Latest from Kelly Silvera

• Jun 1, 2023

  Caught between a job and homelessness

  

  Part of the advice prescribed as a “cure” to homelessness is getting a job. But what happens when the work people do still isn’t enough to afford a place to live? A new study from the Economic Roundtable nonprofit delves into the surprisingly-high rate of homelessness amongst California fast food workers. Plus, businesses in some resort towns are offering subsidies for landlords to rent to local workers. 

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• Jun 1, 2023

  A bipartisan vote sends the debt deal to the Senate

  

  After a bipartisan vote on the debt deal in the House of Representatives last night, the compromise legislation looks to be on its way to becoming law. We look at what the spending cuts in the bill, totaling about $1.5 trillion, could mean for the economy. Plus, organizations that provide services to people experiencing homelessness are finding it hard to staff enough workers. And finally, Amazon has agreed to pay $31 million to settle allegations that it improperly handled the data of children collected by its Alexa voice assistant. 

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• Jun 1, 2023

  Dubai, Abu Dhabi broaden incomes with tax hike

  

  From the BBC World Service: The United Arab Emirates, for many years a zero-tax economy, has introduced new corporate tax rates for businesses. That comes as the country’s government seeks to move away from reliance on oil revenues. Plus, the BBC’s Nkechi Ogbonna reports from Nigeria, where a planned end to oil subsidies has led to a rush in people stocking up at fuel depots.

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• May 31, 2023

  Hollywood choreographers are looking to unionize, too

  

  It’s not just Hollywood writers who have been lobbying for better working conditions — TV and film choreographers are also working toward establishing a fully-fledged union. We look at what workers want and what that could mean for the entertainment industry. Plus, we delve into the deep connection between two chronic and often-intertwined problems in America: mental health and homelessness.

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• May 31, 2023

  In some places, living unsheltered could become a crime

  

  There are moves afoot in numerous states and cities to criminalize elements of homelessness, including living in encampments. As part of our ongoing “Finding Your Place” series exploring the issue, we talk to Ann Oliva, CEO of the nonpartisan National Alliance to End Homelessness, about these moves and what they say about the debate over how to handle the unhoused crisis. Plus, a group of players in the AI space has issued a stark warning that calls for greater regulation of the technology. And finally, the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma, has reached a $6 billion opioid settlement that also shields those individuals from civil liability. 

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• May 31, 2023

  Is AI really a risk to humanity? Some CEOs say the opposite

  

  From the BBC World Service: Tech industry leaders have repeated calls for controls on artificial intelligence, but Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy in the UK, says it’s transforming work for the better. And in Ukraine, the BBC’s Joe Tidy reports how demand for drones is skyrocketing as a new front emerges in its conflict with Russia.

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• May 30, 2023

  Boeing and Airbus might have a new rival: China

  

  China’s nascent civilian plane-making industry notched a recent win when the Comac C919, the country’s first domestically-produced passenger jet, carried a cabin full of passengers for the first time. We look at what that could mean for the established aviation duopoly of Boeing and Airbus. Plus, this week should be no short of economic news, according to Julia Coronado, president of MacroPolicy Perspectives. And, a look at how initiatives to address homelessness are being slowed by a lack of government funding. 

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• May 30, 2023

  Finding Your Place: How unaffordable housing drives homelessness

  

  If there’s been a defining trend in American cities thus far in the 21st century, it’s been the rise of housing prices to astronomical levels. That’s also meant a huge increase in the number of people who aren’t able to afford a place to live, according to Gregg Colburn, a professor at the University of Washington who co-authored the book “Homelessness Is a Housing Problem: How Structural Factors Explain U.S. Patterns.” We spoke with him as part of our new “Finding Your Place” series exploring the reality of homelessness in America. And finally, the debt ceiling deal struck over the weekend faces a legislative test in Congress.

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• May 30, 2023

  iPhone manufacturer hikes pay ahead of new model launch

  

  From the BBC World Service: Ahead of the launch of a new iPhone model, Apple supplier Foxconn is ramping up efforts to recruit more workers for the world’s largest iPhone factory. Delegates from 175 countries are meeting in Paris for a major conference on ending plastic pollution. In Portugal, the housing crisis is getting worse, despite new government measures to try to control it; in Lisbon, the average rent is now three times the minimum wage.

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• May 29, 2023

  Now that there’s a debt deal, what does it need to pass?

  

  President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced this weekend that they had struck an agreement on raising the nation’s debt ceiling in exchange for spending cuts over the next two years. We look at what’s in the joint proposal, and why its passage in Congress may involve wrangling the votes of holdout legislators. Plus, one factor that’s contributing to rising rents and house prices are demographic trends, including more people living alone. And, a look at how Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” film is boosting businesses that make “real” mermaid tails. 

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