Wolfe Boosts State Wages PENNSYLVANIA Gov. Tom Wolfe (D) issued an executive order ( EO 2016-02 ) raising the minimum wage to $10.15 per hour for state government employees and private sector employees working on state contracts. Wolfe said raising...
Business In CA The CALIFORNIA Senate gives final approval to SB 7b, which would raise the legal smoking age in the Golden State to 21. It moves to Gov. Jerry Brown (D) for consideration (SACRAMENTO BEE). Also in CALIFORNIA , the Senate endorses SB...
Crime In FL FLORIDA Gov. Rick Scott (R) signs HB 7101, which requires that at least 10 out of 12 jurors recommend the death penalty in order for a capital punishment sentence to be carried out. The law still leaves a final decision on sentencing to...
Education In AZ The ARIZONA Senate approves HB 2544, which would make the Grand Canyon State the first to allow schools to choose from a menu of standardized tests rather than the one offered by the state. It moves to Gov. Doug Ducey (R) for consideration...
Health In AK The ALASKA House approves SB 23, which lifts civil liabilities for prescribing, providing or administering the overdose antidote drug naloxone. The measure moves back to the Senate for concurrence (FAIRBANKS NEWS MINER). Health In...
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency publishes new rules that allow international students earning degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields in the United States to be eligible to stay in America for three years...
Social Policy In AL The Supreme Court of the United States unanimously reverses an ALABAMA Supreme Court ruling that denied parental rights to a lesbian adoptive mother who had split with her partner. Social Policy In GA The couple legally adopted...
NEW MEXICO Gov. Susana Martinez (R) signs SB 171, which bars truck drivers and drivers of other commercial vehicles from using cellphones while at the wheel, except in emergency situations (ALBUQUERQUE JOURNAL). -- Compiled by RICH EHISEN
With all the attention on GOP presidential aspirant and narcissistic loony toon Donald Trump, it is easy to forget he’s far from the only one of his ilk on the scene. Case in point comes from Texas, where the Travis County Republican Party is beside...
It was a simple question: “Do you think Muslims in the state of Florida hate America?” The query came from MSNBC’S “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough, and it was directed at Florida Gov. Rick Scott. Although it might seem...
Raw milk enthusiasts in several states have been pushing for years to legalize the unpasteurized cow juice for sale to humans. Well, they got their wish recently in West Virginia, where Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed just such a bill into law. To celebrate...
Predicting the outcome of this election is like trying to sneeze with your eyes open; it can’t be done. As the candidates prepare for primaries in Ohio and Florida—two big battleground states whose delegates are up for grabs on March 15—media...
In recent years, Mark Dunn, Segment Leader for Entity Due Diligence & Monitoring at LexisNexis, has organized virtual panels to probe for insights from supply chain gurus around the globe. This year was no exception, and Mark recently provided this...
Every PR professional understands the need to monitor the media to stay abreast with what happening with clients, their customers, competitors and industry at large. But have you considered how an extra layer of news and business research can give your...
January 11 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Established in 2007 by a Senate resolution, the day shines a spotlight on the issue of trafficking men, women and children for financial gain. Many associate trafficking with sexual exploitation...
The passage of the UK Modern Slavery Act last October means that a large number of companies must now attest to the risk mitigation processes used to keep forced labor out of their supply chains. The annual Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement is required...
A Jet Blue ad has been making the rounds across social media. Have you seen it? An airline executive boards the flight to inform the travelers that they can each have a free, round-trip ticket to any domestic or international destination Jet Blue flies...
Which issues and candidates in the U.S. presidential election are making headlines in international media? New analysis by LexisNexis Newsdesk shows a stark contrast between U.S. media coverage and that from other nations. The analysis was performed on...
Media analysis points to what many Americans likely already know: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton will probably secure their respective party’s nomination for President of the United States. As for Marco Rubio’s impassioned debate performance…...
Would you set sail with your family without reassuring yourself that the boat is well-equipped to reach your destination safely? Probably not. Yet, time and again, we see proof that companies voyage into the global business operations with a limited view...
“Federalism” is the all-purpose word used to describe the complex relationship between the federal government and the states. As the United States enters an election year in which the role of government is a central issue, federalism is showing...
Twenty-two states are in full compliance with the driver’s license security standards set by the federal Real ID Act of 2005, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Prior to Jan. 8 of this year, 23 states were granted extensions, allowing...
Utah Sen. Curt Bramble (R) said he and his colleagues will debate a bill this year requiring Utah-based businesses that sell on the Internet to collect sales taxes on those transactions and saying to businesses that do not, “We’re going to...
Atlantic City was once the nation’s second-largest gambling market. But that industry and the city’s financial health have crumbled in recent years as newer casinos in New York and Pennsylvania have lured daytrip gamblers away. In 2011...
California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) proposed a $122.6 billion General Fund budget for 2016-17 that balances fiscal restraint with increased investment in government services cut during the recession. Among other things, the plan includes a new $1.1 billion...