Behind the scenes of President Biden’s historic picket line visit

Also inside: Local communities fight back against Republican abortion bans

While the national political circus continues to play out in Washington, it’s hard to overstate the significance of what happened in Michigan last week.

President Biden’s visit to the picket line in Belleville, Michigan last Tuesday marked the first time a sitting president has ever stood with striking workers. Gander Newsroom’s political correspondent Kyle Kaminski was live on the scene as the president spoke to UAW members in support of their fight for fair wages, benefits, and economic freedom.

Check out some of our behind-the-scenes coverage of Biden’s Michigan visit on TikTok and on the web.

More from COURIER’s other newsrooms:

ARIZONA

Here’s how you can help get abortion rights on the ballot in AZ

From The Copper Courier: Arizona abortion rights groups came together late last month to announce that they would begin the monumental task of collecting over 500,000 signatures from voters in favor of protecting abortion access in the state constitution.

FLORIDA

How Floridians are fighting back against Ron DeSantis’ 15-week abortion ban

From Floricua: Alejandra Rondon, Latinx constituency manager at Florida Rising, talked to Floricua about the ongoing efforts to give voters the power to enshrine reproductive rights in the Florida state constitution via a ballot measure in 2024.

IOWA

Doctors are now banned from providing gender-affirming care to minors in Iowa

From the Iowa Starting Line: The state of Iowa’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors has officially gone into effect. Specifically, doctors are no longer allowed to prescribe that care, forcing Iowans to seek help from out-of-state providers.

NEVADA

NV Sen. Jacky Rosen is calling on Congress to provide benefits to 310 women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan

From The Nevadan/El Nevadense: The Nevadan/El Nevadense obtained an exclusive copy of a letter written by Senator Rosen and four other members of the US Senate in which they asked the federal government to amend records and provide benefits to 310 female service members.

NORTH CAROLINA

New raises for NC teachers won’t even cover the cost of pencils

From Cardinal & Pine: Last month, the Republican-controlled North Carolina General Assembly passed a budget that gives teachers a raise of just 4% this year and 3% next year. Meanwhile, the cost of pencils rose 25% in 2022 and folders and binders jumped 17%.

PENNSYLVANIA

I’m a Union Worker in Pennsylvania. I Know Biden’s Got Our Back.

From The Keystone: Sherice Workman’s union job has given her a stable career, helped her buy her own home, and provides security for her family. Now, Sherice is breaking down the benefits of organized labor – and the importance of President Biden’s embrace of unions.

VIRGINIA

Virginia avoided the disastrous impacts of a shutdown – no thanks to these Republicans

From Dogwood: Despite the fact that Virginia is arguably the state hardest-hit by federal government shutdowns, Republican U.S. Reps. Ben Cline (VA-06), Bob Good (VA-05), and Morgan Griffith (VA-09) all attempted to block the bill keeping the federal government open.

Wisconsin

WI libraries are fighting to keep banned books on their shelves

From Up North News: In Wisconsin, the American Library Association has logged 26 attempts to ban books, with 137 different titles challenged. But librarians are prepared to fight to keep every book on their shelves–after all, that’s the purpose of public libraries.

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But wait, there’s more…

With the former president polling at the top of the Republican field and the danger of a catastrophic second term looming on the horizon, COURIER is partnering up with the New Republic to gather some top thinkers and commentators in politics for a day of urgent conversations. Join us in New York City next week on October 11th at the Stop Trump summit. 

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