SWC’s Fast Five
It’s economy week. News about employment, wages, jobs, pretend money – oh boy! And death, that, too. Most importantly, we offer you a tutorial on how to separate your unplanned kitty face from Zoom.
So, here’s this week’s Fast Five:
1 The bet on full employment
Too much stimulus, too little? Both views make credible cases. The current bet to restore the economy is on full employment which brings benefits that are very difficult to achieve otherwise – lifts incomes, reduces poverty without relying on government spending and helps workers develop skills that improve their long-term prospects.
2 While you are still wondering why bitcoin is a thing, along comes dogecoin
Tesla CEO Elon Musk invests $1.5 billion in bitcoin, gives tweet love to dogecoin and the crowd goes wild! The meme-inspired digital token dogecoin was created in 2012 by software engineers as a joke. The “doge” meme portrays a dog alongside multicolored text – in comic sans font – a dead giveaway for how lame this is.
3 More people choosing to die at home
Before the pandemic, hospice workers cared for patients dying of heart disease, cancer, dementia and other terminal illnesses in long-term care facilities and, to a lesser extent, home settings. Many families hesitated to go the die-at-home route because of the many logistical challenges, including work schedules and complicated medical needs. But the pandemic changed things. What would you do?
4 In these cities, states and companies minimum wage went up and the sky didn’t fall
Raising the federal minimum wage is back in the news. Seven states, more than a dozen cities and more major companies have raised the minimum wage, serving as demonstration projects of how doing so works out. This September 2020 Yahoo Finance analysis gives reader-friendly insight into the outcomes where the minimum wage has increased.
5 Zoom kitty
With the kitty filter on the Zoom call capturing his every inflection – befuddlement, anguish – a lawyer at a Texas court hearing Tuesday struggled to state his case, while his assistant tried desperately to shut off the filter. County attorney Rod Ponton insisted to the judge, “I’m here live! I’m not a cat!” Review here how to enable and (perhaps more importantly) disable video conference effects and filters in Zoom.
