Starbucks workers in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Seattle launched a five-day strike on Friday, expressing dissatisfaction with the company’s actions regarding collective bargaining and labor negotiations.
President Joe Biden's administration has announced it will abandon efforts to implement key regulations concerning transgender student athletes and student loan forgiveness, signaling the first steps in a broader plan to prevent President-elect Donald Trump from reworking these initiatives once he takes office.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which killed 103 people and caused an estimated $53 billion in damages, North Carolina has received significant aid for recovery efforts, including over $1.1 billion in state relief and billions more in federal requests. The storm, considered the state’s worst natural disaster, has prompted both state and federal governments to take action, though criticism has followed regarding the adequacy of those efforts.
The attorneys general of Montana and Wyoming have filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration following its announcement to halt federal coal production in the Powder River Basin. The Basin, which covers 20,000 square miles in northeastern Wyoming and southeastern Montana, accounts for 85% of federal land-produced coal.
A federal appeals court has ruled that the Biden administration can open the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, to illegal aliens enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This decision comes after the Biden administration’s May announcement that it would allow some DACA recipients to access Obamacare. The DACA program, created by former President Barack Obama through executive order, shields over a million illegal aliens from deportation.
Healthcare spending in the United States surged by 7.5% to $4.9 trillion in 2023, driven by increased medical service use and rising enrollment in private health plans, according to a report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has openly defended her friendship with US tech billionaire Elon Musk, asserting that her personal connection with him does not influence her duties as Italy’s leader. Speaking in Parliament, Meloni made it clear that her government remains independent, despite her relationship with Musk, and she emphasized that she would not be swayed by his economic interests.
