Latest news with #Election
New York Post
14 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
I've ditched HR to free my company from the social-justice police
'I want to be the first company without HR.' It was just a throwaway comment I made this month at a conference called Freedom Fest — but the audience went wild, and the line went viral in an Instagram post with over 5 million views. 'They produce nothing,' I continued. 'They monitor our words. They tell us what we can and cannot say. Advertisement 'They inhibit creativity. It's bad for business.' At my own start-up — XX-XY Athletics, the only brand standing up for the protection of women's sports — I'll be damned if I'm going to let the ladies of 'The View' run around policing my employees' conversations. We started with no Human Resources department a year ago, and we'll continue with no HR as we grow. Advertisement My statement touched a nerve because anyone who has worked in corporate America has been subjected to the censorious 'Head Girl' rule-making emanating from HR departments. And they are tired of it. When I started my business career in the early 1990s, HR was responsible for recruiting, benefits and payroll — that was it. As I moved up the ladder and found myself in executive meetings, the HR leader weighed in last on key business decisions, if at all. Advertisement Thirty years on, HR leaders are calling themselves 'Chief Human Resources Officers,' and they proclaim their power with reckless and off-topic abandon. HR departments today are packed with Tracy Flicks, the way-too-eager high schooler played by Reese Witherspoon in the movie 'Election.' Flick is the archetypal 'Head Girl,' a term derived from the British school system and its tight hierarchy of internal discipline — ambitious and officious with little actual skill or intellect. Hand-raisers like these are not selected to lead for intelligence or ability, but for conscientiousness and a willingness to uphold 'the rules.' Advertisement That was fine when HR had no power. But now, after yearning for a seat at the table, HR's midwit elites have found a way to exert increasing influence in the corporate environment — leveraging social-justice buzzwords to accrue power and (what else?) make more rules. In the 2020s, HR asserts its newly found clout with tyrannical zeal. When I interviewed in 2023 for a CEO job at an $8 billion retailer, I made it all the way to the end of the corporate leadership receiving line, successfully fielding queries on my business acumen and brand-building accomplishments. My last interview was with the HR representative on the board. Her first question: 'Will you apologize for what you've done?' Get opinions and commentary from our columnists Subscribe to our daily Post Opinion newsletter! Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters What I'd 'done' was advocate for opening public schools during the COVID pandemic. By 2023 I'd been proven right. That didn't matter to the HR lady. I'd violated her tightly enforced script. Advertisement I didn't apologize, and I didn't get the job. Over the last two decades, HR has gone from operational support to Operation Head Girl Hall Monitor. They force-feed trainings about acceptable language; they make 'merit' out to be racist; and they set hiring criteria based on risk avoidance rather than excellence. But hiring people who don't offend anyone won't result in employees who take initiative and make things. Advertisement Am I being sexist in calling them Head Girls? In 2023, 76% of HR managers in the United States were female. The shoe fits. (And yes, men can be Head Girl types, too.) British academic Bruce Charlton explains the Head Girl 'can never be a creative genius because she does what other people want by the standard they most value.' That's why the Head Girls of HR made everyone add pronouns to their email signatures starting around 2020: Social standards. Not because it drove the business. Advertisement No, these time-suckers shift focus away from the business. Front-of-house employees — builders, makers and service providers — must spend a significant amount of time thinking about the words they use rather than their actual jobs. Critics of my viral comment pushed back at me: 'You need HR to avoid unnecessary risk!' they chorused. Right. That's the fear HR leverages to maintain its unearned influence. Advertisement Risk avoidance means hiring mediocre people with no opinions who never offend anyone. Those hires won't take my one-year-old start-up to big-brand status. I want big thinkers with creative minds. Sometimes these folks are disruptive. But there are no new products or breakthrough marketing campaigns without them. My company is a walking, talking HR violation. We 'misgender' all day long. In fact, speaking truth (as I call it) is required to work here. We're not in school anymore. We don't need a persnickety Miss Manners etiquette-enforcer telling us to be nice. I'll continue to go it alone without HR. I'll assume the so-called risk so I can lead in my own voice. And I'll succeed, or fail, on my own terms. Jennifer Sey is founder and CEO of XX-XY Athletics.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Valley National Bank (VLY): Buy, Sell, or Hold Post Q1 Earnings?
Over the last six months, Valley National Bank's shares have sunk to $8.65, producing a disappointing 5.6% loss - a stark contrast to the S&P 500's 1.1% gain. This was partly driven by its softer quarterly results and might have investors contemplating their next move. Is now the time to buy Valley National Bank, or should you be careful about including it in your portfolio? Get the full breakdown from our expert analysts, it's free. Despite the more favorable entry price, we don't have much confidence in Valley National Bank. Here are three reasons why VLY doesn't excite us and a stock we'd rather own. Long-term growth is the most important, but within financials, a stretched historical view may miss recent interest rate changes and market returns. Valley National Bank's recent performance marks a sharp pivot from its five-year trend as its revenue has shown annualized declines of 3.1% over the last two years. The underlying profitability of top-line growth determines the actual bottom-line impact. Banking institutions measure this dynamic using the efficiency ratio, which is calculated by dividing non-interest expenses like personnel, facilities, technology, and marketing by total revenue. Investors focus on efficiency ratio changes rather than absolute levels, understanding that expense structures vary by revenue mix. Counterintuitively, lower efficiency ratios indicate better performance since they represent lower costs relative to revenue. Over the last four years, Valley National Bank's efficiency ratio has swelled by 9.9 percentage points, hitting 57.2% for the past 12 months. Said differently, the company's expenses have increased at a faster rate than revenue, which is usually raises questions in mature industries (the exception is a high-growth company that reinvests its profits in attractive ventures). Analyzing the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) shows whether a company's incremental sales were profitable – for example, revenue could be inflated through excessive spending on advertising and promotions. Sadly for Valley National Bank, its EPS declined by 7.6% annually over the last five years while its revenue grew by 11.3%. This tells us the company became less profitable on a per-share basis as it expanded. Valley National Bank isn't a terrible business, but it isn't one of our picks. After the recent drawdown, the stock trades at 0.6× forward P/B (or $8.65 per share). While this valuation is optically cheap, the potential downside is big given its shaky fundamentals. We're pretty confident there are more exciting stocks to buy at the moment. Let us point you toward one of our top software and edge computing picks. Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Strong Momentum Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Tecnoglass (+1,754% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
India Gazette
a day ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Political parties divided on 'One Nation, One Election'; people support the idea: BJP's Jai Ram Thakur
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], June 20 (ANI): The Joint Committee on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2024 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill 2024, currently on a nationwide consultation tour, visited Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday as part of its outreach to gather state-level feedback on the One Nation, One Election proposal. While political parties remain divided, ruling and opposition voices in Himachal shared their perspectives with the committee. The delegation, chaired by senior BJP MP PP Chaudhary, includes Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur. They were joined by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Deputy CM, and Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, who engaged in a detailed discussion with the committee before addressing the media. The speaker of the HP Assembly, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, said that while one nation, one election is the need of the hour, the basic structure of the constitution must not be altered. 'Basic structure of the Constitution must not be altered', he said. Himachal Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania offered a cautiously analytical viewpoint, stressing that while the concept of simultaneous elections is not new, implementing it now would require serious constitutional introspection. 'The Constitution already provides for five-year terms for both Parliament and State Legislatures. But mid-term elections and breakdowns in governance have disrupted that structure. This committee is exploring whether we can return to that stability,' said Pathania. He pointed out that the 1952 elections were held simultaneously across India, and the current proposal is essentially a restoration attempt. However, he raised key constitutional concerns. 'Can an amendment curtail the tenure of a democratically elected Assembly, as proposed? If we can shorten the term, can we also extend it? Would this violate the basic structure of the Constitution?' He questioned. He stressed that while the reform could bring stability, it must not tamper with foundational constitutional principles. 'Mid-term elections, whether in Parliament, Assemblies or municipal bodies, consume time and resources. But any new system must remain in harmony with the Constitution's fundamentals,' he added. Addressing reporters after the meeting, former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur welcomed the proposed legislation, stating that the people of India overwhelmingly support simultaneous elections. 'People want elections held together', said Jai Ram Thakur. 'The One Nation, One Election bill is a bold and much-needed move. It may spark differing opinions among parties, but the public sentiment is clear--they want elections to happen together, in states and at the national level, so that governments can focus on governance without constant poll disruptions,' Thakur added. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for advancing a difficult but necessary reform. 'It is the nature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take on complex, bold initiatives that others only talk about. No one had the courage to take this forward until now. I congratulate the PM for bringing this bill forward,' he said. He expressed confidence that the bill, currently with the Joint Committee, will be enacted soon. 'This is not just the desire of the Centre, but also the sentiment of Himachal Pradesh. Our party fully supports the bill. We believe it should be implemented as soon as possible.' He added. Addressing concerns over whether elections for Parliament and state Assemblies could always align exactly, he acknowledged some challenges. 'Yes, there are exceptional situations where terms won't align perfectly. However, to achieve something big, some compromises are needed. Some Assemblies may have to lose a few months of tenure, and that's being deliberated,' he added. He also recommended a more uniform legislative structure across states. 'I also suggested that either all states should have Legislative Councils or none at all. This inconsistency should be addressed,' he added, noting that the committee took this recommendation seriously. Thakur criticised the opposition for opposing the bill purely from a party-interest perspective. 'We must now think about the nation's interest, not just party advantage. Repeated elections waste time and public money. We must welcome this reform,' he said. Jai Ram Thakur thanked the Union Government for Rs 2,006 crore in disaster relief to Himachal Pradesh. Thakur expressed gratitude to the Union Government for releasing Rs 2006.40 crore under disaster relief and restoration efforts following the devastating floods in 2023. 'Earlier, some claimed that the Centre had not helped Himachal after the floods. But now the state has received around Rs 2,000 crore from NDRF and SDRF. I thank Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi for granting Rs 2,006 crore, which includes Rs 533 crore already released and the rest to come,' he said. He called out the Congress government for failing to ensure proper distribution of aid. 'Despite this substantial help, eligible beneficiaries still haven't received the full benefits. This raises serious questions. The aid should reach the right people, not just a few,' Thakur said. 'Congress's habit is to show ingratitude. Even when help arrives, they downplay it or shift the goalposts,' he said. Thakur, on the controversy over the Agriculture minister's resignation rumours, said that if a senior minister has to reach this state, it makes us understand the bad state of the government. On the social media post by Agriculture Minister Chander Kumar's son, which claimed that the minister will be resigning. 'This only shows the internal state of Congress. If even their senior-most leader is treated this way, imagine how the government is being run.' He said. Thakur also clarified and responded to criticism that his comments on the SDM in Paonta Sahib were communal. 'I did not say anything targeting any religion or institution. Some people are just trying to drag my name unnecessarily. I spoke responsibly, and those chanting slogans should also maintain dignity,' he said. (ANI)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Rants That 'MAGA HATES' Fox News In Angry Truth Social Rant About Network's Polls
Donald Trump rambled off a post decrying Fox News' coverage of him in an angry Truth Social post shared early on Thursday morning. 'The Crooked FoxNews Polls got the Election WRONG, I won by much more than they said I would, and have been biased against me for years,' he wrote. 'They are always wrong and negative. It's why MAGA HATES FoxNews, even though their anchors are GREAT,' he said, adding, 'This has gone on for years, but they never change the incompetent polling company that does their work.' 'Now a new FoxNews poll comes out this morning giving me a little more than 50% at the Border, and yet the Border is miraculously perfect, NOBODY WAS ABLE TO COME IN LAST MONTH,' he shared after viewing the poll. '60,000 people came in with Sleepy Joe in the same month last year,' he added. 'I hate FAKE pollsters, one of the Worst, but Fox will never change their discredited pollster!' Trump's post comes just one day after former Trump aide, Steve Bannon, called out the media network for reportedly pushing 'pure propaganda.' Bannon repeated a talking point that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) shared earlier in the week, when she accused Fox News and the New York Post of allegedly brainwashing Americans. 'We've watched propaganda news for decades. I'll call out Fox News and the New York Post. They're known to be the neocon network news,' Greene told former Florida GOP lawmaker Matt Gaetz on his One America News Network show on Monday. She added: 'We have propaganda news on our side, just like the left does, and the American people have been brainwashed into believing that America has to engage in these foreign wars in order for us to survive, and it's absolutely not true.' HuffPost reached out to Fox News for comment. Trump Rages At Reporter Who Refuses To Stick To 'Positive' Questions Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls Fox News And New York Post 'Propaganda' Supporting 'Foreign Wars' Former Trump Aide Steve Bannon Says Fox News Is Pushing 'Pure Propaganda' On Iran Marjorie Taylor Greene Gets In Turf War With Fox News Host Over Who Is Most MAGA
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First Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Human remains that were discovered near singer Taylor Swift's home identified
Police have said in their statement that Wein's vehicle was located in South Kingstown on April 10, days before he was officially reported missing. read more In a shocking twist in the case, the human remains that were discovered near singer Taylor Swift's home have been finally identified. They belong to Eric Wein, 31, of Massachusetts, who was reported missing on April 18. Police have said in their statement that Wein's vehicle was located in South Kingstown on April 10, days before he was officially reported missing. 'We extend our deepest condolences to Mr. Wein's family and loved ones during this difficult time,' their statement said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'As far as I'm concerned, as far as right now, this has nothing to do with any serial killer [or] any New England murderer,' Westerly Police Chief Paul Gingerella previously told Fox News Digital. American singing sensation Taylor Swift endorsed, US Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 US Presidential Election. Swift's endorsement came shortly after Harris went head-to-head against Former US President Donald Trump in her first US Presidential debate. Swift took to Instagram to express her support for Harris. Over the years the singer's endorsement has been watched closely because of her huge fan base, fondly called 'Swifties'. 'Like many of you, I watched the debate tonight. If you haven't already, now is a great time to do your research on the issues at hand and the stances these candidates take on the topics that matter to you the most. As a voter, I make sure to watch and read everything I can about their proposed policies and plans for this country,' Taylor said in her Instagram post. 'I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I'm voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,' she furthered.
