Digital Commons Network^™

Ransomware Is Quietly Devastating American Healthcare Facilities, Benjamin Powers

Capstones

The patient didn’t attract any attention initially. They were just one more cog moving through the system that was the massive hospital complex on your average day. That was, until they were shown to a room, and left alone. At that point, they removed a flash drive from their pocket and tried to insert it into a computer — with the goal of accessing the hospitals computer systems.

This is according to the Chief Information Security Officer at a major Northwest university hospital system, who asked for anonymity due to the sensitive nature of such attacks.

The imposter patient was …

The Price Of Regulating The Self-Storage Industry In New York City, Modou Nyang

Capstones

In December 2017, New York City Council passed a regulation that curtailed the growth of self-storage facilities in the city’s Industrial Business Zones. As a result, major self-storage developers in the city diverted their investments to other business portfolios. But the demand for storage in New York City is high. And due to high population density coupled with small living quarters, peoples need for extra space in the city is huge. In contrast, studies show that peoples need for storage in the city is underserved. In this article, i spoke to policy makers, activists and developers in the self-storage industry …

Google Has A Labor Problem, And It’S Not Just Coming From Its Employees, Daniel Whateley

Capstones

For decades, technology companies have used temporary and contract workers to lower costs, creating a shadow workforce of thousands of indirect employees. That business model is now under threat.

In September 2019, 80 contract workers at Google’s Pittsburgh office voted to unionize with the United Steelworkers, the first time that white-collar tech workers in the U.S. have successfully organized with a union. These contractors are employees of HCL Technologies, an Indian multinational IT and consulting company that partners with Google around the world.

Tech and office workers face a different set of workplace issues from blue-collar and factory employees, which …

In The Midst Of The Apocalypse, Artificial Intelligence Can Save Brick And Mortar Retailers, Vrushank Nayak

Capstones

You might have heard that brick and mortar stores are closing by the thousands but I bet you didn't hear that brick and mortar stores are using artificial intelligence and customer data to help them counter closures and stay relevant in the transitioning retail industry.

https://coveringcompanies.journalism.cuny.edu/2020/01/07/in-the-midst-of-the-apocalypse-artificial-intelligence-can-save-brick-and-mortar-retailers/

Getting It Right: New York Can Make Its ‘Inevitable’ Marijuana Industry Accessible Before It’S Too Late, Kelly Zegers

Capstones

New York is inching closer to marijuana legalization. It's often touted as a tax revenue boost for states and a fast-moving industry to be cashed in on. But who gets to have access to those benefits? Advocates are working to make sure that communities hurt by marijuana prohibition have the option and pathway to build businesses in the legal marijuana market. Small farmers are looking to grow marijuana, some hoping to take apply what they've learned about and benefited from, cultivating hemp. What's clear in a quickly evolving industry in other states is that there's no golden standard for accessibility. …

Not Just Yet: Despite Grinding It Out In Silicon Valley, Asians Are Least Likely To Lead Big Tech Companies, Karishma Vanjani

Capstones

Silicon Valley has long been known for the paucity of African-Americans and Hispanics in its ranks, but equally telling is the fact that the vast majority of Asians hired for non-managerial jobs are not moving up to management. The lack of diversity in the upper echelons of the companies is due in part to the maddening stereotype that Asians are too passive. White managers mentoring and supervising Asian employees face a wide gap in understanding cultural disparities. For the companies, though, tightening immigration policies can become barriers when they consider promoting Asians in the country on work visas.

https://karishmavanjani.com/writing/not-just-yet-despite-grinding-it-out-in-silicon-valley-asians-are-least-likely-to-lead-big-tech-companies/?_thumbnail_id=610

From Muhammed To The Jobup: Engaging Malemployed Immigrants Through Journalism, Tiziana Rinaldi

Capstones

I focused my graduate work on the local community of malemployed immigrants. They are foreign-educated newcomers — medical doctors, pharmacists, teachers, lawyers and engineers, to name a few of their professions — who lack the resources to find skill- appropriate work in the U.S. They end up either unemployed or working at "jobs for which they’re overqualified or overeducated or both,” I wrote for NJSpotlight in 20171.

Using the social journalism method2 of engaging members of a chosen group to fill important if not crucial information gaps, I developed The JobUp, a series of free, offline educational events, as my …

Credit Disaster, Orla Mccaffrey

Capstones

“Credit disaster” explains how inconsistent reporting to credit bureaus in the wake of natural disasters reduces victims’ credit access. It explores how the low rate of credit suppression on products from mortgages to auto loans can delay recovery indefinitely. Regulatory changes have been proposed, but there is little incentive for lenders or credit bureaus to change the current system.

https://www.orlamccaffrey.com/natural-disasters-credit-scores

Black Graduates Confront Another Crisis Amid Protests And Pandemic, Jazmin Goodwin

Capstones

Black graduates confront another crisis amid protests and pandemic: Their optimistic expectations are now dashed and the result will be more inequality in America.

Much has been written about how among America’s workers, youth will suffer the greatest economic setbacks during the pandemic. Just like millennials who entered the labor force after the 2008 financial crisis, Generation Z will likely experience permanent declines in wealth, which will have ripple effects on their health and wellbeing. But those setbacks aren’t evenly distributed. Among young workers, Black youth will likely bear the largest burden.

Link to capstone project: http://www.blackgrads2020.com/

As The Hourly Minimum Wage Moves Toward $15 Across New York State, Some Say The Fight For A Decent Living Is Far From Over., Barbara Prempeh

Capstones

This capstone projects examines the coming of the fight for a $15 minimum wage across New York State and beyond its borders. In 2012, the Fight for $15 organization took the streets of NYC to begin their fight only raising the wages for low income earners who work in different industries such fast- fast, hospitality, and even retail. For years now, the government has yet raise the minimum wage for all Americans which has caused several families to feel a crunch in affording a normal lifestyle. Since the start of this fueled fight, New York City is one of the …

Unlocking The Mysteries Of Weed And Mexico, Eddy Martinez

Capstones

An American biotech firm named Phylos Bioscience is interested in entering the Mexican marijuana market once it legalizes. Before it can do that, it must deal with the Mexican government and a conservative society.

https://eddymartinezcunyedu.atavist.com/figuring-out-the-mysteries-of-weed-and-mexico

Behind The Student Loan Debt Crisis, New Benefits Solutions, Sarah Min

Capstones

Two years ago, when Scott Thompson took over tech startup Tuition.io as chief executive officer in 2016, he felt as though he had to educate his clients about his product — a new benefit, managed by his software company that allows employers to help their employees repay their student loans.

Today, he doesn’t feel that need. When he recently walked into a Fortune 20 company with a stack of documents, his prospective clients said they understood his pitch and hardly required the introductory material. “I don’t evangelize anymore. We very rarely educate any longer,” Thompson said.

When Tuition.io was founded …

Staying Afloat In A Dying Industry, Naomi Yane

Capstones

Staying Afloat in a dying Industry

The storied neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay, which sits on the southern tip of Brooklyn, is named after a fish that once inhabited the waters surrounding the town. Like the Sheepshead fish, the community's once booming fishing industry might soon be wiped out due to increasing regulations. Despite complaints from local fishermen, government agencies have taken their stand.

https://www.naomiyane.com/capstone

Trade Rout: As Trade Tensions Built Between U.S. And Canada, This American Border Town Felt The Freeze, Matt Cutler, Isaac Carey

Capstones

A close business relationship with Canada has allowed Plattsburgh to thrive as a manufacturing town. Over 100 Quebec-based companies operate there, and 15 percent of the workforce in the county gets its paycheck from a Canadian company. Even more impressive, this comes at a time when manufacturing jobs are declining nationwide. While factories are shutting down across the rust belt, in Plattsburgh they are opening up.

There is just one problem.

All of this was made possible by the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. And just this April, the Trump administration abruptly threatened to pull out of the …

The Mental Health Toll Of Amazon Warehouse Work, Max Zahn

Capstones

The emergency call is among at least 207 made for suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts, and other mental health episodes in Amazon warehouses nationwide during the past five years, according to 911 call logs, ambulance and police reports obtained under open records requests. The reports are for 48 Amazon warehouses spanning close to 20 states across the country, roughly half of the sorting and fulfillment centers that comprise Amazon’s network inside the United States. Jurisdictions for other Amazon warehouses either did not have any reports or declined requests for similar logs.

New York's Fight For $15: Who Wins, Who Loses?, Piter Ortega

Capstones

2016-17 State Budget: A $15 minimum wage plan is passed that will increase the earnings of more than 2.1 million low-wage workers in New York.

Link to capstone:http://www.piterortegaprojects.com/minimum-wage/

Is American Retail At A Historic Tipping Point?, Violetta Torres-Baron

Capstones

There’s a transformation happening in the American economy as consumers increasingly buy things online and e-commerce approaches 10% of all US retail sales with Amazon leading the way. Now, nearly everyone knows that Amazon is one of the hottest stocks on Wall Street right now given its impressive gains year after year. With its technological sophistication and ability to know it’s customers in ways never seen before, many retailers fear the “death by Amazon” as the company moves into different sectors and diversifies its product offerings – but is this is a bonafide fear for the retail sector? The big-box …

Adapting To $15: As The Minimum Wage Approaches $15 In Nyc, Business Owners Are Finding Ways To Make It Work, Alexandra Semenova, Sharif Paget

Capstones

This project examines the impact of minimum wage increases across major industries in New York City and State and concludes they have been manageable and even fueled broader economic growth. Since the incremental wage hikes were first signed into law in 2015, data and anecdotal evidence has shown business owners have been able to make it work and many of critics' concerns that the higher labor costs would lead to disemployment have been misplaced. The story provides an in-depth analysis of how restaurant and food establishments, health care and retail employers have adapted to higher labor costs by innovating their …

What Bitcoin Is, And How It Can Change Commerce, Jeffrey Bukhari

Capstones

The use of the digital currency Bitcoin has spiked dramatically over the last several years. Spurred by interest from investors and those excited about its commercial and banking potential, the value of the cryptocurrency has seen its value greatly increase since its beginning in 2009.

This project explains the underlying technology behind Bitcoin, how Bitcoin is and will change commerce, and what potential lies ahead for the digital currency.

Shoppers Aren't Buying What Ivanka Trump Has To Offer, Elizabeth Ramanand

Capstones

My capstone is on Ivanka Trump's business, how it's really doing and how politics plays a role. For many shoppers buying her products is a political statement but not purchasing is just as big of a statement to enforce their political beliefs. Even though her business is not public I used research, reporting and interviews to prove that her company isn't doing as well as she claims it is. From super discounted products to lawsuits on her brand and boycott movements, Ivanka Trump's brand is suffering under her father's presidency.

https://journalizt.atavist.com/shoppers-arent-buying-ivanka-trump

Too Little Too Late For City Spending On Workers Cooperatives, Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech

Capstones

New York City spent $606.7 million in 2016 on Career Pathways, a national workforce development strategy designed to increase education, training, and learning opportunities for the current and emerging workforce. A small portion of that money has gone to worker cooperatives, a business entity that is worker-owned and worker-controlled. Female immigrant entrepreneurs have taken to the model. But the model's strength might prove to be its weakness.

http://alejandraoconnell.com/2017/12/27/too-little-too-l…ers-cooperatives/ ‎

Two-Way Contracts: The Solution For The Nba, Stefan Anderson

Capstones

This project takes a look into the NBA's first season introducing it two-way contracts. These contracts allow players to be in both the NBA and its developmental/minor league, the Gatorade League–widely known as The G-League at the same time. With the two-way being established it opens the door for many other things. This project goes more in depth on it.

https://sportswithstef.wordpress.com/2017/12/14/two-way-contracts-the-solution-for-the-nba/

The Vibe, Sarah P. Douglass

Capstones

The Vibe is a long-form narrative about where tech is taking the female orgasm. The piece concludes that physiological research is a required next step when creating the climax of the future.

http://sarahpdouglass.com

In Brownsville, A Struggle For Revitalization Without Displacement, Katherine Warren

Capstones

As many parts of Brooklyn buzz with a startling rate of economic resurgence, Brownsville seems like a neighborhood left behind.

Struggling with poverty, poor health statistics, unemployment and high crime rates, and with the highest concentration of public housing in the city, it has not seen the same commercial and real estate revival as Williamsburg, Bushwick, Crown Heights and other areas of Brooklyn.

“In Brownsville, which has had challenges battling negative perceptions of this community, most of the residents are lower income and investors in the past have deemed this community as not being as good as an investment as …

Utah's Black Hole Of Tax Incentives, William Mathis, Claire Molloy, Kevin Breuninger

Capstones

In Utah, a state job-creation program gives out millions of dollars a year to private companies. Over the course of a semester, our team looked through hundreds of pages of court documents, EPA violations and workplace safety violations to uncover what kinds of companies the Utah state government pays to expand there. We also analyzed employment data to show, for the first time, which companies create the jobs they are supposed to and which do not.

http://mcgillmathis.com/projects/capstone/index.html

Kushner Companies Questionable Business Practices Are Another Dent For The Trump Administration, Teddy Grant

Capstones

While investigators from special prosecutor Robert Mueller zero in on Jared Kushner's role in the alleged collusion between the Russian government and the Trump campaign, the real estate company of President Trump's son-in-law is mired in increasingly serious financial and legal problems which could upend the business.

https://medium.com/@teddygrant/kushner-companies-questionable-business-practices-are-another-dent-for-the-trump-administration-6e0ac0d6320e

Palm Papers, Nicole Rothwell

Capstones

The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) came into possession of a secret dataset of property owners of the Palm Islands, the elite high-end artificial islands on the coast of Dubai.

With over 250 neighborhoods on Dubai’s waterfront, a group of journalists around the world has been investigating who these individuals are that can afford the posh and pricey real estate. While most fall into the uber-rich category, some also have corrupt to criminal backgrounds leading to questions such as if the Palm Islands are truly a real-estate paradise, or instead a refuge for the corrupt.

The task for …

Breadcrumbs: Privacy As A Privilege, Prachi Bhardwaj

Capstones

Breadcrumbs: Privacy as a Privilege Abstract

By: Prachi Bhardwaj

In 2017, the world saw more data breaches than in any year prior. The count was more than the all-time high record in 2016, which was 40 percent more than the year before that.

That’s because consumer data is incredibly valuable today. In the last three decades, data storage has gone from being stored physically to being stored almost entirely digitally, which means consumer data is more accessible and applicable to business strategies. As a result, companies are gathering data in ways previously unknown to the average consumer, and hackers are …

Personal Privacy And Data Security In The Age Of The Internet, Alexandra Langone

Capstones

This project highlights the vulnerability of personal privacy in the age of the internet and the lack of control consumers have over their own data online. As sharing sensitive personal information with entities like social networks and major corporations becomes more and more commonplace for ordinary people, consumers are slowly waking up to the fact that they are often inadvertently giving up control over their personal information. The articles in this portfolio tackle different aspects of the dangers of online privacy, touching on the lack of regulation in the U.S. to protect consumers from companies that do not do enough …

Running Out Of Options: The Threat Of Declining Competition, Tanvi P. Acharya

Capstones

As industries are becoming increasingly consolidated in the past few decades, Running Out of Options examines how this is causing concerns about declining completion and how it can be harmful for the American people if this trend continues.

http://coveringcompanies.journalism.cuny.edu/2017/06/13/running-out-of-options-the-threat-of-declining-competition/