>>Speaker Johnson Says House Will 'Apply Pressure' On Senate To Pass TikTok Bill
(Washington, DC) -- House Speaker Mike Johnson says that the House will apply "every amount of pressure" on the Senate to get the bill banning TikTok passed. The House on Wednesday approved the bill that could lead to the forced sale or nationwide ban of the social media app. It would require TikTok's parent company, Chinese-owned tech giant ByteDance, to sell the app within 180 days or see it banned from U.S. app stores. Lawmakers are concerned the Chinese government can access the personal data of millions of Americans. Those opposed to the bill argue it imposes limits on free speech. President Biden has said he would sign it if it cleared Congress.
>>Bernie Sanders Introduces 32-Hour Work Week Bill
(Washington, DC) -- Senator Bernie Sanders is introducing a bill that would establish a four-day work week in the U.S. If passed, the bill would lower the threshold required for overtime pay from 40 hours a week to 32 over the course of a four-year period. The Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act would also protect employee wages and benefits to ensure there's no loss in pay. In a press release, Sanders said a 32-hour work week "is not a radical idea," adding that "American workers are over 400-percent more productive than they were in the 1940s. And yet, millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages than they were decades ago."
>>Dollar Tree Plans To Close A Thousand Stores
(New York, NY) -- One-thousand Family Dollar and Dollar Tree stores are closing their doors. Dollar Tree said in a press release that it operated more than 16-thousand stores in North America as of early February. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023, the company said it was doing a "portfolio optimization review" that included looking at which stores should be closed or relocated. As a result, Dollar Tree said it would close about 600 Family Dollar stores in the first half of 2024, followed by more closures over the next "several years" of about 400 stores as their leases end.
>>Blue Diamond Cutting Corporate Jobs
(Sacramento, CA) -- Dozens of corporate jobs are being cut in a round of layoffs at California-based Blue Diamond Growers. The layoffs are part of a plan to stay cost-efficient. Blue Diamond is one of the largest almond producers in the world. It's a cooperative of more than three-thousand farmers. Blue Diamond buys almonds from farmers and processes them in its production plants in Northern California. The company has faced sales declines due to multiple challenges, including an oversupply of almonds, inflation pressures, and shifting consumer shopping patterns. The layoffs account for less than three-percent of the company's global workforce.
>>CA Law Firm Sues Makers of Popular Tobacco Product
(San Diego, CA) -- A San Diego law firm is filing a federal lawsuit against big tobacco, but this time, it's not for cigarettes or vaping. The suit is against Philip Morris for the product "Zyn" -- a popular nicotine product that comes in a flavored pouch. The class action lawsuit claims the product is marketed toward young people. The firm says the product is a threat to our health. The case could take years to work through the courts.
>>How To Get The Quickest Tax Return
(Undated) -- If you're looking for the quickest tax refund, you should file as soon as possible. CAP's say the absolute fastest way to get a refund is through electronic filing. If you paid too much in taxes over the past year, the IRS will usually refund your hard-earned money within three to five days of processing your tax return electronically. But if you take the old-fashioned route and file using snail mail, you could wait two months for a refund from the IRS.
