Uber CEO praises Massachusetts gig economy ballot measure
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is expressing support for a ballot initiative in Massachusetts that would keep people in the gig economy classified as independent contractors, fulfilling a promise he made nearly a year ago to push for laws that preserve its business model. His comments came a day after a coalition of app-based ride-hailing and on-demand delivery companies filed a petition for the ballot initiative that would classify people in the app-based ride-hail and delivery industry as independent contractors and provide them with benefits such as healthcare stipends for drivers who work at least 15 hours per week. TechCrunch
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Pfizer CEO’s Israel visit canceled because he is not fully vaccinated
Pfizer’s chief executive officer reportedly has canceled his expected visit to Israel after it turned out he has not been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. According to channel N12, he and members of the delegation that was meant to accompany him during his visit have not received the second dose of the vaccine. Jerusalem Post
Project collecting data to aid sleep for farmers, ranchers
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, side effects of sleep deprivation include lack of concentration, attention deficits, longer reaction times, distractibility, lack of coordination, poor decision-making, increased errors and forgetfulness. For farmers and ranchers who routinely work around machinery or livestock, any of these side effects can lead to injury, or worse. Nebraska researchers are leading a project to collect objective sleep data from an agricultural employee population in Nebraska and the Midwest to investigate the quantity and quality of sleep among farmers and ranchers during peak and non-peak seasons. Nebraska Today (University of Nebraska – Lincoln)
Prisoner charged in killings of Iowa prison employees will plead guilty Friday
One of the two inmates charged with killing a pair of staff members at an Iowa penitentiary in March will plead guilty to unspecified counts in connection to the deaths, according to court records. Investigators say the inmate and a co-defendant used hammers checked out of a prison tool locker to beat the two employees to death in a break room at the prison infirmary on March 23. Des Moines Register