1. New Law in Portland Turns Corporate Greed into Community Good
Portland, OR has successfully passed a law that will raise corporate taxes on companies whose CEOs make 100 times more money than the average salary of their employees. The city expects to gain between $2.5-3.5 million a year from the tax increase. The best part? — every single dollar generated by the tax will go towards combatting homelessness. More on this tax and the city’s clever solutions to homelessness here.
2. The Fight for 15
Following in the footsteps of fast-food and healthcare industries, airport workers are organizing to raise the minimum wage. In New York and New Jersey, these efforts have been victorious, successfully bargaining for a minimum wage of $15 an hour as well as union recognition. Organizers see this victory as setting a new standard for the industry, which they hope to see implemented nationwide.
3. Facebook Announces Plan to Combat Fake News
Facebook has been under fire for months over the high levels of fake news being spread across the platform. With researchers reporting that 66% of users get their news from the social network, Facebook’s difficulty in filtering out fake news has been directly linked to the reported two-thirds of Americans who are confused about facts and current events. The fake news phenomenon was especially rampant during this year’s election, leading some to suggest that the abundance of false information being spread on Facebook has directly influenced the election results. In response, Facebook is making it easier for users to flag fake stories and is partnering with a 3rd party fact-checking organization. Read more about their plan here.
4. How You Can Help the Crisis-Afflicted Civilians of Aleppo
The escalating events in Aleppo have put a global spotlight on the violent measures government forces are taking to seize control over rebel groups. The killing of thousands of innocent civilians has lead UN representatives to describe the events as having gone “from siege to slaughter”. Click here for a list of 7 charities you can support to directly help the people of Aleppo.
5. We First Office Christmas Party!
The We First team is raising a glass (or two, or three…) together to celebrate the holidays. Personally, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it ends with a Simon Mainwaring karaoke performance. Stay tuned for party photos in next week’s We First 5!
Title Image via Flickr courtesy of user Daniel Mennerich at https://flic.kr/p/fnLdED.
