Minimum wage is on the rise in New Jersey. The Garden State enacted the increase — from $8.85 to $10 — on Monday, the first in a series of pay hikes meant to bring the state to a $15 minimum wage by 2024.
Governor Phil Murphy signed the increase into law in February, and it's expected to impact more than one million New Jersey residents.
Both of the state's senators, Bob Menedez and Cory Booker, supported the legislation.
Seven states have passed similar “Fight for 15” laws, and this year, 18 states have raised their minimum wage ー though not necessarily to $15-an-hour -- according to the National Conference of State Legislators.
Still, on the federal level, the campaign for a $15 minimum wage has not seen success.
The Raise the Wage Act, which would increase that benchmark by 2024, is stalled in the legislature without Republican support.
Today, more than 80 million Americans are paid by the hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Meanwhile, more than half a million Americans make the current federal minimum wage, which has hovered at just above $7 an hour since 2009.
Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC. That’s because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived. In the meantime, YouTube TV subscribers who want to watch Disney channels could have little choice other than turning to the company’s own platforms, which come with their own price tags.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
Universal Music Group and AI platform Udio have settled a copyright lawsuit and will collaborate on a new music creation and streaming platform. The companies announced on Wednesday that they reached a compensatory legal settlement and new licensing agreements. These agreements aim to provide more revenue opportunities for Universal's artists and songwriters. The rise of AI song generation tools like Udio has disrupted the music streaming industry, leading to accusations from record labels. This deal marks the first since Universal and others sued Udio and Suno last year. Financial terms of the settlement weren't disclosed.
