Divya Nimmagadda is a student at Harvard Law School.
The economy is expected to play a paramount role in the presidential debate this evening. 89% of Americans have stated that “the issue of handling the economy” will be an important factor in determining their vote, with 62% calling it “very important.” Voters in this election will have witnessed both candidates’ economic performance in office, a spectacle that hasn’t happened since 1892. Both candidates are expected to make sweeping claims about unemployment, inflation, federal spending and labor and employment regulations. Central to all of this will be immigration. Though immigration has helped boost the labor market, the topic is the most politically polarizing issue in the past 25 years according to Gallup voter polling. Though Trump has been promising mass deportations and strict entry regulations, experts say that any halt or reversal in immigration “could cause painful labor shortfalls and shortages in key industries – pushing up prices.” Margins in key battleground states – Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada and Georgia – are slim, and many sources have stated that the election will likely be decided by working class voters in these jurisdictions.
In yesterday’s News and Commentary, Everest wrote about the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees’ tentative contract with Hollywood studios. A key provision in this contract is its AI guardrails, a topic that has gained increasing traction. Attention in this area has shifted over to Washington, with actors like Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum, along with several unions, asking the federal government to establish nationwide regulations on the issue. The current draft legislation on this topic – titled the NO FAKES Act – would prohibit the use of AI to produce unauthorized replicas of one’s likeness of voice. However, more is likely needed to protect jobs and livelihoods, a concern that has been top of mind for unions like SAG-AFTRA and IATSE.
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September 12
Zohran Mamdani calls on FIFA to end dynamic pricing for the World Cup; the San Francisco Office of Labor Standards Enforcement opens a probe into Scale AI’s labor practices; and union members organize immigration defense trainings.
September 11
California rideshare deal advances; Boeing reaches tentative agreement with union; FTC scrutinizes healthcare noncompetes.
September 10
A federal judge denies a motion by the Trump Administration to dismiss a lawsuit led by the American Federation of Government Employees against President Trump for his mass layoffs of federal workers; the Supreme Court grants a stay on a federal district court order that originally barred ICE agents from questioning and detaining individuals based on their presence at a particular location, the type of work they do, their race or ethnicity, and their accent while speaking English or Spanish; and a hospital seeks to limit OSHA's ability to cite employers for failing to halt workplace violence without a specific regulation in place.
September 9
Ninth Circuit revives Trader Joe’s lawsuit against employee union; new bill aims to make striking workers eligible for benefits; university lecturer who praised Hitler gets another chance at First Amendment claims.
September 8
DC Circuit to rule on deference to NLRB, more vaccine exemption cases, Senate considers ban on forced arbitration for age discrimination claims.
September 7
Another weak jobs report, the Trump Administration's refusal to arbitrate with federal workers, and a district court judge's order on the constitutionality of the Laken-Riley Act.