Uber, Lyft to stay in Minneapolis until July after minimum-wage hike delayed

Published

1 year ago

April 12, 2024

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Uber and Lyft delayed plans to pull their businesses out of Minneapolis on May 1 after the city council pushed back an effective date to increase the minimum wage by two months.

Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed the extension to July 1 for the increased minimum hourly wage during a Thursday meeting, according to CNN.

The delay gives lawmakers time to hash out a compromise with Uber and Lyft, which said they were going to end operations in Minneapolis if the drivers’ wages were lifted to the equivalent of the local minimum wage of $15.57 an hour.

Uber said in a statement to CNN Thursday that the councils action paves the way for all stakeholders to work with [Minnesota] leaders on a statewide solution that raises pay at the state level, protects flexibility, and keeps rides affordable.

Lyft said that it’s “willing to support the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry studys recommended $0.89 per mile and $0.487 per minute rates, which would increase current driver earnings by 17% while allowing us to continue to operate within the city. This is the way we can balance the needs of riders, drivers and our community as a whole.”

That study was also a key reason Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, said he opposed the new bill despite supporting a minimum wage for ride-share drivers.

Minneapolis City Council passed an ordinance that amends its regulations for ridesharing employees last summer in a 7-5 vote, which included establishing a minimum wage that says drivers should be paid at least $1.40 per miles and $0.51 per minute — or $5 per ride, whichever is greater — excluding tips.

Without Frey’s support, some council members now want to amend the ordinance and lower the per-mile rate to $1.21, but maintain the proposed per-minute rate of $0.51, CNN reported.

The San Francisco-based ride-hailing service confirmed that it will keep operating in the city until July. Lyft, also based in San Francisco, has said it too will continue operating until July 1.

Uber added in a statement to The Post: “We are encouraged the Council is recognizing the flaws in their incredibly damaging ordinance.”

“However, the fundamental facts remain the same: this ordinance will make rides too expensive for most riders, meaning drivers will ultimately earn less. This is unsustainable for our customers and would force us to shut down operations in Minneapolis when the ordinance does inevitably take effect.”

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Council President Elliott Payne and Council Members Katie Cashman and Aurin Chowdhury told CNN affiliate KARE-TV: Leadership in decision-making entails gathering information, consulting stakeholders and making informed choices, while also embracing uncertainty and adapting to new information.”

Our goals have and continue to be to ensure fair wages for drivers, stability for drivers and riders, and a healthy, competitive market. With this amendment, we can accomplish those goals.

Critics of the increased wage requirement have argued that costs will likely spike for everyone, including people with low incomes and people with disabilities who rely on ride-hailing services.

Supporters, on the other hand, say the services have relied on drivers who are often people of color and immigrants for cheap labor.

Representatives for Uber did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

Politics

Why Boris’s best mate is off to Reform

Published

2 hours ago

July 10, 2025

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👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈       

Former Conservative chairman and friend of Boris Johnson – Sir Jake Berry – is defecting to Reform UK, causing more problems for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

On today’s episode, Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy discuss if his defection will divide parts of Reform policy.

Elsewhere, the Anglo-French summit gets under way, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hoping to announce a migration deal with French President Emmanuel Macron to deter small boat crossings.

Plus, chatter around Whitehall that No10 are considering a pre-summer reshuffle, but will it have any value?

US

Donald Trump praises Liberian president’s English – the country’s official language

Published

2 hours ago

July 10, 2025

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Donald Trump praises Liberian president's English - the country's official language

Donald Trump has praised the Liberian president’s command of English – the West African country’s official language.

The US president reacted with visible surprise to Joseph Boakai’s English-speaking skills during a White House meeting with leaders from the region on Wednesday.

After the Liberian president finished his brief remarks, Mr Trump told him he speaks “such good English” and asked: “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully?”

Mr Trump seemed surprised when Mr Boakai laughed and responded he learned in Liberia.

The US president said: “It’s beautiful English.

“I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”

Mr Boakai did not tell Mr Trump that English is the official language of Liberia.

The country was founded in 1822 with the aim of relocating freed African slaves and freeborn black citizens from the US.

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Mr Trump promised the leaders of Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau a pivot from aid to trade at the surprise meeting.

He described the countries as “all very vibrant places with very valuable land, great minerals, and great oil deposits, and wonderful people”.

Later asked by a reporter if he’ll visit the continent, Mr Trump said, “At some point, I would like to go to Africa.”

But he added that he’d “have to see what the schedule looks like”.

Trump’s predecessor, President Joe Biden, promised to go to Africa in 2023, but only fulfilled the commitment by visiting Angola in December 2024, just weeks before he left office.

US

Gaza permanent ceasefire ‘questionable’, says Israeli government

Published

2 hours ago

July 10, 2025

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Gaza permanent ceasefire 'questionable', says Israeli government

The Israeli government believes the chances of achieving a permanent ceasefire in Gaza are “questionable”.

The pessimistic assessment, in a top-level Israeli government briefing given to Sky News, comes as the Israeli Prime Minister prepares to leave Washington DC after a four-day visit which had begun with the expectation of a ceasefire announcement.

Benjamin Netanyahu will leave the US later today with the prospect of even a temporary 60-day ceasefire looking extremely unlikely this week.

Within “a week, two weeks – not a day” is how it was framed in the background briefing late on Wednesday.

Crucially, though, on the chances of the ceasefire lasting beyond 60 days, the framing from the briefing was even less optimistic: “We will begin negotiations on a permanent settlement. But we achieve it? It’s questionable, but Hamas will not be there.”

Sky News has spoken to several Israeli officials at the top level of the government. None will be drawn on any of the details of the negotiations over concerns that public disclosure could jeopardise their chances of success.

But I have been given a very clear understanding of Mr Netanyahu’s thinking.

The Israeli position is that a permanent ceasefire (beyond the initial 60 days, which itself is yet to be agreed) is only possible if Hamas lays down its arms. “If they don’t, we’ll proceed [with the war],” said a source.

The major sticking point in the talks between Hamas and Israel is the status of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) inside Gaza during the 60-day ceasefire and beyond, should it last longer.

The latest Israeli proposal, passed to Hamas last week, included a map showing the proposed IDF presence inside Gaza during the ceasefire.

This was rejected by Hamas and by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who reportedly told the Israelis that the redeployment map “looks like a Smotrich plan”, a reference to the extreme-right Israeli finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich.

My briefing of Mr Netanyahu’s position is that he has not shifted in terms of Israel’s central stated war aims. The return of the hostages and eliminating Hamas are the key objectives.

But in a hint of how hard it will be to reconcile the differences, it was clear from my briefing that no permanent ceasefire is possible in the Israeli government’s view without the complete removal of Hamas as a political and military entity.

Hamas is not likely to negotiate its way to oblivion.

On the status of the Israeli military inside Gaza, a senior Israeli official told Sky News: “We would want IDF in every square metre of Gaza, and then hand it over to someone.”

It was clear to me that Mr Netanyahu wants his stated position to be that his government has no territorial ambition for Gaza.

One quote to come from my briefing, which I am only able to attribute to a senior Israeli official, says: “[We] don’t want to govern Gaza… don’t want to govern, but the first thing is, you have to defeat Hamas.”

Another clear indication of Mr Netanyahu’s position – a quote from the briefing, attributable only to a senior Israeli official: “You cannot have victory if you don’t clear out all the fighting forces.

“You have to go into every square inch unless you are not serious about victory. I am. We are going to defeat them. Those who do not disarm will die. Those who disarm will have a life.”

On the future of Gaza, it’s clear from my briefings that Mr Netanyahu continues to rule out the possibility of a two-state solution “for the foreseeable future”.

The Israeli government assessment is that the Palestinians are not going to have a state “as long as they cling to that idea of destroying our state”.

On the most controversial aspect of the Gaza conflict – the movement of the population – the briefing revealed that Mr Netanyahu’s view is that 60% of Palestinians would “choose to leave” but that Israel would allow them to return once Hamas had been eliminated.

“It’s not forcible eviction, it’s not permanent eviction,” a senior Israeli official said.

Critics of Israel’s war in Gaza say that any removal of Palestinians from Gaza, even if given the appearance of being “voluntary”, is in fact anything but, because the strip has been so comprehensively flattened.

Reacting to Israeli Defence Minister Katz’s recent statement revealing a plan to move Palestinians into a “humanitarian city” in southern Gaza, and not let them out of that area, the official wouldn’t be drawn, except to say: “As a permanent arrangement? Of course not.”