US President Joe Biden arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on July 23, 2024. Biden is returning to the White House after spending nearly a week at his personal residence recovering from Covid and for the first time since dropping his reelection bid. A federal judge on Tuesday rejected a bid by a tree-trimming company to block a U.S. Federal Trade Commission rule from taking effect that would ban agreements commonly signed by workers not to join their employers' rivals or launch competing businesses. Hodge, an appointee of Democratic President Joe Biden, denied a bid by ATS Tree Services to block the rule pending the outcome of its lawsuit. About 30 million people, or 20% of U.S. workers, have signed noncompetes, according to the FTC.

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Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Judge Kelley Hodge, Hodge, Ryan Organizations: Base Andrews, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, FTC, Democratic, ATS Tree Services, U.S . Chamber of Commerce Locations: Maryland, U.S, Philadelphia, Texas