Stand-Up Week: Bank of America – The megabank – the country’s second-largest – announced it will neither lend to nor underwrite securities issued by companies that manufacture military-style guns intended for nonmilitary purposes. In a related move, Dick’s Sporting Goods announced it is in the process of destroying all of the unsold assault-style weapons remaining in its inventory.
Growing a Spine Week: Starbucks – In reaction to the wave of criticism leveled against the company after a manager had two black men arrested as they waited for a friend in a Philadelphia store, Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson announced that the chain will close its 8,000-plus stores for a full day on May 29 to provide racial bias training to more than 175,000 employees.
Weasel Week: T-Mobile – The FCC fines the cellular carrier $40 million for using false rings to cover for poor coverage in rural areas, intentionally misleading customers into thinking their calls were not being answered (instead of taking responsibility for crappy service). Is it just me, or does this feel like a particularly sleazy move?
