Ariana Figueroa, Iowa Capital Dispatch U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Thursday announced Democrats’ plans to mark up legislation to increase the federal minimum wage to $17 an hour, pointing to an increase in the cost of living. Outside the U.S. Capitol, Sanders, a Vermont independent and chairman of the Health, …
Read More »Iowa Becomes Second GOP-Controlled State This Year to Pass Repeal of Child Labor Protections
Julia Conley, Common Dreams Along with passing forced pregnancy laws and measures to punish parents for supporting their transgender children, the Republican Party is pushing numerous bills to loosen child labor regulations—and on Thursday Gov. Kim Reynolds confirmed she plans to make Iowa the second GOP-controlled state to enact such …
Read More »Embattled St. Louis Prosecutor Kim Gardner Will Resign June 1
Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner announced her resignation Thursday afternoon effective June 1, after brokering a deal to kill a bill that would allow a state takeover of the city prosecutor’s office. “An elected prosecutor is our city’s sole opportunity to have a say in …
Read More »Billionaire Also Paid for Clarence Thomas’ Grandnephew to Attend $74k/Year Private School
Documents obtained by ProPublica and published Thursday reveal that billionaire real estate tycoon Harlan Crow paid tens of thousands of dollars for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ grandnephew to attend a pair of elite private schools. It’s the latest in a string of recent revelations about how the Republican …
Read More »U.S. Default Could Begin June 8 Without Agreement, Top Economist Tells Congress
Ashley Murray, Missouri Independent Unless Congress can strike a deal, the U.S. Treasury will likely default on the nation’s bills starting June 8, triggering major consequences for the economy, according to Mark Zandi of Moody’s Analytics. The risk assessment organization’s chief economist testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the …
Read More »Republicans Kill $10 Minimum Wage Proposal For Louisiana
Wesley Muller, Louisiana Illuminator Republican lawmakers on a state House panel killed a measure that would have established a $10 per hour minimum wage in Louisiana and increased to $14 by 2028. House Bill 374, sponsored by Rep. Ed Larvadain, D-Alexandria, failed to pass the House Committee on Labor and …
Read More »At A McDonald’s In Kentucky, 10-Year-Olds Worked Past Midnight, Department Of Labor Finds
Ariana Figueroa, Kentucky Lantern Children as young as 10 were found working past midnight at a McDonald’s restaurant in Louisville, the U.S. Department of Labor said in announcing numerous civil penalties levied on fast-food franchises. As part of an investigation into federal child labor law violations in the Southeast, the …
Read More »Here’s Where Gas Prices Are Headed (For Wow) And Why
Casey Quinlan, Wisconsin Examiner Higher temperatures. Higher gas prices. Drivers across the country have seen that seasonal given play out in recent weeks. The national average for a gallon of regular gas was $3.61 on May 1, up 11 cents over the previous month, according to AAA. The good news …
Read More »North Carolina Republicans Set To Pass 12-Week Abortion Ban
Grace Panetta, Shefali Luthra Originally published by The 19th Republican lawmakers in North Carolina, one of the few Southern states where abortion remains legal and accessible, are proposing a 12-week abortion ban that could further weaken access in the region. Republican legislative leaders in the state recently gained a supermajority …
Read More »Dallas Democrat Colin Allred Announces 2024 Challenge To GOP Sen. Ted Cruz
Patrick Svitek and Matthew Choi, The Texas Tribune U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, announced Wednesday he is challenging U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, for reelection. The third-term congressman made the announcement in a three-minute video posted on social media. The video touted Allred’s life story and congressional record — and …
Read More »After Revelations Of Luxury Trips, Democrats Argue U.S. Supreme Court Needs Ethics Code
Ashley Murray, Georgia Recorder U.S. Supreme Court justices should follow a strict code of ethics when receiving gifts and travel or doing business with political funders and attorneys, argued Democratic senators Tuesday at a hearing that Chief Justice John Roberts declined to attend. After a spate of investigative articles detailing …
Read More »Clock Winds Down For Georgians To Requalify For Medicaid With Coverage For Up To 500,000 At Risk
Jill Nolin, Georgia Recorder Some people know what Alysia Cutting is talking about when she brings up Medicaid unwinding as she moves from one community event to the next in southwest Georgia. But for most of them, word of the renewal process starting up again – and the potential they …
Read More »Warren Says First Republic Collapse Shows Deregulation Boosted ‘Too Big to Fail’ Banks
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Monday that the latest government bailout of a failing Wall Street institution shows how much the financial system remains rigged in favor of powerful banks and that it is beyond time for Congress to step up with increased oversight and reforms. Federal regulators Monday announced they …
Read More »Congressional Democrats Urge Reversal Of District Court Ruling On Mifepristone
Ariana Figueroa, Michigan Advance More than 250 congressional Democrats have filed a brief urging an appeals court to reverse a Texas federal judge’s decision to suspend the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s two-decade-old approval of the abortion pill. In an emergency order, the U.S. Supreme Court in April issued a stay, meaning the abortion …
Read More »DeSantis Ramping Up His Campaign Against Disney Over LGBTQ+ Rights
Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix The legal fight between Gov. Ron DeSantis and The Walt Disney Co. broadened Monday when a board hand-picked by the governor voted to countersue the company over its development plans. The move came less than a week after Disney filed a First-Amendment lawsuit accusing the government …
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