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Today, Below the Fold is a community 9,000 readers strong. We took your voices and transformed our brand to represent the values we all share. We hope this redesign resonates as strongly with you as it does us. And if you could spare an extra minute in your day, help us spread the word by giving us an “upvote” on Product Hunt. With that, a return to your usual programming below.

Should you be interacting with police at a traffic light?

Wed Jan 13

There’s a growing movement to separate traffic enforcement and police. Police were first assigned to traffic duty in the 1930s when new motorist laws were constantly being violated. The wealthy White drivers of the time were not used to being reprimanded by the police, so the idea of discretion was introduced. Since then, police have been left to determine how a traffic situation should be handled: issue a warning, write a ticket, ask to search the vehicle, or “escalate the situation further.” 

But as Black drivers grew in number, that discretion became discrimination. Flashforward 80 years to today, and Black drivers are 20% more likely to be stopped than White drivers while up to twice as likely to be searched. 

And in 2015 alone, 11% of all fatal shootings by police occurred at traffic stops. Now, advocacy organizations and local governments are calling for a disentanglement of traffic enforcement from police.

• Stanford Law Review recommends creating separate traffic agencies, with police only intervening for certain violations such as hit-and-runs or a stolen vehicle. 
• Some suggest installing automated cameras and speed monitors to enforce speed limits and parking restrictions, though many drivers oppose this approach.
• Meanwhile Berkeley, California passed the creation of BerkDOT, a department of transportation that will handle traffic and parking laws through unarmed agents. 

The Berkley proposal still has details to iron out, though, such as how to handle drunk drivers and getting police union leaders on board with the new direction.

To read more directly from our sources, check out: CNN, USA Today, NBC News

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TikTok is giving terrible financial advice

Fri Jan 15

We’ve all picked up a kitchen hack or two from TikTok. And now, self-proclaimed financial experts are flocking to the platform to provide accessible advice to young learners and under-served communities. 

Problem is, there’s no way to verify who is actually an expert, unlike other social media platforms that verify creators. As a result, there’s a rapid spread of misinformation — often reaching millions of viewers in a matter of hours. Examples of false claims include:

• Misleading TikToks, such as one claiming how you can pay less for hotels by buying with points without mention of the terms of those point purchases. 
• Risky TikToks, such as one example of options trading telling viewers to “just buy Tesla calls!”
• Illegal TikToks, such as one video asserting that starting an S Corporation means you don’t have to pay taxes (this is very much false). 

A simple search of #FinTok or #StockTok will reveal endless uploads, sharing everything from helpful tips to dangerously misleading information — and no one to hold culpable. With only 60-seconds to take in the information, this is an important reminder to practice news literacy and verify any information shared.

To read more directly from our sources, check out: Financial Post, Vox, Wallaroo Media

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China's gig economy sees fatalities from exhausted workforce

Wed Jan 13

A delivery worker in China recently set himself on fire in an effort to protest demanding work hours and low pay. Taking place outside one of the corporation’s offices, witnesses were able to smother the flames and rush him to a hospital where he’s being treated for third-degree burns.

Just how bad are work conditions where self-immolation is a consideration?

The demanding working conditions that app-delivery workers experience stems from China’s white-collar, tech company culture as a whole. But delivery workers, who are independent contractors, are under even greater strain with:

• Low compensation for each delivery, sometimes under $2
• A fine of up to $77 if their delivery is late
• Pressure to work the tech culture’s 996 — aka from 9 am to 9 pm 6 days a week, without any of the benefits and rights of being a full-time employee

These conditions have led to deaths by exhaustion and suicide. Worse still, indemnity clauses are sometimes written into workers’ contracts, which absolve a company from responsibility if the employee dies on the job.

Closer to home, California recently passed Proposition 22, which defines rideshare and delivery drivers as independent contractors, meaning they aren’t entitled to employee benefits. After spending $200 million to pass Proposition 22 with the promise of a few benefits for these independent contractors, these companies are passing costs to consumers via a “Driver Benefits” fee. Some members of Congress have noticed and are requesting an investigation into these “highly consolidated food delivery services” for potentially “excessive fees and commissions.”

To read more directly from our sources, check out: AP News, Ballotpedia, WSJ

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