skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

U.S. gender wage gap grows for first time in a decade; Trump has embraced NC's Mark Robinson, calling him 'Martin Luther King on steroids'; Volunteers sought as early voting kicks off in MN; Women's political contributions in congressional races fall short of men's.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Confirmation Vote Next Week on Nominee for U.S. Labor Secretary

play audio
Play

Thursday, May 2, 2013   

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A confirmation vote on Thomas Perez, President Obama's nominee for Labor Secretary, now is set for next week.

As an assistant attorney general in the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, Perez is noted for his work to make sure people with disabilities have equal access to the polls, according to Sarah Sampson, communications specialist for the Tennessee Disability Coalition.

"And he's played a big role to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act," she said. "This is a cornerstone of disability rights. And he has created new opportunities for thousands of people with disabilities to live in their own homes and communities through issuing these regulations."

Next Wednesday's vote on Perez's nomination will be held in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee is the ranking Republican.

Having the Department of Labor led by someone who understands the needs of the disability community for employment is vital, Sampson said.

"Just this weekend, the Bureau of Labor Statistics published new data," she said. "I believe only 20.7 percent of people with disabilities are in the workforce, and over half of people who aren't in the workforce, who have disabilities, say that they want to go to work."

Republicans have criticized Perez for declining to intervene in a whistle-blower case, but Perez said he had approval from senior Justice Department officials and that the deal reached in the end was in the best interest of the nation.

More information on Perez is online at justice.gov/crt/aag.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Recipients of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant can now access funding to drive financing for thousands of climate-focused and clean energy initiatives. (bilanol/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Michigan's most vulnerable communities are receiving federal funding to fight the devastating effects of climate change. It's part of the $27 billion …


Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Health Literacy Month, and a Denver-based group is working to help health professionals break a persistent pattern of discrimination …

Environment

play sound

A new report contends fossil fuel funding has biased Columbia University's climate research. The report, by two Columbia students, shows the …


Alabama releases roughly 220,279 men and 78,247 women from its prisons and jails each year. (Chad Robertson/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

An Alabama woman is on a mission to help people who've been incarcerated for decades successfully transition back into society. The mission to …

Health and Wellness

play sound

In North Carolina, the gap between Medicaid reimbursement rates and the actual cost of dental care has reached a crisis point, impacting both …

So far in 2024, community health centers in North Dakota have screened 11,580 patients for food insecurity. Through those screenings, more than three thousand box meals have been distributed. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

September is Hunger Action Month. In North Dakota, it isn't just food banks trying to help underserved populations get nutritious items. Health …

Environment

play sound

Marine biologists conducting deep dives near five California islands are collecting data they hope will strengthen the case for ending gillnet fishing…

Environment

play sound

Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021