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LONDON (AP) — Voters in two districts in England delivered new blows to beleaguered Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, electing opposition-party lawmakers in seats that Sunak’s Conservatives had held for years. Labour Party candidate Damien Egan won the House of Commons seats of Kingswood in southwest England, and Labour's Gen Kitchen took Wellingborough in the country’s center, results announced Friday showed. The Conservatives won both by large margins at the last national election in 2019 but saw support collapse in Thursday's special elections. The hard-right Reform party — formerly known as the Brexit Party — came third, putting more pressure on the Conservatives. The Conservatives pointed to the low turnout — less than 40% of eligible voters cast ballots — as a sign British electors are not enthusiastic about Labour.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Damien Egan, Kitchen, —, Brexit Party —, Keir Starmer, Chris Skidmore, Peter Bone, Sunak, Liz Truss, Brexit, Boris Johnson, John Curtice, ” “, ” Organizations: —, Labour Party, Wellingborough, Conservatives, Brexit Party, Labour, Conservative, European Union, University of Strathclyde, BBC Locations: England, Kingswood, Wellingborough

☆ Labour opposition deals another historic blow to UK PM Rishi Sunak with by-election defeats
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Winning candidate Gen Kitchen said the result was a "stunning victory for the Labour Party and must send a message from Northamptonshire to Downing Street." LONDON — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's ruling Conservative Party suffered another double by-election defeat on Thursday, as the opposition Labour Party's momentum shows no sign of slowing. The double defeat of Thursday was the latest in a string of unfavorable by-election results for the ruling party in what were previously considered safe seats. "I was very pleased last night to see that we were clearly getting Tory switchers, in other words people who hadn't voted for the Labour Party before, coming out last night and voting for the Labour Party in a by-election." The Labour Party maintains a lead of more than 20 points over the Conservatives in all national polling, with a general election due no later than January 2025.

Persons: Kitchen, Peter Bone, —, Rishi Sunak's, Helen Harrison, Gen Kitchen, Chris Skidmore, Damien Egan, Keir Starmer, Tory switchers, hadn't, Boris Johnson, Robert Ford Organizations: Labour, Labour Party, Downing, Conservative, Conservatives, LONDON, Conservative Party, Kettering Leisure Village, Tamworth, Liberal Democrats, BBC, University of Manchester, CNBC Locations: Northamptonshire, Wellingborough , Northamptonshire, KETTERING, England, Wellingborough, Kettering, Kettering , England, Kingswood , South Gloucestershire, North, Kingswood, Mid Bedfordshire, West Midlands, Selby, Ainsty, Somerton, Frome

☆ Britain set to roll back climate pledges, enraging campaigners and auto groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media during his visit to Shell St Fergus Gas Plant in Peterhead on July 31, 2023 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. LONDON — U.K.-based industry bodies and automakers on Wednesday criticized British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, amid reports that he is preparing to dilute several key net-zero climate pledges. A press representative for the prime minister's office declined to comment on the BBC report. However, interior minister Suella Braverman on Wednesday insisted in broadcast comments that the prime minister's approach to green policies was "pragmatic." On the long term, weakening the UK climate policies "could hurt economic growth by undermining domestic and overseas investment in a range of sectors that are developing and deploying clean technologies, such as heat pumps and electric vehicles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Lisa Brankin, Brankin, Mike Hawes, Chris Skidmore, Suella Braverman, Bob Ward, Chris Hewett Organizations: Shell St Fergus Gas Plant, LONDON, British, BBC, Ford, Society of Motor Manufacturers, Traders, Ministers, Conservative Party, Labour, Grantham Research, Solar Energy Locations: Shell, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Britain, Grantham, U.S, China, EU, India

Ford UK Chair Lisa Brankin was scathing: "Our business needs three things from the UK government: ambition, commitment and consistency. Britain was the first major economy to create a legally binding 2050 net zero target and emissions have fallen almost 50% since 1990 as coal power plants closed and offshore wind power took off. The government's own independent adviser on climate action said in June that Britain was not doing enough to hit its mid-century target. Ford said it had spent 430 million pounds ($532 million) on its UK development and manufacturing facilities, with "further funding planned for the 2030 timeframe". His party has trailed the opposition Labour Party in polls for over a year.

Persons: Suella Braverman, Andy Bailey, Handout, Rishi Sunak, Lisa Brankin, Sunak, We're, Ford, Chris Skidmore, Kate Holton, Elizabeth Piper, William James, Susanna Twidale, Muvija, Nick Carey, Sachin Ravikumar, Gareth Jones, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Economic, REUTERS, Sunak's Conservative Party, Ford, Conservative, BET, Times Radio, European Union, BMW, Volkswagen, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Sunak

☆ Rishi Sunak’s plans to delay climate targets attacked, as UK government pushes anti-green drive
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In an attack on his own Conservative predecessors as prime minister, Sunak said: “You don’t reach net zero simply by wishing it. The Climate Change Committee, the government’s independent adviser on climate change, published a report in June that criticized the UK’s net zero plans and said there was not enough urgency to reach the country’s goals. Britain is legally required to have reached net zero – meaning the country would remove from the atmosphere at least as much planet-warming pollution as it emits – by 2050. Johnson’s comments led a chorus of concerns from within Sunak’s Conservative party at the plans, which were apparently hurriedly brought forward after Tuesday’s leaks to the media. British businesses also criticized Sunak’s plans on Wednesday.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, ” Boris Johnson, ” Johnson, ”, Dan Kitwood, pushback Sunak, “ We’ve, ” Sunak, “, … I’ve, Alok Sharma, ” Sharma, Chris Skidmore, Rob Picheta, Mike Childs, Sunak’s, Lisa Brankin, Ed Matthew, ” “ Organizations: London CNN, United, Conservative, Labour, “, Sunak’s Conservative, BBC, PA Media, London's Labour, CNN, Ambition, UN, Ford, European Union Locations: Britain, United Kingdom, Glasgow, Sunak’s, London, Uxbridge, South Ruislip, New York, United States, China

☆ UK could lose global climate leadership, says former energy minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Chris Skidmore is seen outside Downing Street, as uncertainty over Brexit continues, in London, Britain May 21, 2019. "We are in this global net zero race, we have been climate leaders in the past, we're about to lose that leadership," he said. There is no free rider opportunities in net zero. Asked if Sunak should attend the COP28 climate summit in person to help Britain hold onto its net zero leadership, Skidmore said it was policy outcomes which were the most important thing. "Yes, it's nice if we can have a prime minister turn up, but I don't think it's essential," he said.

Persons: Chris Skidmore, Brexit, Hannah Mckay, decarbonisation, Jobs, Rishi Sunak's, Sunak, Skidmore, William James, Sachin Ravikumar, Muvija, Sarah Young Organizations: REUTERS, Rights Companies Edf Energy Nuclear Generation, Reuters IMPACT, Thomson Locations: Downing, London, Britain

☆ The UK once vowed to be a global climate leader. Now Rishi Sunak is stoking a culture war on green policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Since becoming prime minister, critics say he has diminished the UK's standing as a leader on the climate. A Just Stop Oil protester disrupts a match at July's Wimbledon Championships. Foreign Office minister Zac Goldsmith resigned in June, lambasting Sunak’s climate policies. A North Sea oil rig off the coast of Scotland. Sunak's decision to expand drilling in the North Sea was criticized by climate experts.

Persons: Boris Johnson, Queen Elizabeth II, Rishi Sunak’s, Sunak, DANIEL LEAL, ” Luke Murphy, they’ve, Murphy, ”, “, We’ve, ” Murphy, Steve Tuckwell, Tuckwell, Hannah Mckay, Grant Shapps, Keir Starmer, ” Tim Bale, “ Uxbridge, ” Bale, Sadiq Khan, Khan nodded, Rishi Sunak, Zac Goldsmith, Chris Skidmore, ” Skidmore, – Organizations: London CNN, Telegraph, Getty, CNN, Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party, July's Wimbledon, Reuters, Energy, Queen Mary University in, “, Office, National Statistics, London’s, Foreign, Conservative, Uxbridge Locations: Britain, Glasgow, North, Sunak, Uxbridge, London, Queen Mary University in London, Europe, lambasting, Scotland

☆ Why Gen Z, Millennials, Boomers, and Gen X Fight: Generational Conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Kelli María Korducki | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Gen Z is soft, millennials are embarrassing, boomers are evil, and no one has thought about Gen X in years. But late this spring, Pew announced it would no longer use generational labels such as millennial and Gen Z in its research. By and large, Cohen shares Duffy's view that generational labels make it tough for both experts and laypeople to distinguish between generational traits and universal, or multifactorial, occurrences. To its credit, Pew has been transparent in acknowledging how the use of generational labels may have tilted its analyses. Pew "does believe generational research can be a useful tool in the right context," Parker told me.

Persons: Gen X, Pew, Kim Parker, Parker, Obama, Millennials, boomers, Gen Zers, Xers, —, Karl Mannheim, Louis Menand, Menand, Andrew M, Lindner, Sophia Stelboum, Azizul Hakim, William Strauss, Neil Howe, Strauss, Howe's, Baby Boomer, Portia, Zers, Gen Xers, Philip N, Cohen, it's, Bobby Duffy, Duffy, Stelboum, Hakim, Michael Dimock, Kelli María Korducki Organizations: Pew Research Center, Pew, Skidmore College, University of Maryland, College, Washington, King's College London Locations: Mannheim, New York City

☆ Through Pandemics and Wildfires, Can Air Sensors Keep Offices Safe?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Emily Anthes | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When wildfire smoke began blanketing New York City in June, employees at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, an architecture and design firm in Lower Manhattan, had a panoramic view of the unfolding crisis. From their desks, nearly 30 stories off the ground, they watched as the sky transformed from hazy, slate blue in the morning to dirty, dishwater gray at noon. But inside the office, cool air rippled from the vents running along the ceiling, and large screens reassured employees: “Indoor Air Quality is Very Good.”The assessment was based on the readings of indoor air-quality sensors that were tracking the real-time levels of pollutants, including the fine particulate matter that makes wildfire smoke so hazardous. The sensors had been installed during the pandemic, but now they were proving their worth in the midst of a new air-quality emergency. “We can say definitively to everybody that works here that ‘You’re safe to come into the office,’” said Chris Cooper, a design partner at the firm.

Persons: ”, Charles Harris, ’ ”, Chris Cooper Organizations: Skidmore, Owings, Merrill, “ Locations: York City, Lower Manhattan

☆ Jeffrey Epstein paid college tuition for the kids of the former first lady of the Virgin Islands, and she asked him for his input on the wording of a sex offender law: JPMorgan
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The ex-first lady of the Virgin Islands consulted Jeffrey Epstein on a sex offender bill, JPMorgan said. The filings come as JPMorgan is accused by the Virgin Islands of facilitating Epstein's alleged crimes. Days after de Jongh sent the tuition bill to Epstein, she sent him another email about updated language for a sex offender registration bill, per JPMorgan's filings. De Jongh was first lady of the Virgin Islands between 2007 and 2015. Meanwhile, the firm is suing one of its former executives, Jes Staley, alleging that he knew about Epstein's sex trafficking but hid his crimes to keep him as a client.

Persons: Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, —, JPMorgan Chase, Cecile de Jongh, John de Jongh Jr, bankroll, de Jongh, Jongh, De Jongh, James, Venetia Velazquez, Jeffrey, Jes Staley Organizations: Virgin, JPMorgan, Service, Islands, Skidmore College, University of the, Washington, . Virgin Islands Locations: New York, Manhattan, Virgin, Virgin Islands, Tortola, University of the Virgin, Little St

☆ CNN Announces New Primetime Show Featuring Gayle King and Charles Barkley
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Isabella Simonetti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Charles Barkley and Gayle King. Photo: Cary Edmonson/USA Today Sports; Gage Skidmore/Zuma Press“ CBS Mornings” anchor Gayle King and former NBA player Charles Barkley will host a weekly primetime show on CNN starting this fall, the network said Saturday. The new show, “King Charles,” will start this fall and will air on Wednesdays. Ms. King, 68, is a well-known national news figure who will bring broad experience to CNN’s lineup. She will continue her responsibilities at CBS while hosting the CNN show.

☆ Charles Barkley and Gayle King’s New CNN Show Won’t Be Political, Hosts Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Isabella Simonetti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Charles Barkley and Gayle King. Photo: Cary Edmonson/USA Today Sports; Gage Skidmore/Zuma Press“ CBS Mornings” anchor Gayle King and former National Basketball Association star Charles Barkley will host a weekly prime-time show on CNN starting this fall, the network said Saturday. The new show, “King Charles,” will start this fall and will air on Wednesdays. Ms. King, 68 years old, is a well-known national news figure who will bring broad experience to CNN’s lineup. She will continue her responsibilities at CBS while hosting the CNN show.

☆ Florida House passes six-week abortion ban backed by DeSantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Florida House of Representatives on Thursday passed legislation that would ban most abortions after six weeks, when many women don't know they are pregnant. The bill would only take effect if the state's existing 15-week ban is upheld in an ongoing legal challenge that is before the state Supreme Court. "Today we stand for life, we stand with mothers, and we stand with Florida families," said Persons-Mulicka. A recent survey suggests the six-week abortion ban isn't popular among Florida residents. The Biden administration will ask the Supreme Court to intervene, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday.

☆ Florida Democrat tried to emulate Disney's power move in a final-ditch effort against Florida's abortion ban, which is now headed to DeSantis for his signature
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But in the face of a Republican supermajority in the Florida House, Democrats' more than 50 amendments failed as Florida representatives sent a six-week ban to GOP Gov. "Let's delay this abortion ban for as long as we can." During the 2022 midterms, congressional Democrats used abortion rights as a rallying cry and managed to hold onto more seats than expected. The implications of the Florida abortion ban on the 2024 race loomed in the background throughout the day. "It amounts to an outright ban," House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa said on the House floor.

☆ The Teen Mental Health Industry Is Failing Them - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Alexander Stockton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +26 min

Sometimes they are treated in ways that are illegal to treat prisoners, let alone kids seeking mental health treatment. But former patients from residential treatment facilities whom Times Opinion interviewed said they received one-on-one therapy only once a week, if that. The company owns dozens of hospitals and hundreds of behavioral health facilities and makes about $11 billion a year. In 2017, when he was 15 years old, his mother, Renee Hanania, sent him to a UHS facility in Virginia. America’s patchwork mental health treatment is still insufficient.

☆ Old men helped cause the Soviet Union's collapse. Historians say it's a warning sign for the United States.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

The Soviet Union became a gerontocracy in its final years, contributing to its collapse. And Reagan was right: Soviet leaders had consistently died on the job. "It doesn't matter whether it's the Soviet Union or the United States — there's always a clash" between older and younger generations, Grunewald said. They were afraid to let it go," said Zubok, the author of "Collapse: The Fall of the Soviet Union." And that did become a central factor in the demise of the Soviet Union."

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