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Two ‘Reply All’ Hosts Step Down Amid ‘Test Kitchen’ Fallout
Photo: Courtesy of Gimlet
Earlier this month, Reply All kicked off an ambitious miniseries, “The Test Kitchen,” which sought to take on one of the bigger stories about the media’s reckoning with toxic workplace dynamics that took place last summer: the implosion of Bon Appétit due to scandal.
But shortly after the release of its second episode, Reply All seems to be going through a reckoning of its own. On Wednesday evening, Gimlet managing director Lydia Polgreen sent out an internal email announcing that Sruthi Pinnamaneni, the show’s longtime senior reporter who was leading “The Test Kitchen,” was stepping back from the miniseries immediately, while P.J. Vogt, Reply All’s founding co-host, had asked to take a leave of absence from the show as a whole.
These developments come after a former staffer, Eric Eddings, published a Twitter thread accusing Pinnamaneni and Vogt specifically of contributing to a “toxic dynamic at Gimlet” that was “near identical” to the Bon Appetit culture depicted in the miniseries. “The BA staffers’ stories deserve to be told, but to me it’s damaging to have that reporting and storytelling come from two people who have actively and AGGRESSIVELY worked against multiple efforts to diversify Gimlet’s staff & content,” Eddings wrote.
The thread went on to lay out a series of allegations against Pinnamaneni and Vogt, depicting them as having actively worked against efforts to diversify the company’s staff and content that were primarily linked to an early workplace campaign to form a union. That union push took place shortly before Spotify’s acquisition of the company in early 2019.
According to the internal email, “The Test Kitchen” was originally meant to be Pinnamaneni’s last story for Reply All before moving on to other projects at the company. It also noted that the company has plans to discuss what comes next for the miniseries. Reply All, one of Spotify’s biggest podcasts, is expected to continue production.
Spotify has yet to provide comment on the matter; the accusations pertain to a period that predates its acquisition of Gimlet and the subsequent changes it has instituted in the company, including the hiring of Polgreen, formerly the editor-in-chief of HuffPost. However, on Wednesday night, Vogt tweeted out an apology with the announcement that he was temporarily stepping back from the show. “I deeply failed as an ally during the unionization era at Gimlet,” he wrote. “I did not intend to stop the unionization effort, and I am very glad it succeeded… I’m not done working, but I don’t think anyone needs me taking up space right now.” Pinnamaneni also posted an apology of her own.
Here’s the full text of the email from Polgreen:
Hello Gimlet,
I want to begin by acknowledging the complicated and emotional nature of what has unfolded on social media and in conversations over the last 24 hours. I have had direct discussions with those involved and many others of you who are feeling the impact of this, and I plan to continue these in the days and weeks ahead.
From the moment I arrived at Gimlet, it was clear that our culture needed work, and that there were big things that needed to change to make this a better, more equitable place. We have spent a lot of time working to make those changes in partnership with many of you. These events are a reminder of how much work remains.
PJ has asked to step down from his role on the show and take a leave of absence, and I have agreed. It was always intended that this miniseries was to be Sruthi’s last story for Reply All before she moved to other projects at Gimlet, but instead, she will be stepping back from the show immediately. The Reply All team and I will be discussing the plans for The Test Kitchen in the days ahead.
At Gimlet, we make creative work in collaborative teams. That work is really rewarding and also hard. It involves honest and sometimes difficult conversations. But those conversations must happen with respect. No person at Gimlet or Spotify is too important or powerful to escape accountability for their behavior, very much including me.
These events are also a reminder that we are in the midst of a collective bargaining process that is by its nature confrontational. We sit across the table from each other and negotiate. But I know that the people who organized the union are motivated by a desire to make Gimlet better. We may disagree about the specifics of how to achieve that goal, but we are united in wanting to make Gimlet the best place for the most ambitious creators of audio to work. I believe that thanks to hard work on both sides we have made a lot of progress.
We have a lot of work ahead of us. Despite our recent challenges, I believe that the world needs more of your exceptional storytelling. We’ll have time to talk about this together at our All Staff next week but I’m happy to talk before then as well.
Lydia
UK variant found in Hawaii; Relief bill clears key step
Despite COVID vaccine rollout, long lines persist.
USA TODAY
Officials in Hawaii urged the public to avoid Super Bowl parties and announced a more transmissible COVID-19 variant was found in Oahu.
Hawaii’s Department of Health announced an Oahu resident with no history of travel contracted the B.1.1.7 variant that first emerged in the United Kingdom. A close contact also tested positive for COVID-19.
“We are not helpless against this variant,” said Hawaii Gov. David Ige. “We can fight it by doing these simple, everyday things. We are not helpless against this highly transmissible variant.”
He added, “Please limit your Super Bowl viewing parties to household members.”
COVID-19 has killed more than 459,000 Americans, and infections have continued to mount despite the introduction of a pair of vaccines late in 2020. USA TODAY is tracking the news. Keep refreshing this page for the latest updates. Sign up for our Coronavirus Watch newsletter for updates to your inbox, join our Facebook group or scroll through our in-depth answers to reader questions.
In the headlines:
►China on Saturday gave broader approval for its Sinovac Biotech vaccine, expanding who can receive the vaccine beyond the high-risk and priority groups already allowed under an emergency clearance.
►Later this month in California, more than 1,000 active duty troops will begin supporting vaccination sites around the U.S., White House senior COVID-19 advisor Andy Slavitt announced Friday. He said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin OK’ed the move and troops’ mission in California would being within 10 days.
►The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives voted nearly along party lines Friday to approve a key procedural step paving the way for the House to pass President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill to pass the chamber as early as the end of the month.
►A lack of data is further masking vaccination rollout transparency, health equity researchers say, and the data deficit is hurting those most vulnerable. So far, only 16 states are releasing vaccination counts by race and ethnicity, and the data is incomplete.
►While the U.S. economy is far from healed from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, many permanently laid-off workers are finding new jobs and often for more pay and at higher levels than their previous positions, according to a recent survey by Skynova.
►The Ohio-based supermarket chain Kroger said Friday it will pay its employees a one-time $100 payment to get vaccinated for COVID-19.
►The FDA’s advisory committee will meet Feb. 26 to discuss Johnson & Johnson’s application for emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine, the agency announced Thursday.
📈 Today’s numbers: The U.S. has more than 26.8 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 459,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: More than 105.4 million cases and 2.3 million deaths. More than 58.3 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the U.S. and about 36.8 million have been administered, according to the CDC.
📘 What we’re reading: A British teen who slipped into coma before COVID-19 became a pandemic is now showing signs of improvement, regaining consciousness in a world much different from the one he knew.
Cases are falling in the US but experts say it’s not from the COVID vaccine, yet
New coronavirus cases are on the decline in the U.S. following staggering post-holiday peaks last month, but experts say it’s too early for new COVID-19 vaccines to be having an impact.
The positive trend also is not assured to continue, as new and more transmissible variants threaten to reverse it, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
“Although we have seen declines in cases and admissions and a recent slowing of deaths, cases remain extraordinarily high, still twice as high as the peak number of cases over the summer,” she said this week. Read more.
– Adrianna Rodriguez
Coronavirus cases drop at US homes for elderly and infirm
Coronavirus cases have dropped at U.S. nursing homes and other long-term care facilities over the past few weeks, offering a glimmer of hope that health officials attribute to the start of vaccinations, an easing of the post-holiday surge and better prevention, among other reasons.
More than 153,000 residents of the country’s nursing homes and assisted living centers have died of COVID-19, accounting for 36% of the U.S. pandemic death toll, according to the COVID Tracking Project. Many of the roughly 2 million people who live at such facilities remain cut off from loved ones because of the risk of infection. The virus still kills thousands of them weekly.
The overall trend for long-term care residents is improving, though, with fewer new cases recorded and fewer facilities reporting outbreaks. Coupled with better figures for the country overall, it’s cause for optimism even if it’s too early to declare victory.
Iowa governor lifting mask requirements effective Sunday
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will lift the state’s limited mask requirement on Sunday, along with the social distance and other limitations she had in place for businesses and social gatherings.
Her latest coronavirus emergency proclamation, issued Friday afternoon and effective 12:01 a.m. Sunday, instead “strongly encourages Iowans, businesses and organizations to take reasonable public health measures consistent with guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health,” Reynolds’ spokesperson Pat Garrett said.
Since mid-November, Reynolds, a Republican, has required Iowans two years of age and older to wear masks if they were in indoor areas and spent 15 minutes or more within 6 feet of a person not in their households. The rule carried several exceptions. Her previous proclamation also required social distancing between groups at bars, restaurants, casinos, fitness centers and other establishments, as well as at social gatherings and sporting events.
Mask violations on planes, trains, buses could result in fines up to $1,500
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced Friday that it will recommend fines ranging from $250 to $1,500 for people who do not abide by the new transportation mask order issued by President Joe Biden on his second day in office.
The agency said it could also “seek a sanction amount that falls outside these ranges,” in the announcement and noted the higher fines would apply to repeat offenders.
Biden’s order requires people to wear masks in airports, bus and train terminals and on trains, planes, buses and public transportation.
TSA has been charged with implementing Biden’s executive order and subsequent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mask-wearing rules that took effect Feb. 1 and built on the order.
Although the TSA is most commonly associated with airport checkpoints, fines will apply to offenders across those various transportation types. TSA said on Twitter the agency has “provided transportation system operators specific guidance on how to report violations so that TSA may issue penalties to those who refuse to wear a face mask.”
– Julia Thompson
FDA will draft guidance to work with vaccine, drug and testing companies on COVID-19 variants
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced late Thursday that it is developing guidance to help vaccine, drug and testing manufacturers adapt to the growing threat of COVID-19 variants.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported at least 618 cases of the coronavirus variants from the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa across 33 states.
Existing vaccines, treatments and tests still work well, emphasized the FDA’s acting commissioner Janet Woodcock. But now is the time to get ready for a future when they may not.
“We must prepare for all eventualities,” she said in a call with reporters.
– Karen Weintraub
Contributing: Ryan Miller and Nicholas Wu, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/02/06/covid-news-uk-variant-found-hawaii-relief-bill-clears-step/4414825001/
Sundar Pichai’s Tweet After Jeff Bezos Says He’ll Step Down As Amazon CEO
Sundar Pichai also sent his best wishes for two of the passion projects of Jeff Bezos. (FILE)
New Delhi:
Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday congratulated Jeff Bezos and his successor Andy Jassy on their new roles after the Amazon founder announced his decision to stand aside later this year as chief executive of the company.
Mr Bezos said he will transition to the role of executive chair in the third quarter, handing over the CEO role to Andy Jassy, who heads Amazon Web Services.
The Indian-American top executive also sent his best wishes for two of the passion projects of the outgoing Amazon CEO – the Day 1 Fund and the Bezos Earth Fund.
Congrats @JeffBezos , best wishes for Day 1 and Earth fund. Congrats @ajassy on your new role!
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) February 2, 2021
Mr Bezos, in a letter to Amazon employees, said he would “stay engaged in important Amazon initiatives” but would pivot towards philanthropic initiatives, including his Day One Fund and Bezos Earth Fund, and other business ventures in space exploration and journalism.
Top executives and prominent figures at other major companies around the world have been sending their congratulations to Bezos and Jassy via Twitter.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, noting Mr Jassy’s accomplishments, said, “a well-deserved recognition of what you have accomplished”.
Congratulations to @JeffBezos and @ajassy on your new roles. A well-deserved recognition of what you have accomplished.
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) February 2, 2021
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, also took to Twitter to say Amazon “could not be in better hands.”
Congrats @ajassy! Amazon could not be in better hands. ????
— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) February 2, 2021
Mr Bezos, 57, founded Amazon in his garage in 1994 and went on to grow it into a colossus that dominates online retail, with operations in streaming music and television, groceries, cloud computing, robotics, artificial intelligence and more.
Mr Jassy joined Amazon as a marketing manager in 1997 and in 2003 founded AWS, the cloud services division of the company which has been one of the most profitable but least-known units of the tech giant.
Jeff Bezos to step down as Amazon CEO, Andy Jassy to take over in Q3
Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said on Twitter shortly after the announcement that he has questions for Jassy, hinting at an early hurdle when Jassy is installed.
Bezos said he will stay engaged in important Amazon projects but will also have more time to focus on the Bezos Earth Fund, his Blue Origin spaceship company, The Washington Post and the Amazon Day 1 Fund.
“As much as I still tap dance into the office, I’m excited about this transition,” Bezos said in his internal announcement. “Millions of customers depend on us for our services, and more than a million employees depend on us for their livelihoods. Being the CEO of Amazon is a deep responsibility, and it’s consuming. When you have a responsibility like that, it’s hard to put attention on anything else.”
Industry CEOs and Amazon competitors congratulated Bezos and Jassy on the coming transition, with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella calling Jassy’s promotion “well-deserved.”
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai offered Bezos “best wishes” on his other projects.
Fellow Amazonians:
I’m excited to announce that this Q3 I’ll transition to Executive Chair of the Amazon Board and Andy Jassy will become CEO. In the Exec Chair role, I intend to focus my energies and attention on new products and early initiatives. Andy is well known inside the company and has been at Amazon almost as long as I have. He will be an outstanding leader, and he has my full confidence.
This journey began some 27 years ago. Amazon was only an idea, and it had no name. The question I was asked most frequently at that time was, “What’s the internet?” Blessedly, I haven’t had to explain that in a long while.
Today, we employ 1.3 million talented, dedicated people, serve hundreds of millions of customers and businesses, and are widely recognized as one of the most successful companies in the world.
How did that happen? Invention. Invention is the root of our success. We’ve done crazy things together, and then made them normal. We pioneered customer reviews, 1-Click, personalized recommendations, Prime’s insanely-fast shipping, Just Walk Out shopping, the Climate Pledge, Kindle, Alexa, marketplace, infrastructure cloud computing, Career Choice, and much more. If you get it right, a few years after a surprising invention, the new thing has become normal. People yawn. And that yawn is the greatest compliment an inventor can receive.
I don’t know of another company with an invention track record as good as Amazon’s, and I believe we are at our most inventive right now. I hope you are as proud of our inventiveness as I am. I think you should be.
As Amazon became large, we decided to use our scale and scope to lead on important social issues. Two high-impact examples: our $15 minimum wage and the Climate Pledge. In both cases, we staked out leadership positions and then asked others to come along with us. In both cases, it’s working. Other large companies are coming our way. I hope you’re proud of that as well.
I find my work meaningful and fun. I get to work with the smartest, most talented, most ingenious teammates. When times have been good, you’ve been humble. When times have been tough, you’ve been strong and supportive, and we’ve made each other laugh. It is a joy to work on this team.
As much as I still tap dance into the office, I’m excited about this transition. Millions of customers depend on us for our services, and more than a million employees depend on us for their livelihoods. Being the CEO of Amazon is a deep responsibility, and it’s consuming. When you have a responsibility like that, it’s hard to put attention on anything else. As Exec Chair I will stay engaged in important Amazon initiatives but also have the time and energy I need to focus on the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, The Washington Post, and my other passions. I’ve never had more energy, and this isn’t about retiring. I’m super passionate about the impact I think these organizations can have.
Amazon couldn’t be better positioned for the future. We are firing on all cylinders, just as the world needs us to. We have things in the pipeline that will continue to astonish. We serve individuals and enterprises, and we’ve pioneered two complete industries and a whole new class of devices. We are leaders in areas as varied as machine learning and logistics, and if an Amazonian’s idea requires yet another new institutional skill, we’re flexible enough and patient enough to learn it.
Keep inventing, and don’t despair when at first the idea looks crazy. Remember to wander. Let curiosity be your compass. It remains Day 1.
Jeff
Apollo CEO Leon Black to Step Down Following Review of Jeffrey Epstein Ties
Leon Black plans to step down as chief executive of Apollo Global Management Inc. after an independent review revealed larger-than-expected payments to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein that it nevertheless deemed justified.
The monthslong review by Dechert LLP found no evidence that Mr. Black was involved in the criminal activities of the late Epstein, who was indicted in 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges involving underage girls, according to a copy of the law firm’s report that was viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
In its report, Dechert found the fees that the billionaire had paid Epstein were for legitimate advice on trust- and estate-tax planning that proved to be of significant value to Mr. Black and his family. Mr. Black paid Epstein a total of $148 million, plus a $10 million donation to his charity—far more than was previously known.
Mr. Black wrote in a letter to Apollo’s fund investors that he would cede the role of CEO to co-founder Marc Rowan on or before his 70th birthday on July 31 while retaining the role of chairman. In the letter, a copy of which was viewed by the Journal, Mr. Black detailed other governance changes he is recommending to the board, including the appointment of more independent directors and the elimination of Apollo’s dual-class share structure.
Mr. Black also pledged to donate $200 million of his family’s money to women’s initiatives.