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Northrop Grumman CEO to step down

By Jeff Clabaugh

WASHINGTON — Falls Church, Virginia-based defense contractor Northrop Grumman said CEO Wes Bush will step down as chief executive in January and remain chairman through July 2019.

Chief operating officer Kathy Warden will replace Bush as CEO effective Jan. 1.

Warden also joins the company’s board of directors, effective immediately.

Warden joined the company in 2008 and has held several executive positions, including vice president of the company’s cybersecurity business and president of its Mission Systems sector.

“I am delighted that Kathy will become our company’s next CEO,” said Bush in a Northrop Grumman statement. “She has demonstrated exceptional leadership in her roles leading the operations of our company, and she brings the vision and values to lead Northrop Grumman into the future.”

Bush, who has held the CEO position since 2010, oversaw the company’s recent $9 billion acquisition of Orbital ATK.

The company’s market value has more than tripled under his leadership to $56 billion, according to Bloomberg data.

Massachusetts court hears arguments in lawsuit alleging Meta designed apps to be addictive to kids

By The Associated Press
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court heard oral arguments Friday in the state's lawsuit arguing that Meta designed features on Facebook and Instagram to make them addictive to young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Andrea Campbell, alleges that Meta did this to make a profit and that its actions affected hundreds of thousands of teenagers in Massachusetts who use the social media platforms. “We are making claims based only on the tools that Meta has developed because its own research shows they encourage addiction to the platform in a variety of ways,” said State Solicitor David Kravitz, adding that the state's claim has nothing to do the company's algorithms or failure to moderate content. Meta said Friday that it strongly disagrees with the allegations and is “confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.” Its attorney, Mark Mosier, argued in court that the lawsuit “would impose liabilities for performing traditional publishing functions” and that its actions are protected by the First Amendment.
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