Ky. town passes LGBT fairness ordinance
For the first time in 10 years, another Kentucky city approved a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) anti-discrimination Fairness ordinance. The three other cities in Kentucky that have passed the LGBT anti-discrimination laws are Louisville, Lexington and Covington, with Covington most recently in 2003. The Fairness ordinance was passed in Vicco, Ky., a small Appalachian town, which prohibits discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Algerian hostage crisis lasts four days
A terrorist attack on a natural gas field in Algeria has left at least 23 hostages dead. The initial attack on the jointly owned field by Algerian, British, and Norwegian firms took place last Wednesday, as terrorists affiliated with al-Qaida stormed the field with assault rifles and explosives. About 700 workers from various countries were at the field, Americans among them. The Algerian military quickly responded to the attack, killing at least 32 militants during the four-day hostage crisis. The crisis ended Saturday, with one American dead, seven escaped and concern growing about the remaining two Americans known to be among the hostages.
Walmart announces plan to hire veterans
Beginning on Memorial Day, Walmart plans to hire any veteran who has received an honorable discharge from the military within a year of applying for a job. The company believes this plan will lead to hiring over 100,000 veterans in the next five years, the length of the commitment to the program. Company officials said that already, about 100,000 of the company’s 1.4 million employees in the United States are veterans.
New York City schoolbus drivers strike
Protesting the city putting contracts with school bus companies up for bid, school bus drivers across the city went on strike on Jan. 16th. The strike affects over 100,000 public and 50,000 parochial school children. In NYC, just 2,320 of its 7,700 bus routes were operating Friday. The National Labor Relations Board will rule on the complaint from private bus companies that the strike is illegal on Jan. 22, and their ruling on this matter could end the strike. In the meantime, NYC Department of Education provided free MetroCards to students and parents so they could take the subway system to school.
