MSNBC Seeks Rebranding

 

MSNBC will change its name in an effort to rebrand the cable news channel. The new name of the channel will be called MS NOW. This stands for my source, news, opinion, and world. MSNBC has been struggling with ratings over the past few years. The failure to adapt is the primary reason. Many viewers are going to alternative or independent media sources. Social media, websites, and video sharing platforms are now major sources of news. The rebranding will not be effective unless changes are made. Corporate media seeks to uphold a certain narrative, which does not present political or social realities. Media bias can be present in any source, but MSNBC was more blatant with its coverage. the channel favors a political centrist and corporate Democrat perspective. The majority of the audience it appeals to is the baby boomer demographic. That generation does not represent the majority of the public. The channel focuses too much on domestic news, while international affairs are ignored. Biased reporting related to Israel and Ukraine becomes more obvious as conditions change rapidly. To an extent coverage of the Trump administration keeps the channel going. Other cable news networks have followed this model and it is not sustainable. The failure to update to the new era of digital media demonstrates how out of touch cable news channels are. Renaming the channel seems like they want viewers to think they are getting something different. Many viewers see MSNBC as an official press organization for the Democratic Party. Considering viewers want actual information and not political party press releases, ratings declined. The MS NOW transformation is not enough to fix the cable news network. 

President Obama Visits Elon Musk At SpaceX (2010)

 

Before Elon Musk became administrator of  the Department of Government Efficiency, he was seen as favorable to the Democratic establishment. SpaceX is a private company that wants to expand space exploration. President Barack Obama visited SpaceX in 2010 and met with Elon Musk. Musk discusses the Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon Spacecraft. It appears the intention of Musk was to get more government contracts. He could have contemplated that SpaceX would replace or surpass NASA as the major organization for space exploration. When the presidential  election of 2024  saw the return of Trump, Musk found a means of promoting techofeudalism. Elon Musk represented the worst of the billionaire excess. This was ignored because Tesla makes electric vehicles. The production of electric cars promoted the image of an environmentalist and clean energy Democratic Party . The irony is that Tesla cars would be vandalized in response to Elon Musk's actions in the federal government. The myth of the humanitarian billionaire gradually is crumbling. Even though Musk is leaving government he maintains ownership X.com, Tesla, and SpaceX. Elon Musk was building up influence government since the 2010s.    

Warren Buffet Announces Retirement

 

Warren Buffet is set to go into retirement at the end of 2025. Buffet for years has been the CEO of  Berkshire Hathaway. Greg Abel is said to be the successor to Warren Buffet's leadership. It was in 1965 that Warren Buffet took a failing textile mill and transformed it into a conglomerate. Warren Buffet owns $160 billion in Berkshire stock and at the moment the largest shareholder of the company's stock. Buffet has not intention of selling those shares. Warren Buffet has been presented to the public as a humanitarian philanthropist. This carefully crafted image from the media and public relations distorts the reality. Warren Buffet represents the obscene wealth and decadence of the upper class elite. Acts of philanthropy by Buffet are nothing more than a marketing measure. As the capitalist system continues to fail the average worker, billionaires are viewed in a more negative light. Warren Buffet  attempted to soften the image of avarice with charity. Philanthropic actions do not challenge the economic system or the billionaires who control government. Warren Buffet's image as humanitarian philanthropic billionaire was created in the 2010s. Speculation over his retirement still persists. Age could be a factor seeing as Warren Buffet is 94 years old. Health and energy become concerns. Another plausible reason is that Buffet seeks retirement before a possible economic crash or recession. The world economy was damaged by Covid-19, corporate price gouging, supply chain issues, and the new set of tariffs being imposed by the United States. Growing public resentment could be making CEOs consider retirement. At the end of 2025 the Warren Buffet era of Berkshire will be over. Buffet's influence is not going away. Warren Buffet donates funds to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and his children run the Susan Thompson Buffet Foundation. Buffet could still be serving Berkshire is some capacity, just not as CEO. 

The Professional job Recession

 

Economists have noted there is a decline  related to industries such a tech, consulting, and finance. Various corporation across numerous industries are doing layoffs. The traditional office job could be experiencing what occurred with manufacturing. The common description of this is white collar recession. To be precise, it is a professional job recession. The common term is misleading, because it claims to be only happening in certain occupations. Workers with higher education and multiple skills are still subject to the exploitation of a capitalist system. Education and working for a particular company was claimed to protect workers from layoffs or job loss. Since 2022, layoffs have increased in the white collar classified jobs. Searching for positions has become more difficult or companies slowdown hiring. Those who remain employed are doing more work for less pay. What the global economy is experiencing looks closer to the 2008 financial meltdown. The professional worker class is not protected. Blue collar work was subject to disruptions in the economy. White collar work was shielded to an extent. The professional worker is getting closer to the conditions faced by the working class on a regular basis. The reason most cannot recognize the exploitation of the professional class was related to job benefits. Paid vacations, healthcare, and possible promotion were common benefits corporations offered. Overtime, such benefits were either reduced or disappeared. The professional managerial class and business elite can exploit the workforce to their benefit. The professional job recession will be exacerbated by more supply side economic policies, automation, and outsourcing.  

The Hasbro Layoffs

 

Toy companies are a large part of business. Children and adults are consumers of various toys and games. Adults are getting collectors items and children wants toys for general play. Hasbro did layoffs in 2023 which was an estimated 20% of the workforce. A total of 1,100 workers were left unemployed. The reason for this was the decline in sales. A total of 800 jobs were cut in 2023. This was a significant spike. Sales were doing better during the pandemic. Children were not in school and spending more time at home. Parents purchased more toys to keep children occupied. When the lockdowns were over, the purchase of Hasbro products decreased. The layoffs are expected to continue into 2025. Decline in sales cannot solely be blamed for layoffs. The CEO and management never offer to take pay cuts to retain employees. The reduction in workforce means those remaining will have to be more productive. There is no promise of an increase in pay. Layoffs are not an indication of a strong economy. Despite what politicians state, the data shows possible economic downturn. Hasbro, like other companies is experiencing the challenge of inflation. The rise in cost related to materials is going to increase prices of toys. Waves of layoffs are going to continue. Hasbro might not survive under these conditions. Hasbro did not make significant financial gains from lending its intellectual property to film. The only solution is to create better products or explore possibilities of electronic entertainment. CEO Chris Cocks is going to have to make adjustments and find a way to retain employees. Otherwise Hasbro will have to be sold or cease operations. 

The Influence of Jacob Rothschild

 

The founder of RIT Capital Management  Jacob Rothschild passed away at age 87. Part of the prominent banking family that has influenced governments for centuries, the press presented him as a humanitarian philanthropist. The billionaire class only performs charity for the sake of tax cuts. Most of the time funds are given to influence politics or business practices on their behalf. Jacob Rothschild was an advocate for Israel and financed many projects in the country. While Israel pushes forward in plans of annexation of Arab lands, the Zionist state has a powerful backer. Jacob Rothschild explained in an interview that the Zionist movement started in Eastern Europe. His family played a major role in the establishment of Israel. The Balfour Declaration was the basis for the establishment of a future Zionist state in West Asia. This explains why Jacob Rothschild for most of his life invested in Israel. This was not about Jewish identity or culture. The support for Israel was a financial project. The country survives by being backed by the West and a upper class elite. Now that Jacob Rothschild is no longer living, legal challenges are emerging among his family members for control of his investments and estate. Hannah  Rothschild might end up getting most of Jacob's assets. The daughter of the billionaire also is the chair of the Israeli organization Yad Hanadiv. This demonstrates how British imperialism never left West Asia. Hannah and her late father are citizens of the UK, but their wealth has immense influence in Israel. The degree in which Jacob Rothschild was influencing the UK's policy related to the Middle East remains a mystery.   

The Use of Paxlovid For COVID-19

 

The anti-viral drug Paxlovid is available for use. There are tight controls of the medication. The intent of its creation was to help people with severe COVID-19. Some patients may have extreme reactions to particular vaccines and a pill could be a solution. The debate comes with what was stated previously. The vaccines produced were safe and effective, so Paxlovid is unnecessary. Booster shots exist for fighting new variants. Pfizer has been producing mRNA vaccines to fight COVID-19. If the mRNA technology is truly effective, Paxlovid  would not be needed. The only time for such a drug would be in emergency situations. Paxlovid is two drugs which contains nimatreviler and ritonavir. The complication comes with individuals on multiple medications. All of them are going to interact in the body. A patient would have to tell their doctor of  all the medications they take. They would then have to determine a way to avoid  harmful effects from the interactions between medications. The recommendation for Paxlovid is that anyone 12 and up can be given the drug. Those who are 50 or with comorbidities can be given Paxlovid. What Pfizer appears to be doing is putting a product out on the market for the sake of profit. No reports of adverse effects have appeared. Considering Pfizer did not test their vaccines for transmission, distrust from the public remains. A person who was vaccinated could still spread the virus. The CDC reported that COVID-19 deaths spiked in December of 2023. This was not due to the lack of medications or treatment. The healthcare system is on the verge of collapse. Medicine price remains too high for a population with stagnant wages. Pharmaceutical corporations need more regulation to prevent unethical business practices. The long term effects of Paxlovid are not known. The fact the drug got FDA approval demonstrates that it is pharmaceutical  corporations dictating public health policy. 

Chad Has Nationalized All Assets of Exxon Mobil

 

Chad has nationalized Exxon Mobil assets. The oil company divested in Chad around December of 2022. The current policy also applies to exploration and production authorizations. Hydrocarbon permits will are also subject to nationalization. The change in policy came from the reaction to the Savannah Energy deal. Chad felt Exxon Mobil was not upholding  previous obligations under their agreements. Courts may get involved to prevent Savannah Energy from making purchases of assets in Chad. This has also effected Cameroon, which has worked with Chad in the energy sector. A Chad-Cameroon pipeline has been planned for construction. The Doba oil project was designed to make Chad produce larger amounts of oil. It contains seven oil fields and produces 28,000 barrel per day. The government wants a better deal, which benefits the economy. Savannah Energy stated it will take the assets under the Exxon Agreement. Savannah Energy is a British company active in Niger and Nigeria. The fear from the company is that other African nations will nationalize assets. According to their statement it intends to use the ICC to pursue legal rights. If Chad can successfully fight the legal claims, it may get back control of its own economic policy. Oil can generate much wealth. If  the wealth is not applied to development or increasing the standard of living it means nothing. Exploitation by foreign corporations of Africa's natural resources remains common. Nationalization might be a method of preventing such an occurrence.  

The Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank

 

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank represents a negative turn in the economy. One of the top US banks had its assets confiscated by regulators. These actions and bank failures seem very familiar to the 2008 global financial crisis. The collapse of  Silicon Valley Bank is one of the biggest bank failures in US history. The bank mostly provided services to workers in tech and and start-up companies. Some longtime tech companies also had investments in the bank. The assertion that this was just one case and should not be deemed disturbing is misguided. The banking sector is becoming unstable under the lack of regulation and mismanagement. The assets of Silicon Valley Bank are being transferred to  a newly created institution. The Deposit Insurance Bank of Santa Clara will pay for insured deposits. SVB had an estimated $209 billion in assets. The violation according to the FDIC was that accounts exceeded the $250,000 limit. The technology sector will be negatively impacted by the collapse of SVB. A combination of CEO avarice and layoffs have made the situation worse. Simultaneously, the Federal Reserve has failed to counter inflation. The Silicon Valley Bank has been active since 1983, but after 39 years it could not survive. The government has made a promise to ensure that depositors would get their money back. SVB demonstrates a combination of corruption and the hardship that start-up companies face. Large corporations can survive and new businesses are at a disadvantage.  

Tech Companies Continue Layoffs

 

Tech companies are continuing to layoff workers. This comes at a time when inflation and rising food prices remain an economic challenge. Twitter, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft have been laying off workers between the months of October to November. The massive amount of job loss demonstrates that the concept of job security is non-existent . Job loss can effect both skilled and unskilled workers. Education was thought to be a  gateway to better career opportunities. Coders and software engineers find themselves vulnerable in a neoliberal capitalist system, even though they have useful skills. It has been cited that the layoffs are  the result of changes in buying behavior of customers. The pandemic might not be over, but there has been some control established. Tech companies claim that it was a hiring spree done during the pandemic and it can no longer afford to keep every worker. The claim lacks cogency considering these companies generate immense profits. Microsoft's programs are used in numerous offices, schools, and for personal computers. The layoffs could be a preemptive measure for large tech companies that suspect a recession is coming. This has not been confirmed by economists, but still could be a possibility. The CEOs of the major tech giants did this for a more obvious reason. Increasing their pay is more important to them than having employees. To counter the effects of thousands of layoffs, the remaining employees will do more work. The change does not ensure an increase in wages or salaries. Promotions are not guaranteed either for extra labor. While motives of are not clear, one assertion can be made with certainty. The global economy is in a poor condition. Other sectors could see mass layoffs in the coming months. 

Discontent Among US Railway Workers

 

A potential railway strike was avoided in the United States. While the focus was an extension of supply chain issues and the loss of billions dollars, the complaints of workers remained ignored. Employees do not randomly go on strike unless there is a decline in working conditions. Railroad corporations have failed their employees in the US freight industry. BNSF and Union Pacific have seen immense profits, but workers have not seen dramatic improvement. Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate has done well considering the current economic condition in the US. The combination of labor cuts, reduced compensation, and grueling precision scheduling systems has caused discord among workers. On call scheduling systems and limited time off has added to the frustration. If US railway labor unions cannot get an agreement that solves all these problems, then this can happen again in the next few years. Paid time off and  changing the scheduling policies are the only solutions. The Railway Labor Act was designed to allow corporations and unions to discuss concerns and grievances  to avert a nation wide labor incident. If abuses still happen there may be no other choice but to do a mass strike. Labor unions should not settle for an agreement that does not get to the route of labor disputes. Laws should protect workers, not corporate power. A total of twelve labor unions have been negotiating contracts.     

Global Inflation Increases

 

The pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war has caused an increase in global inflation. Consumer goods are rising in price due to these events. The other factor is that certain corporations are taking advantage of the situation. Intentional price hikes are being done and are not being challenged. World leaders will face the ire of citizens who cannot afford food or fuel. Food prices were previous increasing prior to the war in Ukraine. Global inflation will not effect all nations equally. The developing nations will struggle combined with debts owed by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. The developed nations might do better, but the class structure means people in poverty are more vulnerable. It is possible that more people could fall into poverty. Inflation does happen in an economic system. The concern is about the rate of inflation, Since January prices have gone up. If this is not controlled, it is possible the world could see another economic crisis. The world have not recovered from the 2008 economic crash. The EU will see higher gas and oil prices due to the sanctions directed at Russia. Although the US is not dependent on Russian energy, the sanctions imposed will still effect American energy prices. This explains why Asian and African nations are not willing to impose sanctions on Russia. China doing lockdowns harms economic activity. A slowdown in economic growth has created fears of possible recession. While the future cannot be predicted, the condition of the global economy is weakening.  

The Microsoft Corporation Set To Purchase Activision Blizzard

 

The Microsoft Corporation is in the process of buying Activision Blizzard. This purchase could change the nature of the video game industry. Popular franchises such as the Call of Duty, World of Warcraft , and Fall Out would come under their ownership. The two companies have yet to finalize transactions. Microsoft has been reported to pay $68.7 billion dollars for Activision. The two corporations will continue to operate independently until a final deal and price of purchase is made. The concern is that games that are available on multiple platforms will stop. Microsoft is responsible for the Xbox system and might wnat to have an edge on its competitors. Another possible problem is that creativity could be effected by a change in ownership. If one company has too much dominance, consumers have very little options. The video game industry does not need a monopoly. A industry crash similar to 1983 would be worse if  electronic entertainment  functioned on such a model. Activision Blizzard was not failing by business measures. The sale comes at a time when Activision Blizzard  faces allegations of a hostile work environment and CEO Bobby Kotick being subpoenaed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The reason for the sale could be more public relations related, rather than business acumen.     

Facebook Will Rebrand As Meta

 

Facebook will be calling itself Meta. The world's most popular social media platform is undergoing a rebranding process. The company seeks to also do more with virtual reality. The circumstances surrounding this are not entirely about expanding the company. Facebook has come under criticism from the public and government for sharing user data with other corporations . The controversy of disinformation on its platform, content moderation issues,  and censorship have damaged Facebook's image. Privacy is not protected and what is classified as disinformation has a political bias. Claims that the platform contributes to worsening mental health can be disputed. Individuals would most likely have self-esteem or depression issues even if the social media giant did not exist.   The fact checking system need vast improvement. Facebook has been described as a monopoly, but there exist other social media platforms. MeWe, VK Media, and Myspace are other social media platforms. These companies have not attained the same amount of users. There will come a time in which Facebook will have formidable competition. Creating a metaverse which combines virtual and augmented reality. Corporations do change their names as a form of public relations offensive after scandals. The sudden rebranding is evidence of this. The other objective is to keep Facebook as dominant in the tech industry .   

Jeff Bezos Resigns As Amazon CEO

 

Jeff Bezos has quit his role as CEO. This does not mean he is going into retirement or leaving the e-commerce giant. It has been implied he will focus more on Amazon's marketing. The circumstances for his resignation are not clear. However, there are major issues the company faces. Amazon has been engaging in wage theft from its workers. During the COVID-19 pandemic it did not provide the adequate  personal protective equipment for employees. Although the company and its founder is powerful it is only a matter of time before Amazon will face multiple lawsuits. The company has become resistance to workers organizing unions in warehouses. As working conditions get worse the more vexed employees become. Low wages are inexcusable considering Amazon's high stock value and enormous profits. All of these problems gradually emerged over the decades. Amazon was founded in 1994 and now has become one of the most recognizable e-commerce corporations. Bezos sudden exit demonstrates that there is a vast network of corruption and exploitation occurring at Amazon. Jeff Bezos' unethical practices are being exposed and it is unlikely that Amazon can avoid investigation.