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WZTV FOX 17 - Top Stories
by CNN's Alison Kosik
NEW YORK, New York - If President Obama gets his way, America's minimum wage will take a big jump. It was a surprising addition to the State of the Union Address. President Obama revealing he wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $9/hour, affecting 15 million Americans in the process. The current minimum wage sits at $7.25/hour. An increase to $9 means workers would earn around $18,000/year, but that would still be below the poverty level for a family of 4. Currently, only 19 states pay above the federal level. That means almost 4 million workers earn at or below the rate, and that figure doesn't include employees paid on a weekly basis, like maids and landscapers. They would also benefit from an increase. Advocates for a wage hike say it would mean more money in the bank for lower income workers and would also boost consumer demand. The Federal Reserve of Chicago says a $1 jump in the rate would increase minimum wage workers' household spending by almost $3000/year. Critics say raising the minimum wage would actually cost jobs and wouldn't help reduce poverty. Small businesses, which are already set to be hit with new regulations and healthcare requirements, would be the hardest hit. Regardless, the President will have a hard time getting this proposal past Congress. 2007 was the last time a bill of this nature was passed, and all attempts since have failed.
NEW YORK, New York - If President Obama gets his way, America's minimum wage will take a big jump. It was a surprising addition to the State of the Union Address. President Obama revealing he wants to raise the federal minimum wage to $9/hour, affecting 15 million Americans in the process. The current minimum wage sits at $7.25/hour. An increase to $9 means workers would earn around $18,000/year, but that would still be below the poverty level for a family of 4. Currently, only 19 states pay above the federal level. That means almost 4 million workers earn at or below the rate, and that figure doesn't include employees paid on a weekly basis, like maids and landscapers. They would also benefit from an increase. Advocates for a wage hike say it would mean more money in the bank for lower income workers and would also boost consumer demand. The Federal Reserve of Chicago says a $1 jump in the rate would increase minimum wage workers' household spending by almost $3000/year. Critics say raising the minimum wage would actually cost jobs and wouldn't help reduce poverty. Small businesses, which are already set to be hit with new regulations and healthcare requirements, would be the hardest hit. Regardless, the President will have a hard time getting this proposal past Congress. 2007 was the last time a bill of this nature was passed, and all attempts since have failed.
Wednesday, February 13 2013, 11:05 PM CST
Tennessee News
Miss. chooses new firm to run Woodville prison
May 18, 2013 20:50 GMT
WOODVILLE, Miss. (AP) -- Mississippi officials have picked a new company to run the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility.
Utah-based Management and Training Corp. announced Friday that the Mississippi Department of Corrections has chosen it to run the 1,000-bed prison starting July 1, the Natchez Democrat reports (http://bit.ly/10MvOGv).
Corrections Corporation of America, based in Nashville, Tenn., had run the prison since 1998. MTC says it will keep "the vast majority" of employees.
MTC will get a five-year contract to run the prison with two one-year options. Last year, officials chose MTC to take over East Mississippi Correctional Facility, the Walnut Grove Correctional Facility and the Marshall County Correctional Facility from the GEO Group. MTC won 10-year contracts for each.
CCA still runs the Tallahatchie County Correctional Facility and the Adams County Correctional Center in Mississippi.
Information from: The Natchez Democrat, http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/
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