Today: October 06, 2024
Today: October 06, 2024

Latest From The Los Angeles Post

Economy

Actors are demanding that Hollywood catch up with technological changes in a sequel to a 1960 strike

As this picket sign says: lights, cameras, no action. Katie McTiernan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images For the first time since 1960, actors and screenwriters are on strike at the same time. As with many of the other strikes that have rippled across the United States over the past three years, this walkout is over demands for better pay and restrictions on their employers’ use of technology to replace paid work. The actors’ strike began on July 14, 2023, after their union, SAG-AFTRA, voted to end negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents the major production

Actors are demanding that Hollywood catch up with technological changes in a sequel to a 1960 strike
Economy

Donors who feel upbeat are more likely to give to charity – new research

Feeling generous? Vera Vita/Moment via Getty Images The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea When people feel happier, they’re more likely to donate to charity. That’s what we, two economists who study what motivates environmentally conscientious consumption and support for free services, found in a new study published in The Economic Journal. To conduct this research, we analyzed tweets from over 20,000 Twitter users who used the hashtag “#iloveWikipedia.” That slogan is part of a template that Wikipedia suggests to anyone who has just completed a donation on its online platform, so it

Donors who feel upbeat are more likely to give to charity – new research
Economy

States are weakening their child labor restrictions nearly 8 decades after the US government took kids out of the workforce

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law in 2023 that lets children under 16 work without official permission from their parents. AP Photo/Andrew DeMillo A movement to weaken American child labor protections at the state level began in 2022. By June 2023, Arkansas, Iowa, New Jersey and New Hampshire had enacted this kind of legislation, and lawmakers in at least another eight states had introduced similar measures. The laws generally make it easier for kids from 14 to 17 years old to work longer and later – and in occupations that were previously off-limits for minors. When Iowa Gov.

States are weakening their child labor restrictions nearly 8 decades after the US government took kids out of the workforce
Economy

Weather forecast accuracy is crucial in a heat wave – 1 degree can mean the difference between life and death

Extreme heat can put lives at risk, making accurate forecasts essential for people working outdoors. FG Trade/E+ via Getty Images Weather forecasts have gotten quite good over the years, but their temperatures aren’t always spot on – and the result when they underplay extremes can be lethal. Even a 1-degree difference in a forecast’s accuracy can be the difference between life and death, our research shows. As economists, we have studied how people use forecasts to manage weather risks. In a new working paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research, we looked at how human survival depends on the

Weather forecast accuracy is crucial in a heat wave – 1 degree can mean the difference between life and death
Economy

Why a handwritten will found in Aretha Franklin's couch got R‑E‑S‑P‑E‑C‑T from a jury

A battle over the superstar’s estate landed in court. Charles Sykes/Invision/AP A handwritten will in a spiral notebook found wedged between couch cushions months after Aretha Franklin’s 2018 death is valid, a jury in Pontiac, Michigan, has decided. The July 11, 2023, verdict ended a yearslong legal dispute among three of the soul singer’s four sons over which of three informal wills found in her home should take precedence over the others. As a result, the four-page document, drafted in 2014, will now guide how the singer’s multimillion-dollar estate and royalties will be distributed among her heirs. The Conversation asked

Why a handwritten will found in Aretha Franklin's couch got R‑E‑S‑P‑E‑C‑T from a jury
Economy

How small wealthy suburbs contribute to regional housing problems

The line between Atherton, Calif., (right) and its neighbor is obvious in property sizes. Google Earth The odd headlines about little towns in the San Francisco Bay Area just keep coming. First Woodside, a tiny suburb where several Silicon Valley CEOs have lived, tried to declare itself a mountain lion habitat to evade a new California law that enabled owners of single-family homes to subdivide their lots to create additional housing. Then wealthy Atherton, with a population of 7,000 and a median home sale price of US$7.5 million, tried to update its state-mandated housing plan. Until very recently, 100% of

How small wealthy suburbs contribute to regional housing problems
Economy

Danger, prestige and authenticity draw thrill-seekers to adventure tourism

The Titan submersible imploded on a dive to visit the wreck of the Titanic in June 2023. Ocean Gate / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images The tragic news of the destruction of the Titan submersible has brought attention to the thrilling, dangerous and expensive world of extreme tourism. As a researcher who studies hospitality and tourism management, I pay attention to the trends in tourism and study ways in which organizations like theme parks and resorts operate and change over time. Tourists are generally seeking more authentic experiences that occur without prescribed paths or known endpoints. Technology can often make

Danger, prestige and authenticity draw thrill-seekers to adventure tourism
Economy

More than 1.5 million Americans lost Medicaid coverage in the spring of 2023 due to the end of pandemic policies – and paperwork problems

Medicaid helps millions of low-income Americans get health care. skynesher/E+ via Getty Images CC BY-ND At least 1.5 million Americans lost Medicaid coverage in April, May and the first three weeks of June 2023, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit that tracks health data. Because only 25 states had publicly reported this data as of June 22, the actual number of people who lost coverage through Medicaid, the government’s main health insurance program for low-income people and people with certain disabilities, is surely much higher. This swift decline in Medicaid enrollment follows a huge increase that started in

More than 1.5 million Americans lost Medicaid coverage in the spring of 2023 due to the end of pandemic policies – and paperwork problems
Economy

Fear trumps anger when it comes to data breaches – angry customers vent, but fearful customers don't come back

One-third of customers will return to a hacked site without even changing their password, according to a recent study. d3sign/Moment Collection/Getty Images The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea When a person is notified of a data breach involving their personal information, if they react with a feeling of fear – as opposed to anger – they’re more likely to stop using the site. That was the main finding of a study I conducted with three co-authors that examined which emotions lead customers to change their behavior after a breach. We found that

Fear trumps anger when it comes to data breaches – angry customers vent, but fearful customers don't come back
Economy

A BRICS currency is unlikely to dislodge dollar any time soon – but it signifies growing challenge to established economic order

A window into a new way of doing global economic business. Rodger Bosch/AFP via Getty Images) Could a new currency be set to challenge the dominance of the dollar? Perhaps, but that may not be the point. In August 2023, South Africa will host the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – a group of nations known by the acronym BRICS. Among the items on the agenda is the creation of a new joint BRICS currency. As a scholar who has studied the BRICS countries for over a decade, I can certainly see why talk of a

A BRICS currency is unlikely to dislodge dollar any time soon – but it signifies growing challenge to established economic order
Economy

Heists Worth Billions: An investigation found criminal gangs using sham bank accounts and secret online marketplaces to steal from almost anyone – and little being done to combat the fraud

In January 2020, Debi Gamber studied a computer screen filled with information on scores of check deposits. As a manager for eight years at a TD Bank branch in the Baltimore suburb of Essex, she had reviewed a flurry of account activity as a security measure. These transactions, though, from the ATM of a tiny TD location nestled in a nearby mall, struck her as suspicious. Time and again, Gamber saw that these checks were payable to churches – many states away from the Silver Spring shopping center branch – yet had been deposited into personal accounts, a potential sign

Heists Worth Billions: An investigation found criminal gangs using sham bank accounts and secret online marketplaces to steal from almost anyone – and little being done to combat the fraud
Economy

Behind the scenes of the investigation: Heists Worth Billions

David Maimon’s cybersecurity research group noticed a flood of checks in underground markets, which opened a window into much broader criminal activity. Collage by Kimberly Patch Professor David Maimon is director of the Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group at Georgia State University. He and his group are well familiar with what happens on the dark web, which consists of websites that look like ordinary websites but can be reached only using special browsers or authorization codes and are often used to sell illegal commodities. In this behind-the-story video, Maimon shows some of the hundreds of thousands of bank-related images that he

Behind the scenes of the investigation: Heists Worth Billions
Economy

How to protect yourself from drop account fraud -- tips from our investigative unit

Loot stolen from the U.S. Postal Service is displayed on the dark web. Via Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group The types of crimes that use drop accounts are multiplying rapidly, but there are ways to decrease your chances of becoming a victim. Do not mail checks from anywhere but your local post office. Not even your own mailbox is safe. The best option? Pay bills and send money online. Protect your identity online by following these steps Guard your Social Security number. Never use it on medical forms – if asked, write “available upon request” – for a job interview, when

How to protect yourself from drop account fraud -- tips from our investigative unit
Economy

US charitable donations fell to $499 billion in 2022 as stocks slumped and inflation surged

Giving declines when the country tightens its belt. FreeTransform/iStock via Getty Images Plus Charitable giving in the U.S. fell to US$499 billion in 2022, as donors dealt with their losses in the stock market and coped with 40-year high inflation rates. For only the fourth time on record, Americans gave less than they did the previous year without accounting for inflation, according to the newest annual Giving USA report. The research, released by the Giving USA Foundation, in partnership with the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, found that total giving fell 10.5% in inflation-adjusted terms, the steepest decline

US charitable donations fell to $499 billion in 2022 as stocks slumped and inflation surged
Economy

Big money bought the PGA Tour, but can it make golf a popular sport in Saudi Arabia?

The kingdom hopes to have 135,000 kids playing golf in school by 2025 and plans to build 23 new courses by 2030. JulyVelchev/iStock via Getty Images The recent merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi-funded LIV Golf – now being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice over antitrust concerns – stunned the golf community. A year ago, the idea that Saudi Arabia – an absolute monarchy with few golf courses, scant public interest in the sport and a notorious human rights record – could suddenly leap to the top of the global golf hierarchy seemed impossible.

Big money bought the PGA Tour, but can it make golf a popular sport in Saudi Arabia?
Economy

Unionized bodies in topless bar! Strippers join servers and baristas in new labor movement

Dancers at Star Garden in LA have voted for union representation. Mario Tama/Getty Images Dancers at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in Los Angeles have voted to become the only unionized strippers in the U.S. – joining a growing trend of young employees seeking workplace protection though labor mobilization. On May 18, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board announced that balloted employees at the topless bar had voted 17-0 in favor of joining the Actors’ Equity Association. It makes Star Garden the first unionized strip club since the now-defunct Lusty Lady in San Francisco and Seattle. That 1996 union

Unionized bodies in topless bar! Strippers join servers and baristas in new labor movement
Economy

AI is changing how Americans find jobs, get promoted and succeed at work

Insights from artificial intelligence will influence promotions and detect bias in the workplace. Yuichiro Chino/Moment via Getty Images Whether we realize it or not, advancements in artificial intelligence are increasingly influencing the paths of our careers. Advancements in human capital management systems, more strategic and data-driven human resource and talent management practices, and increased attention to bias are all factors that are changing how people are hired, developed, promoted and fired. I teach and work in talent management and leadership development. I’ve used these programs and practices in the real world and continue to learn and research how these practices

AI is changing how Americans find jobs, get promoted and succeed at work
Economy

GOP's proposed expansion of SNAP work requirements targets many low-income people in their early 50s – but many of them already work

Many Americans in their early 50s take care of older loved ones. FredFroese/E+ via Getty Imagres The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Roughly half of the people who would be affected by a proposed expansion of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program work requirements already do what’s needed to meet those requirements. There’s also evidence suggesting that many of the rest have caregiving or health conditions that prevent them from working. Formerly known as food stamps, SNAP helps low-income people buy groceries. Republicans want the federal government to make SNAP benefits for adults age

GOP's proposed expansion of SNAP work requirements targets many low-income people in their early 50s – but many of them already work
Economy

Travelers will refuse an upgrade to sit near a loved one -- new research into when people want to share experiences

Would you decline a free upgrade to first class in order to sit next to a companion in coach? Image Source/DigitalVision Collection/Getty Images The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea People will often sacrifice a better experience and opt for one that’s less enjoyable if it means they can do it alongside a loved one – whether that’s a romantic partner, close friend or relative. That’s the main finding of our research published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology in April 2023. For example, when taking a flight, two friends might decide to

Travelers will refuse an upgrade to sit near a loved one -- new research into when people want to share experiences
Economy

What is 'ethical AI' and how can companies achieve it?

In the absence of legal guidelines, companies need to establish internal processes for responsible use of AI. Oscar Wong/Moment via Getty Images The rush to deploy powerful new generative AI technologies, such as ChatGPT, has raised alarms about potential harm and misuse. The law’s glacial response to such threats has prompted demands that the companies developing these technologies implement AI “ethically.” But what, exactly, does that mean? The straightforward answer would be to align a business’s operations with one or more of the dozens of sets of AI ethics principles that governments, multistakeholder groups and academics have produced. But that

What is 'ethical AI' and how can companies achieve it?
Economy

Debt ceiling negotiators reach a deal: 5 essential reads about the tentative accord, brinkmanship and the danger of default

Biden speaks to reporters about the tentative accord. AP Photo/Susan Walsh President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on May 27, 2023, agreed in principle to a tentative deal that would raise the debt ceiling while capping some federal spending at current levels. The accord, if approved by both houses of Congress, would avert an unprecedented default that threatens to derail the economy and put hundreds of thousands of Americans out of work. Negotiators agreed to lift the ceiling for two years – past the 2024 presidential election – while putting a temporary cap on most nondefense spending at

Debt ceiling negotiators reach a deal: 5 essential reads about the tentative accord, brinkmanship and the danger of default
Economy

After the ALS ice bucket challenge and the rise of MrBeast, stunt philanthropy might be here to stay

Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, leaned into charity to get a massive following. Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images Stunt philanthropy is what happens when influencers, other celebrities and people who aren’t famous at all use entertaining videos to encourage support for a charitable cause. When their stunts go viral, it can lead to massive public engagement that raises lots of money and draws new attention to previously less visible causes. Donald Trump took the ALS ice bucket challenge in 2014. Why stunt philanthropy matters The biggest early success with stunt philanthropy online was the ALS ice bucket challenge. People taking the

After the ALS ice bucket challenge and the rise of MrBeast, stunt philanthropy might be here to stay
Economy

Why the Federal Reserve's epic fight against inflation might be over

Time to press the stop button? iStock/Getty Images The Federal Reserve’s decision to hold rates steady signals that central bankers believe it is time to hit pause, at least temporarily, on their aggressive campaign to tame runaway inflation. The latest data, not to mention several other factors, however, suggests it’s time for a full stop. On June 14, 2023, the Fed chose not to lift rates for the first time in 11 meetings, leaving its target interest rate – a benchmark for borrowing costs across the global economy – at a range of 5% to 5.25%. Over 10 consecutive hikes

Why the Federal Reserve's epic fight against inflation might be over
Economy

Amid fears of Chinese influence, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has grown more powerful

Business deals by foreign countries in the U.S. can be reviewed by the government for national security risks. Jason Leung for Unsplash, CC BY-SA A Chinese private equity firm, Primavera Capital Group, acquired the well-known test preparation company Princeton Review and an online learning platform, Tutor.com, in May 2023. The move, like other Chinese investments in tech and those that deal with personal information, is increasingly drawing the attention of politicians, the U.S. government and national security experts – especially as tensions rise between the U.S. and China. What remains unclear, however, is if this seemingly routine business acquisition was

Amid fears of Chinese influence, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has grown more powerful
Economy

Most super rich couples have breadwinning husbands and stay-at-home wives, contrasting sharply with everyone else

Uber wealthy couples are rather traditional when it comes to who works and who doesn’t. EXTREME-PHOTOGRAPHER/E+ via Getty Images The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. The big idea Men are the sole breadwinners in over half of super rich heterosexual couples – defined as those in the top 1% of households – while the women are not employed, according to our new peer-reviewed study. That’s twice the rate of less affluent heterosexual couples. Our finding is based on 30 years of data, from 1989 to 2019, from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances. We

Most super rich couples have breadwinning husbands and stay-at-home wives, contrasting sharply with everyone else

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