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From Hollywood to auto work, organized labor is flexing its muscles. Where do unions stand today?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:50 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Once again, U.S. labor unions are flexing their muscles in the national spotlight.In Hollywood, the actors union reached a tentative deal with major studios late Wednesday to end a months-long strike. Las Vegas hotel workers also scored breakthough agreements with Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International this week — and last month, United Auto Workers celebrated victories on many of key demands that led to its six-week waves of walkouts against the Detroit Three.But despite historic strikes and record contract deals seen this year, there’s a lot stacked against labor organizers today — particularly for those who aren’t part of larger, more established unions in sectors with stronger organizing roots. Union membership rates in the U.S. have also been falling for decades due to changes in the economy, employer opposition, growing political partisanship and persiting legal challenges.“Even though we’re seeing stronger support for unions, (with) th...

Federal government will spend $900M to build housing in Quebec, matched by province

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:50 GMT

LONGUEUIL, Que. — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is announcing a $900-million federal contribution over the next four years to accelerate housing construction in Quebec. He made the announcement today near Montreal alongside Premier François Legault, who said the province has agreed to match the federal funds.The two politicians say the investment will directly create 8,000 social and affordable housing units, including 500 that will be earmarked for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.They say that in the longer term, the combined $1.8-billion commitment will contribute to helping to build tens of thousands of additional homes, at a time when Canada is grappling with a housing crisis that has seen many people struggling to afford a place to live. Legault says the federal contribution comes without conditions and will help the province build more affordable homes more quickly.Quebec Housing Minister France-Élaine Duranceau says the province will also work on regulatory...

Menopause discussions are coming into the open, with a boost from celebs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:50 GMT

Pop culture depictions of puberty are common. TV, movies, books and music all frequently showcase the tumult of tweens coming of age.Until recently, the same could not be said of the reverse puberty many women experience as their hormones shift approaching the end of their periods in middle age.Then along comes former first lady Michelle Obama talking with People magazine about taking hormone replacement therapy and giving up on her toned “Michelle Obama arms.” Drew Barrymore has her first hot flash during an interview on her talk show. Oprah Winfrey hosts a panel of celebrities and doctors to discuss menopause. Doctors stress that women should carefully consider where they get their medical advice, and note that some celebrities are also selling products or services. But they welcome more open conversations about menopause, which can inform women about treatments and change stereotypes of what menopause looks like. Many women remain unsure how to navigate the myriad symptoms — comm...

WATCH LIVE | President Biden speaks at Stellantis plant in Illinois

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:50 GMT

CHICAGO — President Joe Biden is in Illinois Thursday to boost his reelection campaign.Biden has two stops in Illinois: one in Belvidere at a Stellantis Plant, one of several involved in the most recent auto workers strike. Governor JB Pritzker and United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain are also schedule to be there. Biden is expected to discuss how the recent agreement shows his economic strategy.After his stop in Belvidere, he will head to Chicago for private fundraising events.The president will be trying to boost his poll numbers when it comes to economy, which Republicans believe makes him vulnerable. Five takeaways from the GOP debate in Miami Donald Trump is leading Biden in the latest New York Times poll in several areas, including the economy where 59 percent of voters said they trusted the former president compared to Biden's 37 percent.

Israel agrees to four-hour pauses in Gaza military operations

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:50 GMT

The White House said on Thursday that Israel has agreed to pause military operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip for at least four hours at different times to allow for the evacuation of civilians from the conflict zone. “We understand that Israel will begin to implement four hour pauses in areas of northern Gaza each day, with an announcement to be made three hours beforehand,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in a briefing with reporters.“We've been told by the Israelis that there will be no military operations in these areas over the duration of the pause, and that this process is starting today.” An Israeli official told The Hill that the pause is for humanitarian purposes, “to allow people to move to the south, to get food and medicine."President Biden has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to “tactical pauses” to ease the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Strip, even as the president has rejected calls for a general ...

SEE IT: Jelly Roll accidentally breaks Best New Artist CMA Award

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:50 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Country music phenom Jelly Roll might consider himself a pretty lucky guy. At 39 years old, he rose to the top of the charts and took home the coveted Best New Artist award at the 57th annual CMA Awards. But it was broken before he even left Nashville's Bridgestone Arena. Nexstar's WKRN was live from the CMA After Party when the sound of glass breaking silenced the backstage area. "Oh goodness, Jelly Roll just broke his award," WKRN's Stephanie Langston observed, as she and co-host Laura Schweizer looked off-screen to survey the damage. Tracy Chapman becomes 1st Black songwriter to win CMA’s Song of the Year "I'm sure they'll make you another one," Langston hollered to Jelly Roll."It'll be OK!" Schweizer added.Jelly Roll's broken CMA Award, pictured backstage at the CMA After Party on Wednesday night. (Photo: WKRN) Jelly Roll opened the show with a performance of his hit “Need a Favor” along with surprise guest Wynonna Judd, and closed the show with a p...

Trump says he'd consider Tucker Carlson as running mate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:50 GMT

(The Hill) - Former President Trump says he'd consider Tucker Carlson as a potential running mate in 2024. "I like Tucker a lot, I guess I would,” Trump said during an appearance on the Clay Travis and Buck Sexton show this week. "I think I’d say I would because he’s got great common sense." “You know, when they say that you guys are conservative, or I’m conservative, it’s not that we’re conservative, we have common sense. We want to have safe borders. We want to have a wall because walls work,” he said. Carlson was fired by Fox News in April just days after it agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787 million to settle claims of defamation out of court. The host has since launched a video series on the X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and remains under contract with the Fox. On the night of the first Republican presidential primary debate, in August, Carlson hosted a wide-ranging interview with Trump on his X program. The former president has grown increasingly critical ...

WATCH LIVE: Biden goes to an Illinois auto plant saved by a labor deal as he promotes a worker-centered economy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:50 GMT

President Biden's remarks in Belvidere, IL will be livestreamed within this story beginning at approximately 12:30 p.m. CT.WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden went to Chicago on June 28 to give a landmark speech on “Bidenomics," only to learn in private during the trip about a soon-to-close auto factory, news that was a challenge to his vision for the country.The prospect of a shuttered Stellantis plant in the small city of Belvidere became an immediate priority for Biden. He ordered up an economic analysis and spoke to company officials about the plant, according to White House officials. The Democratic president wanted to show that his policies could deliver for workers, rather than repeat the decades of factory closures that had gutted parts of the Midwest and fed into a deep political divide.On Thursday, Biden will visit Belvidere to showcase that auto plant, which has reopened as part of the settlement of a targeted strike by the United Auto Work...

ESAs inch forward: Texas lawmakers hold marathon hearing on future of education

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:50 GMT

AUSTIN (Nexstar) -- A special committee of House lawmakers on Thursday is considering a massive educational package that would establish an education savings accounts program while improving public school funding.The hearing shows the first signs of progress for education savings accounts in the House across four special legislative sessions. Gov. Greg Abbott this week called lawmakers back into a rare fourth special session after the House failed to pass his plan for "school choice." His plan would use state money to subsidize private education expenses for K-12 students.The House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment invited six separate panels to testify, each representing various experts and advocates from public schools, charter schools, and ESA advocates. As of noon, the hearing was still on the first panel. Public testimony will begin after all six expert panels have concluded, setting up lawmakers for a very long day that could last until midnight.Democr...

Cruise issues voluntary software recall following October crash

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:23:50 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Nearly two weeks after Cruise announced it was pausing all its driverless vehicle operations, the company announced Wednesday it was voluntarily issuing a recall for a portion of its autonomous vehicle software.Officials wrote that the recall followed "a new analysis of our AV's post-collision response on October 2." That refers to an Oct. 2 crash where a pedestrian was hit by a driver in San Francisco and thrown into the path of a Cruise car nearby, according to reporting from The Verge. ICYMI: Cruise to pause all driverless operations as a way to ‘rebuild public trust’ The Cruise vehicle attempted to pull to the side of the road despite the fact its collision detection system was supposed to alert the car to remain stationary instead. As a result, the vehicle dragged the pedestrian approximately 20 feet and seriously injured them."The recall addresses circumstances in which the Cruise collision detection subsystem may cause the Cruise AV to attempt to pull over ...