Good morning. It's Thursday, April. 4, and we're covering demanding $750K from NYC marathon organizers, fast-food minimum wage hike results in layoffs, the best and worst from all 32 NFL teams, and much more. First time reading? Sign up here. | | American Fact of the Day! | Florida - Florida is the flattest state in America… facts: Not many hills here! Florida's mean elevation is only 100 feet. The state's highest natural point, Britton Hill, is only 345 feet above sea level. For comparison, Britton Hill is the lowest high point out of any state in America. |
|
| | Breaking Updates | | Officials Demand $750K From NYC Marathon Organizers for Use of Verrazzano Bridge During Race | The New York City Marathon is the largest and most high-profile in the world. What do you do if you're an official from the New York City Transit agency? Try to shake them down, of course—in this case to the tune of $750,000 to pay for the lost toll revenue they claim comes from closing off the Verrazzano Bridge to vehicular traffic during the test of endurance.
Runners have used both decks of the bridge for the last 36 years—and organizers claim a report shows the spectacle generates an estimated $427 million from tourism, tax revenues, and overall economic activity. That should more than make up for the lost toll revenue, they argue.
"The impact of MTA's request would represent a material change to the cost structure and would require an increase to how much runners pay to run the Marathon, making it less affordable for local runners and those who travel to New York City from around the world—both of whom contribute hundreds of millions of dollars to the City's and State's economy," Crystal Howard, a spokesperson for the organization, said in an emailed statement. She said the organization has repeatedly asked the MTA to provide data to back up their claim of $750,000 in lost revenue loss but have not received it.
Critics slammed the MTA for giving the marathon a run for its money, when the system lost $690 million to fare and toll evasion in 2022 — with $46 million in toll-dodging on bridges and tunnels alone. "They can find that money in nine hours if they enforce the law," Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella told The Post.
So far the city isn't bending, and it has even resorted to hard-ball tactics like refusing access to one of the bridge's decks if the marathon doesn't fork over the cash: As the negotiations have unfolded, the MTA initially threatened that runners — who start the marathon on Staten Island — would only be allowed to use the darker lower deck of the bridge for the 26.2-mile race if organizers don't pay up. | Read more updates here |
|
| | Like AB5, CA's Fast-Food Minimum Wage Hike Results in Layoffs, Closures, and Higher Prices | It seems apropos that April Fool's Day began the start of a $20.00 minimum wage for California fast food workers. AB1228 or the FAST Act (Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act) was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2023 and scheduled to take effect in April of 2024. Despite the warnings from economists, franchisors, and anyone with a brain, Newsom and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) plowed ahead, claiming this was a victory for workers who could now earn a "living wage."
Inflation has driven up operational costs for businesses across the US and shrunk profit margins for major food chains in the past few years. This has led to higher menu prices (like the "$18 Big Mac") and slowing sales for every major fast food company. Another anchor dragging on the restaurant business in many regions was at least two years of covid stimulus coupled with rent moratoriums, creating aggressive labor shortages and raising wages in upwards of $16 per hour for brand new no-skill employees.
California crime, and now this new minimum-wage hike, these businesses are opting to shutter their doors, and it is doubtful they will ever return. At 5.3 percent, California has the highest unemployment rate in the nation—expect that number to increase with the layoffs and closures as a result of the FAST Act. | Read more updates here |
|
| | American Sports & Culture
|  | A's explain surprising roster decision just five games into season after demoting Esteury Ruiz | Oakland has gotten off to a 1-4 record and is already shaking up the roster |
|
|
|  | NFL execs unfiltered on free agency: The best and worst from all 32 teams | NFL executives weighed in on Kirk Cousins, Saquon Barkley, the Jets' desperation, big questions facing the Cowboys and 49ers, and much more. |
|
|
|  | Luka Doncic Compares Caitlin Clark to One of NBA's Best Players | The Dallas Mavericks star was mesmerized by Clark's performance on Monday night in the Elite Eight. |
|
|
| | American Business & Markets
|  | How Skull & Combs' Salon Found Small Business Success | Entrepreneur | On this episode of "America's Favorite Mom and Pop Shops," learn small business success secrets from Jason Bunce, owner of Skull & Combs. |
|
|
|  | How to start a business with no money: 8 best steps to success | A must-follow guide on how to start a business with no money, overcome big challenges and find success. |
|
|
|  | 54 Good Business Ideas That Could Be Your Next Big Thing | Whether you're an experienced entrepreneur or brand new to the scene, we've compiled a huge list of good business ideas for 2023. |
|
|
| | American Politics | |  | Joe Rogan roasts 'The View' as 'rabies-infested henhouse' after author Coleman Hughes' feud with co-host | Podcaster Joe Rogan and author Coleman Hughes shredded "The View" for being an ideologically biased and polarizing show, especially co-host Sunny Hostin. |
|
|
|  | NYC serious crimes hit levels unseen in two decades last year even as Mayor Adams claims 'crime is down' | The shocking new figures from an NYPD internal report, which was obtained by The Post, shows that the overall major offenses in 2023 jumped up to 127,111 over the last few months, surpassing the se… |
|
|
|  | Poll: More Michigan Voters Plan to Vote by Mail Than on Election Day | More voters in Michigan plan to vote by mail than in person on election day, according to a Spry Strategies poll. |
|
|
| | | | |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment