· 3 min read
illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on CNN or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: The Trump administration, via FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, is pressuring companies to abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies by threatening to block mergers involving firms that promote them
• Carr argues such policies violate the FCC’s “public interest” standard and called DEI “invidious discrimination”
• The move signals an unprecedented shift in how federal regulatory power is used to influence corporate HR strategies
🔭 The context: Traditionally, the FCC has evaluated mergers based on competition and consumer impact, but this marks the first time HR policies like DEI are being used as a regulatory criterion
• This comes amid broader Trump administration efforts to dismantle DEI initiatives, with executive orders and DOJ threats backing enforcement
• Companies like Meta, McDonald’s, and Goldman Sachs have already scaled back DEI programmes in response
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Though not directly environmental, this policy could undermine corporate ESG efforts, where DEI is a core pillar alongside sustainability
• If companies backtrack on social governance, it could weaken broader commitments to inclusive climate action and ethical supply chains
• A chilling effect on DEI also risks stalling progress on environmental justice in marginalised communities
⏭️ What's next: Pending mergers, such as Paramount with Skydance and Verizon’s acquisition of Frontier, could be jeopardised unless companies alter their DEI strategies
• The lack of clarity around what qualifies as “illegal DEI” may lead to widespread policy rollbacks
• Legal challenges and corporate pushback are likely in the coming months
💬 One quote: “This is a get-right with the chairman. And he never defines what get-right means.” – Tom Wheeler, former FCC Chair
📈 One stat: More than 50 major U.S. companies, including Meta, McDonald’s, and Goldman Sachs, have scaled back or revised their DEI policies since 2023 amid rising political and legal pressure
Click for more news covering the latest on diversity & inclusion and corporate governance
See here detailed sustainability performance of companies like Meta, McDonald’s, and Goldman
