Fee-fdomVile Startup Charges Gig Workers to Get Paid on TimebyFrank Landymore"It feels like we're being held to ransom. It's so immoral it's unreal."Jan 19, 11:00 AM ESTGetty / Futurism"It feels like we're being held to ransom. It's so immoral it's unreal."Skim off the TopA company has brought a vile new twist on what a "payday" should be: now you, the lowly grunt, are the one that's paying.This, The Guardian's sister publication , is what retail assistants have accused the gig economy platform YoungOnes of doing. Effectively,they say, it's holding their wages hostage by charging the retail workers a fee to receive their money quickly or wait a whole month instead.Under YoungOne's new payment system, the workers must fork over 4.8 percent of the money they made to be paid in one minute, or 2.9 percent to be paid in three days. If they don't pay the fee, the UK- and Netherlands-based startup forces them to wait around 30 days to receive their wages. According to the Oberver's reporting, workers previously got paid within three days without an extra charge."People do gig work for short-term cash," Tom Gilliam, a 37-year-old gig worker in Manchester, told The Observer. "It feels like we're being held to ransom. It's so immoral it's unreal."GigsploitationThe alleged payment scheme is a stunningly bleak example of the exploitation that gig workers, which also include roles like Uber and Lyft drivers, are vulnerable to, enjoying few-to-none of the protections that employees do.As freelancers, gig workers aren't considered to be actual employees of the companies they work for. That usually means poorer wages, less job security, and less say (not to mention no healthcare in the US). They're at the mercy of not only their bosses, but the platform that "connects" them to their work.Gillam said that some of his coworkers last week were still waiting to be paid for shifts in late November and early December."They can't really badger their managers because working as a freelancer you have no voice, you might not get any more shifts if you are seen as outspoken," Gillam told The Observer."It is unfair for people working on a low wage with reduced rights to be charged to get their money quickly," added another colleague at Gillam's workplace.Can't Be ChoosersYoungOnes CEO James Medd waved away the criticism by emphasizing that the freelancers aren't forced to pay the fees. "We deeply value the freelancers on our platform and understand the challenges they face, particularly when it comes to payment timelines," he told The Observer. "They have the freedom to decide when, where, and with whom they work."Some UK lawmakers, though, aren't buying it."We're deeply concerned that companies will try to get around the law and continue to exploit vulnerable workers by pretending they are self-employed when they should enjoy the full protection of the law," Member of Parliament Liam Byrne, who serves on the Labour government's chair of the business and trade committee, told The Observer.Minister for employment rights Justin Madders said he would request an investigation into YoungOne's alleged practices. "We find it entirely unacceptable for employers to avoid their legal obligations by claiming someone is self-employed when they are not," Madders told The Observer. "Action that reeks of this exploitation is intolerable, and we will not hesitate to ask all relevant authorities to scrutinize such employers."More on gig economy: A Shocking Number of Gig App Workers Were Murdered on the Job Last YearShare This Article

West Des Moines residents have quite a few ISP options to choose from. CNET's internet experts suggest these.

Trailer: Jumbo By Bart on January 19, 2025 Video Indonesian Blender studio Visinema Studios is working on a feature-length movie, to be released in their local cinemas later this year. Here's their trailer.atn1987pring writes:Hello everyone, just want to share an animation teaser movie from Indonesia. Im involved in the rig characters and responsible for a small part of the shots.From 3D assets, rigging, animation, and rendering use Blender for main tools and Cycle render. It will be released next year in my country, I dont know if it will be released overseas, but I hope you all enjoy the teaser.Thanks for watching.

A recent study published in the Journal of Public Economics provides evidence that Fox News Channel has had a profound influence on American political preferences and election outcomes from 2000 to 2020. The research demonstrates that increased Fox News viewership has pushed Americans ideological preferences rightward and contributed to a measurable increase in Republican vote shares across multiple levels of government.Fox News, launched in 1996, has become one of the most influential and widely viewed cable news networks in the United States. Known for its conservative slant, Fox News has consistently dominated television ratings, drawing millions of viewers daily. Its programming blends news coverage with opinion-driven commentary, often framing stories in ways that align with conservative political and social values.Over the years, the network has cultivated a loyal audience while also attracting criticism for its role in polarizing public discourse. Its influence on American politics and public opinion, especially given its significant audience reach, has become a focal point for researchers exploring the relationship between media consumption and political behavior.While earlier research suggested that Fox News influenced presidential elections and shifted viewers policy preferences, questions remained about its impact on other levels of government and whether its influence had grown or diminished over time. Additionally, much of the existing work focused on specific moments in time, leaving gaps in understanding the networks long-term effects on American political dynamics.To assess the impact of Fox News on American political preferences and election outcomes, the researchers employed an innovative approach that leveraged Fox News channel position as a natural experiment. Channel positions, determined by local cable providers for historical and arbitrary reasons, affect how likely viewers are to watch a channel. Lower channel numbers, being more accessible, lead to higher viewership. By using channel position as an instrumental variable, the researchers could isolate Fox News influence from other factors that might affect political behavior, such as pre-existing local political preferences.The study incorporated data spanning two decades (20002020) and included multiple sources. Nielsen ratings provided information on Fox News viewership at the county level, while political attitudes were measured using survey responses from over 661,000 Americans through large-scale studies like the National Annenberg Election Survey and the Cooperative Congressional Election Study. Additionally, election outcomes for presidential, Senate, House, and gubernatorial races were drawn from comprehensive datasets on county-level vote shares.The researchers found that Fox News had a significant and sustained impact on American political preferences and elections. Counties with greater exposure to Fox News due to lower channel positioning experienced a noticeable rightward shift in political ideology. This shift was reflected in survey respondents identifying more frequently as Republicans and adopting more conservative policy preferences. Over the two-decade span, Fox News influence on political identity and ideology grew stronger, particularly during the 2010s.The analysis also demonstrated that this ideological shift translated into measurable electoral gains for Republican candidates. In presidential elections, increased Fox News viewership was associated with a 0.5 to 0.6 percentage-point boost in Republican vote shares in recent cycles, including the closely contested elections of 2016 and 2020. These margins were particularly significant in battleground states where small shifts in vote shares could influence the outcome of the entire election.The impact of Fox News extended beyond presidential races to down-ballot elections. Republican candidates for Senate, House, and gubernatorial races benefited from a similar increase in vote shares, with gains ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 percentage points depending on the office and election year. These effects were most pronounced in recent years, highlighting the growing influence of national media on state and local elections. The findings underscore how Fox News has contributed to the nationalization of American politics, where voter behavior is increasingly shaped by partisan media rather than localized issues.This paper has provided the most comprehensive, holistic evaluation to-date of Fox New Channels impacts on the American political system, the researchers concluded. We have shown that FNC has a had a large and growing impact on American politics over the past two decades. It has shifted the political preferences of Americans increasing the share of Republicans in each county and pushing their ideological preferences to the right.The substantial effect of a one-standard-deviation shift in Fox News channel position, equivalent to 22 additional minutes of monthly viewership, surpasses the impact of changes in local wages or political advertising exposure. Given the estimated effect sizes on presidential elections, for example, Fox News could have easily tipped the scales for Donald Trump in 2016, the researchers continued.The study adds to the growing body of research highlighting the significant impact of partisan media on elections and political behavior both in the United States and globally. The findings suggest Fox News has shaped party affiliation and ideology, contributing to a Republican advantage in elections and policymaking, while leaving opportunities for further research into its broader effects.For instance, future work could examine FNCs effects in local elections, as well as on local policy outcomes, the researchers wrote. It would also be useful to examine heterogeneity in FNCs effects on different types of voters. For instance, does FNC primarily influence Republican-leaning voters? Or perhaps FNC mainly influences older voters?The study, From viewers to voters: Tracing Fox News impact on American democracy, was authored by Elliott Ash, Sergio Galletta, Matteo Pinna, and Christopher S. Warshaw. Political Psychology Transgender athletes rights was opposed by those who viewed female athletes as undeserving, study findsA recent study found opposition to transgender athletes' inclusion in sports was more common among those with weaker interest in supporting, promoting, and watching female athletes. Read moreDetails Political Psychology Conservative political leadership associated with higher premature mortality ratesStates with more conservative political leadership and policies tend to have worse health outcomes, including higher mortality rates, lower vaccination coverage, and greater food insecurity, compared to states with more liberal governance. Read moreDetails Political Psychology Emphasizing Jesuss teachings shifts white evangelicals attitudes away from Republican anti-refugee positionsWhite evangelical Republicans, despite supporting Trumps anti-refugee policies, respond positively to religious appeals. Highlighting Christian values like compassion for strangers increases warmth toward refugees and support for their resettlement, according to a recent study. Read moreDetails Political Psychology Americans agree on key issues despite partisan narrativesDespite relentless media portrayals of division, Americans might not be as polarized as they seem. Surveys reveal significant agreement on core values and political priorities. Read moreDetails Political Psychology Testosterone spikes linked to stronger political opinions in menA recent study found changes in testosterone and cortisol levels were weakly linked to shifts in political opinions. Opinion stability varied throughout the day and depended on individual hormonal fluctuations. Read moreDetails Donald Trump Donald Trumps tweets predicted bursts of violence during January 6 Capitol riot, study findsA new study has found that Trump's tweets and rally speech strongly correlated with escalating violence during the Capitol riot, with feedback loops between online rhetoric and on-the-ground aggression amplifying both the severity and duration of violent actions. Read moreDetails Political Psychology Yet another study disputes link between conservatism and negativity biasRecent research found no meaningful link between sensitivity to negative stimuli and conservative ideology, challenging a popular theory. It suggests political differences may stem from other psychological or contextual factors, not negativity bias. Read moreDetails Evolutionary Psychology Demographic differences in fertility linked to generational shifts in the political landscapeConservatives in Europe have higher fertility rates than liberals, according to new research, leading to a growing proportion of conservative individuals over generations. Read moreDetails

It's been a year since Palworld launched into early access, and today a roadmap showing off plans for future updates has been revealed. Read more

Bringing the fight to Switch next week.The Switch 2 is all the focus this week (well, mostly), but there are still some great games on the way to the Nintendo Switch in 2025. Apart from Donkey Kong, which rolled onto the original hybrid system this week, next week sees the arrival of the Arc System Works fighter Guilty Gear Strive.If you are planning to download the Switch eShop version of this game, be prepared to potentially make some space because according to the official listings, it will take up around 13GB. This version also includes rollback netcode and comes with 28 characters at launch.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Barely more than 12 hours after TikTok went dark in the United States, the video-sharing app is coming back online.In agreement with our service providers, TikTok is in the process of restoring service, the company said in a statement. We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.A law that would either force TikToks parent company ByteDance to sell the app or see it banned in the United States was scheduled to take effect today. The law also made it illegal for US companies to support the distribution, maintenance, or updating of the app.With President-elect Donald Trump about to take office, officials from President Joe Bidens White House and the Department of Justice said theyd leave enforcement of the law to the Trump administration, but TikTok said critical service providers needed a definitive statement, otherwise the app would go dark. And indeed, the app stopped working last night and it disappeared from the Apple and Google Play app stores.Earlier today, however, President-elect Donald Trump posted that he would be issuing an executive order that would delay the ban, and he suggested that hed like to see TikTok restored sooner than later because Americans deserve to see our exciting Inauguration on Monday. To that end, he said his order would confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.That appeared to be enough reassurance for TikTok and its service providers. The TikTok app was already working again for several TechCrunch writers by the time the company issued its statement. However, as of 1:05pm Eastern, it still appeared to be absent from the Apple app store and Google Play.Trumps Sunday morning post also indicated that his initial thought on a deal to keep TikTok operating in the U.S. would involve a joint venture between the current owners and/or new owners whereby the U.S. gets a 50% ownership.In its statement, TikTok said it will will work with President Trump on a long-term solution that keeps TikTok in the United States.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 10: (L-R) Sarah Baus of Charleston, S.C., holds a sign that reads "Keep ... [+] TikTok" as she and other content creators Sallye Miley of Jackson, Mississippi, and Callie Goodwin of Columbia, S.C., stand outside the U.S. Supreme Court Building as the court hears oral arguments on whether to overturn or delay a law that could lead to a ban of TikTok in the U.S., on January 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. The future of the popular social media platform is at stake as the Supreme Court hears arguments on a law set to take effect the day before Inauguration Day that would force their China-based parent company to cut ties with TikTok due to national security concerns. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)Getty ImagesI know, I know. TikTok has been banned in the United States. Unless you have lived in a virtual cave, you know that a ban on the popular social media App went into effect this weekend. It all feels like some strange drama or gamesmanship. President-Elect Trump signaled that he will use available levers to extend the deadline for working out an arrangement for the sale of TikTok. I fully expect the platform to be operational in the U.S. soon. However, it provides an opportunity to highlight a conundrum that has bothered me for some time - TikTok and weather information.TikTok Entices Provocative PostsA conundrum is a challenging problem or situation. I am not a signficant consumer of TikTok, but I maintained an account to push back against misinformation or disinformation about weather events and climate change. I rarely used the platform but would occasionally pop on for big weather events. As I wrote recently, we have a serious problem with weather misinformation or disinformation on platforms like TikTok. Such platforms monetize clicks, followers and shares, so they entice people to post outrageous or provocative things. The rise of social mediarology has led to random people posting long-range, single-run weather model scenarios without proper context or expert analysis. Hurricanes and big snowstorms drive social media engagement.FILE - An aircraft crosses the vapor trails of another plane over Frankfurt, Germany, on April 19, ... [+] 2018. On Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming that a CNBC story on research into technology to combat climate change admitted that chemtrails are real. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.In recent weeks, the amount of snow porn posted on TikTok and other outlets has been stunning. However, they generate clicks, likes, and shares. It does something else too. It undermines the credibility of sound weather information, confuses the public, complicate risk communication and further feeds false narratives that weather forecasts are always wrong. A recent Atlanta culture site posted a model run over ten days out calling for a foot of snow in the Atlanta area. Many of us immediately pushed back because we knew it was not going to happen. We ultimately receive 2 inches of snow, but that is a far cry from 12 inches. Credible meteorologists never called for that much snow because we know the context needed when consuming weather models. Unfortunately many people still attribute such information to the experts rather than some random social media or TikTok source.ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JANUARY 10: Snow can be seen covering parts of Atlanta following a snow storm on ... [+] January 10, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta has experienced a significant amount of snow but is bracing for the ice that is expected to follow. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)Getty ImagesMORE FOR YOUTikTok Democratizes Access To (And Distribution Of) Good And Bad InformationTikTok and other social media platforms have democratized access and information flow. It has also blurred lines between fact, fiction, and downright conspiracy theory. I cringe at some of the flat Earth, anti-vaccine, and wacky climate theories observed on TikTok. A TikTokers completely inaccurate discussion of the Polar Vortex was borderline priceless.Heres the challenge. TikTok is very popular with the 14 to 35 year old age demographic (maybe older). Unfortunately, it is basically "TV" or the newspaper to them along with YouTube. Part of being a good parent, communicator, or policymaker is avoiding projection of "what we do" as the only template. Our parents (and to some extent us) are probably the last generation that consumes TV, watches local news, or values newspapers. For example, my teenage son is senior in high school. He loves basketball and football but almost never watches a game in its entirety. Their generation constantly receives clips and highlights in real-time on Tik Tok, You Tube and other platforms while doing other things. His generation also consumes information about weather, science, politics, and pop culture on these platforms too. A 2024 study found that teens see at least one conspiracy theory a week on social media.The ConundrumThe conundrum is that we know there is bad information on TikTok. In fact, there is downright hot garbage out there about weather, climate, and other science topics. However, the platform also provides free access to accurate science or other information too. Sean Cummings wrote in Science, For biologist Brooke Fitzwater, a doctoral student at the University of Alabama, the social media platform TikTok has become a key tool for sharing her knowledge of marine biology with some 250,000 followers. Her short, humorous videos on everything from whale sharks to zombie worms have attracted up to 2.1 million views. Emily Zawacki is a science communicator at the EarthScope Consortium. She has studied the App and how it is useful in geoscience communication. She told Cummings, You dont have to be following science-related accounts to be shown scientific content.... Theres this great potential to reach audiences that might not seek out science content on their own.This very logic is why I occassionally post videos about major hurricanes or potential weather events. Unfortunately many peers in the ivory tower ecosystem fear social media or perceive it to be extra stuff outside the scope of being a serious scholar. I strongly disagree. As I shared in a National Academy of Engineering piece, it is absolutely critical that we engage broadly. Otherwise, gaps that we leave behind because of our absence will be filled with misinformation, disinformation, or conspiracy theories.By the time you read this, TikTok will likely be up and running again in the U.S. Heck, my son tells me that he and his friends have already explored alternatives too. Whatever platforms survive, we must protect and defend real science information. The era of my own research is here, but it is riddled with danger.UNITED STATES - AUGUST 25: In this NOAA handout image, the NOAA/NASA Suomi NPP satellite captures ... [+] this infrared image of Hurricane Harvey just prior to making landfall at 18:55 UTC on August 25, 2017 along the Texas coast. NOAA's National Hurricane Center has clocked Harvey's maximum sustained winds at 110 miles per hour with higher gusts. Infrared images like this one can help meteorologists identify the areas of the greatest intensity within large storm systems, such as the areas with the most intense convection, known as overshooting cloud tops (dark orange), surrounding the eye and along the outer bands. (Photo by NOAA via Getty Images)Getty Images

In context: Following legal battles against multiple Switch emulators and modding platforms, Nintendo has recently clarified its stance on emulation and piracy. While the company acknowledges its limitations in combating programs like Yuzu, a recent arrest in Japan for selling modified devices loaded with pirated games has brought Nintendo's aggressive litigation strategy into sharper focus. A 58-year-old man from Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, was arrested for selling modified Nintendo Switch consoles designed to play pirated games. According to Japanese media, this marks the first arrest in the country for circumventing the portable device's copyright protection.Fumihiro Otobe, a transportation worker from Ryugasaki City, was accused of soldering hardware modifications onto secondhand Switch circuit boards to enable the use of pirated games. He allegedly resold these modified consoles for 28,000 yen (approximately $180) each and pre-installed 27 pirated games on them.Upon his arrest, police discovered four modified units in his possession. Otobe reportedly confessed, saying, "I was curious if people would think I was great for selling modified machines."Nintendo is notorious for its relentless pursuit of pirates, though it typically relies on civil lawsuits rather than criminal prosecution. The company's head of intellectual property recently elaborated on the legal framework that likely influenced Otobe's arrest.At the annual Tokyo eSports Festa last week, Nintendo's chief patent attorney, Koji Nishiura, acknowledged that emulators are technically legal. However, he emphasized that distributing copyrighted software through these emulators remains illegal. Notably, last year's litigation threats against Switch emulator developers Yuzu and Ryujinx prompted them to temporarily shut down, though neither case went to court. // Related StoriesYuzu's developers admitted the emulator was primarily used to distribute copyrighted software a practice Nishiura considers illegal. Moreover, bypassing Nintendo's copyright protection mechanisms constitutes a violation of intellectual property laws. These factors likely played a significant role in Otobe's arrest.Although Nishiura's comments only concern Japanese law, the US has similar regulations regarding copyright dodging. For example, last year Nintendo sued the operator of a business called Modded Hardware, which offered Switch flash carts, hacked consoles, dumping devices, and modding services. The lawsuit accused the company of selling systems preloaded with pirated games.If Otobe's arrest signals that Nintendo is escalating its anti-piracy campaign, this renewed vigilance aligns with the upcoming release of the Switch 2. Nintendo recently announced the updated console, which will feature a larger screen and significant graphical improvements. While an official release date has yet to be confirmed, more details are expected to emerge in April.Typically, consoles become targets for emulation only after they are considered retro. However, Yuzu was capable of running Nintendo Switch games less than a year after the console's 2017 launch. Whether Nintendo can prevent a similar scenario for the Switch 2 remains uncertain.

Roughly 14 hours after TikTok went offline, the social media titan is back though your feed might be clogged with goodbye messages for a while. TikTok once again allowed access from the United States after Trump pledged to sign an executive order on Monday after his inauguration that would restore the app.On Saturday night, a message appeared that told users TikTok wasnt available after a law had banned it in the United States. At the end of the message was a line: We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!Recommended VideosTrump issued a statement on his own social media platform, Truth Social, that he will extend the time until the ban takes effect. Its a stay of execution, but not a permanent solution. The proposed extension of 90 days will allow more time to find an American buyer, with Trump offering 50-50 ownership between ByteDance and the new owner.This is a reversal in opinion for Mr. Trump, who supported a ban in his previous term. The decision has also reportedly caused contention within Trumps owner inner circle, as several of his party members oppose the extension.Please enable Javascript to view this contentDespite TikTok coming back online for Americans, it isnt back for good, at least not yet. The ban will continue if no buyer can be found. Two potential buyers, including PerplexityAI, have made bids for the app, with other unnamed companies showing interest.The entire situation surrounding the shutdown of TikTok has been difficult to follow, and this latest development doesnt un-complicate things, either. The current delay was hinted at by government officials, but until a settlement is reached, TikToks future will remain uncertain.Editors Recommendations