FTC spokesperson Victoria Graham said that the decision “does not prevent the FTC from addressing noncompetes through case-by-case enforcement actions” and said that the agency is “seriously considering” appealing the Texas court’s decision.
The FTC voted to ban noncompete agreements in April—those pesky clauses that employers often force their workers to sign which effectively bar them from starting their own business or finding a new job in the same field within a certain area or timeframe after leaving their current job.
This isn’t just a rhetorical question. It carries real consequences for the González Mendoza family—and thousands of H2-A visa recipients across the state. North Carolina is home to the fifth-most H2-A workers in the country, nearly 15,000 migrants who labor in the agricultural sector with few protections.
Ryan Hamilton had to race his wife to the hospital after she had a miscarriage, fell unconscious, and started bleeding out on their bathroom floor. Here, he explains what happened.
State investigators accused a Nash County farm of a "willful serious" violation of NC labor law, following a 29-year-old migrant worker's death in September 2023.
The new Labor Department rule could help millions more workers get access to benefits like overtime pay, unemployment insurance, Social Security benefits, employer-offered health insurance, the minimum wage, and paid sick days.
The proposed regulation would require employers to pay overtime to their salaried workers who are in executive, administrative, and professional roles, and make less than $1,059 a week, or $55,068 a year for full-time employees.
Although several of the Teamsters’ demands have been met, the union is still pushing to raise wages for part-time workers at UPS, who earn a minimum of only $16.20 per hour. "These part-timers are working at poverty wages," Teamsters President Sean O'Brien said.
Democratic lawmakers tried to pass a second bill that would have added paid sick days to the agreement, but were unable to reach the 60-vote threshold needed in the Senate, due to most Republican senators opposing the measure.
The Trump administration is ramping up immigration enforcement, pushing for 3,000 arrests a day nationwide. That’s raising alarms for NC businesses that rely on immigrant workers.
Harris has vowed to strengthen workers’ rights, expand financial support for the working class, boost opportunities for non-college graduates, and raise the minimum wage. Trump, meanwhile, has promised to implement tariffs on imports and repeal federal investments in clean energy, both of which would likely lead to job losses.
A decade after the Flint water crisis raised alarms about the continuing dangers of lead in tap water, President Joe Biden is setting a 10-year deadline for cities across the nation to replace their lead pipes.
Ex-President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris met for their first presidential debate—and Trump unleashed a barrage of lies and misleading claims.
‘Some people work their butts off and other people get rich’: Gwen Frisbie-Fulton’s view from rural America
by Gwen Frisbie-Fulton
| March 18, 2025