economic policy – One America News Network

A sign advertising for new employees with an updated starting salary of USD $16.75 per hour is seen in the window of a Target store in Hollywood, California on November 9, 2021. - Even as millions of Americans who lost their jobs to the Covid-19 pandemic have returned to work, companies nationwide report they're still struggling to hire employees in recent months. More than 10 million jobs were unfilled as of the end of August, according to government data. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

19 states increase minimum wages on New Year’s Day

Minimum wage workers across 19 states will see their hourly compensation increase in early 2026, with more states to follow later in the year.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 01: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwaji smile as confetti falls after his ceremonial inauguration as mayor at City Hall Thursday January 1, 2026 in New York, NY. Mamdani has added a “block party” to the official inauguration events to allow thousands of New Yorkers to take part. Mamdani was officially sworn in at midnight by New York Attorney General Letitia James at the Old City Hall subway station in a private ceremony. (Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

Mamdani vows to ditch the ‘rugged individualism’ of free markets and embrace the ‘warmth of collectivism’

Newly sworn in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani affirmed his plans to stick to socialism during his inauguration speech, vowing to bring “the era of big government” back.

A video billboard showing McDonald's fast food is displayed in Times Square, New York City, on August 22, 2022. According to the New York State Labor Department, New York City has regained only 82 percent of the jobs lost during the Covid-19 pandemic, and remains 176,000 jobs below the pre-pandemic record. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

N.Y. minimum wage set to increase on Jan. 1

On January 1st, New York will raise its minimum wage to $17 an hour in New York City (NYC), Long Island, and Westchester County. As for the rest of the Empire State, the minimum wage will be $16 an hour.

(R)Ray Dalio is interviewed by host Nicole Lapin on the "Money Rehab" podcast on May 15, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Nicole Lapin) / (Background) A sign that reads "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" is seen by a desk after the the House of Representatives passed the US President Donald Trump's tax bill at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 3, 2025. Congress passed the "One Big Beautiful Bill," despite misgivings in his party over a text that would balloon the national debt and launch a historic assault on the social safety net. (Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP) (Photo by ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio and his wife donate $75M to ‘Trump Accounts’ for Connecticut youth: ‘Following the Dell model’

Hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio and his wife announced a commitment to contribute $75 million to children in Connecticut. This funds $250 per child for roughly 300,000 eligible children in their home state as part of seeding “Trump Accounts” — the administration’s federal initiative for child investment accounts.

QUEMADO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: Farmer Jose Esquivel begins to leave after surveying his field of cattle on June 13, 2023 in Quemado, Texas. Ranchers and farmers have begun culling their cattle herds due to drought and high costs in the region, threatening a potentially steep climb in prices for the country's supply of beef. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Trump defends plan to import Argentinian beef, argues American cattle ranchers ‘have to get their prices down’

President Donald Trump defended his decision to import beef from Argentina after facing backlash from beef producers and agricultural-state Republicans, arguing that they need to “get their prices down.”

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 13: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters outside the West Wing after doing a television interview on the North Lawn of the White House on March 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. Bessent stopped to speak to reporters briefly and took a question on tariffs and voiced his concerns about a potential government shutdown. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Bessent labels $20B ‘economic stabilization’ agreement with Argentina ‘mission-critical’

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent asserted that the $20 billion “economic stabilization” support agreement with Argentina is a “mission-critical effort” that can continue during the U.S. government shutdown.