Podcasts about labor department

  On this episode, the fifth installment of our eight-part, issue-specific series, we'll explore how nonprofits can boldly and safely advocate for gender and reproductive justice. We'll review recent policy developments and discuss how nonprofits can respond through legislative, executive, and judicial branch advocacy. Join us as we break down the rules and share recent examples of how nonprofits are advancing gender and reproductive justice.     Attorneys for this episode    Quyen Tu  Brittany Hacker  Melissa Marichal Zayas    Shownotes  Gender and Reproductive Justice Headlines  Executive Branch Actions  Since taking office, President Trump has signed several sweeping executive orders that undermine the rights of transgender people and women and reduce access to reproductive health care.   These include, for example, orders that terminate federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; rescind executive orders that expanded access to reproductive health care; ban transgender people from serving in the military; limit coverage for gender-affirming care; and require federal agencies to recognize only two, “not changeable” sexes.  The DOJ has announced that, outside of extraordinary circumstances, it will stop enforcing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, a law that protects reproductive clinic staff from violence and harassment.   HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has directed the FDA to review its approval of the medication abortion pill Mifepristone.   We've also seen major funding cuts across several agencies. HHS, for example, has terminated NIH grants focused on LGBTQ+ health issues and frozen millions of dollars of Title X funds, which help provide reproductive health services in low-income communities.    Litigation  Many nonprofits, as well as state attorneys general, have filed lawsuits challenging the executive orders that seek to curtail LGBTQ+ rights and DEI initiatives.   In February, for example, a group of several civil rights nonprofits, along with Crowell & Moring LLP, filed a lawsuit on behalf of Chicago Women in Trades to challenge the Trump administration's anti-DEI executive orders. As a result, a federal court has temporarily blocked the Labor Department from requiring Chicago Women in Trades and other federal contracts or grant recipients to certify that they don't operate any programs that violate Federal anti-discrimination laws, which one of these EOs would require.   Many other provisions of these EOs, however, remain in effect as the cases make their way through the courts.   The National Council of Nonprofits has a continuously updated chart tracking executive orders that impact nonprofits and their current legal status. Just Security has an even broader resource that is tracking all legal challenges to Trump administration actions.    Legislation  Congress is currently considering deep cuts to Medicaid. These proposed cuts would lead to an estimated 8 million Americans becoming uninsured, and would eliminate all federal funding to Planned Parenthood, including funding for preventative health screenings and testing. Proposed budget cuts would also further restrict transgender peoples' access to gender-affirming care.   In Missouri, the state legislature recently approved a new ballot referendum that, if passed, would repeal last year's voter-approved constitutional amendment guaranteeing a right to abortion. This ballet referendum will appear on the ballot in November of 2026 or earlier if Missouri's governor calls a special election.     What can 501(c)(3)s do to respond?   As a reminder, 501(c)(3)s cannot support or oppose candidates for elective public office. This means they can't engage in activity that helps or hurts the chances of a candidate winning an election.  But here's what they can do: They can engage in an unlimited amount of non-lobbying advocacy, and they can engage in a limited amount of lobbying.    Non-Lobbying Advocacy   Educate the public about issues of importance to your organization  The Center for Reproductive Rights' tool, Repro Red Flags: Agency Watch, which tracks key Trump administration appointments and actions related to reproductive health.   PFLAG is tracking and reporting on federal and state legislation and litigation impacting the LGBTQ+ community through its weekly Policy Matters Newsletter and Executive Orders Explainers and Resources web page.  The National Women's Law Center has released a report highlighting how the cuts would impact women and LGBTQ+ individuals.  Engage in administrative advocacy  A March letter sent by Equal Rights Advocates and several other civil rights organizations to Acting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas urges her to immediately withdraw a series of letters and guidance documents pressuring employers to abandon DEI programs.   Hold a rally  In April, the Coalition for Inclusive Schools & Communities, Live in Your Truth, and the Montgomery County Pride Family held a  rally in support of inclusive education outside the U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor.  Initiate or participate in litigation  In May, a Michigan state court permanently struck down three of Michigan's abortion restrictions, agreeing with Northland Family Planning Centers and Medical Students for Choice—two nonprofits plaintiffs represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights—that the restrictions violate the state's constitutional amendment.  Fund advocacy  Public and private foundations can fund advocacy through general operating grants or specific project grants.    Lobbying  501(c)(3) public charities can engage in lobbying, but they are limited in how much lobbying they may engage in.  Under the federal tax rules, most public charities can choose between two tests to determine how much lobbying they can engage in: the insubstantial part test or the 501(h) expenditure test.  Under either test, lobbying includes attempts to influence legislation at any level of government. The exact activities that will count as lobbying will depend on which test the organization uses.   When engaging in lobbying, remember to track and report your lobbying on your annual Form 990, stay within your lobbying limits, and use unrestricted funds.   In addition to the tax rules, federal, state, or local level lobbyist registration and reporting requirements may apply when engaging in legislative and executive branch advocacy. These requirements vary by state and city, so make sure to confirm the types of activities and thresholds that trigger reporting in the jurisdictions where you are lobbying.   The IRS considers ballot measure advocacy a form of direct lobbying because the voters act as legislators when they vote to approve or reject a ballot measure, but keep in mind that your organization may also be required to register and report on ballot measure activity under state or local campaign finance laws.  Since 2022, 501(c)(3) public charities have helped to pass ballot measures that establish a right to abortion in eleven states.    Resources  The Advocacy Playbook for Gender and Reproductive Justice  Public Charities Can Lobby (Factsheet)  What is Advocacy? 2.0 (Factsheet)  Administrative Advocacy: Influencing Rules, Regulations, and Executive Orders (Factsheet)  What Nonprofits Needs to Know About Lobbying in Your State    Understanding the Federal Lobbying Disclosure Act (Factsheet)  Investing in Change: A Funder's Guide to Supporting Advocacy 

The U.S. Labor Department reported the weekly Initial Jobless Claims; Kevin has the details, digs into the data and offers his insights. S&P Global released the U.S. manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) and U.S. services PMI; Kevin discusses the report and offers his perspective. The National Association of Realtors reported April existing home sales; Kevin looks at the data and puts it into perspective. Oil reacts to OPEC+ discussing a production increase for July, an unexpected rise in U.S. crude oil inventories and the expiration of U.S. oil company Chevron's license to operate in Venezuela. Kevin pays tribute to our fallen heroes as we enter this Memorial Day Holiday weekend.

The Labor Department reported U. S. weekly Jobless Claims; Kevin has the details and offers his insights. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) for April; Kevin discusses the data and the. implications going forward on Interest rates. The U.S. Retail Sales report was released; Kevin has the details. JPMorgan offers their latest predictions as to the possibility a recession this year; Kevin digs in to the report and offers his insights. US House Energy and Commerce Committee proposed replenishing the Strategic Petroleum Reserves. Oil reacts to a possible Iran nuclear deal, Russian President Putin's refusal to meet with Ukraine's Zelinsky, U.S. Crude inventory increases and the International Energy Agency upgrade of 2025 oil demand growth forecast.

The National Labor Relations Board's inspector general is conducting an investigation into the Department of Government Efficiency's work at the agency. In April, an IT staffer named Daniel Berulis filed an official whistleblower disclosure with Congress highlighting concerns over DOGE's practices at the NLRB and data that may have been removed from the agency. In response to the disclosure, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, requested an investigation in a letter to Luiz A. Santos, acting inspector general of the Labor Department, and Ruth Blevins, inspector general at the NLRB. Timothy Bearese, an attorney at the NLRB currently serving as its acting director of congressional and public affairs, told FedScoop that the agency has no comment but “can confirm that the OIG is conducting an investigation, as requested by Ranking Member Connolly.” Back In April, Bearese told NPR that the NLRB had not granted DOGE access to agency systems. At that time, he also said that there had been a past investigation based on Berulis' concerns that “determined that no breach of agency systems occurred.” A spokesperson for House Oversight Committee Democrats told FedScoop on Thursday that “there are multiple investigations into Elon Musk's violations of sensitive investigatory information at the NLRB.” House Oversight Democrats are asking a Treasury Department watchdog to open an investigation into DOGE's data and IT modernization dealings at the IRS following reports of an internal “hackathon” at the tax agency that may have involved Palantir. In a letter sent Thursday to Heather Hill, acting head of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, House Oversight ranking member Gerry Connolly, D-Va., cited “deep concern” over reporting in Wired last month that revealed plans for a 30-day sprint where DOGE engineers and a third-party vendor — potentially the data analytics giant Palantir — would create a new application programming interface connected to taxpayer data. That API, Wired reported, would essentially serve as a storage center for all IRS data and enable agency systems to interact with unknown cloud services. Building a “mega API” is likely connected to plans for a “master database” that also pulls in data from the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration, according to Wired, part of a Trump administration effort to track and surveil immigrants. “The reported data centralization and integration effort could undermine intentional compartmentalization of IRS systems,” which raises “serious privacy questions,” Connolly wrote. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Advisors on This Week's Show Kyle Tetting Dave Sandstrom Kendall Bauer (with Max Hoelzl and Joel Dresang engineered by Jason Scuglik) Week in Review (May 12-16, 2025) Significant Economic Indicators & Reports Monday No major announcements Tuesday Broad inflation slowed in April to its lowest point in more than four years. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that its Consumer Price Index rose 2.3% from April 2024, still outpacing the Fed's 2% target but down from a four-decade high of 9.1% in mid-2022. Shelter costs c0ntributed more than half of the month's increase while grocery prices fell the most since mid-2020. Egg prices dropped nearly 13% from March but were 49% more expensive than they were in April 2024. The 2.3% year-to-year inflation rate was the lowest since February 2021. Excluding volatile costs for food and energy, the core CPI rose 2.8% from the same time last year, the same pace as in March. Wednesday No major announcements Thursday Inflation on the wholesale level registered a 2.4% annual increase in April, slowing for the third month in a row. The Producer Price Index was down 0.5% from March, the first decline in 16 months and the most since April 2020. The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the index shrank mostly because of lower prices for services, led by margins for machinery and vehicle wholesaling. The core rate of wholesale inflation, stripping out volatile prices for food, energy and trade services, sank 0.1% for the month and was up 2.9% from April 2024. Retail sales slowed in April, though consumers kept spending, according to a report by the Commerce Department. Advanced sales by retailers and food services rose 0.1% from March. Among 13 major categories, five increased sales from the month before, including bars and restaurants. Sales at supermarkets and liquor stores were unchanged. Car dealers and gas stations were among the outlets where sales declined. Adjusted for inflation, retail sales fell 0.2% in April. Economists follow store signs as an indication of consumer spending, which drives two-thirds of the U.S. economy. The four-week moving average for initial unemployment claims rose for the third week in a row, rising to its highest level since October. The measure of employer willingness to let workers go was 36% below the 58-year average, suggesting a continued tight labor market. According to Labor Department data, total jobless claims fell 3% from the week before to just under 1.9 million applications, which was nearly 6% higher than the year before, The Federal Reserve said its industrial production index was unchanged in April, though 1.5% above where it stood the year before. Lower output from manufacturing and mining was offset by increased production by utilities following an unseasonably warm March. Factories produced 0.4% less than March and were up 1.2% from April 2024. Industry's capacity utilization rate fell marginally to 77.7%, staying below the 52-year average of 79.6%. Seen as an early indicator of inflation, the capacity rate has been safely under the long-range average since late 2022. Friday Housing construction in April stayed in a relatively narrow band that has accompanied higher interest rates since mid-2022. A Commerce Department report on building permits and housing starts showed the indicators on par with levels in early 2007, just before the Great Recession. The number of houses under construction has been declining since late 2023 but remained near the housing boom peak of 2006. Economists have blamed a lack of inventory for years of escalating housing prices. The University of Michigan said consumer sentiment sank slightly from the end of April following four months of sharp declines. Since January, sentiment was down nearly 30%. More consumers spontaneously mentioned tariff uncertainty as reasons for angst for the economy and their personal finances.

The Labor Department reported U. S. weekly Jobless Claims; Kevin has the details and offers his insights. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the U.S. Producer Price Index (PPI) for April; Kevin discusses the data and the. implications going forward on Interest rates. The U.S. Retail Sales report was released; Kevin has the details. JPMorgan offers their latest predictions as to the possibility a recession this year; Kevin digs in to the report and offers his insights. US House Energy and Commerce Committee proposed replenishing the Strategic Petroleum Reserves. Oil reacts to a possible Iran nuclear deal, Russian President Putin's refusal to meet with Ukraine's Zelinsky, U.S. Crude inventory increases and the International Energy Agency upgrade of 2025 oil demand growth forecast.

Today on the podcast, I'm joined by two incredible guests: Mike Hruby (https://x.com/venturemike1) and Kim Kavin (https://x.com/thekimkavin). Mike is a seasoned advocate for independent work and entrepreneurship, while Kim is a respected journalist and a passionate voice for freelancers' rights. Together, we dive deep into the alarming developments happening right now in New Jersey, where the state Labor Department has proposed a new independent-contractor rule that could drastically restrict the freedom of an estimated 1.7 million people who work as independent contractors, freelancers, self-employed individuals, and gig economy drivers for companies like Uber and DoorDash.   This episode unpacks what's really at stake. While the proposed policies are being framed as protections, what the proposed NJDOL rule states is that it will not create any jobs. The fear is that ICs get wiped out and are left with nothing. that would strip people of the flexibility, autonomy, and control that make independent work so vital. Mike and Kim explain how similar policy-making. has played out in other states, and why this movement could have nationwide implications. It's a critical conversation for anyone who values the freedom to choose how and when they work.   Kim Kavin: https://www.freelancebusting.com/ Mike Hruby https://www.newjobsamerica.com/   Rideshare Rodeo Brand & Podcast: https://linktr.ee/RideshareRodeo 

The Rod and Greg Show Daily Rundown – Tuesday, May 13, 20254:20 pm: E.J. Antoni, Research Fellow and Public Finance Economist with the Heritage Foundation joins the program for a conversation about how the Labor Department has all but admitted via new data that hundreds of thousands of jobs created under Joe Biden never existed.5:05 pm: Eric Boehm, a Reporter for Reason.com, joins the show to discuss his recent piece in which he outlines the reason that the Department of Government Efficiency failed to live up to its promise of making $2 trillion in cuts.6:05 pm: Senator Scott Sandall joins the program for a conversation about how the Environmental Protection Agency, now under new leadership under President Trump, is reconsidering strict air pollution standards that Utah is unlikely to meet.6:38 pm: Dr. Dana Cheng, Founder of the Epoch Times, joins Rod and Greg for a conversation about how the Chinese communist party has spent years planning for a trade war with the United States.

The Labor Department is making major cuts to a watchdog office that ensures federal contractors aren't discriminating against their employees. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs laid off about 90% of its staff last week, leaving only about 50 employees nationwide. OFCCP was created in 1965 to protect American workers from race and gender discrimination by federal contractors. Employees who got RIF notices will separate from the agency on June 6.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trump makes a historic trade deal with China to lower tariffs. Democrats pull their own insurrection by storming an ICE facility in Newark to defend gang members. President Trump signs an executive order slashing the cost of prescription drugs and bringing fairness to America. Dana explains how Obamacare caused the prescription drug prices to soar. Trump tells a story about a friend of his who “takes the fat shot drug” . Stephen Yates from Heritage joins us to break down Trump's trade deal with China, the India-Pakistan ceasefire and Qatar's gift to Trump.  Al Gore bashes President Trump, saying he sees parallels to early Nazi Germany. A Republican lawmaker is pushing for a $5 tax stamp instead of removing suppressors from the NFA entirely. The Labor Department admits that hundreds of thousands of Biden Jobs were fake. Dana shares her thoughts on Trump accepting a $400 Million Boeing 757 from the Qatari Royal Family to replace Air Force One. What is taking Boeing so long to produce an American-made plane? A conspiracy goes viral of Emmanuel Macron hiding a bag of cocaine when sitting next to Keir Starmer. Thank you for supporting our sponsors that make The Dana Show possible…Relief Factorhttps://relieffactor.com OR CALL 1-800-4-RELIEFTurn the clock back on pain with Relief Factor. Get their 3-week Relief Factor Quick Start for only $19.95 today! Goldcohttps://DanaLikesGold.com My personal gold company - get your GoldCo 2025 Gold & Silver Kit. PLUS, you could qualify for up to 10% in BONUS silver.Byrnahttps://byrna.com/danaGet your hands on the new compact Byrna CL. Visit Byrna.com/Dana receive 10% off. Patriot Mobilehttps://patriotmobile.com/DanaDana's personal cell phone provider is Patriot Mobile. Get a FREE MONTH of service code DANA.HumanNhttps://humann.comSupport your metabolism and healthy blood sugar levels with Superberine by HumanN. Find it now at your local Sam's Club next to SuperBeets Heart Chews.  KelTechttps://KelTecWeapons.comSee the third generation of the iconic SUB2000 and the NEW PS57 - Keltec Innovation & Performance at its best.All Family Pharmacyhttps://AllFamilyPharmacy.com/DanaCode Dana10 for 10% off your entire order.PreBornhttps://Preborn.com/DanaWith your help, we can hit the goal of 1,000 ultrasounds this month! Just dial #250 and say “Baby”. Ancient Nutritionhttp://ancientnutrition.com/DanaCollagen and wellness, powered by Ancient Nutrition—get 25% off your first order with promo code DANA.Home Title Lockhttps://hometitlelock.com/danaProtect your home! Get a FREE title history report + 14 days of coverage with code DANA. Check out the Million Dollar TripleLock—terms apply.Ground Newshttps://Groundnews.com/DANAGet 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan.

Kevin's thoughts on the election of the first American Pope. Kevin reacts to further comments by Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell and President Trump's reaction Powell's "wait and see" approach. Data from the U.S. Labor Department regarding Initial jobless claims and Worker Productivity were released; Kevin digs into the details and offers his opinion and insights. The first trade deal has been reached; Kevin has the who, what and when. Oil reacts to looming trade talks between the U.S. and China, the "breakthrough" deal with Great Britain, increasing crude oil production by OPEC+ and "tariff risk premium" replacing the global risk premium (Mideast tensions and Ukraine-Russian war). 

Kevin's thoughts on the election of the first American Pope. Kevin reacts to further comments by Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell and President Trump's reaction Powell's "wait and see" approach. Data from the U.S. Labor Department regarding Initial jobless claims and Worker Productivity were released; Kevin digs into the details and offers his opinion and insights. The first trade deal has been reached; Kevin has the who, what and when. Oil reacts to looming trade talks between the U.S. and China, the "breakthrough" deal with Great Britain, increasing crude oil production by OPEC+ and "tariff risk premium" replacing the global risk premium (Mideast tensions and Ukraine-Russian war). 

For parents who need to work but can't afford the steep cost of child care, federally funded scholarships can be a lifeline. Delivered through state child care assistance programs, the scholarships can mean the difference between a parent working full time—or not at all. But qualified families are increasingly being turned away, thanks to the rising costs of child care and the end of pandemic-era funds, and some families that had scholarships have seen them end. In three states—Arizona, Colorado and Texas—parents who apply face long waitlists. Other states have increased copayments for parents or have said they will serve fewer children. In March, the Trump administration laid off some employees who helped states implement child care assistance. It's left advocates worried about the future of federal child care programs. “What it means is that ultimately child care will become less safe, it's going to become more expensive, and it's going to become harder to find,” said Ruth Friedman, who was the director of the Office of Child Care under former President Joe Biden. In Colorado, a dozen counties stopped accepting new applications for the state's child care assistance program because they ran out of money, The Colorado Sun reported. For states trying to maintain child care assistance scholarships, the costs of running the programs have risen. Because many child care providers operate on the margins, the Biden administration increased the amount they receive when they take scholarship students. It's all evidence that the problems that vex the child care industry have not necessarily abated with the pandemic, said Karen Schulman, senior director of child care policy at the National Women's Law Center. “The crisis was going on long before COVID,” Schulman said, citing the unaffordability of care for many families, along with the low pay of the child care workforce. Even as providers struggle to make a profit, child care is prohibitively expensive for many families. In a study of 2022 child care prices, the Labor Department found the median cost of care for an infant in a center was more than $15,600 in large counties—higher than the median rent in many places. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The U.S. DOT is looking for regulations to roll back, and it's asking truckers to help. OOIDA has a few rules it would like to see changed. Also, we're into a new tax year, and experts are encouraging you to start the year organized and on top of things. We'll offer some advice. Then, who is an employee, and who is an independent contractor? The U.S. Department of Labor is out with its latest guidance for businesses. 0:00 – Newscast 10:05 – What regulations would you like to see rolled back? 24:32 – The time to get organized for taxes is now 39:32 – Labor Department changes course on worker classification

The U.S. Labor Department reported the U.S. weekly Initial Jobless Claims numbers; Kevin reviews the data and offers his insights. After the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report was released yesterday, the numbers have been further analyzed; Kevin explains. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's International Roadcheck is coming up; Kevin has the dates and what inspectors will be looking for. The International Monetary Fund released a report on the World Economic forecast; Kevin offers his insights. Oil reacts to geopolitical events, crude oil inventory numbers, OPEC+'s production discussions and world economic conditions.

The U.S. Labor Department reported the U.S. weekly Initial Jobless Claims numbers; Kevin reviews the data and offers his insights. After the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report was released yesterday, the numbers have been further analyzed; Kevin explains. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance's International Roadcheck is coming up; Kevin has the dates and what inspectors will be looking for. The International Monetary Fund released a report on the World Economic forecast; Kevin offers his insights. Oil reacts to geopolitical events, crude oil inventory numbers, OPEC+'s production discussions and world economic conditions.

Alexis Herman, First Black U.S. Labor Secretary and Civil Rights Pioneer, Dies at 77 According to The New York Times, Alexis Herman, the first Black U.S. secretary of labor and a key Democratic Party figure, died Friday in Washington at 77. Raised under segregation in Alabama, Herman became a major organizer, helping President Bill Clinton win office and later serving in his cabinet. She famously helped settle the 1997 UPS strike, easing tensions between labor and the administration. Earlier, she worked to expand opportunities for Black women and served as director of the Labor Department's Women's Bureau under President Carter. After her government service, she held leadership roles in several companies and disaster recovery efforts. Herman, a pioneer for civil rights and workplace diversity, was celebrated for her dedication to young leaders and grassroots activism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. Labor Department reported the Weekly Jobless Claims Report; Kevin has the date, discusses the press coverage and offers his insights. The Federal Reserve released the so-called Biege Book a collection of anecdotal information on current economic conditions in the twelve Federal Reserve districts around the Country as well as how businesses are planning to deal with possible price increases, if they materialize; Kevin talks about the details and offers his thoughts. In a separate report the U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau published the data on orders for durable goods, items ranging from toasters to aircraft; Kevin discusses the data. Kevin has the news, data and geo-political events affecting oil and gas prices.

The U.S. Labor Department reported the Weekly Jobless Claims Report; Kevin has the date, discusses the press coverage and offers his insights. The Federal Reserve released the so-called Biege Book a collection of anecdotal information on current economic conditions in the twelve Federal Reserve districts around the Country as well as how businesses are planning to deal with possible price increases, if they materialize; Kevin talks about the details and offers his thoughts. In a separate report the U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau published the data on orders for durable goods, items ranging from toasters to aircraft; Kevin discusses the data. Kevin has the news, data and geo-political events affecting oil and gas prices.

Labor Department employees can now access two OpenAI models through the company's partnership with Microsoft Azure, making the agency the latest to integrate generative AI into its workflow. The two OpenAI models now available to Labor staff are GPT-4o and GPT-4o mini, according to documents viewed by FedScoop. The agency's platform for the OpenAI tech suggests that staff use the technology for specific applications, including a language translator, a “pros and cons analyzer,” and a memo writer. A large document analyzer and document comparison tool are also available in the interface. Along with that, the department has published a guide on the appropriate use of AI systems and cautions agency users that their role in properly using the generative AI tools is “crucial.” Staff are flagged with a warning before using the tool and are instructed to review outputs for accuracy. Previously, these kinds of generative AI tools had not been approved for Labor Department use and employees were warned not to enter federal information into the systems, a source within the agency told FedScoop. Two top officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency who worked with the private sector to manufacture secure products and technology are leaving the agency. Bob Lord, senior technical adviser and Lauren Zabierek, senior advisor at CISA, were two of the chief architects behind CISA's Secure by Design initiative, which garnered voluntary commitments from major vendors and manufacturers to build cybersecurity protections into their products at the design stage. On Monday in separate posts on LinkedIn, Lord and Zabierek both said they are departing the agency. Neither offered a rationale or motivation for the decision, with Lord simply calling it a “difficult decision” and Zabierek saying it was “not an easy choice.” The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

The U.S. Labor Department released the weekly Initial Jobless claims Report; the U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau reported Housing Starts; the Philadelphia Fed reported average workweek at factories; the National Association of Home Builders released the survey of homebuilders' sentiment; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released the Housing Starts report; Kevin has the details, digs into the data and offers his insights. While at the MId-America Trucking Show, Kevin interviewed Jeremy Citron, Founder and Partner, Long Haul law.

The General Services Administration is not happy with the top-10 consulting firms it asked back in February to self-identify contracts that could be terminated to save the federal government money, going as far as to call their efforts under the initiative “insulting.” Josh Gruenbaum, commissioner of GSA's Federal Acquisition Service, wrote in a letter to those 10 firms, viewed by FedScoop, that GSA and its contracting partners are “unanimously unimpressed” with the cost savings those contractors identified in the so-called “scorecards” they submitted after the agency called for the termination of government contracts with those top consultants. As a result, the agency is calling on those firms to submit a second “waste review” by 5 p.m. ET on Friday with their proposals demonstrating how they can “lean into developing taxpayer friendly pricing” with “dramatic price reductions.” “In good faith, and with high expectation, we offered firms the opportunity to join us in reducing wasteful spending and do their part in addressing the twin issues of the federal debt and deficit,” Gruenbaum wrote. “The efforts to propose meaningful cost savings were wholly insufficient, to the point of being insulting.” The Labor Department's new chief information officer is looking to reduce staff in the Office of the CIO by about 30%, according to a source within the agency. Hundreds of people currently work in Labor's CIO office, but leadership is hoping many workers will voluntarily leave the team. Thomas Shedd, who was appointed to Labor's CIO role last month, is optimistic that the goal will be achieved through the federal government's deferred resignation programs and reduction-in-force efforts, the source said. Going forward, Labor's Office of the CIO plans to focus on systems used to disburse benefits, as well as programs required by law that need business systems and software to work, according to documents viewed by FedScoop. There will also be an emphasis on efficiency and consolidating systems while providing value, the documents said. The department told employees that they're not “tracking” staff, despite media reports, and that the agency is only interested in measuring results. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

The U.S. Labor Department released the weekly Initial Jobless claims Report; the U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau reported Housing Starts; the Philadelphia Fed reported average workweek at factories; the National Association of Home Builders released the survey of homebuilders' sentiment; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released the Housing Starts report; Kevin has the details, digs into the data and offers his insights. While at the MId-America Trucking Show, Kevin interviewed Jeremy Citron, Founder and Partner, Long Haul law.

A federal judge just delivered a blow to Elon Musk's controversial Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Labor unions sued to stop DOGE from accessing sensitive Labor Department systems, arguing that it violates the Federal Privacy Act. Why? Because those systems hold deeply personal information—medical and financial records of millions of Americans. Think Social Security numbers, employment histories, and even disability claims. Judge John Bates said the lawsuit can move forward. Even if the sphere literally encompasses only one row of millions in a data set, it amounts to an intrusion, like peeking into someone's home, he said. Not all of the union's arguments stuck. Claims against Health and Human Services for healthcare privacy breaches were tossed out. But the bigger question remains—does DOGE, a team not created by Congress, even have the legal authority to poke around agencies like Labor? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

U.S. Labor Department data shows job starts exceeding expectation in March, while the Paychex Small Business Employment Watch indicates job levels are consistent with previous months. Does this indicate a better outlook? Gene Marks talks about it in this episode, but also says the economy might be influenced by the 14% of employers who are decreasing salary offers and another 20% are scaling back on raises. Businesses with loans from the SBA also must contend with changes in programs that include increased fees for popular 7(a) loans. Listen to the podcast. Resources: Paychex Small Business Employment Watch - https://bit.ly/4lG7hTV DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this podcast, and that is further provided by the presenter, should not be considered legal or accounting advice, and should not substitute for legal, accounting, or other professional advice in which the facts and circumstances may warrant. We encourage you to consult legal counsel as it pertains to your own unique situation(s) and/or with any specific legal questions you may have.

The Trump Administration pushes to change the direction of workforce agencies while it continues to cut the government workforce.  Join Nita and Burt as they review the management-friendly directions presaged at the Labor Department with new nominations for Solicitor and Wage & Hour Administrator, the President's attempt to eliminate collective bargaining rights for most unionized government employees and whether the Supreme Court will allow the President to fire NLRB Member Gwen Wilcox.Contact Fortney & Scott: Tweet us at @fortneyscott Follow us on LinkedIn Email us at info@fortneyscott.com Thank you for listening! https://www.fortneyscott.com/

Transport Topics is the news leader in trucking and freight transportation. Today's briefing covers tariffs and the March jobs report from the U.S. Labor Department. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kevin offers his thoughts on the retirement of longtime 700 WLW personality Mike McConnell. Kevin talks about and offers his opinion on the effects of day one of the "reciprocal tariffs" on 180 countries and some early indications of the effect on inflation. During the MId-America Trucking Show, Kevin spoke with Dan Fuller founder and President, Hotels 4 Truckers and Angie Gadwood, Senior Vice President Global Sales, Wyndham Hotels, who announced their partnership with Hotels 4 Truckers. The U.S. Labor Department released the weekly Initial Jobless Claims Report, Kevin has the details and offers his insights. Kevin has the data, news and events affecting oil and gas prices.

Kevin offers his thoughts on the retirement of longtime 700 WLW personality Mike McConnell. Kevin talks about and offers his opinion on the effects of day one of the "reciprocal tariffs" on 180 countries and some early indications of the effect on inflation. During the MId-America Trucking Show, Kevin spoke with Dan Fuller founder and President, Hotels 4 Truckers and Angie Gadwood, Senior Vice President Global Sales, Wyndham Hotels, who announced their partnership with Hotels 4 Truckers. The U.S. Labor Department released the weekly Initial Jobless Claims Report, Kevin has the details and offers his insights. Kevin has the data, news and events affecting oil and gas prices.

President Trump's reciprocal tariffs officially go into effect. How will other nations respond to them? Gavin Newsom will be transforming San Quentin State Prison, home to some of the state's most hardened criminals, into a Scandinavian-style rehab resort including a Swedish-style spa retreat with a farmers market, podcast studios, and a self-service grocery store.  Dana explains how the Trump Administration needs to message tariffs to stable markets. Could tariffs signal an end to the age of bargain clothing shopping and further devastate shopping malls. The demise starts as America's malls are already struggling.  Quotes from Ex Biden's Chief of Staff's book about Biden sound WAY different from his previous claims. Dana reflects back on the proxy voting fight in Congress Wednesday. The Labor Department says it is attempting to retrieve a total of $4.3B in unused COVID-era funding. The Georgia father that was jailed for leaving his kids at McDonald's while job hunting was not actually job hunting. Georgia House Democrats walked out of the chamber en masse in protest of a Republican-backed bill to block taxpayer funds from being used to pay for gender-affirming care for state prison inmates. A miniature dachshund named Valerie, who has spent almost a year and a half lost on a remote island in southern Australia, has been spotted in the wild and rescue workers think they're close to catching the puppy. Thank you for supporting our sponsors that make The Dana Show possible…Relief Factorhttps://relieffactor.com Turn the clock back on pain with Relief Factor. Get their 3-week Relief Factor Quick Start for only $19.95 today! Goldcohttps://DanaLikesGold.com  My personal gold company - get your GoldCo 2025 Gold & Silver Kit. PLUS, you could qualify for up to 10% in BONUS silverByrnahttps://byrna.com/dana Don't leave yourself or your loved ones without options. Visit Byrna.com/Dana receive 10% off Patriot Mobilehttps://patriotmobile.com/Dana Dana's personal cell phone provider is Patriot Mobile. Get a FREE MONTH of service code DANA HumanNhttps://humann.com Support your metabolism and healthy blood sugar levels with Superberine by HumanN. Find it now at your local Sam's Club next to SuperBeets Heart Chews. Tax Network USAhttps://TNUSA.com/DANA Don't let the IRS's aggressive tactics control your life empower yourself with Tax Network USA's support.  Reach a USA based agent @ 1(800) 958-1000 - Don't fight the IRS aloneKelTechttps://KelTecWeapons.com See the NEW PS57 - Keltec Innovation & Performance at its best All Family Pharmacy https://AllFamilyPharmacy.com/Dana Code Dana10 for 10% off your entire order

DOGE want's a list of over budget projects. Is it time to start checking off the list?

Plus: U.S. automakers are seeing what might be described as a Trump bump. The Labor Department says U.S. hiring and layoffs mostly held steady in February. And U.S. manufacturing activity fell back into contraction in March. Pierre Bienaimé hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ralph welcomes journalist Chris Hedges to talk about his new book "A Genocide Foretold: Reporting on Survival and Resistance in Occupied Palestine." Then, Ralph speaks to David Swanson of World BEYOND War about what his organization is doing to resist this country's casual acceptance of being constantly at war. Finally, Ralph checks in with our resident constitutional scholar Bruce Fein.Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He is the host of The Chris Hedges Report, and he is a prolific author— his latest book is A Genocide Foretold: Reporting on Survival and Resistance in Occupied Palestine.We not only blocked the effort by most countries on the globe to halt the genocide or at least censure Israel to the genocide, but of course have continued to sendbillions of dollars in weapons and to shut down critics within the United States… And that sends a very, very ominous message to the global south, especiallyas the climate breaks down, that these are the kind of draconian murderous measuresthat we will employ.Chris HedgesIt's a very, very ominous chapter in the history of historic Palestine. In some ways, far worse even than the 1948 Nakba (or “Catastrophe”) that saw massacres carried out against Palestinians in their villages and 750,000 Palestinians displaced. What we're watching now is probably the worst catastrophe to ever beset the Palestinian people.Chris HedgesIt's a bit like attacking somebody for writing about Auschwitz and not giving the SS guards enough play to voice their side. We're writing about a genocide and, frankly, there isn't a lot of nuance. There's a lot of context (which is in the book). But I expect either to be blanked out or attacked because lifting up the voices of Palestinians is something at this point within American society that is considered by the dominant media platforms and those within positions of power to be unacceptable.Chris HedgesIt eventually comes down to us, the American people. And it's not just the Middle East. It's a sprawling empire with hundreds of military bases, sapping the energy of our public budgets and of our ability to relate in an empathetic and humanitarian way to the rest of the world.Ralph NaderDavid Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, radio host and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. He is executive director of World BEYOND War and campaign coordinator for RootsAction. His books include War Is A Lie and When the World Outlawed War.The biggest scandal of the past two days in the United States is not government officials secretly discussing plans for mass killing, for war making, but how they did it on a group chat. You can imagine if they were talking about blowing up buildings in the United States, at least the victims would get a little mention in there.David SwansonThe Democrats are the least popular they've been. They're way less popular than the Republicans because some of the Republicans' supporters actually support the horrendous behavior they're engaged in. Whereas Democrats want somebody to try anything, anything at all, and you're not getting it.David SwansonYou know how many cases across the world across the decades in every hospital and health center there are of PTSD or any sort of injury from war deprivation? Not a one. Not a single one, ever. People survive just fine. And people do their damnedest to stay out of it, even in the most warmongering nations in the world. People try their very hardest to stay out of war personally, because it does great damage.David SwansonBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.If there were really an attorney general who was independent, they would advise the President, “You can't make these threats. They are the equivalent of extortion.”Bruce FeinVigorous Public Interest Law DayApril 1, 2025 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm at Harvard Law School the Harvard Plaintiffs' Law Association is hosting Vigorous Public Interest Law Day with opening remarks by Ralph Nader. The program will feature highly relevant presentations and group discussions with some of the nation's most courageous public interest lawyers including Sam Levine, Bruce Fein, Robert Weissman, Joan Claybrook, and Pete Davis, to name a few. More information here.News 3/26/251. Starting off this week with some good news, Families for Safe Streets reports the Viriginia Assembly has passed HB2096, also known as the Stop Super Speeders bill. If enacted, this bill would allow would judges to “require drivers convicted of extreme speeding offenses to install Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology in their vehicles, automatically limiting their speed to the posted limit.” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, established by Ralph Nader, speeding was responsible for 12,151 deaths in 2022 and is a contributing factor in the skyrocketing number of pedestrians killed by automobiles which hit a 40-year high in 2023, per NPR.2. In more troubling auto safety news AP reports NHTSA has ordered a new recall on nearly all Cybertrucks. This recall centers on an exterior panel that can “detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard for other drivers, [and] increasing the risk of a crash.” This panel, called a “cant rail assembly,” is attached with a glue that is vulnerable to “environmental embrittlement,” per NHTSA. This is the eighth recall of the vehicles since they hit the road just one year ago.3. At the same time, the Democratic-controlled Delaware state legislature has passed a bill to “award…Musk $56 billion, shield corporate executives from liability, and strip away voting power from shareholders,” reports the Lever. According to this report, written before the law passed, the bill would “set an extremely high bar for plaintiffs to obtain internal company documents, records, and communications — the core pieces of evidence needed to build a lawsuit against a company.” On the other hand, “Corporate executives and investors with a controlling stake in a firm would no longer be required to hold full shareholder votes on various transactions in which management has a direct conflict of interest.” As this piece notes, this bill was backed by a pressure campaign led by Musk and his lawyers that began with a Delaware Chancery Court ruling that jeopardized his $56 billion compensation package. In retaliation, Musk threatened to lead a mass exodus of corporations from the state. Instead of calling his bluff, the state legislature folded, likely beginning a race to the bottom among other corporate-friendly states that will strip anyone but the largest shareholders of any remaining influence on corporate decision making.4. Speaking of folding under pressure, Reuters reports Columbia University will “acquiesce” to the outrageous and unprecedented demands of the Trump administration. These include a new mask ban on campus, and placing the school's Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies department – along with the Center for Palestine Studies –under academic receivership for at least five years. By caving to these demands, the University hopes the administration will unfreeze $400 million in NIH grants they threatened to withhold. Reuters quotes historian of education, Professor Jonathan Zimmerman, who decried this as “The government…using the money as a cudgel to micromanage a university,” and Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, who called the administration's demands “arguably the greatest incursion into academic freedom, freedom of speech and institutional autonomy that we've seen since the McCarthy era.”5. The authoritarianism creeping through higher education doesn't end there. Following the chilling disappearing of Mahmoud Khalil, the Trump administration has begun deploying the same tactic against more students for increasingly minor supposed offenses. First there was Georgetown post-doc student Badar Khan Suri, originally from India, who “had been living in Virginia for nearly three years when the police knocked on his door on the evening of 17 March and arrested him,” per the BBC. His crime? Being married to the daughter of a former advisor to Ismail Haniyeh, who in 2010 left the Gaza government and “started the House of Wisdom…to encourage peace and conflict resolution in Gaza.” A court has blocked Suri's deportation. Then there is Rumeysa Ozturk, a PhD student at Tufts who was on her way home from an Iftar dinner when she was surrounded and physically restrained by plainclothes agents on the street, CNN reports. Video of this incident has been shared widely. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supposedly “determined” that Ozturk's alleged activities would have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.” These activities? Co-writing a March 2024 op-ed in the school paper which stated “Credible accusations against Israel include accounts of deliberate starvation and indiscriminate slaughter of Palestinian civilians and plausible genocide.” The U.S. has long decried regimes that use secret police to suppress dissident speech. Now it seems it has become one.6. Yet the Trump administration is not only using deportations as a blunt object to punish pro-Palestine speech, it is also using it to go after labor rights activists. Seattle public radio station KUOW reports “Farmworker activist and union leader Alfredo Juarez Zeferino, known…as ‘Lelo,' was taken into custody by [ICE].” A farmworker and fellow activist Rosalinda Guillén is quoted saying “[Lelo] doesn't have a criminal record…they stopped him because of his leadership, because of his activism.” She added “I think that this is a political attack.” Simultaneously, the Washington Post reports “John Clark, a Trump-appointed Labor Department official, directed the agency's Bureau of International Labor Affairs…to end all of its grants.” These cuts are “expected to end 69 programs that have allocated more than $500 million to combat child labor, forced labor and human trafficking, and to enforce labor standards in more than 40 countries.”7. All of these moves by the Trump administration are despicable and largely unprecedented, but even they are not as brazen as the assault on the twin pillars of the American social welfare system: Social Security and Medicare. Social Security is bearing the brunt of the attacks at the moment. First, AP reported that Elon Musk's DOGE planned to cut up to 50% of the Social Security Administration staff. Then, the Washington Post reported that the administration planned to force millions of seniors to submit claims in person rather than via phone. Now the administration is announcing that they are shifting Social Security payments from paper checks to prepaid debit cards, per Axios. Nearly half a million seniors still receive their payments via physical checks. These massive disruptions in Social Security have roiled seniors across the nation, many of whom are Republican Trump supporters, and they are voicing their frustration to their Republican elected officials – who in turn are chafing at being cut out of the loop by Musk. NBC reports Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance subcommittee on Social Security, said “he had not been told ahead of time about DOGE's moves at the agency.” Senators Steve Daines and Bill Cassidy have echoed this sentiment. And, while Social Security takes center stage, Medicare is next in line. Drop Site is out with a new report on how Trump's nominee to oversee the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Dr. Oz – could shift millions of seniors from traditional Medicare to the insurer-controlled Medicare Advantage system. Medicare and Social Security have long been seen as the “third rail” of American politics, meaning politicians who try to tamper with those programs meet their political demise. This is the toughest test yet of whether that remains true.8. The impact of Oscar winning documentary No Other Land continues to reverberate, a testament to the power of its message. In Miami Beach, Mayor Steven Meiner issued a draft resolution calling for the city to terminate its lease agreement with O Cinema, located at Old City Hall, simply for screening the film. Deadline reports however that he was forced to back down. And just this week, co-director of the film Hamdan Ballal was reportedly “lynched” by Israeli settlers in his West Bank village, according to co-director Yuval Abraham, an anti-occupation Jewish Israeli journalist. The Guardian reports “the settlers beat him in front of his home and filmed the assault…he was held at an army base, blindfolded, for 24 hours and forced to sleep under a freezing air conditioner.” Another co-director, Basel Adra of Masafer Yatta, told the AP “We came back from the Oscars and every day since there is an attack on us…This might be their revenge on us for making the movie. It feels like a punishment.” Stunningly, it took days for the Academy of Motion Pictures to issue a statement decrying the violence and even then, the statement was remarkably tepid with no mention of Palestine at all, only condemning “harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints.”9. In some more positive news, Zohran Mamdani – the Democratic Socialist candidate for Mayor of New York City – has maxed out donations, per Gothamist. Mamdani says he has raised “more than $8 million with projected matching funds from about 18,000 donors citywide and has done so at a faster rate than any campaign in city history.” Having hit the public financing cap this early, Mamdani promised to not spend any more of the campaign raising money and instead plans to “build the single largest volunteer operation we've ever seen in the New York City's mayor's race.” Witnessing a politician asking supporters not to send more money is a truly one-of-a-kind moment. Recent polling shows Mamdani in second place, well behind disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo and well ahead of his other rivals, including incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, per CBS. However, Mamdani remains unknown to large numbers of New Yorkers, meaning his ceiling could be much higher. Plenty of time remains before the June mayoral election.10. Finally, in an extremely bizarre story, Columbia Professor Anthony Zenkus reports “Robert Ehrlich, millionaire founder of snack food giant Pirate's Booty…tried to take over the sleepy Long Island town of Sea Cliff.” Zenkus relays that Ehrlich waged a “last minute write-in campaign for mayor in which he only received 62 votes - then declared himself mayor anyway.” Though Ehrlich only received 5% of the vote, he “stormed the village hall with an entourage, declaring himself the duly-elected mayor, screaming that he was there to dissolve the entire town government and that he alone had the power to form a new government.” Ehrlich claimed the election was “rigged” and thus invalid, citing as evidence “One of my supporters voted three times. Another one voted four times…” which constitutes a confession to election fraud. Zenkus ends this story by noting that Ehrlich was “escorted out by police.” It's hard to make heads or tails of this story, but if nothing else it indicates that these petty robber barons are simply out of control – believing they can stage their own mini coup d'etats. And after all, why shouldn't they think so, when one of their ilk occupies perhaps the most powerful office in the history of the world. Bad omens all around.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

This Day in Legal History:  Wong Kim Ark becomes Wong Kim ArkOn March 28, 1898, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in United States v. Wong Kim Ark, affirming that a child born in the United States to Chinese immigrant parents was a U.S. citizen by virtue of the Fourteenth Amendment. Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco in 1873 to Chinese nationals who were legally residing in the U.S. but ineligible for naturalization due to prevailing immigration laws. After a visit to China in 1895, he was denied re-entry on the grounds of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which severely restricted immigration from China and barred Chinese nationals from becoming citizens.The Court rejected the government's argument that children of Chinese immigrants were not subject to U.S. jurisdiction and thus not entitled to birthright citizenship. In a 6–2 decision, the Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed citizenship to nearly all individuals born on U.S. soil, regardless of the nationality or immigration status of their parents. This decision established a major precedent for interpreting the Citizenship Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and reinforced the principle of jus soli, or right of the soil.The ruling came during a period of intense anti-Chinese sentiment, when the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and its extensions aimed to restrict Chinese immigration and civil rights. Wong Kim Ark was a significant rebuke to efforts that sought to limit the constitutional rights of U.S.-born children of immigrants, and it laid the foundation for future interpretations of birthright citizenship.The Senate's vote to repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's $5 cap on overdraft fees is a clear signal: protecting bank profits matters more to Senate Republicans than shielding consumers from predatory financial practices. With a 52-48 vote, Republicans—joined by only one Democrat—moved to dismantle a regulation designed to curb exploitative overdraft charges that routinely hit working-class Americans the hardest.This isn't a technical policy disagreement—it's a choice to side with an industry that routinely charges Americans up to $35 for covering small shortfalls, even when the overdrafted amount is often less than the fee itself. The CFPB's rule was narrow, targeting only large banks and credit unions with more than $10 billion in assets, and still allowed higher fees if justified by actual costs. It was a modest, evidence-based consumer protection measure.The financial industry's immediate lawsuit and the GOP's use of the Congressional Review Act to kill the rule reveal the coordinated effort to preserve a lucrative revenue stream. The overdraft fee fight is just one piece of a broader Republican strategy to roll back protections the CFPB has implemented—protections meant to hold powerful financial institutions accountable.No one should mistake this vote as anything other than what it is: an effort by Senate Republicans to keep consumers on the hook, ensuring that banks and credit unions can continue bleeding them dry in the name of "choice" and "flexibility"—buzzwords that conveniently mask an enduring deference to corporate power. They'll couch these kinds of moves in language of fairness–pretending they ensure lower-income consumers are given access to these financial instruments. A moment's reflection, however, makes it clear that even under their best dressed reasoning they're looking to enable banks to charge exorbitant fees to account holders in precarity. Senate Votes to Repeal CFPB's $5 Cap on Bank Overdraft Fees (1)Yesterday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order against the prominent law firm WilmerHale, following its connections to Robert Mueller, the former special counsel who led the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The order directs federal agencies to cancel contracts with WilmerHale's clients, revoke lawyers' security clearances, and restrict access to U.S. government buildings. This is part of a broader strategy targeting law firms with ties to Mueller's investigation, including Perkins Coie, Paul Weiss, and Jenner & Block.Trump criticized Mueller's investigation as an example of government overreach, labeling it as politically motivated. In addition to its ties to Mueller, Trump also accused WilmerHale of discriminatory practices in its diversity programs, echoing similar claims against other law firms earlier this month. The firm, which has a long-standing history of handling high-profile cases, responded by labeling the order unlawful and vowed to seek appropriate remedies.WilmerHale, a major player in litigation with over 1,100 lawyers, represents a variety of high-profile clients, including Gilead, Comcast, and Meta Platforms. The firm has also been involved in cases challenging actions taken by the Trump administration, fueling further tensions. Notably, Trump also targeted other firms for their involvement in the Russia investigation and opposition research, but some, like Paul Weiss, have managed to have orders rescinded by agreeing to specific terms, including providing legal services aligned with Trump's agenda.Trump Hits WilmerHale With Executive Order Over Mueller Ties (2)Trump targets another law firm, citing ties to Robert Mueller | ReutersA federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a Labor Department rule that would force grant recipients to abandon their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The decision, issued by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly in Chicago, halts a two-week enforcement window of a January executive order that required organizations receiving federal funds to certify they don't operate any DEI initiatives—even those unrelated to their grants.The case was brought by Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT), a nonprofit that trains women for skilled labor jobs and receives federal funding. The judge sided with CWIT's argument that the DEI restriction violates First Amendment protections, noting that such a rule could pressure grantees into self-censorship. Kennelly also blocked the Labor Department from terminating CWIT's funding under Trump's directive to eliminate “equity-related grants,” though this protection applies only to CWIT and not nationwide.Kennelly's order represents a legal pushback against Trump's broader effort to dismantle DEI initiatives across government agencies and contractors. While a federal appeals court recently upheld a temporary ban on DEI programs in federal agencies and contracting businesses, this ruling suggests courts may scrutinize how far the administration can go in policing DEI-related activity outside direct federal oversight.The ruling underscores an emerging legal battleground over free speech, anti-discrimination law, and the limits of executive authority in regulating DEI efforts.Judge blocks Trump's Labor Department from requiring grant recipients to abandon DEI | ReutersA federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to preserve Signal messages exchanged by top officials regarding planned military strikes in Yemen. The messages, inadvertently shared with a journalist from The Atlantic, revealed internal discussions involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe about timing and targets of attacks against the Houthi militant group. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg's ruling mandates that all Signal messages sent between March 11 and March 15 be retained by the agencies involved.The order came in response to a lawsuit filed by American Oversight, a government watchdog group, which argued that the use of auto-deleting messaging apps like Signal violated federal record-keeping laws. The lawsuit doesn't focus on the national security aspects of the disclosure but rather on the legal obligation of government agencies to preserve official communications.The controversy deepened after Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly criticized Boasberg, accusing him of political bias and claiming he was attempting to obstruct Trump's agenda. Trump himself has previously called for Boasberg's impeachment after the judge blocked a deportation policy targeting Venezuelan migrants—an action later upheld by an appeals court.The White House has not commented on the matter, but the episode has sparked scrutiny over the administration's handling of sensitive military planning and whether efforts to bypass official communication channels undermine transparency and accountability.Judge orders Trump administration to preserve Yemen attack plan messages | ReutersThis week's closing theme is by Sergei Rachmaninoff.This week's closing theme is one of the most beloved and instantly recognizable moments in all of classical music: Variation XVIII from Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43 by Sergei Rachmaninoff, in a solo piano arrangement by Schultz. Rachmaninoff composed the Rhapsody in 1934 during his later years in exile from Russia, blending his romantic sensibilities with virtuoso brilliance. The work is a set of 24 variations on the 24th Caprice by Niccolò Paganini, itself a legendary theme known for dazzling technical demands.While most of the piece is fiery and rhythmic, the 18th variation stands apart—lyrical, sweeping, and emotionally expansive. In fact, it's a musical inversion of Paganini's theme, reimagined as a lush romantic melody that seems to rise straight out of the piano's depths. Rachmaninoff himself admitted it was his favorite part of the piece, and it's easy to understand why: it's tender, grand, and full of longing.This solo arrangement by Schultz pares down the orchestral drama but keeps all the expressive power, letting the piano sing with full-hearted warmth. The variation has since transcended its classical origins, appearing in films, commercials, and pop culture, yet it never loses its emotional punch. It's the kind of music that doesn't need explanation—it just resonates.Rachmaninoff, ever the late Romantic in a century veering toward modernism, poured his soul into his music. This variation, placed deep in a virtuosic whirlwind, emerges like a moment of clarity—an unguarded confession in a storm. Let it carry you out this week. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

U.S. Labor Department released the weekly initial claims for unemployment report, Kevin has the details and offers his perspective. Details of a separate program for unemployed federal workers were also released. The National Association of Realtors released the February existing home sales report; Kevin has the details. The EU makes a surprise announcement regarding tariffs on American whiskey. Oil reacts to the U.S. issuing new Iran-related sanctions, OPEC+ issues new crude oil output schedules for seven members, a strong U.S. dollar, U.S. continued airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and Israel launching new ground operations in Gaza.

U.S. Labor Department released the weekly initial claims for unemployment report, Kevin has the details and offers his perspective. Details of a separate program for unemployed federal workers were also released. The National Association of Realtors released the February existing home sales report; Kevin has the details. The EU makes a surprise announcement regarding tariffs on American whiskey. Oil reacts to the U.S. issuing new Iran-related sanctions, OPEC+ issues new crude oil output schedules for seven members, a strong U.S. dollar, U.S. continued airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and Israel launching new ground operations in Gaza.

U.S. Commerce Department's Census Bureau released data on Single-family housing starts and building permits. The U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report on import prices. The Federal Reserve released a report on factory output. Kevin has all the details on these reports, digs into the numbers and offers his insights. Oil prices react to the U.S. and Russian Presidents talk about a possible Ukraine ceasefire, U.S. strikes on Houthis, Israel's airstrikes on Hamas in Gaza, China and Germany announcing plans for their respective economic stimulus and U.S. tariffs potential to affect global oil demand.

As interest rates rise, so has interest in pension risktransfer (PRT)—and litigation.  Nevin & Fred take a look at what's underlying (and undermining) that focus, aswell as a new suit alleging aggressive participant marketing.Pension risk transfer is an aptly named process undertakenby an organization that wants to transfer its pension obligations to another entity, typically an insurance company. The process itself is a fiduciary decision requiring carefulconsideration of the entity to which those obligations are transferred—and therein lies the basis of a recent spate of litigation regarding those choices (and during a period of time in which PRT volumes have been setting records).  For those not familiar with the underpinnings of the pensionrisk transfer (PRT—because we need another acronym), IB 95-1, issued by the Department of Labor in 1995 (in the wake of the Executive Life collapse), outlines the fiduciary standards to be used in selecting an annuity provider for a pension risk transfer. That includes considerations of the provider's investment portfolio, size relative to the annuity contract, level of capital and surplus, liability exposure andavailability of state government guaranty associations.In 2024, and in accordance with the provisions of the SECURE2.0 Act of 2022, the Labor Department basically concluded that while it was open to, and still considering, potential updates to Interpretive Bulletin 95-1, it felt that that document “continues to identify broad factors that are relevant to a fiduciary's prudent and loyal evaluation of an annuity provider's claims-paying ability and creditworthiness.” Additionally, EBSA found it “desirable for guidance in this area to remain principles based.” In this episode, Nevin (Adams) and Fred (Reish) talk about the trends and issues here.  They also look at a new lawsuit that brings up an old issue—a recordkeeper's access toparticipants and alleged promotion of their offerings.  Episode Resources:Another Pension Plan Popped by Pension Risk SuitVerizon Pension Risk Transfer Challenged in CourtFiduciary Duty a Factor in Pension Risk TransfersNew ERISA Suit Alleges High Fees, Low Performance, Improper Forfeitures

Morning news and the DC swamp update with Rick Manning, how Trump admin will look in Oregon. BTW, Rick joins the administration Monday in the Labor Department!

Kevin talks about ATN's booth location at the MId-America Trucking Show; Booth #40577 in the North Wing Lobby of the Kentucky Expo Center (Go to their website to see the floor plan). Suddenly the media has discovered inflation and food prices, Kevin talks about how his family has been beating the prices through coupons and sale items. The U.S. Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics released the February Jobs created; Kevin has the details- looking at how three news organizations had widely different headlines. Oil prices react to the uncertainty over tariffs, OPEC+ increasing output, potential sanctions on Iranian crude exports and upcoming reports from the International Energy Agency and OPEC for demand and supply forecasts

Monday, March 10th, 2025Today, a multi-state lawsuit seeks to reverse the purge of federal workers; Trump walks back his idiotic tariffs, but probably not after he dumped all of his stock in Canadian aluminum; Republicans joined Democrats in Montana to defeat anti-trans legislation; the Trump administration has said it will not comply with a court order to produce agency heads to testify; a federal judge rules that firing a member of the NLRB was illegal; another federal judge orders the Trump administration to pay our foreign aid bills; Trump is considering revoking the legal status of Ukrainians in the United States; the newly minted Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has filed his response to the Eric Adams case and repeats that the Department of Justice is asking to dismiss the bribery charges without prejudice; Trump's DEI purge at the Pentagon included a photo of the Enola Gay; the DHS announced that it's ending the TSA collective bargaining agreement; trans women are being transferred to men's prisons despite multiple court orders; trump has ordered swaths of U.S. forests cut down for timber; the USDA has eliminated two food safety advisory committees; and Allison delivers your Good News.Guest: David EnrichDavidenrich.bsky.social, twitter.com/davidenrichMurder the Truth – HarperCollinsDavid Enrich - The New York TimesThank You HomeChefGet 18 Free Meals, plus Free Shipping on your first box, and Free Dessert for Life, at HomeChef.com/DAILYBEANS.  Must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert.Thank You LumenHead to http://lumen.me/dailybeans for 20% off your purchase.Stories:Trump admin 'will not produce' agency head for court-ordered testimony, plaintiffs say | Law And CrimeTrump weighs revoking legal status of Ukrainians as US steps up deportations | ReutersJudge orders Trump administration to pay some foreign-aid bills by Monday - JOSH GERSTEIN | POLITICOTrans women transferred to men's prisons despite rulings against Trump's order | US news | The GuardianTrump orders swathes of US forests to be cut down for timber | Donald Trump | The Guardian‘Stop these crazy bills': Republicans join Democrats to defeat anti-trans legislation in Montana | ReutersUSDA eliminates two food safety advisory committees | ReutersMultistate lawsuit seeks to reverse Trump administration purge of federal workersWar heroes and military firsts are among 26,000 images flagged for removal in Pentagon's DEI purge | AP NewsHomeland Security ends TSA collective bargaining agreement, in effort to dismantle union protections | AP NewsJudge finds Trump's firing of member of National Labor Relations Board was illegal | CBS News From The Good NewsFull Meeting between President Trump, VP Vance and Ukrainian President Zelensky in Oval OfficeReminder - you can see the pod pics if you become a Patron. The good news pics are at the bottom of the show notes of each Patreon episode! That's just one of the perks of subscribing! Federal workers - feel free to email me at fedoath@pm.me and let me know what you're going to do, or just vent. I'm always here to listen.Share your Good News or Good Trouble:https://www.dailybeanspod.com/good/ Check out other MSW Media podcastshttps://mswmedia.com/shows/Subscribe for free to MuellerSheWrote on Substackhttps://muellershewrote.substack.comFollow AG and Dana on Social MediaDr. Allison Gill Substack|Muellershewrote, Twitter|@MuellerSheWrote, Threads|@muellershewrote, TikTok|@muellershewrote, IG|muellershewrote, BlueSky|@muellershewroteDana GoldbergTwitter|@DGComedy, IG|dgcomedy, facebook|dgcomedy, IG|dgcomedy, danagoldberg.com, BlueSky|@dgcomedyHave some good news; a confession; or a correction to share?Good News & Confessions - The Daily Beanshttps://www.dailybeanspod.com/confessional/ Listener Survey:http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=BffJOlI7qQcF&ver=shortFollow the Podcast on Apple:The Daily Beans on Apple PodcastsWant to support the show and get it ad-free and early?Supercasthttps://dailybeans.supercast.com/Patreon https://patreon.com/thedailybeansOr subscribe on Apple Podcasts with our affiliate linkThe Daily Beans on Apple Podcasts

The Labor Department is expected to show a modest uptick in hiring as part of its monthly jobs report card, but layoffs could cast a chill over the job market in coming months. The White House meets with founders and investors in the crypto industry to discuss how to grow the sector. And, rival ceasefire plans create uncertainty in Gaza, the Trump administration is demanding Hamas release hostages immediately, while holding secret talks with the group.Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Rafael Nam, Roberta Rampton, Russell Lewis, Alice Woelfle and Mohamad ElBardicy.It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Chris Thomas.We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis, our technical director is Stacey Abbott.And our Executive Producer is Jay Shaylor.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Three stories reporting the U.S. Labor Department report on applications for initial jobless claims, Kevin sorts through the biased reporting. Challenger, Gray & Christmas issued their report on job cuts, Kevin has the details and offers his insights. Apple announces a $500 billion investment in the U.S. GSA to turn off EV chargers at Federal buildings. Tesla announces recalls, Kevn has the details. Kevin offers his thoughts on a proposed use of funds generated from red light camera fines in the Philadelphia area. Oil reacts to pressure from tariffs , OPEC+ output increase plans, Trump's announcement that automakers will be exempt from tariff increases and U.S. crude oil inventories rising much more than expected.

Kevin's take on the collapse of the minerals deal and a path to a ceasefire between the U.S. and Ukraine. Commerce Department released personal consumption expenditures price index on Friday, Kevin has the details and offers his perspective. Personal income numbers were also released, Kevin digs into the data. Late last week the Labor Department released the weekly initial jobless claims; the Census Bureau released the durable goods orders report and the Commerce Department issued their second estimate of fourth quarter Gross Domestic Product, Kevin has the details of these reports and offers his insights. Oil reacts to reports OPEC+ will proceed with a planned oil output increase in April, possible tariffs on Mexico and Canada due to take effect today, China preparing countermeasures to U.S. tariffs, Chinese manufacturing activity expanded in February and Great Britain talks about proposals for possible Ukraine ceasefire with U.S. assistance.

President Trump and Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy feud, Trump's Labor Department nominee cruises through her confirmation hearing, and RFK's influence is already affecting the food industry. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.Babbel: Start learning a language today! Get up to 60% off subscriptions at https://Babbel.com/WIREVanta: Get $1,000 off Vanta at https://vanta.com/morningwire.Shopify: Go to https://Shopify.com/morningwire to sign up for your $1 per month trial period and upgrade your selling today.

Donald Trump signs an order imposing broad 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, upending U.S. supply chains, as NFIB's index of small-business uncertainty hits its third-highest figure on record. Meantime, the Labor Department reports that inflation is heating up again, with the consumer-price index rising 3% over the 12 months ending in January, as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell testifies on Capitol Hill about how these crosscurrents might affect monetary policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A DOGE staffer resigns after pro-eugenics posts surface. The good news though, Musk's DOGE is blocked from accessing Labor Department data. Multiple January 6th pardon recipients have been revealed to face past charges. A right-wing film critic has been arrested for child molestation. Karoline Leavitt goes viral for a major flub, confusing a grocery store with a gas pump. Host: John Iadarola (@johniadarola) Co-Host: Brett Erlich (@bretterlich) ***** SUBSCRIBE on YOUTUBE TIKTOK  ☞           https://www.tiktok.com/@thedamagereport INSTAGRAM  ☞   https://www.instagram.com/thedamagereport TWITTER  ☞         https://twitter.com/TheDamageReport FACEBOOK  ☞     https://www.facebook.com/TheDamageReportTYT

On today's Top News in 10, we cover:    The White House issues a memo calling for the review of all the federal funds the U.S. sends to NGOs. The Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba was in Washington D.C. today and met with President Trump. The January jobs report is out. The U.S. added 143,000 jobs to the economy in January. The Labor Department also reports that the unemployment rate fell to 4%.  Also on today's Show:  A search is underway for a small airplane in Alaska that has vanished. The Daily Signal's Elizzabeth Mitchell reported today that Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy has introduced a bill to prevent passports from being used to promote “radical gender ideology.” Trump announced today that he is doing away with the paper straw push. Trump will be at the Superbowl on Sunday.   Links From Today's Show: Keep Up With The Daily Signal Sign up for our email newsletters: https://www.dailysignal.com/email     Subscribe to our other shows:  The Tony Kinnett Cast: https://www.dailysignal.com/the-tony-kinnett-cast  Problematic Women: https://www.dailysignal.com/problematic-women  The Signal Sitdown: https://www.dailysignal.com/the-signal-sitdown    Follow The Daily Signal:  X: https://x.com/DailySignal  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedailysignal/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDailySignalNews/  Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@DailySignal  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DailySignal  Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/TheDailySignal    Thanks for making The Daily Signal Podcast your trusted source for the day's top news. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Feb. 4. While some Republican members of the House want to make deep cuts to government spending, others are more hesitant. U.S. tax policy reporter Richard Rubin explains why it is crucial for Republicans to reach a consensus. Plus, new data from the Labor Department show that fewer Americans are quitting their jobs. WSJ economics reporter Matt Grossman tells us why. And the U.S. sends its first flight of migrants to Guantanamo Bay. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

P.M. Edition for Jan. 15. Israel and Hamas have reached a cease-fire agreement in Gaza. WSJ national security reporter Alex Ward explains what the deal entails and how it could lead to a permanent end to the war. Plus, the latest data from the Labor Department shows that U.S. inflation was up last month. U.S. economy reporter Paul Kiernan discusses what that could mean for the Federal Reserve's next meeting. And big banks had a stellar fourth quarter. Reporter Alexander Saeedy explains why. Alex Ossola hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free What's News newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices