LABOR, ECONOMY & THE CLIMATE - page 14

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) dismissed Democrats’ outrage over the firing of FBI Director James Comey, and promptly proceeded to business as usual in the upper chamber: repealing regulations approved by the prior administration. Only this time, the Majority Leader didn’t succeed. A motion to advance legislation that would repeal a methane emissions rule was defeated Wednesday morning in a 51-49 vote. Republicans tried to move the resolution forward under the Congressional Review Act (CRA)—a law that allows Congress to repeal recently-approved regulations by a… Keep Reading

A tunnel collapse at the Hanford Nuclear site forced workers to evacuate or take cover out of fear of a potential radiological release. The incident occurred Tuesday morning, prompting the Department of Energy to issue an alert to employees, the media, and residents nearby. “There are concerns about subsidence in the soil covering railroad tunnels near a former chemical processing facility,” the statement read. It later described a 20-square-foot cave-in of soil into tunnels carrying “contaminated materials.” The DOE claimed that there is “no indication… Keep Reading

President Trump’s top environmental regulator has been accused by Senate Democrats of violating his own ethics agreement. Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt allegedly failed to seek proper authorization before partaking in a lawsuit over Ozone standards set by the Obama administration. Pruitt had an interest in the case as a plaintiff, while Oklahoma Attorney General. “Under your tenure as Administrator, the EPA has already asked the courts five times to delay consideration of a lawsuit,” five Democratic Senators said, in a letter sent on… Keep Reading

The President of the United States took to his favorite social media platform on Tuesday, and called for the full dismantling of the filibuster. Donald Trump attacked the long-standing Senate procedure, when striking out at a negotiated budget deal on Capitol Hill. The agreement left out many of his top priorities, including money for a border wall and the stripping of funding from so-called “sanctuary cities.” “The reason for the plan negotiated between the Republicans and Democrats is that we need 60 votes in the Senate… Keep Reading

Republicans in Congress spent International Workers’ Day advancing legislation that could end mandatory overtime pay in the United States. The House Rules Committee on Monday set the parameters for considering the bill, in motions passed on party-line votes. Full deliberation on the proposal should begin on Tuesday, according to Republican leaders. The proposal would allow employers to offer 1.5 hours of paid time off, for every hour worked over the 40-hour overtime threshold. Current rules, under the Fair Labor Standards Act, force managers to pay… Keep Reading

Financial disclosures filed on Tuesday reveal that corporate chiefs, including those with pending business before then-incoming President Trump, provided much of the financing for the festivities around his inauguration. Complying with federal law, the Trump Inaugural Committee disclosed its donors to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Tuesday, showing total contributions of more than $106 million—a new record. Included in the roster of funders is pipeline builder Kelcy Warren, who contributed a quarter-million dollars to the event. Warren’s company, Energy Transfer, is behind construction of the… Keep Reading

The IRS, earlier this month, announced the start of a program allowing private contractors to collect tax debt. On Monday, another federal agency warned that the move is giving an opening to con artists. The Federal Trade Commission published a blog post outlining rules governing the privatized tax collection scheme. Commission officials said Americans should be aware of the guidelines, cautioning them against falling prey to scams. “Anyone who says they’re collecting for the IRS and asks you to make a payment over the phone… Keep Reading

A key White House aide and former lawmaker that spearheaded fiscal gridlock under President Obama is reportedly at it again. Mick Mulvaney is asking GOP legislators to support a controversial immigration provision on a bill required to keep the government funded by the end of the month, according to Politico. The Office of Management and Budget Director is seeking legislative “language to restrict federal funding grants” for localities that refuse to assist immigration officials, the publication reported. Supporters of so-called “sanctuary cities” say the practice engenders… Keep Reading

The head of a major British bank had help from the US government in attempting to unmask the identity of a whistleblower. Barclays CEO Jes Staley tasked an information security team to find out the source of an anonymous letter critical of another senior executive. The team then reached out to federal officials for assistance, and received it. The hunt was ultimately “unsuccessful” and Staley subsequently took no further steps to ferret out the name of the author, according to an announcement published Monday by the… Keep Reading

Republicans voted to amend Senate procedural rules, effectively erasing the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees. All fifty-two Republican senators voted to invoke the so-called “nuclear option,” after Democrats managed to whip the 41 votes they needed to successfully obstruct the nomination of Neil Gorsuch. Now, only a simple majority is required to advance Supreme Court nominees through the Senate, starting with Gorsuch. President Trump’s Supreme Court pick is expected to be confirmed on Friday. The threshold for approval had previously been 60 votes—the amount of… Keep Reading