In this Oct. 8, 2018 file photo, Steve Carell arrives at the premiere of "Beautiful Boy" in Beverly Hills, Calif. Carell will reunite with his creative team from "The Office," Greg Daniels and Howard Klein, for the new Netflix comedy series "Space Force." (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) --
Steve Carell is starring in a new workplace comedy that could be out of this world.
Netflix said Wednesday that Carell is re-teaming with "The Office" producers Greg Daniels and Howard Klein on the series "Space Force."
It's about the people assigned to create a sixth branch of the armed services focused on space, the streaming service said.
The premise is grounded in reality: Last year, the Trump administration directed the Pentagon to form a Space Command aimed at the creation of a Space Force branch.
Carell and Daniels are the sitcom's co-creators and will serve as executive producers along with Klein.
Daniels co-created NBC's 2015-13 "The Office," based on the original Ricky Gervais-Stephen Merchant U.K. mockumentary series.
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
