1. Monthly archive
  2. December 2016

December 2016

Politics and Business Don’t Mix in Trump’s America

Until recently it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for a company to wear its political leanings on its sleeve. But the recent backlash against Kellogg and other companies shows that political stances can come with costs. After the cereal maker joined other companies in pulling advertising from controversial right-wing website Breitbart over hate speech, the outlet launched a #DumpKelloggs campaign and wrote articles critical of the company. As American society becomes more divided it is becoming more dangerous to mix business and politics.

Google Effect Rubs Off on Schools in One Rural Oklahoma Town

As increasing focus is being paid to the wealth and jobs created by tech companies outside Silicon Valley, Google’s arrival in small-town Pryor (OK) serves as a complex example of what happens when a modern internet company builds one of its data centers in a community. While they do bring in some work, these mostly automated facilities will never provide the thousands of good-paying blue-collar jobs that come with a new auto plant. What they do bring, however, is some stability to local tax revenues, and — at least in the case of Google — a cash-rich megacompany looking to make nice with the locals.

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