Two Uber drivers in Florida are independent contractors, not employees, the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) said on Dec. 3. Add that to the win column for Uber, which has been canvassing the US to convince judges, regulators, and policymakers that the people driving on its platform should not be considered traditional employees.
Uber, already the most richly valued private company in the world, is about to get richer. Bloomberg reports that the global ride-hailing behemoth is seeking another $2.1 billion in a funding round that could increase the firm’s valuation to $62.5 billion.
Last month, Chipotle quietly made a small change to its website. On its “food with integrity” page, which touts the company’s commitments to freshness and sustainability, a description of “buying local” was replaced with one about “long-term partnerships.” Specifically, Chipotle removed this claim: “We serve more local produce than any restaurant company in the US.”
Netflix shot past its all-time closing high on Wednesday (Dec. 2). The stock hit $131.24 shortly before 11 a.m., above its best close of $129.84 on Aug. 6. It was still up about 3.8% to just over $130 in early afternoon trading, but retreated below $129.
Uber said Tuesday (Dec. 1) that it is testing a new program that will allow drivers in Denver, Colorado to rent cars for a discounted rate to drive on Uber’s platform. The basic idea behind the partnership with Enterprise Rent-A-Car is that while lots of people might want to drive for Uber, not all of them have access to a car that meets the company’s requirements. Now they’ll be able to rent one from Enterprise for $210 a week.
Volkswagen’s November US sales crashed 25% from the previous year, the automaker said today (Dec. 1). The dismal performance comes two months after the company was caught cheating on emissions tests by US regulators, plunging it into one of the biggest auto scandals in history. In the US, nearly 500,000 diesel-powered cars have been affected; globally, the number of affected vehicles could reach 11 million.
For the last seven years, a lucky fraction of AT&T customers have clung to a magical mobile deal: unlimited data, for just $30 a month. But on Monday (Nov. 30), AT&T announced that the bargain is coming to an end.
