states

11Nov

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

POLITICS

Few States Ban The Presence Of Guns At Voting Sites – Which Have Long Sparked Fears Of Intimidation And Violence

A couple in Mesa, Arizona, was dropping off their ballots on Oct. 21, 2022, for the forthcoming midterm election when they saw two people carrying guns and dressed in tactical gear hanging around the Maricopa County drop box. The armed pair left when officers later arrived. It wasn’t an isolated incident. A lawsuit filed Oct. 24 by Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino noted that on several occasions “armed and masked individuals” associated with the group Clean Elections USA had gathered at drop boxes in the county “with the express purpose of deterring voters.” Voter intimidation is a crime in Arizona – as it is throughout the country. In the case of Maricopa County, a judge ruled on Nov. 1 that the actions of the individuals – who present themselves as anti-voter frau...

The United States Just Hit Equal Pay Day For Black Women

2Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

POLITICS, WORK

The United States Just Hit Equal Pay Day For Black Women

September 21 marks Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, the day of the year on which the median earnings of a working Black woman will have caught up to the median 2021 annual earnings of a non-Latino White man. This year’s observance is over a month later than 2021’s appointed day, August 3. Why is Black Women’s Equal Pay Day so much later than last year? The change comes from a methodological switch: Equal Pay Today, the collaborative of nonprofits and advocacy groups that generally designates Equal Pay Day observances, decided to include part-time workers in its calculation. Here’s how employment is usually measured in this country: The main data from agencies like the Bureau of Labor Statistics refers to non-agricultural labor (“nonfarm”) due to the difficulty tracking that kind of season...

Some Limits Set By States And Universities May Still Be Unconstitutional – But March Madness Stars Can Now Cash In On Endorsements

25Mar

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

SPORTS

Some Limits Set By States And Universities May Still Be Unconstitutional – But March Madness Stars Can Now Cash In On Endorsements

March Madness is proving lucrative for some of its Cinderella stories and standout stars, thanks to a 2021 Supreme Court ruling that led the NCAA to end its longstanding ban on student athletes earning money from endorsement deals. Doug “Dougie Buckets” Edert, who led the Saint Peter’s Peacocks to their first ever Sweet 16 appearance on March 25, 2022, has already signed deals with Buffalo Wild Wings and sports site Barstool. Drew Timme, the mustachioed star forward at Gonzaga, agreed to use his whiskers to sell razors for Dollar Shave Club. And Deja Kelly, a star sophomore at the University of North Carolina, became one of Dunkin’s’ first college endorsements in February when she agreed to promote the brand’s doughnuts and coffee. But the Supreme Court ruling doesn’t mean anything goes....

In First 4 States To Do So Legalizing Recreational Pot May Have Spurred Economic Activity

2Feb

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

BUSINESS

In First 4 States To Do So Legalizing Recreational Pot May Have Spurred Economic Activity

Banking activity in the first four U.S. states to make recreational marijuana legal grew significantly more than in other parts of the country despite federal laws that prohibit financial companies from any involvement with cannabis, according to our new study. This isn’t to suggest that banks illicitly benefited from the burgeoning pot business by taking deposits from cannabis companies or giving them loans. Our data doesn’t back that up – and those practices remain illegal under federal law. Rather, we believe our findings suggest legalization may have spurred more economic activity generally. Using data from regulatory filings, we compared the deposits and loans of banks in the first four legalizing states – Colorado, Washington, Alaska and Oregon – with those in every other state. We...

As States Weigh Human Lives Versus The Economy, History Suggests The Economy Often Wins

31Jul

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

MONEY

As States Weigh Human Lives Versus The Economy, History Suggests The Economy Often Wins

Policymakers are beginning to decide how to reopen the American economy. Until now, they’ve largely prioritized human health: Restrictions in all but a handful of states remain in effect, and trillions have been committed to help shuttered businesses and those who have been furloughed or laid off. The right time to start opening up sectors of the economy has been up for debate. But history shows that in the wake of calamities, human life often loses out to economic imperatives. As a historian of early America who has written about tobacco and the aftermath of an epidemic in New England, I’ve seen similar considerations made in the face of disease outbreaks. And I believe that there are crucial lessons to be drawn from two 17th-century outbreaks during which economic interests of a select...

Could This Be A Turning Point For The Industry? States Have Never Had This Much Money For Child Care

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

IN OTHER NEWS

Could This Be A Turning Point For The Industry? States Have Never Had This Much Money For Child Care

Biden’s American Rescue Plan allocated $39 billion for child care — a historic infusion. But states are relying on small staffs, old systems and a short timeline to get the money out equitably. Chabeli Carrazana Originally published by The 19th This story was supported by the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems. When it was passed in March, President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan included the single largest allocation for child care in the nation’s history: $39 billion. That’s more money than the United States has spent on child care in the past five years combined. The aid was disbursed to states and tribes in mid-April, and earlier this month, the administration released its gu...

Canada’s Cannabis Clarity, What The United States Can Learn

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

BUSINESS, VIDEO REELS

Canada’s Cannabis Clarity, What The United States Can Learn

The inherent contradictions of American cannabis laws seem to appear in the news almost every week. At the state level, for example, Virginia recently became the latest jurisdiction to allow adult cannabis use, effective this July 1. But just days later, a court upheld United States federal tax laws that treat state-licensed cannabis businesses as illegal drug traffickers. To resolve conflicts like this, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he’ll introduce legislation to “decriminalize” cannabis federally. In drafting his bill, he should draw inspiration from Canada. Congress might be too divided for full legalization this year, but it can begin providing the clarity that Canada’s approach offers. U.S. contradictions Congressional action is clearly needed, as federal law has f...

After Each Mass Shooting, Gun Control Fails Quickly In Congress But States Often Act – Including To loosen Gun Laws

4Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

IN OTHER NEWS

After Each Mass Shooting, Gun Control Fails Quickly In Congress But States Often Act – Including To loosen Gun Laws

Recent mass shootings at three spas in Atlanta, Georgia and a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado have renewed calls for new gun legislation. The U.S. has been here before – after shootings in Tucson, Aurora, Newtown, Charleston, Roseburg, San Bernardino, Orlando, Las Vegas, Parkland, El Paso and other communities across the United States. Congress has declined to pass significant new gun legislation after dozens of shootings, including shootings that occurred during periods like this one, with Democrats controlling the House of Representatives, Senate and presidency. This response may seem puzzling given that national opinion polls reveal extensive support for several gun control policies, including expanding background checks and banning assault weapons. But polls do not determine polic...

But Will They? States Drop COVID-19 Mask Mandates But Still Expect People To Mask Up

10Mar

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

COVID-19

But Will They? States Drop COVID-19 Mask Mandates But Still Expect People To Mask Up

The governors of Texas and Mississippi announced that they were rescinding their statewide mask mandates and allowing restaurants and other businesses to return to 100% capacity in early March. The moves come while new infection numbers in the U.S. are still higher than they were in September and just ahead of school spring breaks, known for large gatherings and crowded bars where the coronavirus can quickly spread. Along with Iowa, Montana and North Dakota, which recently lifted their mask orders, these states are part of an emerging trend of some states bucking national and international public health recommendations. Alabama and Utah plan to end their mask requirements in April. Wyoming’s governor announced on March 8 that he would drop his mask order, too. Residents and visitors in ...

Only Congress Can Make Puerto Rico The 51st State In The United States

14Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

POLITICS

Only Congress Can Make Puerto Rico The 51st State In The United States

Puerto Ricans requested statehood on Nov. 3, 2020, with 52.3% of voters asking to change the island’s status from unincorporated territory to U.S. state. This is the sixth time statehood has been on the ballot since Puerto Rico ratified its Constitution in 1952. Voters rejected the status change in 1967, 1993 and 1998. The 2012 election results were unclear because some voters did not answer both parts of a two-part statehood question. In 2017 statehood won decisively, albeit with very low turnout of around 23%. Puerto Rico didn’t become the 51st state then, and it is unlikely to achieve statehood any time soon. Only Congress can add new states to the Union, via an Admission Act or House Resolution that requires approval by a simple majority in the House and Senate. Territorial status T...