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MacPaw technology firm hunkers down in Kyiv

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Company asks customers to stand with Ukraine 

Known for its practical products such CleanMyMac and CleanMyPC, MacPaw is hunkering down in its offices in Kyiv, Ukraine, as the Russian military continues to bombard the city. 

“Today we face the horrible, horrible act of Russian aggression,” said Oleksandr Kosovan, CEO of MacPaw in a video message on Sunday. “Russia invaded our country and started to kill our people and bomb our cities. Today, Ukraine is united as ever before.” 

When the invasion started over a week ago, MacPaw joined efforts to help Ukraine right away. Aside from donating funds and volunteering on-site, the company provides all media personnel covering the war a free year of CleanMyMac. 

The company also provides free access to ClearVPN, a technology that allows users to browse the web from different locations in the world to all Ukrainians. Having ClearVPN gives users a sense of security in browsing the web and allows them access to reliable sources of information as the Russian government embarks on a disinformation campaign online. 

In recent days the company moved to work remotely to ensure no disruptions in the support and development of its products.

The offices are in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, but the company hosts all of its infrastructure and user data on Amazon Web Services. The cloud service servers are outside the country. Paddle, the payment provider MacPaw works with, operates from the United Kingdom. 

“We work hard to make sure that our #Ukraine customers like @MacPaw have the support they need, and that they can continue to communicate and serve their customers,” wrote Werner Vogels, the chief technology officer of Amazon in a tweet. “My heart goes out to them though as I cannot even imagine what they are experiencing.” 

MacPaw was founded in 2008 and operated primarily in Kyiv. The company has prepared an assistance program and launched an emergency plan to ensure the safety of its employees in Ukraine. LinkedIn shows the company has over 300 employees, most of them located in Ukraine. 

MacPaw’s first and most popular app, CleanMyMac, boasts more than 5 million users and cleans terabytes of junk daily. MacPaw’s active user base exceeds 30 million people worldwide, with every fifth Mac on earth hosting at least one app. 

Ukraine is home to several tech companies working to ensure their technology continues, despite disruptions from the invasion.  

Other well-known companies include Grammarly, an AI-driven tool that helps people communicate better in writing; Readdle which hosts productivity apps for iPhone, iPad and Mac; and Ajax Systems, a global home security hardware maker. 

Ukraine is estimated to have 285,000 IT specialists, according to a 2021 report from the IT Ukraine Association. Despite the aggression by Russia over the last eight years, Ukraine’s IT industry has continued to grow by 36%, from $5 billion to $6.8 billion in export sales. 

“I ask all of the international community to stand with Ukraine,” Kosovan said. 

He asked the international community for help in providing shelter and food for families crossing the borders into Europe. 

“We are not leaving and we are not going to give up our country,” Kosovan said. “Putin will come to an end here. Stay strong. Stay with Ukraine.”

The Ukraine-Russia Crisis is Accelerating the Economy into Recession

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The on-going war in eastern Europe is to trigger a recession that was already on its way.

The on-going war in eastern Europe is to trigger a recession that was already on its way. To hedge against that, an analyst said, best performers this year might be gold, bitcoin, and long term bonds.

“I think what’s happening right now, with Russia invading Ukraine, is a very high potential trigger for a global recession,” said Mike McGlone, Senior Commodity Strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, “which is probably where we are heading toward anyhow.”

Since most central banks on the planet are implementing tightening policies due to excessive inflation, a recession is unavoidable, McGlone said, stating that the current geopolitical crisis is just a trigger that accelerates the process.

McGlone thinks such market correction is long overdue, and while the market arms itself for a recession, hedging tools like gold, bonds, and bitcoin will be in favor for investors.

A slower demand during the recession is in fact going to drive commodity prices down in the long run, McGlone added, suggesting that crude oil is likely to have peaked at $10,000 a ton and cooper at $100 a barrel.

In terms of natural resources directly impacted by the crisis like natural gas, supply won’t decrease as the U.S. will fill in to provide for the European countries.

In a recession where a 20%, or even 30%, stock market fall is expected, investors are likely to flee toward less risky assets such as gold and long term bonds. McGlone said bond prices are still high because the market does not expect the Fed to tighten as aggressively as it said, and might still tolerate an inflation above 2%. Normally, when investors expect inflation to be in control and real interest rates to be high, they will put the money back in the bank instead of in the inflation immuned bonds.

As for gold, it might go above $2,000 an ounce and never look back, McGlone said, because it is not only a hedge against inflation, but also a store of value during recessions.

McGlone’s personal view indicates that while bitcoin is still in its early stage of price exploration, it will eventually become the digital gold.

“Bitcoin is the least risky crypto, and I fully expect it to come out ahead,” McGlone said, “Right now it’s got pretty good resistance around 40,000. For it to get to $100,000, to me, it’s only a question of time.”

If commodity prices really go up instead of down, a lose-lose situation will occur. Inflation will aggravate, further slowing down economic growth, and triggering risks akin to the ones in 2008 and a possible 80% market correction.

Food banks under inflationary pressure, risking food security among the most vulnerable group

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IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR CAMPBELL’S CHUNKY SOUP – New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley joins Campbell’s Chunky Soup, the Official Soup Sponsor of the NFL, along with the LA Regional Food Bank, to pack meals for local families on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022 in Los Angeles. (Tyler Kaufman/AP Images for Campbell’s Chunky Soup)

With rocketing inflation and the ongoing supply chain crunch, the average American household might feel their budget slightly tightened when it comes to buying groceries and daily necessities. But food banks and pantries, which feed the most vulnerable groups in the country, are also feeling the pinch. 

Feeding America, which operates a network of food banks around the country, says it is seeing prices as much as three times what they were just nine months ago, and it is affecting their budgets.

However, while costs are rising, more people are relying on food banks because of inflation. During the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a fifty percent uptick in the number of people seeking help from the food bank, reaching 46 million, according to Feeding America.

A resident in New York City called Aura, who went to the pantry of Feeding Westchester two months ago, said that there was not enough food to distribute. She had to wait for an hour in the line and when it came to the middle of the line there was already nothing left.

“During the pandemic, our food security division had a lot of challenges providing food because of the rising demand,” a staff member at New York Cares, a volunteer organization based in New York City, said. 

“We are running robust fundraising right now, but it’s not enough. At one point there was always a long line at our pantry in Queens,” the staff member said. “We wanted to open new pantries across the city, and as far as I know, the plan was stranded because our budget was affected by the rising inflation.”

But inflation and rising demand aren’t the only obstacles preventing food banks from giving out help to people in need. Like many other organizations and businesses, food banks are also experiencing rising dropouts in staff and increasing labor shortages.

Carmen Boon, vice president of external affairs at Food Bank For New York City, said that the shortage of labor, especially of truck drivers and warehouse staff, is now the organization’s biggest impediment in providing services.

“For the past six months, there was a rising drop-off rate among truck driver and warehouse staff while we are trying to meet increasing demand,” Boon said, “Now we have fewer staff than we did in 2019.”

Boon said that he is foreseeing even bigger pressure for the months to come, even if COVID-19 gets more under control and they can get more staff, because families previously unaware of food pantries, food banks or other resources, now become aware and will continue relying on those resources.

“We know from previous crises in the city – such as Hurricane Sandy – that the demand will never decrease back to pre-crisis levels,” Boon said. 

Theodore P. Stank, professor of logistics and supply chain management at the University of Tennessee, says that while uncertainties still remain with the new COVID-19 variant, he expects the pressure on food banks will remain until at least next summer as inflation pressure might run throughout 2022. 

“Food banks are usually more vulnerable to inflation, as they are usually running non-profit and usually rely on donations,” Stank said, “but unfortunately, even if the supply chain pressure eases and more truck drivers are hired, the increasing wages will keep prices elevated for the food banks in the coming year.”

A #MeToo win: Senate ends forced arbitration and makes it easier for sexual assault victims to come forward

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FILE – A marcher carries a sign with the popular Twitter hashtag #MeToo used by people speaking out against sexual harassment as she takes part in a Women’s March in Seattle, Jan. 20, 2018. Congress on Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022, gave final approval to legislation guaranteeing that people who experience sexual harassment at work can seek recourse in the courts, a milestone for the #MeToo movement that prompted a national reckoning on the way sexual misconduct claims are handled in the U.S. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

After five years of the #MeToo movement, the U.S. Senate approved a legislation that makes it easier for victims of sexual assault and harassment in the workplace to come forward.

The Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault Act, approved February 10, prohibits companies from forcing employees to resign their rights to go to an open court and sign a confidential arbitration agreement instead. The legislation also allows victims to join class action lawsuits over sexual and harassment claims.

President Joe Biden showed support for the bill, and the measure will take effect as soon as he signs it. However, the bill is not retroactive, meaning that any case settled before the change will not be affected.

Advocates for sexual assault victims say that the forced arbitration hurts accountability and prevents such allegations from becoming public, as reported by Yahoo. The measure limits the legal options for employees such as not allowing the chance to appeal, and often are very costly for them.

Experts estimate that over 60 million Americans are under this clause in their contracts.

The legislation was inspired by the #MeToo movement. In 2017, Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand along with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham started the bill when thousands of women across different industries started to come forward with sexual assault allegations.

A few companies responded at the time. Wells Fargo became the first major financial institution to end its forced arbitration policy for employee sexual harassment claims, as reported by the New York Times. The big techs also joined in: Airbnb, Microsoft, Google and Facebook removed their clause after internal pressures.

However, the practice is still popular with big companies. Cases closed on forced arbitration jumped 17% in 2020 over 2019, according to a report from the American Association for Justice.

Critics say there is still work to be done to protect the victims. The approved bill only address sexual harassment and sexual assault cases and doesn’t cover other employment disputes, such as those based on discrimination and wages violations. The forced arbitration clause is used in various employment and consumer contracts.

A few lawmakers tried to propose a broader law, but they were pushed back by Republicans and business groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Defenders say the forced arbitration helps avoid the costs and the long process of litigation.

Low-wage workers and sectors disproportionately made up of Black and women workers are more commonly under forced arbitration contracts, according to Reuters. While the two main arbitrator providers in the U.S. are for-profit enterprises, 77% of their arbitrators are male, and 88% are white, according to the American Association for Justice.

Workers with a formal education are more likely to benefit from the legislation, said Patti Perez, a sexual harassment prevention expert, to CNN. “That doesn’t mean that I don’t think this is a valuable piece of legislation. I just think that it is a little pie-in-the-sky to think that it’s gonna solve all of those problems” related to power dynamics in the workplace.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could drive up gas prices, and leave you waiting longer for your food to be delivered.

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(AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

 

The Russia-Ukraine war could cause sticker-shock at the gas pump, and some say it may hurt employees of app-based food delivery companies.

President Biden announced in a Thursday press briefing that the US has imposed stringent economic sanctions on Russia in an effort to impede the country’s efforts to raise capital for its forceful invasion of Ukraine.

These measures include cutting off Russia’s two largest banks – which together account for about $46 billion worth of foreign exchange transactions globally – and halting transactions with close to 90 of Russian financial institution subsidiaries worldwide. 

The sanctions came less than 24 hours after Russian forces entered Ukrainian territory in what UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson predicted in a BBC interview last Sunday will be “the biggest war in Europe since 1945” and what President Biden on Thursday lambasted as “Putin’s desire for empire by any means necessary.”  

In his Thursday speech, President Biden warned Americans that they could feel the economic repercussions of these sanctions at the gas pump, if Russia responds to the economic squeeze by raising the price of crude oil, of which it is a major exporter. 

This could be problematic for western countries, who receive as much as 2.3 million b/d of Russia’s 4.6 million b/d of crude oil exports, one source told Reuters on Friday.

On Thursday, crude oil prices reached $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014, with the April Brent crude futures contract hitting $105, according to the Reuters article. As of 1:15 PM EST on Friday, crude oil prices dropped sharply, with the Brent contract down to $96.79 a barrel from $101.99. Meanwhile, the May contract lost $1.72, dropping to $93.70. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude also fell to $91.00 a barrel from its session high of $95.64.

In reporting from Fortune, one energy expert predicts that Brent will reach up to $140 a barrel within four months, and will stay around that level for much of 2022. 

Amid this volatility, Americans are bracing for a more expensive trip to the gas station, and this could be a big blow to the food delivery industry, said one Doordash driver in a YouTube video posted Friday.

“We are going to be paying more money for gas, and gas is already a very expensive thing right now,” the driver said. “If gas starts to get more expensive, I might not take a 4.7 mile order for $8 because I can’t risk the gamble and wasting more gas. I lose more money taking a further-distance order.”

He advised delivery drivers to prioritize short-distance orders if gas prices do go up. What could this mean for your food order? If you live in a city where most app-based delivery drivers use their vehicles, you might experience longer wait times or order cancellations if drivers choose to pass on orders that are further away, or opt out of delivering entirely in order to save gas money.

The potential impact on app-based food delivery is particularly worrisome as Americans continue to prioritize food delivery over dining out, with concerns about COVID-19 exposure remaining high as daily cases in the US averaged nearly 79,000 in February.

Doordash did not respond to a request for comment regarding the anticipated impact of the Ukraine-Russia conflict on its network of drivers.

While the future of gas prices is still unclear, President Biden made clear on Thursday that the administration has taken steps to bring down prices by “coordinating with major oil producing and consuming countries to…elevate collective release from strategic petroleum reserves.” He also urged American oil and gas companies “not to exploit this moment to hike their prices to raise profits.”

For now, you can ensure that your meal arrives on time by planning ahead, checking the delivery estimate well in advance of when you need the food. You may also need to be prepared to pick up your meal yourself.

President Biden Announces New Sanctions as Russian Forces Invade Ukraine

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A Ukrainian police officer carrying an assault rifle walks on a platform backdropped by people waiting for a Kiev bound train in Kostiantynivka, the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.  (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

 

“Putin is the aggressor, Putin chose this war, and his country will bear the consequences,” said President Biden when addressing the nation for the first time since Russian forces entered Ukraine and advanced to the capital of Kyiv.

The escalating conflict has already left dozens of Ukrainian soldiers dead and Russian forces have just seized control of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in northern Ukraine. Meanwhile, the United States will impose further sanctions on Russia’s largest national banks. “Every asset they have in America will be frozen,” said President Biden in remarks from the White House.

Global stock indexes have already fallen, and oil prices soared as the invasion transformed from a threat to reality.  President Biden said the government will do “everything” it can to limit the economic impact on American citizens. Oil barrels are at their highest in seven years, going above $105, as the world prepares for what many are pointing out will be “the deadliest war since World War II.”

The sanctions come hours after Vladimir Putin announced that he would be going forward with the attack. Since October, the Kremlin has positioned Russian military troops around Ukraine’s border in what President Biden called an act of “naked aggression.” The hope of it being an expensive bluff on Russia’s part has shattered, and 44 million Ukrainians now face the terror of war. A war that will be costly, economically and socially. 

“Whoever would try to stop us and further create threats, to our country, to our people, should know that Russia’s response will be immediate and lead you to such consequences that you have never faced in your history,” Putin said on Thursday morning.

The rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia have been brewing since 2014 when Ukraine overthrew its pro-Moscow president. Shortly after, Russia seized control of Crimea, a peninsula along the northern coast of the Black Sea. Ukraine is an estuary of opposing ideologies, a river of soviet ideals flowing from Russia to meet an ocean of democracy in Europe and North America. For a few years, there has been talk of Ukraine joining NATO, and since then, the threat of a neighboring Western ally that formerly belonged to Russia has proven to be a breaking point for Putin. 

The sanctions imposed by the United States hope to slowly weaken the Kremlin’s resolve. In addition to the sanctions imposed on Russia’s financial institutions, President Biden, along with NATO allies, also look to limit the import of “high-tech” to the former Soviet Union. 

“No one expected the sanctions to prevent anything from happening. It’s going to take time. We have to show resolve. He knows what’s coming,” said President Biden on Thursday. 

Adidas’s new sports bra ad showing bare breasts sparks mixed reactions

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AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File

A marketing campaign from German athleticwear company Adidas to promote its new line of sports bras went viral last week for its bold approach to inclusivity. The ad, which shows pictures of 25 people’s breasts without revealing their faces, was first posted on Twitter Wednesday morning by the official Adidas brand account in a bid to display the company’s commitment to inclusivity. 

“We believe women’s breasts in all shapes and sizes deserve support and comfort, which is why our new sports bra range contains 43 styles, so everyone can find the right fit for them,” Adidas said in the tweet. The company then used the hashtag #SupportIsEverything in the post along with a link bringing shoppers to the new collection.

The image stoked controversy among some customers, who were upset by what they considered to be inappropriate or exploitative nudity, while others praised the post for its openness and authenticity. 

One Twitter user wrote that it was “refreshing to see breasts of all shapes and sizes in a non-sexual manner.” 

Some critics, meanwhile, expressed concern that children might be exposed to the image. Others called the ad exploitative.

“Shouldn’t it at least show how their “body positive” bras support all different kinds of boobies? Or is this just another shock ad designed only to generate revenue by using women’s bodies?” another Twitter user wrote.

The company defended its decision, tweeting an hour after its first post that it is “important to normalize the human body and help inspire future generations to feel confident and unashamed.”

Following the initial tweet, Adidas also posted the uncensored image on its website and on a billboard at its global headquarters. It posted the photo from its official Instagram account, too, but with the individuals’ nipples appearing blurred – a change Adidas said it made to stay compliant with the platform’s rules. Uncensored images of female nipples are banned on both Instagram and Facebook.

Regardless of the mixed reviews, if Adidas meant to grab attention with this ad, it certainly seems to have succeeded. The original Twitter post had nearly 34,000 likes and more than 5,000 retweets as of Thursday evening. 

Tesla Stock Dropped 3% In Response to Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

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FILE – The logo for the Tesla Supercharger station is seen in Buford, Ga, April 22, 2021,.(AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)

Tesla’s stock dropped by 3% after a California regulatory agency sued the company for the existence of racial discrimination and harassment in its Fremont factory.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), a civil rights agency, alleges racial discrimination and harassment in the company’s Fremont factory. In response to the lawsuit, Tesla’s stock prices dropped by $27 to hold at $907.48 on February 10th, 2022.

Numerous complaints received by DFEH led to the lawsuit, according to the agency.

“DFEH found evidence that Tesla’s Fremont factory is a racially segregated workplace where Black workers are subjected to racial slurs and discriminated against in job assignments, discipline, pay, and promotion creating a hostile work environment,” said Kevin Kish, the director of DFEH.

Tesla published a blog post criticizing the agency prior to the lawsuit. In its blog, Tesla criticizes the agency for “never raised any concern about current workplace practices at Tesla,” but rather focused on misconduct that happened between 2015 and 2019.

Tesla also highlighted in the blogpost its efforts to fight discrimination and help the state of California by being “the last remaining automobile manufacturer in California. The Fremont factory has a majority-minority workforce and provides the best paying jobs in the automotive industry to over 30,000 Californians.”

Tesla declined to comment on the issue.

This is not the first time Tesla was involved in a workplace issue lawsuit. On October 2021, a federal jury awarded a former employee, Owen Diaz, $137 million for the company’s improper control of racial discrimination in its Fremont plant.

While Tesla’s stock was affected negatively by the lawsuit, Biden’s decision to roll ahead with plans to build an EV charging network across the nation is likely to bring light into Tesla’s stock market performance.

Bars scramble to stock up and staff up

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File photo. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

Parties have returned to Biny Karaoke Bar — but drinkers may not be able to find their favorite tequila and bartenders.

Even though bars in New York City are now allowed to reopen after shutting down for months because of the coronavirus pandemic, supply chain restraints mean business owners are struggling to stock up partygoers’ alcohol for cocktails, and staff have refused to return.

As one of the oldest Karaoke bars in the city opened in 1997, Biny has been through many challenges, but nothing like a pandemic that shut down the city to slow the spread of the virus, and forced the bar to close for 15 months.

Jack Ho, the owner of Biny, said the bar used to operate smoothly on its own before the pandemic, but now he has to go back three times a week to make important decisions like securing liquor and fish balls supply.

“They don’t have enough [tequila] for everybody,” said Ho, bartender-turned owner of Biny. Suppliers have been limiting the purchase of a specific brand called Casamigos tequila and some premium Japanese Whiskey. 

Shortages in supplies stemming from snarled supply chains have hit restaurateurs and retailers across the country.

Sometimes, Ho also has to act as a part-time bartender because out of his nine original employees – apart from the two managers and the two chefs- have refused to return.

He is not alone. A survey by the National Federation of Independent Business showed that 47% of all owners reported job openings they could not fill in January. 

“Small business owners are managing the reality that the number of job openings exceeds the number of unemployed workers, producing a tight labor market and adding pressure on wage levels,” said NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. 

“Reports of owners raising compensation continues at record-high levels to attract applicants to their open positions.”

BINY’s nature as a bar makes it more difficult to hire the right people.

“It is not like an office job where you sit there for the whole day. You have to talk to people and remember all the drinks.” He said he has rejected some applicants despite the hot job market.

“For me this is more than just a business, it is a culture, it’s my memory over there.” He worked in a bar as a bartender for nine years before taking it over. He is also planning a mini-concert in the bar to nurture local singers, and maybe attract more customers.

Regardless, Ho is still very optimistic. “It survived the financial crisis, so many different difficulties, but we’re still here.”