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Donald Trump’s own treasury secretary blocked Ivanka World Bank role – report

10/10/2021 Comments Off on Donald Trump’s own treasury secretary blocked Ivanka World Bank role – report

Ivanka TrumpDonald Trump’s own treasury secretary blocked Ivanka World Bank role – reportSteven Mnuchin said to have stopped move likely to have upset world leaders, which ‘came incredibly close to happening’ Martin Pengelly in New York@ …

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What the US unemployment rate doesn’t tell you

10/10/2021 Comments Off on What the US unemployment rate doesn’t tell you

US unemployment and employment dataWhat the US unemployment rate doesn’t tell youThe true measure of unemployment depends on who you ask Rashida KamalSun 10 Oct 2021 06.00 EDTLast modified on Sun 10 Oct 2021 06.03 EDTJust how healthy is the US jobs market? On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its latest jobs report, showing that the US added a disappointing 194,000 jobs last month while announcing that the official unemployment rate fell to 4.8%, the lowest it’s been since its frightening climb to 14.7% when the Covid-19 pandemic first struck the US.The figures seem somehow disconnected and, for some, September’s headline figure is woefully misleading, as it is every month. What if the “true” unemployment rate is actually closer to 22%?Overall unemployment rateWhile most reporting (including our own) tends to focus on the BLS’s monthly headline figure – referred to as the “U-3” – the true measure of unemployment depends on who you ask. Some experts argue the official headline figure hides a far darker picture of the state of the labor market.First, it is important to unpack what this commonly cited statistic does and does not tell us.The headline unemployment rate measures the proportion of the American civilian labor force – anyone over the age of 16 – that does not have a job and is still actively looking for work. It does not include the large number of people who have given up …

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US adds 194,000 September jobs in another month of disappointing growth

08/10/2021 Comments Off on US adds 194,000 September jobs in another month of disappointing growth

US economyUS adds 194,000 September jobs in another month of disappointing growthDelta variant and tight labor market holding back hiringEconomists had expected about 500,000 new jobs Dominic Rushe@ …

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California companies can no longer silence workers in victory for tech activists

07/10/2021 Comments Off on California companies can no longer silence workers in victory for tech activists

TechnologyCalifornia companies can no longer silence workers in victory for tech activistsSilenced No More Act makes it illegal for firms to prevent employees from speaking out about harassment or discrimination Kari PaulFri 8 Oct 2021 03.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 8 Oct 2021 03.02 EDTIn a major victory for Silicon Valley activists and California workers, the governor has signed a law making it illegal for companies to bar employees from speaking out about harassment and discrimination.The new law is the result of hard-fought advocacy work by those in the tech industry who have long spoken out against the restrictive confidentiality arrangements, known as nondisclosure agreements or NDAs, which are intended to protect industry secrets but which has created a culture of silence around wrongdoing.NDAs often keep incidents of harassment and discrimination under wraps, forcing employees to keep quiet or face legal actions and fines. They became a point of debate after the #MeToo movement, when it was revealed that Harvey Weinstein used such contracts to keep his victims from speaking out.She sued for pregnancy discrimination. Now she’s battling Google’s army of lawyersRead more“This act is a huge step in the right direction in eliminating cultures of secrecy around misogyny and racism in the workplace, especially in California’s tech industry,” said Veena Dubal, an associate professor of law at the University of California, Hastings, and tech worker advocate.The Silenced No More Act was co-sponsored by …

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‘Facebook can’t keep its head in the sand’: five experts debate the company’s future

07/10/2021 Comments Off on ‘Facebook can’t keep its head in the sand’: five experts debate the company’s future

Facebook‘Facebook can’t keep its head in the sand’: five experts debate the company’s futureWhistleblower Frances Haugen testified the company is harming children and putting profits over safety, but what lies ahead? Johana BhuiyanThu 7 Oct 2021 06.00 EDTThe congressional testimony of Frances Haugen is being described as a potential watershed moment after the former Facebook employee turned whistleblower warned lawmakers must “act now” to rein in the social media company.But the impact of the hearing – in which Haugen used her time at Facebook and leaked internal research to build a case that it is harming children, destabilizing democracies, and putting profits over safety – is uncertain, as lawmakers, experts and regulators remain split over the path forward. The Guardian spoke to several experts across the tech industry about what could and should lie ahead for Facebook. The interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.‘Surveillance capitalism is as immoral as child labor’Roger McNamee, early Facebook investor and member of Facebook’s oversight boardFrances Haugen’s revelations and testimony before Congress are devastating to Facebook. She is courageous, authoritative, and utterly convincing. We knew about the issues before, but she changed the game by providing internal documents that prove Facebook’s management had early warning of many horrible problems and chose not to take appropriate steps. In her testimony, she confirmed that the incentives of Facebook’s business model lead to the amplification of fear and outrage to the detriment of public health and democracy.When …

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‘Death of 1,000 cuts’: Kellogg’s workers on why they’re striking

06/10/2021 Comments Off on ‘Death of 1,000 cuts’: Kellogg’s workers on why they’re striking

Business‘Death of 1,000 cuts’: Kellogg’s workers on why they’re strikingUnion took issue with company’s threats to outsource jobs from the US to Mexico if workers refuse to accept their proposals Michael SainatoThu 7 Oct 2021 02.00 EDTLast modified on Thu 7 Oct 2021 02.02 EDTAbout 1,400 Kellogg’s workers at four US plants have gone on strike after their current union contracts expired and amid accusations that the cereal giant is offshoring jobs.The workers, represented by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM), produce cereals for brands, including Rice Krispies, Fruit Loops, Frosted Flakes and Raisin Bran, at plants in Michigan, Tennessee, Nebraska and Pennsylvania.Trevor Bidelman, president of BCTGM Local3G and a fourth-generation employee at the Kellogg’s plant in Battle Creek, Michigan, explained workers are on strike against a proposed two-tier system for current and new employees proposed by Kellogg’s. Bidelman said Kellogg’s wants to not offer pensions to new employees, remove cost of living provisions, and make changes in holiday pay and vacations.“We’re fighting for our future,” said Bidelman. “We made it very clear from the onset of negotiations that this was not something we’ll be able to accept.”Shortly before the strike, Kellogg’s announced plans to cut 212 jobs at the Battle Creek, Michigan, plant over the next two years, including 174 positions represented by the union. The plant currently employs about 390 workers. Kellogg’s cited plans to streamline efforts and relocate cereal production to other facilities …

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Facebook whistleblower’s testimony could finally spark action in Congress

06/10/2021 Comments Off on Facebook whistleblower’s testimony could finally spark action in Congress

FacebookFacebook whistleblower’s testimony could finally spark action in CongressDespite years of hearings, the company has long seemed untouchable. But Frances Haugen appears to have inspired rare bipartisanship Kari PaulWed 6 Oct 2021 08.14 EDTFirst published on Wed 6 Oct 2021 01.00 EDTThe testimony of Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee, is likely to increase pressure on US lawmakers to undertake concrete legislative actions against the formerly untouchable tech company, following years of hearings and circular discussions about big tech’s growing power.In a hearing on Tuesday, the whistleblower shared internal Facebook reports with Congress and argued the company puts “astronomical profits before people”, harms children and is destabilizing democracies.Facebook harms children and is damaging democracy, claims whistleblowerRead moreAfter years of sparring over the role of tech companies in past American elections, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle on Tuesday appeared to agree on the need for new regulations that would change how Facebook targets users and amplifies content.“Frances Haugen’s testimony appears to mark a rare moment of bipartisan consensus that the status quo is no longer acceptable,” said Imran Ahmed, chief executive officer of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a non-profit that fights hate speech and misinformation. “This is increasingly becoming a non-political issue and one that has cut through definitively to the mainstream.”On Wednesday morning Richard Blumenthal, chair of the Senate commerce sub-committee that hosted Haugen the day before, condemned Facebook again …

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Facebook whistleblower accuses firm of serially misleading over safety

05/10/2021 Comments Off on Facebook whistleblower accuses firm of serially misleading over safety

FacebookFacebook whistleblower accuses firm of serially misleading over safety Frances Haugen filed at least eight complaints against the company regarding its approach to safety Dan Milmo Global technology editorTue 5 Oct 2021 07.50 EDTLast modified on Tue 5 Oct 2021 08.44 EDTThe Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen, who testifies at the US Congress on Tuesday, has filed at least eight complaints with the US financial watchdog accusing the social media company of serially misleading investors and politicians over its approach to safety.The complaints, published online by the news programme 60 Minutes late on Monday, hours before Haugen’s testimony to US senators at 10am EDT (3pm BST), are based on tens of thousands of internal documents that Haugen copied shortly before she quit Facebook in May.The complaints and testimony from Haugen, who stepped forward on Sunday as the source of a damning series of revelations in the Wall Street Journal, are taking place against a backdrop of operational chaos for Facebook, whose platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp, went offline around the world for nearly six hours on Monday.The first whistleblower complaint filed to the US Securities and Exchange Commission relates to the 6 January riots in Washington, when crowds of protesters stormed the Capitol, and alleges that Facebook knowingly chose to permit political misinformation and contests statements made by its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, to the contrary.“Our anonymous client is disclosing original evidence showing that Facebook … has, for years past and ongoing, …

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Facebook putting profit before public good, says whistleblower Frances Haugen

04/10/2021 Comments Off on Facebook putting profit before public good, says whistleblower Frances Haugen

FacebookFacebook putting profit before public good, says whistleblower Frances HaugenInternal papers show firm is lying about making progress against hate, violence and misinformation, ex-employee says Kari Paul and Dan MilmoMon 4 Oct 2021 06.12 EDTFirst published on Sun 3 Oct 2021 20.27 EDTA former Facebook employee has accused the company of putting profit over the public good, after coming forward as the whistleblower who leaked a cache of internal documents that have placed the tech firm in its worst crisis since the Cambridge Analytica scandal.Frances Haugen, 37, said the thousands of documents she had collected and shared with the Wall Street Journal and US law enforcement showed the company was lying to the public that it was making significant progress against hate, violence and misinformation.“The thing I saw at Facebook over and over again was there were conflicts of interest between what was good for the public and what was good for Facebook. And Facebook, over and over again, chose to optimise for its own interests, like making more money,” she said.In an interview with the news program 60 Minutes on Sunday, Haugen explained her decision to speak out about the internal workings of Facebook, saying she had become alarmed by what she perceived as company policies that prioritized profit over public safety.“The version of Facebook that exists today is tearing our societies apart and causing ethnic violence around the world,” she said.Haugen said she was recruited to join Facebook as …

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‘They stole from us’: the New York taxi drivers mired in debt over medallions

02/10/2021 Comments Off on ‘They stole from us’: the New York taxi drivers mired in debt over medallions

Once an asset that secured a comfortable retirement, the medallion’s worth has plummeted, leaving drivers financially ruined. Here are some of their storiesby …

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