Vermont Governor Phil Scott is asking legislators in his state to speed up equal pay legislation. The governor citing closing the wage gap would reduce Vermont's poverty rate by 57 percent, and add $1 billion to its economy. Joan Goldstein, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Economic Development, and Lisa Groeneveld, Co-Owner of Logic Supply, explain how the state is recruiting more tech hubs to Vermont and working to close the gender pay gap.
"Our gap isn't as wide as some other states," explains Goldstsein. "Part of that is because of the transparency in many of the industries."
PC manufacturing company Logic Supply, which is based in Vermont, has a workforce made up of 30 percent women. "At Logic Supply we are working really aggressively to increase the female population of our workforce," says Groeneveld. "I'm really encouraged with the way Vermont thinks about helping businesses recruit and bring talented people into the state."
Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
About 780,000 pressure washers sold at retailers like Home Depot are being recalled across the U.S. and Canada, due to a projectile hazard that has resulted in fractures and other injuries among some consumers.
President Donald Trump has fired one of two Democratic members of the U.S. Surface Transportation Board to break a 2-2 tie ahead of the board considering the largest railroad merger ever proposed.
