Human Times

North American Edition

2nd October 2026

THE HOT STORY

Lyft to pay $272.5m to settle California driver wage theft claims

Lyft is to pay $272.5m to settle claims by the state of California and the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego that the company mislabeled drivers as independent contractors rather than employees to save money. Rob Bonta, California’s attorney general, described the agreement as a “landmark win for workers” and said it was the largest settlement involving wage theft claims in the state’s history. “Rideshare companies like Lyft have enjoyed massive growth and profits on the backs of drivers over the past decade, many of whom are from immigrant communities and communities of color,” Bonta said. “Lyft’s success would not be possible without the drivers Lyft sought to unfairly short-change.” The settlement, which subject to court approval, covers alleged violations between April 2016 and December 2020.

Reuters

The Guardian

CYBERSECURITY

OpenAI says rogue agents may have affected more than 100 organizations

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has informed more than 100 organizations about incidents involving unauthorized activity tied to its AI agents. "In some cases, models used internet access in unintended ways or, in retrospect, did not have the ideal restrictions applied. Over the last several months, we have ⁠been applying new technical and operational measures to avoid similar problems, or catch them very early, and will continue this work," ⁠OpenAI wrote in a blog post.

Reuters

Washington Post

STRATEGY

Nike to cut jobs as it forecasts revenue decline in the coming year

Nike has announced plans to cut jobs and launch a $2.5bn cost-saving program as weakening demand across key markets weighs on sales. The sportswear group forecasts that revenue will fall by billions of dollars in its current fiscal year. First-quarter revenue fell 4% year-on-year to $11.2bn, below consensus estimates compiled by Visible Alpha, while net income declined 2% to $712m. The group’s new five-year cost-cutting program, called Pace, is expected to deliver $2.5bn of savings and reduce Nike’s 73,000-strong workforce, although it has not disclosed how many roles will be affected or where the cuts will take place. Nike has also announced plans to open a new campus in Bengaluru, describing India as an important growth market and manufacturing hub, while consolidating its four geographic divisions into three.

WORKFORCE

Jobless claims fall to lowest level since July

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits declined to their lowest level since July, according to the Labor Department, signaling continued resilience in the labor market. Initial jobless claims fell by 1,000 to 197,000 in the week ended September 26, below economists’ median forecast of 200,000. The four-week moving average of initial claims fell to a seven-week low of 200,000, while continuing claims, reported with a one-week lag, decreased by 11,000 to 1.7m, their lowest level since March 2023. Claims have remained near historically low levels in recent months, suggesting employers remain reluctant to cut workers despite more restrained hiring. Economists expect September’s employment report to show payrolls increasing by about 85,000, with the unemployment rate holding at 4.1%.

Boeing white-collar workers approve contract offer

Members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), Boeing's largest white-collar union, have approved a new four-year contract offer, ending fears of a strike. "We secured many victories that some thought were completely out of reach when this negotiation cycle started. All of these gains would not have been possible without your individual ⁠actions and our collective strength," the SPEEA negotiation team told members, who now "need to work with Boeing, and as needed, pressure Boeing management" to rebuild "trust with the membership that has eroded over the past decades" and "restore aerospace professionals and technicians to the center of Boeing's universe."

Reuters

LEGAL

Watchdog finds no Fed misconduct in renovation

The Federal Reserve Inspector General has said it found that management and oversight failures contributed to major cost overruns in the central bank’s headquarters renovation, but there were no reasonable grounds to believe a federal crime occurred that required referral to the attorney general. The independent watchdog's report observed that "at no point during our evaluation did we find reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of federal criminal law had occurred requiring a referral to the US attorney general . . . Further, while our report outlines deficiencies in the management of the renovation project, resulting in our recommendation of corrective actions in accordance with the Inspector General Act, we did not identify administrative misconduct during our evaluation." President Donald Trump said he had directed Attorney General Todd Blanche "to study the report, and make a determination as to what to do."

CNBC

Reuters

CORPORATE

Musk says Delta CEO ‘will lose his job’ over snub to Starlink

Elon Musk has said Delta Air Lines’ CEO Ed Bastian will “lose his job” in response to an unverified report that he criticized him, as the billionaire escalated his feud with the carrier for choosing Amazon.com's Leo satellites over SpaceX's Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi. Bastian defended the decision in an interview with Bloomberg earlier this year, saying Amazon's service offers improved bandwidth at a lower price point than Starlink's. Bloomberg notes that internet access, once an add-on that passengers paid for begrudgingly, is now another front in carriers' competition for customers.

Bloomberg

Forbes

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Night owls face greater risk of disability retirement

People who prefer working and sleeping later may face a higher risk of leaving work because of ill health, according to Finnish research. A 12-year study of 5,679 people found evening types were 1.7 times more likely to receive a disability pension than morning types, even after socioeconomic factors were considered. Researchers suggested poorer health choices and misalignment between natural sleep patterns and conventional working hours could contribute to the increased risk. "Although traditional working hours may be too early for late chronotypes, most of them need to work during regular office hours," the authors of the study wrote. "In the current study, more than 70 per cent of [evening types] who had reported their work schedule worked in a day job. People who are [evening types] represent a significant proportion of the population and their health and ability to continue working until retirement age pose challenges for sustainable economies."

Financial Times

The Times

ECONOMY

GDP growth revised higher as inflation remains elevated

The U.S. economy grew more strongly than previously estimated in the second quarter of 2026, while inflation remained above the Federal Reserve’s target in August. The Commerce Department revised annualized second-quarter GDP growth to 2.2%, up from 1.5%, reflecting stronger consumer spending and investment, including construction and AI infrastructure. Real final sales to private domestic purchasers, a measure of underlying demand, were also revised up to 4.6%. Meanwhile, the PCE price index rose 3.4% year over year in August, unchanged from July, while monthly headline and core inflation increased 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively. The figures suggest continued economic resilience, supported by a solid labor market, strong stock returns, and household spending, but persistent price pressures remain a challenge for the Federal Reserve as it seeks to return inflation to its 2% target.

CNN

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

INTERNATIONAL

Japan tightens permanent residency rules for foreigners

Japan has introduced stricter requirements for foreigners seeking permanent residency, as part of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's immigration control measures. Starting soon, applicants must demonstrate above-average annual income and conversational Japanese skills. Application fees will increase significantly, from 10,000 yen to 200,000 yen. Takaichi noted that rising foreign resident numbers have caused public anxiety, prompting the need for "orderly coexistence." Critics argue that Japan must welcome more foreign workers to address labor shortages, while anti-immigration sentiments grow amid false claims about foreigners. “I understand that over-accepting foreigners . . . might dilute Japan's unique culture. But at the same time, given its low birth rate and ageing population, Japan has to accept foreigners,” said American-born university student Yujie Chono, who was among those waiting for residency.

Bangkok Post

Straits Times

Barclays softens return-to-office rules

U.K. lender Barclays has revised its return-to-office policy following employee backlash. The bank will now allow staff to delay compliance with the new requirement until 2027, provided they obtain permission from their line manager. Initially, Barclays mandated that its 45,000 U.K. employees return to the office for at least three days a week as of October 5. In a staff memo, the bank's executive committee said it was extending the implementation period "to ensure colleagues have the right support as we move through the transition . . . We are also reviewing our flexible working policy." A Barclays spokesperson said the company had listened to feedback "to ensure colleagues have the right support while enabling us to deliver the benefits of working together in person."

Financial Times

The Guardian

The Times

EU presses ahead with jobless benefits overhaul

An EU plan to change which member state pays unemployment benefits has been approved at the Council of the European Union, where member states' governments are represented. Unemployment insurance is currently paid to jobseekers in the country of residence. In July, the European Parliament approved a revision that makes the country where the jobseeker had been working responsible for the payments. Most EU countries will have a two-year transition period; Luxembourg, with its high proportion of cross-border workers, will have five to seven years to switch to the new system. Denmark, the Netherlands and Poland joined Luxembourg in opposing the revisions.

Luxembourg Times

OTHER

Rising cat ownership boosts pet retailers as dog-related sales soften

Growing cat ownership in the U.S. is driving stronger sales of feline food and other products, providing a bright spot for pet retailers and manufacturers as consumers remain cautious about spending. General Mills reported double-digit percentage growth in cat food sales in its latest quarter, while dog food sales declined by a high-single-digit percentage, leaving its North American pet segment broadly flat year on year. Chewy has similarly reported strengthening demand for cat products alongside worsening trends in dog, while Petco recorded strong cat sales across food, supplements, bedding and furniture following increased investment in the category. The divergence comes as U.S. cat ownership rose 5% in 2025 to an estimated 53m households, following a 23% increase in 2024, with industry executives pointing to cats’ lower care requirements and suitability for smaller homes as potential drivers of adoption.

CNBC

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