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☆ It's a 'grave mistake' for Biden to resume student-loan payments without first giving borrowers debt relief, 179 advocacy groups say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Student-loan payments are set to resume in October without broad debt relief. Nearly 200 organizations called on Biden to deliver relief before payments resume. Biden has started the process to enact debt relief again, but it could take months. But payments are still scheduled to resume in October, and the advocacy groups do not want borrowers to foot another bill without any relief. However, interest would still accrue during that time, so borrowers' balances would still grow — and even more so without any broad debt relief.

Persons: Biden, NAACP —, Joe Biden, —, Education James Kvaal, Virginia Foxx Organizations: Service, Protection Center, NAACP, Education Department, Higher, Administration, —, Education, Republican Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Biden raised a robust $72 million in the second quarter of 2023. But some Democrats are worried about the the president's reelection operation, pointing to the slow pace of hiring and a still-unopened
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some Democrats are expressing concerns about the Biden campaign operation, according to CNN. In the second quarter of 2023, Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised a hefty $72 million for his campaign. (In comparison, former President Donald Trump raised about $35 million in the second quarter.) an individual with a senior role in Biden's 2020 campaign told CNN. The Biden campaign told the network that it was enjoying a "strong start."

Persons: Biden, revving, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Hillary, Julie Chávez Rodríguez, Quentin Fulks, Biden revving, Kevin Munoz Organizations: Biden, CNN, Service, Democratic, AFL, Democratic National Committee, Trump, Wing, Advisors, MAGA Republicans Locations: Wall, Silicon, Wilmington , Delaware, Wilmington

☆ VP Harris meets with labor and rights groups to discuss threats from A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Broadband Event at the White House in Washington, D.C., June 26, 2023. "It is a false choice to suggest that we either can advance innovation, or we protect consumers," Harris said. "We should not dampen or in any way slow down innovation that can improve the condition of people's lives," Harris said. The meeting Wednesday includes groups that advocate on behalf of specific populations or on digital rights issues. Harris said the group would discuss transparency in AI, so the public can understand what is going into these systems and how they make decisions.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Harris, Alexandra Reeve Givens, Technology Harlan Yu, Janet Murguia, UnidosUS Jo Ann Jenkins, Lisa Rice, Liz Shuler, Mary Anne Franks, Wiley, Sneha Revanur, Susan Henderson, Chuck Schumer, Sam Altman Organizations: White, Washington , D.C, White House, for Democracy, Technology, Fair Housing, AFL, Cyber Civil, Conference, Civil, Rights Education, Defense, Microsoft, Google Locations: Washington ,, U.S

CNN —The White House is closely monitoring the upcoming labor talks in the US auto industry, negotiations that could put it at odds with the traditional support of a major union. “As a White House point person on key issues related to the UAW and Big Three, Sperling will help ensure Administration-wide coordination across interested parties and among White House policymakers,” a White House official confirmed to CNN. Sperling, the official added, “will work hand-in-glove with Acting [Labor] Secretary Julie Su on all labor-related issues.” He will need to coordinate across multiple White House offices and other stakeholders across government for this new task. So the shift to EVs, supported by the Biden administration, is a major concern of the UAW heading into these talks. The current UPS contract expires July 31, and the union rank and file has already authorized an August 1 strike without a new deal.

Persons: Joe Biden, Gene Sperling, Sperling, Carter, Obama, Biden, ”, “, Julie Su, Liz Shuler, ” Sperling, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama Organizations: CNN, United Auto Workers, UAW, Big, White House, Labor, White, General Motors, Ford, Dodge, Chrysler, GM, Anderson Economic Group, AFL, UPS, Teamsters, Treasury Department, National Economic Locations: Michigan, Detroit

☆ CTE: Heather Anderson, first professional female athlete to be diagnosed with degenerative brain disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CTE is a neurodegenerative disease that can occur after repeated traumatic brain injuries or hits to the head, with or without a concussion, and to date it has only been diagnosed in professional male athletes. In Australia, lawyers representing dozens of former professional AFL players have filed a class action suit against the Australian Football League (AFL), seeking compensation for injuries caused by alleged negligence. The AFL has acknowledged a link between head trauma and CTE and says it’s committed to mitigating the risks. The AFL Player’s Association, which represents the athletes, is pushing for greater support for current and former players, many of whom are living with the impact of successive brain injuries. Buckland said what’s most needed is a shift in attitudes, so that it’s no longer encouraged or even acceptable to expose children to activities where repeated head injuries are part of the game.

Persons: Heather Anderson, “, ”, neuropathologist Michael Buckland, …, Buckland, Anderson, CTE, James Elsby, It’s, it’s, what’s Organizations: Australia CNN — Scientists, Australian Football League, Sports Brain Bank, University of Sydney, AFL, league –, AFL Club, Adelaide Crows, Australian Defence Force, Australian Sports Brain Bank, US Centers for Disease Control, Boston, NFL, AFL Player’s Association, Boys ’ Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Darwin, United States

☆ Why the US ‘does not get to assume that it lasts forever’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Ronald Brownstein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

“We need to separate by red states and blue states and shrink the federal government,” Greene said in a tweet on President’s Day this year. Blue state governors, legislatures and mayors might respond to such an offensive in forceful ways difficult to predict today. The Republican-appointed majority on the US Supreme Court has encouraged the red state social offensive with decisions that stripped away national rights – most prominently on abortion and voting. “Given the make-up of the courts, it’s difficult for blue states to be hopeful about this,” says Kettl. “The United States does not get to assume that it lasts forever.”

Persons: we’ve, ”, Donald Kettl, Donald Trump, I’ve, ’ “, Trump, Daniel Cox, Alan Wolfe, Wolfe, ” Wolfe, “, Joe Biden, Trump –, Abraham Lincoln, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kevin McCarthy, ” Greene, Susan Stokes, Stokes, he’s, Biden, Jim Crow, Cox, Michael Podhorzer, what’s, MAGA, Eric Liu, Liu, Richard Nixon’s, Liu’s, ” Liu Organizations: CNN, America, University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, Republican “, American Enterprise Institute, Boston University, Republican, Democratic, Chicago Center, Democracy, University of Chicago, CBS, Trump, National Guard, Fugitive, “, US, GOP, White House, AFL, Citizen University Locations: United States, States, America, Black, Confederate States, Georgia, Midwest, Heartland, Great, New York, Memphis, Austin, Blue, Michigan , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Arizona

☆ Greg Abbott has cut required water breaks for Texas construction workers and labor advocates say it could kill them
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-18 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Texas is currently first in the nation for heat-related workplace deaths, the Texas Tribune reports. Greg Abbott signed a bill Tuesday that eliminated ordinances across the state requiring water breaks for construction workers — all while a record-setting heatwave sweeps across the state. Meanwhile, Bishop James Dixon — President of the NAACP Houston — condemned the bill, according to local news outlet KHOU 11. Ana Gonzalez, deputy director of policy and politics at the Texas AFL-CIO, a federation of labor unions, told the Texas Tribune the bill may prove fatal for construction workers. Texas has the highest rate of heat-related workplace deaths, the Texas Tribune reports.

Persons: Greg Abbott, —, Bishop James Dixon —, NAACP Houston —, Ana Gonzalez, Gonzalez Organizations: Texas AFL, Texas Tribune, Service, Gov, Huffington, NAACP Houston, Washington Post, Teamsters, United Parcel Service, CNN Locations: Texas, Austin, Dallas

"I told you when I ran for president, I'd have your back, and I have," Biden told the approximately 2,000 union members in attendance. [1/7] U.S. President Joe Biden turns towards a cheering crowd during a labor union event at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 17, 2023. White working-class union voters were divided on Biden in 2020, but he now has their support, according to some union leaders. "There is not one labor leader worth their salt in Philadelphia that hasn't recognized just how much President Biden has supported men and women in labor. Union voters helped Biden win critical election battleground states including Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan in 2020.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Kamala Harris, I'd, you've, Donald Trump, They're, Tom Brenner, White, Trump, Ryan Boyer, Boyer, Seth Harris, Harris, Nandita Bose, Jarrett Renshaw, James Oliphant, Will Dunham, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot Organizations: PHILADELPHIA, AFL, CIO, Democratic, Republican, Republicans, Center, REUTERS, Trump, Biden, boilermakers, steelworkers, Union, Labor, Edison Research, United Auto Workers, White, Northeastern University, Thomson Locations: Philadelphia, U.S, Washington, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, United States, Boston

White working-class union voters were divided on Biden in 2020, but some union leaders say he now has their support. Some building trades unions, whose members traditionally vote Republican, did not endorse any candidate in 2020 after local leaders couldn't agree over backing Biden or Donald Trump. "There is not one labor leader worth their salt in Philadelphia that hasn't recognized just how much President Biden has supported men and women in labor. Biden won 57% of union households nationwide in 2020 compared with 40% for Trump, according to Edison Research. In December, some unions criticized Biden for signing legislation preventing a nationwide rail strike.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Kamala Harris, Trump, couldn't, Donald Trump, Ryan Boyer, wasn't, Seth Harris, Harris, Nandita Bose, Jarrett Renshaw, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot Organizations: AFL, CIO, Biden, Republican, boilermakers, steelworkers, Union, Democratic, Trump, Edison Research, United Auto Workers, Northeastern University, White, Thomson Locations: Philadelphia, Washington, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan , Wisconsin, Georgia, Arizona

☆ Biden plugs pro-union record, economic agenda at his first major 2024 campaign rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

US President Joe Biden speaks during the League of Conservation Voters Annual Capital Dinner, at The Anthem in Washington, DC, on June 14, 2023. Biden announced an early endorsement from AFL-CIO, a federation of 60 unions worldwide, representing 12.5 million workers. "I'm proud to be the most pro-union president in American history," he told the crowd in Philadelphia. President Joe Biden on Saturday marked the first major event of his 2024 reelection campaign with a union rally, highlighting boosts for the middle class through his economic agenda. He also renewed his call for tax reform, which has been a challenge during his first term, even among some Democrats.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: League of Conservation Locations: Washington ,, Philadelphia

☆ In Philly, union members say they don't care about Biden's age: 'I never heard someone who is Catholic say the pope is too old'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Union members told Insider they are not too concerned about Biden's age or electability. "I never heard someone who is Catholic say the pope is too old," one union member said. Biden's path to reelection depends in part on touting those achievements and turning out union members in November 2024. "There are a lot of politicians in this country who can't say the word 'union,'" Biden said Saturday afternoon, supporters in colorful union merchandise cheering behind him. At Saturday's rally, however, union members insisted it is not a concern — and that the discourse around it is an indictment of the times.

Persons: Joe Biden, —, Jaysin Saxton, Saxton, we've, Biden, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump, John Fetterman, Mary Samaroo, Samaroo, Trump, Nora Dumenigo, Dumenigo, Renee Dozier, Mike Brown, he's, Brown Organizations: Saturday . Union, Service, Starbucks, National Labor Relations, AFL, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania's Democratic Party, Senate, of Health, Human Services, Service Employees International Union, SEIU, Republican, Miami International Airport, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Locations: Philadelphia, Augusta , Georgia, Pennsylvania, Scranton, Queens, Afghanistan, Cuba, Boston

☆ For ILWU, West Coast port deal to be union-ratified, here's what has to happen next
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Eric Rosenbaum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But the proposed labor deal is a far way from being fully approved, according to the International Longshore & Warehouse Union. "The ILWU is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with PMA last night," said a statement from ILWU President Willie Adams on Thursday afternoon. "These delegates will carefully review the tentative agreement and make a recommendation to the rank and file who will then vote on the tentative agreement," Adams said. "We will not be sharing details of the tentative agreement publicly until we have completed the ratification process," he stated. President Biden nominated Acting Secretary Su on February 28 to replace Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, who stepped down in March.

Persons: Julie Su, Willie Adams, Adams, Labor Su, Biden, Su, Marty Walsh, Price Rupert, CNBC's Lori Ann LaRocco Organizations: Biden, Labor, Warehouse Union, PMA, Pacific Maritime Association, United Mine Workers, AFL, Senate, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, ILWU, U.S . Locations: West Coast, California, San Francisco, Seattle, West, Vancouver, U.S . West Coast, Panama, East Coast

☆ AFL-CIO to Endorse Biden for Re-Election as Parties Jockey for Union Voters
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Ken Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/afl-cio-to-endorse-biden-for-re-election-as-parties-jockey-for-union-voters-e0fb4725

Persons: Dow Jones, biden, e0fb4725 Organizations: afl

☆ Biden Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su engaged in tense West Coast port contract negotiations
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Julie Su testifies before a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on her nomination to be Labor Secretary, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 20, 2023. President Biden's Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su is in current communication with labor and port management representatives in an effort to help broker a deal at a time of rising tensions at ports up and down the West Coast. President Biden nominated Acting Secretary Su on February 28 to replace Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, who stepped down in March. She was previously confirmed by the Senate to serve as the deputy secretary of labor on July 13, 2021. It estimated a more widespread strike along the West Coast could cost approximately $1 billion per day.

Persons: Julie Su, Biden's, Su, Su's, Biden, Marty Walsh, Suzanne Clark, Paul Brashier Organizations: Health, Education, Labor, Capitol, California Labor, Workforce Development Agency, Warehouse Union, Pacific Maritime Association, The Department, United Mine Workers, AFL, Senate, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, National Retail Federation, National Association of Manufacturers, . Chamber of Commerce, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, ILWU, Canadian, Logistics, ITS Logistics Locations: Washington , U.S, West, West Coast, Los Angeles, Long, U.S, ILWU Canada, Canadian West Coast, Panama, East

In a full page statement published in The Sydney Morning Herald, Rugby Australia (RA) said the proposed referendum is "too important a contest to watch in silence". "Provision for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in our Constitution is long overdue," it added. RA and the AFL join the National Rugby league (NRL), several AFL clubs, and other sports governing bodies like soccer's Football Australia, Tennis Australia and the Australian Olympic Committee in formalising support for Indigenous recognition through a referendum. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has staked significant political capital on the referendum, has been keen to get the support of leading sports bodies and players. Some of Australia's top athletes are Indigenous, like NBA star Patty Mills, former Olympic sprinter Cathy Freeman and former woman's tennis world number one Ash Barty.

☆ Biden promised student-loan borrowers cheaper payments and more debt relief. The government might not have enough money for everyone to actually get those benefits.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

With broad student-debt relief, many student-loan borrowers anticipate reforms to payment programs. Congress didn't increase funding for Federal Student Aid last year, and the impacts already show. Federal student-loan borrowers are facing a consequential year ahead. Alex Wong/Getty Images'We really need to be worried and concerned'The issue of a lack of funding, and how it impacts student-loan borrowers, has been on some Democratic lawmakers' radars. "That's why I'll continue to fight for the increased funding the Student Aid Administration needs to provide quality services and support at-risk borrowers," she said.

☆ Millions of student-loan borrowers would be forced into 'abrupt and unplanned repayment' if Republicans' plan to overturn Biden's debt cancellation gets passed, 261 advocacy groups tell Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The House could likely take a first vote this week on a bill that would overturn student-debt relief. 261 advocacy groups urged congressional leaders on Monday to ensure that doesn't happen. They said the bill could force borrowers into an "abrupt" return to repayment and block targeted relief. "It will also force the Department of Education to unwind loans forgiven under Public Service Loan Forgiveness for first responders, nurses, educators, servicemembers, and hundreds of thousands of other public service workers across the country," they continued. Along with the CRA, McCarthy's bill to raise the debt ceiling — which passed the House two weeks ago — had spending cuts attached that included banning student-loan forgiveness.

☆ More than 250 business leaders back Julie Su for Labor secretary as nomination hangs in the balance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee during her confirmation hearing to be the next secretary of the Labor Department in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on April 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. More than 250 business leaders are urging the Senate to confirm acting Labor Secretary Julie Su to helm the department, according to a letter first obtained by CNBC. "Julie Su is a trailblazer whose track record speaks for itself," reads the letter, which cited her experience as Labor secretary of California. Additionally, her experience as U.S. Deputy Labor Secretary has given her a thorough understanding of the Labor Department and the current issues facing the economy, businesses, and workers." She was confirmed to be deputy secretary to former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh in 2021 by a party-line vote, but several key moderate Democrats have yet to say whether they will support her this round.

☆ Australian Rules-Tasmania savours victory in 'hard fight' to secure AFL team
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The state government signed off on commitments to secure the AFL's 19th team license and has targeted the 2028 season to launch in the Australian Rules top flight. "This has been a hard fight ... by many, many Tasmanians over a number of generations," state Premier Jeremy Rockliff said in the state capital Hobart. The AFL targeted richer eastern states and continues to spend a fortune propping up expansion teams in territory long owned by rugby league. AFL clubs relying on league distributions balked at the prospect of another drain on the league's coffers. ($1 = 1.5006 Australian dollars)Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Target CEO Brian Cornell earned 680 times its median employee's pay last year. And that was after he saw a pay cut.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The median employee — a part-time hourly worker — earned $25,993 for the full year. Cornell's pay ratio works out to 680 times that of the median worker, down from last year's figure of 775. That works out to a CEO-to-median worker pay ratio of 680 to one. McMillon's pay ratio was even higher, earning 933 times the typical worker's annual pay. Most companies argue that the mandatory CEO pay ratio figure should not be used to compare different types of businesses.

Sen. Bernie Sanders is introducing a bill on Thursday to raise the minimum wage to $17 an hour. The federal minimum wage is $7.25, and it's remained unchanged since 2008. Sanders has long pushed for a higher federal minimum wage, although he's been more recently stymied by centrist Democrats. Scott said in a statement at the time that even before the pandemic, "the $7.25 federal minimum wage was economically and morally indefensible." Mandating a $15 minimum wage would put many of them out of business."

☆ New AFL boss steals spotlight from Jones's Wallabies pitch
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Australia rugby union coach Eddie Jones poses with a ball, flanked by Wallabies players Andrew Kellaway and Reece Hodge at a news conference, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in Melbourne, Australia, May 1, 2023. Whether the AFL’s late press call was by coincidence or design, Rugby Australia officials were left fuming as the spotlight shifted away from their global sport to the homegrown game popular in only the nation's southern states. Appointed in January, Jones's second stint in charge of the Wallabies sees them much diminished from his first when he took them to the final of the 2003 World Cup on home soil. In 2002, Jones was the last Australian coach to win the Bledisloe Cup, the annual series against New Zealand. Rugby Australia will hope Jones can deliver Rugby Championship wins along with his sharp wit and penchant for a sound bite to help build more buzz around the fallen twice World Cup winners.

☆ Walmart says its CEO earned 933 times its median employee's pay last year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart CEO and President Doug McMillon received total compensation of $25.3 million in the last fiscal year. In other words, McMillon got roughly 933 times the median compensation of a Walmart employee. The increase was met with mixed reactions from Walmart employees, as many said they were already making above $14 per hour. Though the pay difference between McMillon and his employees is above that average, Walmart hasn't cracked the top 20 for biggest pay gaps between CEOs and workers. Are you a Walmart worker?

[1/7] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on childcare and eldercare costs during an event in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 18, 2023. Biden signed the order, which includes over 50 specific actions, in the White House Rose Garden, flanked by family caregivers, people with disabilities, older adults and early childhood and long-term care workers. "The executive order doesn't require any new spending. The executive order was also welcomed by AARP, a major lobbying group for older Americans, and the AFL-CIO, the largest U.S. labor organization. Heather Boushey of the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) told reporters that childcare and eldercare shortages and soaring costs limited the ability of many women to work, constraining labor supply and dampening economic growth.

☆ Iowa Republicans voted just before 5 a.m. to roll back child labor laws, letting teens work on packaging lines and serve alcohol
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The Iowa Senate voted just before 5 a.m. to pass a bill that would roll back child labor laws. The bill, if passed by the House, would allow teens to work longer hours and serve alcohol. A state labor leader told Insider he thought the bill's early-morning passage was a "disgrace." The bill passed 32-17 before 5 a.m. local time on Tuesday with two Republicans — Sens. In addition to rolling back child labor laws, Republicans in the state have voted to restrict SNAP food benefits.

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