Story of the Week (DR):Top AI executives sign commitment to ‘self-police’ after meeting at White House MM DRCount the women:Trump says he and tech leaders signed AI agreement that is 'morally binding House Speaker Johnson says he hopes AI guardrails are 'voluntary' amid Congress inactionDonald Trump orders federal agencies to rename AI ‘Super Intelligence’OpenAI just launched its answer to Meta: 'always-on' AI agents called Dots We told you so, part 2:Non-deferential boards matter: Peter Thiel Says Trump Administration Overcorrected With Loyalty Tests to Staff 'Not Very Smart' PeopleRecently former CEOs who are now Executive Chairs are still CEO: Ex-Disney CEO Bob Chapek says he raised concerns with the board 'weekly' during Iger power battle”I started hearing about lunches that he had and dinners that he had where he was absolutely trashing me.”He noted that when he brought concerns to the Disney board about Iger, he was told, ‘He’ll be gone in two years. It’s OK. That’s Bob being Bob.’”“CEO” hires:General Mills is naming its COO as CEO, its first woman to hold the roleGeneral Mills named COO Dana McNabb, making her the first woman to lead the Minneapolis company in its 160-year history.McNabb joined General Mills in 1999She will succeed Jeff Harmening, who has served as CEO since June 2017, effective Jan. 1, 2027.Harmening will transition to executive chair of the board of directors on that same date.Glass Cliff? "Returning the company to profitable growth is the priority”David Ellison names Ynon Kreiz co-CEO of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery Paramount poaches Mattel CEO to be co-CEO of new company merged with Warner Bros. DiscoveryParamount’s new co-CEO once hired a barista he met at a café with no résumé. His advice to Gen Z: ‘Look up and make eye contact’8 in 10 Gen Z and millennials have two jobs to make ends meet, Goldman Sachs finds, as the affordability crisis ‘crowds out’ any retirement hopesYnon Kreiz’s Paramount Co-CEO Pay Package Tops $46.5 MillionNew Name of Paramount-Warner Bros. Unveiled: SkydanceStory of the Week (MM):Trump says he and tech leaders signed AI agreement that is 'morally binding’Manufactured CEO payAmerica’s Top Executives Rake In $1.7 Billion in Special PayoutsAntoinette Giblin of Diligent had this to say: “One of the biggest drivers this year is intensifying competition for executive talent. Boards are navigating this while also asking CEOs to manage a broader range of risks, including supply chain disruptions, tariffs and the challenges and opportunities created by AI. Rising CEO turnover has added to the urgency,” Giblin said. “Strong market performance has also played an important role. Total shareholder returns reached notable highs for both the S&P 500 and the Russell 3000 in recent years, which has influenced executive compensation outcomes.”Are we all just part of the gaslight now? TALENT COMPETITION and MARKET CHALLENGES? Here’s some food for asshole thought:Fortune 100 CEOs preferred Republican-affiliated campaigns, with 85% of the total dollars donated during the two cycles going to Republican-affiliated candidates, PACs, and party committees. Only 7% of contributions went to Democratic-affiliated entities, while 8% were given to committees that backed candidates from both parties.The party they support put in place tariffs, supply chain disruptions, back AI - manufacturing “challenges”, which would OTHERWISE be called their JOBSThe same party they support targets and undermines hiring broader talent, in which we know “meritocracy” is code for “white guys” and “anti-DEI” is code for “no more diverse CEOs” - manufacturing “competition” for executive talent by narrowing the talent poolThose factors are then used to justify PAYING CEOs with “special retention” awardsInvestors shrug and support the pay committee even when they DO NOT support payAverage director support: 96%. Average pay committee member support: 95.4%. Average pay chair sup