At Gilead Sciences' 2026 annual meeting, the company faced a shareholder proposal from David Bahnsen, founder of The Bahnsen Group over the use of ESG and DEI metrics in executive compensation. Listen to David's presentation, urging the company to prioritize executive clarity and business performance over activist incentives.

"Gilead does not need to be grabbing headlines or seeking activist plaudits over inclusion initiatives. Its core business, meeting the needs of humanity by combatting the world’s deadliest diseases, is a noble, commendable, and lifesaving model that every investor can and ought to be proud of. Gilead has done it so very well."

Learn more about The Bahnsen Group at thebahnsengroup.com.

At Gilead Sciences' 2026 annual meeting, the company faced a shareholder proposal from David Bahnsen, founder of The Bahnsen Group over the use of ESG and DEI metrics in executive compensation. Listen to David's presentation, urging the company to prioritize executive clarity and business performance over activist incentives.
"Gilead does not need to be grabbing headlines or seeking activist plaudits over inclusion initiatives. Its core business, meeting the needs of humanity by combatting the world&rsquo;s deadliest diseases, is a noble, commendable, and lifesaving model that every investor can and ought to be proud of. Gilead has done it so very well."
Learn more about The Bahnsen Group at <a href="https://thebahnsengroup.com">thebahnsengroup.com</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

David Bahnsen: Gilead, Prioritize Business Performance

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/1b57ed5e-5640-4970-a2ae-b4500142211a/transcript

In Ep. 129, Isaac Willour from Bowyer Research sits down with Tyler O’Neil, senior investigative reporter at the Daily Signal, one of the foremost journalists covering the Southern Poverty Law Center. Join us for a conversation covering:
The latest in the DOJ’s indictment of the SPLC
How corporate America is cutting ties with activist groups like the SPLC
The moral and theological ramifications of treating political affiliation as tantamount to hatred

 

Read Tyler’s excellent work here and follow him on X @Tyler2ONeil.

In Ep. 129, Isaac Willour from Bowyer Research sits down with Tyler O&rsquo;Neil, senior investigative reporter at the Daily Signal, one of the foremost journalists covering the Southern Poverty Law Center. Join us for a conversation covering:
<ul>
<li>The latest in the DOJ&rsquo;s indictment of the SPLC</li>
<li>How corporate America is cutting ties with activist groups like the SPLC</li>
<li>The moral and theological ramifications of treating political affiliation as tantamount to hatred</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Read Tyler&rsquo;s excellent work <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/author/tyler-oneil/" aria-label="Link here">here</a> and follow him on X <a href="https://x.com/Tyler2ONeil" aria-label="Link @Tyler2ONeil">@Tyler2ONeil</a>.

Tyler O’Neil on The Rise (and Fall?) of the SPLC

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/60240efa-d316-4e8f-88f2-b47100e20b95/transcript

At Amazon's annual meeting, the company faced a shareholder proposal from the Heritage Foundation via its Free Enterprise Initiative over its reliance on the Southern Poverty Law Center in vetting charities. Stefan Padfield presented for Heritage, urging the company to drop this biased, discredited data source as part of its responsibility to fiduciary duty and political neutrality.

"The board’s opposition statement is most notable for its glaring failure to address whether Amazon continues to use SPLC data, which is a question expressly raised in our proposal. That omission arguably constitutes a red flag in terms of current oversight.

More broadly, the proposition that shareholders should simply trust Amazon’s status quo is belied by the fact that Amazon has been rated a High Risk by 1792 Exchange on its Corporate Bias Ratings – including specifically for concerns about ongoing ties to the SPLC."

Learn more about Heritage's Free Enterprise Initiative here.

At Amazon's annual meeting, the company faced a shareholder proposal from the Heritage Foundation via its Free Enterprise Initiative over its reliance on the Southern Poverty Law Center in vetting charities. Stefan Padfield presented for Heritage, urging the company to drop this biased, discredited data source as part of its responsibility to fiduciary duty and political neutrality.
"The board&rsquo;s opposition statement is most notable for its glaring failure to address whether Amazon continues to use SPLC data, which is a question expressly raised in our proposal. That omission arguably constitutes a red flag in terms of current oversight.
More broadly, the proposition that shareholders should simply trust Amazon&rsquo;s status quo is belied by the fact that Amazon has been rated a High Risk by 1792 Exchange on its Corporate Bias Ratings &ndash; including specifically for concerns about ongoing ties to the SPLC."
Learn more about Heritage's Free Enterprise Initiative <a href="https://www.heritage.org/free-enterprise-initiative">here</a>.

The Heritage Foundation: Calling Out Amazon Over the SPLC

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/clips/3380b269-e39f-4a9f-adb8-b46300eb78db/transcript

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

David Bahnsen: Gilead, Prioritize Business Performance

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