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Top sports agent Jeff Schwartz said the pay discrepancy between men’s and women’s basketball “blatantly unfair.”
Schwartz’s Excel Sports Management represents more than 500 clients and has negotiated billions in athlete contracts over the years.
WNBA players are currently negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the league.

The WNBA has a salary problem, and it’s “blatantly unfair to its players,” according to top sports agent Jeff Schwartz.
Schwartz, who founded and runs Excel Sports Management, told Alex Sherman in a CNBC Sport interview that something has to change when it comes to compensation in the women’s basketball league.

“It’s ridiculous what women are getting paid in the WNBA,” Schwartz said.
And he would know. Schwartz’s firm represents more than 500 clients and has negotiated billions in athlete contracts over the years. Excel represents some of the biggest athletes in the country, from Caitlin Clark to Tiger Woods to Peyton and Eli Manning.
Schwartz’s comments come as the WNBA had a record 2024 season, shattering viewership, attendance and merchandise records led by stars like Clark. Yet, WNBA salaries currently range from the league minimum of $64,154 to the maximum of $241,948. (Players also receive full benefits and may be eligible for award bonuses.)
To put that in perspective, in the NBA, the league minimum is now $1.15 million and the average salary is more than $11 million, according to data from Sports Reference.
While many are quick to blame the WNBA for the pay inequalities, it’s not always apples to apples. The NBA has been around for more than 75 years and brings in billions of dollars in corporate sponsorships. The WNBA is heading into its 29th season and plays only four months out of the year.

Still, female professional pickleball players are now making more than WNBA stars, averaging $260,000 per year, according to salary data from the United Pickleball Association.
In October, WNBA players opted out of their collective bargaining agreement in a bid to seek bigger payouts, among other contract improvements. The players and league have until 2027 to agree to updated terms.
The WNBA declined to comment.

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever brings the ball up the court against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on September 15, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 
Justin Casterline | Getty Images

Schwartz, whose firm also represents Napheesa Collier, founder of a new startup basketball league called Unrivaled, also commented on player equity in sports. As part of Unrivaled’ s compensation plan, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league is offering players equity in the league.
Unrivaled, which kicked off earlier this month, says it has the highest average player salary of any professional women’s sports league. Players in the league have an average salary of more than $220,000, according to a person familiar with the league, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic matters.
Schwartz said he doesn’t see the more-established professional leagues giving up equity to players anytime soon, but that for some of the newer leagues like Unrivaled it makes sense.
“I think players having ownership in what you do is a great thing,” he said.
Watch the full CNBC Sport interview with Schwartz.

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How much do your colleagues get paid? In a few countries, such as Norway, you can take a good guess by looking at public records on individuals’ overall tax payments and income. But in most places, finding out people’s salaries means asking them what they earn. And that is about as socially acceptable as saying “What an ugly baby.” More

Historically Germany has been a world champion of the rights of workers related to their health. In 1883 Otto von Bismarck, chancellor of the German empire, set up the world’s first statutory health-insurance system with the Health Insurance Act, which included paid sick leave. Bismarck’s Krankenversicherungsgesetz was not motivated by concern for workers’ welfare so much as a strategy to beat socialists at their own game. Yet it laid the foundations of Germany’s welfare state and was followed by laws on accident and disability insurance. More

American Airlines last year said it would reverse a business-travel sales strategy that backfired.
The airline signed a new credit card deal with Citi late last year.

An American Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner departs from Los Angeles International Airport en route to Tokyo on September 19, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. 
Kevin Carter | Getty Images

American Airlines’ first-quarter earnings outlook on Thursday fell short of analysts’ estimates, sending shares down more than 8%.
The carrier forecast an adjusted loss per share of 20 cents to 40 cents for the first three months of 2025 based on current demand trends and fuel-price forecast, a wider loss than the 4 cents analysts were expecting, according to LSEG.

The airline said it expects unit costs, excluding fuel, to rise in the low-single digit percentage points over the first quarter of 2024 driven by lower capacity, which it expects to fall as much as 2% over last year; a higher mix of smaller, regional-jet flying; and new labor agreements it finalized last year.
The earnings outlook contrasts with sunnier forecasts from rivals United and Delta earlier this month, though American’s full-year earnings forecast of between $1.70 and $2.70 is in line with analysts’ estimates.
American spent much of the last year reversing a business-travel sales strategy that backfired. However, it also sealed a new credit card deal with its partner Citi. Compensation from its existing deals with Citi and Barclays rose 17% from 2023 to $6.1 billion last year, American said.
“As we look ahead to this year, American remains well-positioned because of the strength of our network, loyalty and co-branded credit card programs, fleet and operational reliability, and the tremendous work of our team,” CEO Robert Isom said in a news release.
American said it expects revenue to be up between 3% to 5% in the first quarter versus the same period in 2024 and up as much as 7.5% for the full year compared with 2024.

Here is how American performed in the fourth quarter compared with Wall Street estimates compiled by LSEG:

Earnings per share: 86 cents adjusted vs. 64 cents
Revenue: $13.66 billion vs. $13.40 billion expected

American’s fourth-quarter profit rose to $590 million from $19 million on sales that were up 4.6% on the year to $13.66 billion. Both domestic and international revenue rose, led by a surge in trans-Pacific revenue. More

General Motors on Thursday revealed a new $80,000 performance version of its all-electric Cadillac Lyriq.
The Lyriq-V, part of Cadillac’s V-Series performance vehicles, is expected to assist the brand in achieving a target of becoming the top-selling luxury EV name this year in the U.S., excluding Tesla.

2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V

DETROIT – General Motors on Thursday revealed a new $80,000 performance version of its all-electric Cadillac Lyriq, as the Detroit automaker targets becoming the top-selling luxury EV brand this year in the U.S.
Cadillac expects to achieve that target with an expanding lineup of electric vehicles such as the performance Lyriq-V, Escalade IQ SUV and upcoming entry-level Optiq crossover.

“We are going to position Cadillac to be the bestselling luxury EV nameplate in the U.S. for 2025. Again, let me repeat that: bestselling luxury EV [brand] in 2025,” Cadillac Vice President John Roth said during a media briefing. “The sky’s the limit on what we’re going to be able to do in the luxury EV space.”
But the “luxury” space may not be as clear as it appears. Cadillac, following Roth’s comments, said it is not including Tesla as a “luxury” manufacturer, despite several products being priced in the same range as some of Cadillac’s offerings. A brand spokeswoman said Cadillac is including names such as Audi, Mercedes-Benz and others as its core competitors.

2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V

“There’s a handful of models within the Tesla lineup that probably qualify as luxury, but they continue to do some interesting elements with the brand,” Roth said.
Excluding Tesla, which leads the U.S. EV market by a wide margin, Cox Automotive reports Cadillac’s nearly 30,000 EVs sold last year trailed only BMW’s roughly 51,000 units. Audi and Mercedes-Benz were also close to Cadillac. That compares with estimated U.S. sales of EVs by Tesla at more than 633,000 EVs last year, according to Cox.
Historically, the automotive industry has been made of “mainstream” brands such as Chevrolet and luxury ones such as Cadillac. But many brands, including Cadillac and Tesla, now offer vehicles across a broad price range.

Tesla’s pricing ranges from roughly $42,500 for the Model 3 sedan to roughly $100,000 for vehicles such as the Cybertruck and Model S Plaid. That compares with Cadillac’s EVs that, once available, are expected to range between $54,000 for the Optiq to more than $150,000 for the Escalade IQ. Cadillac also offers a more than $300,000 bespoke car called the Celestiq.

2026 Cadillac Lyriq-V

For context, Kelley Blue Book reports the average transaction price for a new electric vehicle to end last year was $55,544. That does not include consumer EV incentives such as the federal tax credit of up to $7,500.
Cadillac is expected to have five EVs on sale by the end of this year, up from three currently. That would match Tesla on the number of EVs from the brand, but Tesla was still estimated to achieve nearly 50% of EV market share last year in the U.S.
Regarding the Lyriq-V, Cadillac said the vehicle will have an estimated 615 horsepower, 650 foot-pounds of torque and 285-mile range when fully charged. It’s expected to achieve 0-60 mph in as little as 3.3 seconds.
The Lyriq is Cadillac’s first production EV to be included in its performance V-Series lineup of vehicles. The Lyrq-V is largely similar to the regular model, but includes unique badging and enhanced performance parts and other accessories to improve driving dynamics.
GM said the Lyriq-V, starting at $79,995, will be sold in the U.S., Canada and other countries, with production starting in early 2025 at GM’s Spring Hill Manufacturing plant in Tennessee.

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Stellantis Chairman John Elkann detailed several upcoming plans for U.S. investments when meeting with President Donald Trump during a dayslong trip before his Monday inauguration.
The plans included confirmations of investments in plants in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

Stellantis Chairman John Elkann speaks during the presentation of the new Fiat Panda as Fiat celebrates the 125th anniversary of its brand in Turin, Italy, July 11, 2024.
Massimo Pinca | Reuters

DETROIT — Stellantis Chairman John Elkann detailed several upcoming plans the trans-Atlantic automaker has for U.S. investments when meeting with President Donald Trump during a dayslong trip to Washington, D.C., before Trump’s Monday inauguration.
The plans, as outlined in an internal message Wednesday to U.S. employees, included creating 1,500 jobs and reopening a plant in Illinois to build a new midsize pickup truck in 2027; building a new version of the Dodge Durango SUV that was being considered for Mexico at a Detroit plant instead; and adding more support for plants in Toledo, Ohio, and Kokomo, Indiana.

“John told the President that building on our proud, more than 100-year history in the U.S., we plan to continue that legacy by further strengthening our U.S. manufacturing footprint and providing stability for our great American workforce,” Antonio Filosa, head of Stellantis’ North American operations, said in the message.
Leaders from each of the “Big Three” automakers in Detroit have now separately spoken or met with Trump. They also were among the companies to each donate $1 million to Trump’s inauguration.
General Motors on Wednesday confirmed CEO Mary Barra also spoke with Trump prior to the inauguration about the U.S. automotive industry and economy. The company characterized it as a great, “friendly and productive” conversation.

Flanked by Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman (L) and General Motors CEO Mary Barra (R), U.S. President Donald Trump holds a strategy and policy forum with chief executives of major U.S. companies at the White House in Washington February 3, 2017.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

Ford Motor Chair Bill Ford earlier this month said he had a lengthy phone call with the then-president-elect.
“We had a long, long, conversation,” Ford said Jan. 9 during an event for the Detroit Auto Show. “He called me out of the blue and we had a terrific conversation. And he understands the importance of our industry and Ford in the industry. He wants to be helpful. I think once he gets his staff together, we’ll probably be able to go a little bit deeper.”

Some of the Stellantis’ announcements, such as building the midsize pickup truck in Illinois, were previously expected under a contract with the United Auto Workers union. However, they had come into question under strategic decisions made by former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares.
UAW President Shawn Fain, who had been campaigning for Tavares’ firing, hailed the announced plans. The union had previously filed grievances and held anti-Stellantis rallies over job cuts and potential changes to the company’s production plans.
“This victory is a testament to the power of workers standing together and holding a billion-dollar corporation accountable. We’ve shown that we will do what it takes to protect the good union jobs that are the lifeblood of places like Belvidere, Detroit, Kokomo, and beyond,” Fain said in a statement Wednesday.

The New York Stock Exchange welcomes The Jeep Brand (NYSE: STLA) to the podium, on May 31, 2024. To honor the occasion, Antonio Filosa, Chief Executive Officer, joined by Lynn Martin, President, NYSE Group rings The Opening Bell®.

Elkann, scion of Italy’s Agnelli family who founded Fiat, is overseeing the automaker amid a search for a new CEO following Tavares’ abrupt December departure amid declining profits, slumping market share and disagreements with the company’s board.
Plans for Stellantis’ Jeep complex in Ohio include “additional technologies and strong product actions for Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator” and “more components critical” to supporting facilities.
Stellantis’ investments for Indiana include production of a new four-cylinder engine, according to the memo.
“Our plans, focused on increasing market share and growing sales volume, entail a multibillion-dollar investment in our people, great products, and innovative technology, all here in the U.S.,” Filosa said.
Reuters on Tuesday reported Elkann met with Trump and several top administration officials before Trump’s inauguration, which Elkann was invited to but did not attend.
Elkann, who also serves as chairman of Ferrari, flew back to Italy prior to the inauguration to meet seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton as the new Ferrari Formula One driver, Reuters reported.

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When President Donald Trump announced a half-trillion-dollar of private-sector investment in American artificial-intelligence (AI) infrastructure on January 21st, his second day in office, he basked in the accolades of the three men backing the “Stargate” project: OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Masayoshi Son, a Japanese tech mogul, and Larry Ellison of Oracle, an IT firm. He called it the largest AI investment in history. Then came the kicker. “This is money that normally would have gone to China.” More

CNN is planning to lay off hundreds of employees this week.
NBC News is also planning layoffs this week, although the scale will be much smaller than those at CNN.
Newsrooms around the U.S. are reorganizing around digital audiences as fewer people watch cable and broadcast news.

The stage is set for the first 2024 presidential debate between U.S. President Joe Biden and former U.S. President Donald Trump, in Atlanta on June 26, 2024.
John Nowak | CNN | Via Reuters

Warner Bros. Discovery’s CNN plans to lay off hundreds of employees Thursday as it refocuses the business around a global digital audience, according to people familiar with the matter.
The layoffs come as CNN is rearranging its linear TV lineup and building out digital subscription products. The cuts will help CNN lower production costs and consolidate teams, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic changes.

Certain shows that are produced in New York or Washington may move to Atlanta, where production can be done more cheaply, said the people.
For the most part, the job cuts won’t affect CNN’s most recognizable names, who are under contract, said the people. CNN has about 3,500 employees worldwide.
During a town hall meeting earlier this month, CNN CEO Mark Thompson said the media company has received an investment of “more than $70 million” from Warner Bros. Discovery to help fund the company’s digital operations. Part of that investment will go toward hiring employees in areas where CNN sees potential growth avenues, such as data scientists and product development.
In October, CNN launched a digital paywall, charging heavier users of the site $3.99 per month.
NBC News is also planning cuts later this week, according to people familiar with the matter. While the exact number couldn’t be determined, the job losses will be well under 50, two of the people said.

Spokespeople for NBC News and CNN declined to comment.
Both news organizations waited until after the U.S. presidential inauguration to make the cuts. The news media landscape is in transition as fewer people watch linear TV and more consume their news on streaming services and through social media.
Disclosure: NBCUniversal is the parent company of CNBC and NBC News. More