Free Republic

As a general rule, when the government intervenes in free economic transactions in a market, it distorts that market and makes people worse off. We might not see such negative effects as clearly as we can see the benefits to those whom the government directly helps—the negative effects can be broad and indirect. But such disadvantages are real. Short-term Pell grants are no exception. First, the context: Pell grants provide college students with thousands of dollars per year based on their ability to pay, the cost of university attendance, and the degree to which a student is part-time or full-time....

CNN is set to lay off staffers this week as boss Mark Thompson presses ahead with a sweeping digital overhaul — with deeper cuts looming as a potential merger reshapes the network’s future. The Warner Bros. Discovery-owned outlet is set to cut “a few dozen” staffers as it moves to modernize its 3,000-plus global workforce, according to the Status newsletter. The cuts are expected to hit roles not tied to growth areas, marking CNN’s latest move away from its cable roots and toward a digital-first future, Status reported. The move follows a prior round of cuts under Thompson, who eliminated...

The Department of Homeland Security said Monday that more than 400 Transportation Security Administration workers have quit their jobs so far since the start of the partial government shutdown last month. Airports nationwide are experiencing a TSA staffing shortage because workers are not being paid amid the shutdown, which began Feb. 14. President Donald Trump has sent Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to airports to help with the shortage. Acting DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told The Hill that thousands of TSA employees have also used sick days because they are missing payments on things outside the workforce. The shortage...

Choosing when to collect Social Security retirement benefits is a consequential decision. It will affect your finances for the rest of your life. You’ll be able to claim reduced retirement benefits as early as 62.In fact, in 2022, nearly 30 percent of new Social Security beneficiaries began receiving benefits at age 62, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. The full retirement age (FRA) for those born in 1960 or later is 67, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA). Although you can claim the benefits early, there are drawbacks. And one of them relates to any continued employment.Social Security Earnings...

Too old to be hired, too young to retire: 11 ways to survive the midlife reinvention years (Article can only be linked to, per FR rules.)

Undocumented immigrants are increasingly forming Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) in Florida to create a legal mechanism for self-employment, allowing them to work and earn income while navigating stricter employment laws. Florida law allows anyone, regardless of citizenship status, to form an LLC, provided they have a registered agent and a physical address. Why Illegal Aliens are Forming LLCs in Florida: Work Authorization Loophole: Federal law prohibits employers from hiring undocumented individuals, but there is no specific law forbidding undocumented immigrants from creating their own company. Establishing an LLC allows individuals to operate as independent contractors. Response to E-Verify Laws: Following...

Labor leaders, elected officials and community advocates gathered on the steps of City Hall on March 10 to launch the “$30 for Our City” campaign, backing legislation that would gradually raise New York City’s minimum wage to $30 an hour. The bill, introduced by Sandy Nurse, would nearly double the city’s current $17 hourly minimum and phase in the increase over several years, reaching $30 by 2030 for large employers. Supporters say the proposal is a response to the city’s worsening affordability crisis, arguing that wages have failed to keep pace with the cost of living. “Costs are up and...

The nation's largest labor group that represents thousands of farmworkers said on Tuesday it will not take part in any Cesar Chavez Day activities after allegations against the civil rights activist and union co-founder recently surfaced.

Meta Platforms may shrink its workforce by up to 20% in a sign that artificial-intelligence productivity gains are finally materializing. According to a Reuters report from Friday, Meta has not finalized specific dates or details for cuts but is considering widespread reductions to its workforce. The company had nearly 79,000 employees as of its last annual filing. A Meta spokesperson told Reuters, “This is speculative reporting about theoretical approaches.” The company didn’t respond to a MarketWatch request for comment. But Wall Street seems encouraged that the company is thinking about paring back its staff. Shares are up 2.9% in Monday’s...

Artificial intelligence adoption could lead to significant job struggles for entry-level workers as companies boost productivity, according to ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott. McDermott told “Squawk on the Street” on Friday that unemployment for new college graduates “could easily go into the mid-30s in the next couple of years.” Across industries, businesses are slashing costs and cutting jobs with the help of new AI tools. Last month, Block announced plans to cut nearly half its workforce as AI automates more work. Meanwhile, software firm Atlassian, which has seen its stock dive 54% this year on AI disruption fears, said this week...

Canada sheds 83,900 jobs in February, after January decline Jobless rate up to 6.7% led by losses in full-time jobs Average hourly wage of permanent employees grows 4.2% Analysts predicted 10,000 job gains, jobless rate 6.6% SNIP

After complaining for years that Gen Z grads are difficult to work with, bosses are no longer all talk, no action: Now they’re rapidly firing young workers who aren’t up to scratch just months after hiring them. The numbers are stark. According to a survey, six in 10 employers admitted they had already sacked the Gen Z workers they had hired fresh out of college. Intelligent.com, a platform dedicated to helping young professionals navigate the future of work, surveyed nearly 1,000 U.S. business leaders. It found that the class of 2024’s shortcomings are shaping how bosses hire next—and it’s not...

...“Only the Appointments Clause or the Vacancies Act’s exclusive structure may authorize service as a principal officer, and Lake satisfies the requirements of neither the statute nor the Constitution,” US district court judge Royce C Lamberth wrote in the ruling....

The Trump administration will continue working to shrink the size of the federal workforce after already shedding more than 300,000 employees, a White House official said on Thursday, who suggested a leaner civil service will be more effective as a result of its reduced stability. Continuing to reduce the size of the federal government and its workforce remains “priority number one,” Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director for Management Eric Ueland said at a government efficiency conference in Washington, adding it would contribute to the goal of tackling waste, fraud and abuse. He pledged that individual agencies would ensure...

(The Center Square) – Federal agents continue to pursue visa fraud and forced labor crimes across the U.S. perpetrated by Americans and noncitizens who exploited a border crisis and loopholes in a weak visa system, prosecutors argue. The prosecutions come as Mexican smuggling operations at the northern border continue to be thwarted, The Center Square reported. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced this week 61 indictments against six people in the Tri-Cities and Yakima areas for extensive visa fraud, victim tampering, aggravated identity theft, mail and wire fraud, visa fraud and other charges. Two people...

Can science fiction shape market reality? Hours after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s emergency power tariffs, the President imposed a new 10% 15% global tariff for 150 days. But as stocks fell on Monday, financial media outlets like Bloomberg offered an alternative explanation for the decline: a social media post. While the northeast was hunkering down for a once-in-a-decade blizzard this weekend, financial research firm Citrini Research published a macro note that made waves among the highly online tech bro and finance bro crowd on X (formerly Twitter). In the lengthy read, Citrini augurs a world where...

For Ashley Garley, the past year has been “messy, challenging and heartbreaking.” Garley, a former contractor and malaria expert with the US Agency for International Development, was among the first people impacted by the Department of Government Efficiency’s massive shrinking of the federal workforce last year, led by billionaire Elon Musk, which began almost immediately after President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Garley, who lost her job after the US froze all foreign aid in late January 2025, is struggling to find a full-time job with benefits more than a year later. To contribute to the bills, she...

Federal Reserve Governor Michael S. Barr issued a stark warning on Tuesday regarding the potential trajectory of artificial intelligence, outlining a scenario where rapid technological advancement will create a “jobless boom” that leaves a significant portion of the population “essentially unemployable.”Speaking before the New York Association for Business Economics on Feb. 17, Barr discussed the profound uncertainty surrounding how generative AI will reshape the labor market. While current data suggests a gradual integration of the technology, Barr urged policymakers not to underestimate the risks. “We should be clear-eyed about how painful these changes could be for affected workers and how...

The husband of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has been barred from the department’s headquarters after at least two female staff members told officials that he had sexually assaulted them, according to people familiar with the decision and a police report obtained by The New York Times. The women said Ms. Chavez-DeRemer’s husband, Dr. Shawn DeRemer, had touched them inappropriately at the Labor Department’s building on Constitution Avenue. One of the incidents, during working hours on the morning of Dec. 18, was recorded on office security cameras, the people said. The video showed Dr. DeRemer giving one of the women an...

California officials who turned a blind eye to unemployment scams — potentially worth tens of billions of dollars during the pandemic — will now be put directly under the microscope of the federal government. The US Department of Labor is set to send a letter to the state’s Employment Development Department announcing a “strike team” will soon be touching down in the Golden State to root out theft and abuse, The California Post has learned. The investigation will be similar to efforts currently underway in Minnesota. “Financial issues and potential fraud in California’s unemployment insurance program will be fully examined,”...