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Former Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

For a while, it seemed like a college degree was the golden ticket to joining the upper-middle class. Increasingly, it just looks like another credential.

A bachelor's degree has become a common requirement for landing US jobs, even those that didn't previously require one. However, with not enough workers to meet demand, political leaders and employers are reconsidering the need for these degrees.

Former President Barack Obama said over and over that a college education was the surest path to the middle class, and Americans seemed to agree as enrollments took off.

Then in the last few years, like dominoes, state after state scrapped college-degree requirements to fill government vacancies, joining companies like IBM who now look for skills rather than degrees. Obama tweeted Monday that more states should follow suit. Democrats, Republicans, and corporations have turned towards the skilled and degreeless.

The tight labor market has hit government employment hard. Even though government workers increased by 46,000 in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report, government employment remains below its pre-pandemic level by 376,000 workers, or 1.6%. Understaffing has undermined water access, transit safety, and hurricane relief, forcing state and local governments to lure employees with signing bonuses and rely on federal assistance in times of emergency.

Rather than continue to increase budgets to compete with the private sector on salaries and benefits, state governments are now trying to fill their historic vacancies by tapping into the workforce without bachelor's degrees, which accounted for 62% of the population age 25 and older in 2021, according to the Census Bureau.

Republican governors were the first to ditch college-degree requirements. Up against some 8,600 vacancies in the executive branch in January 2022, the state of Maryland allocated $800 million for salary increases and bonuses to attract and retain employees.

That March, former Gov. Larry Hogan announced that the state would open up half of the state's 38,000 jobs to workers who've obtained skills and experience through community college, military service, boot camps, and working on the job a broader range of qualifications that covers more than 70 million Americans nationwide. Hogan partnered with the workforce development nonprofit Opportunity@Work to specifically identify workers in the IT, administrative, and customer service sectors, according to The Bay Net.

"It's time to debunk the fiction that a prestigious degree is the only key to the American dream," Hogan wrote in an October 2022 Wall Street Journal op-ed.

Following Maryland's lead, Utah's Republican Gov. Spencer Cox launched his own initiative to drop bachelor's degree requirements for 98% of the state's 1,080 jobs in December 2022. Days later, Colorado's Democratic Gov. Jarid Polis ordered state agencies to integrate skills-first hiring practices and consider skills and experience interchangeable with degree requirements, partnering with the Markle Foundation to secure jobs for workers without degrees.

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Democrat governors agree that college has become a credential that limits career opportunities for most Americans. In January, Pennsylvania's Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order opening up 92%, or roughly 65,000, of state jobs to those without college degrees.

"In Pennsylvania, the people should decide what path is best for them, not have it decided by some arbitrary requirement or any arbitrary limitation," Shapiro said during a public signing ceremony, according to the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.

The New York Times editorial board praised Shapiro for making the movement bipartisan. They urged more states to follow to move the economy away from a preference for college degrees, restoring a sense of fairness many Americans feel is lost.

Since Shapiro's move, Alaska's Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered state agencies to substitute practical experience for a degree in hiring where possible, and Georgia is near passing a law that would minimize positions requiring a bachelor's degree.

To address its teacher shortage, Arizona passed a law in 2022 so that college students could train as public school teachers before receiving their degree, according to the Center Square. Oregon also issued a temporary order in 2022 allowing those without bachelor's degrees to work as substitute teachers.

Before there was a bipartisan consensus among politicians, the private sector was already looking beyond degrees. Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook have famously complained that colleges do not teach students the skills they need to succeed on the job. Cook said in 2019 that half of Apple's US workforce didn't have four-year degrees.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Google now uses its online college-alternative program to hire employees without degrees, IBM no longer requires four-year degrees for a majority of US roles, and Delta no longer requires four-year degrees of its pilots. A 2022 report from the thinktank Burning Glass Institute found that 46% of middle-skill and 31% of high-skill jobs have cut degree requirements of one kind or another between 2017-2019, the majority of which are expected to be permanent.

A college degree may increase your earning potential, but it may not hold the keys to the middle class for much longer.

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Democrats, Republicans, companies agree college degrees aren't the future - Business Insider

Laffer Tengler Investments CEO Nancy Tengler and maslansky+partners' Lee Carter attribute residents fleeing big cities to 'really bad policy.'

Bad news for some high-earning workers in some of Americas biggest cities your six-figure salary may not stretch as fiscally far as you think, according to a new report.

A recent analysis from SmartAsset has revealed what a $100,000 salary is actually worth in the largest U.S. cities. While a six-figure salary mark has culturally been seen as a sign of financial comfort and success, data showed that take-home pay totaled less than $40,000 in New York City, Honolulu and San Francisco, respectively.

Other Democrat-led cities clinched the top places where your paycheck doesn't go as far, including Washington, D.C., Long Beach and Los Angeles which tied for fifth at a take-home pay of $44,263 San Diego, Oakland, and Boston, all raking in less than $49,000 for high earners.

SmartAsset calculated the data by comparing the after-tax income, average cost of living per densely-populated city and impact of inflation.

STUDY SAYS RED STATES SMASH BLUE STATES AS THE BEST FOR BUSINESS START-UPS

Laffer Tengler Investments CEO and CIO Nancy Tengler recently moved from California to Arizona, and argued residents who make $100,000 or above flee these blue cities for one reason: its "all about the taxes."

Workers making $100,000 annually receive the least amount of take-home pay in cities like New York, Honolulu and San Francisco because it's "all about the taxes," Laffer Tengler Investments CEO and CIO Nancy Tengler said on "Mornings with Maria." (Getty Images)

"It trickles through to everything," Tengler said on "Mornings with Maria" Friday. "We're seeing a big influx of people moving from California to Arizona. And then I spend the other half of the year in Incline Village, Lake Tahoe, which is in Nevada, and we're seeing the same Californians fleeing the Golden State."

"It's really noteworthy," she continued, "and I think policymakers should stand up and take notice because you're experiencing the same thing here, obviously, in New York."

In 2022, California and New York suffered some of the biggest resident losses, with California seeing its population tumble by more than 343,000 people, and New York had the overall largest decline in its population with a 0.9% drop. These states are also known to have some of the highest tax burdens in the country.

U.S. residents are leaving Democrat-led states like New York and California at steep levels, population data shows.

In New York City, workers making $100,000 annually only take home $35,791 after taxes and cost of living.

Residents in Honolulu, Hawaii, earning $100,000 bring home $36,026.

In San Francisco, California, earning $100,000 produces a take-home amount of $36,445.

"I see it every day," maslansky+partners' Lee Carter added to the conversation Friday. "More than half your money in New York City is going to taxes by the time you pay for city taxes and all the rest of it, so it's really staggering. It's really bad policy."

On the reverse side of SmartAssests report, it was determined that a $100,000 salary in Memphis, Tennessee, earns the most take-home pay with $86,444. Texas cities also dominated the top 10 cities your money goes farthest, including El Paso, Corpus Christi, Lubbock, Houston and San Antonio.

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Top 10 cities where $100K salary is worth the least:

Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla. argues Americans are moving out of Democratic-led cities for better policies.

Top 10 cities where $100K goes the farthest:

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FOX Business Megan Henney contributed to this report.

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People making $100K in these Democrat-run cities are taking a big pocket punch: Report - Fox Business

RALEIGH, N.C. North Carolina House Republicans approved new rules on Wednesday limiting how racism and sexism can be taught but fell short of gaining any Democratic support to guarantee a veto override.

The 68-49 vote went along party lines with all Republicans in support and all Democrats in opposition. Republicans would need at least one Democrat should Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper veto the bill again as he did in 2021.

GOP lawmakers say the bill is designed to prevent schools from promoting critical race theory. House Bill 187 has provisions such as one saying teachers shall not promote that anyone should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress based on their race or sex.

This bill does not change what history standards can and cannot be taught, said Rep. John Torbett, a Gaston County Republican and the bills primary sponsor. It simply prohibits schools from endorsing discriminatory concepts.

But Democratic lawmakers argued that the bill is so vaguely worded that teachers will censor what they say to stay out of potential trouble.

The bill on its face is the obvious attempt to micromanage from the General Assembly into the classrooms, said Rep. Laura Budd, a Mecklenburg County Democrat. Its overreach. It will have a chilling effect on teachers and educators in curtailing what they think theyre allowed to teach, as well as how they teach.

The legislation now goes to the GOP-controlled Senate, where its expected to easily pass.

A bill with nearly identical language passed the House and Senate in 2021. When Cooper vetoed that bill, he said it pushes calculated, conspiracy-laden politics into public education.

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House Bill 187, titled Equality in Education says public schools cant promote concepts such as the idea that one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex or that an individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive.

The bill also would stop teachers from promoting the concept of white privilege, or that white people have unfair advantages over others solely due to their race. The bill says teachers cant promote that privileges should be ascribed to a race or sex.

Other items that the bill says teachers cant promote include:

An individual, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex;

A meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist;

The United States was created by members of a particular race or sex for the purpose of oppressing members of another race or sex.

At the end of the day we should all be able to agree that no student, no teacher, no parent, no school employee, no one should ever be made to feel inferior solely because of the color of their skin, their gender, national origin, race, religion, disability and familial status, especially in our schools when learning for our young should be fun and exciting, said Torbett, the lone Republican to speak for the bill Wednesday.

The legislation, which does not include the phrase critical race theory, would also require schools to post online ahead of time whenever schools provide instruction related to the prohibited concepts. Theyd also have to list when they hire speakers, consultants or diversity trainers who discuss those concepts or have previously advocated those concepts.

Rep. Julie von Haefen, a Wake County Democrat, questioned whether the bill would prevent her from speaking in schools or serving as a substitute teacher due to her political beliefs.

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Republican lawmakers have introduced bills at the national and state level targeting what they call critical race theory, which holds that racism has been a systemic part of the nations history that still influences society today.

Conservative groups have accused schools of promoting critical race theory. School leaders have denied the charge, saying that anything involving the discussion of diversity, equity and race has been conflated to be about critical race theory.

Since January 2021, 44 states have introduced bills or taken other steps that would restrict teaching critical race theory or limit how teachers can discuss racism and sexism, according to an Education Week analysis. Eighteen states have imposed these bans and restrictions either through legislation or other avenues.

You have to be made uncomfortable in order to expand your mind and to learn, said Rep. Kelly Alexander, a Mecklenburg County Democrat. Thats what education is all about.

The push to target critical race theory comes as North Carolina Republicans are also promoting legislation known as the Parents Bill of Rights targeting instruction in elementary grades on explicit material and LGBTQ issues. The state Senate approved that bill this year, but it has not been taken up by the House.

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Torbett said the legislation will help promote unity in this country and state.

North Carolina, this great education state, must have an educational system that unites and teaches our children, not divides and indoctrinates them, Torbett said.

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Democrats said the bill doesnt provide guidance on what would be acceptable.

At a time when teachers are already feeling pressure from staff shortages, book bans, inadequate resources, this bill continues to undermine the autonomy of the teaching profession and fails to support teachers, von Haefen said during the floor debate.

Von Haefen said the bill raises questions from teachers about whether they could continue to have discussions about equal rights, the right to vote and why women are under-represented in politics and other fields.

Democrats also said the bill will cause teachers to shy away from discussing controversial topics.

This bill frightens me because I think people will start trying to limit exposure to history by all of us, added Rep. Abe Jones, a Wake County Democrat. We all can learn from history.

2023 The Charlotte Observer. Visit at charlotteobserver.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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N.C. House passes bill prohibiting 'critical race theory'; Democrats ... - The Virginian-Pilot

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Thursday said he would not vaccinate his children against Covid, citing concerns over potential heart inflammation.

Paul, a doctor and an outspoken opponent of Covid mitigation measures, said he is concerned about the risk of myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, from taking the vaccine.

I, frankly, wouldnt vaccinate my children for Covid, Paul told The Hill on Thursday. I think the risks of the vaccine are greater than the risks of the disease. The risks of the disease are almost non-existent.

A very small group of people in the United States have experienced myocarditis after being given Covid vaccines based on mRNA technology. Myocarditis is a condition that has long been linked to a number of viral infections, including influenza and coxsackieviruses, as well as Covid.

Paul suggested that young people take only one dose of the Covid vaccine instead of multiple doses, saying that there is a higher risk of myocarditis among young people after they receive the second dose.

If you want to give them a vaccine and theyve already had Covid, why not one instead of three? I think it really is malpractice, he said. There is room to debate but I dont think theres any evidence to give three vaccines.

Pauls remarks come a day after he grilled Moderna CEO Stphane Bancelduring a hearing about the potential risk of myocarditis for young men following Covid shots.

I also spoke with your president just last week, and he readily acknowledged in private that, yes, there is an increased risk of myocarditis, Paul said during the hearing Wednesday. The fact that you cant say it in public is quite disturbing.

He repeatedly clashed at Senate hearings with Dr. Anthony Fauci, who served as the governments top infectious disease expert, for his handling of the pandemic. They argued over topics ranging fromherd immunityto theorigins of the virus.

Summer Concepcion is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Excerpt from:
Rand Paul says he wouldn't give his children Covid vaccinations over myocarditis concerns - NBC News

Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul recently revealed the details of a private conversation he had with the president of Moderna.

On Wednesday, the CEO of Moderna Stphane Bancel testified before a hearing held by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and was questioned by several of the committee's members including Senator Paul.

A portion of Paul's questions were focused on myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, after individuals receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Paul asked Bancel if there's a higher incidence of myocarditis "among boys 16 to 24 after they take" the Moderna vaccine. Bancel said that the rate of myocarditis for the specific age and gender group is less than those who contract COVID-19.

Paul then went on to dispute Bancel's remark and said, "I also spoke with your president just last week and he readily acknowledged, in private, that yes there is an increased risk of myocarditis. The fact that you can't say it in public is quite disturbing."

The comments by Paul come amid ongoing speculation about the origins of the COVID-19 virus, which were prompted by a report from the Wall Street Journal detailing a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) report that said the novel virus likely originated from a lab in Wuhan, China.

Following the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, officials across the globe worked quickly to develop a vaccine to curb the spread of the virus. Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson became the three companies that were able to develop a vaccine that has been administered to millions of Americans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In the months following the rollout of the vaccines, some cases of myocarditis and pericarditis appeared in adolescent males.

"Myocarditis and pericarditis have rarely been reported. When reported, the cases have especially been in adolescents and young adult males within several days after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna)," the CDC states.

According to the CDC, cases of myocarditis and pericarditis are most common after the second dose of an mRNA vaccine, such as the one developed by Moderna and usually occur within a week of receiving the second dose.

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Despite the remarks by Paul on Wednesday, the CDC states, "The known risks of COVID-19 illness and its related, possibly severe complications, such as long-term health problems, hospitalization, and even death, far outweigh the potential risks of having a rare adverse reaction to vaccination, including the possible risk of myocarditis or pericarditis."

Newsweek reached out to Paul's press office and Moderna for comment via email.

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Rand Paul Reveals Details of Private Conversation With Moderna President - Newsweek