The Signal

Christine Tartaglione recently announced her intention to introduce new legislation in Pennsylvania's general assembly to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $20 (Photo courtesy of Flickr / Governor Tom Wolf. January 28, 2020).

News

Pennsylvania lawmakers plan to increase minimum wage to $20

By Shaim Akhtar | Apr. 23

Democratic legislator Christine Tartaglione recently announced her intention to introduce new legislation in Pennsylvania's general assembly aimed at raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $20. Tartaglione plans to increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage on July 1, pending approval in both the assembly and the governor’s office, and maintain cost-of-living adjustments every five years thereafter.

Gov. Murphy signed new legislation to bolster funding for the state's transportation trust fund for an additional five years (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / Famartin. September 17, 2023).

News

New Jersey passes new transportation legislation

By Shaim Akhtar | Apr. 12

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed new legislation aimed at bolstering funding for the state's transportation trust fund for an additional five years. The legislation seeks to annually allocate about $2 billion dollars towards the modernization and upkeep of New Jersey's comprehensive transportation infrastructure.

The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed due to a cargo ship collision (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / NTSBgov. March 26, 2024).

News

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapses due to cargo container ship accident

By Shaim Akhtar | Apr. 5

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, located in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed on March 26 due to a collision with a cargo ship, causing a loss of structural stability in the bridge. Following the collapse, authorities rescued two construction workers from the debris and recovered the bodies of two workers in their initial rescue operation. Furthermore, officials believe that another four construction workers who were on the bridge are dead. The rescue operation to locate the workers, however, has transitioned into a salvage effort, as officials suspect the four still missing may be trapped in vehicles buried within the bridge debris, inaccessible to divers.

Gov. Phil Murphy passed new legislation that would improve affordable housing (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). April 25, 2014).

News

New Jersey passes new affordable housing plans

By Shaim Akhtar | Mar. 27

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently passed new legislation that would modify the regulations governing housing construction in order to improve affordable housing in the state. The legislation endeavors to generate 200,000 units of affordable housing by assisting municipalities in meeting a constitutional requirement to offer an equitable portion of homes that low and moderate income families can afford, according to North Jersey News.

The EU’s recent AI regulation aims to, in part, enhance transparency in data collection and human oversight in high-risk systems surrounding infrastructure (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / Pixabay. May 8, 2018).

News

The European Union announces regulations on artificial intelligence

By Shaim Akhtar | Mar. 20

The European Union recently announced new legislation for artificial intelligence programs, marking one of the first instances of the organization regulating the technology.

The Biden administration's recent policy aims to alleviate the burden of junk fees on credit card users by capping late fees at $8 starting in June (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / Reza luke. February 7, 2014).

News

Late credit card fees to be reduced to $8

By Shaim Akhtar | Mar. 16

The Biden administration recently announced a policy mandate that would cap credit card late fees at $8, significantly lower than the current fee of $32. The policy aims to alleviate the burden of junk fees on credit card users by capping late fees at $8 starting in June, potentially saving American families more than $10 billion in late fees, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The Supreme Court has been hearing oral arguments on two cases that will determine whether social media platforms can remove posts or accounts based on content deemed hateful (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / Kurt Kaiser. June 6, 2021).

News

Supreme Court hears arguments for social media laws

By Shaim Akhtar | Mar. 8

The Supreme Court has recently been hearing oral arguments on whether to prohibit social media companies and platforms from removing posts or accounts based on content they deemed hateful. While there is still a long path before the Supreme Court arrives at its final decision, there is no doubt that the result of the decision would have a significant impact on the relationship between social media and state laws.

Capital One announced its plan to merge with Discover Financial Services in late 2024 or early 2025 in a deal that would offer multiple benefits to both financial institutions (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / Tdorante10. November 20, 2018).

News

Capital One announces merger with Discover

By Shaim Akhtar | Feb. 28

Capital One recently announced its plan to merge with Discover Financial Services in late 2024 or early 2025, valuing the deal at over $35 billion. Following the announcement, Capital One released a statement to investors that provided further insight into the deal, including the projected revenue of $2.7 billion and the aim to reach more than 100 million customers worldwide following the acquisition.

George Washington's influential leadership in the 1700s has had a significant impact on the modern United States, allowing the nation to celebrate his legacy on President's Day (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons / “Gilbert Stuart Williamstown Portrait of George Washington” by Gilbert Stuart).

News

Exploring the history and traditions of President’s Day

By Shaim Akhtar | Feb. 19

On the third Monday of every February in the United States, President's Day is celebrated, commemorating the birthday of the nation's first president: George Washington.