Catholic Charities in Wisconsin will not be required to pay unemployment taxes after a ruling Monday by the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which found that the religious nonprofit is eligible for a statutory religious exemption.
Despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s repeated boasts about California’s economy ranking fourth in the world, the state is struggling to provide jobs for its residents. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, California had the highest unemployment rate in the nation in August at 5.5%, a figure unchanged from July. The Golden State is one of only a handful of states with an unemployment rate above 5%, well above the national average of 4.3%.
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) praised President Donald Trump and the Federal Reserve for the resilience of the U.S. economy during an interview on Fox News Channel’s America Reports on Friday. While acknowledging weaknesses in the latest jobs report, Kennedy emphasized that America’s economy remains strong compared to global competitors and credited conservative fiscal policy for delivering a soft landing.
The U.S. economy added just 73,000 jobs in July, far short of the 104,000 expected by economists, according to Friday’s Labor Department report. Unemployment rose to 4.2 percent, with significant downward revisions to previous months raising alarm about the true state of the labor market.
On Monday, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson signed Senate Bill 5041 into law, allowing striking workers to receive unemployment benefits starting in 2026. The controversial move, backed by labor unions, permits workers involved in strikes or employer lockouts to claim benefits between 15 and 21 days after a work stoppage begins.
Nevada recorded the highest unemployment rate in the nation for January 2025, reaching 5.8%, according to the state's Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation. This marks a 0.1% increase from December, when the state also held the highest unemployment rate in the country.
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted swift economic relief efforts, but recent reports reveal these programs were plagued by significant fraud and mismanagement. A comprehensive investigation by the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic highlights the extent of waste and abuse in initiatives like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and expanded unemployment insurance.
China’s 2025 Spring Festival travel rush, the world’s largest annual human migration, began Tuesday, with officials projecting a record 9 billion trips over the 40-day period known as chunyun. Centered on Lunar New Year, which falls on January 29, the season runs through February 12, culminating in the Lantern Festival.
