MultiBriefs - Your source for industry specific News Briefs

Cruises are popular, but what effect do they have on the environment?

Bambi Majumdar Waste Management & Environmental

Princess Cruises, a Carnival subsidiary, recently made news for the wrong reasons. Carnival will have to pay a $20 million fine after illegal and environmentally damaging acts were revealed on Princess ships. Princess violated the terms of its 2017 probation when it was convicted for improper waste disposal. Perhaps even more damaging was that the cruise line did not report the findings of environmental inspections to the authorities. Carnival is not the only cruise line to flout regulations, and the environmental costs of these firms' negligence are high.

Infographic: Has the gig economy jumped the shark?

Brian Wallace Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Increasingly, workers may have realized that gig jobs cannot replace traditional work. Many workers do not earn a living wage, according to their median monthly income. And from 2014-18, pay for even the most active participants on Uber and Lyft dropped significantly. Now, some gig-providing companies have employee turnover as high as 500% each year. With top companies in chaos and workers jumping ship, is the gig economy doomed? Learn more about the problems facing the gig economy with this infographic.

After months of controversy and consequences, Boeing may end 737 Max production

Michelle R. Matisons Manufacturing

When news of the Boeing 737 Max crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia spread, repercussions were immense. So far, Boeing reports an $8 billion loss. After the second crash, the company rolled production back from 52 to 42 planes per month. Recently, Boeing suggested it may even end 737 Max production, which could cause "the financial equivalent of a prolonged government shutdown or a significant natural disaster." Already, Southwest Airlines has cancelled Newark service because it cannot fly the 737 Max, for example.

The future is when? The state of emerging technologies

Tory Barringer Science & Technology

On July 16, Elon Musk — billionaire, physicist, founder of multiple envelope-pushing tech startups and the real-life answer to Marvel’s Tony Stark — unveiled his latest project: Neuralink, an implantable "neural interface" designed to merge human and machine minds. It's a technology that, until recently, existed only in the realm of science fiction. But as we prepare for the grand future we've seen in movies and books, a dose of perspective might be in order. After all, it wasn’t that long ago when people envisioned cars zipping across city skylines in the year 2000. With that in mind, here's a quick rundown of some other major technological advancements and how they’re coming along.

England’s Manston Airport set to reopen for flights and cargo

Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & Automotive

Thankfully, news of airports closing down is a rare occurrence, despite the challenges faced by increasing competition and capturing a slice of the passenger or cargo market. However, for the historic Manston Airport south of London, closure was a reality and since May 2014 the site has been abandoned, awaiting approval for a very different future. The plan had been to put housing and other development on the sprawling airport site. Now, in a major shift, the new owners of the airport have plans to restart flights and develop it once again as a center for aviation.

What to upgrade, eliminate and replace for a better RV

Cindy Belt Recreation & Leisure

RV manufacturers want to make a profit, but the way they skimp on costs is a pain to consumers. The average new RV is $100,000 to $150,000, yet we still have to upgrade an RV after we purchase it. Here’s my list of items that can be eliminated and replaced or should be upgraded in new RVs.

Travel2020: Facial biometrics put travelers, criminals under the microscope

Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

While facial recognition technology gets tested at U.S. airports, controversy over its legality is brewing on the public front and in hearings on Capitol Hill. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) testified last week before a House panel regarding the government’s use of facial recognition. Congress is moving toward legislation that would curtail the use of the controversial technology or at least offer some acceptable parameters. Surveys show air passengers love the new technology, which measures facial characteristics against a database of targets with lightning speed.

An adventure on Arizona’s amazing Apache Trail

Steve and Diane Owens Recreation & Leisure

We love the rugged, wild and untamed country of Arizona. People talk of visiting foreign lands, and I agree that such trips are thrilling. As a young lad in the Navy I visited many a foreign port, trips to countless far-off cities and hamlets, the isles of the Caribbean, and even the ice fields of the Arctic. It was a wonderful time but it was nothing compared to the magnificent beauty of my own country. Today, we will pass along the Apache Trail. In the early 1800s, various Apache tribes used it while moving to the cool forest of the Sitgreaves. In later years, the trail was a stagecoach route through the Superstition Mountains and Four Peaks Wilderness Areas.

Response to Boeing Max 8 groundings includes new aviation leadership

Michelle R. Matisons Manufacturing

The Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane model was the most common plane flying the friendly skies — until recently. After several high-profile crashes killing hundreds of people, this model has been withdrawn from use so it can undergo an upgrade with new safety features for its alert system, which is rumored to have contributed to the crashes. Costing American Airlines $185 million in the second quarter, this aviation development has sent more than ripples through financial markets and manufacturing hubs.

Travel2020: Where meetings and magic meet

Lark Gould Travel, Hospitality & Event Management

Anyone who has planned a conference or attended one knows the "where" is as important as the "what." Whether it’s a meeting of healthcare professionals or Midwestern meat distributors, the time and money spent to attend a meeting become serious investments for both planners and their targets. It has to be worth it for all involved, and that involves a small, but critical factor: the wow. Recent trends in meetings show these gatherings need to be purposeful, pliable and push the envelope.

Industries