The debate over “wokeness” has thrown the corporate world into turmoil. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives boomed following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, but now conservative investors and politicians are throwing their weight behind undermining those efforts.

DEI programs existed long before 2020. In the corporate world, the term refers to initiatives or training that might help create more inclusive workplaces, especially ones that support historically underrepresented groups. Four years ago, many CEOs pledged their commitment to DEI, amping up anti-bias training and hiring like crazy (between 2020 and 2021, DEI-related job postings jumped nearly 30%). The effectiveness of those efforts was occasionally questioned, but there wasn’t a widespread movement to end them.

Now, however, critics are rallying to rescind these policies, going as far as to deem them “reverse racism.” Billionaire investor Bill Ackman posted a 4,000-word roast of DEI efforts to X on Wednesday following the resignation of Harvard President Claudine Gay, who is Black.

• Joined in recent days by other prominent critics, Ackman claimed DEI is “the root cause of antisemitism at Harvard.”
• Elon Musk later joined in, reposting Ackman and adding that “DEI is just another word for racism.”
• Mark Cuban, a DEI supporter, responded to Musk, refuting his and Ackman’s claims by arguing that the DEI framework for hiring is in the best interest of business.
• Ackman also called for the resignation of Penny Pritzker, the head of the Harvard Corporation. A Harvard spokesperson said that Pritzker will not be resigning.

Outside of Harvard, Chip Wilson, the highly controversial founder and former CEO of Lululemon, told Forbes this week that the company made a mistake by leaning into diverse advertising and that the brand is “not everything to everybody.” Lululemon said his views don’t represent the company’s.

What’s the future of DEI in the workplace? As the country enters a tense election year, HR experts say they’re devoted to making sure workplaces stay inclusive, but many are distancing themselves from the term DEI—and data suggests some companies are already pivoting. By mid-2023, DEI-related job postings had dropped 44% compared to the prior year, according to data from Indeed, while tech giants like Meta and Google have significantly scaled back diversity programs.—MM

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ISIS took responsibility for the deadly bombing in Iran. According to a post on its Telegram account, the terrorist group claimed it was behind the attack, which killed 84 people during a memorial procession for General Qasem Soleimani. It was the deadliest attack in Iran since the country’s 1979 revolution. The group did not provide firm proof of its involvement, and its version of events differed from some reports in Iranian media. The attack further stoked fears that the Israel–Hamas war could turn into a wider regional conflict after this week’s assassination of a top Hamas leader in Lebanon, the US launching an airstrike that killed a militia leader in Iraq, and ongoing attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea.

Trump’s businesses received at least $7.8 million in foreign payments while he was president, documents show. Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released a report on Thursday showing that entities controlled by 20 foreign governments, including China, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, spent millions at the former president’s hotels and other properties between 2016 and 2020. The 156-page report includes public documents and internal financial records that Democrats obtained in court. More than two-thirds of the total that Trump’s businesses received ($5.5 million) was from China. The report’s release comes as Democrats’ GOP counterparts in the House are attempting to prove that President Biden personally benefited from his family’s foreign business dealings.

Microsoft is adding an AI button to Windows keyboards. In the first update to the Windows keyboard in 30 years, Microsoft announced that its new PCs will have a key dedicated to its Copilot AI assistant. The key will be located to the right of the space bar, where the menu key currently lives. Pressing the button will launch Copilot, which helps users with various computer tasks and is already integrated into the company’s search engine, Bing. Microsoft EVP Yusuf Mehdi told Axios it’s a “fundamental change” as tech giants increasingly bet on artificial intelligence.

Almost three years after a viral video showed the disparity between the men’s and women’s weight rooms at the 2021 NCAA basketball tournament, the NCAA announced yesterday that it inked a $920 million broadcast deal with ESPN that highlights women’s sports.

Driving the eight-year deal is the women’s March Madness tournament, which accounts for about 57% of the deal, or $65 million annually, according to the NCAA. That’s 10 times what it was valued in ESPN’s prior contract with the association—a jump attributed in no small part to last year’s epic championship game that brought in a record ~10 million viewers to see stars like Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.

Also part of the deal…men’s and women’s tennis, volleyball, and several other sports. Division II and III basketball will also come to ESPN for the first time.

Zoom out: Industry execs had speculated that the NCAA might break out women’s basketball in a standalone deal, the way it has with men’s (which has broadcast rights valued at over $1 billion annually), given the sport’s increased revenue and popularity. But the NCAA kept women’s bball in the bundle, likely due to the tightening market for sports media rights amid a decline in linear TV.—CC

The travel mug aisle resembled a hockey rink at some Target stores this week as shoppers nearly trampled each other to get a Stanley cup.

Videos posted on TikTok show customers camping outside Target, jumping behind the cashier’s counter, and racing each other to grab limited edition Valentine’s tumblers in pink and red that Stanley released on Dec. 31. The $20–$45 travel cups quickly sold out, Target told CNN—within minutes at some locations—and many are being resold on eBay and Mercari for more than $100 each.

Nut-nut for Stanley cups: The 40-ounce Stanley “Quencher”—an insulated travel mug that fits in a cup holder—appears to be the new it product among hydration-obsessed young people, especially women. On TikTok, there are 6.7 billion views on videos tagged #stanleycup (most of which are not about hockey) and nearly 1 billion views for the hashtag #watertok.

The comically enormous Quencher has gotten so popular that it’s largely responsible for Stanley’s revenue jumping from $74 million in 2019 to $750 million in 2023, according to CNBC.

How’d a blue-collar thermos-maker find success among the girlies? After hiring a new president in 2020—the marketing guy who helped make Crocs cool again—Stanley attracted more women customers by introducing bright colors and leveraging social media influencers.—ML

Stat: Plane Lady and the diarrhea flight might have led you to believe 2023 was a chaotic year in US aviation, but the Department of Transportation says not so fast. According to the agency, last year had the lowest rate of flight cancellations in a decade. Just 1.2% of the 16.3 million flights in the United States were scratched, down from 2.3% in 2022. That improvement was partly due to a relatively smooth holiday season, when a mere 0.8% of flights were canceled, well below the 8.2% cancellation rate caused by a big winter storm in 2022. An ongoing industry hiring boom helped, too: Employment at airlines is now at a two-decade high.

Quote: “They are not approved for—and should not be used for—cosmetic weight loss.”

Eli Lilly stresses that its popular weight loss drugs are meant only for treating long-term, chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes, despite what a cavalcade of celebrities and influencers has encouraged. In an open letter released on Thursday, the drugmaker clarified that its medicines Mounjaro and Zepbound—which are similar to Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy—are not FDA approved to make healthy people look a certain way. The FDA is now investigating whether the drugs can lead to hair loss and suicidal thoughts.

Read: Tom Scocca’s medical mystery: “The year my body fell apart.” (New York magazine)

The feeling of getting a 5/5 on the Brew’s Weekly News Quiz has been compared to putting on your coat to leave just as someone suggests that everyone play a game.

It’s that satisfying. Ace the quiz.

Watch: 30 TV shows to check out this winter, including the new season of True Detective.

Choo choo: The most exciting new trains coming in 2024.

Pretend you’re Jacques Cousteau: The most stunning deep-sea footage of 2023.

Dance in the dark: 180 songs that turn 40 years old this year.

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