LABOR, ECONOMY & THE CLIMATE - page 19

The man chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to be the nation’s top prosecutor is playing fast and loose with disclosure requirements ahead of his confirmation hearing, a top Democrat alleged on Tuesday. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) made the claims in a letter to the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), calling for a delay in next month’s confirmation hearing of Sen. Jeff Session (R-Ala.), to be the next US Attorney General, according to Politico. Feinstein, who is set to be the highest ranking Democrat… Keep Reading

An “unsettled” workforce at the Department of Energy (DOE) has the backing of their leadership, which rejected a request from President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team to identify staffers who worked on climate change issues. It is believed that the incoming Trump administration is preparing a purge of department scientists who helped forge the Paris Climate Agreement and studied the impacts of carbon pollution. Last week, transition officials sent a questionnaire to the department asking for the names of employees and contractors that worked on certain… Keep Reading

Labor Secretary Tom Perez plans on entering the race for Democratic National Committee chair, buoyed by support from senior Obama administration officials. Perez plans on announcing his candidacy for the DNC chair this week, according to both The New York Times and The Huffington Post. “A source close to Perez, who said he will have an announcement later this week, said he’s talking to elected officials and party leaders to gauge their support,” The Huffington Post noted on Tuesday morning. The move would pit a… Keep Reading

Donald Trump is leaning toward naming a fast food CEO to a key position tasked with enforcing the country’s workplace laws. Andrew Puzder, the head of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, is expected to be named Trump’s Secretary of Labor, according to Thursday reports in both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Though Trump routinely promised to “drain the swamp,” during the presidential campaign, he would be nominating, in Puzder, a man whose industry allies stand to benefit immensely from the appointment. Puzder… Keep Reading

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) will relinquish his congressional seat, if elected Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman. The legislator told the Minneapolis-based Star Tribune on Wednesday morning that he would make the move, after hearing that many of his colleagues would not back another sitting lawmaker as head of the DNC. “Serving my neighbors in Congress and fighting for them has been the best job I’ve ever had,” Elllison said. “Until the DNC Chair election, I plan to continue doing just that,” he added. The vote… Keep Reading

Hundreds of scientists and energy experts sent a letter to the President-elect of the United States on Tuesday, urging him to admit that climate change is real and to take specific steps to address it. The 800 signatories to the letter, all Americans or individuals working in the US, called on Donald Trump to publicly state that global warming is a “human caused, urgent threat.” “If not, you will become the only government leader in the world to deny climate science,” the message stated. The… Keep Reading

Members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, activists, and concerned citizens, who had camped out for months to protest the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) secured a rare victory over the forces of environmental degradation over the weekend. The Army Corps of Engineers decided on Sunday not to grant easement for Energy Transfer Partners to complete construction of its $3.7 billion pipeline. The corps said it would embark on a new study to look for alternative routes for the pipeline—a process that could… Keep Reading

A key financial regulator advising Donald Trump on the presidential transition could see the US roll back its rules to the freewheeling, fraud-ridden days of the Second Bush Administration. Paul Atkins, a proponent of allowing the financial sector to run rampant, if it so wishes, is advising Trump on financial framework. He met with the President-elect this week, as key banking regulatory positions remain unfilled, including top positions at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). “Mr Atkins, who was… Keep Reading

Low-wage workers across the country walked off the job on Tuesday to agitate for an increase in the federal minimum wage, in what were the first major labor actions launched since the election of Donald Trump. Organized by the “Fight for 15” campaign, McDonalds employees in more than 300 cities rallied for better pay. They were joined by other fast-food workers, home health care workers, and Uber drivers. In addition, baggage handlers and cabin cleaners at nearly 20 airports nationwide, including Chicago’s O’Hare, participated in… Keep Reading

Those protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline are pledging not to leave their encampments, days after the US Army Corps of Engineers informed them of a looming eviction. Last Friday, the Corps stated that federal lands near the Cannonball River in North Dakota would be shut down on December 5. The agency cited “safety concerns,” and claimed that anyone remaining on the property would be deemed trespassers and subject to prosecution. The site has been a congregating point for roughly 5,000 activists and members of… Keep Reading