Hey, it looks like the government won’t shut down this year! Let’s count our economy’s blessings. Next week will be a pretty slow one for business and tech (aside from the post-holiday shopping frenzy, of course), but 2020 promises all kinds of surprises. Enjoy the calm while it lasts, and happy holidays.
What’s Up? (Dec. 15-21)
Uber Settles
Uber has resolved at least one of its sexual harassment issues. The company created a $4.4 million fund to compensate current and former employees who were sexually harassed at work. (More than 20 employees were also fired for their inappropriate behavior.) The action ends a two-year federal investigation into claims that Uber fostered a toxic workplace that failed to treat its employees equally. Uber also agreed to three years of monitoring by a former official from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Now the company just has to figure out what to do about the thousands of sexual assaults taking place during its rides
Boeing Takes a Break
Capping off its disastrous year, Boeing will shut down manufacturing of its most popular plane, the 737 Max, in January. The fleet has been grounded since two of the jets crashed within five months, both times killing everyone on board. Boeing is still under investigation for safety issues that may have caused the crashes, and its business is struggling. The company has blown through more than $8 billion in charges related to the crisis, and its shares have fallen by 25 percent. Suspending production of the 737 Max will help slow its losses, but the ripple effect will hurt the rest of the economy, as Boeing is the country’s largest manufacturing exporter.
Last-Minute Save
Just in time for the holiday break, the Senate on Thursday passed a $1.4 trillion spending bill. In addition to preventing a government shutdown (always a plus), the new legislation could affect your 401(k) options. If it goes into effect, employers will be able to add annuities to their menu of retirement benefits. Americans will also have the option to keep contributing to individual retirement accounts after the age of 70½ (which was previously not allowed), and wait until age 72 to start taking withdrawals from their I.R.A.s, up from age 70½. And there’s even something in it for the gig economy: The new law would enable more part-time workers to participate in retirement plans.
What’s Next? (Dec. 22-28)
Chill Pills
The Food and Drug Administration may have found a new ally in its war against high medication costs: Canada. The department has moved forward with a new rule that would allow the United States to import prescription drugs from its northern neighbor. If the measure goes into effect, many medications could become much cheaper, including treatments for H.I.V., hepatitis C and multiple sclerosis. Unsurprisingly, the American pharmaceutical industry is fighting this development, claiming that the Canadian drugs might be substandard or even counterfeit. What comes next? States will have to submit individual drug import plans to the federal government for approval, and prove that the medications are both safe and will reduce costs for patients.
Protecting the 2020 Census
Facebook announced a new effort to crack down on misinformation that would interfere with the 2020 United States census, particularly misleading ads or posts that might scare off immigrants or other groups from taking part. The policy, effective in January, will also prohibit messaging that portrays the census as “useless or meaningless” or provides false information about how to participate, like a recent hoax warning that burglars were posing as census officers to scam their way into people’s homes. The census, which happens every 10 years, is crucial for drawing electoral maps and determining which states and cities get billions of dollars in federal funding for infrastructure, health care and other major programs.
Vroom For More
It’s official: Despite skepticism, auto companies Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot have agreed to the terms of their merger and signed a binding contract. The resulting conglomerate will be the fourth-largest carmaker in the world, but take a while to actually materialize. The companies said they need at least another year to fully combine their operations, which will include a new focus on developing electric and autonomous vehicles. But if you’re hoping that the deal will bring Peugeot or Citroën brand cars to the United States, sorry — as of this writing, there are no plans to do so.
What Else?
Good news for your gadgetry: Apple, Amazon, and Google have set aside their differences to make their home devices compatible — so Alexa can talk to Siri, who can check your Google calendar. Bad news for dumpling lovers: African swine fever is on the rise, causing pork costs to skyrocket around the world. And uncertain news for health care costs: A federal appeals court struck down the Obamacare mandate that requires all Americans to have health insurance. The decision will be reviewed in 2020.
Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up here.
"business" - Google News
December 22, 2019 at 07:00PM
https://ift.tt/2EJwERu
The Week in Business: Hip, Hip Hooray for Your 401(k) - The New York Times
"business" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Knp7JK
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "The Week in Business: Hip, Hip Hooray for Your 401(k) - The New York Times"
Post a Comment