What do the employees at America’s largest companies think of the leadership?
To answer that, we visualize CEO approval ratings gathered by professional social network Blind.
The results are based on a survey of 13,171 verified professionals in the U.S., conducted between Aug. 18–23, 2023. Respondents were asked if they approve or disapprove of the way their CEO is handling their job.
By far, the most popular CEO right now (according to Blind’s respondents anyway) is Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, with an astonishing 96 percent approval rating.
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Huang’s numbers point to a theme in the data. Blind notes that there is a correlation between company stock performance and CEO approval rating. Nvidia’s critical role in the artificial intelligence hype train has sent shares up nearly 3x year-on-year. Their financials for the last three quarters show that profit is already up more than four-fold from last year.
Crucially, Huang also avoided layoffs that were otherwise rampant in the tech industry, helping his popularity among the staff.
In fact, the Blind survey uncovered that all of the 10 most popular CEOs, with the exception of Andrew Anag from AutoDesk, did not cut jobs in the last year.
View the infographic
The Least Popular CEOs by Employee Approval Ratings
Eric Nordstrom (Nordstrom) and David Goeckeler (Western Digital) shared the lowest approval rating possible in the poll: 0 percent. From Blind’s methodology section, this means not a single surveyed employee answered “strongly approve” or “somewhat approve” to the question.
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Both companies cut nearly 200 jobs in 2023, with Nordstrom also responsible for the job losses amongst the company’s wage workers, who staffed the many retail stores the company shuttered.
Also featuring on this list of least-liked CEOs: Evan Spiegel (3 percent), who reduced Snap’s workforce by a fifth and Linda Yaccarino (4 percent), who heads X (formerly Twitter) that has been in turmoil since Elon Musk acquired the company in October, 2022.
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A woman passes by signs advertising Black Friday sales in 2021. (File photo by REUTERS/Jeenah Moon)
New California law will compensate
consumers defrauded by businesses
By Levi Sumagaysay | CalMatters
Businesses that defraud consumers sometimes pay a couple of thousand dollars in civil penalties under current California law. Or they’ll be ordered to pay millions of dollars, but close down or declare bankruptcy, leaving their victims without compensation.
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A new law effective Jan. 1 will help change that: It will establish a restitution fund in the state treasury that can be used to try to fully reimburse consumers.
Assembly Bill 1366 will let the state attorney general pursue disgorgement, or repayment of ill-gotten gains, in cases where companies violate unfair competition or false advertising laws. The money recovered would go into the new fund.
“When a predatory business takes advantage of a consumer, it’s only right that the proceeds gained from illegal conduct should go towards compensating victims rather than remaining in the bank accounts of bad actors,” state Assemblymember Brian Maienschein,
a Democrat from San Diego who authored the legislation, said after the governor signed it in October.
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NASA sets coverage for ULA,
Astrobotic Artemis robotic moon launch
As part of NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative and Artemis program, United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Astrobotic are targeting 2:18 a.m. EST Monday, Jan. 8, for the first commercial robotic launch to the Moon’s surface. Carrying NASA science, liftoff of ULA’s Vulcan rocket and Astrobotic’s Peregrine lunar lander will happen from Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Peregrine will land on the Moon on Friday, Feb. 23. The NASA payloads aboard the lander aim to help the agency develop capabilities needed to explore the Moon under Artemis and in advance of human missions on the lunar surface.
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San Diego County Fair’s Street Banner Program announced
The San Diego County Fair is kicking off its 2024 community outreach efforts by
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opening up applications for its Street Banner Program. The program is one of the more beloved activities of the community-centric San Diego County Fair, which also features myriad programs for youth, nonprofits, families, various diasporas, and others.
Cities and community organizations will have two weeks to submit an application to participate in the program this year.
During the 2023 Fair season — after a three-year Street Banner Program hiatus that was driven by the COVID-19 pandemic — more than 800 street banners were installed in 17 communities around the county, within the cities of San Diego, Chula Vista, and Lemon Grove.
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Community leaders are encouraged to visit the Fair’s website and submit an online application to participate in the program no later than Monday, January 15, 2024. Photo sessions are scheduled to take place during the month of February.
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Scripps scientists study atmospheric
rivers with Hurricane Hunter flights
Hurricane Hunter flights gathering data on atmospheric rivers to improve weather forecasting led by Scripps scientists in La Jolla have resumed for the winter. Atmospheric rivers are relatively long, narrow atmospheric regions, typically several thousand kilometers long and only a few hundred kilometers wide, that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics. They can carry a greater flux of water than Earth’s largest river, the Amazon, and have been increasing slightly in intensity over the past century.
To better understand and forecast atmospheric rivers, “Hurrican Hunter” aircraft from the U.S. Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron began flights in November over the Pacific Ocean to last through March. It is part of the Atmospheric River Reconnaissance program led by the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
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Scripps to pay $6.8 million, rescind mandatory retirement age policy
Scripps Clinic Medical Group has agreed to pay more than $6.8 million to resolve allegations that it imposed a mandatory retirement age on physician employees. The settlement agreement stems from age and disability discrimination allegations filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. According to the EEOC, a subsequent investigation concluded there was “reasonable cause to believe that Scripps Clinic Medical Group violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).”
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GoMacro benefits Feeding San Diego and Solutions for Change
GoMacro, known for its organic, plant-based nutrition bars, announced their continued partnership with Feeding San Diego and Solutions for Change for the eighth year in a row. As part of GoMacro’s Give Back Bar program, a percentage of annual net proceeds from the Everlasting Joy MacroBar is donated to the two nonprofit orgganizations.
Southern Border Coalition seeking nominations
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The California Jobs First’s Southern Border Coalition is seeking members of the community to serve as leaders in shaping a resilient carbon-neutral economy in San Diego and Imperial counties. They will play a key role in creating an inclusive economic development plan focused on green jobs in disinvested communities. Interested parties may apply using the Sector Lead Nomination & Application form, which describes the 15 sectors as well as sector lead responsibilities.
Oceanside names new assistant chief of police
Oceanside Police announced that Capt. Taurino Valdovinos will be the department’s next assistant chief of police, replacing assistant chief Sean Marchand, who retired. Valdovinos has been with Oceanside Police for 20 years and has worked on a variety of specialized assignments, including the Gang Suppression Unit, Special Enforcement Section and the Neighborhood Police Team, according to the department.
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Oceanside accepts Fish and Wildlife funds for sand dune project
The City of Oceanside has accepted a $56,876 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to install and monitor dunes on the backend of several northern city beaches as part of a pilot project to restore habitat and retain sand. The City Council unanimously approved the Oceanside Coastal Dune Restoration Project funds at its Dec. 20 meeting. The project will test a nature-based sand retention solution by installing dunes to help protect the shoreline from rising sea levels and coastal flooding by elevating the beach, acting as a buffer between the ocean and local infrastructure.
Carlsbad to consider increasing affordable housing minimums
The Carlsbad Housing Commission voted on Dec. 14 to recommend increasing the minimum affordability requirements for new residential developments and rezoning city-owned land to help meet the city’s state-mandated affordable housing goals. The commission’s approval sends the proposal to the City Council, which is set to review and consider the proposed changes on Jan. 30, 2024. The city is addressing the gap between planned affordable housing and actual construction by setting higher minimum affordability requirements.
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County Water Authority to drop lawsuit over Rainbow, Fallbrook departures
The San Diego County Water Authority has agreed to drop its lawsuit over the proposed departure of two North County water agencies, it was announced Dec. 21. The lawsuit filed earlier this year challenged a decision by the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission to allow the Rainbow Municipal Water District and Fallbrook Public Utility District to leave the water authority. The recent settlement allows Rainbow and Fallbrook’s water agencies to depart and includes a $25 million payment from both agencies, plus other costs and fees.
NCTD board approves Shawn Donaghy as next CEO
The North County Transit District Board of Directors unanimously approved Shawn M. Donaghy as the agency’s new CEO. Donaghy will take over for interim Executive Director Paul Ballard – who was brought on after the retirement of long-time Executive Director Matthew O. Tucker. Donaghy’s appointment follows a four-month, nationwide search by the board of directors. Most recently, Donaghy was the CEO of C-TRAN in Vancouver, Washington.
Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of the Chaldean Catholic bishop of San Diego, California, a decision announced Tuesday by the Vatican after the bishop was arrested on embezzlement charges. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said last week it had arrested Bishop Emmanuel Shaleta on Thursday at San Diego International Airport as he tried to leave the country, reports the AP. The office said it acted after someone from Shaleta’s church provided a statement and documentation “showing potential embezzlement from the church.” Shaleta was being held on $125,000 bail on eight counts of embezzlement, money laundering, and aggravated white collar crime, the statement said. Shaleta pleaded not guilty on Monday, reports NBC San Diego.
“He was on his way to Germany,” prosecutor Joel Madero said. “Given his access to funds, the fact that he had over $9,000 in the bag when he was stopped, and the fact that he has these international ties … I do believe that some bail to ensure he shows up is appropriate.” There was no immediate reply to an email sent to Shaleta’s parish, St. Peter Chaldean Church, seeking comment and contact information for his attorney. The Vatican said in its daily bulletin Tuesday that Leo had accepted Shaleta’s resignation under the code of canon law for eastern rite churches that allows for the pope to agree if a bishop asks to step down.
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Leo actually accepted the resignation when Shaleta presented it in February, but an announcement was not made until Tuesday, according to the Vatican embassy in Washington. The Holy See appears to have waited to announce the decision to avoid interfering with the police investigation. Leo named Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop as a temporary administrator. Shaleta, 69, was ordained a priest of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Detroit in 1984. He was named to the San Diego branch of the eastern rite Catholic Church in the US in 2017.
36.9 — The percentage of groundballs that Márquez yielded in 2025, a career low and significantly below his career average (48%). Márquez’s groundball rate was regularly above 50% before requiring Tommy John surgery in early 2023. He made one start in 2024 and struggled mightily while making 26 starts last year.
TRENDING
Down — Márquez had a 4.40 ERA through his first seven years in the majors, not bad considering he pitched roughly half his games at one of the best hitting environments in the majors. In fact, Márquez has a 5.17 ERA in his career at Coors Field and a 4.22 ERA in road environments. But Márquez underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2023, made one start in the majors in mid-July in 2024 (4 IP, 3 ER) and struggled throughout his first full year back in the Rockies rotation. The season was so difficult for Márquez that he was actually worse on the road (7.32 ERA) than he was in 11 starts at Coors Field (5.98 ERA). His strikeout rate (5.9 per nine innings) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.73) were the worst of his careers, as was his walk rate (3.4 per nine innings), while his hit rate (12.0 per nine innings) was the second worst of his career. On top of that, Márquez’s groundball rate was also the lowest of his career (see stat to note) and ranked in the bottom 22nd percentile of the league and his hard-hit rate (48.5%) and average exit velocity (91.7 mph) both ranked in the bottom 2 percentile of the league. One reason: a 94.8 mph four-seamer is down a few ticks than the height of his effectiveness. Márquez reached free agency after the season and signed with the Padres in February.
2026 OUTLOOK
Márquez has a big-league deal with the Padres, but he’ll have to rediscover his pre-elbow-reconstruction form to hold onto a roster spot, as RHP Griffin Canning (Achilles) is expected to push for a spot at some point this season and the likes of LHP JP Sears, RHP Matt Waldron and minor league signees like Marco Gonzales could warrant looks if Márquez’s struggles continue into 2026.
German Marquez #33 of the San Diego Padres participates in drills during spring training workouts at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz.(Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
In today’s Daily Dirt, I mentioned that the search at San Diego was done. Here’s the official announcement from USD on the hiring of JR Blount as their next head men’s basketball coach:
University of San Diego Athletics has named JR Blount the 15th head coach in San Diego men’s basketball program history, USD Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Athletics Kimya Massey announced on Monday.
Blount arrives in San Diego with a reputation as one of college basketball’s rising coaching talents after helping lead Iowa State to four NCAA Tournament appearances in four seasons.
He joins the Toreros after five seasons on T.J. Otzelberger’s staff at Iowa State, where the Cyclones compiled a 95-45 record during his tenure, won the 2024 Big 12 Tournament Championship and reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2024 — one of the most successful stretches in program history. Iowa State finished in the AP Top 15 in each of those four seasons and climbed as high as No. 2 nationally in each of the last two years. During the 2025-26 season, the Cyclones opened with a 16-0 start, highlighted by victories over No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 Houston, No. 9 Kansas and No. 14 St. John’s.
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“After a thorough and highly competitive national search, we are proud to welcome JR Blount as the next head coach of USD men’s basketball,” said Massey. “JR is an outstanding leader, a relentless competitor and one of the brightest rising coaches in college basketball. Even more importantly, throughout this process I came to know him as a humble leader with strong integrity and deep family values. JR has been a part of winning at every level of his career and understands what it takes to build a program that competes with toughness, discipline and consistency. Just as importantly, he believes in developing young men holistically and leading in a way that reflects the values of this university.
“This is a pivotal moment for our program and JR’s vision aligns with our belief that San Diego men’s basketball should compete in the upper tier of the WCC and position itself to be a regular NCAA Tournament participant. We are excited about what lies ahead under his leadership.”
“As a product of Catholic education and deeply committed to USD’s mission and values, Coach Blount is an outstanding role model for the young men in our Torero basketball program,” said USD President James T. Harris III. “He brings an impressive resume with deep experience, a winning track record and — above all — a commitment to the overall wellbeing of our student-athletes.”
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead USD men’s basketball,” Blount said. “We are so thankful to Athletic Director Kimya Massey and President Harris for this opportunity. This is more than just a coaching position for me — it’s a chance to become part of a community and build something meaningful. My wife and our three daughters are excited to make this move together and we can’t wait to invest in this university and the relationships that make it special.
I come to USD with a deep desire to win — to compete relentlessly, to develop our young men to their fullest potential and to build a program our fans can be proud of. Winning championships is important, but so is building a culture of toughness, accountability and love. We’re going to work every day to represent USD the right way, on and off the court. I’m ready to get started.”
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Blount played a key role in Iowa State’s rise under Otzelberger, helping orchestrate one of the most significant program turnarounds in recent Division I history. In his first season with the Cyclones in 2021-22, Iowa State rebounded from a two-win campaign the year before to finish 22-13 and advance to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. The Cyclones quickly established a national reputation for defensive toughness, ranking among the nation’s best in scoring defense, defensive efficiency, steals and turnovers forced.
Over the next three seasons, Blount helped Iowa State sustain that momentum. In 2022-23, the Cyclones advanced to the NCAA Tournament and recorded nine wins over AP Top 25 opponents, tied for the most in school history. In 2023-24, Iowa State won the Big 12 Championship, finished 29-8, posted an undefeated 18-0 record at Hilton Coliseum and advanced to the Sweet 16. Most recently, the 2024-25 Cyclones finished 25-10, climbed as high as No. 2 in the Associated Press poll, earned another NCAA Tournament appearance and closed the season ranked No. 17 nationally.
Known for his work in player development, recruiting and culture-building, Blount has mentored multiple all-conference and All-America caliber players throughout his coaching career. At Iowa State, he developed some of the Big 12’s top performers while contributing to a program identity rooted in toughness, connectivity and competitive excellence.
Prior to Iowa State, Blount spent three seasons at Colorado State, where he helped elevate the Rams into one of the Mountain West’s top programs. During his tenure in Fort Collins, Colorado State signed the highest-rated recruiting class in program history and posted consecutive 20-win seasons, including a 20-8 finish and a run to the NIT semifinals in 2020-21. He also played a leadership role in Colorado State’s Together Initiative, which promoted social justice and racial equality on campus.
Blount also previously served in coaching roles at Drake and Saint Leo and began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where the program won the 2010 NCAA Division III National Championship.
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A former three-year team captain and two-time team MVP at Loyola University Chicago, Blount later played professionally for the Leicester Riders of the British Basketball League during the 2010-11 season. He earned degrees in psychology and sociology from Loyola in 2009 and later received his master’s degree in education from UW-Stevens Point in 2012.
A native of Milwaukee, Blount and his wife, Ashley, have three daughters: Maya, Zuri and Gema.
