Uber, Lyft and the Meaning of "Employee" in the Gig Economy

Guest: Keith Cunningham-Parmeter, Professor of Law, Willamette University College of Law

Uber had one of the most anticipated IPOs of the season on Friday, following in the footsteps of its main competitor Lyft. Uber’s investors, founders and corporate employees will all benefit from going public. The drivers who fuel the app will not, because they’re not employees of the company. They’re independent contractors. A host of lawsuits are underway right now challenging the lengths to which “gig economy” platforms like Uber and Lyft can go to employ people without technically employing them.

The Importance of Vacation Time

Guest: Joe Robinson, Stress Management and Work-Life Balance Trainer, Speaker, Author of “Work to Live” and “Don’t Miss Your Life”

Are you going to use all your paid vacation this year? More than half of Americans don’t. And the really sad thing is we only get an average of 10 vacation days a year. That’s nothing compared to the 25 or more days of paid vacation companies in many European countries are required to offer. 

Concerts for The Deaf

Guest: Amber Galloway Gallego, Owner of Amber G. Productions

American Sign Language interpreters at music concerts traditionally have been pretty reserved, just signing the words. But now, some interpreters are taking it to the next level to help the deaf seethe music. They’re not just signing the words, they’re also signing the sounds and tones of the instruments. One of those interpreters that specializes in music is Amber Galloway Gallego, and she’s signed for Adele, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, and Billy Joel, as well as many other famous artists.

China Exporting Surveillance Technology Worldwide

Guest: Steven Feldstein, Associate Professor of Public Affairs, Boise State University

We know Amazon, Google and Facebook have a lot of information about us. But the government does, too. China appears to be leading the world in technology to monitor its citizens by connecting the dots between surveillance cameras on streets, phone location, medical records, bank account information and online activity. Chinese officials are alleged to be using this information to intimidate and imprison political dissidents. And, perhaps even more worrisome, China is exporting its surveillance technology to dozens of other countries with unstable democracies.

How the Opioid Crisis Is Turning Doctors into Law Enforcers

Guest: Liz Chiarello, Professor of Sociology, Saint Louis University

The opioid crisis in America has put pressure on doctors to more carefully monitor what prescriptions their patients are taking. Some doctors have even been convicted of contributing to the opioid overdose deaths of their patients. Most states have created online databases that track pain medication and flag possible opioid abuse. In the coming years, doctors will be required to check that database before prescribing medicine.

New Movement Proposes Separate Voting for President and Vice President of the United States

Guest: David Blake, Co-Founder of vice.run

The Vice President of the United States is just a heartbeat away from being leader of the free world. But so long as the President is alive and well, the VP’s job isn’t a great one. At least that’s how a lot of past vice presidents have viewed it. “Now worth a bucket of warm spit,” said FDR’s vice president. “About as useful as a cow’s fifth teat,” said Harry Truman –who was a VP before he became President. More recently, vice presidents have described the job as “awkward” and “uncomfortable. There’s a new movement collecting signatures to have vice presidents elected separately in the US.