In Ep. 97, Jerry & Utah treasurer Marlo Oaks discuss the historical & political state of Europe’s anti-fossil fuel mandates, how ESG mandates on American companies hurt American employees, and a powerful legal strategy by which the Trump administration can push back against European regulators. Also, why it’s premature to take ‘victory laps’ against ESG & DEI.

Read Treasurer Oaks’ op-ed for RCP here: https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2025/02/27/collusion_coercion_and_the_eus_corporate_sustainability_directives_1094273.html

In Ep. 97, Jerry &amp; Utah treasurer Marlo Oaks discuss the historical &amp; political state of Europe&rsquo;s anti-fossil fuel mandates, how ESG mandates on American companies hurt American employees, and a powerful legal strategy by which the Trump administration can push back against European regulators.&nbsp;Also, why it&rsquo;s premature to take &lsquo;victory laps&rsquo; against ESG &amp; DEI.
Read Treasurer Oaks&rsquo; op-ed for RCP here: <a href="https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2025/02/27/collusion_coercion_and_the_eus_corporate_sustainability_directives_1094273.html" aria-label="Link https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2025/02/27/collusion_coercion_and_the_eus_corporate_sustainability_directives_1094273.html">https://www.realclearpolicy.com/articles/2025/02/27/collusion_coercion_and_the_eus_corporate_sustainability_directives_1094273.html</a>

Meeting of Minds brings together the top minds in history, theology, finance, economics, language, mathematics and science. Host Jerry Bowyer invites guests to be both intelligent and clear and to follow truth wherever it leads.

Meeting of Minds brings together the top minds in history, theology, finance, economics, language, mathematics and science. Host Jerry Bowyer invites guests to be both intelligent and clear and to follow truth wherever it leads.

Meeting of Minds Podcast

I talk to the smartest people in the world about the wisest people who have ever lived, and I ask them not to dumb it down and not to follow any party line.

I talk to the smartest people in the world about the wisest people who have ever lived, and I ask them not to dumb it down and not to follow any party line.

Meeting of Minds

American Companies Are Harmed by Europe’s War on Emissions. What Can the Trump Admin Do About it?

At American Express' annual meeting of shareholders, the company faced a shareholder proposal from Inspire Investing over its perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, one of the primary corporate activist rating systems for LGBTQ+ issues.

Presenting at that meeting, along with Inspire's director of corporate engagement Tim Schwarzenberger, was Soren Aldaco, a detransitioner (someone who undergoes gender transition surgery and later regrets it). Aldaco talked to the company about the risks and ramifications of covering gender transition surgery in its healthcare, particularly for children as it appears that Amex does. This was a powerful example of the real human consequences of corporate policies that aid or adopt radical, activist social agendas - and why the corporate move away from such policies and back to sanity cannot come quickly enough.

Learn more about Inspire at inspireinvesting.com, and watch Soren's video here.

Follow Tim at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timschwarzenbergercfa/.

At American Express' annual meeting of shareholders, the company faced a shareholder proposal from Inspire Investing over its perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, one of the primary corporate activist rating systems for LGBTQ+ issues.
Presenting at that meeting, along with Inspire's director of corporate engagement Tim Schwarzenberger, was Soren Aldaco, a detransitioner (someone who undergoes gender transition surgery and later regrets it).&nbsp;Aldaco talked to the company about the risks and ramifications of covering gender transition surgery in its healthcare, particularly for children as it appears that Amex does. This was a powerful example of the real human consequences of corporate policies that aid or adopt radical, activist social agendas - and why the corporate move away from such policies and back to sanity cannot come quickly enough.
Learn more about Inspire at <a href="https://www.inspireinvesting.com/">inspireinvesting.com</a>, and watch Soren's video <a href="https://www.inspireinvesting.com/post/american-express-coverage-of-gender-transition-procedures-for-minors">here</a>.
Follow Tim at: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/timschwarzenbergercfa/" aria-label="Link https://www.linkedin.com/in/timschwarzenbergercfa/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/timschwarzenbergercfa/.</a>

Detransitioner Soren Aldaco at Amex: Take Transition Coverage Risk Seriously

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/5e06524e-9a1b-444b-bbf4-b45e01050261/transcript

At Docusign's 2026 annual meeting, the company faced a shareholder proposal from Inspire Investing over the use of non-fiduciary metrics in executive compensation. Listen to Inspire's presentation from director of corporate engagement Tim Schwarzenberger, urging the company to prioritize executive clarity and business performance over diversity incentives.

"The reputational risks of ESG and DEI elements in executive compensation are well-demonstrated — and the rapidly evolving legal & regulatory landscape around such elements is an additional point in favor of fiduciary duty above all else. We are asking Docusign to defend, and fully commit, to its most critical form of inclusion: including every employee, shareholder, and customer as part of its mission of a growing company and a healthier world.

Learn more about Inspire at inspireinvesting.com.

Follow Tim at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timschwarzenbergercfa/.

At Docusign's 2026 annual meeting, the company faced a shareholder proposal from Inspire Investing over the use of non-fiduciary metrics in executive compensation. Listen to Inspire's presentation from director of corporate engagement Tim Schwarzenberger, urging the company to prioritize executive clarity and business performance over diversity incentives.
"The reputational risks of ESG and DEI elements in executive compensation are well-demonstrated &mdash; and the rapidly evolving legal &amp; regulatory landscape around such elements is an additional point in favor of fiduciary duty above all else.&nbsp;We are asking Docusign to defend, and fully commit, to its most critical form of inclusion: including every employee, shareholder, and customer as part of its mission of a growing company and a healthier world.
Learn more about Inspire at <a href="https://www.inspireinvesting.com/https://www.inspireinvesting.com/">inspireinvesting.com.</a>
Follow Tim at: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/timschwarzenbergercfa/" aria-label="Link https://www.linkedin.com/in/timschwarzenbergercfa/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/timschwarzenbergercfa/.</a>

Inspire Investing: Docusign, Don't Sign off on Non-Fiduciary Executive Pay

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/ba25e168-5b2b-4f1f-b3c1-b45e0102209e/transcript

At S&P Global's annual meeting, the company faced a shareholder proposal from the Heritage Foundation via its Free Enterprise Initiative, asking the company to report on the risks of the company’s work with activist groups like the Human Rights Campaign. Meanwhile, the company became once again embroiled in controversy over its ESG rating policies while this engagement was going on, underscoring politicization concerns.

As Heritage’s Stefan Padfield told the company at its annual meeting:

Another red flag calling into question the Company’s status quo is a recent letter from a coalition of 23 states questioning the lawfulness of the ESG policies of S&P Global Ratings. This letter was led in part by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and raises the specter of undisclosed and unlawful material conflicts of interest, as well as concerns related to antitrust violations and deceptive trade practices – all connected to the Company’s embrace of politically charged ESG. The foregoing list of red flags suggesting biased decision-making at S&P Global should make it difficult for shareholders to trust the status quo. 

Learn more about Heritage's Free Enterprise Initiative here.

At S&amp;P Global's annual meeting, the company faced a shareholder proposal from the Heritage Foundation via its Free Enterprise Initiative, asking the company to report on the risks of the company&rsquo;s work with activist groups like the Human Rights Campaign. Meanwhile, the company became once again embroiled in controversy over its ESG rating policies&nbsp;while this engagement was going on, underscoring politicization concerns.
As Heritage&rsquo;s Stefan Padfield told the company at its annual meeting:
Another red flag calling into question the Company&rsquo;s status quo is a recent letter from a coalition of 23 states questioning the lawfulness of the ESG policies of S&amp;P Global Ratings. This letter was led in part by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers and raises the specter of undisclosed and unlawful material conflicts of interest, as well as concerns related to antitrust violations and deceptive trade practices &ndash; all connected to the Company&rsquo;s embrace of politically charged ESG. The foregoing list of red flags suggesting biased decision-making at S&amp;P Global should make it difficult for shareholders to trust the status quo.&nbsp;
Learn more about Heritage's Free Enterprise Initiative&nbsp;<a href="https://www.heritage.org/free-enterprise-initiative">here</a>.

The Heritage Foundation: Drop Politicization at S&P Global

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/467e26fd-411e-4b1d-bd97-b45d00eeb5c2/transcript

American Companies Are Harmed by Europe’s War on Emissions. What Can the Trump Admin Do About it?

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