Ex-Starbucks CEO faces off with senators

Julius Lasin, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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A Senate panel scrutinized Starbucks' business practices during a hearing with the company's former CEO. The Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of an overdose-reversal drug without a prescription. And legislation repealing decades-old military authorizations was passed by the Senate.

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Ex-Starbucks CEO defends company in face of labor complaints

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz told senators Wednesday that his company did not break labor laws, despite the company facing more than 80 complaints from the National Labor Relations Board for doing just that. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee targeted Schultz and Starbucks to examine the corporation's treatment of employees working to unionize. Schultz's testimony comes after Starbucks employees walked out of more than 100 stores last week to protest the company's anti-union efforts. Here's what else was said during Wednesday's hearing.

Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, testifies in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions about Starbucks' alleged union-busting activities.
Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks, testifies in front of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions about Starbucks' alleged union-busting activities.

After Nashville, little hope for gun reform on Capitol Hill

Lawmakers from both parties said the prospects for major gun control legislation advancing in Congress are slim even as President Joe Biden said he's exhausted what he can do to address gun violence through executive action. It appears the nation's latest mass shooting – a massacre at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee – could turn into a familiar story: Calls for sweeping gun reform, followed by inaction. A ban on assault weapons lacks the votes in the Republican-led House and even faces an uphill fight in the Democratic-led Senate. Here's why major gun law changes are unlikely.

A man sits on the curb near a makeshift memorial by the entrance of the Covenant School on Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.
A man sits on the curb near a makeshift memorial by the entrance of the Covenant School on Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.

What everyone's talking about

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FDA approves over-the-counter sale of Narcan

The FDA on Wednesday approved selling the overdose-reversal drug Narcan without a prescription, a move long sought by advocates to improve access to the lifesaving drug. The approval would make the nasal spray used to counteract fentanyl and opioid overdoses more available to consumers who could buy the medication at stores without a prescription or pharmacist's recommendation. FDA Commissioner Robert Califf urged the drug's manufacturer to make Narcan widely available at an affordable price. Here's what the FDA's approval means.

Senate votes to repeal military authorizations for Iraq, Gulf wars

The Senate passed legislation Wednesday repealing decades-old military authorizations and formally ending the Iraq and Gulf wars. The bipartisan legislation would prevent future presidents from misusing military force without congressional authorization. It also gives Congress more power in determining when to send troops into combat. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday the odds are high it will be signed into law before the end of the year because there's a lot of support in the House and from Biden.

A break from the news

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Former Starbucks CEO, AUMF repeal, Narcan: Wednesday's news