Rowena Itchon – Senior Vice President
Winner: Me!
I finally got a vaccine appointment.
Loser: U.S. jobs
President Biden’s plan to hike the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28% stunts economic growth. To prevent U.S. companies from exporting jobs, the administration thinks that it can get other countries to raise their corporate tax rates in a kind of international tax regime. More magical thinking — good luck with that!
Evan Harris – Media Relations and Outreach Manager
Winner: Opening Day!
In what seemed unthinkable last April, MLB’s opening day kicked off this week. With baseball back and fans in stadiums, we’re getting a little bit of normalcy back.
Loser: SPACs
The craze may be over, or at least slowed, for investors and startups using special purpose acquisition companies to go public and avoid much of the scrutiny around a traditional initial public offering filing. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is allegedly probing SPAC practices with letters and questions to banks and underwriters.
McKenzie Richards – Development Associate
Winner: Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital
Located in South Los Angeles, the hospital recently founded a new special outpatient clinic that provides follow-up care for former ICU patients of Covid-19. The clinic is intended to address some of the disparities that individuals from underserved communities experience regarding aftercare.
Loser: United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union and Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)
Parents in Los Angeles filed a personal injury lawsuit on behalf of their children against UTLA and LAUSD this week. The lawsuit alleges that the students suffered both academically and emotionally from the extensive closures.