Donald Trump’s recent “skinny budget” includes a devastating cut to the National Institute of Health (NIH) budget, amounting to $6 billion, which is 20 percent of the entire $31 billion budget. According to the Forbes, “This is colossally short-sighted, stupid and even cruel.” It’s “stupid” when you consider the fact that the NIH budget is only … [Read more...]
Trump Administration Rescinds Obama-era Guidance Concerning Student Loan Defaults
Last week the Trump Administration directed the Department of Education to put a stop to an Obama-era rule published in 2015 as a memo. The memo, known as a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), required debt collectors to stop charging high interest rates for defaulted student loans. Trump’s team sent out a letter advising guarantee agencies to … [Read more...]
Texas AG Expresses Concern Over Muslim Prayer in School
According to the The Washington Post, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of Texas sent the Frisco school district superintendent a letter expressing concern about a spare classroom being used, in part, for group prayer by Muslim students. This is only three months after Attorney General, Ken Paxton, made headlines when he helped a school … [Read more...]
HR 1215 Protects Assailants and Punishes Victims
The House is expected to vote next week on HR 1215, known as the Protecting Access to Care Act of 2017, as it has already been passed by the House Judiciary Committee. One of the more contentious provisions would enforce a cap of $250,000 on non-economic damages in malpractice suits. It also restricts victims from pursuing a case after a certain … [Read more...]
Trump Puts a Stop to Obama-era Emissions Standards
At a rally outside of Detroit, Donald Trump announced a plan to pull back on fuel emissions regulations put in place during Barack Obama’s presidency. Trump met with auto industry executives in Ypsilanti, Michigan, to discuss a plan to review the measures known as CAFÉ standards, which would require companies to increase the gas mileage of … [Read more...]
Facebook to Developers: Stop Surveillance
Facebook’s New Policy Instructs Developers to Prohibit the Use of Data for Surveillance Purposes According to a report on CNET, Facebook announced this past Monday that they have already changed policy to prevent developers from using customers’ data for the purposes of surveillance. Rob Sherman, Facebook's deputy chief privacy officer, explained … [Read more...]
Trump Administration Halts Effort to Monitor Chemical Storage Facilities
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is staying an Obama-era regulation that would enforce higher safety standards for companies storing large quantities of hazardous chemicals. The rule was written after 15 people were killed in a fertilizer plant explosion in 2013. The rule will not be enacted until June 19th of this year. EPA Director, … [Read more...]
Appeals Court Upholds Gun Possession Ruling
US Sixth Circuit of Appeals Upholds Ruling That Kentucky Employee Was Not Wrongfully Fired for Having a Weapon on Company Grounds Bruce Holly, an employee of the United Parcel Service in Kentucky, sued his employer for firing him after he concealed a weapon in another employee’s car. In the language of the case summary of the US Sixth Circuit of … [Read more...]
Congress Introduces a Bill That Will Make It Easier for Employers to Access Workers’ Medical Information
A bill, known as the Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act, has been introduced to Congress that would make it more difficult for employees to prevent employers from accessing their private medical information, including genetic data. Additionally, the bill would increase penalties for people who wish to opt out of workplace wellness programs, … [Read more...]
Republicans Vote to Exploit Workers, Roll Back Obama-Regulation
On Monday March 6th, the Senate passed yet another “resolution of disapproval,” effectively rescinding an Obama regulation meant to track companies’ violations of labor laws – including minimum wage, overtime, and health and safety statutes – to prevent the federal government from contracting such corporations. This regulation, known as the Fair … [Read more...]
