Starbucks violated federal law by illegally interfering with workers' rights, U.S. labor board prosecutors alleged in a complaint on Friday, CNBC reports.
Why it matters: The complaint comes amid a larger labor movement that has swept the country; Starbucks employees at multiple locations have voted to join the national union Starbucks Workers United since December.
Why it matters: Greene, one of the faces of the Republican party and a staunch Trump supporter, was questioned in court about the insurrection. She repeated the unfounded claim that fraud led to Trump’s loss in the 2020 election, AP writes.
A federal judge on Friday dismissed former President Trump's lawsuit against Twitter, CNBC reports.
Why it matters: Trump had sought to lift the ban on his account, which Twitter implemented in January 2021 citing concern that he would use it to incite further violence after the Jan. 6 insurrection.
A federal appeals court reinstated on Friday provisions of Florida's GOP-led voting law, overruling a lower court that said the provisions aimed to suppress Black voters, the Miami Herald reports.
Why it matters: The law included restrictions on vote-by-mail ballots and drop boxes, which civil rights advocates have said makes voting more difficult for Black people. It's one of dozens of voting restrictions brought by Republicans in state legislatures following the 2020 election.
The man accused of attacking Dave Chappelle during a Hollywood Bowl performance earlier this week pleaded not guilty to four misdemeanors, the Associated Press reports.
Driving the news: Isaiah Lee, 23, pleaded not guilty on Friday to battery, possessing a deadly weapon with intent to assault, unauthorized access to a staging area during a performance and committing an act that delays or interferes with a performance, per AP.
More than 2,200 dams across the United States are in poor condition and pose danger to communities, according to a new analysis from the Associated Press.
Why it matters: The amount of damaged and endangered dams has been on the rise, the analysis found. A similar AP review back in 2019 found roughly 1,600 dams were at potential risk.
Details: The new analysis outlines a number of reasons for the increased damage.
Climate change has put a greater strain on dams, specifically due to rainstorms.
There are now homes, businesses and roads below dams that were once constructed in remote locations.
Maintenance on troubled dams has been put off.
What they're saying: “All of a sudden, you’ve got older dams with a lower design criteria that now can potentially cause loss of life if they fail,” Del Shannon, president of the U.S. Society on Dams, told AP.
“The number of deficient, high-hazard dams is increasing,” he said.
Yes, but: This might not fix everything. According to a report released by the American Society of Civil Engineers, U.S. dams are in need of almost $94 billion in upgrades over the next decade.
Starbucks criticized a recent meeting at the White House with representatives of labor unions for major companies that included members of a growing union within the coffee company.
Driving the news: In a letter sent to the White House on Thursday, Starbucks said it was "deeply concerned" that Workers United was invited to the labor union meeting while not inviting Starbucks official representatives.
The son of a Brooklyn judge on Friday was sentenced to eight months in prison for his participation in the Capitol riot, the Department of Justice said.
Driving the news: Aaron Mostofsky, 35, who stormed the U.S. Capitol dressed as a caveman, was also ordered by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg to perform 200 hours of community service and pay $2,000 in restitution.
The big picture: The draft Supreme Court opinion released on Monday night by Politico would immediately make abortion illegal in at least 13 states. Advocates fear a wider crackdown will follow after the court finalizes its ruling.
The White House may run out of COVID-19 vaccines by September if it calls for all Americans to get a second booster, according to COVID budget documents obtained by STAT News.
Why it matters: Second booster doses are only available to people over the age of 50 right now. Roughly 400 pages of budget documents sent to Congress and published by STAT show that the Biden administration will need more funding in order to make a second round of boosters available for all ages later this year.
Approximately six in 10 U.S. adults believe abortion should be legal in "all or most cases," according to a newly released Pew Research Center survey.
Driving the news: The poll was conducted before the leak of the draft opinion revealing the U.S. Supreme Court might overturn Roe v. Wade and shows how a wide swath of the public is supportive of abortion rights.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said this week that he intends to challenge a decades-old court decision requiring public schools to educate all children, including undocumented immigrants, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: Abbott's remarks come days after leaked documents signal that the Supreme Court is prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade, which is opening the door for some Republican lawmakers to challenge other decades-long precedents, the Times notes.
Rudy Giuliani canceled his virtual appearance before the select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol just hours before it was set to start on Friday, his lawyer told CNN.
Why it matters: Lawyers for Giuliani, who was subpoenaed by the select committee in January, have been in negotiations with the committee over his testimony for months.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont (D) on Thursday signed into law a bill to protect abortion providers and patients from bans in other states.
Driving the news: The unique legislation will shield providers from bans that are enforced via civil lawsuits and is a direct response to laws in Texas, IdahoandOklahoma that ban most abortions and allow private parties to sue anyone who they suspect has helped a person obtain an abortion.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will announce an increase to the minimum salary for congressional staffers working in the House of Representatives to $45,ooo starting Sept. 1, Punchbowl News reports.
Why it matters: The pay increase comes after staffers formally announced in February that they are seeking to unionize the offices and committees of Congress, a move supported by Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
The treasure troves of data tech companies have spent decades accumulating could put them right in the middle of efforts to prosecute people if the Supreme Court eliminates federal guarantees of abortion rights.
Why it matters: If Monday's leaked draft opinion becomes law, court orders could soon arrive at tech firm offices seeking info about individuals searching for emergency contraception, those seen near a suspected abortion clinic and more.
Over 260 travel industry and business organizations are calling on the Biden administration to end its COVID testing requirement for vaccinated international passengers entering the U.S.
Why it matters: The travel industry has taken multiple blows over the last two years due to the pandemic and emerging variants. Companies are looking to rebound despite another rise in cases.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported the lowest number of unruly air passenger incidents since 2020, according to data from the agency released this week.
The big picture: A judge in Florida struck down the federal mask mandate last month, saying that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention exceeded its statutory authority and failed to properly justify its decision. The Transportation Security Administration said that it would stop enforcing wearing masks.
Cryptocurrency is showing its growing power in national politics, with its own billionaires tilting the balance in key midterm contests — and operatives in both major parties rushing to implement the underlying technologies to boost their candidates and campaigns.
The big picture: Political groups backed by wealthy crypto investors have already scored some key wins in the 2022 midterm primaries. And at this early stage in the campaign, donations from the industry already have exceeded 2020 totals by more than two-thirds, according to OpenSecrets data shared with Axios.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday doubled down on calls for an end to Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, calling it "senseless in its scope, ruthless in its dimensions and limitless in its potential for global harm."
Driving the news: The devastation has already had far-reaching consequences for global food security, said Guterres in remarks to the UN Security Council.
