Feb 15 Activists fear Biden is undermining efforts for a higher minimum wage By Will Weissert, Alexandra Jaffe, Associated Press President Joe Biden campaigned on raising the national minimum wage to $15 per hour and attached a proposal doing just that to the $1.9 trillion coronavirus pandemic relief bill. But that provision appears in jeopardy. And Biden himself may be… Continue reading
Feb 15 Luxury car brand Jaguar plans to go all-electric by 2025 By Pan Pylas, Associated Press Struggling luxury car brand Jaguar will be fully electric by 2025, the British company said Monday as it outlined a plan to phase out internal combustion engines. Continue reading
Feb 15 Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala becomes first woman and African to lead World Trade Organization By David McHugh, Associated Press The appointment came after U.S. President Joe Biden endorsed her candidacy, which had been blocked by former President Donald Trump. Continue reading
Feb 13 Watch 6:50 An unexpected pitfall for some cities’ mandatory hazard pay for essential workers By Laura Fong Despite the rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations, hazards for frontline workers continue. Early in the pandemic, many large companies increased pay for essential workers, but many of those raises have now expired. Seattle and several cities across California have passed mandatory… Continue watching
Feb 13 Watch 6:47 Some cities made hazard pay for essential workers mandatory— what companies, and local governments, have to say about it By PBS NewsHour When the COVID-19 pandemic swept the nation last March, many large food retailers increased their frontline workers’ pay by several dollars an hour. Dubbed ‘hero pay,' the programs have since ended, despite the remaining dangers for workers. Some cities have… Continue watching
Feb 12 Amid systemic inequality, U.S. salaries recover even as jobs haven’t By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press The turnaround in total wages underscores how disproportionately America's job losses have afflicted workers in lower-income occupations. Continue reading
Feb 12 WATCH: Biden says governors and mayors need $350 billion to fight COVID-19 By Josh Boak, Kevin Freking, Associated Press Biden wants to send $350 billion to state and local governments and tribal governments. While Republicans in Congress have largely objected to this initiative, Biden's push has some GOP support among governors and mayors. Continue reading
Feb 12 Amazon faces biggest union push in its history By Joseph Pisani, Associated Press Amazon, whose profits and revenues have skyrocketed during the pandemic, has campaigned hard to convince workers that a union will only suck money from their paycheck with little benefit. Continue reading
Feb 11 GOP attacks Dems’ $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill from all angles By Alan Fram, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Kevin Freking, Associated Press The package would provide $1,400 payments to some Americans, hundreds of billions for state and local governments and boost vaccination efforts, raise tax credits for children and increase unemployment benefits. Continue reading
Feb 11 U.S. jobless claims fall slightly to 793,000 with layoffs high By Christopher Rugaber, Associated Press The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell slightly last week to 793,000, evidence that job cuts remain high despite a substantial decline in new viral infections. Continue reading