>>Half Of Americans Think U.S. Economy Is Getting Worse
(Washington, DC) -- Half of Americans say the U.S. economy is still getting worse. According to a CNN poll, 51-percent of Americans said the economy is continuing its downturn despite some positive indicators. U.S. GDP grew more than expected in the second quarter of 2023, and inflation has continued to subside. Another 28-percent said economic recovery hasn't begun yet but conditions aren't getting worse. Only one in five said the economy is recovering from its recent issues.
>>Oregon OSHA Fines Contractor
(Salem, OR) -- Oregon OSHA has fined Hillsboro contractor Arm & Hammer Construction over 66-thousand dollars for workplace safety violations. According to OSHA, the company repeatedly failed to protect workers from falling. When one worker fell and was hospitalized for broken ribs and a punctured lung the owner allegedly told the injured worker to not report the incident to OSHA. The company has 30 days to appeal.
>>White House Points Finger At GOP Over Credit Rating Downgrade
(Washington, DC) -- The White House is blaming Republicans for the recent U.S. credit rating downgrade. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre accused GOP officials of "cheerleading" default, undermining governance and democracy and attempting to extend tax giveaways for the wealthy and corporations. She said "extremism" by Republicans is a continued threat to the economy. Fitch lowered the U.S. rating from the highest AAA rating to AA+. Several factors were cited, including a "steady deterioration in standards of governance" over the last two decades.
>>IRS Promises Paperless Processing By 2025
(Washington, DC) -- The IRS promises paperless processing for taxes by 2025. It plans to have taxpayers digitally submit all correspondence by the next tax filing season in 2024, according to the Treasury Department. The IRS will also digitize the estimated billion historical documents in its catalog in the next two years, which cost about 40-million-dollars per year to store.
>>West Coast Leads National Gas Price Spike
(San Francisco, CA) -- U.S. gas prices continue to climb as the summer heats up. Triple-A says there are a variety of factors affecting price but two main reasons are causing a spike. Global supply is constrained after OPEC nations cut production. Russia is also exporting less crude oil. Beyond economic manipulation, this summer's record heat is also to blame. Refineries generally cut back production when temperatures exceed 95 degrees for safety reasons. But that also puts a squeeze on the global supply chain. Currently California has the highest price in the nation at an average of 5-02 per gallon according to Triple-A. Washington is close behind at 4-97 and Oregon sits at 4-63.
>>Hollywood Studios Look To AI While Actors and Writers Strike
(Los Angeles, CA) -- As striking actors and writers continue to demand better compensation and protections against artificial intelligence, the studios seem to be embracing A.I. According to a job posting on Indeed-dot-com, Netflix is looking for a project manager for its machine learning program. The salary range is 300 thousand to 900 thousand dollars per year. A typical acting job pays a fraction of that for a temporary gig. But Netflix isn't the only studio going on an A.I. hiring spree. Disney, Sony, CBS, and Amazon Prime are also looking to fill A.I. positions. Developing systems that can produce content without humans is one of the biggest concerns for actors and writers.
>>UAW Leader Outlines Contract Demands
(Detroit, MI) -- The head of the United Auto Workers Union has gone public with his demands in the upcoming contract negotiations. Shawn Fain posted a message on social media Tuesday, outlining demands including a 32-hour work week for union members. He also wants an end to "tiers" on wages and benefits, the elimination of "temporary" workers by making them permanent employees and the restoration of a cost-of-living allowance. Fain is also seeking pensions and medical benefits for all workers. The current contract with the automakers expires on September 14th.
