Human Times
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North American Edition
21st October 2026
 
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THE HOT STORY

Instacart agrees $5m settlement over alleged hiring discrimination

Instacart has agreed to pay up to $5m to settle U.S. federal allegations that it discriminated against American-born job applicants in favor of foreign workers holding temporary visas. The settlement includes a compensation fund of up to $4m for affected applicants and $1m in civil penalties. The grocery technology company must also change its recruitment practices, including publicly advertising jobs linked to the PERM program, the mandatory first step for employers sponsoring foreign workers for an employment-based green card, and accepting electronic applications. Instacart maintains that its hiring practices complied with U.S. law but agreed to settle to focus on its business operations.
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HIRING

Amazon to hire over 300,000 U.S. workers for Christmas

Amazon has announced plans to recruit more than 300,000 workers across its U.S. operations for the Christmas shopping season, up from 250,000 in each of the previous three years. The increase comes as U.S. holiday retail sales are forecast to grow 4.2% to more than $1tn. Recruitment will cover seasonal, part-time and full-time positions, with seasonal employees earning an average of $20 per hour. Full-time staff will receive a minimum of $20 per hour, averaging nearly $24, while eligible seasonal workers will gain access to healthcare benefits from next year.
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TAX

Microsoft, major corporations, stay neutral on Washington’s $3bn millionaires tax repeal

Microsoft has remained neutral alongside major employers including Amazon and Boeing in Washington state's ballot initiative to repeal a new 9.9% income tax on household earnings exceeding $1m, which is expected to generate more than $3bn annually from 2029. The companies have focused instead on opposing proposed wealth and statewide payroll taxes, while lawmakers have rolled back certain business and estate tax increases. Microsoft has contributed $5m to Washington Needs to Compete, a political action committee that has raised more than $13.5m to support business-friendly legislative candidates. Meanwhile, the campaign to repeal the income tax has raised approximately $2m, compared with more than $12m raised by opponents, largely through public sector unions. Voters will decide the tax's future through Initiative 645 in November 2026.
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CYBERSECURITY

Food Lion restores website and app after weeklong cybersecurity outage

Food Lion has restored its website, mobile app, and online ordering services following a weeklong disruption caused by a cybersecurity incident at parent company Ahold Delhaize USA. Stores, pharmacies, and fuel stations remained operational throughout the outage. The company said its investigation is ongoing, with no evidence so far that sensitive customer, employee, or partner data was compromised. To thank customers for their patience, Food Lion has introduced promotional discounts through Instacart and DoorDash, $10 off $50 purchases for MVP loyalty members, and free pickup and delivery on qualifying orders through the end of October.
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CORPORATE

SpaceX, Tesla boards weigh possible $3.5trn merger

The boards of SpaceX and Tesla are exploring a multi-trillion-dollar merger. Tesla is valued at roughly $1.5trn and SpaceX at $2trn, meaning that a combination of the two companies would be the largest merger ever. Elon Musk said combining his two public companies had “a lot of merit.” He said the boards of both companies had formed special committees of independent directors to consider the idea of a combination. Tesla shares rose around 1.5% in after-hours trading, while SpaceX gained 5% after reporting earnings that beat estimates.

Apple expands U.S. manufacturing with $100m titanium deal

Apple has announced plans to invest up to $100m over three years in Pennsylvania-based Perryman Company to supply titanium for its $1,999 foldable iPhone Duo, alongside an expanded partnership with Qnity Electronics to manufacture advanced camera components for the iPhone 18 Pro. The investments support Apple's $600bn U.S. manufacturing commitment, as strong demand and supply constraints have pushed some iPhone Duo delivery estimates to 14 weeks, with JPMorgan forecasting shipments of 8m-9m units this year, below earlier expectations of approximately 10m.
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INTERNATIONAL

Saudi Arabia postpones ‘Davos in the desert’

Saudi Arabia has postponed until next year the Future Investment Initiative, the kingdom's big investor conference that was originally scheduled to take place in Riyadh from Oct. 26 to Oct. 29. The decision comes after Houthi militants attacked the international airport in the Saudi capital, leaving at least 12 people dead and hundreds injured. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund launched the so-called 'Davos in the desert' in 2017. The conference has played a key role in the kingdom's plans to diversify its oil-dependent economy. Expected speakers for this year's event included Goldman Sachs CEO ​and Chairman David Solomon, Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters and Citi's CEO Jane Fraser.

North Korean workers treated as 'slaves' at Russian drone factory

According to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the George W. Bush Institute, around 12,000 North Korean workers at a Russian drone factory in Tatarstan are being subjected to severe human rights abuses and trafficking. The report looks at how Russia, North Korea, China and Iran are involved in expanding unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production at the Yelabuga facility, and what each country stands to gain. It highlights that North Korea retains up to 90% of the workers' wages, effectively enslaving its citizens for profit. Song Young-Chae, a human rights activist, said: "Life in North Korea is not easy, but these people are being sent to Russia as slaves." The report calls for international action to address the abuses and disrupt trafficking networks.

Truck drivers’ protests disrupt food and fuel supplies across southern Italy

Southern Italy has seen widespread food and fuel shortages as truck drivers protest against soaring diesel prices linked to the Iran war. Demonstrations have disrupted supermarket deliveries in Naples, Sicily, Calabria, and Puglia, leaving shelves and gas station pumps empty. Diesel prices have risen approximately 33% since the conflict began, increasing pressure on transport operators. Italian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini has pledged tax credits and additional financial support to offset rising costs. Payments are expected to begin on October 21st and further negotiations are scheduled for the following week.
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OTHER

Elon Musk pledges nearly $11bn in SpaceX shares to 73m U.S. children

SpaceX has become the focus of a major philanthropic pledge after CEO Elon Musk announced plans to gift one company share to every child in the United States in 2027, potentially distributing nearly $11bn in stock to approximately 73m children. Based on SpaceX's closing share price of $147.96, the initiative is expected to use government-backed Trump Accounts, which allow eligible donors to contribute company shares to children's investment accounts. The announcement follows Anthropic's commitment to allocate 5% of its shares to a new public benefit fund and an earlier pledge by SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell and her husband to donate shares to approximately 2m children. Further details of Musk's proposed distribution have not been disclosed. 
 
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