Six cryptocurrency CEOs will testify before the House Committee on Financial Services on Dec. 8, as lawmakers discuss the implications of rapidly expanding crypto markets and how to best regulate them. Ari Juels says that new financial products emerging in the blockchain ecosystem carry tremendous promise along with a myriad of risks.

Economics and Business

Cornell Tech

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On Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will release employment figures for the month of October. Erica Groshen and Russell Weaver are available for interviews.

Economics and Business

Labor Relations & Human Resources

Industrial and Labor Relations

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On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will release its February job report, which is expected to show slight gains in the number of employees at U.S. businesses. Erica Groshen, senior economic advisor at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, says high infection rate and extreme weather conditions is likely to depress what could have been a more significant job growth.

Industrial and Labor Relations

Economics and Business

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Mani Sethuraman, assistant professor in the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell, will be watching the Fed announcement with an ear to its tone, which he has found correlates with that of corporate managers and equity analysts in their subsequent stock recommendations.   

Economics and Business

Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

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A customs dispute at the U.S.-Canada border is threatening America’s supply of Alaska pollock – the key fish used for fish sticks and fast-food sandwiches – and raising concerns of permanent disruptions to the seafood supply chain. Desirée LeClercq, professor of employment law and expert on labor provisions in trade agreements, says the recent dispute exposes flaws in our trading system including outdated legislation meant to protect U.S. ship owners and operators.

Food & Agriculture

Industrial and Labor Relations

Economics and Business

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David Sherwyn, professor of hospitality human resources and law, says the Airbnb cancellations in D.C. put the differences between rental platforms and hotels in stark relief.  

Economics and Business

School of Hotel Administration

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Steven Kyle, an expert in macroeconomics and government policy, says it is appropriate to be optimistic about the country’s economic future.

Economics and Business

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On Friday, Britain’s Supreme Court ruled that Uber drivers are covered by employment law protections. As such, the decision guarantees that they are entitled to rights such as minimum wage and vacation time. Alex Colvin, dean of Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and an expert in employment dispute resolution, says the decision is in line with Europe’s trajectory of broadening the reach of employment rights, a trend that stands in contrast with current U.S. law. 

Economics and Business

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Angela Cornell, professor of law and director of the Labor Law Clinic at Cornell University’s Law School, says the Amazon vote represents a system that favors corporate interests over workers’ fundamental rights. 

Economics and Business

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On Monday, AT&T announced a $43 billion deal to merge its content unit, WarnerMedia with rival Discovery. The merger, still pending regulators’ approval, signals a change in AT&T’s years-long strategy of combining its communications networks with content production and distribution. Aija Leiponen, professor at the SC Johnson College of Business and an expert in telecom industries, says that AT&T’s reversal validates what observers have been witnessing in recent years: that telecom ownership of content business is not a value added.

Economics and Business

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