John Burnett

Following the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) new Universal Proxy Card (UPC) rule going into effect last September, there was a surge in proxy fights as empowered activist investors tried to influence the direction of companies.

The UPC rule, meant to simplify shareholder voting by consolidating ballots and ostensibly democratize corporate governance, has just sown more confusion and infighting while raising questions about its impact, especially on companies in sensitive industrie...

In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes. — Benjamin Franklin
Over 200 years later, Benjamin Franklin's quote still rings true. While Americans have resigned themselves to the certainty of taxes, they have not yet resigned themselves to the arduous task of filing them every April. For decades, private tax-preparation companies have stepped in to offer assistance with filing annual taxes, but they have done so overcharging and helping themselves to private, sensitive taxpayer data...

Amidst Congress’ best efforts to keep the government open, it’s also hard at work to re-authorize affordable food; farmers are able to insure their crops, and ranchers can export their products to foreign markets. It’s not an understatement to say it’s one of the most important bills Congress can send to the president’s desk, which is why it is so important to get it right. Yet, some in Congress think getting it “right” means restricting certain consumers’ food items as “wrong” to buy. According to

You’d be hard-pressed ever to find a perfect bill in Washington. But this bill is undoubtedly a step in the right direction — and in a time of divided government when significant wins are few and far between, this is a clear victory. The deal will combine raising the federal debt ceiling with smart fiscal reforms to put the country on a more sustainable path.

Congress was right to call on Facebook ’s Mark Zuckerberg to explain how a political-consulting firm was able to harvest personal information from 50 million users. But to protect Americans from a far greater data-mining threat, lawmakers must question another tech titan next: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

A contentious legal fight between Arm and Qualcomm over intellectual property rights is sending shockwaves throughout the chip industry, and for a good reason: the dispute highlights the complicated supply chain, the often-misunderstood value of IP, and sky-high stakes involved in chip production. This production is driven by a massive chip ecosystem built on a shared success model between Arm and more than 500 chip makers who are combining to ship nearly 30 billion chips yearly. It's the ver...

American families feel the pinch of rising inflation rates from grocery store aisles and gas pumps to the real estate market. The Federal Reserve, which recently approved the first interest rate hike in more than three years, is now struggling to play catch-up to our economic reality — and is ...

Fair competition is an integral part of basketball, from the blacktop to hardwood floors. Fans can live with a missed shot, an off-shooting night, or a half-witted turnover at an inopportune time but staunchly hate it when referees interfere or decide the outcome of a game. The same is true for politicians who pass laws that skew the playing field....

One way to strike a balance between reducing the U.S. carbon footprint, bolstering economic growth, and spurring job creation is to keenly focus on infrastructure and transportation which is the largest source of U.S. emissions. If done right, the results will be...

Education is one of the greatest equalizers that can lift individuals out of poverty and help provide access to an inclusive path on the road to create generational wealth. But access to vital pedagogical tools and adequate broadband is sparse at best.
The digital divide disproportionately impacts Black and brown students from grade school to higher learning. Moreover, prolonged school closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated education inequities in urban communities that cannot be ign...

Vista emerged as one of the most enviable performers in the private equity space. In fact, Vista returned a total of $7.3 billion in private equity and permanent capital to its investors in 2020, making it one of the year’s top-20 performers. So, what’s the secret of Vista’s success? Much of the answer lies in the audacious bet that the firm has for years placed on....

As the U.S. economy takes significant steps to lessen pandemic restrictions, the need for testing may still be an integral part of early detection and risk management for the foreseeable future. At least, that is what RAM Global is hoping for as the company positions itself as a high-volume and rapid, low-cost testing solution for COVID-19 and future viruses. But what makes RAM Global’s testing solution unique? RAM engineered a terahertz express analyzer diagnostic platform designed to detect...

The leaders of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google recently faced a long-overdue grilling from Congress about their anticompetitive behavior. But the hearing failed to address several concerns that are specific to Amazon’s business, which is vastly different from that of its Big Tech counterparts and uniquely pervasive across the economy.
Lawmakers need to get to the bottom of these issues so that they can take appropriate actions to protect consumers and small businesses, so many of which are...

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought our economy to a grinding halt and wrought havoc on local communities, and it seems to be anybody’s guess when the virus will relent.

But amid the constant barrage of bad news and dire predictions, one silver lining is how the private sector has stepped up to support response efforts. From major corporations donating stockpiled medical supplies to breweries producing hand sanitizer, American businesses have risen to the occasion and showcased their unparallel...

To celebrate the return to normal, there was a recent fireworks display over the Hudson, plus plans in place for a mega-concert in Central Park. And, while the city has gradually reawakened over the last few weeks, the strangest thing has happened – COVID cases have hit a record low. The reality is people can be in charge of their own behavior, and the city is better for it....