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US Chamber of Commerce accused of leading ‘woke corporate America’ as Trump dismantles DEI agenda
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FIRST ON FOX: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is coming under fire for allegedly becoming «one of the biggest engines driving woke corporate America» amid the Trump administration’s battle to strip diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the fabric of industry and government, a conservative watchdog alleges.
«Once a voice for small businesses and Main Street, the Chamber now advocates for DEI mandates, (environmental, social and governance) investment schemes, and radical climate policies that punish consumers,» said Will Hild, the executive director of Consumers’ Research, a free-market-oriented nonprofit focused on consumer advocacy.
ESG is an investing framework focused on prioritizing environmental, social and governance investments.
«They have strayed far from their original mission of advocating for free markets in favor of a political agenda,» he continued. «Now, that the Chamber has made itself a leader in pushing woke policies in corporate boardrooms, it should come as no surprise that they are also supporting legislation to cripple litigation finance, one of the few tools consumers have to hold woke corporations accountable for pushing political ideology. Consumers’ Research will continue to call out organizations like the Chamber for pushing a woke agenda.»
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Consumers’ Research published a «Woke Alert» this week accusing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of being «totally woke, pushing DEI and a left-wing climate agenda.» ( Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Hild’s comments come as Consumers’ Research published a «Woke Alert» this week accusing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of being «totally woke, pushing DEI and a left-wing climate agenda.»
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is a business association that represents and lobbies for the interests of local and national companies in Washington, D.C., and operates in a nonpartisan manner. The chamber has received praise and criticism from both Republicans and Democrats across the years for its various politically focused initiatives.
Consumers’ Research, as part of its mission to strip «woke» ideology from the fabric of American businesses, publishes «Woke Alerts» sounding the alarm on practices the group views as harmful to consumers or serving «woke politicians.» The latest alert focuses on the Chamber of Commerce’s promotion of DEI initiatives, as well as prioritizing «a radical climate agenda.»
The alert pointed to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s website stating that «diversity is America’s strength» in its mission to remove DEI initiatives, which conservatives argue promotes group-based preferences and ideological conformity over individual merit, free speech and equal treatment.
«Diversity is America’s strength, spurring the innovation and creativity that have made the U.S. economy the most vibrant and dynamic in history,» the Chamber’s website declares. «When businesses recognize and embrace different perspectives, they are better able to create value, serve customers, support employees, and solve problems. By providing opportunities for everyone, businesses help lift communities and strengthen the health, prosperity, and competitiveness of our nation and our society.»
The Chamber’s push on DEI came as such race-based workplace initiatives were promoted from the highest echelons of industry down to grade school classrooms in the 2020 era, especially after the police-involved killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, when «defund the police» and Black Lives Matter dominated the news cycle with protests and riots.
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce was among the flood of industries that heightened their promotion DEI policies, including the Chamber reporting in a 2021 video that Floyd’s death helped spark its launch of the «Equality of Opportunity Initiative.»
Fox News Digital reviewed archived links to the Chamber of Commerce’s «Equality of Opportunity Initiative» and found that it focused on efforts to «develop real, sustainable solutions to help close race-based opportunity gaps in six key areas: education, employment, entrepreneurship, criminal justice, health, and wealth.»
Holiday shopping scene. (iStock)
The link to the former website page redirects users to the chamber’s website homepage, with archived links showing the race-based URL was still active in January. The chamber launched the effort in June 2020, just days after Floyd’s death.
«This work is a priority for the chamber and our members because as we all know its not just a moral imperative, it’s an economic imperative,» U.S. Chamber President Suzanne Clark said in 2021 during the 2nd Annual National Summit on Equality of Opportunity of DEI practices.
Consumers’ Research also flagged the chamber’s 2022 impact report, which said it helped deliver $8.1 million in race-based grants to 1,414 Black-owned small businesses across 42 states. The alert also noted that the chamber has promoted reading materials such as a 2021 guide on DEI, and publicly supported the «Equality Act» in 2021 — legislation Consumers’ Research described as «radical» and claimed would «enshrine in federal law a right for males to participate in women’s sports and lead to the punishment of small business owners based on their religious beliefs.»
When asked about the Woke Alert, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce took issue with Hild arguing that the business group is «supporting legislation to cripple litigation finance,» which Hild said «is one of the few tools consumers have to hold woke corporations accountable for pushing political ideology.»
«It is sad this organization has become a mouthpiece for trial lawyers whose tactics have imposed a stealth tax on American families who are paying up to $4,200 extra a year for insurance, food, clothing and other items as a result of sham lawsuits that only line the pockets of trial lawyers,» Stephen Waguespack, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform, said. «These lawyers, who donate overwhelmingly to progressive causes and candidates, and those who align with them, are undermining President Trump’s efforts to lower costs for American families.»
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports a Republican-introduced bill, the Litigation Transparency Act of 2025, which aims to ensure greater transparency in litigation by requiring parties receiving payment in lawsuits to disclose their identities.
Consumers’ Research has used litigation finance in recent years to push back against «woke capitalism» to counter ESG and DEI policies, Fox News Digital previously reported, with Hild saying that he views the legislation as an «attack» on one of the «few tools Americans have to hold powerful, woke corporations accountable.»
The new criticisms land as President Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office in January marked an end to DEI initiatives at the federal level and set off a sweeping effect on private industries as well.
Consumers’ Research published a «Woke Alert» this week accusing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of being «totally woke, pushing DEI and a left-wing climate agenda.» (iStock )
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Trump has moved to systematically unwind DEI programs across the federal government, signing a pair of executive orders in January that direct agencies to identify and shut down DEI offices, terminate equity-focused grants and contracts, and scrap long-standing affirmative action-style requirements for federal contractors in favor of what the White House calls «colorblind» merit based rules.
While Consumers’ Research is now attacking the chamber from the right, the organization has previously faced scrutiny from Democrats as well. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., led the charge in a 2019 letter demanding the group «accept that human-caused climate change is real and warrants immediate action,» claiming the chamber «marshaled considerable lobbying resources on behalf» of companies working to «oppose congressional, executive, and judicial actions that would meaningfully address climate change,» according to the letter.
President Donald Trump has moved to systematically unwind DEI programs across the federal government. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)
The Chamber has been lauded by other prominent U.S. leaders, such as former President Barack Obama in 2011, when he thanked the group for pushing Congress on infrastructure investments. He said during an address focused on resetting relations with corporate America following the recession that had rocked the U.S. that the White House and the Chamber «must work together» on the economy.
WATCH: DEI STILL IN PLACE AS COLLEGE ‘FINDING WAYS’ AROUND BAN, OFFICIAL ADMITS: ‘PROUD OF THE FIGHT’
Consumers’ Research also knocked the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over its climate agenda. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Consumers’ Research also knocked the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over its climate agenda, saying the group has paired its DEI push with aggressive environmental goals. A 2023 blog post on the chamber’s website titled «Fostering a Sustainable and Inclusive Energy Future» promoted prioritizing and working with «diverse suppliers» to strengthen businesses.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference earlier in 2025, which the Trump administration effectively boycotted by not sending a delegation to the annual conference. Instead, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom attended the event in the federal government’s absence, where he took shots at Trump for his environmental policies.
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«Our climate is changing and humans are contributing to these changes. Inaction is simply not an option,» the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s website. «Combating climate change will require citizens, government, and business to work together. American businesses play a vital role in creating innovative solutions to protect our planet.»
Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
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Las estaciones de servicio europeas siguen suministrando combustibles y los aeropuertos siguen llenando los depósitos de los aviones, pero el cierre del Estrecho de Ormuz y el choque energético que provoca podría cambiar pronto esa situación de relativa normalidad. La Comisión Europea ya adelanta que si nada cambia en los mercados energéticos habría que empezar a tomar medidas en semanas o meses y ya está indicando a los gobiernos del bloque qué decisiones serían las primeras para consumir menos combustible, sobre todo queroseno de aviación y diésel para en transporte de mercancías por carretera.
El comisario de Energía del brazo ejecutivo de la Unión Europea, el danés Dan Jorgensen, contó al diario Financial Times que la Comisión Europea está evaluando “todas las opciones” porque “los precios de la energía serán más altos durante mucho tiempo” aunque se reabra Ormuz y vuelva a salir el petróleo y el gas del Golfo Pérsico. Fuentes comunitarias llevan días explicando que Europa no está todavía en una crisis de suministro, pero que podría estarlo si el conflicto, que ya cumplió seis semanas, se alarga. Esas mismas fuentes aseguran que no ven muchas probabilidades en un cierre limpio y rápido del choque entre Irán, por un lado, y Estados Unidos e Israel por el otro, y que eso tendrá consecuencias en los mercados energéticos europeos.
Jorgensen asegura que no hay que racionar por ahora, pero sí hay que prepararse para hacerlo en los próximos meses si sigue el conflicto.
Las primeras medidas que apunta la Comisión Europea no son muy disruptivas, pero los ciudadanos podrían empezar a notarlas pronto. Sobre todo en el sector del transporte.
Bruselas pide a los gobiernos, por ejemplo, que reduzcan la velocidad máxima en autopistas para reducir el consumo de combustible (se calcula que un auto que circula a 100 kilómetros por ahora consume un 15% menos que uno en las mismas condiciones a 120 kilómetros por hora).
En la carta de Jorgensen a los gobiernos se les señala también que deben fomentar el uso del transporte público y del teletrabajo para reducir los movimientos de personas y empezar a reducir el número de vuelos, aunque eso empieza a hacerlo el mercado por su cuenta por el aumento del precio del queroseno de aviación, que se ha doblado en estas semanas de guerra.
La carta no apunta más medidas, pero la Comisión Europea sí estudia, cuentan las mismas fuentes comunitarias, una lista de sugerencias que hizo hace dos semanas la Agencia Internacional de la Energía. Entre ellas una que no se activa en Europa desde los años 70 del siglo pasado. Se trataría de reducir a la mitad el uso del auto alternando su uso en función de su matrícula. Los días pares podrían salir a las calles y carreteras los autos con matrículas pares y los días impares los autos con matrículas impares.
El discurso y las sugerencias de Jorgensen y de la Comisión Europea variaron en apenas días. Si ahora empiezan a pedir esas medidas, el 20 de marzo pasado, con la guerra ya por su tercera semana, decían que no había ningún riesgo para el suministro en Europa, que no veían necesidad de tomar medidas excepcionales y que el continente estaba “relativamente protegido” porque sus importaciones de hidrocarburos desde el Golfo Pérsico en particular y desde Oriente Medio en general eran limitadas.
La única medida que se planteaba hace un mes es una que se toma cada año desde que empezó la guerra en Ucrania, el llenado de las reservas europeas de gas en primavera y verano para tenerlas llenas antes de las próximas estaciones de otoño e invierno. Ahora mismo esas reservas no llegan al 30% de su capacidad.
La subida radical del precio del queroseno de aviación preocupa en la Comisión Europea porque una reducción sustancial de vuelos en Europa en los próximos meses podría afectar de lleno a la campaña de primavera y verano del turismo, un sector económico esencial en el bloque y vital para las economías europeas del Mediterráneo.
El combustible, cuenta la Comisión Europea, supone entre un 25% y un 30% del coste total de operación de las aerolíneas, por lo que duplicar su precio les hace un agujero económico. Según la IATA (siglas en inglés de la Asociación Internacional del Transporte Aéreo) el barril de queroseno de aviación pasó de 99,4 dólares el 27 de febrero a 195,19 dólares un mes después, el 27 de marzo.
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Zelensky exigió a Rusia detener los ataques sobre infraestructuras energéticas para avanzar hacia un alto el fuego
El presidente de Ucrania, Volodimir Zelensky, propuso este lunes a Rusia la posibilidad de una tregua únicamente si se detienen por completo los ataques dirigidos a la infraestructura energética ucraniana.
“Si Rusia está dispuesta a frenar los golpes sobre nuestra red eléctrica, nosotros también responderemos en la misma medida”, afirmó el mandatario en su mensaje diario.
Según Zelensky, la propuesta fue transmitida a Moscú a través de mediadores estadounidenses y constituye el único escenario en el que Kiev contempla un cese de hostilidades.
La iniciativa de alto el fuego surge tras una nueva ola de ataques rusos que devastaron varias regiones y dejaron víctimas civiles en Odesa, donde un bombardeo nocturno mató a tres personas, incluido un niño pequeño.
“Hemos ofrecido reiteradamente a Rusia una pausa, al menos durante la Pascua, un periodo especial para ambos pueblos. Pero para ellos, todos los días son iguales. Nada es sagrado”, lamentó el presidente de Ucrania.
El Kremlin respondió fríamente a la propuesta anterior, indicando que sólo consideraría una negociación para un acuerdo de paz total.
Zelensky también subrayó que las conversaciones con Estados Unidos continúan centradas en lograr garantías de seguridad duraderas para Ucrania.
“Trabajamos junto a los negociadores estadounidenses en mecanismos que aseguren la estabilidad futura. Ese es el factor clave para una paz real”, explicó, al tiempo que destacó la importancia de la cooperación internacional en el contexto actual.
Durante la última semana, Rusia intensificó sus ataques con drones y misiles sobre infraestructuras vitales en las provincias de Kharkiv, Chernigov, Sumi y Dnipró. El presidente detalló que, solo en la noche previa, fueron lanzados más de 140 drones, de los cuales cerca de 80 eran del tipo Shahed, de fabricación iraní.
Zelensky denunció que “en algunas zonas, los bombardeos continúan. Esto representa apenas una muestra del sufrimiento diario de nuestra población”. Añadió que, en los últimos siete días, el país sufrió el impacto de más de 2.800 drones de ataque, 1.350 bombas aéreas guiadas y más de 40 misiles.
El ataque más reciente en Odesa resultó particularmente grave para la población civil. Según Zelensky, “los drones rusos impactaron edificios residenciales, una guardería infantil y una subestación eléctrica. Miles de familias han quedado sin luz, y los equipos de reparación llevan horas trabajando sin descanso para restablecer el suministro”.
La cifra oficial de heridos ascendió a 16, entre ellos dos menores y una mujer embarazada.
El presidente ucraniano insistió en la necesidad de reforzar las defensas aéreas del país. “En este momento, todos los socios internacionales deben redoblar esfuerzos y aportar más sistemas para interceptar drones y misiles. Mejorar la protección de nuestros cielos no solo protege a Ucrania, sino que también es una inversión en la seguridad de Europa”, subrayó.
En paralelo, las autoridades rusas informaron sobre un ataque con drones lanzado desde Ucrania contra la ciudad portuaria de Novorossiysk, en la región de Krasnodar, que dejó ocho heridos, entre ellos dos niños. Las imágenes publicadas muestran daños visibles en la parte superior de un edificio residencial, con ventanas y balcones destruidos por la explosión.
A pesar del aumento de los ataques rusos y de la negativa de Moscú a aceptar la tregua propuesta, Zelensky reiteró que Ucrania mantiene abierta la vía diplomática, siempre que se respeten condiciones mínimas que garanticen la protección de la infraestructura civil.
“Nuestra disposición a negociar depende de la voluntad de Rusia para detener la destrucción de instalaciones energéticas y evitar más víctimas inocentes”, concluyó el presidente.
(Con información de Reuters y EFE)
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Obama Center takes heat as critics cry foul over ID rules for free entry — while Dems blast voter ID laws
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The Obama Presidential Center is facing a wave of backlash ahead of its opening, with critics blasting its admission policies and raising broader concerns about the project’s cost and management.
Conservative commentators on social media are taking aim at the center’s requirement that Illinois residents show valid identification to receive free admission on certain days, arguing it contrasts with Democratic opposition to voter ID laws.
«They’re making you show ID… to visit the Obama Library… in Chicago. You can’t make this stuff up!» one social media user wrote.
«The Obama Presidential Library is making people show an ID for proof of Illinois residency to get in for free,» another posted. «So residents have to prove who they are for this, but not to vote?»
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The text of former President Obama’s speech marking the 50th anniversary of «Bloody Sunday» in Selma, Alabama, is wrapped around the side of the upcoming presidential center in Chicago. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service)
Others echoed the sentiment more bluntly, with one account writing: «It turns out Democrats support requiring ID… but only for free admission into Obama’s library.»
Obama’s website clearly states that Illinois residents «must be able to provide proof of residency. Be prepared to show proof of residency at the Museum with a valid photo ID, Illinois driver’s license, state ID, or city-issued ID.»
Critics have also pointed to reported restrictions tied to early ticket giveaways, including claims that some promotions are limited to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
The latest controversy builds on a string of prior criticisms surrounding the $850 million project.
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Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (L) joins former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama in a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park on September 28, 2021, in Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Earlier this year, the Obama Foundation drew backlash after seeking 75 to 100 unpaid volunteers, dubbed «ambassadors,» to help operate the center, even as top executives collect substantial salaries. Federal filings show CEO Valerie Jarrett has earned roughly $740,000 annually in recent years, while overall compensation at the foundation has climbed significantly.
The project has also faced mounting scrutiny over its financial impact on taxpayers.
Former President Barack Obama once described the center as a «gift» to Chicago, emphasizing it would be privately funded. While construction of the 19.3-acre campus is being financed through private donations, the surrounding infrastructure needed to support the site, including road redesigns, utility relocations and drainage systems, is being paid for with public funds.
Early estimates put those infrastructure costs at roughly $350 million, split between the city and state. But more recent figures show Illinois alone has committed approximately $229 million, while Chicago has allocated more than $200 million in related improvements — though officials have not provided a clear, consolidated total of taxpayer spending tied to the project.
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Exterior view of the Obama Presidential Center tower under construction in Chicago. (Fox 32 Chicago)
«No single agency appears to oversee the full scope» of the infrastructure work, and critics say the lack of transparency has made it difficult to determine the true public cost.
Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi criticized the project, saying taxpayers are being left «on the hook for hundreds of millions of dollars» while accusing state leaders of mismanagement.
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The controversy is further fueled by the nature of the site itself. The center sits on nearly 20 acres of historic Jackson Park land transferred under a long-term agreement, with significant roadway changes, including the removal of a major thoroughfare, and utility overhauls required to accommodate the campus.
Foundation officials have defended the project, saying the center is funded by $850 million in private investment and will serve as an economic catalyst for Chicago’s South Side, generating jobs, community programs and public amenities.
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Despite the backlash, the center is pressing ahead with its long-awaited debut.
Tickets for the museum will go on sale April 21 for «Founding Members,» with general public sales beginning May 6. Visitors can reserve timed-entry tickets for dates between June 19 and November 30.
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Admission is set at $30 for adults and $23 for children ages 3 to 11, with discounted rates available for Illinois residents who provide proof of residency. Children 2 and under can enter for free, and Illinois residents will be eligible for free admission on Tuesdays.
All entries will be timed, with officials urging guests to arrive within 10 minutes of their scheduled slot. The museum will feature four levels of exhibits, including a replica Oval Office and the Sky Room.
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Much of the surrounding campus, including gardens, walking trails, a playground, a Chicago Public Library branch and dozens of newly commissioned artworks, will be free and open to the public.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Obama Foundation and the Barack Obama Presidential Library for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
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