3 Politics & Government A line of people hoping to address the board on hate speech and division in the district stretched out the door Monday night. Kate Fishman , Patch Staff Posted Replies DOYLESTOWN, PA — A line stretched out the door and speakers filled two hours of public comment at The Central Bucks Board of School Directors meeting Monday night. While a board with six new members began its tenure Monday, the tensions that have characterized board meetings in the district for more than a year remained. Many community members were galvanized to fill the boardroom seats after disparaging comments about transgender and Jewish communities at the last meeting. Their ranks included student Lily Freeman, who said Monday that the board enabling the comments made her and other students feel "under attack" in the district , as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Central Bucks' board politics also made … [Read more...]

0 Politics & Government The Pinellas County unemployment rate improved somewhat, according to the newest figures. Local Data , Patch Staff Posted Reply GULFPORT, FL — The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' November jobs report was a mixed bag of positive and negative news. The unemployment rate continued to move closer to pre-pandemic levels, but the number of new jobs reported was lower than expected. Another 210,000 jobs were added to the economy in November, which was below the expectations of many economists. However, monthly job figures have been revised upward several times this year as data is updated. The BLS revised September and October job figures up by a combined 82,000 positions. Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate dropped from 4.6 percent to 4.2 percent from October to November, according to the BLS. The pre-pandemic unemployment rate was 3.5 percent. The most recently available local … [Read more...]

0 Politics & Government The Pinellas County unemployment rate improved somewhat, according to the newest figures. Local Data , Patch Staff Posted Reply PINELLAS BEACHES, FL — The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' November jobs report was a mixed bag of positive and negative news. The unemployment rate continued to move closer to pre-pandemic levels, but the number of new jobs reported was lower than expected. Another 210,000 jobs were added to the economy in November, which was below the expectations of many economists. However, monthly job figures have been revised upward several times this year as data is updated. The BLS revised September and October job figures up by a combined 82,000 positions. Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate dropped from 4.6 percent to 4.2 percent from October to November, according to the BLS. The pre-pandemic unemployment rate was 3.5 percent. The most recently available local … [Read more...]

Democratic concerns are mounting that a tax provision in President Biden Joe Biden Pharma lobby eyes parliamentarian Demand for US workers reaches historic high Biden to award Medal of Honor to three soldiers who fought in Iraq, Afghanistan: report MORE ’s social spending package that is prized by suburban lawmakers from New York and New Jersey could come back to haunt the party in the midterm elections. Republicans are increasingly attacking Democrats for rolling back the $10,000 cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, arguing it will largely benefit the rich. A number of Democrats are fearful that the GOP criticisms could resonate with voters in areas outside of large coastal metropolitan areas. In an interview with The Hill on Wednesday, Rep. Jared Golden Jared Golden Sunday shows preview: Boosters open to all US adults; House Dems pass spending plan on to Senate Five takeaways: House passes Biden's sweeping benefits bill … [Read more...]

A version of this story appeared in CNN's What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here . (CNN) There's a new stage in the pandemic: Young children are eligible for Covid-19 vaccines, and the majority of American workers are being told to get them. These are steps toward getting out of the pandemic , which has now claimed more than 750,000 American lives. Average daily deaths have fallen to just over 1,000. One subtext of this week's election is that Americans are tired of Covid-19 restrictions in schools and elsewhere, concerned about pandemic-related supply chain issues and scared of inflation . Now, with nearly everyone eligible for a vaccine that is readily available and many being told to get it, patience with other protective measures and grace for those who ignore the science will wear thinner -- even as fights over the vaccine continue to erupt. Long-awaited requirement for most American workers … [Read more...]

Photo: Patrick Ouellette/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images The Supreme Court on Wednesday heard a case involving just 4,800 students in rural Maine. But because of the way the Court seems certain to rule, the case will affect everyone in America. The reason is a single word: discrimination . On its face, the case, Carson v. Makin is an outlier. Maine has a unique system for students in far-flung rural areas: If there’s no public school available, then the state will pay around $11,000 to families toward private-school tuition, so long as the private school is not religious in nature. A consortium of right-wing organizations sued the state on behalf of two families who wanted to send their children to religious schools on the public dime. They argued that Maine’s policy amounts to anti-religious discrimination, a violation of the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause. And based on today’s oral arguments, they will win. This result would have been … [Read more...]