Latest news with #Albright
The Hill
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Federal judge tosses Trump administration effort to end union rights for federal workers
A Trump-appointed federal judge tossed a suit brought by the administration in a preemptive move to strip collective bargaining rights from federal employees. The Trump administration brought the suit in the one-judge district in Texas shortly after signing an order seeking to end union rights at 18 different federal agencies. The suit sought a declaratory judgment from a Waco court that the White House has 'the power to rescind or repudiate' collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) across numerous agencies. But U.S. District Court Judge Alan Albright declined to do so, siding with unions in determining that the plaintiff agencies did not have standing to bring the suit and dismissing the suit. 'Plaintiffs ask this Court to do something it should not and cannot do: issue a declaratory judgment pre-approving the acts of executive agencies absent a legally cognizable injury-in-fact,' Albright wrote in the Wednesday ruling. 'This Court is unable to identify a single instance in which a federal court has exercised jurisdiction over agencies seeking a pre-enforcement declaratory judgment approving their desired future course of conduct.' Albright further wrote that doing so 'could open a Pandora's Box of encouraging the Executive Branch to seek the Judiciary's blessing for every Executive Order prior to implementation.' The move is a blow to the Trump administration, which sought Albright's blessing in a bid to terminate a number of existing collective bargaining agreements signed with unions. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the nation's largest federal employee union, had been highly critical of Trump's move to end bargaining rights at the 18 agencies. Framed as a national security measure, the executive order from Trump sought to end unions rights at a wide range of agencies, including those not traditionally thought to have a national security role. A White House fact sheet at the time said the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 allowing government workers to unionize 'enables hostile Federal unions to obstruct agency management.' AFGE had condemned the action in an email to its members, saying the Trump administration was 'illegally strip[ping] collective bargaining rights from hundreds of thousands of federal workers. 'Let's be clear. National security is not the reason for this action. This is retaliation because our union is standing up for AFGE members—and a warning to every union: fall in line, or else.'
Politico
6 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Trump-appointed judge tosses White House lawsuit against labor unions
In the complaint, eight of the agencies claimed that the Biden administration entered into 'midnight' deals with labor unions aimed at hamstringing its successor. They asked the court for an affirmative blessing in order to invalidate the collective bargaining agreements — a request that Albright said was something the court 'should not and could not do.' 'This Court is unable to identify a single instance in which a federal court has exercised jurisdiction over agencies seeking a pre-enforcement declaratory judgment approving their desired future course of conduct,' Albright wrote in a 27-page ruling Wednesday. He said that doing so would risk opening a 'Pandora's Box' in which the executive branch would begin to routinely go to court to greenlight its executive orders. Albright also noted that a different federal judge in Kentucky came to the same conclusion on standing back in May. Nevertheless, he wrote that the administration offered 'compelling arguments' supporting Trump's determination that these agencies are primarily engaged in national security work and, therefore, can be exempted from unionization. The White House and AFGE did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In the aftermath of Trump's executive order, agencies worked to stop deducting union dues from workers' paychecks — a critical blow to AFGE's and other groups' ability to fund their operations. Unions have moved to set up alternative collections mechanisms but have said in court papers that the administration's decision will cost them millions of dollars. Unions have filed lawsuits of their own in multiple courthouses across the country. Several district court judges have ruled against the White House, casting doubt on the sincerity of Trump's national security justification. Lawyers for the affected unions cited a White House fact sheet and other evidence that the executive order was actually intended as a retaliatory measure against labor groups for challenging the president's policies. However, a D.C. appellate court in May lifted a lower-court block against the Trump administration and signaled that the president should have considerable leeway when it comes to national security implications. An appeals court in California likewise appeared reticent to overrule Trump's determination in a hearing earlier this month.
Epoch Times
17-07-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
William F. Albright: The Father of Biblical Archaeology
William Foxwell Albright (1891–1971) was born to financially modest American Methodist missionaries in Coquimbo, Chile. His life as a child was anything but easy for various reasons. He grew up under tight budgetary constraints, in a country not his own, combined with poor eyesight and a crippled left hand due to a farming accident. These issues often made him the brunt of jokes among the local schoolchildren. Albright, however, was a voracious reader and inquisitive thinker, and his affinity for ancient history led him to become known as the father of Biblical archaeology. As a constant reader and growing up in a minister's home, he was thoroughly acquainted with the Old Testament. These ancient stories inspired him to study the history of the ancient Near East. When he was 10, his parents bought him R.W. Rogers's 'History of Babylonia and Assyria,' which left a lasting impact. Becoming a Scholar
Egypt Independent
01-07-2025
- Science
- Egypt Independent
Satellite imagery reveals ongoing work at Iranian nuclear site bombed by US
New satellite images show continuing work at Iran's Fordow nuclear enrichment plant, which was struck by US B-2 bombers just over a week ago. The imagery was collected by Maxar Technologies on Sunday. Maxar said it 'reveals ongoing activity at and near the ventilation shafts and holes caused by last week's airstrikes on the Fordow fuel enrichment complex.' The pictures show 'an excavator and several personnel are positioned immediately next to the northern shaft on the ridge above the underground complex. The crane appears to be operating at the entrance to the shaft/hole.' According to Maxar, several additional vehicles are also seen below the ridge and are parked along the path that was built to access the site. Earlier this month, American B-2 bombers dropped more than a dozen bunker-buster bombs on Iran's Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites, while Tomahawk missiles launched from a US submarine hit the Isfahan site in central Iran. The US Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs targeted the two ventilation shafts at Fordow, according to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine. Maxar said the new images show 'ongoing activity at and near the ventilation shafts and holes caused by last week's airstrikes on the Fordow fuel enrichment complex.' Maxar Technologies Several additional vehicles are also seen below a ridge and are parked along the path that was built to access the nuclear site, according to Maxar. Maxar Technologies He told a Pentagon briefing last week that most of the bombs dropped at Fordow 'were tasked to enter the main shaft, move down into the complex at greater than 1,000 feet per second, and explode in the mission space.' Former nuclear inspector David Albright, who now leads the Institute for Science and International Security, said that imagery from Fordow on Saturday showed 'the Iranians are actively working at the two MOP impact sites penetrating the ventilation shafts' at the plant. Albright assessed that the activity 'may include backfilling the craters, as well as conducting engineering damage assessments and likely radiological sampling. The craters above the main shafts remain open.' 'We have observed that the Iranians have also rapidly repaired the bomb cratering damage on the main entrance road from only a few days prior. However, there are yet no indications of any efforts to reopen any of the tunnel entrances,' Albright posted on X. On Sunday, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog said US strikes on Iran fell short of causing total damage to its nuclear program and that Tehran could restart enriching uranium 'in a matter of months,' contradicting President Donald Trump's claims the US set Tehran's ambitions back by decades. The comments by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi appear to support an early assessment from the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency, first reported on by CNN, which suggests the United States' strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites last week did not destroy the core components of its nuclear program, and likely only set it back by months. While the final military and intelligence assessment has yet to come, Trump has repeatedly claimed to have 'completely and totally obliterated' Tehran's nuclear program. CNN's Laura Sharman and Sophie Tanno contributed to this report.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Xerox alum joins publisher Wiley following AI licensing revenue jump
This story was originally published on CFO Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily CFO Dive newsletter. Publishing company Wiley appointed Xerox alum Craig Albright to its top financial seat, effective June 26, according to a Monday securities filing. Albright will succeed interim finance chief Chris Caridi, who will remain with the Hoboken, New Jersey-based company as its SVP, chief accounting officer and finance transformation leader, according to the filing. The publisher of academic materials has tapped a new CFO as it looks to 'shape the future of AI in research,' with the company launching an AI partnership program in October. The company also reported revenues from AI licensing agreements nearly doubled for its fiscal 2025, reporting $40 million in such revenues compared to $23 million in fiscal 2024, according to its most recent earnings report. As CFO for Wiley, Albright is set to receive an annual base salary of $550,000, according to the filing with the SEC. He will also be eligible for an annual incentive opportunity with a target of 100% of his base and will be eligible for annual grants under the company's long-term incentive program, with a target incentive of 200% of his base salary, the company said. Wiley will also provide compensation and other support for relocation. Albright served in various executive roles during a two-decade span at Xerox, most recently serving as its CFO, Americas and global cash center lead, according to his LinkedIn profile. He started his career as a business analyst and consultant for Big Four firm Deloitte and served as an executive consultant for marketing firm Butler/Till before founding his own advisory and consulting firm, Albright Strategy & Capital, last December. Joining Wiley 'represents an incredible opportunity to further position the Company for the AI age,' Albright said in a statement included in a Monday press release announcing the move. Caridi, who joined the publishing firm in 2017 as its controller and CAO, has served as interim finance chief since Christina Van Tassell departed from the role last October, according to a press release at the time. Effective April 1, Wiley increased Caridi's compensation from $406,653 to $450,000 and boosted his annual target incentive to 85% of his annual base salary, for the duration of his service as interim CFO, according to a March filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company credited its full-year results for fiscal 2025 to a boost in AI licensing agreement revenue, alongside cost reduction and research growth efforts, according to their latest earnings release in mid-June. For its fiscal 2025 ended April 30, Wiley reported a jump in operating income to $221 million, compared to $52 million for the prior year period. Wiley's AI licensing revenue included an $18 million agreement with a 'new multinational tech customer' the company executed in its Q4, CEO Matthew Kissner said during the company's earning call, according to a transcript. Wiley saw $9 million from that deal realized in its latest quarter and is expecting to realize the remaining $9 million during its upcoming Q1, he said. Among other steps to further integrate AI into its platform, the company has also inked partnerships with platforms such as Amazon Web Services and Perplexity, as well as its AI innovation program. 'R&D-intensive corporations are increasingly using AI-powered content and tools to speed up product development, identify breakthroughs and reduce cycle times. This is where Wiley comes in,' Kissner said during the company's earnings call of its AI initiatives. 'Our expansive content and data catalogs can be embedded into vertical-specific AI models and applications in technology, health care, information services, industrials and others to improve efficacy and impact.' The company's bid to incorporate AI comes as the wider publishing industry grapples with the impact of the technology on the space, including a current debate over how to apply copyright law to AI. Several suits have been filed against larger players such as Microsoft and OpenAI, while both lawmakers and publishers have weighed in on guidelines for the technology's use. The U.S. Copyright Office issued a report in January noting 'the outputs of generative AI can be protected by copyright only where a human author has determined sufficient expressive elements.' Wiley also released guidelines on AI usage in both research and writing, which aims to help answer 'common questions about integrating AI effectively while safeguarding intellectual property rights and maintaining the integrity of your work,' according to the publisher's website. Recommended Reading Peloton CFO leans on cost cutting to reverse post-pandemic slump Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
