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☆ Blinken visits West Bank to meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Simon Lewis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Blinken told Abbas that the Palestinian Authority should play a central role in what comes next in the Gaza Strip, a senior State Department official told Reuters. Abbas told Blinken there should be an immediate ceasefire and that aid should be allowed into Gaza, according to spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh. Abbas' Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has seen its popularity shrivel amid allegations of graft, incompetence and widely hated security cooperation arrangements with Israel. The meeting was Blinken’s second with Abbas since the conflict began, but the first to take place in the West Bank. Blinken and Abbas "discussed efforts to restore calm and stability in the West Bank, including the need to stop extremist violence against Palestinians and hold those accountable responsible," Miller said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, General Hussein al, Mahmoud Abbas, Blinken, Israel, Abbas, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Matthew Miller, Miller, Jordan, Simon Lewis, Ali Sawafta, Hugh Lawson, Alexander Smith Organizations: PLO, Hamas, West Bank, Sunday, Palestinian Authority, State Department, Reuters, Palestinian, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, Ramallah, RAMALLAH, Gaza, United States, Egypt

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The average Gazan is living on two pieces of Arabic bread made from flour the U.N. had stockpiled in the region, yet the main refrain now being heard in the street is “Water, water,” the Gaza director for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees said Friday. Political Cartoons View All 1234 Images“Many people are relying on brackish or saline ground water, if at all,” she said. Fuel, he said, is essential for the functioning of institutions, hospitals and the distribution of water and electricity. An average of 4,000 displaced Gazans are living in the schools without the resources to maintain proper sanitation, he said. The U.N. can’t provide them safety, White said, pointing to over 50 UNRWA facilities impacted by the conflict, including five direct hits.

Persons: Thomas White, ”, White, “, U.N, Lynn Hastings, Martin Griffiths, ” Hastings, ’, can’t, Griffiths, Antonio Guterres, Riyad Mansour, Israel, ” Mansour Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations, UNRWA Locations: Gaza, Palestinian, Israel, Egypt, United States, dependently, israel

Jerusalem and Gaza CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday a ground incursion into Gaza will take place and that current airstrikes were “just the beginning,” as new satellite images revealed the devastation wrought by Israel’s bombs in the besieged enclave. Beit Hanoun, Gaza, on May 1 Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies Beit Hanoun, Gaza, on October 21 Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies Beit Hanoun, Gaza SATELLITE IMAGE ©2023 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIESThe IDF told civilians to leave the crowded northern portion of the Palestinian enclave, where the bombardment has been especially severe. UNRWA director for Gaza Tom White told CNN that aid workers would have to decide what aspects of life-saving aid they could and could not provide to civilians. A view of the rubble and ruins of buildings that were demolished in Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on October 25, 2023. US President Joe Biden said Wednesday he told Netanyahu that if it’s possible to secure the release of hostages in Gaza ahead of an Israeli ground invasion, he should do so.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, Israel, “, –, ”, Peter Lerner, Maxar, Beit, Al Jazeera, Wael Al, Al, CPJ, Youssef Alzanoun, OCHA, Gaza Tom White, Mark Rutte, Hamas –, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Joe Biden, Netanyahu, Biden, he’d Organizations: Gaza CNN, Israeli, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, Palestinian Ministry of Health, IDF, Protect Journalists, UN Relief and Works Agency, UN’s, US, European, Dutch, Ireland, Getty Images Qatar, Hamas, Qatari Locations: Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel, ”, Beit Hanoun, Al, Atatra, Hanoun, Ramallah, Israeli, Al Jazeera, Lebanese, Russia, Slovenia, Egypt, Germany

☆ Two dead as Scotland hit by severe flooding after Storm Babet
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Emergency services assist in the evacuation of people from their homes in Brechin, amid floods during "Storm Babet", in Scotland, Britain October 20, 2023. Britain's national weather forecaster, the Met Office, issued its first red warning for rain since February 2020, predicting some locations would see as much as 250 millimetres (9.84 inches). "This is an exceptional event, and we are likely to continue to see significant impacts with the potential for further flooding," Met Office Chief Meteorologist Andy Page said. The Met Office also has amber and yellow weather warnings in place for much of England. Local emergency services said there were no reported injuries.

Persons: Russell Cheyne, Storm Babet, Andy Page, Angus, Kylie MacLellan, William James, Michael Holden Organizations: REUTERS, Met Office, Police Scotland, Office, Southern Electricity Networks, Angus, Met, Leeds Bradford Airport, Thomson Locations: Brechin, Scotland, Britain, England

Ricardo Pires, a spokesman for UNICEF, says his organization urgently needs access to Gaza to facilitate the movement of supplies and relief workers. In response, Israel sealed border crossings with Gaza as it began targeting Hamas positions. Pires says UNICEF currently has amassed supplies in Egypt that are ready for delivery into Gaza once the Rafah crossing – the sole border crossing with Egypt – reopens. Biden told reporters the U.S. plans to coordinate with the Egyptian government to repair the roads into Gaza. “Water supplies are reaching a life-threatening low across Gaza amidst the sustained blockade,” Slater says.

Persons: Biden, Ricardo Pires, ”, Joe Biden, –, Pires, Egypt –, ” Pires, “ They’re, Meredith Slater, ” Slater, Slater, Elis Organizations: UNICEF, West Bank, The New York Times, Palestinian Ministry of Health, ”, ActionAid USA, ActionAid International, Jewish Federations of America Locations: Gaza, Israel, U.S, Egypt, Rafah

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Federal law that prohibits insurers from denying healthcare based on preexisting conditions, or kicking dependents off their parent’s coverage until age 26, is now codified separately into Michigan law. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Thursday that attempts to duplicate the Affordable Care Act, known as “Obamacare,” into state law. Earlier this year, a federal judge struck down the ACA preventive care provision. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 150 million people in private health plans have benefited from the no-cost preventive services. A number of other states have codified Affordable Care Act provisions into state law.

Persons: Gretchen Whitmer, Obamacare, Whitmer Organizations: —, Democratic, “, U.S, Supreme, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, Michigan House, Republicans, Democrats Locations: LANSING, Mich, Michigan, ”

☆ Analysis: US is mounting a frantic effort to head off a wider Middle East war
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —US leaders are mounting an urgent effort to prevent Israel’s war against Hamas and a resulting civilian catastrophe in Gaza from escalating into a widening regional conflict that could snowball into an even greater geopolitical crisis after this month’s horrific attacks. If we look at the issue of water – we all know water is life – Gaza is running out of water, and Gaza is running out of life,” Lazzarini said. Hamas has urged civilians to ignore Israeli warnings to evacuate the northern part of Gaza. Back in Washington, the administration is expected to offer a full classified briefing on the situation to senators Wednesday. “Whether it is 24 hours, 48 hours, whether it is by next week, the fact is, it’s coming,” he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, “, Biden, Antony, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, ”, Philippe Lazzarini, Gazans, ” Lazzarini, Israel, he’d, Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken, we’ve, Sullivan, CNN’s Jake Tapper, David Satterfield, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Netanyahu, it’s, ” Biden, Chuck Schumer, Republican Sen, Mitt Romney, Utah –, Aaron David Miller Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Antony Blinken’s, Administration, Union, CBS, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, United Arab, State Department, West Bank, United Nations, ISIS, ”, Israel, Representatives, Republican, New York Democrat, Tel, Veteran US Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Egypt, United States, Washington, Saudi Arabia, “ State, Iran, Blinken, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Cairo, Rafah, Turkey, Lebanese, Lebanon, Islamic Republic, Iraq, Syria, Saudi, Ukraine, America, Tel Aviv, Utah, East

☆ I went from making $9.50 an hour to almost $100K a year at UPS without having a college degree. I'm grateful that my 21 years at the company have paid off.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Ananya Vahal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

A UPS worker says he started out making $9.50 an hour and now earns $100,000 at the company. The delivery driver says new drivers may be disappointed since it takes years to earn the top wage. AdvertisementAdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a 39-year-old UPS delivery driver from Arizona. I started as a warehouse worker in 2002 at 18 years old making $9.50 an hour and eventually got promoted to a delivery driver making about $100,000 a year — the maximum $44 an hour wage. When people apply to become a UPS delivery driver, they may be disappointed because it takes years of hard work to make anywhere close to that amount.

Persons: —, I've, I'd, we're Organizations: UPS, he's, Service, Disney Locations: Arizona, U.S

Witnesses said several Hamas security headquarters and ministries were hit, and the strikes destroyed some roads and houses. He said Hamas would execute an Israeli captive for every Israeli bombing of a civilian house without warning. There was no immediate response from the Israeli military to that threat. [1/5]Flames and smoke billow during Israeli strikes in Gaza, October 9, 2023. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan called on Hamas and Israel to immediately end violence and protect civilians, the Egyptian presidency said.

Persons: Fighting, Witnesses, Abu Ubaida, Eli Cohen, Daniel Hagari, James, Joe Biden, Biden, Mohammed Salem, Israel, Yoav Gallant, Omar Shakir, Khan Younis, Antonio Guterres, Abdel Fattah al, Tayyip Erdogan, Emily Rose, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovitch, Nidal, Ammar Anwar, Henriette Chacar, Dan Williams, Ali Sawafta, Steven Scheer, Patricia Zengerle, Howard Goller Organizations: Israel, Gaza's Health, Palestinian Telecommunication Co, Israeli, BBC, United, REUTERS, Palestine, Human Rights, Reuters, U.S, Thomson Locations: JERUSALEM, GAZA, Israel, Gaza, Israeli, Jihad, Italy, Thailand, Ukraine, Washington, United States, Beit Lahia, Khan, U.S, Lebanon, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Sderot, Ramallah, Modiin

[1/5] Members of Palestinian, Basheer's family sit in their relatives' house after the destruction of their house in Israeli air strikes, in Deir al-Balah town in the central Gaza Strip, May 12, 2023. The Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip has reported 370 Palestinians killed so far, and another 2,200 wounded, with nearly 300 killed on Saturday, the largest number of Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israeli attacks in a single day since 2008. Israeli air strikes on Gaza began soon after the Hamas attack and continued overnight and into Sunday, destroying the group's offices and training camps, along with houses and other buildings. AIR STRIKESThe Israeli army has said its fighter jets have destroyed 800 militant targets so far in the Gaza Strip. Home to some 2 million people, the Gaza Strip has been run by Hamas since it seized control of the territory in 2007.

Persons: Abu Mustafa, Khan Younis, Benjamin Netanyahu, Abu Daqqa, Salama Marouf, Abu, Egypt's, Israel, Beit Hanoun, Eid Al, Attar, Ashraf Al, Israel Katz, Nidal, Tom Perry, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas, Health Ministry, Gaza, UN, Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli Energy, Israel, Thomson Locations: Deir al, Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Khan, Beit Lahiya

But officials have made clear recently that other forms of US aid are potentially in jeopardy if Ukraine does not do more to address corruption. The US has provided Ukraine with over $23 billion in direct budget support since the war began, according to the Congressional Research Service. In a statement to CNN, the Ukrainian embassy in Washington said that Ukraine has moved “ambitiously” to pass reforms, including on its IMF program. That money is also the “most closely scrutinized” form of aid to Ukraine, a senior Democratic Senate aide told CNN. The US intends to provide up to $3.3 billion in direct economic aid to Ukraine if Congress authorizes its $24 billion supplemental request for Ukraine.

Persons: Biden, Jake Sullivan, Antony Blinken, Volodymyr Zelensky, Matthew Miller, Miller, ”, Denys Shmyhal, Blinken, “, It’s, Megan Reed, Sen, Lindsey Graham, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, Ukraine, The State Department, Congressional Research Service, United States Agency for International Development, USAID, World Bank, Ukrainian Ministry of Finance, International Monetary Fund, IMF, National Bank of, General Prosecutors, National Security, Ukrainian, White, Ukrainska Pravda, Government of, EU, State Department, NATO, Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Democratic, Republicans, Pentagon, The Defense, Ukrainian MoD Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Washington, National Bank of Ukraine, USA, Russia, Kyiv, Europe, Government of Ukraine, United States, EU

SYDNEY, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The blocking of three major deals by Australia's antitrust regulator in the past year was a coincidence, its chair told Reuters, pushing back against concerns among bankers that it has become deal-averse. "There happens to have been a sequence, frankly coincidentally as it turns out, of oppositions," ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in an interview. There are some concerns that it could be blocked as Brookfield owns AusNet, a poles and wires asset in Victoria state. Cass-Gottlieb also said she doubted foreign investors have been dissuaded from pursuing deals in Australia which does not require companies to get formal clearance before proceeding with a takeover. "The recent stream of merger blockages will make foreign investors think twice."

Persons: Gina Cass, Gottlieb, Canada's Brookfield, Cass, Stephen Corones, Hannah Marshall, it's, Byron Kaye, Scott Murdoch, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Australian Competition, Consumer Commission, Telstra, TPG, ANZ, Transurban, Origin Energy, Brookfield, FOCUS Cass, Investors, Queensland University of Technology, Cass, Marque Lawyers, Thomson Locations: Melbourne, AusNet, Victoria, Australia, Queensland

☆ US government shutdown would 'undermine' US economic progress, Yellen says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Janet Yellen, United States Secretary of Treasury, participates in global infrastructure and investment forum in New York, Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. Seth Wenig/Pool via REUTERS/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - A government shutdown that could start this weekend would "undermine" U.S. economic progress by idling key programs for small businesses and children, and could delay major infrastructure improvements, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Friday. A shutdown of broad parts of the government would start on Sunday as the new fiscal year starts without new spending legislation from Congress. Chances of a shutdown increased on Thursday as the House pursued partisan spending cuts and the Senate advanced separate legislation to temporarily extend spending. "The failure of House Republicans to act responsibly would hurt American families and cause economic headwinds that could undermine the progress we’re making," Yellen said.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Seth Wenig, Yellen, Lael Brainard, Brainard, " Brainard, We've, David Lawder, Ann Saphir, Philippa Fletcher, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Treasury, Rights, Port, Republicans, Senate, CNBC, . Commerce, Thomson Locations: United States, New York, U.S, Savannah, Georgia

Talks continued between union representatives and company management on the sixth day of a coordinated walkout, a day after Ford (F.N) averted a strike by Canadian workers. The UAW launched a strike against Ford, General Motors (GM.N) and Stellantis last week, targeting one U.S. assembly plant at each company. UAW workers also want to end a tiered wage structure that they say has created a large gap between newer and older employees, forcing some to work two jobs to make ends meet. We’re serious about this,” said Victor Holloway, 24, of Westland, Michigan, who has worked at the Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, since 2021. U.S. President Joe Biden is wearing a red tie on Wednesday in solidarity with UAW workers, the White House said.

Persons: Mark Reuss, “ We’re, ”, Victor Holloway, Rebecca Cook, Stellantis, Ram, Reuters Graphics Ford, Unifor, Ford, Joe Biden, Biden, Shawn Fain's, David Shepardson, Joe White, Ben Klayman, Anirudh, Richard Chang, Will Dunham, Matthew Lewis, Deepa Babington Organizations: DETROIT, United Auto Workers, Ford, Detroit, Detroit Free Press, UAW, General Motors, Ford Bronco, Chevrolet, Reuters, GM, REUTERS, GM's, Silverado, Reuters Graphics, Kokomo, RSM, Thomson Locations: Michigan , Ohio, Missouri, Chevrolet Colorado, Westland , Michigan, Wayne , Michigan, Fairfax , Kansas, Toledo , Ohio, U.S, Canada, Canadian, Ohio, Indiana, Kokomo , Indiana, Washington, Detroit, Bengaluru

DETROIT, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Talks were ongoing on Wednesday between union representatives and company management in the sixth day of the United Auto Workers strike at the Detroit Three automakers, a day after Ford (F.N) averted a walkout by Canadian workers. The UAW launched a strike against Ford, General Motors (GM.N) and Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI) last week, targeting one U.S. assembly plant at each company. The UAW's coordinated U.S. action led to about 12,700 workers going on strike last week. Ford reached a last-minute deal to avoid a walkout at its Canadian operations late on Tuesday. Unifor, which represents about 5,600 Canadian auto workers, had been threatening to go on strike at all three of Ford's plants in that country if a deal was not reached by late on Tuesday.

Persons: Ford, Mark Reuss, Carlos Osorio, Ram, Unifor, Stellantis, Anirudh Saligrama, David Shepardson, Ben Klayman, Will Dunham, Richard Chang, Jamie Freed Organizations: DETROIT, United Auto Workers, Detroit Three, Ford, UAW, General Motors, Chrysler, Ford Bronco, Chevrolet, Motors, Detroit, Detroit Free Press, Plant, REUTERS, GM's, Silverado, GM, RSM, Kokomo, Thomson Locations: Michigan , Ohio, Missouri, Chevrolet Colorado, Kansas, Oakville, Oakville , Ontario, Canada, Ford Canada, Canadian, Ohio, Indiana, Toledo, Kokomo , Indiana, Bengaluru, Washington, Detroit

"We leveraged our union's most powerful weapon: the right to strike," Unifor said of the tentative deal in a statement. Unifor had sought improved wages and pensions, as well as support in the transition to electric vehicles and additional investment commitments by Ford. The Canadian union will now turn to getting deals with General Motors (GM.N) and Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI), whose deadlines had been extended while the Ford talks proceeded. The UAW has said it will announce strikes against more U.S. plants on Friday if no serious progress is made in talks with automakers. Many UAW workers are most concerned about the tiered wage structure that they say has created a yawning gap between newer and older employees, forcing some to work two jobs to make ends meet.

Persons: Unifor, Stellantis's Ram, Ford, Roxanne Stadtfeld, Anirudh Saligrama, Ben Klayman, Richard Chang, Jamie Freed Organizations: DETROIT, United Auto Workers, Detroit Three, Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Reuters Graphics, Ford Bronco, Chevrolet, UAW, GM's, Silverado, DoorDash, Thomson Locations: Canada, Canadian, U.S, Michigan , Ohio, Missouri, Chevrolet Colorado, Ohio, Michigan, Monroe , Michigan, Bengaluru, Ben, Detroit

☆ Bankrupt Birmingham braces for cuts as UK government takes control
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —The UK government has moved to take control of the country’s second biggest city, Birmingham, after the local council effectively declared itself bankrupt earlier this month. The government has also proposed an inquiry to understand how Birmingham landed in its current financial mess. “The need for action in Birmingham is pressing,” he added. Birmingham City Council issued a so-called section 114 notice on September 5, which means it must halt all spending except on essential services such as schooling, housing, social care, waste collection and road maintenance. The plan is due to be discussed at an extraordinary meeting of the council on September 25.

Persons: Michael Gove, “, Deborah Cadman Organizations: London CNN, British, Birmingham City Council Locations: Birmingham, London, United Kingdom

Local public health officials say the potential loss of funding could severely impact several essential services, including vaccines, cancer screening and testing for sexually transmitted infections. A national public health expert said the situation is unique in the U.S. and a threat to the entire public health field — especially going into an election year when health officials and their department could again become political targets. “I’m hoping this isn’t the start of a new trend of retroactive punishment against public health departments.”More than than 300,000 people live in Ottawa County, making it Michigan's seventh largest county. “You should not be at war with your health providers.”The Network for Public Health Law and the National Association of County and City Health Officials filed amicus briefs in support of Hambley’s lawsuit last month. And Freeman said her organization is keeping a close eye on Ottawa County: “This isn't something we want on the books for other county commissioners to consider in the future."

Persons: COVID, they’ve, ”, Lori Freeman, “ I’m, Herman Miller, Joe Moss, Sylvia Rhodea, — Moss, Rhodea, John Gibbs, Adeline Hambley, Jacob Bonnema, it's, Hambley, “, ” Hambley, Gibbs, Moss, —, Freeman, Robert Wood Johnson Organizations: National Association of County, City Health, Ottawa, Republican, Diversity, Equity, Associated Press, AP, Hambley, Grand Haven, Public Health Law, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Locations: Mich, Michigan, U.S, Ottawa County, Ottawa, Grand

☆ Britain may designate genomics sector as critical infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions at the House of Commons in London, Britain, July 12, 2023. UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Britain is exploring designating its genomics sector as critical national infrastructure, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said on Monday, amid pressure from lawmakers concerned at China's activity in the field. Asked by one of those lawmakers if Britain would designate the genomics sector as critical national infrastructure, Dowden said it was a legitimate point which he was considering. "It's not currently designated as such, but in my role in the cabinet office, I keep the register of critical national infrastructure under review, and it's something which I am exploring," he told lawmakers. Critical national infrastructure (CNI) is infrastructure that, if compromised, could have a major detrimental impact on essential services or a significant impact on national security.

Persons: Oliver Dowden, Jessica Taylor, Handout, Dowden, It's, Alistair Smout, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Reuters, National Security and Investment, Thomson Locations: London, Britain

☆ Birmingham City Council: How an equal pay claim took down Britain's second-biggest city
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London CNN —Birmingham — the biggest British city after London — is in dire financial straits. “Local government is facing a perfect storm,” Sharon Thompson, Birmingham City Council’s deputy leader, said in remarks broadcast Tuesday. How Birmingham went bustThompson blamed Birmingham’s financial troubles partly on an outstanding £760 million ($950 million) legal bill pertaining to the equal pay claims, which resulted from a Supreme Court ruling in 2012. The original case was brought by 174 former council employees, all except four of whom were women. They argued that this breached the equality clauses of their employment contracts under the Equal Pay Act of 1970 — and the court agreed.

Persons: London —, ” Sharon Thompson, Thompson, —, Shaun Davies, Rishi Sunak, England —, ” Organizations: London CNN — Birmingham, Birmingham City Council’s, Birmingham City, National Audit Office, Local Government Association, UK, Special, Municipal Authorities Locations: London, United Kingdom, “, Birmingham, England, —, West Midlands, Yorkshire, Croydon, Woking

London CNN —Britain’s second-biggest city effectively declared itself bankrupt on Tuesday, shutting down all nonessential spending after being issued with equal pay claims totaling up to £760 million ($956 million). Birmingham City Council, which provides services for more than one million people, filed a Section 114 notice on Tuesday, halting all spending except on essential services. The deficit arose due to difficulties paying between £650 million (around $816 million) and £760 million (around $954 million) in equal pay claims, the notice report says. The city now expects to have a deficit of £87 million ($109 million) for the 2023-24 financial year. Sharon Thompson, deputy leader of the council, told councilors on Tuesday it faces “longstanding issues, including the council’s historic equal pay liability concerns,” according to the United Kingdom’s PA Media news agency.

Persons: London CNN —, Sharon Thompson, Thompson, Birmingham “, ”, “, Rishi Sunak, John Cotton Organizations: London CNN, Birmingham City Council, United Kingdom’s, Media, Conservative Party, UK, BBC, Commonwealth Games, Commonwealth Locations: Birmingham, ” “, England

☆ LA considers ban on cashless businesses because they exclude low-income people, people of color, and seniors
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Los Angeles could join other cities and states in banning cashless businesses. A councilwoman wants to ban the practice, something San Francisco and New York City have already done. It comes as more businesses in the area are opting for cashless payments like credit cards or digital payments through apps. Those options, businesses say, make the purchasing process more efficient and safe, the Los Angeles Times reported. Her motion calls for the City Attorney to draft an ordinance prohibiting cashless businesses.

Persons: Councilwoman Heather Hutt, Kardashian, Hutt, Bill Scott Organizations: Francisco and New, Service, Los Angeles Times, Daily Mail, City Attorney, Times, San Francisco Police Department Locations: Angeles, LA, Francisco and, Francisco and New York City, Wall, Silicon, Los Angeles, City, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco

☆ Fact check: The first Republican presidential debate of the 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —Eight candidates for the Republican nomination for president took the stage for the first GOP debate Wednesday night in Milwaukee. (In June 2020, he announced a plan for schools to reopen for the next school year that began in August. In April 2020, the unemployment rate spiked to 14.7% — the highest level since monthly records began in 1948. It reached a 66-year low during certain months of 2019, at 3.4% in April and 3.6% in August, but by December 2020, unemployment for women was at 6.7%. That deal was negotiated by special counsel David Weiss, who was first appointed to the Justice Department by former President Donald Trump.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Daniel Dale Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, “ Donald Trump, Trump, Daniel Dale, Katie Lobosco Burgum, Doug Burgum, –, Goldman Sachs, Ella Nilsen Tim Scott, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Biden, ” Scott, Scott’s, don’t, Tara Subramaniam Scott, ’ Scott, Joe Biden, they’re, Kevin McCarthy, Merrick Garland, ”, Garland, CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz Haley, Haley, CNN’s Haley Britzky Pence, Mike Pence, “, Obama, CNN’s Haley Britzky Christie, Hunter Biden, Chris Christie, Biden’s son Hunter Biden, Christie, David Weiss, Donald Trump, CNN’s Marshall Cohen Scott, Burgum, Scott, Katie Lobosco Organizations: CNN, Republican, GOP, “, New, New York Tri, State, Trump, South, United Nations, Social Security, Dakota Gov, American Clean, Republicans, DOJ, Justice Department, National School, Department, Defense Department, of Foreign Relations, Former New Jersey Gov, US, IRS, Treasury Locations: Milwaukee, Florida, Broward, Palm, New York, Connecticut , New Jersey, Louisiana, South Carolina, China, United States, Covid, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland

SYDNEY, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Australia's economy is projected to grow more slowly over the next 40 years as an aging population and slower population growth shrink the workforce, according to long-range economic forecasts set to be published by the government on Thursday. The economy is expected to be around 2.5 times larger in real terms 40 years hence. The report, part of a series which periodically examines how trends in demography or technology will affect Australia's economy, will also flag a changing tax base. Fuel and tobacco excise taxes are expected to fall as people quit smoking and switch to electric cars, while taxes on companies and goods and services will track the growth slowdown. Income taxes will increase as a share of the economy and total tax receipts are expected to hit 24.4% of GDP in fiscal 2034.

Persons: Jim Chalmers, Lewis Jackson, Sharon Singleton Organizations: SYDNEY, Reuters, Thomson

☆ Opinion | Is Portland’s Decriminalization of Drug Use the Right Approach?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

To the Editor:Re “A Drug User’s ‘Paradise’” (Science Times, Aug. 1):Portland, Ore., is not a drug user’s paradise. The citizens of Portland who voted in favor of Measure 110 understood this to be an approach that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of drugs and direct revenue from marijuana sales to fund drug treatment and recovery services. Drug treatment is not a “soft” option. It is a rigorous, structured process that addresses the underlying issues of a person’s addiction, including trauma, mental illness and medical concerns. When operated by trained staff, with the provision of medication-assisted treatment, primary health care services, and connections to jobs and housing, treatment is the most effective solution.

Organizations: Science Times Locations: Portland, America

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