In the maelstrom of criticism surrounding America's unionized public teachers, the woman running the second-largest educator union says time has come to collaborate on public school reform rather than resist.
Randi Weingarten, re-elected this week for a third term as president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) with 98 percent of the vote, wants her 1.5 million members to be open to changes that might improve public schools.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and state officials are pushing initiatives aimed at encouraging new mothers to breastfeed their babies, drawing criticism from some parents who say officials are interfering with their health choices.
Two major provisions of the health-overhaul law take effect Wednesday, testing employers' ability to adapt to changes the measure mandates. The law requires employers to distribute millions of dollars in insurance-company refunds to workers whose plans spent a high percentage of their premium dollars on administrative expenses instead of medical care.
Starting Wednesday, first-time or lapsed clients seeking cash assistance through Utah’s Department of Workforce Services must first take an online drug-screening survey to determine whether they are likely substance abusers. Those who score high will then need to take an actual drug test.
The House of Representatives rejected a bill on Tuesday that would have banned most abortions in the 20th week of pregnancy in the District of Columbia. The closely watched vote marked the first time Congress has voted on legislation that would have limited abortion because of pain to the fetus.
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn on Tuesday proposed a state ban on assault weapons in the aftermath of the July 20 movie theater massacre in Colorado. Quinn, a Democrat, called himself a "strong supporter" of the constitutional right to bear arms, but said in a letter to state legislators that the proliferation of military-style assault weapons undermines public safety.
Distrustful of government and riven by differences, metro Atlanta voters on Tuesday rejected a $7.2 billion transportation plan that business leaders have called an essential bulwark against regional decline.
The Redwood City police department is likely the first law enforcement agency in the nation to offer the service to citizens in non-emergency situations.
