In this Jan. 8, 2016, file photo, J.J. Abrams arrives at the AFI Awards at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) --
J.J. Abrams, director of the blockbuster "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," is deflecting Oscars talk for himself but is hoping other people involved in the film will see their work recognized.
Academy Awards nominations will be announced Thursday. Abrams said that the gift of working on the franchise was enough, and that he didn't need further validation. But there are co-workers he would be disappointed for if they didn't get nominated. He declined to name any of them.
"If I name eight people, the ninth person will be like, 'thanks,'" he said at a news conference on Saturday.
He said he's grateful to anyone who's seen the movie, which has become the top-grossing American film of all time as it nears $800 million in earnings. It was released last month.
"I hear anecdotally that some people have gone to see the movie seven or eight times," he said. "I just want to apologize to their parents."
Pepsi soft drinks in plastic bottles are on sale at a grocery store in New York on Weds., Nov. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)
PepsiCo confirmed Friday that it's ending some of its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, even as rival Coca-Cola voiced support for its own inclusion efforts.
In a memo sent to employees, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said the company will no longer set goals for minority representation in its managerial roles or supplier base. The company will also align its sponsorships to events and groups that promote business growth, he said.
Laguarta wrote that inclusion remains important to PepsiCo, whose brands include Gatorade, Lay's potato chips, Doritos, Mountain Dew as well as Pepsi. The Purchase, New York-based company's chief diversity officer will transition to a broader role focused on employee engagement, leadership development and ensuring an inclusive culture, he said.
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last month, U.S. government agencies, companies and schools have rushed to reevaluate policies and programs they adopted with the goal of reducing discrimination against members of minority groups, women and LGBTQ+ people.
Trump ended DEI programs within the federal government and has warned schools to end DEI programs or risk losing federal money.
PepsiCo's rollback came as Coca-Cola reaffirmed support for its DEI efforts.
In its annual report, Atlanta-based Coke warned that its business could be negatively affected if it is unable to attract employees that reflect its broad range of customers.
"Failure to maintain a corporate culture that fosters innovation, collaboration and inclusion … could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business and our future success," the company said.
Coca-Cola has set a goal of having women in 50% of its senior leadership roles by... Read More
