Page 25 - Poverty Issues News Today

Concerns about potential voter intimidation have spurred several states to consider banning firearms at polling sites but so far, New Hampshire is not among them. Only a dozen states and Washington, D.C., prohibit both open and concealed-carry weapons at voting locations. Emma Brown, executive director of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said most of the bans were enacted after the 2020 election, when unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud took hold. ...

A case before the U.S. Supreme Court could have implications for the countrys growing labor movement. Justices will hear oral arguments in Starbucks versus McKinney today to determine if the bar should be raised for the National Labor Relations Board when it seeks to impose court-ordered injunctions on companies. ...

The U.S. House has approved a measure to expand the Child Tax Credit. It would help 16 million children from low-income families in Indiana and nationwide. ...

By Brian DeVore for Civil Eats.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Public News Service Collaboration Under pewter-colored skies, Alan Bedtka tramps through the snow and past a stand of sorghum-sudangrass, its chest-high stems rattling in the harsh wind. The tall forage stands out in southeastern Minnesota’s corn and soybean fields, which this time of year have been reduced to stubble poking through the snow. Bedtk...

An annual march for farmworkers rights is being held Sunday in northwest Washington. This year, marchers are focusing on the conditions for local tulip and daffodil workers. Alfredo Juarez, organizer for the farmworkers rights organization Community to Community Development, said tulip and daffodil harvesters are raising concerns about pay, pesticide use near where they are working and the need for clean restrooms. ...

Washington joins a handful of states to do away with mandatory meetings for employees on political or religious matters. Sometimes known as captive audience meetings, the gatherings were seen as a way for employers to give their opinions on subjects like unionization, and held potential consequences for employees who didnt attend. Lawmakers passed a bill this session allowing workers to skip the meetings without repercussions. ...

Conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion are on the rise as lawmakers propose bills to restrict or ban DEI in state-funded institutions. The Black Voters Matter Fund, along with students and educators from North Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee, are joining forces to discuss the impact of anti-DEI initiatives in higher education. Kylie Rice, who attends a Historically Black College in North Carolina, expressed her concerns during a Higher Education Under Siege discussion. ...

Amid a nationwide decline in college enrollment, schools and policymakers are being urged to prioritize student concerns, especially in conservative states like Indiana. Findings from a new Gallup poll show college students want to be able to talk about different topics and viewpoints, rather than limiting what professors can teach. Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation released the poll jointly with Gallup. ...

A coalition of college students and administrators is asking state lawmakers to help fight food insecurity on campus. The group is asking for $2 million for the Hunger Free Campus Initiative and to pass legislation to better fund programs already helping thousands of low-income students on 27 college campuses statewide. Sean Simonini, vice chair of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group Students, said it is hard to focus when you are hungry. ...

April is National Volunteer Month, and Nebraskans rank high nationwide for their willingness to volunteer. In the most recent Census Bureau/AmeriCorps report, Nebraska ranked seventh in the nation for formal volunteering and second for informal volunteering. However, many nonprofits still need more help. ...