More money: A National Institutes of Health grant supporting the Tulane National Primate Research Center in Covington has been renewed, providing the center with $42 million to continue working on cures, treatments and prevention methods for infectious diseases. The work includes research on HIV-AIDS, Lyme disease, malaria and tuberculosis. Tulane says the center, located in Covington, employs 300 scientists, staffers and animal care workers. The center applied for the grant last September. Read the full story.
Pay up: El Paso Mexican Grill, which has 22 locations in Louisiana—including one in Baton Rouge—must pay $654,366 in back wages to 567 employees at 23 of its locations in Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi to resolve labor law violations, the Daily Advertiser reports. Nearly $50,000 of that will go to 70 people affected in Lafayette where the restaurant chain has two locations. Read the full story.
Uber: Uber is facing a U.S. government investigation into allegations that the ride-hailing service set up a pay structure that discriminated against its female workers. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission opened the probe in August 2017, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The person insisted on not being identified because the inquiry is considered confidential. The EEOC declined to comment on the probe; Uber says it has already revamped its compensation practices and introduced other measures designed to ensure its male and female employees are treated fairly. Read the full story.
