The Daily Populous

Friday August 18th, 2023 day edition

image for Lyft and Uber say they will leave Minneapolis if the mayor signs a minimum wage bill for drivers

Lyft and Uber threatened to stop doing business in Minneapolis after the city council adopted a new rule Thursday that would set a minimum wage for rideshare drivers.

In a 7-5 vote, the Minneapolis City Council passed an ordinance that includes a number of rideshare worker protections, including a minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers.

Mayor Jacob Frey has the opportunity to veto the ordinance and has until next Wednesday, August 23, to do so.

The proposed ordinance mandates at least $1.40 per mile and $0.51 per minute within Minneapolis be paid to drivers.

Minneapolis is debating the minimum wage as gig workers across the country are advocating for fair wages and job benefits.

Uber sent an email to its drivers on Monday, urging them to contact the Mayor and City Council to ask them to oppose the move.

Uber said its drivers sent over 700 emails on Thursday, but did not specify what was in those emails. »

Trump cancels news conference to release report on 2020 election

Authored by reuters.com

Aug 17 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had canceled a press conference scheduled for next week to release a report into the 2020 election in Georgia, saying his attorneys would put his arguments in court filings instead.

Trump said earlier this week that he would hold the press conference on Monday to release a detailed, 100-page report into what he described as "election fraud" in the state of Georgia during the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Since his defeat in 2020, Trump has repeatedly claimed that the election was marred by widespread fraud. »

U.S. intelligence says Ukraine will fail to meet offensive’s key goal

Authored by washingtonpost.com
image for

Ukraine launched the counteroffensive in early June hoping to replicate its stunning success in last fall’s push through the Kharkiv region.

Some Republicans are now balking at President Biden’s request for an additional $20.6 billion in Ukraine aid given the offensive’s modest results.

“They had a lot of time and they prepared them very well … and made it very difficult for Ukraine to advance.”. »

Ohio marijuana legalization initiative qualifies for November ballot

Authored by amp.cnn.com
image for

The issue of recreational marijuana legalization will be on Ohio’s general election ballot in November after the initiative gathered enough signatures, the Ohio secretary of state’s office announced Wednesday.

With the ballot measure, Ohio joins several states that have taken on the issue in recent years.

If passed, the proposed Ohio measure – pushed by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana like Alcohol – would allow recreational use of marijuana for residents 21 and older. »

SPAM maker Hormel Foods Sends ‘Truckloads’ to Aid Maui Wildfire Response

Authored by hawaiipulse.com
image for

In response to the devastating wildfires on Maui, Hormel Foods Corporation and the makers of the SPAM® brand — whose special relationship with the Hawaii community spans decades — is sending resources to aid the disaster-relief efforts.

Hormel Foods and its SPAM® brand have made a product donation to support the efforts on Maui.

Additionally, Hormel Foods team members are also raising money to donate to the local area food bank, with a match from Hormel Foods. »