THE CLASH OVER classifying Uber drivers as independent contractors versus bona fide employees is the signature controversy of the on-demand economy. According to Uber, Lyft, and other on-demand driver companies, the independent contractor model offers the promise of a bright and flexible future in which each worker is a micro-entrepreneur—choosing her own hours and acting as her own boss. The problem, according to Uber detractors: these workers don’t receive benefits. And they can’t unionize.
Category: News and Views
Los Angeles schools closed after terror threat |Business Insider
Every school in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) was closed Tuesday because of what officials described as a “credible” threat of violence.
The bomb threat came in the form of an email sent to a district board member and tied to an IP address in Germany, a spokeswoman for the school district told Reuters.
“The school district received a safety threat that we’re in the process of evaluating and vetting … As you can imagine, we take all threats seriously,” Jorge Villegas, the assistant chief of the LAPD, said at a press conference Tuesday morning.
Weekly Economic Update | LAEDC
v.19 n. 51 – Released December 14, 2015
This Week’s Headlines:
- California Financial Report for November
- Retail Sales in November – Take a Second Look
- Producer Price Index Rises on Strength of Service-Sector Profit Margins
- Consumers Give Credit Cards a Rest in October
- Events of Interest
- February 17, 2016: LAEDC February Economic Outlook
Internet rules could require parental OK for millions of teens | CNN Money
It could get a lot harder for kids and young teens to access the Internet in Europe over the next few years.
Top political leaders and lawmakers across the European Union are in the midst of finalizing updated regulations to protect the personal data of people across the region. An agreement could come as early as Tuesday and the new rules would go into effect in 28 European countries in about two years.
While intentions are good, one particular proposal that tries to protect children is drawing harsh criticism.
The proposal calls for all kids under the age of 16 to get parental consent before they use online services, including social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter.
The Case For Putting A Tax On Meat | Co.Exist
Maybe you’ve already heard that your love of hamburgers is making climate change worse. But what would it actually take for you to stop eating them?
A recent report suggests that a tax on meat might be part of a solution.
Without doing something about the world’s appetite for beef, pork, and chicken, we have a big problem: Meat production is responsible for nearly 15% of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s as much as all of the vehicles on the planet, and it’s only going to get worse; as more people around the world can afford meat, consumption is projected to increase by about 75% by 2050.
Weekly Economic Update | LAEDC
v.19 n. 50 – Released December 8, 2015
This Week’s Headlines:
- U.S. Labor Market Delivers in November
- U.S. Trade Deficit Back on Trend Following September Decline
- U.S. Light Vehicle Sales Setting Records
- Events of Interest
- February 17, 2016: LAEDC February Economic Outlook
These New Google Shopping Updates May Affect You | Small Biz Trends
If your small business regularly sells products via Google Shopping, a new reorganization of the company’s policies is on he way.
Though the company insists the new policies are mostly a simplification of the way merchants currently do business.
However, Google also insists those using the service do review the changes to make sure noting is missed when the new policy takes over.
Google’s Shopping Policy Center will be updated come February 2016.
‘Spell-check for hate’ needed, says Google’s Schmidt | BBC News
Technology companies should work on tools to disrupt terrorism – such as creating a hate speech “spell-checker” – Google’s chairman Eric Schmidt has said.
Writing in the New York Times, Mr Schmidt said using technology to automatically filter-out extremist material would “de-escalate tensions on social media” and “remove videos before they spread”.
His essay comes as presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton again called on Silicon Valley to help tackle terrorism, specifically seeking tools to combat the so-called Islamic State.
Wal-Mart Sues Puerto Rico Over ‘Astonishing And Unsustainable’ Tax Increase | Forbes
Wal-Mart Puerto Rico, Inc. (Wal-Mart PR), the Puerto Rico arm of the venerable Wal-Mart chain, has filed a lawsuit against the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in a bid to overturn certain new tax laws the retailer says are discriminatory and violate federal laws and the U.S. Constitution. The case is Wal-Mart Puerto Rico Inc. v. Zaragoza-Gomez, 15-cv-3018, U.S. District Court, District of Puerto Rico (San Juan).
According to the complaint, more Puerto Ricans work for Wal-Mart PR than for any other private employer in the Commonwealth: Wal-Mart PR operates 55 Walmart Stores, Walmart Supercenters, Sam’s Clubs, Super Ahorros, and Amigos stores, employing nearly 15,000 people in Puerto Rico. Wal-Mart PR also asserts that it collects more sales tax on behalf of the Commonwealth than any other company or entity, collecting approximately $100 million in sales tax annually.
Women to Be Allowed in All U.S. Combat Positions, Pentagon Says | Bloomberg
Women will be allowed in all combat positions throughout the U.S. military, ending decades of exclusion from front-line jobs, Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced Thursday.
“To succeed in our mission of national defense, we cannot afford to cut ourselves off from half the country’s talents and skills,” Carter told reporters at the Pentagon.
The change, which will be implemented within 30 days, will open almost 220,000 reconnaissance, infantry, and special-operations positions that were not previously available to women. Women will have access to any position in the armed services whose requirements they can fulfill, Carter said.
