The daily business briefing: December 4, 2020
The Justice Department accuses Facebook of favoring immigrants, stock futures rise ahead of jobs report, and more

- 1. DOJ accuses Facebook of favoring immigrants over U.S. citizens
- 2. Stock futures rise ahead of jobs report
- 3. 3M cuts 2,900 jobs as demand for office, medical equipment drops
- 4. California issues stay-at-home orders to ease intensive-care overload
- 5. 2 coal companies file for bankruptcy protection

1. DOJ accuses Facebook of favoring immigrants over U.S. citizens
The Justice Department on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Facebook, accusing it of favoring foreign workers with visas over Americans in its hiring practices. The Trump administration's lawyers argued that Facebook "refused to recruit, consider, or hire qualified and available U.S. workers" for about 2,600 positions, with an average salary of $156,000, that went to immigrant visa holders. The complaint came after a two-year investigation into whether Facebook intentionally gave preferential treatment to H1-B visa holders and other temporary immigrant workers over U.S. workers. A Facebook spokesman said the company "has been cooperating with the DOJ in its review of this issue, and while we dispute the allegations in the complaint, we cannot comment further on pending litigation."
2. Stock futures rise ahead of jobs report
Stock index futures made modest gains early Friday ahead of a federal employment report expected to show that U.S. employers continued to add jobs, although the hiring pace was expected to have slowed compared to previous months as coronavirus infections, hospitalizations, and deaths surged. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq were up by 0.4 percent several hours before the opening bell, while those of the S&P 500 gained 0.3 percent. Weekly first-time unemployment claims fell to 712,000 last week, fewer than expected and a pandemic-era low. But the Commerce Department is expected to announce Friday morning that the economy added 440,000 jobs in November, down from 638,000 in October, according to Dow Jones.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
3. 3M cuts 2,900 jobs as demand for office, medical equipment drops
Industrial conglomerate 3M said Thursday that it would cut 3 percent of its workforce, about 2,900 jobs, due to a drop in demand for some of its key products, including office supplies and gear for basic health-care products. The St. Paul, Minnesota-based 3M has benefited from unprecedented demand for its N95 face masks needed for medical workers caring for COVID-19 patients, but the surge was more than offset by declining sales to dentists and doctors whose regular patients are staying away to avoid the risk of coronavirus infection. "The pandemic has advanced the pace of change and disrupted end markets around the world," Chief Executive Mike Roman said in a statement. Overall, 3M's sales through the first three quarters of 2020 were down by 1.8 percent compared to the same period last year.
4. California issues stay-at-home orders to ease intensive-care overload
California will order new stay-at-home restrictions in areas where COVID-19 cases are overwhelming intensive-care facilities, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Thursday. The government is dividing the state into five regions, and imposing the limited lockdown rules in any region where ICU capacity drops below 15 percent. The restrictions require bars, wineries, personal services, hair salons, and barber shops to close temporarily. Schools meeting state health requirements would be allowed to remain open. Stores would be allowed to operate at 20 percent capacity, and restaurants restricted to take-out and delivery, Newsom said. None of the regions has fallen below 15 percent ICU capacity yet, but they could "as early as the next day or two," Newsom said. "The bottom line is if we don’t act now, our hospital system will be overwhelmed," he said.
5. 2 coal companies file for bankruptcy protection
Falling coal demand led this week to bankruptcy filings by two more coal production companies, White Stallion Energy and Lighthouse Resources. Lighthouse filed for bankruptcy protection in Wilmington, Delaware, on Thursday, a day after White Stallion. The companies own mines in Illinois, Indiana, Montana, and Wyoming. They blamed the bankruptcies mostly on low thermal coal prices and falling coal consumption at U.S. power plants. The filings marked the last in a series of bankruptcies among U.S. coal companies, which were already struggling when the coronavirus pandemic hit. White Stallion said it had idled its mines and terminated its 260 employees before filing for Chapter 11, even though it had secured a $10 million COVID-19 relief loan.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical
By The Week Staff
-
Why Assad fell so fast
The Explainer The newly liberated Syria is in an incredibly precarious position, but it's too soon to succumb to defeatist gloom
By The Week UK