Ross Kerber

Detroit Calling: a post-Davos message from Motor City: Ross Kerber Maybe you caught the speech by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink at last week's Davos conference, coverage of which focused on his worries that capitalism has undermined itself with too much inequality, and th...

After #BlackRock's Larry Fink name-dropped Motor City in his recent #davos speech, I called up #Detroit Regional Chamber leader Sandy Baruah for a policy-priorities briefing for my @reuters.com column this week - tinyurl.com/bvv8ujwa

Shareholder activist Behar says Trump is 'disassembling capitalism' A year of changes by U.S. President Donald Trump and his securities regulators means a lot of uncertainty heading into the springtime shareholder meeting season.

I spoke with @asyousow.bsky.social leader Andrew Behar for today's @reuters.com column, here - www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

A back-of-envelope evaluation of national tax rates and freedom levels Last month I spoke with Vanessa Williamson of the Brookings Institution, who made the case for high taxes so governments respond to citizens' needs. She said authoritarians prefer low taxes and less i...

Column here - www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

For my @reuters.com column this week I looked at the relationship between #democracy and #taxes with World Bank and Freedom House data. TLDR: It does look like low taxes don't always mean more freedom. (Column link in comments.)

Venezuela capture follows 'Trump's Ten Commandments' by the book In a new book, Trump's Ten Commandments, two Yale leadership scholars call the president's understanding of authority that of "a tribal chieftain blended with the necessary fluidity and creative chaos...

www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

- I spoke with Vanessa Williamson of @brookings.edu on how #taxpolicy shapes #democracy, for @reuters.com Yesterday was the anniversary of the #bostonteaparty which can be seen as opposition to a corporate tax cut - Occupy1773! Story and video interview here - lnkd.in/gh_gzxng

New - #Space + #IPO + #ElonMusk = content lnkd.in/g6yMgQfy

Reuters Sustainable Finance Newsletter Stay up to date on the key companies, data, and decisions in the world of ESG finance.

Subscription link here - www.reuters.com/newsletters/...

Trump-Hamas negotiator says businesses can lean on Israel Jerusalem-based peace activist and negotiator Gershon Baskin played an important role in the diplomacy between U.S. and Hamas leaders leading to the October deal pausing the war in Gaza.

I've been meaning to talk with #Israeli negotiator and peace activist Gershon Baskin about #Gaza -related demands on executives that raise this question: how much influence can companies have on national policies? My
@reuters.com #sustainablefinance newsletter column herewith - tinyurl.com/4tw3tt67

New - On his way out the door, @bradlander.bsky.social urges #NYC pension funds to drop #BlackRock over #climate concerns, setting up a test for @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social and other officials. My @reuters.com story herewith -

www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

New - Glass Lewis may register itself with the SEC, among other reforms Cheryl Gustitus says the proxy adviser is making to recast its role. "We're trying to evolve, we're not digging in," she tells me for today's @reuters.com #corpgov article - www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

Take heart #ESG and shareholder-proposal activists, maybe it's not so bad - www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

New for this week's @reuters.com #sustainablefinance column, a talk with #Christian investor Robert Netzly about biblical values and his efforts vs. "spiritual money laundering." Subscription link in story - www.reuters.com/markets/chri...

Pentagon reporters could be seen leaving the sprawling U.S. military headquarters with boxes after at least 30 news organizations declined to sign a new Pentagon access policy for journalists, warning of the potential for less coverage of the world's most powerful military.

New for @reuters.com a look at how #nonprofits have banded together vs #Trump and a talk with the leader of the #MacArthurFoundation www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

New for @reuters.com on #ESG - www.reuters.com/markets/us/u...

Exxon to offer auto-voting to counter shareholder activism Exxon Mobil is introducing a unique shareholder voting mechanism that will allow retail investors to automatically cast ballots in step with board recommendations during annual meetings, a move that may help the top U.S. oil producer fend off activist campaigns.

NEW - Today US #financial regulators told ExxonMobil it could proceed with a plan to let mom-and-pop investors vote with management, a factor in #ESG battles. Our latest for @reuters.com herewith. How might this impact voting outcomes? DMs welcome - www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

The not-so-mysterious case of disappearing boardroom diversity stats With U.S. President Donald Trump railing against corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts and axing government ones, it may come as no surprise that U.S. companies are reporting fewer race and gender details about their directors.

Companies since 2020 have added more details about the race, ethnicity and gender of their boardrooms, but the trends reversed this year amid anti-DEI pressure from #Trump and other factors. Here's my writeup for my @reuters.com #sustainablefinance newsletter - tinyurl.com/3sf6hwu8

As ‘Fearless Girl’ sponsor retreats, so do diversity fund flows When fund manager State Street installed the bronze statue known as "Fearless Girl" in 2017 to stare down Wall Street's massive "Charging Bull" sculpture, it was hailed as a breakthrough moment in financial messaging.

For this week's @reuters.com #sustainablefinance newsletter I followed up on news from State Street Global Advisors - famous for its #FearlessGirl statue - that it was dropping #boardroom #diversity targets in its latest #ESG stewardship guidelines. Story herewith - www.reuters.com/markets/us/f...

"Fearless Girl" statue sponsor State Street drops boardroom diversity targets State Street's asset management unit on Friday dropped targets for the number of women and minority directors who should serve on corporate boards, according to new proxy voting guidance posted on its website.

New #DEI news for @Reuters -

Fearless Girl' statue sponsor State Street drops boardroom diversity targets - www.reuters.com/business/fin...

Trump White House sends termination letters to some Biden-appointed US Attorneys, email shows The Trump White House on Wednesday sent termination notices to at least some U.S. Attorneys around the country who had been appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, according to an excerpt of the email reviewed by Reuters.

The Trump White House sent termination notices to at least some US Attorneys around the country who had been appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, according to an excerpt of the email reviewed by Reuters reut.rs/4jUiRK6

NYC Comptroller Lander urges US CEOs: Do not obey Trump in advance Yesterday I called up New York City Comptroller Brad Lander for his take, as an activist investor, on a move by Institutional Shareholder Services to end diversity considerations in its boardroom recommendations.

New take on things from @nyccomptroller.bsky.social , who has been reading his @timothysnyder.bsky.social - www.reuters.com/world/us/nyc...

ISS ends diversity considerations for US boardrooms, citing Trump orders Top proxy adviser Institutional Shareholder Services said on Tuesday it will no longer consider the gender, racial or ethnic diversity of U.S. company boards when making its voting recommendations.

New news from ISS could have a major impact on corporate #DEI policies - ISS ends diversity considerations for US boardrooms, citing Trump orders - www.reuters.com/business/fin...

Vanguard dials back diversity language for US corporate boards Top mutual fund manager Vanguard removed some of its guidance for U.S. companies to include women and minority directors, a sign of the shifting dynamics of corporate diversity efforts that have come under attack from the new Trump administration.

New - #Vanguard is tweaking its #diversity #proxyvoting policies for U.S. corporate #boardrooms, a sign of the shifting dynamics of corporate #DEI efforts now under attack from the #Trump administration. Here's our @reuters.com ters story - www.reuters.com/world/us/van...

Costco shareholders vote against proposal for report on diversity programs Costco Wholesale shareholders voted against a proposal requesting a report on the risks of maintaining its diversity and inclusion initiatives, the U.S. company said on Thursday, against the backdrop of intense scrutiny of such policies.

New from late yesterday, #Costco investors strongly rejected a call for a review of #DEI efforts. It was a counter-message as other companies roll back DEI efforts. @reuters.com story - Costco shareholders reject call for review of diversity programs - www.reuters.com/business/ret...

newsletter signup here - tinyurl.com/yz22pw35

One Boston CEO's FOMO RTO strategy While leaders from the White House to Wall Street order workers back into their offices, one Boston CEO uses carrots rather than sticks to lure his employees to work.

My @reuters.com #sustainablefinance column tracks
#DonaldTrump #corpgov -related actions like his
#RTO mandate. In Boston, Trillium's CEO has a different idea to bring back workers. Being in a super-luxe workspace doesn't hurt. Newsletter signup link in comments. www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

Tennessee Attorney General settles ESG dispute with BlackRock Republican-led Tennessee and asset manager BlackRock settled a dispute over the company's use of ESG factors in its investment decisions, according to a statement by the state's Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Friday.

New from us - #BlackRock settles #Tennessee #ESG lawsuit with new #corpgov disclosures - www.reuters.com/business/fin...

Deere & Co's DEI showdown Big investors are about to weigh in on corporate diversity, equity & inclusion efforts. Many of their U.S. portfolio companies are in retreat mode from the DEI values they embraced in 2020 during the Black Lives Matter movement, as executives now worry about attacks from conservative influencers and Republicans holding power in Washington.

U.S. companies have been in retreat mode from #DEI efforts, but their shareholders haven't really weighed in on what they want to happen. That's about to change as #AGM season gets going like at #Deere. Read more in my @reuters.com #sustainablefinance column here - www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

Los Angeles money managers overseeing $4 trln grapple with wildfire impact on operations, staff Los Angeles-based asset management firms overseeing more than $4 trillion in assets are grappling with the impact of the region's destructive wildfires on their operations, with some relocating office space and supporting staff members who have lost their homes.

Good roundup of a bad situation by my colleagues. Thoughts to you #LA friends and colleagues - www.reuters.com/markets/us/l...