Blinken Turns Up Pressure on Hamas to Accept Gaza Cease-Fire Deal

“The time is now,” Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken declared, urging Hamas to accept the terms of a proposed truce. He also made clear that he expected more from Israel. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken delivered twin messages to Hamas and Israel on Wednesday, pressing Hamas to accept a cease-fire proposal while at…

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Kamala Harris Isn’t Americans’ ‘Momala.’ She’s Our Vice President.

On Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris appeared on “The Drew Barrymore Show,” and in a lighthearted moment, explained — as she did during the last presidential election cycle — that in her blended family, her stepchildren affectionately call her Momala. Barrymore responded that we all need “a tremendous hug” right now and told Harris, “We…

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Fed Holds Rates Steady, Noting Lack of Progress on Inflation

The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged for a sixth straight meeting and suggested that rates would stay high for longer. Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged and signaled that they were wary about how stubborn inflation was proving, paving the way for a longer period of high borrowing costs. The Fed held rates…

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How Six-Week Abortion Bans Went From Fringe to Reality

Even opponents of abortion saw such curbs as too controversial just over a decade ago. Times have changed. Just over a decade ago, six-week abortion bans were seen as too radical even by many members of the anti-abortion movement, who worried they carried too much political and legal risk. On Wednesday, Florida became the latest…

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Giuliani’s Bankruptcy Creditors Demand to Know His Spending

Rudy Giuliani promised a bankruptcy court that he would limit his spending, but it didn’t take long before he broke that pledge, and by a lot. Besieged by creditors and with his income drying up, Rudolph W. Giuliani laid out an austerity program of sorts in January for a federal bankruptcy court. He would stick…

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Kamala Harris Looks to Make Trump the Face of Florida’s Abortion Ban

On the day that Florida began to enforce its six-week abortion ban, Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a searing attack on former President Donald J. Trump in Jacksonville, calling the measure “another Trump abortion ban” and saying he was forcing women to live a “horrific reality” without access to essential medical care. “As much harm…

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Arizona’s 1864 Abortion Ban: What We Know

Lawmakers voted to repeal an 1864 law that bans nearly all abortions. Here’s what to know about the fight over the law. Arizona lawmakers on Wednesday voted to repeal an 1864 law that bans nearly all abortions, which went into effect after a State Supreme Court ruled in April to reinstate it. Wednesday’s vote was…

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Giant Pandas Are Returning to San Diego, China Announces

“Panda diplomacy” has represented an area of cooperation between the United States and China despite tension over weighty issues of trade and national security. The United States and China may be at odds these days over Russia’s war in Ukraine, cheap Chinese exports, tensions with Taiwan and matters of human rights. But when it comes…

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3329 – Mail Carrier Rebellion; The War Over The FTC & The Republican House Fissure w/ Tyler Vasseur, David Dayen

It’s Hump Day! Sam speaks with Tyler Vasseur, letter carrier and shop steward in the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), Branch 9, to discuss his recent piece in Labor Notes entitled “Momentum for Open Bargaining Grows in the Letter Carriers.” Then, Sam speaks with David Dayen, executive editor at the American Prospect, to discuss his recent piece outlining the new FTC rule regarding non-compete clauses, co-authored with Luke Goldstein. First, Sam runs through updates on escalating violence by police and Zionists against anti-war protesters, Netanyahu’s imminent invasion of Rafah, the Federal Reserve, Biden drug policy, state abortion bans, New York’s special election for Congress, Johnson and Johnson’s talc settlement, and labor rights, before watching Mike Johnson and Marjorie Taylor Greene trade shots ahead of a potential motion to vacate the Speakership. Tyler Vasseur then joined, first outlining NALC’s union structure and role as one of four postal unions, before exploring the progressive division between the unions – including the desynchronization of their contracts –  under the US’ shift into neoliberalism at the end of the 20th Century. Expanding on this, Vasseur explores the concept of “open bargaining,” and what it would mean in terms of activating and mobilizing NALC’s base of workers, as well as creating a much more transparent negotiating process. After walking through the major forces driving NALC members’ attempt at reform, and touching on the major roles of the US pre-funding mandate for the USPS and the 2008 Financial crisis in crippling industry wages, Tyler wraps up with the inspiring factor of the ongoing union renaissance in the US, and how this project has already begun to reshape organizing efforts within NALC. David Dayen and Sam then look to the absurd evolution of the “non-compete” contract clause, first popularized as a tool to prevent the spread of company secrets among executives, and now used to constrain some 30 million workers in industries from dog grooming to fast food. After expanding on the expansive chunk of our economy crippled by non-compete clauses, David walks us through the ongoing legal battle to overturn the bipartisan ban, how the legacy of Antonin Scalia looms large over this topic, and why the Supreme Court’s bogus “Major Questions” Doctrine is central to these arguments. After expanding on the likely evolution of this court battle, Dayen wraps up with a brief update on Live Nation’s attempt to court DC insiders with some help from the free (but evidently not priceless) press. And in the Fun Half: Sam parses through yesterday’s mass escalation of violence against anti-war student protesters on college campuses across the US, with the NYPD sending a SWAT team to infiltrate the Student occupation of Harold Hall, and police in LA allowing a pro-Israel violent mob assault UCLA protesters, also expanding on the absurd and constant attempts to completely misrepresent these campus protests and the student activists behind them. Jose from Houston calls in with some updates on union business in the transport industry, Marcus from Huntington Beach explores the MAGA takeover of his local government and how to push back, Charlie Kirk shames Zionists for not thinking their grand Jewish conspiracy would come back around to hurt them, and Cory from Florida shares his experiences with the constraints of non-compete clauses. Dave Rubin floats his theory on the jihadists behind public health, and Paul Bet David admonishes a Columbia Student for not knowing NYU’s investment portfolio, in his leadup to platforming George Soros conspiracy, plus, your calls and IMs! Check out Tyler’s piece here: https://labornotes.org/blogs/2024/04/momentum-open-bargaining-grows-letter-carriers Check out the Zoom registration link for the next “Build a Fighting NALC” meeting on Sunday, June 2 at Noon central (10:00 am Pacific, 1:00 pm Eastern): https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcvceCtqzkqH9zau2xxvNmzfBcO62V-4FfM#/registration Check out all of David’s work at the Prospect here: https://prospect.org/topics/david-dayen/ Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join Check out Seder’s Seeds here!: https://www.sedersseeds.com/ ALSO, if you have pictures of your Seder’s Seeds, send them here!: [email protected] Check out this GoFundMe in support of Mohammed Nasrallah, whose family is trying to leave Gaza for Egypt: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-mohammed-nasserallah-and-family-go-to-egypt Check out this GoFundMe in support of Mohammad Aldaghma’s niece in Gaza, who has Down Syndrome: http://tinyurl.com/7zb4hujt Check out the “Repair Gaza” campaign courtesy of the Glia Project here: https://www.launchgood.com/campaign/rebuild_gaza_help_repair_and_rebuild_the_lives_and_work_of_our_glia_team#!/ Get emails on the IRS pilot program for tax filing here!: https://service.govdelivery.com/accounts/USIRS/subscriber/new Check out StrikeAid here!; https://strikeaid.com/ Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the ESVN YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/esvnshow Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: http://majority.fm/app Check out today’s sponsors: Nuts.com: Right now, https://Nuts.com is offering new customers a free gift with purchase and free shipping on orders of $29 or more at https://Nuts.com/majority. 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The 63-Year-Old Career Activist Among the Protesters at Columbia

Videos show Lisa Fithian, whom the police called a “professional agitator,” working alongside protesters who stormed Hamilton Hall. Among the throng of Columbia University student protesters gathered outside Hamilton Hall on campus early Tuesday morning was a gray-haired woman in her 60s. In a video captured by The New York Times, the protesters can be…

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