DOUBLE JEOPARDY = Damned if you Do or Don't!!

In an absurd twist that sounds more like the plot of a low-budget spy film than real life, hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting workers were lured into the murky world of global scams in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.  Promising glamorous careers in online romance, bogus investment pitches, and illegal gambling schemes, these schemes turned out to be less “dream job” and more “virtual slavery”—a modern twist on the classic bait-and-switch. Enter the crisis: a recent crackdown by the authorities in Thailand, Myanmar, and China has thrown a wrench in the "scamsters" digital works. In a scene reminiscent of a chaotic game of musical chairs at an international border, over 7,000 victims have been corralled in the Myanmar border town of Myawaddy, all thanks to an aggressive effort to dismantle these scam centers. A high-ranking official from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that 84 Indonesian workers, recently freed from these scam dens, were set to begin their ...

In a plot twist that sounds like it was lifted from an underdog sports movie, a group of over 60,000 DoorDash drivers in New York are finally about to receive an extra tip payout—one that the State Attorney General insists they’ve been owed for more than half a decade.  Yes, you read that correctly: in the murky world of delivery app economics, cash that was meant to go directly to the drivers was, in a classic case of corporate “accounting magic,” partially diverted to cover the company’s base pay. Here’s the skinny: between May 2017 and September 2019, DoorDash promised its drivers a guaranteed wage (let’s call it $10 for our hypothetical scenario).  But thanks to a payment model that would make even the slickest used-car salesman blush, the company started counting customer tips toward that guaranteed wage.  If a customer left a $5 tip, DoorDash would pay just $1 plus $4 to make up the guarantee. Only if the tip exceeded the guaranteed amount did the driver actually s...

Welcome to 2025, where making a statement sometimes means doing absolutely nothing with your cash.  In a move that sounds like it was cooked up by the most dedicated of couch activists, consumers across America are gearing up for a 24-hour economic blackout on Friday, February 28, 2025.  The idea?  Don’t spend a single dime anywhere—unless it’s at your local business, of course—so as to protest what organizers call corporate greed, the rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, and, yes, even President Trump’s crusade against federal DEI programs. The mastermind behind this latest boycott, an Instagram influencer known as TheOneCalledJai (real name John Schwarz), declared that the time is ripe to hold corporate greed accountable.  “We’re done with being strong-armed by companies that roll back their DEI efforts while raking in our cash,” said an enthusiastic social media strategist from his organization, The People’s Union.  According to them,...

In a move that seems straight out of a corporate blooper reel, the famous wing chain (yes, that one with the iconic orange uniforms and cheeky logo) has announced that several of its so-called “underperforming” restaurants will be permanently closing their doors.  It appears that in this era of unpredictable market conditions, even the once-mighty purveyor of poultry wings and double entendres can’t escape the harsh realities of modern business. According to a company spokesperson, the closures are due to “current market conditions” and are being implemented to ensure the well-being of the staff.  Translation: when the sales of wings and witty banter drop, the corporate suits decide it’s time to tidy up—and not the kind you’d expect at a family dinner.  “Our brand has been around for 41 years,” the spokesperson noted, “and while we remain resilient and relevant, sometimes even the best need to take a breather.” One might say they’re trading in the high-flying dreams of e...