This May 13, 2015, file photo shows Jury presidents Ethan Coen, right, and Joel Coen standing on stage during the opening ceremony at the 68th international film festival, Cannes, southern France. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP, File)
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) --
A series of feature-length Westerns backed by the Coen brothers and Annapurna Pictures will begin filming in northern New Mexico in July.
The New Mexico Film Office says work on "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" will run through September. More than 180 crew members, 16 actors and hundreds of background talent will be hired for the project.
Written, directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen, the series consists of six separate stories. The first is about a singing cowboy, while the second follows a drifter and his unsuccessful attempts at bank robbery and cattle driving.
Other stories involve a gold prospector, a woman who finds herself in need of help while traveling the Oregon Trail, and five stagecoach passengers headed for a mysterious destination.
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
