Southwest
Costco shoppers respond as company's DEI practices fall under scrutiny
Costco shoppers shared their opinions about the company’s “commitment” to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the wake of many other retailers scaling back their DEI efforts.
“Baloney, to be honest with you. I think they should get rid of it,” Robert of Madison Heights, Michigan, told Fox News Digital. “Puts people in there that aren’t qualified to do this, to do the job that they’re hired for.”
Shoppers in Michigan, Texas and New York spoke with Fox News Digital while they were shopping or pumping gas at the retail store.
Several customers shared similar sentiments as Robert, evoking the term “merit” when prompted to respond to whether DEI has valid implications.
Costco shoppers shared their opinions about the company’s “commitment” to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the wake of many other retailers scaling back their DEI efforts. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
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“I mean you hire on merit alone,” Clara in Tomball, Texas, said.
“I think it should be merit based,” said Laura, a Texas resident.
Costco shareholders voted earlier this month to reject an anti-DEI proposal brought by activist shareholder group National Center for Public Policy Research.
While Costco is standing firm behind its DEI policies, many other corporations have announced plans to ditch the controversial programs following a nationwide backlash. Facebook, McDonald’s, Walmart, Harley-Davidson and many other companies have all rolled back their DEI programs in recent months.
Costco is bucking the trend and appears to have the support of some of their customers.
Costco is currently one of the world’s most successful retailers, boasting a market cap of over $320 billion. (Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)
“I support DEI practices,” Texas resident John told Fox News Digital.
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“I think they need to include everybody. That’s where this planet is going. It’s truly about the whole and not the few,” Allen, a Texas resident, said.
While pumping gas at a Costco in Madison Heights, a patron was asked whether Costco should care more about hiring practices with DEI objectives or lowering grocery prices.
“I would say DEI because the person is more important,” Carol said.
She added that she does not agree with President Donald Trump’s position to get rid of DEI policies in the federal government.
However, a patron in Harlem told Fox News Digital that the retailer should care more about the price of groceries.
“The price of groceries. Yeah. Too much. Too much. Are you kidding me? I mean, I’m working. I have a little pension, and I still can’t make ends meet,” the shopper said.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order terminating all federal DEI programs. (Donald Trump/Truth Social)
A customer, who did not disclose his name, said he is a “huge fan of DEI.”
“I think there’s a lot of ignorance out there,” he said. “I really do. I mean, I think we have a history of just being discriminatory in this country. And I don’t think that it improves anybody’s life if you don’t support programs like that.”
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Jury says it is deadlocked in trial of man accused in Palisades Fire
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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