The scene outside of New York City Hall in late May was several years in the making. Dozens of taxi and livery drivers from across the city had joined together outside the ornate structure to call for immediate action to a growing crisis. A fifth driver in the city had committed suicide in recent days, a devastating byproduct of what friends and family attributed to an overwhelming debt load that he couldn’t handle once ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft arrived in New York. More and more drivers started competing for fares, struggling to net a livable wage. It’s a trend that has only accelerated over time, a trend that the city had a chance to prevent. At least it did, once. When Uber launched in New York in 2011, the company described its vision as a win-win for everyone. “Uber brings the convenience of a yellow cab, the quality of a luxury limo, and adds an Uber cherry on top—on-demand mobile requests,” the company said. The rosy pitch … [Read more...] about How New York Became the Center of the Fight Against Uber and the Gig Economy Lie
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Packing it in: The 12 best finales of TV’s current golden age
Kelsey Dake for The Washington Post With “The Americans” nearing its end, a review of the best series finishes since 2005. Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript. Please enable JavaScript for the best experience. The series finale is a do-or-die moment when a show gets one last chance to say whatever it has to say and do whatever must be done. Expectations are high, failures are frequent and viewers are seldom 100 percent satisfied. Our complaints generally split two ways: Some believe deeply in the definitive walk-off, a final scene that all but rides off into the sunset and clearly answers the essential questions raised by long-arc, complex story lines that last for years. Other viewers are more in tune with (and trusting of) the visionary whims of showrunners who often have something subtler, more baffling in mind. That’s how we get the mystery finale, the lingering unsolved puzzle that’s up for endless debate: Were “Lost’s” … [Read more...] about Packing it in: The 12 best finales of TV’s current golden age
Working to make public space for everyone in Baltimore
For writer D. Watkins, it's a sense of exclusion from what he called the "new" Baltimore. For student activist Diamond Sampson, it's a feeling of being unwelcome around the Inner Harbor.For Richard Jones, president of the landscape architecture firm Mahan Rykiel, which has been involved in planning for McKeldin Plaza, Harbor Point, the Inner Harbor's Rash Field and Patterson Park, the racial divisions sometimes seen in the city's public spaces are partly a design failure — one he hopes to help fix.While that sense has many causes, Jones sees design as part of the solution, so Mahan Rykiel has launched a social impact studio. The nine-person team is charged with looking at ways to encourage more minority participation when planning; building partnerships to ensure minorities are using ballfields and other amenities; and creating education programs to entice more minorities into the field of landscape architecture."Our city is diverse. Our parks need to reflect that diversity," … [Read more...] about Working to make public space for everyone in Baltimore
Five Minutes with Brandon Etheridge, new Ravens general counsel
At 31, Brandon Etheridge — the Ravens' new general counsel — is the same age as quarterback Joe Flacco.It's an age when quarterbacks are often in midcareer. But general counsels of NFL clubs? Older attorneys typically hold those positions."I think it happened a lot quicker than I expected it would," Etheridge, the Baltimore-born and former Yale football player, said of his speedy career ascent. "If not the youngest, I'm pretty close to it in terms of general counsels in the National Football League."But his legal background suited the post. He served two years in New York City as a counsel to NFL team executives on issues — including player contracts and health care — related to the league's collective bargaining agreement. Before that, he was an associate in Washington with the law firm Covington & Burling, where his clients included the NFL.Last week, the league announced a research initiative aimed at reducing head injuries."I think the Ravens especially … [Read more...] about Five Minutes with Brandon Etheridge, new Ravens general counsel
Under Armour taking heat from both sides in uproar over spear hunting
The hunter doused the Under Armour T-shirt with lighter fluid and set it ablaze, before repeating the act with an Under Armour cap."You go against the hunters, the hunters are going against you," said Craig Bell, looking into the camera for the video, posted widely on hunting sites.Under Armour, the Baltimore-based athletic apparel brand, found itself caught up in a social media uproar over its deep involvement with hunting when it dropped its sponsorship of hunter Sarah Bowmar after she posted a video showing her husband spearing a bear in Canada. Wearing a camouflage jacket with a prominent Under Armour logo, Josh Bowmar exults by raising his arms after the kill, which was filmed partly by a GoPro camera attached to the spear.Images of the baiting and apparent suffering of the bear angered thousands of people who spoke out in petitions and on social media, prompting Under Armour to terminate its partnership with Sarah Bowmar. Animal-rights activists demanded the brand denounce … [Read more...] about Under Armour taking heat from both sides in uproar over spear hunting