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Vaughn Cockayne

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Vaughn Cockayne

vcockayne@washingtontimes.com

Vaughn Cockayne is a Foreign Affairs Correspondent for The Washington Times. He is an Ohio native and holds a bachelor's degree in Multi-Platform Journalism from Bowling Green State University. Vaughn previously worked as a freelance writer, covering data security and privacy issues before joining The Washington Times. He can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.

Articles by Vaughn Cockayne

Starbucks employees and supporters link arms during a union election watch party Dec. 9, 2021, in Buffalo, N.Y. Starbucks says it’s committed to bargaining with unionized workers and reaching labor agreements next year. The move Friday is major reversal for the coffee chain after two years fighting the unionization of its U.S. stores. (AP Photo/Joshua Bessex, File)

Starbucks wants to restart contract talks next year with union

Starbucks aims to return to the bargaining table.

December 12, 2023

Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney leaves a courtroom at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, Nov. 14, 2022. A federal court jury is expected to begin its deliberations Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, in an antitrust trial focused on whether Google's efforts to thwart competition against its app store for Android smartphones has also been illegally gouging consumers and stifling innovation. The case was filed by Epic Games, the maker of the popular Fortnite video game. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) **FILE**

Epic wins antitrust suit against Google

Video game and software developer Epic Games won an antitrust suit against Google this week, a major victory for the company in its fight against app stores.

December 12, 2023

Hasbro cutting more than 1,000 employees, cites weak holiday sales for toys

Toy giant Hasbro announced this week that it will lay off 1,100 workers, around 20% of its staff.

December 12, 2023

In this Aug. 31, 2017, photo, workers produce vehicles at Volkswagen's U.S. plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. More than 1,000 workers at the Tennessee factory have signed cards authorizing a vote to be represented by the United Auto Workers union. It's the first plant in the nation to reach that milestone in the UAW’s quest to organize more than a dozen nonunion factories. The union says in a statement Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, that the workers signed on in less than a week. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig) **FILE**

UAW files unfair labor practice claim against nonunion automakers

United Auto Workers has accused Volkswagen, Honda and Hyundai of union busting.

December 12, 2023

An "X" sign rests atop the company headquarters in downtown San Francisco, on July 28, 2023. Elon Musk's social media company, formerly known as Twitter, has filed a lawsuit against liberal advocacy group Media Matters for America. X says Media Matters manufactured a report to show advertisers' posts alongside neo-Nazi and white nationalist posts in order to "drive advertisers from the platform and destroy X Corp.” (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

X hit with unlawful termination suit by former chief of information security

Elon Musk's X has been slapped with an unlawful termination lawsuit, adding to the company's ever-growing legal pains.

December 7, 2023

Over 1,000 VW workers sign union cards with UAW

Tennessee Volkswagen workers are clamoring for unionization, says the United Auto Workers.

December 7, 2023

Tesla and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk looks on, during an in-conversation event with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Lancaster House in London, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. Musk, who's been under fire over accusations of antisemitism flourishing on his social media platform X, paid a visit Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, to Israel, where he toured a kibbutz that was attacked last month by Hamas militants and was set to meet with top leaders. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool, File)

Musk seeks $1 billion for his xAI startup

The world's richest man needs more money.

December 6, 2023

Norwegian transport union threatens to block import of Tesla cars

Norway's largest private sector union, Fellesforbundet, announced this week it will block the transportation of any Tesla products from that country into Sweden.

December 6, 2023

Tesla vehicles line a parking lot at the company's Fremont, Calif., factory, on Sept. 18, 2023. The conflict against Tesla in Sweden is spreading to neighboring Denmark where transport workers with the country’s largest trade union on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023 said it was establishing a sympathy conflict against the Texas-based automaker. (AP Photo/Noah Berger, File)

Danish union plans sympathy strike with Swedish Tesla workers

Tesla's labor headache in Scandinavia may not stay isolated in Sweden.

December 5, 2023

Associated Press reporter Michael Liedtke sits in the back of a Cruise driverless taxi that picked him up in San Francisco's Mission District, Feb. 15, 2023. The California regulator that approved the expansion of the Cruise robotaxi fleet owned by automaker General Motors is now threatening to fine the driverless service for covering up the severity of an accident that triggered the suspension of its California license. The potential penalty could be in the range of $1.5 million, based on documents filed Friday, Dec. 1, by the California Public Utilities Commission. (AP Photo/Terry Chea, File)

Cruise could face massive penalties for pedestrian collision

Things just keep getting worse for General Motors' self-driving taxi service Cruise.

December 5, 2023

Meta's app Threads is displayed on a smartphone in New York, on Thursday, July 6, 2023. According to new data from Apptopia, which researches social media platforms, Threads has blown by X in America's daily active user lane. Threads has seen a stable rise in its users and now houses around 28 million daily active users compared with X’s 22 million. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

Threads outpaces X in downloads

Meta's fledgling Twitter competitor Threads is starting to gain on X, at least in terms of downloads.

December 4, 2023

Spotify fires 1,500 workers in largest layoff this year

Music streaming giant Spotify announced it is laying off 1,500 employees, about 17% of its workforce.

December 4, 2023

Southwest Airlines plane prepares to land at Midway International Airport, Feb. 12, 2023, in Chicago. On Monday, Oct. 16, Southwest Airlines announced that it is lowering the requirements to qualify for the top levels of its frequent-flyer program, a move aimed at travelers who are unhappy with other airlines that are making it harder to reach elite status. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)

Southwest pilots union nearing contract with airline

Southwest Airlines is close to a deal with its pilots union that could avert a strike right before the busy holiday season.

December 1, 2023

United Auto Workers members walk in the Labor Day parade in Detroit, Sept. 2, 2019. Auto workers are voting overwhelmingly to give union leaders the authority to call strikes against Detroit car companies if a contract agreement isn’t reached. The United Auto Workers union said Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, that results are still being tallied, but so far 97% have voted in favor of authorizing one or more strikes against Stellantis, General Motors and Ford. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

Ford says UAW contract will cost company $8.8 billion

Ford Motor reinstated its 2023 guidance and detailed how much it expects the recently ratified United Auto Workers contract to cost the company.

December 1, 2023

Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduces the Cybertruck at Tesla's design studio on Nov. 21, 2019, in Hawthorne, Calif. The windows were broken during a demonstration intended to show the strength of the glass. Musk is expected to give an update on manufacturing problems with the long-awaited Cybertruck at an event Thursday marking the first deliveries of the futuristic, angular pickup truck. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)

Musk says if Tesla unionizes, ‘we failed’

Tesla CEO Elon Musk reaffirmed his resistance to unionization at Tesla facilities, saying it would mean the company failed.

November 30, 2023

This photo shows a sign of Rite Aid on its store in Pittsburgh on Jan. 23, 2023. Rite Aid, a major U.S. pharmacy chain, said Sunday, Oct. 15, that it has filed for bankruptcy as part of its effort to restructure its finances. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) **FILE**

Rite Aid to close more pharmacies amid restructuring

The bankrupt pharmacy chain Rite Aid announced this week that it will shutter more stores as part of a restructuring effort in hopes of rebounding.

November 30, 2023

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain speaks to a reporter from The Associated Press during an interview at the union's headquarters Monday, Nov. 20, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Mike Householder) ** FILE **

UAW begins courting nonunion autoworkers with sign-up program

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain is making good on his promise to unionize nonunion automakers in the U.S.

November 30, 2023

Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks before unveiling the Model Y at Tesla's design studio on March 14, 2019, in Hawthorne, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) ** FILE **

Judge recuses himself in Musk’s Media Matters lawsuit

The judge presiding over Elon Musk's lawsuit against the progressive media watchdog Media Matters has recused himself.

November 30, 2023

Cruise AV, General Motors' autonomous electric Bolt EV is displayed in Detroit on Jan. 16, 2019. U.S. regulators are investigating General Motors' Cruise autonomous vehicle division after receiving reports of incidents where vehicles may not have used proper caution around pedestrians on roadways. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

Not exactly a happy Cruise: GM’s robo taxis face financial roadblock

General Motors is looking to change the direction of its Cruise robot taxi subsidiary before the company goes off a cliff.

November 29, 2023

Over shoulder close up man student wear headphones use laptop computer study online listen watch training course make notes e learning teacher call mock up screen, distance education concept. File photo credit: Ground Picture via Shutterstock.

Jezebel bought by Paste digital magazine after closure

The feminist blog site Jezebel has found a home after it was shuttered by its parent company this month.

November 29, 2023