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PayPal accused of racial bias in funding program
Nisha Desai, an Asian American businesswoman, has filed a lawsuit against PayPal, alleging racial bias in its $535m investment program, which she claims unfairly restricts funding to Black and Hispanic applicants. Desai, who leads the New York-based venture capital firm Andav Capital, said: “To PayPal and its executives, Asian Americans might be minorities, but they’re…
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U.S. port workers threaten to strike again
The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), representing 47,000 cargo handlers, is poised to strike on January 15, seeking stronger protections against automation. The union is in negotiations with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) after a previous strike in October secured pay concessions. However, unresolved issues regarding automation remain a sticking point, as the ILA demands…
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Trump backs visas for skilled workers
President-elect Donald Trump has sided with Elon Musk in a public dispute over the use of the H-1B visa, saying he fully backs the program for foreign tech workers that is opposed by some of his supporters. Trump’s remarks followed a series of social media posts from Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who…
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U.S. Treasury says it was hacked by China in ‘major incident’
A Chinese state-sponsored hacker has broken into the U.S. Treasury Department’s systems, accessing employee workstations and some unclassified documents, American officials have said. The breach occurred in early December and was made public in a letter penned by the Treasury Department to lawmakers notifying them of the incident. The U.S. agency characterized the breach as…
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Hawaiian Airlines employee dismissed for traditional Samoan tattoo
ABC reports on how Tracy Sialega-Fili, a Samoan-American, was dismissed from Hawaiian Airlines after receiving a tualima, a traditional hand tattoo, to honour her ailing father. The tualima signifies lineage and cultural identity, particularly for the Samoan diaspora. Sialega-Fili said: “I do feel like I was wrongfully terminated . . . there should be some…
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Newport Beach’s HR director sues the city
Barbara Salvini, the Human Resources Director of Newport Beach, has filed a lawsuit against City Manager Grace Leung and City Attorney Aaron Harp, alleging retaliation and attempts to conceal an audit that suggested policy violations by Leung and Fire Chief Jeff Boyles. The audit, stemming from a 2023 investigation, indicated possible manipulation of employee leave…
