TikTok said Sunday it will suspend the ability to post new content and livestreams in Russia, in light of the country's "fake news" law, which has been denounced by free speech activists and the global community.
Why it matters: Russian President Vladimir Putin's crackdown on dissent of the country's invasion of Ukraine is forcing independent and social media outlets out of the country.
Delta Air Lines is joining the "buy now, pay later" craze, a new wrinkle in a wave of airline marketing schemes designed to lock in customer loyalty ahead of what experts say could be the busiest travel season ever.
Why it matters: Loyalty programs are huge moneymakers for airlines, and this year's pent-up travel demand gives them a rare opportunity, when habits are up for grabs, to boost their brands' "stickiness" and diversify their revenue.
After Crystal Phillips, a 47-year-old youth counselor, asked for time off to quarantine in 2020, her employer tried to fire her. But she hung on to her job by tapping into an emergency paid sick leave provision passed that year by Congress to deal with the COVID crisis, she tells Axios.
Why it matters: The Biden administration now says it wants to revive some version of that emergency sick leave policy, which expired at the end of 2020.
Visa, Mastercard and American Express are suspending operations in Russia in response to President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the companies said.
Why it matters: Sanctions and divestment from the business community have increasingly isolated Russia from the rest of the world. Businesses operating there have a limited ability to collect revenue or pay workers and suppliers.
The average hourly rate for a babysitter leapt 11% in 2021 to $20.57 an hour — far outpacing the 7% rate of inflation — as the labor shortage made child care providers harder to find.
Why it matters: The increase was undoubtedly a big blow for many working parents. But higher wages are great news for babysitters themselves, who have traditionally been underpaid.
The International Monetary Fund said Saturday that Russia's continued invasion of Ukraine and the related economic sanctions will have a "severe impact on the global economy."
Driving the news: "While the situation remains highly fluid and the outlook is subject to extraordinary uncertainty, the economic consequences are already very serious," the IMF said in a statement.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is turning into a seismic event for the aviation industry just as it emerges from the COVID-19 downturn.
Why it matters: The closure of vast stretches of airspace from North America to Russia has airlines scrambling to determine what routes are still feasible and which flights can be rerouted. Flight times are increasing, along with their carbon footprints.
The U.S. ranks 38th in the world on the newly released 2022 SDG Gender Index, which tracks the empowerment of women and girls across a variety of metrics — from health to education to workplace rights. The report looks at pre-COVID data, and its authors warn that the picture for women and girls is even worse today.
The big picture: In a crisis, progress on gender equality tends to get rolled back — women and girls are often first to leave their jobs or schools to handle more caregiving responsibility, for example.
