Appeals court action averts shutdown of Uber, Lyft service

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - Uber and Lyft will keep operating in Riverside County and across California -- for now -- with a state appeals court Thursday, Aug. 20 putting on hold a ruling requiring the ride-hailing companies to classify their drivers as employees instead of independent contractors.

The decision by the state's 1st District Court of Appeal averted threats by Uber and Lyft to shut down all California operations at midnight. Uber officials said earlier this week they would likely shut down, and Lyft issued a statement earlier Thursday saying its operations would be halting at midnight.

The...