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DOT launches faster, more secure system for airline complaints

DOT launches faster, more secure system for airline complaints

USA Today2 days ago
The Department of Transportation announced an updated process for travelers to file air travel-related complaints. The agency said Wednesday, Aug. 13, that the change would make the resolution process more streamlined.
According to the DOT, the complaint system previously relied on technology from the 1990s, which slowed the process for airlines and ticket agents to receive copies of the complaint and work toward its resolution.
The new system, which users can access online, will automatically notify relevant parties once a complaint is filed.
'I'm committed to making USDOT work better for the American people. By modernizing our technology and getting rid of outdated legacy systems, we can better serve the traveling public and maximize efficiencies,' Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement.
The DOT said the new system also improves data and privacy protection for users.
The agency recommends travelers try to resolve their issue directly with the airline or their travel agency before filing a consumer complaint.
Consumer complaints help the DOT's Office of Aviation Consumer Protection (OCAP) track industry trends and identify when enforcement action is needed for a particular problem.
"For civil rights complaints, OACP will investigate every complaint that it receives and provide its findings to the consumer at the conclusion of the investigation," the agency's website explains. "For all other complaints, OACP is not able to respond to each complaint individually given the volume of complaints received. Although OACP does not respond to individual consumers who file complaints not involving civil rights, OACP will review and analyze non-civil rights related complaints from consumers when conducting targeted or sample reviews to determine airlines' and travel agencies' compliance with aviation consumer protection requirements."
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Social Security's 2025 Changes Praised by Trump Administration
Social Security's 2025 Changes Praised by Trump Administration

Newsweek

time19 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

Social Security's 2025 Changes Praised by Trump Administration

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has marked the program's 90th birthday by touting its achievements under the Trump administration. Why It Matters August 14 marked the 90th anniversary of Social Security, which has provided hundreds of millions of Americans with retirement, survivor and disability benefits. The program is extremely popular with the public, but its management has come under severe criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups, and its future remains in question. What To Know In a news release issued on Wednesday, the agency touted operational changes it said had improved service for beneficiaries. According to the SSA, the agency has embarked on a "digital-first" transformation aimed at making services faster and more accessible. The news release reported that Americans now had 24/7 access to personal "my Social Security" accounts and that more than half a million transactions occurred in the first three weeks after the upgrade. Previously, the SSA website experienced an average of 29 hours of downtime per week, the agency said. The SSA also reported significant reductions in wait times, with the National 800 Number going from an average 30-minute hold time in 2024 to "single digits last month." Field office wait times have fallen by 30 percent, according to the agency, and technology upgrades allowed about 30 percent of calls to be handled instantly—with 90 percent of calls resolved through self-service or callbacks. The Social Security Administration field office building in San Jose, California, in 2020. The Social Security Administration field office building in San Jose, California, in 2020. GETTY The news release also cited other operational improvements, including a 26 percent decrease in the initial disability claims backlog, a 60-day reduction in disability hearing wait times and an earlier-than-expected distribution of more than $17 billion in Social Security payments to more than 3.1 million beneficiaries under the Social Security Fairness Act. "Our strategy is clear: serve customer needs quickly and completely, no matter how they contact us," SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano said in the news release. "We are empowering our workforce and embracing innovation to ensure Social Security properly supports the American people and remains strong for the next 90 years." Criticism Democrats and Social Security advocacy groups have been critical of the Trump administration's handling of the agency. Earlier this year, the federal agency announced it would cut its staffing level from 57,000 to 50,000, and work by the newly created Department of Government Efficiency has sparked concerns over recipient privacy. "When President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law 90 years ago, he created a lifeline for the American people with a promise: work hard, and you can retire with dignity and peace of mind," Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in an email to Newsweek. He continued: "But instead of honoring his own promise to protect Social Security, Donald Trump and his administration of billionaires have done everything in their power to undermine the program. "Trump and his billionaires may never have to rely on Social Security to get by—but millions of hard-working Americans do, and that's why Democrats will always fight to protect it." Democrats have been fighting back against the Trump administration's management of the SSA. Senators Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders and Ron Wyden have introduced the Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act, which would allow for hiring new staff, protecting data and modernizing services to reduce wait times. "For too long, the SSA has been underfunded, understaffed, and bogged down by bureaucratic hurdles that hurt ordinary Americans," the senators wrote in a news release. "While billionaires continue to rig the system in their favor, millions of hardworking seniors and disabled Americans are left struggling to access the benefits they've earned." The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare said in a statement marking the anniversary that there had been "unprecedented interference from the Trump administration" and that "severe cutbacks in SSA staff and needless policy changes have made it harder for Americans to access their earned benefits." Confidence in Social Security has also waned in recent years. A survey conducted by the nonpartisan organization AARP, which advocates for older Americans, found that confidence in the future of the Social Security system had declined from 43 percent in 2020 to 36 percent in 2025.

'KYIV' Ticker Goes Live on Nasdaq as Kyivstar Group Commences Trading
'KYIV' Ticker Goes Live on Nasdaq as Kyivstar Group Commences Trading

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

'KYIV' Ticker Goes Live on Nasdaq as Kyivstar Group Commences Trading

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'We are confident that the historic listing of Kyivstar will inspire both the American investors to be a part of Ukraine's recovery and Ukrainian businesses to share their growth potential with global community. Today is a milestone not only for Kyivstar, but also for our call to 'Invest in Ukraine, NOW!'.' 'With Kyivstar now trading on Nasdaq under the ticker KYIV, we are introducing a market-leading business on the world's leading stock exchange for technology companies,' said Kaan Terzioglu, VEON Group CEO and Chairman of Kyivstar. 'This milestone reflects years of putting customers first, staying resilient through challenges, and leading with innovation. We look forward to building a long-term partnership with investors as Kyivstar becomes the first VEON operating company to achieve its own listing.' 'This is a proud moment for Kyivstar and its more than 5000 employees, who have worked relentlessly to make our company the backbone of Ukraine's resilience and the flagbearer of its future,' said Oleksandr Komarov, President of Kyivstar. 'With the support of our parent company VEON, we have built a company that grows with Ukraine, serves its customers with an ever-expanding portfolio of digital services that the country needs, partners with global giants and maintains global governance standards. Time to invest in Ukraine is now and it is our privilege to be a leading channel for investors who are interested in doing so.' Kyivstar is scheduled to ring the Nasdaq's Opening Bell on August 29, 2025, to formally mark its public listing. About Kyivstar GroupKyivstar Group is a Nasdaq-listed company and Ukraine's leading digital operator, serving nearly 23 million mobile customers and over 1.1 million home internet fixed line customers as of June 30, 2025. Kyivstar Group and its subsidiaries provide services across a wide range of mobile and fixed line technologies, including 4G, big data, cloud solutions, cybersecurity, digital TV, and more. together with its parent company VEON, Kyivstar Group intends to invest USD 1 billion in Ukraine during 2023-2027, through social investments in infrastructure and technological development, charitable donations and strategic acquisitions. operating in Ukraine for more than 27 years, Kyivstar Group is the first pure-play Ukrainian investment opportunity in U.S. stock exchanges. For more information, visit: About VEON VEON is a digital operator that provides services to more than 150 million connectivity customers and about 120 million monthly active digital users. Operating across five countries that are home to more than 6% of the world's population, VEON is transforming lives through technology-driven services that empower individuals and drive economic growth. VEON is headquartered in Dubai and listed on Nasdaq. For more information, visit: Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains 'forward-looking statements,' as the phrase is defined in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'forecast,' 'future,' 'intend,' 'may,' 'opportunity,' 'plan,' 'project,' 'should,' 'strategy,' 'will,' 'will be,' 'will continue,' 'will likely result,' 'would' and similar expressions (including the negative versions of such words or expressions). Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. 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The traditional 9-to-5 is being replaced by the 'infinite workday'
The traditional 9-to-5 is being replaced by the 'infinite workday'

The Hill

timean hour ago

  • The Hill

The traditional 9-to-5 is being replaced by the 'infinite workday'

While most of the conversation around the post-pandemic workplace has focused on remote working and RTO (return to office) mandates, new research is pointing to an emerging trend. Microsoft's latest Work Trend Index has found that the traditional nine-to-five workday is becoming obsolete, and is being replaced by the 'infinite workday' instead. The Work Trend Index found that the average American employee receives 50 work-related messages outside of standard business hours, 40 percent who are online at 6am are reviewing emails, nearly 30 percent check emails after 10pm, and one in five review work correspondence on weekends. Want to take your career in a new direction? Discover 5 jobs hiring across the U.S. This shift represents a fundamental transformation in how Americans work, with potential ramifications for everything from overtime regulations to employee wellbeing initiatives. The pandemic's lasting impact While the pandemic didn't directly create an out-of-hours work culture, it made it more normal, particularly in jobs that would have never been done remotely before. The shift to a more flexible attitude to working hours was necessary as adults juggled childcare or caregiving responsibilities during the traditional workday. However, this trade-off has now become embedded in workplace culture, several years after restrictions have become a distant memory, and mandatory RTO policies are paradoxically exacerbating the problem rather than solving it. This is because workers now feel pressure to demonstrate their productivity and commitment by working additional hours, particularly those who are desperately trying to cling onto whatever remote working privileges they have left. After all, how can any boss argue with an employee looking for workplace flexibility when they are visibly online well into the night? Another pandemic hangup that is affecting how we work is the amount of meetings we've become accustomed to. While camera-on video calls became a necessary evil during the pandemic, the default option to 'jump on a call' when an email chain would suffice means workers are spending much of their in-office hours on calls or in meetings that leave little time for focused work. In fact, 57 percent of meetings are arranged on the fly without a calendar invitation. Most meetings take place between 9am and 11am and 1pm and 3pm, and Tuesdays are the day when most meetings take place (23 percent). However, being trigger-happy when it comes to sending emails en masse isn't the solution either. Microsoft's research uncovered that the average worker receives 117 emails daily and mass email threads with 20-plus participants are up 7 percent in the past year. One-on-one emails are on the decline (down 5 percent in the last year). This means evenings and weekend hours are increasingly becoming the only times real tasks can be accomplished. Microsoft's research found that 29 percent of workers are diving back into their inbox at 10pm and 50-plus messages are sent and received outside of core working hours. Additionally, 20 percent of workers are actively working over the weekends and check their emails before noon on Saturdays and Sundays. Around 5 percent will also check their email after 6pm on a Sunday in anticipation of the working week. Hanging in the balance This transformation raises important questions about existing labor protections and overtime regulations. And while some off-hours work represents legitimate flexibility which allows employees to attend to personal responsibilities during traditional business hours, Microsoft's research also suggests that many workers are experiencing genuine work expansion rather than redistribution. One solution could lie in HR departments implementing screen time monitoring to get a better overview of working patterns, but this kind of intervention could also create a toxic work culture where anyone not working overtime could be viewed less favourably by management and lead to even more burnout. As such, when off-hours work becomes the norm, it creates what the report refers to as an 'infinite workday' where employees never truly disconnect. The death of the nine-to-five workday may be inevitable, but how America manages this transition will determine whether it leads to greater work-life integration or simply longer working hours disguised as flexibility in the long run.

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