�Karen Weise and Josh Eidelson

are proposing, she says, “might result in further erosion rather than further protection of standards.”

Uber’s chief rival, Lyft, has shown some willingness to compromise. In November, Lyft’s co-founders joined Seattle labor leader David Rolf in releasing a statement backing the extension of benefits like injury compensation to independent workers—a feature of the Harris-krueger proposal but not of the unionization measure being considered in California. Harris says he’s confident others will come around to his view: “Both sides have to lose some, and they have to realize that coming together in a grand compromise is the better path to protecting their interests than trying to beat the other over the head.”

The bottom line California is debating a law that would let Uber drivers unionize, but that hasn’t settled arguments about how to treat gig workers.

visit a specialist. “For people with mild to moderate hearing loss, this could be a way to try something out and see if it helps them,” says Christine Cassel, a member of the White House panel and the planning dean at the newly established Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine in Pasadena, Calif. “I’ve tried them, and some of these new gadgets are very helpful.”

At least some groups representing individuals with impaired hearing agree with the push for more experimentation. Hearing Loss Association of America Executive Director Barbara Kelley says that at the April 21 hearing her organization intends to encourage the FDA to consider the White House panel recommendations, which are “an important step in raising public awareness around the issues of hearing loss, expanding consumer choice, and driving change in the marketplace.” �Paul M. Barrett

The bottom line The White House suggests opening up the $5 billion market for hearing aids to more over-the-counter devices.