News and Issues
If You're Looking For A Link To the Mueller Report, Look No Further
Editor's Note:
We're not downloading the entire Mueller report, but here is the Justice Department URL to read the report at:
Report On the Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Election, Vol I and II; Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller, III
https://www.justice.gov/storage/report.pdf?_ga=2.80421777.744576135.1555603755-461170982.1555603755
Mueller received the following military awards and decorations:
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GAO: Better Guidance and Information Could Help Plan Participants at Home and Abroad Manage Their Retirement Savings
GAO reported that from 2004 through 2013, over 25 million participants in workplace plans separated from an employer and left at least one retirement account behind, despite efforts of sponsors and regulators to help participants manage their accounts. GAO found that although an employer may incur costs searching for separated participants, there are no standard practices for the frequency or method of conducting searches.
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Free Speech v. Free Riding, Janus v. AFSCME before the Supreme Court
Jo Freeman writes: A thousand people rallied outside the Supreme Court the morning of January 26 while the Justices heard oral argument on Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 inside. The decision in this case will have profound effects on public service unions. Currently 22 states require employees who do not choose to join a union representing their workforce to still pay agency fees to that union. These are supposed to cover the costs of representation since unions must represent all workers in a bargaining unit and not just their members. Agency fees are less than full union dues, but they aren't negligible. more »
Hundreds of New State Gun Laws: Most Expand Access; What Has Your State Done?
Since Sandy Hook, states such as Colorado, Delaware, New York, Oregon and Washington have expanded background checks for gun purchases. During that same period, Alabama, Louisiana, Nevada, Tennessee, Utah and several other states enacted laws that prevent people convicted of domestic violence from possessing a gun. Nearly 30 states now have similar laws, and Oregon passed a similar bill last month. Unlike NRA-backed legislation that is passed mostly in red states, these measures are being passed in both blue and red states, said Allison Anderman, the managing attorney at the Giffords center. more »
Chairman Jerome H. Powell Delivers the Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress
"Strong job gains in recent years have led to widespread reductions in unemployment across the income spectrum and for all major demographic groups. For example, the unemployment rate for adults without a high school education has fallen from about 15 percent in 2009 to 5-1/2 percent in January of this year, while the jobless rate for those with a college degree has moved down from 5 percent to 2 percent over the same period. In addition, unemployment rates for African Americans and Hispanics are now at or below rates seen before the recession, although they are still significantly above the rate for whites. Wages have continued to grow moderately, with a modest acceleration in some measures, although the extent of the pickup likely has been damped in part by the weak pace of productivity growth in recent years. more »