DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

Two rapid-attribution studies released Tuesday found that human-caused global warming made Hurricane Helene stronger and wetter, elements that contributed to the storm's destructive power. A report from ClimaMeter, a consortium that analyzes extreme weather events, found that Helene’s rainfall totals and winds were strengthened by human-driven climate change, with the rainfall up to 20% heavier and winds up to 7% stronger. The consortium noted that elevated temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico — something climate scientists have been warning about for years — likely contributed to Helene's power. "Furthermore, we estimate that the observed rainfall was made up to 20 times more likely in these areas because of global warming," the report added. Copious research has revealed a strong link between climate change and rapidly intensifying and wetter tropical systems because warmer atmosphere allows for heavier rain over land.

Persons: Helene, — Organizations: Lawrence Berkeley Lab Locations: ClimaMeter, Gulf, Mexico, Gulf of Mexico, California, Georgia, Carolinas, North Carolina, Appalachia, Busick

☆ Massachusetts secured a big raise for Uber and Lyft drivers in the state, but some are worried the deal could have negative side effects
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The settlement will pay $175 million to the state and drivers, many of whom claimed both companies violated Massachusetts wage and hour laws. Also, Massachusetts drivers will be considered independent contractors, meaning they will not receive all the protections of employees. Advertisement"The recent agreement reached in Massachusetts before the ballot initiatives were decided by Massachusetts voters is a favorable outcome for most Massachusetts drivers," Avedian said. What Massachusetts drivers sayAvedian said for the majority of drivers, this settlement is a big step in the right direction. In May, Uber and Lyft struck a deal to pay Minnesota drivers $1.28 per mile and $0.31 per minute minimum.

Persons: —, Uber, Lyft, Sergio Avedian, Guy, Avedian, Mark McInerney, he's, Matt R, Matt, Ronald Banks, Jen, isn't Organizations: Service, Business, Uber, Lyft, California Supreme, Research, UC Berkeley Labor Center, Center for Wage, Dynamics, Seattle metros, Drivers, New York City, Taxi, Limousine Commission, New York, Minnesota Locations: Massachusetts, New York , California, Washington, Minnesota, New York State , Minnesota, Boston, Texas and Massachusetts, Chicago , Portland, Virginia, California, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, New York City, New, Minneapolis

☆ Many drivers for Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash are earning well below minimum wage, even with tips, a new paper finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Advertisement"Pay for gig drivers rarely exceeds the employee-equivalent local minimum wage," the authors wrote. While two-thirds of DoorDash drivers and just under half of Uber Eats drivers had their incomes adjusted, just 5% of Uber drivers did. The average Lyft, Uber Eats, and DoorDash driver had hourly earnings of $24, $18, and $14, respectively. Over the past year, several gig drivers have told BI that their gigs are less profitable than they used to be. For example, Uber and Lyft drivers have said the ride-hailing giants are taking a larger cut of rider fares.

Persons: —, Lyft, Uber, aren't, Gridwise Organizations: Service, Seattle metros, UC Berkeley Labor Center, Center for Wage, Dynamics, Business, metros —, UC Berkeley, Big Lake Data, Bank of America, Bank of America Institute Locations: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay, California, San Francisco, Seattle, New York City, Minnesota, Twin Cities, Massachusetts

The UAW said another 5,000 workers are going on strike, bringing the total number of UAW members on strike at the Big Three automakers to over 45,000, on day 40 of the strike. The workers took the strike to Arlington Assembly, home to some of GM's most profitable vehicles, the Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade. The union's strategy of targeted strikes has throttled billions in revenue for the Detroit Three while requiring fewer than half the 150,000 UAW members at the companies to forgo pay and walk picket lines. "It's time GM workers, and the whole working class, get their fair share." But he told UAW members "there is more to be won".

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Stellantis, we've, Shawn Fain, Fain, Harley Shaiken, Mary Barra, David Shepardson, Joe White, Ben Klayman, Sayantani Ghosh, Chizu Nomiyama, Peter Henderson Organizations: General Motors, REUTERS, United Auto Workers, UAW, Big, Arlington Assembly, Chevy Tahoe, Chevy, GMC Yukon, Cadillac, Kentucky, Chrysler, Detroit, EV, Ford, Korean, University of California, GM, Anderson Economic, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S, Texas, Cadillac Escalade, F.N, Sterling Heights, Mich, University of California Berkeley, Arlington, Detroit

Fain acknowledged some union members want to vote on the offers the union bargainers have in hand. He urged UAW members not to give in to what he called "fear, uncertainty, doubt and division" sowed by the companies. More than 34,000 union members working at the three automakers are on strike since the walkouts began on Sept. 15. The demand included a 20% immediate increase, elimination of different pay scales among UAW workers and restoration of defined benefit pension plans. The GM offer "suggests we may be in the endgame," said University of California Berkeley labor professor Harley Shaiken.

Persons: Rebecca Cook, Shawn Fain, Fain, General Motors GM.N, Harley Shaiken, Ford, We've, Stellantis, Ford hasn't, Shaiken, it's, Tesla, Bill Ford, Joseph White, Ben Klayman, Pratyush Thakur, Sayantani Ghosh, Sriraj Kalluvila, Peter Henderson, David Gregorio Our Organizations: General Motors, REUTERS, Rights, United Auto Workers, UAW, General, Chrysler, GM, Ford, Bloomberg News, Detroit Three, of California, Ford's, Toyota, Anderson Economic, Detroit, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S, of California Berkeley, Kentucky, Arlington , Texas, Detroit, Bengaluru

☆ Black UAW workers won progress in America's auto industry. They are on strike for its future
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

The percentage of Black workers in the auto industry today is more than double their share of the workforce overall. But the decline in US auto jobs and the erosion of unions have hit Black workers hardest. Black workers are likelier to belong to unions, in any industry, compared to White and Hispanic workers. Black union workers earn on average 16.4% higher wages than non-union Black workers, and they are likelier to have health care and retirement benefits, studies show. Hard-won gains disappearSoon after Black auto workers broke into better paying jobs, the US auto industry began its long decline, decimating Black communities in particular.

Persons: Lynda Jackson’s, Jackson, ” Jackson, ” Lynda Jackson, Lynda S, Emily Elconin, ”, Tiffanie Simmons, Simmons, Steven Pitts, Luke Sharrett, Tesla, “, ” Pitts, Jim Crow, Henry Ford, Nelson Lichtenstein, “ Walter Reuther, Ford, Irving Haberman, Kevin Boyle, Boyle, Philip Randolph, Randolph, Franklin Roosevelt, Walter Reuther, —, James Meredith, Martin Luther King, Jr, Roy Wilkins, Phillip Randolph, Walther Reuther, Martin Luther King Jr, Reuther, ” Boyle, Spencer Platt, Josh Bivens, Biden, Erica Smiley, ” Smiley Organizations: New, New York CNN, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, United Auto Workers, UAW, Detroit’s, Processing, Bloomberg, Getty, Ford Motor, Economic Policy Institute, UC Berkeley Labor Center ., Tesla, Ku Klux Klan, University of California, America, Northwestern University, Jobs, Walther Reuther . Express, Hulton, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, The League, Revolutionary Black Workers, Black, Economic, Institute, P Global Market Intelligence, Justice Locations: New York, Alabama, Detroit, America, Ypsilanti , Michigan, Wayne , Michigan, Detroit , Michigan, White, Fremont , California, . Mississippi, sharecropping, Chicago , New York, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, AFP, Santa Barbara, Ford's, Rouge, Dearborn , Michigan, Washington, Birmingham, Selma, Black, Flint, Midwest, autoworkers

☆ Wind and solar power generators wait in yearslong lines to put clean electricity on the grid, then face huge interconnection fees they can't afford
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +18 min

The local utility in charge of overseeing the interconnection process told Pine Gate it would be more than $30 million. Pine Gate had to terminate the project because it couldn't afford the new fees, its vice president of regulatory affairs, Brett White, told CNBC. "Those projects ended up withdrawing from the queue or terminating, because they don't pencil anymore," White told CNBC. "There is Texas, and then there's the rest of the country with respects to interconnection," White of Pine Gate told CNBC. And that means getting those engineers out of some of the rote manual data entry and into the actual analysis," White told CNBC.

☆ Here's why American men die younger than women on average and how to fix it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Charlotte Morabito | In Charlottemorabito | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Men die younger than women in the United States, on average. American women had a life expectancy of 79 years in 2021, compared with men's, which was only about 73, according to CDC data. "Across, basically, almost every major cause of death, men are more likely to die than women are." That means there are some steps we can take to work toward helping men live longer. Watch the video above to learn more about why men die younger on average than women and what we can do to change it.

☆ After a Bumpy Year, Renewable Energy Looks Poised for Boom Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Dieter Holger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

The future has never been brighter for renewable energy, as some of the snags that kept wind and solar production from going full throttle this year seem poised to ease. What is more, by early 2025, the IEA said it expects renewable energy to be the largest source of electricity in the global power mix, surpassing coal. Driving the IEA’s rosier outlook: First is the global energy crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that led European nations to try to build more renewable energy capacity within their borders to improve their energy security and replace Russian fuel imports. But the climate-and-spending bill’s support for growth of the solar industry should reverse the recent spikes in PPA costs, he said. GridsLong waits for permits and permissions to build new grid infrastructure remain a challenge to getting more renewable energy.

☆ UAE sovereign wealth fund ADIA to launch new data lab
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), the largest sovereign wealth fund in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), plans to open an advanced data research centre, an independent entity within the fund with goals not linked to investment applications. ADIA Lab will formally launch on Dec. 2 and is part of moves across the government to promote digitalisation and advanced technological applications. It will be headed by Simon Horst as director, who was previously at Berkeley Lab and at the U.S. Department of Energy. The UAE is trying to diversify its economy away from hydrocarbons and investing in increasing the contribution of digital innovation and advanced technology to overall economic growth. It is also seeking to attract high skilled professionals globally in these and other data science-led sectors.

☆ A quarter of Americans are expecting to delay their retirement due to rising consumer costs, according to a new study
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Nathaniel Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

And nearly a third of seniors say they either plan to work through the age of 70 or never retire, according to a study by BlackRock. "The United States is definitely facing a retirement crisis," said Nari Rhee, a director of the retirement security program at the UC Berkeley Labor Center. "If you're retired and on a fixed income, inflation really, really hurts," said Rhee. One million dollars in a retirement account just two years ago is worth about $120,000 less when adjusted for inflation, and now, with that financial backdrop, a quarter of Americans say that are expecting to delay their retirement due to rising consumer costs, according to a survey by BMO Harris Bank. Retirees like Juanita Dykes, a former factory worker living in Rural Retreat, Virginia, say more things are becoming impossible to afford.

☆ Amid historic drought, California expected to approve $140 mln desalination plant
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oct 13 (Reuters) - A $140 million desalination plant is expected to be approved by California regulators on Thursday as the U.S. state contends with how to convert ocean water into drinking water amid the worst drought in 1,200 years. Instead of relying on water pumped from hundreds of miles (km) away, through the State Water Project or the Colorado River, the South Coast Water District would now have its own water supply. The Doheny plant would produce 5 million gallons of drinking water per day, more than enough to meet the needs of the district's 35,000 people. The Coastal Commission staff, which recommended rejecting Poseidon, favors building Doheny, which would be the 12th desalination plant approved by the regulator. The Doheny plant will use a sub-surface intake that creates a barely perceptible current.

☆ Un nou telescop va măsura expansiunea Universului
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-18 | by ( Publika.Md - Aici Sunt Știrile | ) www.publika.md time to read: +2 min

Datele colectate vor ajuta oamenii de ştiinţă să înţeleagă această forţă misterioasă denumită ''energie întunecată'', considerată responsabilă pentru accelerarea expansiunii Universului, a explicat, într-un comunicat, Berkeley Lab, care administrează proiectul. Ca urmare a expansiunii Universului, galaxiile se îndepărtează unele de celelalte. Analizând radiaţiile energetice ale galaxiilor, DESI va putea măsura deplasarea înspre roşu asociată vitezei cu care se îndepărtează şi astfel vor putea obţine informaţii despre distanţa la care se află faţă de Terra. Cercetătorii vor putea astfel crea o hartă 3D a Universului, conţinând ''detalii fără precedent, multiplicând de zece ori numărul spectrelor galaxiilor identificate'', a adăugat CEA, o instituţie publică din Franţa. Datorită repartizării detaliate a galaxiilor pe hartă, cercetătorii speră să înţeleagă mai bine natura şi influenţa energiei întunecate.

Persons: Christophe Yeche Organizations: Agerpres, Berkeley Lab Locations: Statele Unite, deşertul Arizona, Berkeley, Franţa

☆ (video) Un nou telescop va permite desenarea hărții cosmosului în 3D. Acesta va analiza lumina provenită de la 35 de milioane de galaxii
▼ + stars: | 2021-05-18 | by ( Onixmedia Srl | ) diez.md time to read: +2 min

(video) Un nou telescop va permite desenarea hărții cosmosului în 3D. Ca urmare a expansiunii Universului, galaxiile se îndepărtează unele de celelalte. Astfel, analizând radiaţiile energetice ale galaxiilor, DESI va putea măsura deplasarea înspre roşu asociată vitezei cu care se îndepărtează şi astfel vor putea obţine informaţii despre distanţa la care se află faţă de Terra. Cercetătorii vor putea în acest mod crea o hartă 3D a Universului, conţinând „detalii fără precedent, multiplicând de zece ori numărul spectrelor galaxiilor identificate”, a adăugat CEA, o instituţie publică din Franţa. Datorită repartizării detaliate a galaxiilor pe hartă, cercetătorii speră să înţeleagă mai bine natura şi influenţa energiei întunecate.

Persons: Christophe Yeche Organizations: Berkeley Lab, AGERPRES Locations: Statele Unite, deşertul Arizona, Berkeley, Franţa

Search resuls for: "Berkeley Lab"

14 mentions found