Declarations

‘Deeply Dedicated’ to DEI

“Wells Fargo is deeply dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion and does not tolerate discrimination in any part of our business.”

— Wells Fargo said in a statement after U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson in San Francisco ordered the company to face a lawsuit alleging it defrauded shareholders by proclaiming its commitment to hiring diversity, even as it conducted sham job interviews of non-white and female applicants it had no plans to hire. In its statement, Wells Fargo said it would defend against the lawsuit and noted that the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission had closed investigations into its hiring practices without taking action.

‘Shameless Cover-Up’

“This shameless cover-up spanned decades and allowed various clergy and other employees to access and sexually abuse numerous children.”

— State lawsuits filed in Missouri by people who allege that they were abused as children by dozens of Catholic priests, nuns and others. Five separate lawsuits seeking unspecified damages were filed in St. Louis and neighboring counties. All told, the lawsuits name 56 alleged abusers. The suits, which seek unspecified damages, allege abuse dating as far back as the 1940s, and as recent as 2015.

Amazon Worker Safety

“The judge’s decision reinforces what we’ve said all along: There’s nothing more important than our employees’ health and safety.”

— Amazon said in a statement responding to the dismissal of a case brought by the Washington state Department of Labor and Industries alleging that Amazon.com Inc. exposed warehouse workers to injuries. The department had cited the e-commerce giant for setting rapid productivity targets that risked hurting employees working at multiple company facilities. According to Amazon, Judge Stephen Pfeifer found the state lacked sufficient evidence to support its allegations that the pace of work in Amazon warehouses is hazardous.

Marijuana Impaired Driving

“There’s a perception that in states where it’s legal that it’s safe and legal to drive impaired on marijuana.”

— U.S. National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said after the NTSB released its final report on a March 22, 2022, collision in Oklahoma, in which six high school girls were killed. The board determined the crash was caused by the 16-year-old driver, who likely was impaired by recent marijuana use and distracted by having five teen passengers in the car. In its report, the NTSB cited studies showing that marijuana decreases motor coordination, slows reaction time and impairs judgment of time and distance, all critical functions for driving.

Flood Hazard Penalties

“Please review your eligibility for the NFIP (the National Flood Insurance Program). … Penalties in the form of reductions in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) relief funds are possible for entities that fail to purchase adequate flood insurance on all property located in identified flood zones.”

— Reads a bulletin from West Virginia Insurance Commissioner Allan McVay reminding state and local governments and non-profit organizations that they could face penalties if they fail to obtain flood insurance on properties in flood hazard areas.

NYC Subway Scanners

“Would I rather that we don’t have to be scanned? Yes. … But if you would speak to the average subway rider, they would state that they don’t want guns on their subway system, and if it means using scanners, then bring the scanners on.”

— New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a self-described “tech geek,” said after the city launched a pilot program on its subway system that uses AI-powered scanners to search riders for guns and knives. Adams said the scanners will be deployed to a small number of stations and only a fraction of riders will be asked to step through them.