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☆ Asian American groups criticize Seattle's anti-Asian hate budget reduction in new proposal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Asian American organizations are calling out the 2023 budget put forth by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, who proposed reducing the city’s fund to combat anti-Asian hate by nearly half. The budget proposal, announced last month, would reduce the city’s hate crime funding from $400,000 in the 2022 adopted budget to $167,000 in the 2023 budget. Manjusha Kulkarni, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate, said cities cutting funding for Asian American communities is concerning. Anti-Asian hate crimes rose exponentially since the beginning of the pandemic, increasing 339% in 2021, according to data from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. “Anti-Asian hate crimes, which surged in the past two years due to the COVID pandemic, still continue and appear in national news.

☆ Amazon healthcare salaries revealed: See how much bioengineering and health-data roles earn as the tech giant pushes into medicine and prepares to buy One Medical
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Katherine Long | Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon hired many positions in healthcare informatics last quarter, according to H-1B visa filings. The new positions include nursing-informatics specialists, who typically manage patient data, and medical laboratory technicians. But the end of Amazon Care, which failed to gain as much traction as Amazon had hoped, coincides with an expansion of Amazon's healthcare ambitions. The company announced plans in July to purchase the One Medical chain of medical clinics for $3.9 billion. Data-privacy activists have registered concerns about the company's planned acquisition of One Medical, which would give Amazon control of huge amounts of patient data.

Seattle and Portland, Oregon, were first and second, respectively, in the global ranking of places with the poorest air quality, according to IQAir, a Swiss company that measures air pollution. Air quality issues have persisted for about a month because of the prolonged fires burning west of the Cascades. That’s what’s been contributing to the persistent air quality issues we’ve had." Sports and other outdoor activities in the Pacific Northwest have been called off due to the poor air quality. The problem is worst in the West, where rising air pollution levels due to smoke have reversed decades of improvements in overall air quality.

☆ I went inside hot shoe brand Brooks' R&D lab where it's rolling out top-secret 3D printed sneakers that promise to fix every runner's flaws
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

DeSimone said mass customization with 3D technology should be available within the next few years. An Adidas Ultraboost shoe made with more traditional foam retails around $190, but the company's 3D technology starts at around $200. "3D shoes have been pretty limited so far in terms of sales," said Matt Powell, senior industry analyst for the NPD Group. "We have dreamed about the opportunity to put Run Signature to work for runners in a big way," Caprara said. The new 3D shoe, which features a sock-like upper and a sole that looks like a series of spiderwebs, will be released next year.

The maker of KitKat chocolate bars and Nescafe reported organic sales, which cut out the impact of currency movements and acquisitions, rising by 8.5% in the nine months to end-September. "We delivered strong organic growth as we continued to adjust prices responsibly to reflect inflation," the company's chief executive Mark Schneider said. "Sales volumes have held up well so far but we are a way from peak cost of living squeeze." As a result Nestle raised its full-year outlook, saying it now expected organic growth of "around 8%" for 2022, up from a 7% to 8% increase previously. The Swiss company also confirmed its target for a trading operating profit margin of around 17%.

☆ Nestle raises FY outlook as KitKat maker pushes through price hikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( John Revill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jars of Nescafe Gold coffee by Nestle are pictured in the supermarket of Nestle headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, February 13, 2020. The KitKat chocolate bar maker reported organic sales, which cut out the impact of currency movements and acquisitions, rising by 8.5% in the nine months to end-September. As a result Nestle raised its full-year outlook, saying it now expected organic growth of "around 8%" for 2022, up from a 7% to 8% increase previously. The Swiss company also confirmed its target for a trading operating profit margin of around 17%. "Our real internal growth remained resilient despite a high base of comparison and continued supply chain constraints, with limited demand elasticity," Schneider said.

☆ Amazon salaries revealed: See how much engineers, data scientists and thousands of other employees at the e-commerce and cloud giant make
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-03 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

We analyzed thousands of H-1B visa applications to get a sense of how much Amazon pays employees. Amazon surprised employees earlier this year when it announced big raises, more than doubling its base salary cap and boosting salary ranges for many roles. A good deal of the value of those new compensation packages was tied to Amazon stock, which has plunged more than 30% in the past six months. Insider combed data from the office, which authorizes hiring non-US employees, then publicly releases the data. Here's a breakdown of what Amazon pays many other employees.

☆ Tensions rise in West Coast port labor battles, with unions and management trading accusations
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Tensions are rising in West Coast port labor battles as unions and port management trade accusations about worker productivity and the awarding of job assignments. Jerome Roberts, GVP of marketing at supply chain consulting company Blume Global, told CNBC the one shift protest had no lasting productivity impact. Logistics companies fear the latest round of accusations will only increase tensions for a supply chain and national port infrastructure already dealing with multiple labor concerns. Project44, which also collects and analyzes port productivity for the CNBC Supply Chain Heat Map, has tracked some recent issues at Seattle operations. Container dwell times at the Port of Oakland have been improving over the month of September, according to Josh Brazil, vice president of supply chain insights at Project44.

☆ These are the 10 U.S. cities where housing markets are cooling the fastest—and only one is in Florida
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Redfin's 2022 report ranked Seattle, Washington as the city where the housing market is cooling off the fastest. The housing market is in flux right now, thanks to high mortgage rates, persistent inflation, and economic uncertainty, according to Redfin's 2022 report. 1 city where the housing market is cooling the fastest: Seattle, WAAccording to Redfin's report, Seattle's housing market is cooling off faster than any other in the country. Tacoma, about 35 miles south of Seattle, is also among the top 10 markets cooling fastest. Top 10 cities where housing markets are cooling the fastest in 2022

☆ Mariners RHP Luis Castillo agrees to 5-year extension
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sep 20, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo (21) pitches the ball against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY SportsSeptember 24 - The Seattle Mariners and right-hander Luis Castillo have agreed on a five-year contract extension. The Mariners said the new deal will begin in 2023 and will run through the 2027 season. He is 3-2 with a 2.83 ERA and 64 strikeouts through nine starts with the Mariners and is 7-6 with a 2.85 ERA overall this season. A two-time All-Star (2019, 2022), Castillo is 47-55 with a 3.57 ERA in 146 career starts with the Reds (2017-22) and Mariners.

☆ MLB roundup: Aaron Judge bashes No. 60 in Yanks' rally
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Mets 7, Brewers 5Francisco Lindor's seventh-inning grand slam completed a comeback from a four-run deficit as visiting New York beat Milwaukee. Guardians 10, White Sox 7 (11 innings)Myles Straw delivered a two-run double in the 11th inning to spark visiting Cleveland over Chicago. Ketel Marte homered for the Diamondbacks, who won for the second time in their last 22 games at Los Angeles. Dennis Santana (3-8) recorded just one out and gave up three runs on three hits. Rockies starter Kyle Freeland (9-10) left after allowing three runs -- two earned -- on five hits over six innings.

☆ Work remotely from the ballpark: The Seattle Mariners are trying to bring fans back with perks like food and wifi
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-14 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Seattle Mariners hosted a Work From The Ballpark Day on September 7th. Sign up for our newsletter to receive our top stories based on your reading preferences — delivered daily to your inbox. Faced with the freedom to work from wherever, these workers are evaluating the best offers on the table. In 2005, for instance, despite only finishing with a record of 69-43, Seattle averaged over 33,000 fans per contest. The Mariners have no official plans for another Work From The Ballpark day, but they reportedly "want to do it again."

☆ In many states, workers still earn only $7.25 an hour. If we want to fix the 'labor shortage,' it should start with raising wages.
▼ + stars: | 2022-01-08 | by ( Paul Constant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Amid the ongoing labor crisis, Constant says raising the minimum wage could be a key solution. Raising wages has proven good for workers and business, yet many states are stuck at the $7.25 federal minimum. Last week, the minimum wage in Seattle reached $17.27 per hour, while the minimum wage in Washington state increased to $14.49, and none of those threats have come true. But despite this progress, the federal minimum wage is still stalled at $7.25 per hour for non-tipped employees and $2.13 per hour for tipped employees. The Economic Policy Institute recently found that the $7.25 federal minimum wage is worth 21% less today than it was worth when established in 2009.

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