ReportWire

Tag: Layoff

  • Jelly Belly to lay off 69 employees at Fairfield headquarters

    [ad_1]

    CREWS WORKED TO KEEP IT COOL TO MAKE SURE IT WOULD NOT REIGNITE. IN SOLANO COUNTY, SOME TOUGH ECONOMIC NEWS AS JELLY BELLY IS CUTTING DOZENS OF JOBS IN FAIRFIELD. THE COMPANY SAYS THESE LAYOFFS WILL START IN EARLY JUNE. THIS IS MAINLY OFFICE-BASED ROLES IN MARKETING, FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING. THE COMPANY TOLD OUR PARTNERS AT THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. THE MOVE WILL NOT IMPACT CANDY PRODUCTION, WAREHOUSING OR THE VISITOR CENTER.

    Sixty-nine employees are slated to lose their jobs at Fairfield-headquartered Jelly Belly, according to a WARN notice obtained by SFGATE. Jelly Belly’s parent company, Ferrara Candy Company, is closing its Fairfield “corporate-commercial operations,” located at One Jelly Belly Lane, 2400 N. Watney Way, 2500 N. Watney Way, and 2385 N. Watney Way, according to screenshots of the WARN letter Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy shared on Facebook on Friday.“This action will not impact any Fairfield Manufacturing, Warehousing, or Visitor Center roles,” Sukrat Baber, assistant general counsel of Ferrara Candy, wrote in the letter sent to the mayor and other local officials. “This layoff is expected to be permanent.”“This action will not impact any Fairfield Manufacturing, Warehousing, or Visitor Center roles,” Sukrat Baber, assistant general counsel of Ferrara Candy, wrote in the letter sent to the mayor and other local officials. “This layoff is expected to be permanent.”Ferrara Candy Company, which also owns other candy brands such as Nerds, Sweetarts and Laffy Taffy, acquired Jelly Belly in 2023. “These reductions were expected based on what they told us previously when they first acquired Jelly Belly,” Fairfield City Manager David Gassaway wrote in a letter last week to the City Council, according to Moy’s Facebook post. Despite the layoffs, Jelly Belly will continue making candy and offering tours at its factory, a popular Fairfield tourist attraction. Ferrara does not plan to close the factory. “We anticipate no impact to the Jelly Belly brand, our products, manufacturing levels, or service to our customers,” continued the statement from Ferrara provided to SFGATE.The news comes as another blow to Fairfield, following the closure of the Anheuser-Busch plant this month. However, “Some good news: We have seen healthy interest in companies considering buying the Budweiser plant,” Moy wrote in her Facebook post.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    FAIRFIELD, Calif. —

    Sixty-nine employees are slated to lose their jobs at Fairfield-headquartered Jelly Belly, according to a WARN notice obtained by SFGATE. Jelly Belly’s parent company, Ferrara Candy Company, is closing its Fairfield “corporate-commercial operations,” located at One Jelly Belly Lane, 2400 N. Watney Way, 2500 N. Watney Way, and 2385 N. Watney Way, according to screenshots of the WARN letter Fairfield Mayor Catherine Moy shared on Facebook on Friday.

    “This action will not impact any Fairfield Manufacturing, Warehousing, or Visitor Center roles,” Sukrat Baber, assistant general counsel of Ferrara Candy, wrote in the letter sent to the mayor and other local officials. “This layoff is expected to be permanent.”

    “This action will not impact any Fairfield Manufacturing, Warehousing, or Visitor Center roles,” Sukrat Baber, assistant general counsel of Ferrara Candy, wrote in the letter sent to the mayor and other local officials. “This layoff is expected to be permanent.”

    Ferrara Candy Company, which also owns other candy brands such as Nerds, Sweetarts and Laffy Taffy, acquired Jelly Belly in 2023.

    “These reductions were expected based on what they told us previously when they first acquired Jelly Belly,” Fairfield City Manager David Gassaway wrote in a letter last week to the City Council, according to Moy’s Facebook post.

    Despite the layoffs, Jelly Belly will continue making candy and offering tours at its factory, a popular Fairfield tourist attraction. Ferrara does not plan to close the factory.

    “We anticipate no impact to the Jelly Belly brand, our products, manufacturing levels, or service to our customers,” continued the statement from Ferrara provided to SFGATE.

    The news comes as another blow to Fairfield, following the closure of the Anheuser-Busch plant this month. However, “Some good news: We have seen healthy interest in companies considering buying the Budweiser plant,” Moy wrote in her Facebook post.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Washington Post publisher Will Lewis says he’s stepping down

    [ad_1]

    Washington Post publisher Will Lewis said Saturday that he’s stepping down, ending a troubled tenure three days after the newspaper said that it was laying off one-third of its staff.Lewis announced his departure in a two-paragraph email to the newspaper’s staff, saying that after two years of transformation, “now is the right time for me to step aside.” The Post’s chief financial officer, Jeff D’Onofrio, was appointed temporary publisher.Neither Lewis nor the newspaper’s billionaire owner Jeff Bezos participated in the meeting with staff members announcing the layoffs on Wednesday. While anticipated, the cutbacks were deeper than expected, resulting in the shutdown of the Post’s renowned sports section, the elimination of its photography staff and sharp reductions in personnel responsible for coverage of metropolitan Washington and overseas.They came on top of widespread talent defections in recent years at the newspaper, which lost tens of thousands of subscribers following Bezos’ order late in the 2024 presidential campaign pulling back from a planned endorsement of Kamala Harris, and a subsequent reorienting of its opinion section in a more conservative direction.Martin Baron, the Post’s first editor under Bezos, condemned his former boss this week for attempting to curry favor with President Donald Trump and called what has happened at the newspaper “a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”The British-born Lewis was a former top executive at The Wall Street Journal before taking over at The Post in January 2024. His tenure has been rocky from the start, marked by layoffs and a failed reorganization plan that led to the departure of former top editor Sally Buzbee.His initial choice to take over for Buzbee, Robert Winnett, withdrew from the job after ethical questions were raised about both he and Lewis’ actions while working in England. They including paying for information that produced major stories, actions that would be considered unethical in American journalism. The current executive editor, Matt Murray, took over shortly thereafter.Lewis didn’t endear himself to Washington Post journalists with blunt talk about their work, at one point saying in a staff meeting that they needed to make changes because not enough people were reading their work.This week’s layoffs have led to some calls for Bezos to either increase his investment in The Post or sell it to someone who will take a more active role. Lewis, in his note, praised Bezos: “The institution could not have had a better owner,” he said.“During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customer each day,” Lewis said.D’Onofrio, who joined the paper last June after serving as the financial chief for the digital ad management company Raptive, said in a note to staff that “we are ending a hard week of change with more change.“This is a challenging time across all media organizations, and The Post is unfortunately no exception,” he wrote. “I’ve had the privilege of helping chart the course of disrupters and cultural stalwarts alike. All faced economic headwinds in changing industry landscapes, and we rose to meet those moments. I have no doubt we will do just that, together.”

    Washington Post publisher Will Lewis said Saturday that he’s stepping down, ending a troubled tenure three days after the newspaper said that it was laying off one-third of its staff.

    Lewis announced his departure in a two-paragraph email to the newspaper’s staff, saying that after two years of transformation, “now is the right time for me to step aside.” The Post’s chief financial officer, Jeff D’Onofrio, was appointed temporary publisher.

    Neither Lewis nor the newspaper’s billionaire owner Jeff Bezos participated in the meeting with staff members announcing the layoffs on Wednesday. While anticipated, the cutbacks were deeper than expected, resulting in the shutdown of the Post’s renowned sports section, the elimination of its photography staff and sharp reductions in personnel responsible for coverage of metropolitan Washington and overseas.

    They came on top of widespread talent defections in recent years at the newspaper, which lost tens of thousands of subscribers following Bezos’ order late in the 2024 presidential campaign pulling back from a planned endorsement of Kamala Harris, and a subsequent reorienting of its opinion section in a more conservative direction.

    Martin Baron, the Post’s first editor under Bezos, condemned his former boss this week for attempting to curry favor with President Donald Trump and called what has happened at the newspaper “a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction.”

    The British-born Lewis was a former top executive at The Wall Street Journal before taking over at The Post in January 2024. His tenure has been rocky from the start, marked by layoffs and a failed reorganization plan that led to the departure of former top editor Sally Buzbee.

    ALLISON ROBBERT

    A protester holds a cutout of Jeff Bezos’ face outside of the Washington Post office following a mass layoff, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026.

    His initial choice to take over for Buzbee, Robert Winnett, withdrew from the job after ethical questions were raised about both he and Lewis’ actions while working in England. They including paying for information that produced major stories, actions that would be considered unethical in American journalism. The current executive editor, Matt Murray, took over shortly thereafter.

    Lewis didn’t endear himself to Washington Post journalists with blunt talk about their work, at one point saying in a staff meeting that they needed to make changes because not enough people were reading their work.

    This week’s layoffs have led to some calls for Bezos to either increase his investment in The Post or sell it to someone who will take a more active role. Lewis, in his note, praised Bezos: “The institution could not have had a better owner,” he said.

    “During my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customer each day,” Lewis said.

    D’Onofrio, who joined the paper last June after serving as the financial chief for the digital ad management company Raptive, said in a note to staff that “we are ending a hard week of change with more change.

    “This is a challenging time across all media organizations, and The Post is unfortunately no exception,” he wrote. “I’ve had the privilege of helping chart the course of disrupters and cultural stalwarts alike. All faced economic headwinds in changing industry landscapes, and we rose to meet those moments. I have no doubt we will do just that, together.”

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Washington man spent 31 years at Microsoft only to be fired on a call with 120 others. Here’s how he’s rebuilding at 60

    [ad_1]

    Thousands of Microsoft workers have been laid off in the past year, and Washington resident Mike Kostersitz is just one of them. After spending 31 years at Microsoft, he’s now looking for a job for the first time in more than three decades.

    In May, the 60-year-old principal product manager lead said a new high-priority meeting appeared on his calendar out of nowhere.

    “Me and 120 other anonymous faces got told our jobs had been eliminated,” he told Business Insider (1). The layoff came as a complete surprise. “After 31 years, you would expect at least your manager or your VP or somebody to come to you and say, ‘Hey Mike, this is going to happen and here is why.’”

    A few years ago Kostersitz presented an ‘architectural deep dive” in a YouTube video and introduced himself as a PM lead on the Azure Kubernetes Service on Azure Stack HCI (AKS-HCI) team (2).

    Kostersitz is among thousands of tech workers suddenly forced to navigate an unfamiliar job market reshaped by automation, AI and an industry-wide slowdown.

    The good news is that he recently shared on LinkedIn that “something exciting is brewing” and he is feeling “grateful, fired up and ready to lace up for what’s ahead.”

    Microsoft’s layoffs are part of a larger trend. In recent months, Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet have all trimmed their workforces. Amazon cut 14,000 jobs in October, citing a shift toward AI automation. Meta eliminated roughly 600 roles in its “superintelligence” division, while Alphabet reduced staff in its cloud unit.

    According to executive outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, cost-cutting and AI were the top reasons employers cited for job reductions in October (3). The so-called “DOGE impact” is the leading reason cited for layoffs in 2025 overall.

    The tech industry announced 33,281 job cuts in October 2025 — a sharp jump from 5,639 in September, and the highest number recorded across any private sector that month. For all of 2025, tech firms have announced 141,159 job cuts, up 17% from the same period in 2024.

    While overall U.S. unemployment remains relatively low, it has risen since the start of the year. It would appear competition for tech roles has intensified. Reports suggest thousands of skilled professionals are now competing for fewer openings, often requiring updated skill sets in AI, data science and automation.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Education Department announces new steps in downsizing push

    [ad_1]

    The U.S. Department of Education announced new steps Tuesday in President Donald Trump’s push to downsize the federal agency. Trump signed an executive order in March that called for eliminating the Education Department, but his administration has previously acknowledged that dissolving it entirely would require an act of Congress, which created the agency in 1979. For now, the department is moving forward with plans to shift key services to other parts of the federal government through six new interagency agreements. “The Trump Administration is taking bold action to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission.”The announcement is already facing pushback. Critics fear that the Education Department shakeup will disrupt critical services that students rely on.The National Education Association called it an “illegal plan to further abandon students.”Minnetonka Public Schools Superintendent David Law, who serves as president of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, said the reorganization could prove counterproductive. “It talks about streamlining and efficiency, and yet it’s counterintuitive to me that multiple agencies having their hand on something is more efficient,” Law said.Under the plan, the Labor Department will co-manage the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, which administers K-12 grant programs and Title 1 funding for low-income schools, as well as the Office of Postsecondary Education, which oversees grants for institutions of higher education.The Department of the Interior will take on a greater role in administering Indian Education programs. The Department of Health and Human Services will co-manage the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program and Foreign Medical Accreditation. The State Department will help oversee international education and foreign language studies programs. In the past, the Trump administration has also talked about moving management of other Education Department services, like the student loan portfolio and civil rights enforcement. The administration is still “exploring options,” according to a senior department official who briefed reporters on Tuesday ahead of the official rollout. Tuesday’s announcement builds on a sweeping downsizing effort that started earlier this year. The Trump administration has already launched an interagency partnership with the Labor Department to manage adult education and career and technical education programs.In July, the Supreme Court paved the way for the Education Department to move forward with roughly 1,400 layoffs.The Education Department said in an email on Tuesday that no additional layoffs are expected at this time as a result of the new interagency agreements.

    WASHINGTON —

    The U.S. Department of Education announced new steps Tuesday in President Donald Trump’s push to downsize the federal agency.

    Trump signed an executive order in March that called for eliminating the Education Department, but his administration has previously acknowledged that dissolving it entirely would require an act of Congress, which created the agency in 1979.

    For now, the department is moving forward with plans to shift key services to other parts of the federal government through six new interagency agreements.

    “The Trump Administration is taking bold action to break up the federal education bureaucracy and return education to the states,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “Cutting through layers of red tape in Washington is one essential piece of our final mission.”

    The announcement is already facing pushback. Critics fear that the Education Department shakeup will disrupt critical services that students rely on.

    The National Education Association called it an “illegal plan to further abandon students.”

    Minnetonka Public Schools Superintendent David Law, who serves as president of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, said the reorganization could prove counterproductive.

    “It talks about streamlining and efficiency, and yet it’s counterintuitive to me that multiple agencies having their hand on something is more efficient,” Law said.

    Under the plan, the Labor Department will co-manage the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, which administers K-12 grant programs and Title 1 funding for low-income schools, as well as the Office of Postsecondary Education, which oversees grants for institutions of higher education.

    The Department of the Interior will take on a greater role in administering Indian Education programs. The Department of Health and Human Services will co-manage the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program and Foreign Medical Accreditation. The State Department will help oversee international education and foreign language studies programs.

    In the past, the Trump administration has also talked about moving management of other Education Department services, like the student loan portfolio and civil rights enforcement. The administration is still “exploring options,” according to a senior department official who briefed reporters on Tuesday ahead of the official rollout.

    Tuesday’s announcement builds on a sweeping downsizing effort that started earlier this year.

    The Trump administration has already launched an interagency partnership with the Labor Department to manage adult education and career and technical education programs.

    In July, the Supreme Court paved the way for the Education Department to move forward with roughly 1,400 layoffs.

    The Education Department said in an email on Tuesday that no additional layoffs are expected at this time as a result of the new interagency agreements.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • NH chief justice under review over $50K payout

    [ad_1]

    The New Hampshire Department of Justice is reviewing Chief Justice Gordon MacDonald and the personnel moves that netted his former assistant a $50,000 payout.

    NHPR’s Todd Bookman broke the story last month that Dianne Martin was laid off from her job as the administrative director at the judicial branch in April, and then hired two days later by the Supreme Court as the general counsel to the Office of Bar Admissions. During her brief unemployment, Martin cashed out her accrued employment benefits, including unused vacation and sick time, valued at more than $50,000.


    This page requires Javascript.

    Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

    kAm{2DE H66<[ s6AFEJ pEE@C?6J v6?6C2= y2>6D q@776EE: D6?E =6EE6CD E@ |24s@?2=5[ |2CE:?[ E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE[ 2?5 s6A2CE>6?E @7 p5>:?:DEC2E:G6 $6CG:46D r@>>:DD:@?6C r92C=:6 pC=:?892FD E92E |2CE:?UCDBF@jD ;@3 492?86 😀 ?@H F?56C @77:4:2= C6G:6H[ 244@C5:?8 E@ 5@4F>6?ED D92C65 (65?6D52J H:E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^x?s6AE9}w]@C8Qmx?s6AE9}w]@C8k^2m 2?5 @E96C >65:2 @FE=6ED] q@776EE: >2<6D 4=62C 😕 9:D =6EE6CD E92E E96 C6G:6H 😀 E@ 56E6C>:?6 H92E ?6IE DE6AD[ 😕 2?J[ 2C6 ?646DD2CJ 7@C E96 s~y]k^Am

    kAm“%@ 36 4=62C[ E9:D 😀 DEC:4E=J 2 AC6=:>:?2CJ C6G:6H[ 2?5 ?@ 7@C>2= 4C:>:?2= :?G6DE:82E:@? 92D 366? @A6?65[” q@776EE: HC@E6]k^Am

    kAm%96 =6EE6CD C6BF6DE 2== A2CE:6D E@ AC6D6CG6 C64@C5D C6=2E65 E@ |2CE:?’D =2J@77[ C69:C:?8[ 2?5 36?67:ED A2J>6?E] %92E :?4=F56D 6>2:=D[ E6IE >6DD286D[ >6>@D[ 2?5 G@:46>2:=D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ q@776EE:’D =6EE6CD]k^Am

    kAm|24s@?2=5 92D 2=C625J 9:C65 y2?6 *@F?8 2D 9:D 2EE@C?6J] *@F?8 😀 E96 7@C>6C 56AFEJ 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2= H9@ D6CG65 F?56C |24s@?2=5 H9:=6 96 H2D pEE@C?6J v6?6C2=] $96’D 2=D@ E96 7@C>6C 7656C2= &]$] 2EE@C?6J 7@C E96 s:DEC:4E @7 }6H w2>AD9:C6]k^Am

    kAm*@F?8 2?5 96C A2CE?6C[ |2C< |@CC:DD6EE6[ 42==65 |2CE:?’D ;@3 492?86 2 “4@>A=6I 2?5 6G@=G:?8 A6CD@??6= >2EE6C” 😕 E96:C ~4E] ab =6EE6C E@ q@776EE:] %96 A2:C C6BF6DE65 q@776EE: 962C E96:C G6CD:@? @7 E96 |2CE:? 6G6?ED 367@C6 2?J A@DD:3=6 4C:>:?2= :?G6DE:82E:@? 86ED F?56CH2J] %96 A2:C 2=D@ E@=5 q@776EE: E96J A=2? E@ 8@ @G6C 9:D 9625[ 42==:?8 }w!#’D DE@CJ E92E DA2C<65 E96 C6G:6H >:D=625:?8]k^Am

    kAmp44@C5:?8 E@ 2 DE2E6>6?E :DDF65 3J E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE =2DE H66<[ E96 H9@=6 4@FCE 28C665 @? |2CE:?’D E6C>:?2E:@? 2?5 C69:C6] w6C A@D:E:@? H2D 6=:>:?2E65 2D A2CE @7 E96 4@FCE’D @H? C6G:6H @7 4@DED 2?5 @A6C2E:@?D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 DE2E6>6?E] &?56C E96 DE2E6’D 6>A=@J>6?E CF=6D[ |2CE:? H2D 2==@H65 E@ 4@==64E 96C 244FD65 36?67:ED @?46 96C A@D:E:@? H2D E6C>:?2E65]k^Am

    kAm“&?56C E96 A6CD@??6= CF=6D[ 6=:>:?2E:@? @7 2 A@D:E:@? C6DF=ED 😕 2 =2J@77 @7 E96 6>A=@J66[ 2?5 E96 6>A=@J66 😀 6?E:E=65 E@ E9C66 H666?E @7 p5>:?:DEC2E:G6 $6CG:46D[ D96 C646:G65 E96 244CF65 =62G6 2?5 36?67:ED E@ H9:49 D96 H2D 6?E:E=65 2E E96 E:>6 @7 96C =2J@77[” E96 DE2E6>6?E C625D]k^Am

    kAm|2CE:?’D ?6H ;@3 2E E96 ~77:46 @7 q2C p5>:DD:@?D <66AD 96C H:E9:? E96 ;F5:4:2= 3C2?49[ 9@H6G6C] %96 ~77:46 @7 q2C p5>:DD:@?D 😀 H:E9:? E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE’D 25>:?:DEC2E:@?[ E9@F89 96C D2=2CJ 😀 ?@H 4@G6C65 3J 32C 25>:DD:@? 2?5 2AA=:42E:@? 766D C2E96C E92? E2IA2J6C 7F?5D]k^Am

    [ad_2]

    By Damien Fisher | InDepthNH.org

    Source link

  • ‘Everyone is doing well’: President Trump praises economy amid layoffs, potential SNAP crisis

    [ad_1]

    ‘Everyone is doing well’: President Trump praises economy amid layoffs, potential SNAP crisis

    President Trump promotes economic prosperity during his visit to Japan, while layoffs and a federal shutdown threaten millions back in the U.S.

    Updated: 3:03 PM PDT Oct 28, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ


    White House Correspondent

    President Donald Trump is promoting Japanese companies investing $550 billion in the United States while visiting the East Asian country. The president said the funds would be “at my direction” as part of a trade framework secured with Japan. The president also boasted about the U.S. economy, despite contrasting economic challenges.”Well, everyone in our country is now doing well. My first term, we built the greatest economy in the history of the world. We had an economy like nobody has seen before now. We’re doing it again, but this time, actually, it’s going to be much bigger, much stronger,” Trump said.The president highlighted the stock market reaching all-time highs, but economists point to other indicators that tell a different story. Amazon announced it is cutting 14,000 jobs, UPS is eliminating roughly 48,000 positions and closing more than 90 buildings as part of a turnaround plan, and Target, Ford, and GM have also announced layoffs amid slowing demand. Additionally, the federal government shutdown threatens food aid benefits for more than 40 million Americans as soon as Nov. 1, and September’s CPI data showed prices are rising again just as the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates to support the economy.”I don’t really understand the optimism to be perfectly honest, and I’m a very optimistic, very little of a ‘doomer’ person. We’ve had seven months in a row of contractions and manufacturing output. The labor market cooled to such an extent that it forced the Fed to cut rates in September,” said Jai Kedia from the Cato Institute.President Trump is preparing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid the ongoing U.S.–China trade war. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two countries have reached a “very successful framework” ahead of their summit, covering tariffs, rare-earth exports and large U.S. agricultural purchases.Meanwhile, 26 states and Washington, D.C., are suing the USDA, arguing the agency has contingency funds that could be used to maintain SNAP benefits during the shutdown. In a memo, the USDA stated that those funds can only be used for a natural disaster or other emergency, not to operate during a shutdown, and placed the blame on Senate Democrats, saying, “We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. Continue to hold out for the Far-Left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments.” The states argue the law requires the USDA to issue benefits as long as money is available.It comes after another failed vote occurred today in the Senate. A federal judge in San Francisco has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown. This move comes as a lawsuit challenges recent job cuts in education, health, and other areas.For more coverage from the Washington News Bureau here:

    WASHINGTON —

    President Donald Trump is promoting Japanese companies investing $550 billion in the United States while visiting the East Asian country. The president said the funds would be “at my direction” as part of a trade framework secured with Japan.

    The president also boasted about the U.S. economy, despite contrasting economic challenges.

    “Well, everyone in our country is now doing well. My first term, we built the greatest economy in the history of the world. We had an economy like nobody has seen before now. We’re doing it again, but this time, actually, it’s going to be much bigger, much stronger,” Trump said.

    The president highlighted the stock market reaching all-time highs, but economists point to other indicators that tell a different story.

    Amazon announced it is cutting 14,000 jobs, UPS is eliminating roughly 48,000 positions and closing more than 90 buildings as part of a turnaround plan, and Target, Ford, and GM have also announced layoffs amid slowing demand.

    Additionally, the federal government shutdown threatens food aid benefits for more than 40 million Americans as soon as Nov. 1, and September’s CPI data showed prices are rising again just as the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates to support the economy.

    “I don’t really understand the optimism to be perfectly honest, and I’m a very optimistic, very little of a ‘doomer’ person. We’ve had seven months in a row of contractions and manufacturing output. The labor market cooled to such an extent that it forced the Fed to cut rates in September,” said Jai Kedia from the Cato Institute.

    President Trump is preparing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping amid the ongoing U.S.–China trade war. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two countries have reached a “very successful framework” ahead of their summit, covering tariffs, rare-earth exports and large U.S. agricultural purchases.

    Meanwhile, 26 states and Washington, D.C., are suing the USDA, arguing the agency has contingency funds that could be used to maintain SNAP benefits during the shutdown.

    In a memo, the USDA stated that those funds can only be used for a natural disaster or other emergency, not to operate during a shutdown, and placed the blame on Senate Democrats, saying, “We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats. Continue to hold out for the Far-Left wing of the party or reopen the government so mothers, babies, and the most vulnerable among us can receive timely WIC and SNAP allotments.”

    The states argue the law requires the USDA to issue benefits as long as money is available.

    It comes after another failed vote occurred today in the Senate. A federal judge in San Francisco has issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump administration from firing federal workers during the government shutdown. This move comes as a lawsuit challenges recent job cuts in education, health, and other areas.

    For more coverage from the Washington News Bureau here:

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Games Global Cuts Isle of Man Roles amid Global Restructuring

    [ad_1]

    Games Global, one of the leading employers in the Isle of Man’s online gaming sector, has begun to downsize its workforce at its Douglas headquarters as part of the international restructuring. The decision has sparked concerns among staff and attracted the attention of the local authorities, who have confirmed that several positions have been made redundant following a global review of operations.

    Layoffs Were Not Limited to the Isle of Man

    The company, which employs hundreds on the island and over 1,000 worldwide, has not yet issued an official statement regarding the layoffs. However, numerous LinkedIn posts by current and former employees paint a picture of sudden and widespread job cuts. A veteran employee wrote that after 28 years with the business, they had received their dismissal, hinting at a significant restructuring.

    According to a recent Isle of Man Today report, a representative from the Department for Enterprise (DfE) of the Isle of Man confirmed the news, explaining that Games Global had initiated an internal review to enhance efficiency and bolster future growth. The department made it clear that the layoffs were part of a company-wide process and not limited to the Isle of Man office.

    Games Global has recently undertaken a global review of operations, which has resulted in the displacement of a number of positions within its Isle of Man office.

    Isle of Man DfE statement

    The dismissals at Games Global mirror a similar episode earlier this year at Derivco Isle of Man, a gaming software developer and a long-standing partner of Games Global. Derivco also went through a consultation process that resulted in layoffs as part of its own global restructuring effort. Industry experts believe the layoffs at Games Global could be a symptom of overextension.

    The Company Backed Out of Its New York IPO

    Games Global has expanded rapidly since its formation in 2022, following its acquisition of Microgaming’s Quickfire distribution business. This move gave the company access to a substantial portfolio of over 3,000 casino titles and a network of 900 operator partners. The company marketed itself as a major supplier of iGaming content, seeking to compete with other high-profile developers in Europe and North America.

    However, such rapid growth does not come without costs. Sources close to the company indicate that current restructuring efforts aim to consolidate overlapping teams and streamline management after a period of intense acquisition activity. Games Global was also preparing to go public on the New York Stock Exchange. However, it backed out in May 2024, citing unfavorable market conditions.

    This recent development could have significant long-term consequences for the Isle of Man as the region’s digital economy adjusts to shifting global trends. While the island’s gaming and fintech sectors remain among its most prominent employers, recent consolidation across the industry suggests the period of rapid growth might be replaced by one of strategic restraint.

    [ad_2]

    Deyan Dimitrov

    Source link

  • Government shutdown enters fourth week, affecting federal workers, services, economy

    [ad_1]

    The government shutdown is entering a fourth week as Democrats and Republicans blame each other for holding the country “hostage.” Caught in the middle, federal workers, government services, and the economy are all feeling the impact. Previous shutdowns have seen reduced overall economic growth, disproportionately affecting certain industries. National parks and museums remain closed, flight delays are mounting, and backlogs for new small business loans and flood insurance renewals are growing.Republicans continue to accuse Democrats of blocking paychecks by refusing to reopen the government, while Democrats argue that Republicans are unwilling to negotiate over the core issue of health care funding. “Congressional Democrats seem to want to keep the government shut down even though it would mean that a lot of you would not get your paycheck,” Vice President JD Vance said in remarks to an audience of Marines celebrating the 250th anniversary Saturday.Democrats pushed back in “No Kings” protests across the country.”They’re the ones acting like children refusing to negotiate with Democrats in the Senate who they know have to vote for a budget in order for it to become law,” Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview Saturday.The shutdown has had a sizable impact as uncertainty weighs on the federal workforce. Under the Trump administration’s direction, federal agencies have been planning not just furloughs but also permanent layoffs. However, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the firings, deeming them potentially illegal.Public perception of who is to blame has been roughly evenly split. A new Associated Press poll finds that a majority, about 6 in 10 Americans, blame President Donald Trump and Republicans for the shutdown. An even larger majority, three-quarters of Americans, believe both sides deserve at least a “moderate” share of the blame, suggesting that no one has truly escaped responsibility for the shutdown.Watch the latest coverage on the federal government shutdown:

    WASHINGTON —

    The government shutdown is entering a fourth week as Democrats and Republicans blame each other for holding the country “hostage.” Caught in the middle, federal workers, government services, and the economy are all feeling the impact.

    Previous shutdowns have seen reduced overall economic growth, disproportionately affecting certain industries.

    National parks and museums remain closed, flight delays are mounting, and backlogs for new small business loans and flood insurance renewals are growing.

    Republicans continue to accuse Democrats of blocking paychecks by refusing to reopen the government, while Democrats argue that Republicans are unwilling to negotiate over the core issue of health care funding.

    “Congressional Democrats seem to want to keep the government shut down even though it would mean that a lot of you would not get your paycheck,” Vice President JD Vance said in remarks to an audience of Marines celebrating the 250th anniversary Saturday.

    Democrats pushed back in “No Kings” protests across the country.

    “They’re the ones acting like children refusing to negotiate with Democrats in the Senate who they know have to vote for a budget in order for it to become law,” Sen. Chris Murphy said in an interview Saturday.

    The shutdown has had a sizable impact as uncertainty weighs on the federal workforce. Under the Trump administration’s direction, federal agencies have been planning not just furloughs but also permanent layoffs. However, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the firings, deeming them potentially illegal.

    Public perception of who is to blame has been roughly evenly split. A new Associated Press poll finds that a majority, about 6 in 10 Americans, blame President Donald Trump and Republicans for the shutdown. An even larger majority, three-quarters of Americans, believe both sides deserve at least a “moderate” share of the blame, suggesting that no one has truly escaped responsibility for the shutdown.

    Watch the latest coverage on the federal government shutdown:

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • ‘Moment of crisis’: Unions in somber mood this Labor Day

    [ad_1]

    Thousands of workers and union organizers from across California will gather for picnics and marches this weekend to honor the contributions of the nation’s working people.

    But the Labor Day celebrations will be tempered by a sobering reality: Unions face mounting pressure to protect their members from the Trump administration’s immigration raids, cuts in Medicaid services and a weakened National Labor Relations Board.

    “We know how important we are to preserving and protecting democracy,” said Lorena Gonzalez, head of the California Labor Federation. “We have a special role in that. We are not going to get silenced, and we’re not going to be paralyzed.”

    From farm fields to car washes, labor groups have scrambled to support families of the hundreds detained and deported in numerous chaotic and violent raids that have resulted in the deaths of two people —a day laborer and a farmworker — killed while fleeing federal agents.

    The raids reverberated across the state’s local labor community in June when David Huerta of SEIU California was injured and detained by law enforcement while documenting the first major immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles.

    “Farmworkers are afraid….They don’t know what’s going to happen from one day to the next with these raids, but they understand the only way we’re going to have power is if we come together,” said Teresa Romero, president of United Farm Workers.

    Romero and other union leaders said their focus remains on organizing more workplaces, while also working to educate people on their rights and staging legal and nonviolent protests against government policies.

    “We are all under attack by the federal government right now,” said Jeremy Goldberg, executive director of the Central Coast Labor Council. “The need is tremendous.”

    In early August, the Trump administration moved forward with a plan to end collective bargaining with federal unions across a swath of government agencies. The government said the changes were necessary to protect national security, but unions viewed it as retaliation for their participation in lawsuits opposing the president’s policies.

    The Trump administration has also proposed sweeping cuts to the staff of the National Labor Relations Board — which is tasked with safeguarding the right of private employees to unionize or organize in other ways to improve their working conditions — and canceled leases for regional offices in many states.

    Union officials contend the changes could hobble the board and prevent it from investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by workers and carrying out its other responsibilities, such as overseeing elections.

    “Important rules and regulations that were put in place during the Biden administration that were helpful to workers — those are systematically being rolled back,” said Enrique Lopezlira, director of the Low-Wage Work Program at the UC Berkeley Labor Center.

    Unions are bracing for further challenges that could arise when Trump finally makes appointments to the federal labor board, which is currently nonoperational, because it doesn’t have enough board members to rule on cases.

    But even as many labor leaders have openly opposed the Trump administration, others have taken a more muted approach. Major national unions, such as United Auto Workers and the Teamsters, have supported aspects of the Trump agenda on tariffs abroad and a push for manufacturing jobs at home.

    The changes portend tough times ahead for California unions.

    John Logan, a professor of U.S. labor history at San Francisco State, said that Trump’s hostility toward California and withholding of federal funds from universities, healthcare facilities and other institutions will squeeze the state budget, with major effects on public sector workers in the form of layoffs and other cost-cutting. And the administration’s relentless immigrant raids are consuming the time, attention and resources of unions, he said.

    Although California has a larger share of its workforce represented by unions compared with many other states, that density is overly reliant on public sector workers, and membership of those unions is likely to shrink in the coming years, Logan said.

    Unions are “ill-equipped to deal with this moment of crisis,” Logan said. “The labor movement is fighting for its survival over the next four years.”

    Challenges are especially acute in the healthcare industry.

    Unions representing in-home care providers, nurses and other healthcare workers said their members are already feeling the squeeze wrought by the lead up to and approval of Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which includes tax spending cuts that will affect millions of Medicaid recipients while growing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency by thousands of workers.

    SEIU Local 2015 President Arnulfo De La Cruz said many in-home care providers who have cared for people for decades are now faced with the prospect that the people they care for are going to lose their healthcare, and that they themselves may lose their healthcare and their jobs.

    “To have our healthcare under attack, to have our families under attack — that’s a huge reversal in how we are recognizing essential workers,” De La Cruz said.

    Major medical facilities, including Sharp HealthCare, UC San Diego Health and UCSF Health, have in recent months announced plans to cut public health services and conduct hundreds of layoffs, citing significant financial headwinds and the uncertainty of federal funding.

    “It’s a nasty bill. There’s nothing beautiful about that bill,” said Cynthia Williams, an Orange County resident and member of AFSCME Local 3930. Williams is a full-time caregiver for both her daughter, who is blind and has cerebral palsy, and her sister, who is a veteran living with severe post-traumatic stress disorder.

    Williams said the In-Home Supportive Services program — funded primarily by Medicaid — has preemptively cut funding for transportation to her sister’s weekly appointments. The hours Williams is paid for to care for her daughter have been reduced.

    “The last few months have been very stressful and very unpredictable,” Williams said.

    [ad_2]

    Suhauna Hussain

    Source link

  • Rivalry Further Shrinks Its Workforce amid Strategic Refocus

    Rivalry Further Shrinks Its Workforce amid Strategic Refocus

    [ad_1]

    Rivalry, a next-gen sports betting and media company, announced that it has laid off 28 employees, including its global marketing director. The new redundancies are a part of a company restructuring, according to EGR.

    Another Few Dozen Employees Have Been Dismissed

    As reported, the restructuring comes amid Rivalry’s shift toward the crypto betting sector. Earlier this year, Rivalry confirmed that it plans to focus on blockchain opportunities and high-value customers. To that end, the operator is now undergoing major changes that will help it achieve its new goals.

    In its financial report for the second quarter of the year, Rivalry announced that it plans to double down on the VIP sector and capitalize on high-value customers. This report also confirmed the company’s cryptocurrency ambitions, which it announced earlier this year.

    Rivalry told EGR that it has laid off 28 workers, including Britt Doll, the company’s global marketing director. Doll was promoted to the position in December 2023 and had previously served as the company marketing director for Canada.

    The layoffs mirror an earlier round of redundancies that saw the betting company part ways with another 29 employees.

    CEO Salz Wants Rivalry to Become a Category Definer  

    Rivalry’s chief executive officer, Steven Salz, spoke with EGR on the matter, saying that the new round of redundancies aligns with the company’s ongoing refocus on the crypto frontier and new business strategy.

    Salz also told the news outlet that his team is already finding leverage, product-market fit and return on investment from its expansion into the world of crypto and the VIP sector. The CEO concluded that these opportunities are great but also mean that the company must rethink its strategy and restructure its team.

    Salz is optimistic that despite impacting 28 of his talented team members, the redundancies will ultimately allow the company to build on the momentum it is experiencing and become a ”category-defining” betting brand.

    Rivalry was originally an esports-focused betting brand but eventually expanded its business by launching retro-style iGaming products and a cryptocurrency product. The Rivalry Token has so far been very successful and praised as one of the company’s best ventures.

    [ad_2]

    Fiona Simmons

    Source link

  • General Catalyst-backed Jasper Health lays off staff | TechCrunch

    General Catalyst-backed Jasper Health lays off staff | TechCrunch

    [ad_1]

    Jasper Health, a cancer care platform startup, laid off a substantial part of its workforce, TechCrunch has learned. Engineering and product design were among the departments impacted by the cuts, according to posts on LinkedIn from impacted employees.

    TechCrunch was unable to independently verify the exact number of people who were cut, but an industry source who knew impacted people believes it was approximately half of Jasper Health’s small team. According to PitchBook data, Jasper Health had about 48 employees before the cuts.

    The company’s co-founder and CEO, Adam Pellegrini, didn’t respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment. TechCrunch’s attempts to reach Jasper Health’s chief operating officer, chief growth officer, and head of marketing via email were unsuccessful, with messages bouncing back.

    A little over two years ago, in February 2022, Jasper Health raised a $25 million Series A led by General Catalyst, with participation from Human Capital, W Health Ventures, Redesign Health and 7wireVentures. At that time, the company said it raised a total of $31 million in venture capital.

    Most significantly, Jasper is a General Catalyst portfolio company. The VC firm is one of the most active healthcare investors. It is so serious about bringing new startup-led technology into the US healthcare system that earlier this year, the VC firm purchased an Ohio-based health system called Suma Health, an unprecedented move in venture capital. But clearly, that doesn’t mean that all GC-backed health tech startups will flourish up-and-to-the-right without setbacks.

    Jasper is also notable because it was conceived and launched in 2018 by Redesign Health, a venture firm and studio that creates new healthcare companies. Run by CEO Brett Shaheen (previously at Lone Pine Capital and Carlyle Group), Redesign says it’s built 50 healthcare startups that have collectively raised $1.3 billion. Redesign, which is itself backed by LPs like General Catalyst, CVS Health Ventures, and Samsung Next, also had its own layoffs earlier this year, Fierce Healthcare reported.

    Jasper’s digital but human-led platform offers care navigation, patient support and remote patient monitoring. The company also provides psychosocial care. It says that approximately 12% of its users are in remission from cancer.  

    Pelligrini, the company’s founder, started his career as a surgical specialist in the US Army. He also helped build the American Cancer Society’s website, which provides information to patients and caregivers about the disease. Before founding Jasper, he was the senior vice president of virtual care and consumer health innovation at CVS Health.

    Jasper Health’s competitors include Thyme Care and Reimagine Care.

    [ad_2]

    Marina Temkin

    Source link

  • Yuga Labs CEO announces layoffs, focusing on ‘getting back to roots’

    Yuga Labs CEO announces layoffs, focusing on ‘getting back to roots’

    [ad_1]

    Yuga Labs will restructure, expecting to result in team members’ layoffs.

    Company Co-Founder and CEO Greg Solano presented a company memo announcing the restructuring. In his statement, he called today “tough.”

    “I am hellbent on transforming Yuga and getting us back to our roots, and that means making hard decisions.”

    Greg Solano, Yuga Labs Co-Founder and CEO

    In a message to the team, Solano noted that Yuga Labs had lost its way and that it intends to create a smaller, more flexible, and crypto-focused team with the restructuring.

    “The creative-first spirit that dove this company from inception has been getting muddied by labyrinthine corporate processes. We work hard and we care but somehow end up with groups and committees. We plan more than we ship.”

    Greg Solano, Yuga Labs Co-Founder and CEO

    Solano noted that some of the company’s plans have already begun to be implemented. Yuga’s CEO stated that Farawaygg, the web3 game development firm that Yuga used to develop its Dookey Dash game and which recently acquired web3 games HV-MTL and Legends of the Mara, will allow Yuga to focus on creating 3D Otherside games.

    On Feb. 21, Solano thanked former Yuga CEO Daniel Alegre and announced that he would take over his post. In the message, he added that he is “reinvigorated to be taking the reins for our next chapter” in the startup’s story.

    In October 2023, Yuga Labs announced it was laying off employees from its U.S. team as part of a broader restructuring. The company decided to focus its force on developing Otherside, a gaming metaverse.

    [ad_2]

    Anna Kharton

    Source link

  • Report: Unity Cutting About 1,800 People In Company's Largest Layoff

    Report: Unity Cutting About 1,800 People In Company's Largest Layoff

    [ad_1]

    Image: Unity

    A new report says Unity is cutting around 1,800 jobs, or about 25 percent of the its employees, according to a regulatory filing and internal company memo obtained by Reuters on Monday.

    Baldur’s Gate 3 Actors Share Their Most-Flubbed Lines

    This is reportedly the largest round of layoffs in the software company’s history—far larger than what happened in November of last year—and it will be completed by the end of March. Unity has gone through three prior rounds of layoffs within the last 12 months.

    “We are … reducing the number of things we are doing in order to focus on our core business and drive our long-term success and profitability,” interim CEO Jim Whitehurst wrote in an internal memo obtained by Reuters. The memo was sent to all Unity employees on January 8.

    Kotaku has contacted Unity Software for comment.

    Unity Software’s main product is the Unity engine, a flexible and popular game engine that powers numerous big and small games—including Hearthstone and Pokemon GO. The company was at the center of a massive controversy last September when it announced changes to how it would charge developers and publishers to use its tech. Devs would potentially be on the hook to pay for every install, which could be costly for free-to-play mobile hits or popular games on platforms like Steam. Following the failed rollout of these changes, a huge backlash from developers quickly followed. It grew so loud that eventually the company apologized and walked back most of its new plans.

    In October, shortly after this all happened, Unity’s then-CEO John Ricetello resigned. That’s when the current interim CEO, Whitehurst, took over the company. In November, during the last round of layoffs, the new CEO claimed the company needed a “reset.”

    These latest layoffs continue a horrible trend in the video game industry that saw an estimated 6,000 jobs lost during 2023. And it seems things aren’t going to get better in 2024.

    [ad_2]

    Zack Zwiezen

    Source link

  • California Pizza Hut lays off every delivery driver as wages rise to $20

    California Pizza Hut lays off every delivery driver as wages rise to $20

    [ad_1]

    Multiple Pizza Hut franchises in California, collectively operating hundreds of stores, are laying off 1,200 in-house delivery drivers ahead of a new law taking effect in April that raises wages to $20 per hour

    PacPizza LLC, operating as Pizza Hut, said in a federal WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act notice filed with California’s Employment Development Department that the company has made a business decision to eliminate first-party delivery services and, as a result, the elimination of all delivery driver positions. Similarly, Southern California Pizza Co. has also announced layoffs, impacting about 841 drivers across the state.

    The decision impacts Pizza Hut locations in Sacramento, Palm Springs, Los Angeles and other areas.

    For the affected delivery drivers—some of which Newsweek has reached out to via social media channels—the change comes as a shock, with many expressing dismay over the severance offers and the timing of the layoffs.

    A Pizza Hut Delivery driver in Shreveport, Louisiana. Multiple Pizza Hut franchises in California announced layoffs affecting 1,200 delivery drivers in response to a new minimum wage law.

    The drivers, who now face the reality of unemployment in the coming year, have voiced concerns about the impact on their livelihoods and the broader implications for workers in similar positions.

    One driver, who had been working for Pizza Hut for nine years, anonymously spoke to Business Insider and said that he was offered $400 severance if he stayed on staff until his February 5 layoff date.

    The current minimum wage in California is $16 per hour and will increase to $20 in April. The move by the Pizza Hut operators is representative of broader adjustments within the fast-food industry in response to the new labor law, AB 1228, replacing the controversial FAST Act.

    While the law aims to elevate the earnings of fast-food workers, it has sparked varied reactions from within the industry, prompting many restaurant operators outside of Pizza Hut to push for a referendum while they reevaluate their business models.

    In the context of the Pizza Hut layoffs, the California franchises and its customers will rely on third-party delivery apps like Uber Eats, GrubHub and DoorDash for deliveries.

    Newsweek has reached out to PacPizza LLC as well as Southern California Pizza Co. LLC via email for comment.

    Pizza Hut, part of publicly traded company Yum! Brands, Inc., which owns brands like KFC and Taco Bell, acknowledged the recent changes in delivery services at some franchise restaurants, saying that its franchisees independently own and operate their establishments, and adhere to local market dynamics while complying with federal, state and local regulations.