retail sales, but many are hoping that vaccine distribution will mark a return to pre-Covid business.

“Hopefully individuals will see very rich packages of benefits once we get back into this area,” said Hansen. “But it’s everyone’s guess when that will happen.”

Sage The Gemini confirms relationship with Supa Cent – “Me and Nell are collectively and I intend to maintain it that method” (unique)

On Monday, Supa Cent and Sage The Gemini sparked dating rumors when the two appeared on social media together.

While Supa was on Instagram Live to get dressed and give her face a nasty slap, Sage joined the entrepreneur and the two had a flirtatious conversation on the platform to discuss the possibility of an appointment.

At first it seemed like Sage was trying to intercept what she had already planned for the evening by asking if he could take her on a date. While viewers thought he was in California and just shoot his shot, they were shocked when he physically appeared in the background and was their date the whole time.

After the two made it clear they would chat for the night, the couple posted a photo together so we could know it was real.

Welp, once they got us into their business, you know we had to ask about the deeds because inquiring minds wanted to know when they started dating.

While pondering how long they’d been together, Sage exclusively confirmed to The Shade Room that the two are actually in a relationship: “…[Yes]”Me and Nell are together and I intend to keep it that way,” he explained. Sage also mentioned that the two have known each other for 11 years.

The 28-year-old is proud of his relationship and without hesitation confesses to his love: “I claim my girl.”

Sage, who was previously linked to Blac Chyna and Jordin Sparks, says he’s trying to be the best man he can be in the relationship. “Help me to be the man I should be for you,” he said, “and wish me the best of luck in my progress and the persistence of love …”

As you will recall, Supa had a long-term relationship with Lou, but the two broke up after allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

While Louis denied the allegations, the relationship seemed irreparable at the time, not to mention the two had a nasty back and forth a few months ago.

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Why low-cost automobiles are disappearing from sellers’ showrooms

The new car category, which cost less than $ 20,000, has shrunk in recent years, and it could keep younger car buyers off the market and push them further towards ridesharing and other modes of transportation.

Data from JD Power shows cheap car sales have fallen off a cliff in recent years, even though auto sales have been strong overall. In 2013, sales of cars less than $ 20,000 represented 20.1% of total annual new car sales. By 2020 it was 9.4%.

One reason for the decline is the steady thinning of the small car and small car segments, from which many vehicles under $ 20,000 came. These have been replaced by small cars and compact sport utility vehicles, which tend to have slightly higher sticker prices starting at or just over $ 20,000.

Of course, with auto sales at or near record highs in recent years, there has been little pressure to sell less profitable vehicles, as is the case with subcompacts and small cars.

But cheaper cars are valuable in attracting young buyers to a brand and building lifelong loyalty. Some auto industry analysts say that by selling more expensive vehicles, automakers run the risk of leaving money on the table in the future.

S&P 500 and Nasdaq rise and hit report highs as financial hopes stay excessive

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose to record highs Thursday, bolstered by hopes that Washington will get additional financial aid before the end of 2020.

The S&P 500 gained 0.4% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 107 points, or 0.4%.

Utilities and Materials were the best performing sectors in the S&P 500, up 1% each. Johnson & Johnson rose 1.8% to keep the Dow higher.

Congressional leaders on Wednesday closed a $ 900 stimulus package that would include direct payments to individuals.

The measure would exclude corporate liability protection and aid to state and local governments, CNBC confirmed. Disagreements on these issues were a stumbling block in the last round of negotiations.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. said Thursday that a coronavirus relief deal was in the immediate vicinity.

The latest round of US economic stimulus comes as Covid-19 cases rise at a record pace. The U.S. has at least 215,729 additional Covid-19 cases each day based on a 7-day average calculated by CNBC using data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 247,000 new infections were confirmed on Wednesday alone.

This resurgence in Covid-19 cases has led states to adopt stricter social distancing measures that are slowing down parts of the economy, particularly the labor market.

On Thursday, the data showed that the number of jobless claims was 885,000 for the past week, its highest level since early September. Economists expected 808,000 workers to apply for government unemployment benefits in the week ending December 12.

“Until COVID is better under control, demands will continue to rise,” Thomas Simons, Jefferies money market economist, wrote in a note.

Wall Street had a mixed session with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite rising while the Dow posted a small loss.

On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve pledged to do its part by continuing to buy bonds until the economic recovery was over. Fed chairman Jerome Powell also said the central bank would increase its bond purchases if the recovery slows.

Gregory Faranello, head of US interest rate trading at AmeriVet Securities, said US monetary policy is likely to remain simple for a while.

“They feel like there are still disinflationary forces around the world to grapple with and they are realistic about their timeframe and their ability to meet their 2% inflation target,” Faranello said. “This is suitable for this topic [rates] stay lower longer. “

– CNBC’s Yun Li contributed to the coverage.

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