Edward Nasser is a student at Harvard Law School.
Google’s self-driving car program, Waymo, finds itself in an intense legal battle with Uber. Seven weeks ago, Waymo sued the ride sharing company stealing trade secrets, according to the Wall Street Journal. At the center of the battle is Anthony Levandowski, a former executive with Waymo who Google accuses of developing a competing self driving car company during his time with the company that was eventually acquired by Uber. Mr. Levandowski faces two arbitration lawsuits personally, and Uber faces a claim in federal court.
The Department of Justice issued a warning on Tuesday that it would investigate and prosecute companies who abuse the H-1B visa program, according to the New York Times. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer addressed the issue this morning, saying the administration will crack down on companies that put qualified U.S. workers at a disadvantage by using the visa program to hire foreigners.
Facebook is now requiring outside law firms representing the company in legal matters meet certain diversity goals, according to the New York Times. A new company policy mandates that women and minorities account for 33 percent of law firm teams working for the company. Further, the firms must show that they “actively identify and create clear and measurable leadership opportunities for women and minorities.” Failure to comply would result in a 10 percent “diversity holdback” of fees. HP made a similar announcement in February, and spokespeople for MetLife say the company will adopt its own diversity mandate this month.
Epicenter, a Swedish company, has started offering microchip implants to workers to function as key cards, reports the Los Angeles Times. The CEO, who has an implant himself, touts the convenience of the new technology. For other workers, privacy issues must be discussed and resolved before they will buy in. One worry is that the kind of data that could be collected by such a microchip is much more personal than even what can be gleaned from a smartphone.
Daily News & Commentary
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October 20
Supreme Court won't review SpaceX decision, courts uphold worker-friendly interpretation of EFAA, EEOC focuses on opioid-related discrimination.
October 19
DOL issues a new wage rule for H-2A workers, Gov. Newsom vetoes a bill that regulates employers’ use of AI, and Broadway workers and management reach a tentative deal
October 17
Third Circuit denies DOL's en banc rehearing request; Washington AG proposes legislation to protect immigrant workers; UAW files suit challenging government surveillance of non-citizen speech
October 16
NLRB seeks injunction of California’s law; Judge grants temporary restraining order stopping shutdown-related RIFs; and Governor Newsom vetoes an ILWU supported bill.
October 15
An interview with former NLRB chairman; Supreme Court denies cert in Southern California hotel case
October 14
Census Bureau layoffs, Amazon holiday hiring, and the final settlement in a meat producer wage-fixing lawsuit.