ADL

ADL Moves into ESG… The Anti-Defamation League is acquiring JLens, the Jewish values-based investor network, to expand its participation and advocacy in the environmental, social and governance movement and to combat anti-Israel and antisemitic polices in the impact investing arena.

Since its launch in 2012, more than 30 North American Jewish institutions have invested about $200M inJLens’ campaign to back companies that promote Jewish values

It has been a leader in the effort to fight the boycott, divestment and sanctions push that harms Israel’s economy and even questions its legitimacy.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, called ESG the last frontier in the fight against antisemitism.

“As underscored by the many companies that recently cut ties with Kanye West after his antisemitic tirades, corporate advocacy is an important tool for improving society,” he said. “It’s time for the Jewish community to take a seat at the table to use our power as institutional investors to ensure corporations are aligned with our values, and don’t fall for antisemitic pressures—that’s why we are incorporating JLens, the leading Jewish organization on these issues.”

Among JLens’ success stories is its campaign against investment research giant Morningstar, which oversees about $215B in assets.

JLens challenged Morningstar’s support for the anti-Israel campaign. It claimed BDS activists were manipulating the ESG movement to promote antisemitism and hate.

Morningstar initially rejected JLens’ concerns as grossly inaccurate but eventually came around to express “a debt of gratitude to JLens for pushing Morningstar to be a better company.”

eJewishPhilanthropy notes that the ADL has historically campaigned against antisemitism in the marketplace via coalitions, advocacy and media.

The JLens addition means the JDL will participate in shareholder meetings and speak directly with corporate social responsibility executives to drive change.

ADL is becoming more of a corporate insider.

“I alone can fix it,” said Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican convention after he sketched a hellish vision of America that was racked by violence, terrorism and destruction.

Look for The Donald to revive the “I alone” line as he attempts to spin the midterm “defeat” by Republicans who had anticipated a red wave washing across America.

He had expected to use the GOP midterm landslide as a springboard to his “big announcement” slated for next week.

But the only wave on Nov. 8 was the one that swept away Trump’s chosen candidates like Blake Masters, Mehmet Oz, Kari Lake, Don Bolduc and Doug Mastriano.

Trump had expected to take credit for the GOP rampage to victory in the midterms.

Since that didn’t happen, he will now say “I alone” can generate the enthusiasm in MAGA Land that gets the red hatted Trump cultists out to vote.

When asked on Election Night what influence he had on the results, 76-year-old Trump said: “I think if they win, I should get all the credit, and if they lose, I should not be blamed at all.”

On Truth Social, he posted: “While in certain ways yesterday’s election was somewhat disappointing, from my personal standpoint it was a very big victory.”

Trump will claim that Republicans desperately need him to top the 2024 ticket to energize his base and power a red tsunami.

With Trump it’s always a case of me, myself and I.

But Trump is looking more and more like yesterday’s news.

Nervous about Twitter’s security and privacy under the ownership of Elon Musk? You got a lot of company.

Several privacy executives have quit Twitter, including Lea Kissner, chief information security officer. The chief privacy offer and chief compliance officer also have resigned, according to the Washington Post.

The executive departures were due to the rapid rollout of new features at Twitter without the full security review that is required by the FTC consent order.

No CEO or company is above the law and companies must follow our consent degrees,” Douglas Farrar, FTC director of PA, told the WaPo.

Twitter’s troubles create an opportunity for Mastodon, open-source network that now has more than 1M active users, up from 381K just two weeks ago.

Edelman CEO Richard Edelman devoted his Nov. 10 “6 A.M.” blog to Mastodon.

It’s a good read.

We are so over COVID-19… Less than three in ten (28 percent) of Americans are “very” or “somewhat” worried about catching COVID-19, according to a Gallup poll released Nov. 10.

That’s the lowest percentage since the summer of 2021when many Americans emerged from isolation.

Forty-four percent of respondents declare COVID-19 is over.

Almost six in ten (59 percent) say they made no attempt to social distance themselves during the past 24 hours.

A whopping 78 percent of American say the best advice for people who are healthy is to lead their normal lives as much as possible.

Winter is coming, though. New variants of COVID-19 are bound to emerge and test America’s willingness to self-isolate for the greater good.