Lori Ann LaRocco

My latest for MSNBC: The union plan to unleash a tsunami for Biden. "There’s plenty in the former president’s record w/ which these unions can make their case. Former President Donald Trump’s popularity among working-class voters is, to be blunt, a triumph of bluster over substance and presentation over reality. The former president says he is a friend of the common man. His actions demonstrate he is anything but. Trump’s administration was a wrecking ball when it came to worker rights, rolling back multiple safety initiatives. His Supreme Court nominees were instrumental in a major ruling weakening public-sector unions. His appointees to the National Labor Relations Board made it harder for workers to unionize. During his administration, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration even removed the names of people who died in workplace accidents from the front page of its website. And since he left the White House, he has fought with the United Auto Workers and urged its members to stop paying their dues. Biden’s strong pro-worker actions are a 180-degree turn from Trump’s record. He marched on a picket line last year with striking UAW members (a first for a sitting president) and met with Starbucks labor organizers. His NLRB appointments are more likely to back workers over employers. And he's been an aggressive advocate for nonunion workers. His administration’s ban on almost all non-compete agreements will most likely both increase entrepreneurial efforts and give America’s workers a wage boost of more than $500 a year. And, yes, the names of workers killed in workplace accidents are back on OSHA’s front page. Nothing highlights the difference between Trump’s & Biden’s attitudes toward working Americans better than how they both handled overtime compensation. Trump abandoned an Obama administration initiative to double the salary threshold under which salaried workers would be eligible for mandatory overtime pay. Biden’s administration didn’t just restore the Obama-era rule; it raised the threshold to just over $56,000 annually ... [But] a recent review of databases tracking Democratic candidate statements, social media posts and campaign ads during the 2022 election revealed relatively few House and Senate candidates emphasized kitchen table economics or Biden legislative achievements like the infrastructure bill or the Inflation Reduction Act. That is borderline political malpractice. These issues and achievements mean a lot to voters. But they won’t sell themselves. People, I’ve learned over decades of reporting on these issues, lead busy lives: They don’t spend their days thinking about political gains and losses. They are upset about inflation and the rising cost of living but aren’t aware of what Biden — or any politician, really — is doing (or not doing, when it comes to Trump) to make their financial lives better." #Biden #Trump #Election2024 #OSHA #NLRB #SEIU #noncompetes #overtime #WorkerRights #unions #Fightfor15

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Political life is defined by moderation and compromise. The recent push to describe politics in apocalyptic terms is dangerous. I discuss this in my latest column. https://lnkd.in/eU2jGfiX

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Company executives can’t stop talking about the US election. Anne Cronin and I looked at data from the latest crop of corporate earnings calls and found a sharp spike in mentions of election risk to quarterly profit growth. One CEO called the noise and uncertainty around the polls a "Mad Hatter's tea party." For many captains of industry, the election has joined high interest rates, geopolitics and macroeconomic unease as a new "headwind." That's due in large part to a wait-and-see attitude about potential policy changes among both consumers and companies alike when it comes to big ticket spending. There's also a big distraction factor. As Etsy Inc. CEO Josh Silverman told stock analysts, the nonstop political circus is “an incredibly distracting mind-share event.” Another chief executive noted it's tough to break through as advertising rates are being pushed up by campaign ads flooding airwaves and social media sites. The good news is that it's over now -- at least until 2028 -- and that C-Suite types won't be able to use it anymore as an excuse for missed earnings targets. How much of an impact did the electoral hubbub have on your business? Read all about it here: https://lnkd.in/eCKdmysM #Election2024 #3Q #Headwinds #MadHatterTeaParty

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With the potential for a widening conflict in the Middle East mounting, learn more about Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran from Matthew Levitt, the featured guest on the latest episode of the Anti-Defamation League’s extremely podcast.

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If you keep towels until they’re threadbare, or if your sheets are way past their prime, you may think the only place to put them is in the trash. But now you can keep those textiles out of the landfill and give them a second life through a new recycling program with Parachute Home. Take-back programs for fabrics have been booming. Brands from Patagonia to Madewell to J. Crew have launched initiatives that allow customers to send in their old jeans, swimsuits, socks, and more to be recycled into something new. Now Parachute is launching its own take-back program for sheets, towels, pillows, and robes from any brand, in any condition (though it asks that you please launder them first) at its stores across the country. The program marks the first time that SuperCircle, a recycling management company that partners with brands on such efforts, is helping recycle home textiles. Read more about the take-back initiative, and how to participate, here:

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My latest article on how last Thursday's debate may have already determined the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. The stakes were high, and the debate's impact could make the rest of the campaign a mere formality. "The debate's impact was so significant that it could very well have sealed the fate of this year's election." "Many analysts believe that the performance gaps between the candidates were too large to overlook." 🔗 Read the full article here https://lnkd.in/e9X4tDkt #USelection #Election2024 #DebateImpact #PresidentialDebate

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SOCIAL CAPITAL IN ACTION: Mothers are an important part of the workforce and many companies’ customer base. Co-founder and former CEO of Motherly, Jill Koziol has made it her priority to understand and cater to moms, as she details in “Mothers: The Niche Everyone Wanted to Monetize and No One Wanted to Serve.” One signature achievement: Motherly’s Annual State of Motherhood Report, the largest study of its kind. If you’re looking to create a workplace where mothers want to stay, you’ll find valuable insights on what matters to them in this important piece. https://lnkd.in/gq-VHsvf #ceomindset, #leadership, #socialcapital

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If "Ted Lasso" seems like a good palate cleanser after the election, this book is a good guide for it. My latest book review: https://lnkd.in/g-GNekjH

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Tomorrow’s column:

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Vintage beads and where to find them: my latest subscriber feature. 👇 https://lnkd.in/erYWmiAN

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As the 23rd anniversary of 9/11 approaches, two recent news items -- about never-before-seen evidence and Nancy Pelosi's book, in which she laments the U.S. failure to follow the dots and tell all it knows -- further implicate Saudi Arabia in the attacks. It's past time to examine and disclose all. My latest column: https://lnkd.in/g43TZRsS

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https://lnkd.in/exitwjAK     Please read my latest 2 articles appearing on the first page! Let me know what you all think.

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East and West: Culture, Diplomacy and Interactions: the title says it all, doesn’t it? Curious about the history of diplomatic relations between the east and the west? Or do you have new perspective to share? You know the way: - www.brill.com/EWCD #brill #relations

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When it comes to repairing our wounded world, both active citizenship and active faith can be important tools: https://bit.ly/3M3wy9O

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In my latest column, I explore the phenomenon of hero worship. https://lnkd.in/eSFtB53S

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