• Number two taps out. As expected, Emil Michael, Uber's SVP for business and Travis Kalanick's second in command, left the company yesterday. His departure was apparently recommended by the Eric Holder-led report on the massive cultural problems at the startup. No update yet on whether Kalanick will be forced into a leave of absence while he quietly amasses even more control than entrepreneurs typically enjoy at their start-ups. As the dominoes continue to fall, it's worth considering the headline of this story by Pando's Sarah Lacy: "Susan Fowler Did This." • Kelly's shine theory. Megyn Kelly is in the hot seat over her upcoming interview with Infowars' Alex Jones. Some are criticizing Kelly for giving a platform to a conspiracy theorist who has called the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School a hoax. The NBC host defended the segment, noting that Infowars has been given a White House press credential and that "our job is 2 shine a light." Most advertisers have remained quiet—with the exception of J.P. Morgan Chase, which has asked for its local TV ads and digital ads to be removed from all NBC news programming until after the show airs. Variety • A big promise. Fortune's Ellen McGirt has the scoop on a new CEO-led alliance that is the largest-ever commitment to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Some 175 companies have signed on, including Walmart, Target, HP, Cisco, and PwC, whose U.S. chairman Tim Ryan first proposed the idea. Fortune • Honestly! Jessica Alba's Honest Company has settled a lawsuit in New York claiming that it fraudulently labeled dozens of home and personal care products as natural, plant-based or chemical-free. The accord comes just one week after Honest reached a $1.55 million settlement in a federal lawsuit in Los Angeles claiming it sold cleaners containing a skin irritant it had pledged to avoid. Fortune • Going for a run. This Politico investigation digs into one of the biggest reasons why women haven't achieved parity in politics—they "don't want the job"—and asks whether, in the wake of President Trump's election, that might soon change. Politico MOVERS AND SHAKERS: Wieden & Kennedy has promoted Susan Hoffman to co-chief creative officer, alongside Colleen DeCourcy. The Associated Press named Julie Pace, formerly the AP's White House correspondent, as its White House bureau chief. |