Latest news with #JoeLopez
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Greenville ISD officials work to pay down debt ahead of a potential bond effort
At their meeting in April, the Greenville ISD Board of Trustees worked on reducing the district's debt burden. For the fourth time in five years, the board voted to refinance and/or pay off outstanding bonds ahead of schedule. On May 22, that early defeasance of bonds was finalized, Through those four defeasances, through a combination of scheduled payments, refinancing at lower interest rates and early repayments, the district has reduced its total principal and interest obligations by $89.7 million since 2020. At the end of the 2020 fiscal year, the district's outstanding principal balance stood at $73.445 million. By the end of the current fiscal year, that number will be down to $33.635 million – a reduction of more than 50%. In addition to the financial savings, the district has shortened the final maturity date of its outstanding debt by seven years, accelerating its path to full repayment. In addition to paying down its debt, the district is looking to approve a total property tax rate of 94.09 cents per $100 valuation, which would be 2.6 cents lower than it's current rate of 96.69 cents for every $100 that a property is worth. 'These savings reflect our board's commitment to sound financial management and our ongoing responsibility to the taxpayers of Greenville,' said GISD Superintendent Joe Lopez. 'It's about doing what's right for our students, our schools and our community.' GISD's most recent round of debt reduction comes as the district consults with WRA Architects on the planning of a future bond effort. While the firm has recommended that the district take its time with the community surveying, designing and budgeting process, they have estimated that another bond election could likely be called as soon as this November — a decision that would have to be made in August to meet state election requirements. So far this year, GISD officials and WRA have been meeting with a facility planning committee made up of community members, giving them tours of various multiple campuses to give them a better idea of the district's needs. While GISD has not publicly proposed any specific projects for a future bond election, the district's three previous bond attempts – in May 2022, November 2022 and November 2023 – included as their main projects replacements for both the middle school and the early childhood center, because the two existing campuses are 74 years old, deteriorating and out of compliance with current Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, Texas Education Agency standards and updated building codes.
News18
23-05-2025
- Business
- News18
'Free Palestine': Microsoft Techie Fired For Protesting At CEO Satya Nadella's Event
Last Updated: Joe Lopez, a Microsoft engineer, was fired after protesting the company's partnership with the Israeli military during CEO Satya Nadella's keynote at Build 2025. Joe Lopez, the techie who created ruckus at Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's keynote speech at the company's annual developer conference – Build 2025, has been fired. At the event, the software engineer protested against the company's partnership with the Israeli military amid the war in Gaza. He accused the tech giant on contributing in worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He shouted 'Free Palestine" as a mark of protest in support of Gaza. A video that has surfaced on social media shows the man yelling, 'How about you show them how Microsoft is killing Palestinians? How about you show them how Israeli war crimes are powered by Azure?" Lopez shouted from the audience before being confronted and dragged out of the Seattle Convention Center by security. 'As a Microsoft worker, I refuse to be complicit in this genocide." According to advocacy group No Azure for Apartheid, the former Microsoft employee received a termination letter following the protest, although he was reportedly unable to open the document. Fired Employee Sent Email Soon after the disruption at the event, Lopez sent a mass email to his colleagues at the firm, challenging the company's statements about the use of its Azure cloud services in Gaza. 'Leadership rejects our claims that Azure technology is being used to target or harm civilians in Gaza", he said. 'Those of us who have been paying attention know that this is a bold-faced lie. Every byte of data that is stored on the cloud (much of it likely containing data obtained by illegal mass surveillance) can and will be used as justification to level cities and exterminate Palestinians." This disruption marked the first of multiple pro-Palestinian protests during the four-day conference. At least three executive sessions were affected, one livestream had its audio briefly cut, and demonstrators also gathered outside the venue. Vaniya Agrawal Creates Ruckus In one such incident, an Indian-American techie Vaniya Agrawal – ex-software engineer at Microsoft – along with another fired Microsoft employee Hossam Nasr shouted at the company's head of security for AI, Neta Haiby. Earlier on May 20, a Palestinian tech worker interrupted Microsoft executive Jay Parikh's keynote presentation, shouting, 'Jay! My people are suffering". Last week, the tech giant admitted providing AI services to the Israel but stated it found no evidence that its Azure cloud or AI tools were used to directly target civilians in Gaza. However, internal dissent continues. The employee-led group claims the company has blocked internal emails containing terms like 'Palestine" and 'Gaza." Nadella-led company has previously dismissed employees who protested its involvement in Israel, including during its 50th anniversary celebration in April.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Microsoft is blocking employees from sending emails with the word 'Palestine'
Microsoft (MSFT) has reportedly implemented internal email filters that restrict messages containing terms such as 'Palestine,' 'Gaza,' and 'genocide.' The move, which Microsoft described as part of an effort to limit mass, non-work-related messages, has sparked accusations of censorship and bias — particularly amid rising employee protests over the company's contracts with the Israeli government. Employee activist group No Azure for Apartheid (NOAA) posted Microsoft's email restrictions on social media, saying people were being blocked from sending messages related to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. NOAA has organized around Microsoft's role in providing Azure cloud services, including AI tools, to Israeli government entities, which the group says could be used in military operations. Microsoft has maintained that internal and external reviews have found no evidence that its tools have been used to harm civilians in Gaza. Microsoft confirmed to The Verge that it implemented restrictions to limit 'politically focused emails.' In a statement provided to Quartz, a Microsoft spokesperson said, 'Sending unsolicited email to large numbers of employees at work is not appropriate. We have an established forum for employees who have opted into a variety of issues for this reason. Over the past couple of days, a number of emails have been sent to tens of thousands of employees across the company and we have taken measures to try and reduce those emails to those that have not opted in.' Employees have previously said that pro-Ukraine or DEI-related mass emails were allowed, while their pro-Palestine messages were blocked. Microsoft has operated an R&D center in Israel since 1991 (the company's first such center outside the U.S.) and is a major investor in Israel's startup and cybersecurity ecosystem. The controversy around Microsoft's ties to Israel's government further escalated this week during the Microsoft Build developer conference when employees disrupted addresses by company leadership in order to protest Microsoft's policies and contracts. One employee, Joe Lopez, was terminated after disrupting CEO Satya Nadella during a keynote and sending an email to employees where he said he had to take action because of the 'silence' of top brass on the company's links to the Israeli government. Lopez accused the company of a 'bold-faced lie' about how Azure is being used in Gaza. This isn't Microsoft's first clash with employees over its government contracts. In recent months, over 1,500 workers have signed an open letter demanding the company end ties with Israeli defense agencies, echoing similar movements at Google (GOOGL) and Amazon (AMZN). For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Microsoft fires employee who interrupted CEO's speech to protest AI tech for Israeli military
Microsoft has fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the company's work supplying the Israeli military with technology used for the war in Gaza. Software engineer Joe Lopez could be heard shouting at Nadella in the opening minutes Monday of the tech giant's annual Build developer conference in Seattle before getting escorted out of the room. Lopez later sent a mass email to colleagues disputing the company's claims about how its Azure cloud computing platform is used in Gaza. Lopez's outburst was the first of several pro-Palestinian disruptions at the event that drew thousands of software developers to the Seattle Convention Center. At least three talks by executives were disrupted, the company even briefly cut the audio of one livestreamed event. Protesters also gathered outside the venue. Microsoft has previously fired employees who protested company events over its work in Israel, including at its 50th anniversary party in April. Microsoft acknowledged last week that it provided AI services to the Israeli military for the war in Gaza but said it had found no evidence to date that its Azure platform and AI technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza. The advocacy group No Azure for Apartheid, led by employees and ex-employees, says Lopez received a termination letter after his Monday protest but couldn't open it. The group also says the company has blocked internal emails that mention words including 'Palestine' and 'Gaza.' Microsoft hasn't returned emailed requests for comment about its response to this week's protests. The four-day conference ends Thursday.
Associated Press
22-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Microsoft fires employee who interrupted CEO's speech to protest AI tech for Israeli military
SEATTLE (AP) — Microsoft has fired an employee who interrupted a speech by CEO Satya Nadella to protest the company's work supplying the Israeli military with technology used for the war in Gaza. Software engineer Joe Lopez could be heard shouting at Nadella in the opening minutes Monday of the tech giant's annual Build developer conference in Seattle before getting escorted out of the room. Lopez later sent a mass email to colleagues disputing the company's claims about how its Azure cloud computing platform is used in Gaza. Lopez's outburst was the first of several pro-Palestinian disruptions at the event that drew thousands of software developers to the Seattle Convention Center. At least three talks by executives were disrupted, the company even briefly cut the audio of one livestreamed event. Protesters also gathered outside the venue. Microsoft has previously fired employees who protested company events over its work in Israel, including at its 50th anniversary party in April. Microsoft acknowledged last week that it provided AI services to the Israeli military for the war in Gaza but said it had found no evidence to date that its Azure platform and AI technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza. The advocacy group No Azure for Apartheid, led by employees and ex-employees, says Lopez received a termination letter after his Monday protest but couldn't open it. The group also says the company has blocked internal emails that mention words including 'Palestine' and 'Gaza.' Microsoft hasn't returned emailed requests for comment about its response to this week's protests. The four-day conference ends Thursday.
