Deepseek’s $30 AI, negative ESG news is a buying opportunity, and the suckup economy

IntroductionLIVE from your DEI Blame Game, it’s a Business Pants Friday Show here at January 31st Studios, featuring AnalystHole Matt Moscardi. On today’s weekly wrap up: a DeepSeekWeek, The Zuck Suckup Tour, Target is not the new Costco, and fecal phones Our show today is being sponsored by Free Float Analytics, the only platform measuring board power, connections, and performance for FREE.Story of the Week (DR):DeepSeek shocks AI world with 'cheap' Chinese chatbot MMMarc Andreessen warns Chinese ChatGPT rival DeepSeek is ‘AI’s Sputnik moment’DeepSeek limits registrations due to cyber attackAlibaba says it has an AI model even better than DeepSeekMeta Chief Zuckerberg Joins the Business RoundtableMark Zuckerberg is reportedly hunting for a home in Washington, D.C., to be even closer to the commander-in-chief and his inner circleU.S. Bancorp’s Next CEO to Be First Woman of Color to Lead a Major U.S. LenderGunjan Kedia, who was named the bank’s president in May, will take the job in April, succeeding Andy Cecere, who will become executive chairman.American Airlines CEO Robert Isom Offers Apology Over Fatal Mid-Air Collision Near Washington, D.C. AirportTrump criticizes FAA diversity efforts after deadly plane crash, even as he says he doesn't know the cause yetGoodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Whole Foods workers in Philadelphia vote to form Amazon-owned grocery store's first unionDR: Starbucks and Workers United Union Agree to Contract MediationMM: Negative ESG news creating buying opportunity, say private banks MM DRMM: Record number of CEOs leave roles amid activist pressure, research shows202 bosses of some of the world’s largest listed companies left last year — up 9 per cent from 2023Assholiest of the Week (MM):COWARDSTarget rolls back DEI initiatives, the latest big company to retreatTarget announced Jan. 24 that it would conclude the DEI goals previously set to increase Black employees’ representation and advancement, improve Black shoppers’ experiences and promote Black-owned businesses.Scrubbed all mention of diversity from websiteThis is the reason why you get targeted:Black executives and professionals at Target doubled from 2019 to 2023 to max out 10% and 9% respectively29% of board influence are people of colorProps to Dmitri Stockton for joining the double coward club - on the board of Deere and TargetBoycotts go both ways, not just shooting cans of Bud Light: Target hit with national boycott call over decision to drop DEI initiativesBut important note - the conservative Trumpers turned this into a legal battle, not ideological - so if you’re angry, you’re not angry with just target, you’re angry with the Supreme CourtSYCOPHANTS AND SUCKUPSMark Zuckerberg Defends Embrace of Trump Administration in Meta Employee Q&AZuckerberg has shown us who he really is. Believe himMeta Agrees to Pay Trump $25 Million to Settle His LawsuitAmazon ramps up ad spending on Elon Musk's X, WSJ reportsElon Musk Teams Up With Boeing to Rush Production of New Air Force OneExxon foe Engine No. 1 to build fossil fuel plants with ChevronGoogle caves to Donald Trump’s executive order and will change ‘Gulf of Mexico’ to ‘Gulf of America’ on its mapsDUE DILIGENCEAppointmentdate 1date 2daysNorfolk Southern names Lori J. Ryerkerk to board of directors1/27/20255/9/2025102Bank of America Names Maria Martinez to Board of Directors1/29/20254/24/202585CSX Corporation (CSX) Appoints Ann Begeman to Board of Directors1/29/20255/8/202599Former Ally CEO joins First Horizon's board of directors1/29/20254/23/202584Carlisle Companies Elects Sheryl D. Palmer to its Board of Directors1/29/20255/1/202592Mitek Systems Announces Mark Rossi as Nominee to Its Board of Directors1/28/20253/4/202535Xcel Energy Elects Devin Stockfish to Board of Directors1/29/20255/22/2025113Average of 3 months from appointment to electionIn the midst of a manflake broligarchy, in a world where there is no accountability in the alternative democracy unless there’s an activist, THIS is what we spend our time on?NYC Comptroller targets United Airlines on heat dangersHeadliniest of the WeekDR: Bill Gates says he thinks it's 'insane' that Elon Musk is allowed to 'destabilize' politics in other countriesMM: Team Says They've Recreated DeepSeek's OpenAI Killer for Literally $30Who Won the Week?DR: companies that provide energy to support AIMM: AI coders with $30PredictionsDR: an AI company accidentally erases itself after fearing it may destroy the worldMM: The next avian flu is on your phone: Your phone is a breeding ground for fecal bacteria. This is how to keep it clean and prevent getting sick