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New Zealand Will Give Cash Payments To Low Income Families Amid Global Fuel Crisis 

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Nearly 150,000 low income families in New Zealand will be receiving a weekly cash payment to help them afford gas amid the global fuel crisis caused by the war in Iran. This is believed to be the first fuel relief package that directly pays citizens in the world since the start of the war, according to reports. 

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Prime minister Christopher Luxon and finance minister Nicola Willis announced this week that about 143,000 families with children will be getting an extra NZ$50 (US$29.20) a week through the in-work tax credit. This credit is, in general, a payment made for low-to-middle-income families with dependent children, and requires at least one parent in paid employment with neither parent receiving benefits. 

An additional 14,000 families who have a “slightly” higher income will also be eligible for these payments, but will receive less money weekly. 

The Guardian reports that this will be temporary, lasting for one year starting in April, or until the price of 91 octane gas drops below NZ$3 (US$1.75) a liter for four consecutive weeks. 

Since the Middle East conflict began, gas prices have increased around 40 to 50 cents a liter. Some stations have even reported running out of gas due to the urgency of citizens trying to stock up. 

As of Tuesday, it’s been reported that New Zealand had 46 days worth of combined gas, diesel, and jet fuel stocks. 

Luxon stated that the priority was to make sure the country had a “sufficient fuel supply.” He made it clear that he was well aware of the impact these increased prices have on the average family and that it was “eating into household budgets.”

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Willis said this new payment policy was directed to families “in the squeezed middle,” meaning parents who were working, not eligible for benefits, and had “modest” household incomes. 

“We cannot control global oil markets or international conflicts, but we can soften the impact on working families who cannot easily avoid higher fuel costs by delivering support in a responsible and well-targeted way,” Willis said.

“But the relief package fails to help those hit hardest by the higher fuel costs,” said Green party co-leader Marama Davidson.

“This package does nothing for [people receiving benefits] and their children, retirees, or unpaid carers, who are all left out entirely. This is a crisis and the government’s response will do nothing for most New Zealanders,” Davidson said. 

Other governments around the world are also taking their own measures to address the rapidly increasing fuel prices and shortages. The Philippines have cut down to a four-day work week, and Sri Lanka is rationing fuel. 

Ireland’s government is working to sign off on cuts to excise duty on fuels to cushion the economic impact from the fuel crisis. Thailand and South Korea have both placed caps on domestic fuel prices, with South Korea also providing additional energy vouchers. 

New Zealand is, so far, the first nation to offer direct cash payments as part of a government financial relief package.

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WNBA All-Stars Make ‘Pay Us What You Owe Us’ Statement During Warmup 

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The WNBA All-Stars sent a message this Saturday during warmup rounds before the game. All of the players on Team Clark and Team Collier wore shirts that said “Pay us what you owe us.”

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“We get a very tiny percentage of all the money that’s made through the WNBA, which obviously is made through the entertainment we provide. So we want a fair and reasonable percentage of that,” said Napheesa Collier.

The decision was also made after the players and the league failed to reach a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The WNBA’s fortune is tied up with the NBA, and while the relationship between both has grown over the years, there are many WNBA teams with no direct ties to the NBA. 

The league’s players opted out of their last CBA in October as they are looking for a better revenue-sharing model, increased salaries, improved benefits, and a softer salary cap, according to reports. 

After the last failed negotiations, many of the players stated that there was a large discrepancy between what they wanted and what was being offered to them from the league. Some players, including All-Stars Napheesa Collier and Angel Reese, have discussed a potential walkout if a new CBA is not reached by October. 

While the WNBA players aren’t suggesting that they should be paid the same as their NBA counterparts, they understand the high revenue they bring in. A WNBA rookie minimum is $66,000 compared to $1.27 million in the NBA. 

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Fans and supporters alike supported the players’ wishes at the end of the game with chants of “pay them!” and some even held up signs that read “pat the players” throughout the game. 

“We had no idea that they were in solidarity with our demonstration,” said Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBPA.

 “I’ve been hearing it all weekend at the fan events, supporting us and wanting us to get our fair share of the value.”

The players also recognized that this All-Stars game was potentially the last time that so many of them would be together in one place before the season ends, so they had to take advantage of the opportunity to get their message across. 

“This is a perfect opportunity to raise awareness for what we’re doing and do it together,” Collier stated.

The players have yet to decide if they’ll wear the shirts on their own teams throughout the second half of the season which begins this week. 

“You put it out there, and you stand on business, and we’re standing on business,” said Courtney Williams.

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Federal Judge Approves $2.8B Settlement For College Athletes To Be Paid Millions

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Last week, a federal judge signed off on what is being referred to as one of the biggest changes in the history of college sports. US Judge Claudia Wilken approved the final proposal that has cleared a path for schools to start paying their athletes millions of dollars.

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Airline Pilots Protesting For Better Working Conditions And Quality Of Life

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Protests in airports have been occurring all across America as pilots are fighting for better working conditions with quality of life issues taking center stage of their requests.

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Task Force To Study And Develop Reparation Proposals For African Americans Votes On Reparations For Black Californians 

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This Saturday, the Task Force to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans held its 15th public meeting in Oakland, California. The panel was created to consider reparations for Black residents in California, and throughout the nation. 

According to Kamilah Moore, who’s on the chair of the panel, the group voted over the weekend to approve recommendations for the payments of reparations to Black Californians for injustices and discrimination that stems back to slavery. 

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The specific recommendations will be discussed and presented at the task force’s next meeting before it goes on to be presented to the Legislature by July 1st. The recommendations could cost the state billions of dollars in its outlined restitutions. 

The task force specifically outlined the reparations they are attempting to gain, as reported by CNN, which includes: 

  • “Estimated value of payment for health care disparities: $13,619 for each year of residency, based on 71-year life expectancy.
  • Estimated payment for housing discrimination: $148,099 or $3,366 for each year between 1933 and 1977 spent as a resident of the state.
  • Estimated payment for mass incarceration and over policing: $115,260 or $2,352 for each year of residency in California during the 49-year period between 1971 and 2020.”

The task force has also previously called for a state office to process the reparation claims as a means of “identifying and mitigating the ways that current and previous policies have damaged and destabilized Black families.”

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Additionally, the task force has overall goals of restoring historical sites, supporting educational funding/resource building, as well as offering free legal aid and other services to those who need it but may not be able to afford it. 

Other goals include updating the language used in the state’s Constitution, removing any racial bias and discriminatory practices in standardized testing, compensating individuals who were deprived of profits through their work, investing in free healthcare programs, and delivering apologies for acts of political disenfranchisement. 

According to the US Census Bureau, California has a Black population of 2.5 million people. It’s currently unclear how the Legislature would put some, or all, of these recommendations in place, however, the future meetings of the task force will likely outline those steps. 

The task force’s next meeting is set to be held on June 29th in Sacramento so the group can finalize any changes to the recommendations before presenting it to the Legislature.

Major Hollywood Union Votes To Ratify Contracts For Better Streaming Payments

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The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), a major Hollywood union, have ratified their new film and TV contracts this week after six months of contentious negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). LA locals rejected the deal in a popular vote. 

“From start to finish, from preparation to ratification, this has been a democratic process to win the very best contracts,” said IATSE International President Matthew Loeb in a statement today. 

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“The vigorous debate, high turnout, and close election, indicates we have an unprecedented movement-building opportunity to educate members on our collective bargaining process and drive more participation in our union long-term.”

AMPTP released a statement as well, stating: “We congratulate IATSE President, Matt Loeb, the IATSE Bargaining Committee and Board for their leadership in achieving ratification of the new contracts. Throughout the negotiations, IATSE leadership advocated changes to improve quality of life for those they represent. These agreements meaningfully reflect the industry’s endorsement of those priorities and keep everyone working.”

The union uses an electoral college system for ratification votes such as this one. During this particular vote, 359 (56%) voted in favor compared to 282 (44%) who voted against it out of 641 total delegate votes; the votes were taken from 36 local unions nationwide that were eligible.

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The Basic Agreement was rejected in the popular vote with 49.6% voting yes to 50.4% voting no. Overall 50.3% voted yes to 49.7% voting no for both contracts. In the end, “72% of the 63,209 eligible members cast digital ballots this weekend,” according to IATSE.

According to media reports, “there were actually two separate contracts that were ratified: the Basic Agreement, which covers 13 Hollywood locals, and the Area Standards Agreement, which covers 23 locals outside of Los Angeles.”

“For the LA centric Basic Agreement, the vote was 256 voting for the deal that IATSE made with the AMPTP last month, yes to 188 no. In regards to the non-LA based Area Standards Agreement the yes vote was 103 to 94 no votes for the more recent deal,” according to Deadline. 

“Our goal was to achieve fair contracts that work for IATSE members in television and film—that address quality-of-life issues and conditions on the job like rest and meal breaks. We met our objectives for this round of bargaining and built a strong foundation for future agreements,” Loeb stated. 

Man Listening to Music at Home

Paul McCartney Joins Call From Musicians To Change Music Streaming Payments

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Over 150 musicians signed an open letter to change the 1988 Copyright Act which prevents many musicians from receiving proper payments for their work on streaming services.

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West Virginia Will Pay Remote Workers $12,000 To Move There

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Throughout the pandemic, cities throughout the US have begun offering remote workers cash as an incentive to relocate. Tulsa, Oklahoma and Natchez, Mississippi have both created official programs to pay remote workers to move there, and now, West Virginia wants to pay remote workers $12,000 to move to its “country roads.” 

On April 12th Governor Jim Justice announced the Ascend WV program, which would “allow adventurers to enjoy world-class recreation, uncrowded spaces, and a low cost of living while staying fully connected to their jobs.” 

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Major companies throughout the US are beginning to bring their employees back into the office as multiple vaccines become available throughout the country. This is a major motivator for West Virginia, who’s looking to bring in a greater population as the nation returns to a greater sense of normalcy in the coming months. 

“The $12,000 West Virginia is offering is paid over two years, with $10,000 divided in monthly payments for the first year and $2,000 paid at the end of the second year, according to the program’s website. If you move early, you keep the money that you’ve earned so far,” according to news reports. 

According to the website, “the incentive package also includes a year’s worth of free outdoor recreation, bringing the total value to $20,000. That includes a year of access to activities such as whitewater rafting and downhill skiing, as well as two years of free outdoor gear rentals, such as camping gear or paddleboarding equipment.”

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Applicants must be 18 years or older with a full-time remote job at a company located outside the state of West Virginia in order to qualify for the program. Shepherdstown, Lewisburg and Morgantown are the first three host cities accepting applicants who are interested in the program. More than 2,000 people have already applied for the 50 spots available in Morgantown. 

Applications will be open until the end of May for Morgantown, and will open up for Shepherdstown and Leqisburg in the beginning of 2022. 

The governor’s office also revealed that the program is partially supported by Brad Smith and his wife Alys; Brad was the former CEO of Intuit and is a native West Virginian. According to the governor’s office the couple donated $25 million to West Virginia University to get the program off the ground. 

“Alys and I are committed to the success of this program and its ability to leverage West Virginia’s outdoor assets to attract fresh talent, cultivate dynamic communities and continue to fuel the entrepreneurial and innovative thinking that are hallmarks of the state,” Smith said. The Smiths hope the program will eventually include all of the states’ 55 counties as well.

Tokyo Olympics 2020

Tokyo Olympic Organizers And IOC Conflict Over Who Pays For Postponement Of Games

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Tokyo Olympic organizers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are in the middle of an intense financial feud over who will cover the costs for the “unprecedented yearlong postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.”

A spokesperson for Tokyo’s organizers, Masa Takaya, recently said that the organizing committee has asked the IOC, which is based in Switzerland, to remove a specific statement on the IOC’s website that suggests the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, has agreed that Japan would pay for a majority of the postponement costs. This is what began the initial conflict. 

“It will now be the work of the IOC to assess all the challenges induced by the postponement of the Games, including the financial impact for the Olympic Movement. The Japanese government has reiterated that it stands ready to fulfil its responsibility for hosting successful Games. At the same time, the IOC has stressed its full commitment to the successful Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The IOC and the Japanese side, including the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, will continue to assess and discuss jointly about the respective impacts caused by the postponement,” according to the IOC.

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For context, media reports in Japan have estimated that the yearlong postponement brought on by the coronavirus pandemic will likely cost up to $6 billion when all is said and done. That’s an estimation, as the actual cost of postponing and rescheduling an Olympics isn’t something that’s ever had to be calculated. In fact, the Olympic games have never actually been postponed before; they have been cancelled three times though, all for war related reasons.  

“It’s not appropriate for the prime minister’s name to be quoted in this manner,” Takaya said. Within IOC’s Frequently Asked Questions page, the organization went on to also claim that Japan “will continue to cover the costs it would have done under the terms of the existing agreement for 2020, and the IOC will continue to be responsible for its share of the costs.”

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After the initial complaint from Tokyo, the IOC removed Abe’s specific name from any questions regarding financial obligations. The edited version is what’s quoted above: “The Japanese government has reiterated that it stands ready to fulfill its responsibility for hosting successful games.”

Regardless of the feud between Japan and the IOC, technically and legally, it’s up to the Japanese government to pay for a majority of the costs for the postponement, however, it’s a relatively sensitive time to be mentioning the costs of a sporting event while there’s a worldwide pandemic that’s already greatly impacting the economy. 

Under the terms of the Host City Contract that Tokyo signed in 2013, the city of Tokyo, the Japanese Olympic Committee and local organizers are obligated to always pay most of the costs. Section 68 of the contract reads: “Unless expressly stipulated otherwise in this contract, all obligations of the city, the NOC and/or the OCOG pursuant to this contract, shall be at their expense.”

The Tokyo Olympics are projected to begin on July 23rd 2021, and as of right now the Japanese Olympic Committee and government itself is focusing on the coronavirus pandemic, and rehabilitating their country/economy. Only time will tell how much this olympic postponement will further affect their economy as well.