Congress approves bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday
The House voted 415-14 Wednesday to make Juneteenth, or June 19th, the 12th federal holiday. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk, and he is expected to sign it into law.
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For easy, effective weeding, go back to the hoe
Hoeing is, believe it or not, an easy, safe way to control weeds. Maybe even easier than many of the “labor-saving” methods that have supplanted it.
Father’s Day gifts that celebrate interests old and new
Here’s a selection of high- and low-tech goodies for an epic dad’s day, from a personalized-song service to some souped-up Lego models.
Loan relief granted to 18,000 former students of ITT Technical Institute
The U.S. Education Department said Wednesday it was erasing student debt for thousands of borrowers who attended the for-profit college chain, which closed in 2016. The chain’s parent, ITT Educational Services Inc., was based in Carmel.
Biden elevates energetic critic of Big Tech as top regulator
The selection of legal scholar Lina Khan, 32, to head the Federal Trade Commission is seen as signaling a tough stance toward tech giants Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple.
U.S. COVID-19 deaths hit 600,000, equal to yearly cancer toll
With the arrival of the vaccine in mid-December, COVID-19 deaths per day in the U.S. have plummeted to an average of around 340, from a high of more than 3,400 in mid-January.
Impatient Democrats prepare to go-it-alone on infrastructure
The president and the Democratic leaders have been engaged in a two-track strategy—reaching for a bipartisan deal with Republicans but also setting the stage for a potential majority-rules strategy in case talks fail.
Senate approves bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday
The bill would lead to Juneteenth becoming the 12th federal holiday. It is expected to easily pass the House, which would send it to President Joe Biden for his signature.
U.S. sees record rise in wholesale prices over past year past year
The monthly gain in the producer price index, which measures inflation pressure before it reaches consumers, followed a 0.6% increase in April and a 1% jump in March, the Labor Department reported Tuesday.
May retail sales fell 1.3% as Americans spent less on goods
Retail sales fell in May, dragged down by a decline in auto sales and a shift by Americans to spend more on vacations and other services instead of goods.
Indiana ice cream plant closing, eliminating 176 jobs
The Decatur plant produces ice cream products for the Mayfield Dairy, Dean’s Country Fresh and Friendly’s brands.
MacKenzie Scott, citing wealth gap, donates $2.7B to charities, racial equity causes
It’s the third round of major philanthropic gifts Scott has made, which together rival the charitable contributions made by the largest foundations.
Workers push back against hospitals requiring COVID vaccines
Legal experts say such vaccine requirements, particularly in a public health crisis, will probably continue to be upheld in court as long as employers provide reasonable exemptions, including for medical conditions or religious objections.
Delicate task for Fed: When to pull back on low-rate support
With inflation rising in a fast-rebounding economy, the Federal Reserve is poised this week to discuss when it will take its first steps toward dialing back its ultra-low interest rate policies. It will be a fraught discussion.
GM to announce more battery plants this week
The factories would be in addition to two battery cell plants that the company announced in the past two years, both geared to ramp up production as GM rolls out 30 new electric vehicles globally by 2025, with more than two-thirds sold in North America.
Pandemic leaves Girl Scouts with 15 million unsold boxes of cookies
As the pandemic wore into the spring selling season, many troops nixed their traditional cookie booths for safety reasons.
Large study finds new COVID-19 shot about 90% effective
The Novavax vaccine, which is easy to store and transport, is expected to play an important role in boosting vaccine supplies in the developing world.
Judge tosses hospital workers’ suit over vaccine requirement
In a scathing ruling Saturday, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes of Houston deemed lead plaintiff Jennifer Bridges’ contention that the vaccines are “experimental and dangerous” to be false and otherwise irrelevant.
Travel rebound: 2 million people go through U.S. airports
The Transportation Security Administration announced Saturday that 2.03 million travelers were screened at airport checkpoints on Friday. It was the first time in 15 months that the number of security screenings has surpassed 2 million in a single day.
Schools across U.S. brace for surge of kindergartners in fall
School districts across the United States are hiring additional teachers in anticipation of what will be one of the largest kindergarten classes ever as enrollment rebounds following the coronavirus pandemic.