Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Facing Discrimination Lawsuit, Pfizer Abandons Minorities-Only Fellowship
'Flagrantly illegal' program drew fire from top civil rights lawyers
Nearly six months after top civil rights lawyers said the program violated federal law, Pfizer has opened a minorities-only fellowship to applicants of all races in the wake of a discrimination lawsuit.
Retirement Retrospective: Career Highlights Dianne Feinstein Almost Certainly Can't Remember
Between Feb. 14 and Feb. 18, according to web archives, Pfizer quietly dropped the requirement that applicants to its Breakthrough Fellowship be black, Hispanic, or Native American. The program, which offers recipients guaranteed employment with the pharmaceutical giant, is now open to all college juniors with a "demonstrated commitment" to "diversity, equity, and inclusion." New application guidelines state that "you are eligible to apply for the Breakthrough Fellowship Program regardless of whether you are of Black/African American, Latino/Hispanic, or Native American descent."
The changes come amid a legal battle between Pfizer and Do No Harm, a medical advocacy group that in September sued the company over the fellowship. Though a federal judge tossed out the lawsuit in December, saying the plaintiffs lacked standing, Do No Harm filed an appeal on January 4. The group's chairman, Stanley Goldfarb, is now taking credit for the changes, arguing that they reflect the power of lawfare to challenge reverse discrimination.
"This significant change was made only after Do No Harm's lawsuit, and only because Pfizer knows its fellowship is in jeopardy on appeal," Goldfarb, who is also the father of Washington Free Beacon chairman Michael Goldfarb, said in a statement. "Do No Harm is pleased that Pfizer recognizes its blatant racial discrimination is unlawful and immoral."
A spokesman for Pfizer told the Free Beacon that the goals of the program hadn't changed and that "a broad coalition" strengthens "our ability to meet these goals."
The reversal, which was first reported by National Review, signals a modest retrenchment of the race-based practices that are now commonplace in corporate America. Pfizer is hardly alone in flouting anti-discrimination law: From Starbucks and JPMorgan to Google and Amazon, Fortune 500 companies have embraced race-conscious initiatives with aplomb, advertising policies and programs that many lawyers say are illegal.
The Breakthrough Fellowship was among the starkest examples of this tendency. It brazenly violated laws against race-based hiring and contracting, five civil rights experts told the Free Beacon, and, according to Do No Harm's lawsuit, Title VI of the Civil Right Act, which bans race discrimination by the recipients of federal funds. Like many health care companies, Pfizer receives reimbursements from both Medicare and Medicaid, as well as grants from the National Institutes of Health.
"This Pfizer program is so flagrantly illegal I seriously wonder how it passed internal review by its general counsel," Adam Mortara, one of the country's top conservative attorneys, said of the old requirements.
With other companies, including Starbucks and Amazon, now facing lawsuits over their own race-based programs, there are signs that a course correction is...
Manufacturing In China And Exporting Globally "No Longer Viable": Kyocera
“It works as long as [products are] made in China and sold in China, but the business model of producing in China and exporting abroad is no longer viable,” Hideo Tanimoto, president of Kyocera, said in an interview with the Financial Times. “Not only have wages gone up, but obviously, with all that’s happening between the United States and China, it’s difficult to export from China to some regions.”
Kyocera is building its first factory in Japan in almost 20 years.
On Oct. 7, 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced new export restrictions on chip manufacturing and advanced semiconductors in a bid to prevent American technology from being used in the development of the Chinese military.
Tanimoto admitted that the U.S. export controls were a reason why the firm cut down its operating profit forecast for the year by 31 percent. Kyocera commands a 70 percent market share globally in ceramic components used in chip-manufacturing equipment.
“If chip equipment makers stop shipments to China, our orders will be somewhat affected … They are now even [being] asked not to ship their non-cutting-edge tools,” Tanimoto said.
Back in 2019, when the Trump administration had imposed tariffs on China, Kyocera had moved the manufacturing of copiers for the U.S. market from China to Vietnam.
Moving Production Out of China
Many companies have moved production out of China or plan to do so. In April last year, for example, Apple began manufacturing its iPhone 13 in India at a site owned by Foxconn, its Taiwanese contract manufacturer. In addition, Apple is sending the production of iPads and AirPods to Vietnam.
Samsung shifted production to Vietnam back in 2019. The company has also decided to manufacture its flagship Galaxy S23 smartphones in India for local sale. Amazon has shut down its Kindle facility in China and now produces FireTV devices in India.
Footwear brand Dr. Martens has been reducing its manufacturing dependence on China. Since 2018, the company has shifted 55 percent of total production out of the nation.
“The big message is reducing reliance on China,” Dr. Martens’ chief executive Kenny Wilson said in November, according to the Financial Times. “You don’t want all of your eggs in one basket.”
Declining Investment in China
An analysis by Investment Monitor, a network of B2B websites, shows that greenfield foreign direct investments (FDIs) in China have been falling over the past few years.
Greenfield investment is a type of FDI whereby a parent company sets up a subsidiary in a different nation and builds its business from the ground up, including setting up production facilities, offices, distribution hubs, and so on.
In 2022, greenfield FDI levels into China had halved compared to 2019, according to...
The 90 Miles Mystery Video: Nyctophilia Edition #1301
Before You Click On The "Read More" Link,
Please Only Do So If You Are Over 21 Years Old.
If You are Easily Upset, Triggered Or Offended, This Is Not The Place For You.
Please Leave Silently Into The Night......
The 90 Miles Mystery Box: Episode #2001
You have come across a mystery box. But what is inside?
It could be literally anything from the serene to the horrific,
from the beautiful to the repugnant,
from the mysterious to the familiar.
If you decide to open it, you could be disappointed,
you could be inspired, you could be appalled.
This is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended.
You have been warned.
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
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