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Starbucks’ former chief executive Howard Schultz was accused at a Senate hearing on Wednesday of running “the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country”.The hearing, “No Company Is Above the Law: The Need to End Illegal Union Busting at Starbucks”, was chaired by Senator Bernie Sanders, a longtime critic of Starbucks’ anti-union activities.Starbucks had initially resisted calls for Schultz to appear. He agreed after the committee threatened to subpoena him.Nearly 300 Starbucks stores around the US have won union elections since the first Starbucks stores unionized in December 2021, though the rate of election filings slowed after an initial surge. Since that time, Starbucks has fought hard to stop the unionization drive and faces more unfair labor practice allegations than any other private employer in the US.Sanders said: “Over the last 18 months Starbucks has waged the most aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign in the modern history of our country.”Schultz responded by saying to Sanders: “These are allegations, and Starbucks has not broken the law.”He defended the company’s record and said the company gave workers better wages and benefits than its competitors.The Starbucks boss was defended by Republicans on the committee. Senator Rand Paul called the hearing a “witch-hunt” and Senator Bill Cassidy said it was a “smear campaign”.Cassidy said no one is above the law, “but let’s not kid ourselves: this is not a fair and impartial hearing.”Before the hearing, Sanders released a report by the committee’s majority staff outlining Starbucks’ record of unfair labor practice charges.The report found Starbucks broke the law 130 times in six states and is facing an additional 70 cases. Misconduct ranged from firing workers in retaliation for union organizing to shutting down stores, withholding pay and benefits, and comments made by Schultz himself.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotion“There is mounting evidence that the $113bn company’s anti-union efforts include a pattern of flagrant violations of federal labor law,” the report claims. “Starbucks has engaged in the most significant union-busting campaign in modern history. It has been led by Howard Schultz.”Naomi Martinez, a shift supervisor at a unionized Starbucks in Phoenix, Arizona, said she wanted to hear Schultz publicly explain Starbucks’ response to the union campaign and the numerous labor law violations that the National Labor Relations Board and judges have affirmed in complaints and rulings.“I always see the company state that they are continuing to respect the law, respect legal processes, respect the rights to organize, and we see a different story on the worker side of things,” said Martinez.“I just want to hear from Howard’s mouth himself whether or not he thinks that Starbucks has continuously, really respected rights to organize, fully adhering to the law at every turn. Every time that they have their spokespeople say something like that it really is just, to me at least, a slap in the face, because they are abusing these legal processes at every turn.”Starbucks has denied all allegations of labor law violations and appealed all National Labor Relations Board and court rulings against the company. More

The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved selling naloxone without a prescription, setting the overdose-reversing drug on course to become the first opioid treatment drug to be sold over counters in the US.It is a move some advocates have long sought as a way to improve access to a life-saving drug, though the exact impact will not be clear immediately.The best-known form of naloxone is Narcan, an approved branded nasal spray made by Emergent BioSolutions in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It can reverse overdoses of opioids, including street drugs such as heroin and fentanyl and prescription versions including oxycodone.Making naloxone available more widely is seen as a key strategy to control the US overdose crisis, which has been linked to more than 100,000 deaths a year. The majority of those deaths are tied to opioids, primarily potent synthetic versions such as fentanyl that can take multiple doses of naloxone to reverse.Advocates believe it is important to get naloxone to people who are most likely to be around overdoses, including people who use drugs and their relatives. Police and other first responders often carry it.Emergent BioSolutions said Narcan would become available over-the-counter by late summer. Other brands of naloxone and injectable forms will not yet be available over the counter, but could be soon.Harm Reduction Therapeutics, a non-profit which has funding from the OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, has an application before the FDA to distribute its version of spray naloxone without a prescription.Even before the FDA’s action, pharmacies could sell naloxone without a prescription because officials in every state have allowed it. But not every pharmacy carries it. And buyers have to pay for the medication – either with an insurance co-pay or for the full retail price. The cost varies, but two doses of Narcan often go for around $50.The drug is also distributed by community organizations that serve people who use drugs, though it is not easily accessible to everyone who needs it.Emergent has not announced its price and it is not clear yet whether insurers will continue to cover it as a prescription drug if it is available over the counter.However, the FDA decision clears the way for Narcan to be made available in places without pharmacies, including convenience stores, supermarkets and online retailers.Jose Benitez, lead executive officer at Prevention Point Philadelphia, an organization that tries to reduce risk for people who use drugs with services including handing out free naloxone, said over-the-counter access could help a lot for people who don’t seek help or who live in places where it is not available.Now, he said, some people are concerned about getting naloxone at pharmacies because their insurers will know they are getting it.“Putting it out on the shelves is going to allow people just to pick it up, not have stigma attached to it and readily access this life-saving drug,” he said.The US Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, which now covers prescription naloxone for people on government insurance programs, says coverage of over-the-counter naloxone would depend on the insurance program. It has not given any official guidance.Maya Doe-Simkins, a co-director of Remedy Alliance/For the People, which launched last year to provide low-cost and sometimes free naloxone to community organizations, said her group would continue to distribute injectable naloxone.One concern is whether people who buy Narcan over the counter will know how to use it, said Keith Humphreys, a Stanford University addiction expert, though the manufacturer is responsible for clear directions and online videos.One benefit of having pharmacists involved, Humphreys said, is that they can show buyers how to use it. Humphreys also said there are fears that if the drug is not profitable as an over-the-counter option, the drugmaker could stop producing it. More

The chaplain who leads prayers in the US Senate said on Tuesday: “When babies die at a church school, it is time for us to move beyond thoughts and prayers.”Barry C Black was referring to the shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday, in which three nine-year-olds and three adults were killed. The shooter was killed by police.Since the shooting, Democrats from Joe Biden down have urged meaningful gun control reform, including an assault weapons ban.Many Republicans, opposed to gun regulation, have offered thoughts and prayers instead.The House majority leader, Steve Scalise, who survived a shooting at congressional baseball practice in 2017, was among those to offer prayers.He also told reporters: “I really get angry when I see people trying to politicise it for their own personal agenda, especially when we don’t even know the facts.“It just seems like on the other side, all [Democrats] want to do is take guns away from law-abiding citizens before they even know the facts … and that’s not the answer, by the way.”Other Republicans, including the Missouri senator Josh Hawley, have called for a hate crimes investigation, given the target of the shooting was a Christian school.From the chief of Nashville police to the US attorney general, Merrick Garland, authorities have said the motive is not yet known.In the Senate, Black said: “Remind our lawmakers of the words of the British statesman Edmund Burke: ‘All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.’“Lord, deliver our senators from the paralysis of analysis that waits for the miraculous. Use them to battle the demonic forces that seek to engulf us. We pray, in your powerful name, amen.”Since becoming Senate chaplain in 2003, the retired rear admiral has not shied from controversy.In 2012, he participated in a “Hoodies on the Hill” rally in protest of the killing of Trayvon Martin, a Black teenager shot dead in Florida.In 2013, during a government shutdown caused by the Texas Republican Ted Cruz, Black used a prayer to refer to “madness” and “the hypocrisy of attempting to sound reasonable while being unreasonable”.In 2020, at the opening of Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial, he urged senators to remember “that patriots reside on both sides of the aisle”.On Tuesday, Black told the Washington Post: “I am a human being who is reacting to the horrific [events in Nashville] that all Americans, most Americans, are seeing. And this has been a priority of mine that we do better at attempting to solve this problem.“… I am calling for problem solving – that’s what is accurate to say. And however that is done, let’s get it done.” More

A Democratic opponent of Josh Hawley labelled the Republican “a fraud and a coward” after the far-right Missouri senator demanded that the killing of three nine-year-old children and three adults at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, be investigated as a federal hate crime.Less than two years ago, Hawley was the only US senator to vote against a bill to crack down on hate crimes against Asian Americans during the Covid pandemic.That bill, Hawley said, would “turn the federal government into the speech police [and] give government sweeping authority to decide what counts as offensive speech and then monitor it”.Federal and state authorities have said any motive in the Nashville attack has not yet been established.On Tuesday, Lucas Kunce, a Missouri Democrat running to oppose Hawley in 2024, said: “One out of 100 senators voted against the anti-hate crime bill in 2021. His name is Josh Hawley. He’s a fraud and a coward. Some days it’s more obvious than others.”Hawley addressed the Nashville attack in remarks on the Senate floor, in a Senate resolution and in a letter to the FBI director, Christopher Wray, and the secretary of homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas.Condemning the “murderous rampage at a Christian school known as the Covenant School”, Hawley wrote: “It is commonplace to call such horror senseless violence. But properly speaking, that is false. Police report the attack here was targeted … against Christians.“… I urge you to immediately open an investigation into this shooting as a federal hate crime. The full resources of the federal government must be brought to bear … Hate that leads to violence must be condemned and hate crimes must be prosecuted.”At the White House, Joe Biden was asked about Hawley’s contention. The president said: “Well, I probably don’t [think so] then. No, I’m joking – I have no idea.”In the Senate, the US attorney general was asked by John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, if he would open a hate crimes investigation.Merrick Garland said: “As of now, motive hasn’t been identified. We are certainly working full time with [federal agencies and Nashville and Tennessee law enforcement] to determine what the motive is and of course motive is what determines whether it’s a hate crime or not.”In Tennessee, authorities continued to investigate. Police said the shooter, who was killed, wrote a “manifesto” and planned the attack extensively. The police chief, John Drake, told NBC that “resentment” over attending the school might have played a role in the shooting.skip past newsletter promotionafter newsletter promotionOn Monday, police said the 28-year-old shooter, Audrey Elizabeth Hale, was transgender.LGBTQ+ rights groups have expressed concern that Hale’s writings could be published, a step police have said they will not take while the investigation continues.Gun law reform group Gays Against Guns, formed after the Pulse nightclub massacre of 2016, condemned the Nashville shooting but also criticised Republican policies and laws.Gun violence and mass killings, the group said, “cannot be separated from the efforts of the cisgender white supremacist patriarchy to keep us divided along lines of race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexual orientation”.“Until our society confronts these realities, rather than hide from or obscure them as ‘Don’t Say Gay’ and anti-‘Critical Race Theory’ laws proliferating across the nation … intend, we can, sadly, expect many more incidents like today.”The group also said that “expectations and demands can take their toll on members of our LGBTQ+ communities who, instead of receiving support and understanding from their families and communities, receive hatred, ridicule, denigration and persecution”. More

A Republican senator holding up more than 100 nominations over Pentagon policy on abortion claimed: “I’m not going to let our military be politicised.”Tommy Tuberville, from Alabama, was speaking on Tuesday at a hearing staged by the armed services committee.The Department of Defense covers expenses and leave needs for troops who have to travel to obtain an abortion, a procedure it allows in cases of rape or incest or if the health of the mother is in danger.In protest of that policy, announced last October, Tuberville is objecting to the quick processing of more than 150 civilian nominees and senior officer promotions.Tuberville’s “hold” means each nomination or promotion must be voted on individually, rather than in time-saving batches.At the Tuesday hearing, the defense secretary, Lloyd Austin, said the delay could affect readiness to fight.Citing threats from Russia, China and Iran, the retired general said: “There are a number of things happening globally that indicate that we could be in a contest on any one given day.”“Not approving the recommendations for promotions actually creates a ripple effect through the force that makes us far less ready than we need to be.”“The effects are cumulative and it will affect families. It will affect kids going to schools because they won’t be able to change their duty station. It’s a powerful effect and will impact on our readiness.”Austin said: “I really implore you to reconsider and allow our nominations to move forward. It will make a significant difference for our force.”Republicans scored a longed-for victory last year, when the conservative-dominated supreme court overturned the right to abortion, which was protected for 49 years.Democrats seized on a potent campaign issue but the decision emboldened conservative states to pass draconian bans.Austin said: “Almost one in five of our troops is women. And they don’t get a chance to choose where they’re stationed. So almost 80,000 of our women are stationed in places where they don’t have access to non-covered reproductive healthcare.”Tuberville said: “Now my colleagues on the left think this abortion issue is good for a campaign, and that’s what this shouldn’t be about. I’m not going to let our military be politicised.”He also said: “I want to be clear on this: my hold has nothing to do with the supreme court’s decision to the access of abortion. This is about not forcing the taxpayers of this country to fund abortions.”On Monday, 36 Senate Democrats and two independents – Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine – sent an open letter to Austin, asking him to stand firm.“Abortion restrictions and bans only force service members to travel farther to states that have not restricted abortion,” the senators wrote, “further compromising both the financial security of the service members and military readiness.“Our service members should not be forced to needlessly risk their personal health and safety for routine healthcare simply because they pledged to protect and defend our nation.”On Tuesday, Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat and Senate majority leader, rebuked Tuberville directly. The Republican, Schumer said, risked “permanently politicising the confirmation of military personnel.“… I can’t think of a worse time for a [pro-Trump] Republican to pull a stunt like this, as threats against American security and against democracy are growing all around the world.“I urge members of his own party to prevail on the senator from Alabama to stand down in this unprecedented and dangerous move and allow these critical, nonpolitical, nonpartisan military nominees to go through.” More

That’s it for the US live politics blog. Here’s what happened today:
Earlier today, the Nashville police department gave a press conference about Monday’s shooting at a local elementary school, where three children and three adults were killed.
A federal judge has ordered Mike Pence to testify in a special counsel investigation on Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, though Pence is able to appeal the ruling.
Joe Biden commented on his ability to get gun control passed in the wake of Monday’s mass shooting. Biden said that he is only able to “plead with Congress” to act and pass gun control measures.
Democrats are apparently weighing legislative options in the face of Monday’s shooting, including a discharge petition which could bring legislation to the floor. But Democratic leadership has not provided a timeline to when or if they plan on doing so.
Republicans, including Tennessee governor Bill Lee, have been accused of hypocrisy for providing their condolences following Monday’s shooting but refusing to support gun control measures.
Thank you for reading. Join us tomorrow for more updates!Earlier today, the Nashville police department provided more updates on the shooter who killed three children and three adults at an area elementary school on Monday.According to the police, the 28-year-old shooter had legally purchased seven guns. The firearms were hidden from the shooter’s parents as the shooter resided in the family home.The shooter’s parents believed that the shooter owned one gun that had been sold.The shooter used three of the purchased guns to carry out the massacre on Monday at Covenant school, where they were a former student. The shooter had reportedly been receiving treatment for an “emotional disorder”, reported Reuters.The shooter left behind a detailed map of the school as well as what police are describing as a “manifesto”, which indicated that the shooter may have had plans to target other locations.Before carrying out the shooting, the shooter messaged Averianna Patton, a friend and former basketball teammate, writing: “Something bad is about to happen.”Patton told Nashville’s News Channel 5 that she notified police about the message, but said that police showed a lack of urgency.Here are more highlights from Biden’s remarks from NPR’s Asma Khalid:Biden spoke about yesterday’s mass shooting in Nashville while giving remarks at a semiconductor facility in North Carolina about his Investing in America agenda, his administration’s plan to increase job growth.Biden spoke on the shooting in Nashville, adding that the victims’ families deserve action on gun control and “more than a prayer”, referring to thoughts and prayers that are usually offered after such events.Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer responded to questions about whether an assault weapons ban would come to the floor for a vote.During remarks to the press, Schumer said that legislators were “working hard” to get enough votes for a ban to be passed, but declined to give a timeline on if a vote would happen on the issue soon.“Look, as you know, I care passionately about this. I’m the author of the bill that passed in 1994. And we’re working hard to get enough votes to pass it,” said Schumer.Florida representative Maxwell Frost called Republicans “cowards” for their failure to pass gun control.Discussing the Nashville shooting, Maxwell called out “politicians in this chamber that have been bought and paid for by the NRA” for not addressing the issue of gun violence seriously.“It is likely that at this moment, the next mass shooter is planning their shooting. What will this chamber do about it,” said Frost.Read the Guardian’s September 2022 profile of Frost here.The Georgia Democratic party (GDP) has put out a statement denouncing Florida governor Ron DeSantis’s upcoming speech at a local gun shop following yesterday’s shooting in Nashville.Representative Nikema Williams, who is also chair of the GDP, called on DeSantis to cancel the upcoming stop in Smyrna, Georgia, according to a statement from Williams published Tuesday:Holding a campaign event at a gun store days after another horrific school shooting where innocent children were murdered should be beyond the pale, but Ron DeSantis seems to not care.
DeSantis is showing Georgians exactly where his priorities lie as he advocates for an extreme MAGA agenda that could make it easier for criminals to carry guns in Florida and puts the gun lobby ahead of our children’s lives. DeSantis should cancel this event immediately.DeSantis is scheduled to visit the gun shop on Thursday, 30 March.A federal judge has ordered Mike Pence to testify in a special counsel investigation on Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.The former vice-president has been ordered to testify about conversations he had with Trump leading up to the January 6 insurrection, reported CNN.The judge has said that Pence can decline to answer questions related to his own actions or the insurrection itself.Pence is able to appeal this ruling.Joe Biden has commented on his ability to get gun control passed following Monday’s massacre at a Nashville elementary school, noting that he can only “plead with Congress” for action.Biden spoke to reporters while on his way to Durham, North Carolina.While making his trip, Biden was asked about his ability to enact firearm restrictions.“I can’t do anything except plead with Congress to act,” said Biden.The Guardian’s Martin Pengelly wrote on the latest updates regarding Tuesday’s shooting in Nashville at an elementary school, available here.The Senate chaplain commented on yesterday’s mass shooting, delivering fiery remarks about the need to move beyond thoughts and prayers in response to gun violence.On Tuesday, Senate chaplain Barry Black began his morning prayer for the Senate with a plea on addressing gun violence.“When babies die at a church school, it is time for us to move beyond thoughts and prayers. Remind our lawmakers of the words of the British statesman Edmund Burke: ‘All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing,” said Black during his impassioned prayer.Democrats are now holding a press conference in response to yesterday’s shooting, urging Republicans to work with them and pass gun control legislation.Democrats are apparently weighing legislative options in the face of Monday’s shooting at a Tennessee elementary school, including a discharge petition.Democrats have been critical of Republicans’ responses to the latest mass shooting and are considering potential actions, reports Politico’s Nicholas Wu.“We’re going to have a conversation about all options to deal with the gun violence epidemic in America,” said US House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries to Politico.Tennessee representative Andrew Ogles has responded to criticism he received after yesterday’s Nashville shooting for a 2021 Christmas family photo featuring firearms.Ogles, who represents the district where the shooting took place, did not express regrets on Tuesday over the photo, where Ogles, his wife, and several of his children are holding riffles and smiling.“Why would I regret a photograph with my family exercising my rights to bear arms?” said the representative.An aide to Kentucky senator Rand Paul was stabbed multiple times over the weekend, said the senator in a late Monday statement.A member of Paul’s staff was seriously wounded during the random attack around 5.15 pm eastern time on Saturday, reported ABC News.The assault took place less than two miles outside of the US Capitol building, raising concerns about violence in the capital city.“This past weekend a member of my staff was brutally attacked in broad daylight in Washington, D.C.,” said Paul in a statement to ABC News.“I ask you to join [wife] Kelley and me in praying for a speedy and complete recovery, and thanking the first responders, hospital staff, and police for their diligent actions.”The victim was treated for stab wounds and taken to the hospital for “treatment of life-threatening injuries”, according to a police report obtained by ABC.The suspect was arrested and is being held without bail.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke this morning about yesterday’s shooting, urging Republicans to “show some courage” on passing gun control measures. While speaking on the show Morning Joe, Jean-Pierre spoke about the need for legislation following another mass shooting in a US school.“No other country is dealing with this,” said Jean-Pierre. “No other country is dealing with our kids going to school [and] being slaughtered, being murdered.”“Enough. Enough. Enough,” Jean-Pierre added. “We need Republicans in Congress to show some courage. This is what they owe these parents.Following Monday’s shooting in Nashville, Tennessee governor Bill Lee has come under fire for sharing condolences about the massacre while not supporting gun control in the state. Republican governor Bill Lee shared on Monday that he was “praying for the school, congregation & Nashville community”.But Lee was widely criticized for his comments as Lee refused to pass firearm restrictions in June following a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two teachers were killed.Lee also faced backlash for his comments, as his administration passed a bill in 2021 that allows open carry of handguns without permits in Tennessee.Good morning.Yesterday’s shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, has once again spotlighted the partisan divide on how to address gun violence in schools.Three children and three adults were killed during Monday’s massacre at the Covenant school, a private elementary school, confirmed the Nashville police department. The shooting was carried out by a former student who was shot and killed at the scene.In response to Monday’s tragedy, Democrats have been quick to point out hypocrisy and inaction on gun violence from their Republican counterparts.Tennessee representative Andrew Ogles, who represents the district where the Covenant school is located, said he was “utterly heartbroken” over the shooting in a statement released on Monday, reported the Washington Post.But Democrats and gun control advocates brought up Ogles’ previous defense of guns, including a 2021 Christmas card featuring Ogles’ family smiling and holding riffles.White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre similarly accused Republicans of inaction during yesterday’s briefing, stating: “How many more children have to be murdered before Republicans in Congress step up and pass the assault weapons ban, to close loopholes in our background check system, or to require the safe storage of guns?” More

Former US vice-president Mike Pence must testify in front of a grand jury investigating Donald Trump’s election subversion and incitement of the January 6 attack on Congress, a federal judge reportedly ruled on Tuesday.Multiple news outlets reported the ruling, which remained under seal.Trump and Pence himself have both sought to stop Pence from testifying in the justice department investigation of Trump’s attempt to overturn his defeat by Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.At issue are conversations between Pence and Trump leading up to January 6 and the attack on the Capitol, which is now linked to nine deaths, more than a thousand arrests and hundreds of convictions.Lawyers for Trump cited executive privilege, the concept that communications between a president and aides are protected.Lawyers for Pence argued he was protected by the separation of powers, via the vice-president’s role as president of the Senate, which he performed on 6 January 2021, the day supporters who were told to “fight like hell” by Trump tried to block certification of Biden’s win.On Tuesday, James E Boasberg, a judge in federal district court in Washington DC, reportedly rejected both arguments.Pence is not expected to have to answer questions about his own actions on 6 January 2021, when he was spirited away from a mob which chanted about hanging him while a makeshift gallows went up outside.Pence has described that experience in a book, So Help Me God, published ahead of an expected run against Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. He has also criticised Trump’s actions in public remarks. Trump has said the January 6 Capitol attack was Pence’s fault.On Tuesday, Pence was reportedly considering an appeal. Robert Costa, a CBS correspondent and co-author with Bob Woodward of the bestselling book Peril, about Trump’s attempt to cling onto power, said: “Pence has said he might see this all the way to the supreme court.”The Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe has described Pence’s defence as “meritless”, saying: “Pence needn’t file a foolish appeal just to prove his [pro-Trump] credentials. He’s done enough in that regard. Now he needs to show he’s law-abiding.”Reporting the ruling on Tuesday, the Associated Press said it set up the “extraordinary scenario of a former vice-president potentially testifying against his former boss in a criminal investigation”.Trump faces legal jeopardy on multiple fronts.An indictment is expected in New York, over a hush money payment to an adult film actor. His attempted election subversion is under investigation in Georgia and at the federal level. Jack Smith, the special counsel appointed by the US attorney general, Merrick Garland, is also investigating Trump’s retention of classified material.Authorities in New York have mounted a civil suit over Trump’s business affairs. In the same state, Trump also faces a defamation trial over an allegation of rape from the writer E Jean Carroll.Trump denies all wrongdoing, claiming to be the victim of prosecutors motivated by political and racial animus.He continues to lead polling regarding the Republican nomination for president. More