 |
|
|
|||||
The Trump administration wants to redistribute $2.4 billion it pulled from California’s high-speed rail project as part of a new $5 billion program announced Monday to fund rail projects to boost passenger rail traffic nationwide. The new program’s rules for states and others wanting to participate remove any mention of diversity or climate change dating to the Biden administration. The new program will also put a priority on projects in areas with higher rates of birth and marriage and projects that improve safety at railroad crossings. The Trump administration has removed climate change and so-called DEI language from other grant requirements, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took a jab at that Biden-era language and California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s rail project in his announcement. Our new National Railroad Partnership Program will emphasize safety our number one priority without the radical … DEI and green grant requirements. Instead of wasting dollars on Governor Newsoms high-speed rail boondoggle, these targeted investments will improve the lives of rail passengers, local drivers, and pedestrians,” Duffy said. The biggest chunk of this money, the Federal Railroad Administration announced, comes from the $4 billion that was pulled from the California project. The rest of the money comes from a combination of what was announced last year and what is in this years budget. President Donald Trump and Duffy have both criticized the decades-old California project for its cost overruns and many delays that have kept the train that’s designed to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles from becoming a reality. California officials said they will fight the effort to redistribute money they believe should be going to their project. They had already filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s decision to pull federal funding from the rail project. The FRAs decision to terminate federal funding for California high-speed rail was unlawful, unwarranted, and is being challenged in federal court. Now, their attempt to redirect a portion of that funding, currently the subject of litigation, is premature, said Micah Flores, a spokesman for the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The Authority has been prepared for this possibility and will take imminent legal action to block this misguided effort by the FRA. The focus on areas with higher birth and marriage rates reflects Trump’s executive orders that make spending that benefits American families a priority in his administration, according to an FRA spokesman. The Federal Railroad Administration said railroad crossings are important to address because more than 200 people a year are killed when trains collide with vehicles or pedestrians at crossings. That has long been something the government and railroads have worked to address, but it is costly to build bridges or underpasses that allow cars to safely bypass the tracks. Even though the money is targeted toward improving passenger rail, some of it will almost certainly go to improvements on the nation’s major freight railroads because Amtrak uses their tracks for most of its long-distance routes across the country. The administration also said it would give priority to projects that improve the traveling experience for families by adding amenities like nursing mothers’ rooms, expanded waiting areas and children’s play areas in train stations. Applications for this money are due by Jan. 7. Josh Funk, AP transportation writer Associated Press writer Sophie Austin contributed to this report.
Category:
E-Commerce
When PayPal recently posted a job opening for head of CEO content, it signaled more than a new hire. It marked a shift in how companies are thinking about leadership visibility. The role, which blends strategic communications, personal brand development, and thought leadership, reflects a growing recognition that the CEOs voice is not just a corporate asset, it is a leadership imperative. This isnt a new idea. Executive communications has long been a behind-the-scenes function, often housed within corporate affairs or PR. But what is changing is the velocity and visibility of CEO-led storytelling. In an era where attention is fragmented and trust is hard-won, the CEO brand is emerging as a distinct and powerful lever. It is no longer enough to speak on behalf of the company. Todays leaders are expected to speak as themselves. The challenge is that many CEOs are surrounded by noise. Between investor relations, media cycles, internal messaging, and social platforms, the risk of dilution is real. When a CEOs voice is filtered through too many layers or outsourced without strategic alignment, it can lose its edge. Worse, it can become indistinguishable from the corporate brand itself. 3 PRINCIPLES FOR A LEADERS BRAND That is why the rise of external head of CEO content roles is both promising and precarious. On one hand, it reflects a desire for precision, clarity, and influence. On the other, it raises questions about authenticity and ownership. A CEOs brand should complement the company, not compete with it. It should be shaped with intention, not just polished for optics. So how can CEOs navigate this shift and build a leadership brand that is both authentic and effective? Here are three key principles: 1. Separate the voice from the company but stay aligned A CEOs brand is not a mirror of the corporate brand. It is a lens. While the company may speak in terms of products, markets, and performance, the CEO speaks in terms of vision, values, and leadership. That distinction matters. The most effective CEOs articulate their own point of view on issues that transcend the business, whether it is innovation, inclusion, sustainability, or the future of work. They do so in a way that reinforces the companys mission without being confined by it. 2. Build a content engine, not just a communications plan Thought leadership is not a quarterly op-ed or a reactive LinkedIn post. It is a system. CEOs who lead with influence invest in a content engine that supports their voice across channels and formats. That includes speeches, investor letters, internal town halls, media interviews, and digital presence. The goal is consistency without repetition, and resonance without noise. Every message should reflect the CEOs strategic clarity and leadership philosophy. 3. Choose partners who elevate thinking, not just polish words Behind every compelling CEO brand is a trusted thought partner, someone who understands the business, challenges assumptions, and helps shape the narrative. This is not a ghostwriter or a PR handler. It is a strategic confidant who brings intellectual rigor and editorial precision. The best partnerships are built on trust, discretion, and shared ambition. They help CEOs make confident decisions and communicate with impact in moments that matter. As the CEO brand becomes more visible, the stakes get higher. Leaders are no longer judged solely by company performance. They are judged by how they show up, what they stand for, and how they lead in public. The rise of roles like head of CEO content reflects that shift. But the real work happens behind the scenes, in the conversations, decisions, and stories that shape a leaders legacy. In the end, the CEO brand is not about visibility. It is about voice. And in a world of noise, clarity is power. Beth Jannery is founder and president of Titan Strategic Communications.
Category:
E-Commerce
Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. Compass, Americas largest residential brokerage by sales volume, is making its boldest move yet. On Monday, Compass announced it will acquire Anywhere Real Estate, the second largest residential brokerage, for $1.6 billion. The combined company will have some 340,000 real estate professionals worldwide and represent over 1.2 million home transactions annually. Its the biggest brokerage consolidation in U.S. history, bringing Anywhere Real Estates brands like Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sothebys International Realty, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, and Corcoran under the same roof as Compasss tech-driven platform. Compass says the merger will diversify its revenue with Anywheres sprawling franchise, relocation, and title and escrow businesses, while unlocking $225 million in cost synergies. Pending shareholder and regulatory approvals, the deal is expected to close in the second half of 2026. For Compass, the transaction is likely as much about leverage as it is about scale. The company has long positioned itself as a tech-enabled alternative to traditional brokerages, pouring resources into digital marketing, back-office software, and its network of Private Exclusivesoff-market listings shared only within Compasss network, allowing sellers to quietly test pricing and attract serious buyers without (or before) going public. Acquiring Anywhere Real Estate also gives Compass national brand diversity and global reach. Here’s what Amanda Orson, CEO and founder of Galleon, tells ResiClub about the news: The obvious storyline in Compass acquiring Anywhere is broker consolidation. The bigger story is leverage, not just against Zillow but against the MLS itself. Compass on its own is already the largest residential brokerage in the U.S., representing 18% of all sales volume in the 2025 RealTrends ranking . . . Together [with Anywhere] youre looking at the number one and number two players combining under one roof, representing a dominant share of U.S. transactions. Zillows Listing Access Standards [ZLAS] were aimed squarely at Compass exclusives. But Mike DelPretes data shows Compass still peaked at 26% of listings earlier this year despite them. If the same model applies across Anywheres transactions, Zillow risks driving a critical mass of inventory into a competing ecosystem. That puts Zillow in a bind. A merged Compass and Anywhere could normalize off-MLS inventory at national scale. Zillow will either maintain its ZLAS standards and train consumers to search multiple places for listings, or relax its standards and concede that it no longer has leverage. The overlooked angle is what this means for the MLS. Zillow risks losing leverage, but the MLS risks irrelevance if the largest broker consortium keeps a significant share of listings outside the system that was supposed to be the single source of truth. The headline is not just that private exclusives are becoming more inclusive. It is that the era of portal dominance and centrally controlled MLS is beginning to unbundle. A showdown with Zillow In April 2025, Zillow updated its listing standards, banning properties from appearing on its platform if they had been marketed privately for more than 24 hours before hitting the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The policy was aimed directly at Compass, which has leaned heavily into Private Exclusives that circulate inside its agent network before going public. Zillow argued the policy was about fairness for buyers: If a listing is online, it should be online everywhere. In June 2025, Compass filed suit against Zillow, claiming the home-search giant conspired to suppress competition and protect its dominance by banning private listings from later appearing on its platform. The Compass deal announced today could be another strike at Zillow: By acquiring the Anywhere Real Estates brands, Compass could gain the scale and leverage needed to fortify its private listings ecosystem and push past Zillows resistance. The MLS under threat The merger doesnt just challenge Zillow. It could also weaken the traditional role of the MLS, which has long functioned as the industrys single source of truth for listings. If Compass-Anywhere normalizes off-MLS inventory at scale, it could accelerate the industrys fragmentation. For sellers, that might mean more control over how and where homes aremarketed. For buyers, it could mean a more fractured search experiencewith fewer guarantees that Zillow.com or the MLS reflects the near full universe of available properties for sale. What it means for the housing market The deal comes at a turbulent time for housing. Existing home sales are at their lowest level since 1995, affordability is stretched, broker margins are under pressure, and the market is still adjusting to the post-NAR 2024 settlement era. By merging, Compass and Anywhere are betting that size, diversification, and technology can deliver efficiencies in a margin-squeezed environment. But the competitive dynamics may prove more consequential than the balance sheet. If Compass successfully integrates Anywhere, it wont just be the largest brokerage in America. It could be another counterweight to Zillows consumer-facing dominanceand perhaps reshape the MLS itself. Thats why this merger isnt just about creating a bigger company. It could be about rewriting the rules of how homes get marketed, how buyers find them, and who really controls the flow of housing inventory in the U.S.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||