Starbucks founder Howard Schultz joins the growing list of billionaires moving to Florida — a move that is quickly becoming a trend. In past two months alone, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sergey Brin, former Google CEO Larry Page, and now Howard Schultz have announced their migration to Miami. 
Schultz has lived in Seattle since 1979, where he built Starbucks into a global brand. The billionaire says he&#8217;s making the move in order to pursue his next adventure. 
“We [Schultz and his wife, Sheri Schultz] have moved to Miami for our next adventure together. We are enjoying the sunshine of South Florida and its allure to our kids on the East Coast as they raise families of their own,&#8221; he explained.
After 44 years in Seattle, Schultz — worth $6.6 billion — will settle into a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryroeloffs/2026/03/11/starbucks-billionaire-howard-schultz-paid-44-million-for-florida-penthouse/">$44 million penthouse</a> at the Surf Club, Four Seasons Private Residences in Surfside, about fifteen miles from Miami. The five bedroom penthouse is 5,500 square feet and has a rooftop terrace. While his nonprofit, the Schultz Family Foundation, will remain in Seattle, his family office will relocate with him. 
Schultz’s announced his decision on the same day that the Washington State House of Representatives approved a new millionaire tax. The measure passed 52-46 on Wednesday and advanced to the Senate. If it passes, Washington will lose its status as one of the nine states without an income tax. The legislation would impose  a 9.9% tax on income for earners making above $1 million. Washington policymakers argue that only <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nathangoldman/2026/03/11/washingtons-99-millionaire-tax-raises-fears-of-wealthy-exodus/">0.5%</a> of tax payers would be subject to the new levy. 
State Rep. Ed Orcutt, one of the 46 legislators who voted against the bill <a href="https://edorcutt.houserepublicans.wa.gov/2026/01/21/rep-ed-orcutt-explains-why-he-opposes-a-new-state-income-tax/">said</a>, “The problem is overspending. There is no tax or combination of taxes that can keep up with a legislature that continually overspends revenue.”
Schultz did not mention the tax in his announcement, much like Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos did not mention the Washington State <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/feb/13/jeff-bezos-florida-taxes#:~:text=But%20on%20Tuesday%20the%20financial%20news%20network,stocks%20or%20bonds%20of%20more%20than%20$250%2C000.">7%</a> capital gains tax — on sales of stocks and bonds exceeding $250,000 — when he decided in 2023 to leave Seattle for Miami. Like Schultz, Bezos cited only personal reasons.
In recent years, a growing number of CEOs have relocated from blue to red states. But while Schultz is moving to a red state, his political views lean left. In 2019, during a media tour for a potential 2020 Presidential run, Schultz said, &#8220;I should be paying more taxes. And more people who make this kind of revenue, and are of means, should be paying more taxes.&#8221;
That same night, Schultz also said, &#8220;No one wants to see him [Donald Trump] fired more than me.&#8221;
Starbucks is also relocating to the south — and to a red state as well. The company announced the move to Nashville, Tennessee, in the beginning of March describing it as part of a broader plan to expand across North America and “establish a strategic presence in the Southeast region of the United States.” 
Justin Owen, the President &amp; CEO of the think tank, Beacon Center of Tennessee, welcomed the decision. 
“We welcome all businesses to the free state of Tennessee. We encourage them to remember and embrace why they came here: our low tax, low regulation, pro-worker freedom environment,” Owen said.

Starbucks Holds Annual Shareholders Meeting

Starbucks Founder Howard Schultz Is Latest Billionaire To Move To Florida

Business

Economy

Politics

Starbucks

Spend five minutes on social media and you might think the conservative movement is falling apart.
Republicans are arguing about a lot these days, from foreign policy to strategy for the next election.
Healthy debate is part of politics. But while those arguments dominate the headlines, something far more significant is happening quietly in the background.
Conservatives are starting to win the culture war again.
And the recent collapse of the proposed <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/warner-bros-signs-110-billion-deal-with-paramount-ends-bidding-war-with-netflix-2026-02-27/">Netflix–Warner Bros. Discovery deal</a> is a perfect example.
Netflix <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/netflix-taps-bank-explore-bid-warner-bros-discovery-2025-10-30/">sought</a> to absorb the company, which would have created an even larger streaming giant with massive influence over what Americans watch and, increasingly, what messages they are expected to absorb.
Hollywood and the streaming industry no longer just produce entertainment. They shape culture. They shape narratives. And for years, many of these institutions have leaned heavily into progressive activism and the kind of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-ceo-asked-if-company-is-too-woke-says-it-will-cater-audience-2022-10-26/">“woke” messaging</a> that <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2020/01/24/u-s-media-polarization-and-the-2020-election-a-nation-divided/">alienates</a> millions of Americans who simply want to enjoy a movie or television show without being lectured.
Then the political pressure began.
President Trump publicly opposed the merger. Conservative voices <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/feb/03/senate-netflix-warner-bros-discovery-merger">raised concerns</a> about media consolidation and about expanding the power of cultural institutions that already lean heavily to the Left.
Suddenly, what looked like a routine corporate deal became something else entirely — a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/trump-says-he-will-stay-out-netflix-paramount-fight-over-warner-bros-2026-02-05">cultural flashpoint.</a>
And in late February, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/warner-bros-signs-110-billion-deal-with-paramount-ends-bidding-war-with-netflix-2026-02-27/">the deal collapsed.</a>
Even more interesting is what happened next. Paramount, another bidder — backed by Larry Ellison, one of the most outspoken <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/business/factbox-oracle-chairman-larry-ellisons-history-of-support-for-trump-idUSKBN2652RV/">pro-Trump voices</a> in American business — stepped forward.
That’s not just a business development. It’s a signal.
For years, conservatives were told the culture war was unwinnable. Hollywood was too powerful. Silicon Valley was too dominant. Corporate America had permanently aligned itself with <a href="https://www.reuters.com/breakingviews/corporate-america-is-caught-dei-ratchet-2025-02-21/">progressive politics</a>.
The message from the Left was simple: accept it.
But over the past few years, conservatives discovered something important: pressure works.
Bud Light learned that lesson the hard way. A <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bud-light-anheuser-busch-inbev-earnings-46b6412f84b5e8884caea941fc069d2f">tone-deaf marketing campaign</a> sparked one of the most successful consumer boycotts in modern American history. Billions in market value evaporated and one of the country’s most recognizable brands suffered lasting damage.
Cracker Barrel experienced <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cracker-barrel-logo-trump-8b496da282deef3d8d0618c3f9f4db46">similar backlash</a> when customers pushed back against progressive messaging that had little to do with serving breakfast.
Now Netflix is feeling that same pressure.
For years, corporate executives believed they could align openly with progressive activism without facing real consequences. Diversity bureaucracies <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/factbox-us-companies-drop-diversity-policies-after-trumps-order-2025-02-27">expanded</a>. Political messaging crept into advertising campaigns, entertainment content, as well as <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-investors-reject-proposal-withdraw-hrcs-diversity-index-2025-03-20/">corporate statements</a>.
The assumption was that conservatives might complain, but they would keep buying the product.
That assumption is no longer safe.
Businesses respond to incentives. They always have.
When conservative consumers stay quiet, companies drift Left. When conservative consumers push back, companies suddenly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/bud-light-loses-top-us-beer-spot-after-mulvaney-ad-boycott-2023-06-14/">start reconsidering their strategy</a>.
The Biden years showed what happens when one side dominates the cultural conversation. Progressive activists shaped corporate messaging. DEI programs spread rapidly across major institutions. Hollywood and streaming companies increasingly <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-ceo-says-company-will-quiet-noise-culture-wars-analyst-2023-09-20/">reflected the worldview of a narrow ideological class</a> in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley.
How many culture-war victories did conservatives get during those years? Not many.
But elections change incentives. President Trump’s election sent a clear signal: the cultural dominance of the Left was no longer inevitable.
Corporate leaders began to realize that tens of millions of Americans were no longer willing to be dismissed or mocked by the cultural institutions that dominate entertainment and media.
Does this mean conservatives suddenly control Hollywood? Of course not. The entertainment industry will remain overwhelmingly liberal for the foreseeable future.
But the dynamic has changed.
For the first time in a long time, the cultural institutions that shape American entertainment are being <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/disney-ceo-says-company-will-quiet-noise-culture-wars-analyst-2023-09-20/">forced to recognize</a> that half the country will no longer sit quietly while those institutions push politics into every corner of popular culture.
That recognition alone represents a major shift.
Conservatives win when they stay engaged. When they vote. When they speak up. And when they refuse to accept the idea that <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2020/01/24/u-s-media-polarization-and-the-2020-election-a-nation-divided/">cultural power belongs exclusively to elites in Hollywood</a>, Manhattan, and Silicon Valley.
The culture war isn’t decided in one election or one corporate deal. It’s a long struggle over the values that shape American life.
But corporate America is beginning to understand something it ignored for years: pressure works.
Bud Light <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bud-light-anheuser-busch-inbev-earnings-46b6412f84b5e8884caea941fc069d2f">learned it.</a> Cracker Barrel <a href="https://apnews.com/article/cracker-barrel-logo-trump-8b496da282deef3d8d0618c3f9f4db46">learned it.</a> And now Netflix is learning it too.
* * *
Jason Chaffetz served as a member of the U.S. Congress from 2009 to 2017. He chaired the House Oversight Committee.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Elon Musk Urges X Followers To Cancel Netflix Subscriptions Over Controversial Animated Show

The Lesson Corporate America Keeps Learning The Hard Way

Conservatives

Corporations

Entertainment

Hollywood

Leftists

Netflix

Paramount

Warner Bros

Woke Culture

The national chain Smoothie King has issued an official response to a viral video that appears to show a customer wearing pro-Trump apparel being refused service at one of its locations, saying the employees involved have been fired.
It all started when TikTok user @enl1986 posted a video that appeared to show two employees refusing to take an order from a man she identified as her husband, Jake. 
The stated reason for the refusal of service was that Jake was wearing a sweatshirt with Trump’s name on it.
The interaction reportedly occurred at a Smoothie King location in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
“As a brand, Smoothie King is committed to ensuring our stores are a place free of discrimination of any kind, where every guest and team member is treated with care and respect,” a <a href="https://x.com/SmoothieKing/status/2028689603314458713">statement</a> from the company said. “Following an investigation into an incident involving a guest who was refused service at a franchised location in Michigan yesterday, the franchise owner has taken immediate action and the two employees involved are no longer with the business.” 
The company added that both the franchise owner and corporate representatives had reached out to the guest multiple times to apologize and would continue to follow up. It also said the local owner will implement &#8220;mandatory retraining&#8221; for all employees.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
location in Michigan yesterday, the franchise owner has taken immediate action and the two employees involved are no longer with the business. Both the franchise owner and Smoothie King corporate have reached out to the guest several times to apologize and will continue to follow
— Smoothie King (@SmoothieKing) <a href="https://twitter.com/SmoothieKing/status/2028617911451930774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In the video, the woman can be heard telling the employees, “We were just wanting a smoothie and you literally looked at us and I asked you if everything was OK and you said: ‘We don’t feel comfortable serving you’ because of my husband’s hoodie. That is discrimination.&#8221;
One of the employees responded, &#8220;OK, well, have a great day.&#8221; 
&#8220;That is illegal,&#8221; the woman replied. A second employee then chimed in, saying, &#8220;I said, &#8216;Trump discriminates [against] us.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Woman claims Smoothie King in Michigan wouldn’t serve them because her husband was wearing a Trump hoodie
Any comment <a href="https://twitter.com/SmoothieKing?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SmoothieKing</a>?? <a href="https://t.co/ASmMBDE7gG">pic.twitter.com/ASmMBDE7gG</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2028398745184817217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“That has nothing to do with us getting a smoothie,&#8221; the woman recording said. An employee responded, &#8220;OK, well, that’s who you support, though, that’s who you love.&#8221;
Later in the video, the woman recording added, &#8220;What’s embarrassing is that we’re American citizens and I wanted to get a smoothie.&#8221; 
At one point, an employee said the store had the &#8220;right to refuse service,” while the man accompanying her described the service refusal as a “crime.” 
The exchange quickly sparked debate on social media, with users divided over whether the employees had the right to refuse service.
“You can be denied service for any reason the retailer decides, it&#8217;s that simple, it doesn&#8217;t matter if the customer is wearing a Trump or Biden hat,” one user <a href="https://x.com/L0rdMoore/status/2028430837432119715">insisted</a>.
Others compared the situation to the infamous Masterpiece Cakeshop case, in which a Colorado bakery owner declined to create a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, a dispute that reached the Supreme Court.

Smoothie King

Smoothie King Refused To Serve Customer In Trump Hoodie, Employees Face Consequences

Discrimination

Donald Trump

Michigan

Social Issues

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos gave his first interview since the company pulled out of their deal to acquire Warner Bros., saying contrary to the rumors, it wasn’t President Trump’s influence that killed the merger.
The entertainment exec called the competing offer from Paramount “irrational” and claimed he had no regrets about how it all played out. Sarandos said it came down to having a set price amount they weren’t willing to go beyond and being outbid by David Ellison’s rival offer.
“We had a very tight range that we’d be willing to pay and made that offer back when we closed this deal,” Sarandos told Lucas Shaw of Bloomberg in an <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-27/how-netflix-forced-paramount-to-cough-up-more-for-warner-bros?cmpid=screentime&amp;utm_campaign=screentime&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_term=260301&amp;embedded-checkout=true">interview</a> published Saturday. “I’m happy where we got in and happy where we got out.”
Rumors swirled that the Department of Justice may have influenced the breakdown, or that Trump himself may have had sway. But Sarandos said those narratives are false.
“I don’t know that there was growing political resistance,” the Netflix exec said. “It was a growing narrative of political resistance. But we were on a normal regulatory path. … This story has been fed out for everybody, but it’s just not accurate. We were not only involved with the DOJ, we were involved with 50 regulatory bodies around the world. These things have been going exactly the way they should.”
Sarandos told Shaw that Trump “stayed completely neutral on this.”
“The truth of it is, someone was going to lose it for a dollar,” Sarandos said of the deal. “And the quicker you accepted that, the better.”
Shaw described Paramount as being an “unusual other buyer,” which Sarandos agreed with.
“Unusual, yeah, unusual, irrational, whatever words you want to use in that,” he replied. “It’ll be fascinating to see the next steps. I have been on the record a lot in the last two weeks talking about what I think the future looks like. I’m confident in our future that we’re not impacted by all that. In fact, maybe it’s to our advantage. But I hope I’m wrong for the sake of the industry.”
Warner Bros. agreed in December to an $82.7 billion deal with Netflix. Paramount responded with several hostile takeover bids over the following months, culminating in a surprise twist as the streaming giant bowed out in February.
“&#8230;this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price,” Sarandos and Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said in a statement at the time, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netflix-backs-down-in-fight-for-warner-bros-leaving-paramount-inches-from-victory">reported</a>.

Ted Sarandos

Netflix CEO Sets Record Straight On Trump Rumors After Warner Bros. Deal Fizzles

U.S.

In a stunning twist in the months-long war between Netflix and Paramount over which company would purchase Warner Bros., the streaming giant has <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/netflix-backs-out-warners-deal-paramount-win-1236516763/">bowed out</a>.
After Warner Bros. released a statement on Thursday saying that the company’s board of directors viewed Paramount’s latest offer as a “<a href="https://ir.wbd.com/news-and-events/financial-news/financial-news-details/2026/Warner-Bros--Discovery-Board-of-Directors-Determines-Revised-Proposal-from-Paramount-Skydance-Constitutes-a-Company-Superior-Proposal/default.aspx">superior proposal</a>,” and that Netflix had four days to respond, the streamer backed out of the bidding war.
&#8220;Under the terms of the Netflix merger agreement, this notice triggers a four business day period during which Netflix has the right to propose revisions to the Netflix merger agreement so that the PSKY proposal would cease to constitute a &#8216;Company Superior Proposal,'&#8221; Warner Bros. stated in their <a href="https://ir.wbd.com/news-and-events/financial-news/financial-news-details/2026/Warner-Bros--Discovery-Board-of-Directors-Determines-Revised-Proposal-from-Paramount-Skydance-Constitutes-a-Company-Superior-Proposal/default.aspx">press release</a>.
Netflix Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters responded in a <a href="https://ir.netflix.net/investor-news-and-events/financial-releases/press-release-details/2026/Netflix-Declines-to-Raise-Offer-for-Warner-Bros-/default.aspx">statement</a> of their own.
“The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval. However, we’ve always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance’s latest offer, the deal is no longer financially attractive, so we are declining to match the Paramount Skydance bid,” Sarandos and Peters said.
The company heads added that they believe Netflix would have taken good care of the Warner Bros. IP (intellectual property) and “strengthened the entertainment industry and preserved and created more production jobs in the U.S.”
“But this transaction was always a ‘nice to have’ at the right price, not a ‘must have’ at any price,” they concluded.
Paramount’s most recent bid raised the per-share price to $31, and featured a ticking fee, which would have paid shareholders if the deal took too long to come to fruition. Additionally, the company offered a $7 billion breakup fee, which would be paid if the deal were to fall through due to regulatory issues, and a nearly $3 billion fee that Warner Bros. owes Netflix as a result of their prior deal not materializing.
Netflix’s last offer was valued at $82.7 billion, and was aimed at purchasing Warner Bros.’ film and streaming divisions (HBO Max), as well as DC Comics. Paramount, on the other hand, would be purchasing all of Warner Bros. Discovery, including its linear and cable TV networks.
There has been much consternation in Hollywood, especially following the Disney-Fox acquisition, over the Warner Bros. bidding war, with many in the industry voicing concerns that further media consolidation would do irreparable damage to the movie and TV business, with lost jobs and fewer options for creatives.
Though neither company (Paramount or Netflix) were favored by those in the industry, Netflix was viewed with a particularly skeptical eye as some questioned the streaming giant’s commitment to the theatrical experience. Others view Paramount CEO David Ellison&#8217;s apparently close relationship with the Trump administration as a reason for pause.

There’s A Winner In The Netflix/Paramount Bidding War

Movies

The grandson of the man who invented Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups is speaking out against The Hershey Company, accusing the multinational confectionery company of cheaping out on ingredients and spoiling the product his family created.
Brad Reese, 70, claims that real ingredients have been replaced with cheap, ultra-processed additives that have altered the taste of the popular candy.
“My grandfather, H. B. REESE (Who Invented REESE’S), built REESE’S on a simple, enduring architecture: Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter. Not a flavor idea. Not a marketing construct. A real, tangible product identity that consumers have trusted for a century,” Reese shared in a LinkedIn post.
“But today, REESE’S identity is being rewritten, not by storytellers, but by formulation decisions that replace Milk Chocolate with compound coatings and Peanut Butter with peanut butter style crèmes across multiple REESE’S products,” the post continued.
“I can’t just let it go. They’re lowering the quality of ingredients, charging the same price and probably giving you a smaller product size,” Reese <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/02/18/business/grandson-of-reeses-founder-alleges-hershey-has-switched-to-cheaper-ingredients-sparking-family-feud/">told</a> The New York Post in a follow-up interview. “I’m really embarrassed as a member of the Reese family.”
The Hershey Company, based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, said in a statement that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are made with real peanut butter and milk chocolate, but admits they’ve done “recipe adjustments.” 
“Our iconic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are made the same way they always have been; starting with roasting fresh peanuts to make our unique, one-of-a-kind peanut butter that is then combined with milk chocolate,” a statement from The Hershey Company <a href="https://www.abc27.com/hershey/the-hershey-company-responds-to-allegations-over-reeses-ingredient-changes/">said</a>, per ABC27 News. 
“As we’ve grown and expanded the Reese’s product line, we make product recipe adjustments that allow us to make new shapes, sizes and innovations that Reese’s fans have come to love and ask for, while always protecting the essence of what makes Reese’s unique and special: the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter.”
According to the <a href="https://www.hersheyland.com/products/reeses-milk-chocolate-peanut-butter-cups-1-5-oz.html">website</a>, traditional Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups include: Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Skim Milk, Milk Fat, Lactose, Lecithin, PGPR), Peanuts, Sugar, Dextrose, Salt, and TBHQ &amp; Citric Acid (TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS). 
Reese indicated that the spinoff versions of the classic candy are the culprits. The Florida resident said he recently purchased and tossed out a Valentine’s Day-themed bag of Reese’s Mini Hearts. 
“It was not edible,” Reese <a href="https://apnews.com/article/reeses-peanut-butter-cups-hershey-chocolate-1a66ec75247fd146888b7a747a740cd3">told</a> The Associated Press in an interview. “You have to understand. I used to eat a Reese’s product every day. This is very devastating for me.”

Reese’s

CANDY CIVIL WAR: Reese’s Heir Calls Out What’s Being Put In America’s Favorite Treat

chocolate

Food

Pennsylvania

United States

Goldman Sachs plans to scrap its race, sex, and other DEI factors when considering potential additions to its board of directors.
The board’s governance committee made the decision to axe DEI metrics from its list of qualifications for new board members after striking an agreement with the National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative nonprofit, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/finance/goldman-sachs-board-dei-57fea527?mod=hp_lead_pos2">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
The committee has four broad factors it considers when looking for new board members, one of which is a demographic profile that includes viewpoints, military service, and other markers, as well as DEI variables such as a person’s race, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Going forward, the committee plans to strip away the DEI calculations from its rubric for board candidates.
The National Legal and Policy Center has a small ownership stake in Goldman Sachs and in September, proposed that the committee strip away the DEI component of its board member criteria. The center had requested that the bank share the proposal with shareholders ahead of its annual shareholder meeting scheduled for this spring, but Goldman Sachs struck an agreement with the center that involved pulling the proposal and the bank scrapping its DEI metrics anyway.
Goldman Sachs had last year dropped its DEI requirements for companies that wanted the bank’s help in listing for an IPO.
Goldman Sachs’ curbing of its own DEI policies comes as the Trump administration has pursued policies to push such metrics out of the federal government while wielding federal powers to push companies to distance themselves from DEI as well. President Donald Trump, on his first day of his second term, took a stand against DEI, ordering federal departments and agencies to begin cutting DEI positions in the government.
The president also directed federal agencies to look into companies with DEI policies for potential discriminatory practices. In February of last year, the president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-targets-two-financial-firms-over-dei-and-esg-push">took</a> aim at two financial firms, Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, that the president said were pushing racial quotas and climates activism on numerous other companies.
At the time, both firms had guidelines that had the potential to impact a wide swath of companies that encouraged them to adopt DEI criteria in promotions to their board. They also had similar guidelines directing companies to take steps to address climate change.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

Goldman Sachs Will No Longer Judge Board Members By DEI Metrics

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Goldman Sachs

A Super Bowl commercial that features Amazon’s Ring doorbell camera triggered tremendous backlash online, with many viewers worrying that it glorifies mass surveillance.
The &#8220;Be A Hero In Your Neighborhood&#8221; ad begins with a video of a young girl reunited with her dog before jumping to a fictionalized preview of when her family pet went missing. Ring founder Jamie Siminoff explains during the ad that 10 million dogs go missing every year. The clip then cuts into a montage featuring missing dog posters stapled to telephone poles.
The commercial then shows the family using &#8220;Search Party” from Ring, which “uses AI to help families find lost dogs.&#8221;
“Since launch, more than a dog a day has been reunited with their family,” Siminoff continues as a neighborhood of Ring doorbell cameras scans and analyzes the dogs wandering by. &#8220;Be a hero in your neighborhood with Search Party. Available to everyone, for free, right now.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Search Party from Ring | Be A Hero In Your Neighborhood" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OheUzrXsKrY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Social media users quickly noted the possible downside of all doorbell cameras being used for surveillance. 
“This [Ring] camera commercial played at #SuperBowl is something out of a dystopian thriller. Who would ever install these cameras after this? CREEPY AF!” one person <a href="https://x.com/leovanstaden/status/2020932261399626205">replied</a>. 
&#8220;Y’all, this Ring Doorbell Camera commercial was creepy as can be. They are not even hiding it anymore,&#8221; another commenter <a href="https://x.com/SollyinTexas/status/2020726405164626421">wrote</a>.
A third commenter <a href="https://x.com/BridgetPhetasy/status/2020681374261264861">echoed</a>, &#8220;Ring search party is terrifying and what’s most terrifying is that we opted into this like f**king idiots.&#8221;
“This is a huge problem disguised as a solution,” one of the YouTube comments says.
Others pointed out how surveillance is already happening everywhere, and that users could easily opt out of the “Search Party” feature. Others dismissed the commercial as harmless.
“The ring doorbell commercial about finding lost dogs is by far the best part of this entire Super Bowl. Well done Ring and Amazon,” one person <a href="https://x.com/ErlingStu/status/2020682280771977578">wrote</a>. 
Super Bowl LX took place on Sunday, February 8, and resulted in the Seattle Seahawks dominating the New England Patriots 29-13. There was a lot of controversy over Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny being selected to headline the halftime show despite not having any songs in English. 
TPUSA announced an alternative musical performance, The All-American Halftime Show, which aired at the same time as Bad Bunny’s set. The event, headlined by Kid Rock, attracted <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/millions-tune-in-for-tpusa-all-american-halftime-show-during-super-bowl">millions of viewers</a> who watched it live on multiple streaming platforms.

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Ring’s ‘Lost Dog’ Super Bowl Commercial Sparks Mass Surveillance Fears

Ring Doorbell 'Lost Dog' Super Bowl Commercial Sparks Debate

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We are now witnessing a massive cultural retreat from the most controversial elements of activist-driven gender ideology aimed at children. And corporate America is a major part of that shift.
For years, the gender ideology narrative captured our society’s most prominent institutions. The notion that the provision of hormone regimens, puberty blockers, and gender transition surgeries was the only compassionate response to young people facing confusion about their gender morphed from a fringe theory into a near-unquestionable dictate during the last decade. In 2019, a doctor who believed in the Biblical and scientific notion of differences between the sexes was<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-49904997"> told</a> that his views were “incompatible with human dignity.” Parents of children struggling with gender dysphoria were often <a href="https://www.centerforbiblicalunity.com/post/would-you-rather-have-a-dead-daughter-or-a-live-son">presented</a> with a ghoulish, faux-paternalistic ultimatum by therapists and psychologists: “Would you rather have a dead daughter or a live son?”
Perhaps the most impactful driver of this narrative was the boardroom. The dictates of gender ideology were not only pushed forward by activists but also supported by some of the most recognizable brands on Earth. One of the most high-profile examples was Amazon: scholar Ryan T. Anderson, whose 2018 book When Harry Became Sally offered a thoughtful Christian response to gender ideology, had to fight through a <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-statement-on-when-harry-became-sally">book ban</a> and <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/company-news/amazon-statement-on-when-harry-became-sally">smears</a> of “hate speech,” before it could be sold in the world’s largest online market. Countless companies, from Apple to Target, were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-left-wing-activists-are-trying-to-save-corporate-wokeness">participating</a> with corporate activist organizations like the Human Rights Campaign, one of the major promoters of gender ideology in corporate America.
In the 2010s and early 2020s, it was perfectly reasonable to believe that the way major companies handled gender ideology was less about science and more about <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/corporations-that-pushed-gender-ideology-owe-america-an-explanation?author=Isaac+Willour&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Corporations+That+Pushed+Gender+Ideology+Owe+America+An+Explanation">placating</a> goalpost-shifting activists. And then, as so often happens with activist movements, the goalposts got shifted too far. It wasn’t just adult choice that was the focus of gender ideology. It was about the attempted normalization of surgical interventions for children. That was when the momentum shifted.
Three recent occurrences illustrate just how quickly the tide is turning.
First, a 22-year-old ‘detransitioner’ — someone who regrets their gender transition — just <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-court-case-has-gotten-little-attention-but-just-changed-everything">won</a> a $2 million lawsuit against the New York doctors who approved her surgery. Fox Varian, who had a double mastectomy (surgical removal of both breasts) when she was just 16 years old, is the first detransitioner to take a medical malpractice case to trial and win.
That ruling came on January 30. On February 3, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons <a href="https://www.plasticsurgery.org/for-medical-professionals/health-policy/position-statements">released</a> a statement asserting that “there is insufficient evidence demonstrating a favorable risk-benefit ratio for … gender-related endocrine and surgical interventions in children and adolescents.” 
Days later, the American Medical Association <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/health/gender-surgery-minors-ama.html">announced</a> its agreement: “The AMA agrees… surgical interventions in minors should be generally deferred to adulthood.”
Let’s be clear about what that means: in the span of approximately a week, two absolutely critical points have been proven about gender ideology: (1) performing gender transition surgeries on children is a source of major legal liability, and (2) the medical consensus does not neatly support the necessity of such treatments.
These are precisely the arguments we have made to companies for years about their healthcare coverage. For companies that spent the early 2020s placating activists pushing gender ideology, the mid 2020s may be a painful reckoning with how out-of-touch with reality those activists truly were.
Activist groups like the Human Rights Campaign <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-radical-intolerance-behind-woke-corporate-activism?author=Isaac+Willour&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Radical+Intolerance+Behind+Woke+Corporate+Activism">told</a> companies that covering hormone regimens and transition care were prudent ways to minimize risk. It’s incredibly apparent that this was a wild guess at best, and a cleverly worded activist ploy at worst. As the era of corporate wokeness comes to an end, companies seeking to stay politically neutral and avoid becoming entrenched in culture war issues (remember, companies have a fiduciary duty to do this) are taking a serious look at their healthcare coverage.
For companies that cover gender transition care for adults, do they also cover detransition care? If not, that hardly reads as politically neutral. Do companies have clear stances on not covering gender transition care for children? These are the questions that we, as corporate engagement professionals, are asking hundreds of companies.
Some companies are setting the standard. Walmart, the world’s largest company, <a href="https://me.walmart.com/content/dam/themepage/pdfs/AssociateBenefitsBook-2026.pdf">publishes</a> its full Associate Benefits Guide, which includes a clear carve-out prohibiting health plan administrators from providing transgender medical interventions to minors. The company has also been incredibly constructive in engaging with its shareholders on this issue. Other companies should follow Walmart’s example. You’d be amazed by how many haven’t. But the winds are blowing in our favor.
One major example of the large-scale retreat is the widespread drop in support for the Human Rights Campaign, whose ‘Corporate Equality Index’ grades companies in part by their adherence to activist criteria surrounding hormone regimens, transition surgery, and the like. In 2025, almost 380 Fortune 500 companies participated in the Index. In 2026? Fewer than 150. Many of the major names that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-radical-intolerance-behind-woke-corporate-activism?author=Isaac+Willour&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Radical+Intolerance+Behind+Woke+Corporate+Activism">ceased participation</a>, including Capital One, Goldman Sachs, and Google (Alphabet), are companies we’ve engaged with surrounding these issues.
If these signs are any indication, there’s much more to come. As the consequences of such treatments become more widely understood, by major companies, providers, and especially insurers, we may well see the forming of a new consensus, the one that always should have been: the dictates of gender ideology, that promoted and supported major and often irreversible medical interventions for children, are being rejected by the brands that make up our capital markets. For the sake of America’s children, that rejection can’t come fast enough.
* * *
Isaac Willour is an award-winning journalist focusing on race, culture, and American conservatism, as well as a corporate relations analyst at Bowyer Research. His work has been featured at outlets including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times Opinion, C-SPAN, and The Daily Wire. He is a member of the Young Voices contributor program and can be found on X <a href="https://twitter.com/IsaacWillour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@IsaacWillour</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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Corporate America Quietly Backs Away From Gender Ideology For Children

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Peeling back red tape and eliminating redundant regulations sits at the heart of the Trump administration’s economic agenda. That mission went on the road Friday as the Office of Advocacy joined the House Committee on Small Business for the first stop of a new cross-country listening tour focused on small business owners. 
The Daily Wire spoke with Joe Krenzelok, with the Office of Advocacy, who is representing the agency at the tour&#8217;s opening stop, titled The Open Road: Small Business Conversations Across Main Street America. 
Krenzelok said the agency has flagged hundreds of regulatory concerns, adding that the difference this time is that those issues are receiving serious attention, creating what he described as a rare opportunity for lasting reform.
He went on to emphasize that the administration’s posture toward small business marks a meaningful shift from past approaches.
“President Trump values the input of small businesses,&#8221; said Krenzelok. 
Krenzelok will join House Committee on Small Business Chair Roger Williams to hear business owners&#8217; concerns directly.
He noted that a significant portion of the regulatory concerns raised by businesses stem from Environmental Protection Agency rules. Trump nominated Lee Zeldin to lead the EPA, praising him as a “true fighter for America First policies” with a strong legal background. 
Two months into his new role, Zeldin announced what he described as “31 historic actions in the greatest and most consequential day of deregulation in U.S. history.” The move launched sweeping reviews across the energy sector, including easing restrictions on coal plants, power plants, and oil and gas operations. Among the actions was a rollback of national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants. 
Krenzelok told The Daily Wire he has already seen tangible effects in his region. 
“I met with a small trucking company that raised concerns about diesel emissions regulations,” he said. “The very next day, Administrator Zeldin came to Iowa and mentioned they would be making adjustments within that.&#8221;
“That told me that he’s very well in tune with what’s happening on the ground,” Krenzelok added. “It’s very evident to me that this administration is actively seeking input from the ground because they’re addressing issues in real time.” 
According to the Office of Advocacy’s first annual <a href="https://advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/FINAL_First-Year-Report_012026.pdf">report</a>, the agency’s efforts have saved small businesses more than $110 billion in regulatory costs. The report states that, on an annualized basis, first-year savings during Trump&#8217;s second presidential term were more than 35 times those in Biden&#8217;s first year in office.

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Kristin Cabot, the HR professional who went viral after being caught on camera in a loving embrace with the CEO of her company, is now cashing in on her fifteen minutes of fame.
The 53-year-old mother of two is listed as a keynote speaker at PRWeek’s 2026 Crisis Comms Conference in Washington, D.C., in April, with tickets priced between $750 and $875. Cabot will participate in a thirty-minute talk called “Taking Back the Narrative” alongside public relations CEO Dini von Mueffling.
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“This is the fourth year that we&#8217;ve run the crisis comms conference, and it&#8217;s been a sell-out every year because every day there is another brand, individual, or company that gets itself in crisis situations. I fully expect it to sell out again this year—not necessarily because of Kristin. It&#8217;s just, it&#8217;s such a hot topic,” Steve Barrett, VP and editorial director of PRWeek, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/kristin-cabot-coldplay-scandal-keynote-speaker-crisis-conference-11468683">told</a> Newsweek.
Conference organizers told the outlet that Cabot was not being compensated for her appearance.
The internet has been obsessed with the alleged Astronomer affair scandal since it was made public following viral images from a Coldplay show last July.
A video showed company CEO Andrew Byron, then married, and Cabot embracing one another at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, when the kiss cam landed on them. The couple reacted immediately, with Byron letting go of Cabot and stepping out of frame. Cabot had a similar reaction, immediately hiding her face and turning away from the camera.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin called out their reaction, saying, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy.”
The video was posted online and became part of the national conversation, inspiring references, spoofs, and commentary that lasted for months.
Byron had served as CEO of Astronomer since 2023, while Cabot had been a human resources executive with the company for less than one year. Both resigned from their positions following the scandal.
Cabot went on the interview circuit in December, expressing shock over the level of public outrage surrounding her alleged infidelity. She said it was her first time kissing her former boss and claimed their relationship was never sexual. 
The New Hampshire native also revealed that her then-husband, Andrew Cabot, was at the infamous concert. He said in a statement that the couple was estranged at the time of the incident.

Coldplay concert

Coldplay Kiss Cam Woman Headlining Crisis PR Conference

Coldplay Kiss Cam Woman Signs On As Keynote Speaker At Crisis PR Conference

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Former Attorney General Bill Barr praised Minnesota business leaders on Tuesday for refusing to cave to “activist pressure” to denounce federal law enforcement following anti-ICE protests. 
Reacting to an open letter from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce urging cooperation between federal and state authorities, Barr told The Daily Wire that he was encouraged by the development. 
Barr was the attorney general from 2019 to 2020, when corporations lined up behind the Black Lives Matter movement. 
“I applaud business leaders who did not bow to activist pressure to refuse any cooperation with federal law enforcement,” he said. “Fidelity to the ‘rule of law’ demands all citizens to respect the authority of the federal government to faithfully implement federal law throughout the nation, even in communities where it is unpopular. Without that authority, as George Washington observed, there could be no true national government.”
Barr’s comments come after dozens of business executives signed onto an open letter urging peace and cooperation among local, state, and federal authorities following the deadly shooting of an armed protester by Border Patrol during anti-ICE protests. 
The open letter, signed by executives from major companies including Target and Best Buy, said business leaders were working behind the scenes to facilitate communication between the Trump administration and Minnesota officials. 
“These efforts have included close communication with the Governor, the White House, the Vice President and local mayors. There are ways for us to come together to foster progress,” they wrote on January 25. “With yesterday&#8217;s tragic news, we are calling for an immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.”
In recent days, leftist activists have pressured companies like Target to ban Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from its parking lots and stores. 
Conservative commentators noted a stark contrast between how corporations responded in 2020 following George Floyd&#8217;s death and the more cautious, neutral approach many companies are taking amid the current anti-ICE protests. 
“It’s encouraging to see companies choosing restraint at a moment when political pressure from the left is often the loudest and most unhinged voice in the room,” Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild wrote on X. “A business response prioritizing neutrality, safety and their core responsibility to customers and employees = commendable and a stark departure from 2020 escalatory statements from corporate America.”

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Trump’s Former AG Praises Business Leaders For Standing Firm Amid ICE Protests

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

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