UBER: MORE THAN 3,000 SEX ASSAULTS REPORTED IN ’18 RIDES
SAN FRANCISCO — Uber, as part of a long anticipated safety report, revealed that more than 3,000 sexual assaults were reported during its U.S. rides in 2018. That figure includes 229 rapes across the company’s 1.3 billion rides. The ride-hailing company noted that drivers and riders were both attacked, and that some assaults occurred between riders.
The Thursday report, which the company hailed as the first of its kind, provides a rare look into the traffic deaths, murders and reported sexual assaults that took place during billions of annual rides arranged in the U.S. using Uber’s service.
In 2017, the company counted 2,936 reported sexual assaults during 1 billion U.S. trips. Uber bases its numbers on reports from riders and drivers, meaning the actual numbers could be much higher. Sexual assaults commonly go unreported.
“Some people will appreciate how much we’ve done on safety; others will say we have more work to do. They will all be right,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tweeted about the report.
Uber’s share price dropped more than 1% in after-hours trading.
N. Korea threatens more insults
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea threatened Thursday to resume insults of U.S. President Donald Trump and consider him a “dotard” if he keeps using provocative language, such as referring to its leader as “rocket man.”
Boeing has 737 Max meetings
DALLAS — Boeing is reassuring airline industry leaders about the safety of the grounded 737 Max as it continues working to get the plane back in service. The aircraft maker invited about 30 union officials, safety experts and others to the Seattle area for two days of meetings.
Kerry endorses Biden
NEW HAMPTON, Iowa — John Kerry, the former secretary of state and 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, endorsed Joe Biden for president on Thursday, buoying the former vice president’s argument that his international experience should be a deciding factor for voters in 2020.