News

Private space company Sierra Space has laid off several hundred employees and contractors this week, with around 165 employees and an unspecified number of contractors affected. The company, recently valued at over $5 billion, shipped its first Dream Chaser spaceplane for testing at NASA’s Armstrong facility in Ohio before the layoffs began. Sierra Space will now focus on the operations phase of Dream Chaser’s first mission and classified national security work, including adding nearly 150 employees with security clearances. The layoffs come after Sierra Space raised almost $300 million in funding two months ago.

The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has announced a groundbreaking four-year contract with CBS Sports, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and Scripps Sports for media distribution, set to begin in 2024. The deal, valued at $60 million per year and amounting to $240 million for the term, marks a significant increase from the league’s previous agreement. The NWSL aims to reach new audiences and generate record-breaking distribution and revenue through this partnership.

As part of the deal, CBS, ESPN, Prime Video, and Scripps will broadcast a variety of NWSL matches across their platforms, allowing fans to access games through various channels and streaming services. NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman expressed excitement about the deal, emphasizing that it will revolutionize the league’s future and benefit both the players and the league as a whole.

Chrysler parent company Stellantis is providing voluntary separation packages to approximately 6,400 of its US white-collar employees, representing half of its nonbargaining unit workforce with five or more years of employment. The move is aimed at reducing headcount and cutting costs for the automaker’s North American operations.

Stellantis is among several US auto industry companies seeking to reduce expenses amidst economic uncertainties and significant investments in emerging technologies like electric vehicles. The voluntary separation packages come shortly after Stellantis reached a tentative agreement with the United Auto Workers union, which also includes voluntary buyouts. Employees have until December 8 to accept the buyout offers.

Uber is introducing new features to tackle the issue of unfair deactivations faced by ride-hail and delivery drivers. The company will use technology to identify customers who consistently give bad ratings or feedback with the aim of receiving a refund, and their allegations will no longer impact drivers’ ratings or deactivation decisions.

Additionally, Uber is expanding its in-app review center, allowing drivers and couriers to understand why their accounts were deactivated, request a review, and provide additional information such as audio or video recordings. The company will also pilot voluntary drug tests to allow drivers to dispute accusations of driving under the influence or having a car that smells like marijuana.

Previously, drivers had protested against unfair deactivations and joined lawsuits against Uber, stating that false complaints, discrimination, and lack of transparency had led to their deactivation.

Joby Aviation and Volocopter recently conducted demonstration flights of their electric aircraft in New York City, providing a glimpse into the future of aviation. During a press conference, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced plans to electrify two heliports, further supporting the development of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The move is crucial for eVTOL developers, who require significant public investment to establish their commercial air taxi service by the mid-2020s. The eVTOL industry is benefitting from climate commitments by cities, including New York City, to reduce carbon emissions and transition to clean energy. Joby Aviation, with plans for a “city-to-airport” service in New York and Los Angeles, estimates that it could reduce travel time between Manhattan and John F. Kennedy International Airport to just seven minutes.

Google, Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook), and TikTok have received support from Europe’s top court in their battle against an Austrian law that required them to delete hate speech or face hefty fines. The law, introduced in 2021, compelled large tech companies to release regular reports on illegal content. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled in favor of the three companies, stating that the Austrian law contradicted an EU rule mandating that online service providers should adhere to the regulations of the country where they are established. The ruling cannot be appealed. This decision comes as the European Union implements new regulations, known as the Digital Services Act, which demand that major online platforms take stronger action against illegal and harmful content or risk fines of up to 6% of their annual revenue.

Autonomous vehicle venture Cruise, owned by General Motors, has issued a recall for 950 of its robotaxis after a pedestrian collision in San Francisco. The incident occurred on October 2 when a human driver in another car hit a pedestrian, sending her into the path of the Cruise robotaxi. Following the collision, Cruise grounded all its driverless operations and initiated a federal probe. California regulators also revoked the company’s permits to operate driverless vehicles without human safety drivers.

The investigation revealed defects in Cruise’s automated driving system software, leading to the recall. Cruise is conducting third-party reviews of the incident and is searching for a chief safety officer. The company has also temporarily suspended production of its Cruise Origin driverless vans. Over the course of this year, GM has reported losses of approximately $1.9 billion on Cruise.