Briefs
Court reduces restrictions on Biden administration contact with social media platforms
A federal appeals court in Louisiana agreed on Friday evening with Missouri’s attorney general that the Biden administration “ran afoul of the First Amendment” by threatening social media platforms over posts spreading misinformation. But the three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans concluded a lower court’s wide-ranging order barring […]
Washington University launches a ‘no-loan’ program to combat student debt
Next year, students admitted to Washington University in St. Louis will not have to rely on student loans, the college announced in a news release Friday. Students who make it into the private school and receive need-based loans after completing a FAFSA application will then get the amount of the loans replaced with grants and […]
Biden to nominate former FAA deputy to lead aviation agency
President Joe Biden chose a new nominee to lead the Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday, months after the U.S. Senate blocked his first choice. Biden intends to nominate Michael G. Whitaker, an executive at Supernal, a company working on an electric air vehicle, and a former deputy FAA administrator during President Barack Obama’s administration, according […]
Millions more workers would receive overtime pay under proposed Biden administration rule
Salaried workers who have been ineligible for overtime pay would benefit from a proposed Biden administration regulation. The Department of Labor’s new rule would require employers compensate full-time workers in management, administrative, or other professional roles for any overtime worked if they make less than $55,068 annually. Currently, the salary threshold is $35,568. The change […]
Congress and nonprofit working to put women’s suffrage monument on National Mall
As Congress considers a bill to place a women’s suffrage monument on the National Mall, a nonprofit is working to raise the estimated $50 million needed to build it. The Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation, the nonprofit backing the effort, launched a donation campaign Tuesday in an effort to raise funds for a memorial honoring […]
Jill Biden tests positive for COVID-19; President, testing negative, maintains schedule
WASHINGTON — First Lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID-19 Monday night, the White House said in a statement. Biden has mild symptoms and will spend the week at home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the White House said. President Joe Biden tested negative Monday night and Tuesday. He will continue to be tested “at a […]
Millions enrolled in new student loan repayment program
WASHINGTON — More than 4 million federal student loan borrowers are enrolled in the Biden administration’s new repayment program, according to figures released Tuesday by the Department of Education. With the pause of more than three years on federal student loan repayments coming to an end in October, and the Supreme Court’s summer decision to […]
Missouri judge dismisses cannabis company’s lawsuit against state to stop recall
A Missouri judge denied on Wednesday a marijuana company’s effort to stop the recall of 62,000 products containing the company’s THC concentrate that the state deemed a “potential threat to health and safety.” The company, Delta Extraction, is a Robertsville-based licensed marijuana manufacturer that specializes in making THC distillate, a highly potent and pure form […]
New Hampshire AG ‘carefully reviewing’ challenge to Trump on ballot
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office is “carefully reviewing” whether former President Donald Trump can run as a presidential candidate in the state, after a New Hampshire Republican argued Trump’s role in encouraging the Jan. 6 protests that turned into an insurrection bars him from seeking office under the U.S. Constitution. In a joint statement […]
Labor leader touts union support as possible auto strikes loom
Support for unions is growing amid shifting working conditions and labor disputes around the country, according to Liz Shuler, the president of the largest labor group in the country. In Shuler’s comments Tuesday at the AFL-CIO’s first State of the Unions event in Washington, she cited polling that showed support for unions cut across party […]
Biden administration chooses first 10 drugs for Medicare price negotiations
WASHINGTON — Medicare can now negotiate lower prices for 10 common high-price drugs, cutting out-of-pocket costs for an estimated 9 million seniors and saving taxpayers billions, the Biden administration said Tuesday. Medicare will begin this year to negotiate with the manufacturers of popular medications used to treat blood clots, diabetes, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic […]
Missouri’s new distracted driving law begins with warning-only period
Beginning today, a Missouri law will penalize drivers for using their cell phones while the car is moving. Inattention is a leading cause of collisions, said Captain John Hotz, director of public information and education for the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Between 2017 and 2021, roughly 380 people died in incidents involving a distracted driver, […]