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Strongest Earthquake In 25 Years Rocks Taiwan, Killing 9 People And Stranding 70 Workers In Quarries

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Hualien, Taiwan — The largest earthquake in a quarter-century shook Taiwan during the morning rush hour Wednesday, killing nine people, stranding scores of workers at quarries, and sending other inhabitants fleeing through damaged buildings’ windows.

The quake, which injured over 1,000 people, struck off the shore of rural, mountainous Hualien County. Several buildings tilted at sharp angles, and their ground floors were crushed. As tremors shook the island nation, tiles fell from older buildings in Taipei, just over 150 kilometers (93 miles) away. Schools also evacuated pupils to sports areas.

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Strongest Earthquake In 25 Years Rocks Taiwan, Killing 9 People And Stranding 70 Workers In Quarries

Rescuers fanned out in Hualien, searching for trapped persons and using excavators to stabilize damaged houses. The number of missing, trapped, or stranded individuals changed as officials discovered additional people in distress and sought to find or free them.

According to Taiwan’s National Fire Service, the 70 workers stranded at two rock quarries are safe, but falling rocks have damaged the roads leading to them. Six workers were scheduled to be flown on Thursday.

In the early hours after the earthquake, neighbors and rescue workers were seen on TV carrying residents, including toddlers, out windows and onto the street after doors fused shut during the shaking.

Earthquakes frequently shake Taiwan, and its people are among the most prepared for them. However, authorities did not issue any alerts since they expected a small earthquake. The eventual quake was powerful enough to startle even those accustomed to shaking.

“I’ve become accustomed to earthquakes. But it was the first time an earthquake shocked me to tears,” said Hsien-Hsien Keng, a Taipei resident who lives on the fifth floor of an apartment building. “The earthquake woke me up. I’d never experienced such extreme shaking before.

According to the fire department, the earthquake occurred just before 8 a.m. and killed at least nine individuals. According to the local United Daily News, three hikers were murdered in rockslides in Taroko National Park in Hualien, while a van driver died when debris collided with his vehicle.

A tsunami warning was issued but later withdrawn.

At least 1,011 persons have been reported injured. After the quake knocked down phone networks, authorities lost communication with 50 hotel personnel in minibusses in the national park; three hiked to the hotel, while the others remained stuck.

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Strongest Earthquake In 25 Years Rocks Taiwan, Killing 9 People And Stranding 70 Workers In Quarries

The earthquake and its aftershocks triggered 24 landslides and damaged roads, bridges, and tunnels. The national assembly, a converted school erected before World War II, and sections of Taoyuan’s main airport, located south of Taipei, all suffered moderate damage.

Hualien Mayor Hsu Chen-wei reported that 48 residential buildings were destroyed in the city, which shares its name with the county. Hsu stated that water and electrical supplies were being restored.

According to Taiwan’s earthquake monitoring service, the quake was 7.2, but the US Geological Survey rated it 7.4. It struck roughly 18 kilometers (11 miles) off Hualien, Taiwan’s east coast, and was about 35 kilometers (21 miles) deep. Several aftershocks followed.

Following the earthquake, traffic along the east coast stopped as landslides and falling debris struck tunnels and roadways. Train service was suspended across the 23 million-person island, with some tracks twisted by the quake’s force. Subway service was suspended in Taipei, where sections of a freshly completed elevated line ripped apart but did not collapse.

The initial alarm following the earthquake dissipated swiftly on the island, which prepares for such catastrophes with exercises in schools and notifications distributed through public media and mobile phones. According to Stephen Gao, a seismologist and professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Taiwan’s earthquake preparation is among the best in the world, with tight building rules and a world-class seismological network.

By lunchtime, the metro station in Beitou, a busy northern Taipei neighborhood, was back in full swing. People were commuting to work, and others were arriving to explore the hot springs or hike the mountain pathways at the base of an extinct volcano.

Chinese media said the earthquake was felt in Shanghai and other provinces along China’s southeastern coast. China and Taiwan are approximately 160 kilometers (100 miles) apart.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that a 30-centimeter (approximately 1-foot) tsunami was observed on the coast of Yonaguni island around 15 minutes after the earthquake occurred. Smaller waves were also observed on Ishigaki and Miyako islands. By Wednesday afternoon, all regionwide advisories had been withdrawn.

Taiwan is located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a line of seismic faults that encircles the Pacific Ocean and is the source of most of the world’s earthquakes.

taiwan

Strongest Earthquake In 25 Years Rocks Taiwan, Killing 9 People And Stranding 70 Workers In Quarries

In 2018, a severe earthquake that struck Hualien left 17 people dead and destroyed a historic hotel. Taiwan’s greatest earthquake in recent years happened on September 21, 1999, with a magnitude of 7.7, killing 2,400 people, wounding around 100,000, and demolishing thousands of buildings.

The economic impact of the earthquake has yet to be calculated. Taiwan is the world’s top manufacturer of sophisticated computer chips and other high-tech things extremely sensitive to seismic activity. Parts of the energy grid were shut down, potentially disrupting the supply chain and resulting in financial losses.

Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC, which provides semiconductors to businesses like Apple, said it had evacuated workers from some of its factories in Hsinchu, southwest of Taipei. Hsinchu officials stated that water and electricity supplies to all enterprises in the city’s research park were regular.

The Taiwan Stock Exchange started as usual on Wednesday, with the index fluctuating between losses and gains.

SOURCE – (AP)

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Howard Schultz Violated Labor Law By Telling Employee ‘If You’re Not Happy At Starbucks, You Can Go Work For Another Company’

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Starbucks’ interim CEO, Howard Schultz, violated federal labor law in 2022 by telling a California barista who expressed concerns about unionization that “if you’re not happy at Starbucks, you can go work for another company.”

The National Labor Relations Board ruled on Wednesday that Schultz’s statement constituted an unconstitutional, coercive threat.

The decision highlights Starbucks’ difficult relationship with organized labor, as more and more employees at its outlets unionize.

Howard Schultz Violated Labor Law By Telling Employee ‘If You’re Not Happy At Starbucks, You Can Go Work For Another Company’

In 2022, as interim CEO, Schultz visited a business event in Long Beach, California, to address and improve working conditions at Starbucks locations. According to the NLRB, Barista Madison Hall attempted to discuss the benefits of unionization as well as Starbucks’ claimed history of unfair labor practices.

“Why are you angry at Starbucks?” Schultz inquired. He stated that the occasion was not the appropriate forum for discussing union problems before remarking on working elsewhere. The administrative law decision states that he “had an angry expression on his face.” The NLRB ruling maintains an administrative law judge’s decision from October 2023.

Starbucks issued a statement expressing its disagreement with the board’s decision. “Our focus remains on training and supporting our managers to ensure respect for our partners’ right to organize, and we are making progress in our discussions with Workers United,” a business representative said in a statement Thursday.

Though Schultz stepped down from his third term as CEO in March 2023, he remains involved with the company. When he retired from Starbucks’ board of directors in September, the business named him “lifelong chairman emeritus.”

“We note that the judge identified the Respondent’s highest official, interim CEO Schultz, as a ‘legendary leader,’ a status that would exacerbate the coercive nature of Schultz’s statement,” the ruling read.

Since the first Starbucks branch in Buffalo, New York, unionized in 2021, the coffee business has been embroiled in hundreds of labor battles over alleged union-busting practices. In June, the Supreme Court heard Starbucks v. McKinney, a case involving seven employees who were fired after attempting to form a union. The Supreme Court agreed with Starbucks.

An NLRB administrative law judge earlier stated that Starbucks had engaged in “egregious and widespread misconduct” in its dealings with employees involved in unionization efforts at Buffalo outlets, including the first site to unionize. Starbucks dispatched high-level executives into Buffalo-area stores on a “relentless” campaign, according to the judge, which “likely left a lasting impact as to the importance of voting against representation.”

Starbucks stated at the time that it is “considering all options to obtain further legal review,” and that “we believe the decision and remedies ordered are inappropriate given the record in this matter.”

schultz

Howard Schultz Violated Labor Law By Telling Employee ‘If You’re Not Happy At Starbucks, You Can Go Work For Another Company’

The union reports that on October 1, the 500th Starbucks location in Washington state decided to unionize.

The NLRB ordered Starbucks on Wednesday to stop threatening to terminate employees for unionizing and to post a notice of employee rights in all of its Long Beach outlets.

“We are pleased to see the NLRB continuing to advocate for workers and their legal right to organize. At the same time, we’re looking ahead and proud to be on a new journey with the firm,” said Michelle Eisen, co-chair of Starbucks Workers United’s national organizing committee and bargaining delegate, in a statement to CNN on Thursday.

SOURCE | CNN

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Tesla Recalls 27,000 Cybertrucks Due To A Rearview Camera Issue

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CNN | Tesla

Tesla is recalling around 27,000 Cybertrucks due to a rearview camera issue that delays the image being presented on the dashboard, increasing the danger of a collision.

According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report, the rearview display may appear blank for up to 8 seconds when the Cybertruck is in reverse. That is far over the two seconds required by US federal safety regulations.

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Tesla Recalls 27,000 Cybertrucks Due To A Rearview Camera Issue

Tesla has issued a free, over-the-air software update to address the issue. Drivers can also reverse the Cybertruck by “performing a shoulder check and using their mirrors,” according to the NHTSA.

This is the fifth recall for the electric vehicle, which was released last year. The most recent recall, in June, concerns the truck’s large single windshield wiper and a piece of plastic trim along the edge of the truck bed that might become loose and detach from the vehicle while driving.

In April, the trucks were recalled because the accelerator pedal could become stuck when depressed. Tesla launched a software recall in January for 2.2 million of its cars, including Cybertrucks, due to warning light letters that were too small to read. That issue was likewise resolved with an over-the-air software upgrade.

Tesla Recalls 27,000 Cybertrucks Due To A Rearview Camera Issue

Tesla announced a rise in sales this week for the first time this year, however, year-to-date sales still trail the same period in 2023.

The company delivered approximately 463,000 automobiles worldwide in the third quarter, rising 6% from the previous year’s sales number and 4% from the second quarter of this year.

SOURCE | CNN

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The Biden Administration can go Ahead With Student Loan Forgiveness, Says a Federal Judge.

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(VOR News) – A temporary restraining order that was obtained against the expansive new student loan forgiveness system that was planned by the administration of Vice President Joe Biden will be allowed to expire by a federal judge.

Injunction was issued against the program that was being proposed. It is possible that the execution of this strategy may reduce the suffering of tens of millions of people in the United States of America.

There is a possibility that the idea might be beneficial to as many as three out of every four people who are now in possession of federal student loans, as stated by an estimate that was provided by the Center for American Progress.

This happens because the student loan plan takes into account government initiatives.

A victory was granted to the administration of Vice President Joe Biden, according to an announcement made by United States District Judge Randal Hall in Georgia before the close of the day on Wednesday. The previous Republican president, George W. Bush, was the one who appointed Hall to his current post. Hall now serves in that capacity.

In the next few weeks leading up to the election that will take place in November, it is quite likely that Vice President Joe Biden will press forward with the proposition that his administration has offered to cancel student loans. There is a chance that this will occur given the verdict.

A new condition has emerged as a result of a lawsuit that was filed against the aid package by seven states that are run by Republicans. This lawsuit was filed against the aid package after it was submitted.

There are a number of states that have ruled that the debt cancellation scheme that is now being carried out by the United States Department of Education is illegal. These states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota, and Ohio, amongst others.

The conclusions of Hall, on the other hand, indicate that Georgia did not have the legal jurisdiction to launch a legal action against the relief plan. As a result, the state was unable to fulfill the duty of the forum for the application.

The judge made an order that the case be relocated to Missouri because the states argue that the notion that was proposed by Biden would be most detrimental to Mohela, which is the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority.

Which is responsible for servicing student loans?

The judge issued the order as a result. The United States Department of Education’s spokesman applauded the judge’s finding that Georgia had “no legal basis” to pursue the action; yet, the spokesperson also criticized the Republican drive to prevent relief from being granted. The verdict made by the judge was lauded by the authorized spokesperson.

This case is the outcome of an ongoing campaign by Republican elected officials who, according to what they claimed, seek to prevent millions of their own people from having breathing room on their student loans. This campaign is the cause of this complaint.

That campaign is reflected in this lawsuit that has been filed. “The fact remains that this lawsuit reflects an ongoing effort.”

Our efforts to improve the flawed student loan system and to provide support and relief to borrowers all throughout the country are not going to be abandoned, and we are not going to stop up on providing these services. We have declared our intention to carry on with our work.

Under the plan that was proposed by Vice President Joe Biden, student debt would be forgiven for four different groups of borrowers:

Those who owe more than they initially took out; those who have been in repayment already for decades; students who attend schools with a low financial value; and those who are eligible for loan forgiveness under an existing program but have not yet implemented the program.

SOURCE: CNBC

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