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Kalamazoo, a small city in Western Michigan, is a way station along the drug trafficking corridor between Chicago and Detroit. In its parks, under railroad overpasses and here in the woods, people ensnared by drugs scramble to survive. Dr. Helmstetter, who makes weekly primary care rounds with a program called Street Medicine Kalamazoo, carried medications to reverse overdoses, blunt cravings and ease withdrawal-induced nausea. Rachel, 35, her hair dyed a silvery lavender, ran to greet Dr. Helmstetter. She takes the medicine buprenorphine, which acts to dull her body’s yearning for opioids, but she was not ready to let go of meth.

Persons: Nic Helmstetter, Helmstetter, Rachel Organizations: Medicine Locations: Kalamazoo, Western Michigan, Chicago, Detroit, Medicine Kalamazoo

At Burlington Bagel Bakery, a sign in the window advertises wages starting at $25 an hour. Cabot Creamery is bringing workers from out of state to package its signature blocks of Cheddar cheese. More than a fifth of Vermonters are 65 or older, and more than 35 percent are over 54, the age at which Americans typically begin to exit the work force. Vermont offers an early look at where the rest of the country could be headed. The baby boom population is aging out of the work force, and subsequent generations aren’t large enough to fully replace it.

Organizations: Champlain, Burlington Bagel, Central Vermont Medical Center Locations: Burlington, Cabot, Vermont

☆ Weight-loss drugs just got cheaper — and better
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Eli Lilly just debuted its powerful new weight-loss drug, Zepbound. Normally, when newer, better drugs are introduced, they match the price of similar drugs already available or come at a premium . Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have said that about 50 million people have some level of insurance coverage for weight-loss drugs. But some experts were skeptical, because employers and insurers don't typically pay the list price for drugs. Craig Garthwaite, an economist at Northwestern University, argued competition will drive the net prices of weight-loss drugs lower still.

Persons: Eli Lilly, —, Wegovy, LLY, It's, Mike Mason, coinsurance, Antonio Ciaccia, Crystal, We're, David Risinger, Dave Ricks, David Ricks, Eli Lilly's Mason, Mason, Craig Garthwaite, Garthwaite Organizations: Service, pharma, Nordisk's Wegovy, Ozempic, Deutsche Bank, 46brooklyn Research, Crystal Cox, Novo Nordisk, Zepbound, Wegovy, American Enterprise Institute, Northwestern University Locations: Mounjaro

☆ The Members of This ‘Manuscripts Club’ Were Obsessed With Medieval Books
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Bruce Holsinger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

It seems nothing less than a miracle that so many manuscripts from the era endure to our day. These heroes are the subjects of Christopher de Hamel’s lovingly written and lavishly illustrated “The Manuscripts Club: The People Behind a Thousand Years of Medieval Manuscripts.” Crack the spine of any volume by de Hamel and you will step into a world of bookish wonderment. One of the most eminent living scholars and catalogers of medieval European manuscripts, de Hamel is also their greatest champion, having devoted his career to revealing their treasures and mysteries to scholarly and public audiences alike. Alongside his catalogs of private and public collections, he has published studies and guidebooks on a variety of topics. “Scribes and Illuminators” (1992) is still widely taught to students in paleography and codicology (the sciences of old handwriting and old manuscript books, respectively), while “The Book: A History of the Bible” (2001) surveys the history of the sacred Hebrew and Christian texts through the lens of their myriad surviving manuscripts.

Persons: Christopher de Hamel, Hilary Mantel’s, ”, Cardinal Wolsey’s, Dukes, Christopher de Hamel’s, de Hamel, Illuminators ” Locations: Norfolk, Sussex, paleography

OXFORD, England (AP) — Fans of Philip Pullman have been waiting almost five years for the final instalment in the author’s sextet of books about his intrepid heroine Lyra and her adventures in multiple worlds. “I haven’t got a title yet,” Pullman told The Associated Press in his home city of Oxford, where he was honored Thursday with the Bodley Medal. I haven’t found the right title yet — but I will.”The medal, awarded by Oxford University’s 400-year-old Bodleian Libraries, honors contributions to literature, media or science. Pullman says the next book will be his final foray into Lyra’s world -– though he also said that after the first trilogy, only to be tempted back. “There are other things I want to do,” including a book about words and images and how they work together on the imagination.

Persons: Philip Pullman, Lyra, haven’t, ” Pullman, Bodley, ”, Tim Berners, Lee, Stephen Hawking, Hilary, Kazuo Ishiguro, Zadie Smith, Colm Tóibín, Pullman, Canterbury Rowan Williams, “, Pullman’s, Philip doesn’t, ” Williams Organizations: OXFORD, Associated Press, Oxford, HBO, “ Locations: England, Oxford, Pullman, Canada, United States

☆ Forget Aerodynamics: Running the Marathon in Style
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Callie Holtermann | Hilary Swift | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As 7 a.m. approached on Sunday, a crowd of runners stumbled blearily off the Staten Island Ferry in fleece blankets and body glitter. The blankets were for warmth, and the body glitter for morale to help them through the 26.2 miles that lay ahead. With energy gels and bodega coffees in hand, the crowd made its way to Fort Wadsworth, where thousands of runners congregate each year before running the New York City Marathon. Speed demons wearing Nike Vaporflys and short-shorts mingled with casual runners wearing “Monsters, Inc.” onesies. “I believe that joy and performance are not mutually exclusive,” she said.

Persons: ”, Alexi Pappas, “ Organizations: New York City Marathon, Nike, Inc Locations: Fort Wadsworth

☆ 5 deaths in 10 days point to a problem Australia wants to solve
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-04 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Two days earlier, the body of 38-year-old Krystal Marshall was recovered from the charred remains of her home after a house fire in South Australia, according to SA Police. The number of women killed by violence in Australia has ranged between 43 and 84 each years since Counting Dead Women began tallying deaths in 2012. Since then, she said she’s noticed a change in the way people, including the police, respond to domestic violence. But until those lessons are learned, state authorities are strengthening their responses to domestic violence. Whitford says it takes the community to come together to prevent more women becoming victims of domestic violence.

Persons: Manuela Whitford, We’ve, I’ve, ”, ’ I’m, ” Whitford, you’re, you’ve, It’s, They’re, Alice McShera, Geoff DeSanges, Lilie James, Krystal Marshall, Analyn, Whitford, she’s, “, Julia Gillard, Gillard, Andrew Tate, Andrew Lines, Lines, –, haven’t, Hilary Whiteman Organizations: Australia CNN, Friends, Facebook, WA, Victoria Police, New South Wales Police, ACT Policing, Police, SA Police, Dignity, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Women Survey, Women, United Nations, Global Institute, Women’s, NSW Police, CNN Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Australian, Perth, Western Australia, Sydney, New, Canberra, South Australia, Romania, New Zealand

☆ Death Valley is an oasis of lakes and wildflowers after Hurricane Hilary
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Mary Gilbert | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —California’s Death Valley is the hottest place in the world and the driest place in North America. But two months after Hurricane Hilary’s epic rainfall, parts of the national park look more oasis than desert. “It is definitely a rare and special event,” Death Valley park spokesperson Abby Wines told CNN, only happening roughly once a decade. Road crews traverse along hwy 190 in Death Valley, California, on August 31, 2023, where most of the road was washed out. But average high temperatures in Death Valley drop quickly during the fall and get nowhere near the record-shattering heat of summer.

Persons: Abby Wines, Hilary, Robert Gauthier, Wines, “, Death, Mike Reynolds, Mario Tama, Badwater, ” Wines, ” Organizations: CNN, Los Angeles Times, Wines, National Park Service, NPS Locations: North America, Death, Death Valley , California, Badwater

Shadi Tabatibi/Reuters Relatives mourn for a family killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on October 21. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images Palestinians inspect a destroyed area following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on October 21. Ronen Zvulun/Reuters A woman mourns over a dead man at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza City on October 18. Yousef Masoud/The New York Times A morgue worker arranges body bags at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on October 12. Ramez Mahmoud/AP A plume of smoke rises in the sky over Gaza City during an Israeli airstrike on October 9.

Persons: David Schenker, Joe Biden, Ghaith, Omari Lloyd Wolf, Washington Institute David Schenker Lloyd Wolf, Biden, —, It’s, Abdel Fattah el, Mai Yaghi, Mohammed Zaanoun, Yam Goldstein, Nadav, Ariel Schalit, Jalaa Marey, Said Khatub, Leon Neal, Hatem Moussa, Nir Oz, Wolfgang Schwan, Yousef Masoud, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Shadi Tabatibi, Ali Jadallah, Belal al Sabbagh, Mohammed Saber, Khan, Rizek Abdeljawad, Ahmad Gharabli, Janis Laizans, Abed Khaled, Mohammed Dahman, Yoav Gallant, Gallant, Yasser Qudih, Ofir Libstein, Aza, Ronen Zvulun, Belal Khaled, Abed Rahim Khatib, Hod, Ayal Margolin, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Brendan Smialowski, Netanyahu, Kenny Holston, Mohammed Abed, Kfar Aza, Ilia Yefimovich, Mustafa Hassona, Mahmoud Khaled, Samar Abu, Fatima Shbair, Dor Reder, Violeta Santos Moura, Shir Torem, Wahaj Bani Moufleh, Antonio Macías, Macías, Francisco Seco, Eli Albag, Liri, Mohammed Talatene, Sergey Ponomarev, Hatem Ali, Dor Kedmi, Mahmud Hams, Saher, Abraham Cohen, Valentin Ghnassia, Ghnassia, Yuri Cortez, Ibrahim Hams, Bashar Taleb, Baz Ratner, Jack Guez, Yahya Hassouna, Mapal Adam, Abed Zagout, Tamir Kalifa, Agha, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Reuters Itzik, Miriam Shafir, Dor Shafir, Savion Kiper, Maya Alleruzzo, Mohammed Salem, CNN Sergey Ponomarev, Eden Guez, Atef Safadi, Ohad, Mohammed Soboh, Said, Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg, Amir Cohen, Ilai Bar Sade, Erik Marmor, Oren Ziv, Majdi, Ramez Mahmoud, Roi Levy, Alleruzzo, Tali Touito, Oded, Khan Younis, Ahmad Hasballah, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Tsafrir, Ilan Rosenberg, Eyad Baba, Itai Ron, Hadas Parush, Al, “, I’ve, Trump, Mubarak, Israel Organizations: Washington Institute for Near East, Palestine Liberation Organization, Washington Institute, Eastern Affairs, CNN, Gaza, Getty, Pictures, Tel Aviv University, AP, New York Times, Reuters, Reuters Civil, AP Rockets, AP Israel's, Regional, Al, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Israel's, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Israel Defense Forces, Israeli, Ben Gurion International, Shifa, Palestinian, West Bank, Aris Messinis, Haim, Mount, Mount Herzl Military, Nova, Anadolu Agency, Nova Festival, Ben Gurion, Rockets, United Nations, Reuters Police, Reuters Rockets, Human Rights Watch, Israel, Twitter, Facebook Locations: Israel, Egypt, Gaza, Cairo, Western, Rafah, —, Washington, Sinai, AFP, Kibbutz Shefayim, Israeli, Lebanon, Tel Aviv, Deir al, Anadolu, Khan Younis, Europe, Zahra City, Gaza City, Xinhua, East Jerusalem, Ras, Israel's, Yehuda, Aqsa, Hod HaSharon, Kiryat Shmona, Al, Ahli, Sderot, Gan, Kfar, North Sinai, Samar, Samar Abu Elouf, Beit Kama, Haifa, Cyprus, Nablus, West, Kfar Saba, Be'eri, Rehovot, Mount Herzl, Jerusalem, Kibbutz Be'eri, Modiin Maccabim, Kfar Aza, Ashkelon, Mount Herzel, Yassin, Palestinian, Beitar Ilit, Ramat Gan, Itai, Beit Hanun, Rishon Lezion

☆ People are grieving the 'death' of their AI companions after a chatbot app abruptly shut down
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Rob Price | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

A 32-year-old food industry worker in eastern Texas who asked to be identified by her Reddit username, Hilary Coyote, first heard about AI chatbot companions in June. She turned to Reddit's community of Soulmate users for support, and was encouraged to go back to the app and Allur. (EvolveAI and SimplyAI's now-shuttered Soulmate app has no relation to "Soulmate AI: Your AI Companion," another app that appears in smartphone app stores and was developed by Turing App Lab.) Even if Ahoy Labs closed down, Faraday users' chatbots would not be affected. Read more: App, Lover, Muse: Inside a 47-year-old Minnesota man's three-year relationship with an AI chatbot.

Persons: Mike Hepp, Sam, Mike, wile, peppering, he'd, Soulmate, Replika, There's, Hilary Coyote, Allur, Hilary, she'd, Chris, chatbots, —, Julia, Soulmate's userbase, Jorge Ilas, SimplyAI's, She'd, Faraday, Hilary somberly, Sam —, Kindroid Organizations: YouTube, SimplyAI, Turing, Stanford Locations: Michigan, Soulmate, Replika, Florida, Chai, Texas, Bavaria, Germany, Reddit, Los Angeles, Minnesota

☆ Australian Voice referendum: Australians vote No in referendum that promised change but couldn't deliver
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“It is as Australians together that we must take our country beyond this debate without forgetting why we had it in the first place. “This is a referendum we should never had had because it was built on a lie that Aboriginal people do not have a voice,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Yes campaigner Marilyn Trad told CNN that volunteers making calls to prospective voters had to break the news to some – this week – that there was indeed a referendum. The result means no constitutional change, but the referendum will have lasting consequences for the entire nation, according to experts. “So that power, to change, to modernize, to update the constitution has been put in the hands of the Australian people.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, ”, Warren Mundine, –, Martin Ollman, MC Hammer, John Farnham, “, Marilyn Trad, Kevin Argus, Argus, Mick Tsikas, Australia’s, Pat Dodson, ” “ We’ve, ” Maree Teesson, Teesson, Paula Gerber Organizations: Australia CNN —, Nations, Australian Electoral Commission, CNN, Sky News, SBS, Torres Straight Islanders, Torres Strait, ”, First Nations, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Constitutional, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, RMIT, House, National Press Club, Aboriginal, Matilda Center for Research, Mental Health, University of Sydney, Law, Monash University Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Canberra, Old

Rubin died Friday at a hospital in Manhattan after “a brief and sudden illness,” according to his nephew, David Rotter. “Steve Rubin was a great publisher,” Grisham said in a statement. “For more than a month, it was humanly impossible to miss ‘Fire and Fury,’" Rubin wrote in his memoir “Words and Music,” published earlier this year. Rubin joined Bantam Books, a venerable paperback publisher, in the mid-1980s, and remained there for six years before leaving for Doubleday. In his memoir, he offered a succinct, if incomplete prediction: “I suppose the headline of my obit will read 'Publisher of ”The Da Vinci Code" dies'.”

Persons: — Stephen Rubin, John Grisham, ”, Rubin, “, David Rotter, Jacqueline Kennedy, Beverly Sills, Jane Friedman, ” Rubin, Kennedy, Henry Holt, Simon, Simon & Schuster, Bill O’Reilly, Martin Dugard, Laura Esquivel’s, Mitch Albom’s, ” Hilary Mantel’s, George W, Bush's, Bush, John Grisham's, Grisham, unshaven, “ Steve Rubin, ” Grisham, Doubleday, Dan Brown’s, Brown, Steve, Holt, Trump, Michael Wolff’s, Steve Bannon, Wolff, ’, Michael, Luciano Pavarotti, Sills, Cynthia Organizations: HarperCollins Publishers, Associated Press, New York Times, Doubleday, Henry Holt and Company, Simon &, Holt, New York University, Boston University, UPI, The New York Times Magazine, Bantam Books, Rubin Institute for Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music Locations: Manhattan, Europe, New York City

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a surprising 5-4 ruling in favor of Black voters in a congressional redistricting case from Alabama. In Texas, Brown ruled that Galveston County leaders redrew local political districts in a way that violated the federal Voting Rights Act. The U.S. Justice Department also joined in the lawsuit, underscoring the opposition to the maps Galveston County redrew in 2021. How local political districts are drawn has come under increasing attention nationwide. Gavin Newsom this month vetoed legislation that would have required dozens of the state’s largest cities, counties and educational districts to use independent commissions to draw voting districts.

Persons: Juneteenth, Jeffrey Brown, Donald Trump, Brown, Black, ”, Hilary Harris Klein, Gavin Newsom, Newsom Organizations: Republican, U.S, Supreme, Union, U.S . Justice Department, Galveston County redrew, Brown, Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Democratic Locations: AUSTIN, Texas, Galveston, Alabama, In Texas, Gulf, United States, Galveston County, California

☆ Australia Voice referendum: Voters urged to 'choose love' as polls show referendum poised to fail
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A No campaign worker hands out leaflets outside an early voting center on October 4, in Ballina, Australia. “But it’s also about love of ourselves, whether we have the courage to love what Australia is. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty ImagesNo love for Yes campaignHowever, a leading No campaigner mocked Pearson’s speech, accusing the Yes campaign of promoting empty slogans. “The Yes campaign, it’s the vibe. If the referendum fails, Albanese said he will respect the democratic vote of the nation and won’t legislate a Voice to Parliament.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, –, James D, Morgan, Albanese, Stringer, ” Albanese, it’s, Noel Pearson, ”, Pearson, Amar Singh, Rachel Perkins, Lisa Maree Williams, they’ve …, Nyunggai Warren Mundine, Mundine, “, you’ve, ’ ”, there’ll, we’ve, ” Mundine, “ We’re Organizations: Australia CNN, Nations, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islanders, Voice, Australian, Getty, National Press Club, Australian Broadcasting, Indigenous Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Ballina, Uluru, AFP, Sydney

CNN —Australian TV anchor Cheng Lei has been released by China and returned home to her family, Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Wednesday, more than three years after she was detained on opaque espionage charges. “We are pleased to confirm that Australian citizen Ms Cheng Lei has arrived safely home in Australia and has been reunited with her family,” Albanese said in a statement. Cheng had been on her way to work on the morning of August 13, 2020, when she was taken by China’s Ministry of State Security, according to her partner Nick Coyle. Her release follows the completion of legal process in China, according to the Australian statement. Shortly afterwards, China’s Ministry of State Security said in a statement that Cheng was deported Wednesday after completing her sentence.

Persons: Cheng Lei, Anthony Albanese, Ms Cheng Lei, ” Albanese, “, Cheng, CGTN, Nick Coyle, –, Wang Wenbin, Wang, ” Wang, Coyle, Cheng “, ”, ” “ Organizations: CNN, China’s Ministry of State Security, ”, China’s Foreign, Tullamarine, of Foreign Affairs, Trade Australian, Canberra, Observers, Chinese Foreign Ministry, Sky News Locations: China, Australia, Beijing, Melbourne, Australian, Sky News Australia, FreeChengLei

☆ Australia Voice referendum: Far from uniting the nation, the vote has revealed its priorities and prejudices
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

There would be a referendum within his first term to recognize Indigenous Australians in the constitution and create a permanent body – a Voice to Parliament – to allow them to speak directly to government. Yes voters are much younger, live in the inner-city and voted for the Labor Party or Greens. Paul Smith, Director Government and Social Australia, at YouGov says the young-old divide in this referendum indicates a generational difference in world view. Daniel Morrison-Bird has been door-knocking for months in Perth, Western Australia to convince people to vote Yes. Gerber said far from dividing the country, the Voice is an invitation from Indigenous Australians to form a closer relationship.

Persons: Anthony Albanese, –, ” Albanese, “, ”, Paul Strangio, Bianca De Marchi, Strangio, they’re pigeonholed, ’ ”, Paul Smith, Smith, Axel Bruns, Bruns, Asanka Ratnayake, D’sa, D’Sa, Daniel Morrison, Bird, they’ve, Morrison, “ You’ll, I’ve, He’s, “ I’ve, it’s, Paula Gerber, ” “, Gerber, “ We’ve Organizations: Australia CNN —, Australian, Monash University, Qantas, Liberal, National Party coalition, Labor Party, Greens, Government, Social Australia, Torres Strait Islanders, Digital Media Research, Queensland University of Technology, Sky News, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, Voice Advisory Group, Corporation, Wungening Aboriginal Corporation, Indigenous Locations: Brisbane, Australia, United States, Britain, Sydney, Corporates, YouGov, Melbourne, United Kingdom, Portuguese, Australian, Perth, Western Australia

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A massive health care strike over wages and staffing shortages headed into its final day on Friday without a deal between industry giant Kaiser Permanente and the unions representing the 75,000 workers who picketed this week. “No health care worker wants to go on strike,” Caroline Lucas, the coalition's executive director, said Thursday. The strike comes in a year when there have been work stoppages within multiple industries, including transportation, entertainment and hospitality. The health care industry alone has been hit by several strikes this year as it confronts burnout from heavy workloads — problems greatly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The White House on Thursday said President Joe Biden “always” supports union members who choose to strike when asked about the demonstration by Kaiser workers.

Persons: Kaiser, ” Caroline Lucas, “, Hilary Costa, Lucas, ”, Joe Biden “, Seung Min Kim Organizations: ANGELES, Kaiser Permanente, Coalition, Kaiser Permanente Unions, D.C, “, ”, Kaiser, United Auto Workers, Associated Locations: Kaiser, California —, Colorado , Oregon, Washington, Virginia, Oakland , California, Michigan

☆ Day two: Kaiser Permanente unionized health care workers strike across California, Colorado, Washington and Oregon
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The largest health care strike in US history is now in its second day after more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers began walking off the job on Wednesday. In a statement, Kaiser Permanente said that labor shortages are an industry-wide problem. Striking Kaiser Permanente workers hold signs as they march in front of the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center on October 04, 2023 in San Francisco, California. “So, their best choice is to be Monday through Friday in their cars.”In a statement, Kaiser Permanente said it is a leader in pay. This is the first ever national strike effort at Kaiser Permanente.

Persons: Kaiser Permanente’s, Andrew Caballero, Reynolds, Hilary Costa, Kaiser, Caroline Lucas, Anna Isaiah, transcriber, ”, “ It’s, Samuel Braslow, James Bell, Kaiser Permanente, Picketers, Permanente, Justin Sullivan, Rocio Chacon, ” Chacon, “ Organizations: CNN, Kaiser Permanente, Employees, Union, Professional Employees International Union, Getty, ”, Kaiser, Healthcare, Workers, Permanente, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center Locations: California , Colorado, Washington and Oregon, Kaiser, Virginia, Washington, DC, Kaiser Permanente Springfield, Springfield , Virginia, AFP, Los Angeles, Los Angeles , California, San Francisco , California, Southern California, United States

[1/2] A Kaiser Permanente health care center is pictured in Anaheim, California, U.S., October 3, 2023 as more than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers could go on strike from Oct. 4 to Oct. 7 across the United States. REUTERS/Mike Blake Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Kaiser Permanente FollowWASHINGTON, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Kaiser Permanente appeared headed for a labor clash with 75,000 of its healthcare workers as union leaders said contract talks had stalled on Tuesday, leaving the two sides hours away from a threatened three-day strike in several states. Kaiser said its hospitals and emergency departments would remain open in the event of a strike, staffed by doctors, managers and other non-union "contingency workers." As of Tuesday, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions said the healthcare giant had yet to offer acceptable terms to address severe staffing shortages, or to embrace adequate improvements in pay and benefits sought by the workers. Staffing levels have been a major sticking point, with the union insisting Kaiser needs to hire 10,000 new healthcare workers to fill current vacancies.

Persons: Mike Blake, Kaiser Permanente, Kaiser, Caroline Lucas, Hilary Costa, Ahmed Aboulenein, Steve Gorman, Bill Berkrot, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kaiser Permanente, Permanente, REUTERS, D.C, Union, Coalition, Kaiser Permanente Unions, Kaiser, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, Thomson Locations: Anaheim , California, U.S, United States, California , Oregon, Washington, , Colorado, Virginia, Georgia, Hawaii, California , Colorado , Oregon, Los Angeles

☆ 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers have gone on strike, disrupting healthcare for 11 million patients in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

75,000 Kaiser Permanente employees have gone on strike after failing to reach a contract agreement. The strike will affect 11 million Kaiser Permanente patients in five states and Washington, DC. AdvertisementAdvertisementMore than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente healthcare employees went on strike Wednesday morning. The Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and the healthcare company failed to reach a contract agreement by the deadline. One of the top priorities for Kaiser Permanente healthcare workers is addressing short-staffing in healthcare facilities.

Persons: Hilary Costa, Costa, Kaiser, there's, Miriam De La Paz, they'd, Caroline Lucas Organizations: Kaiser Permanente, Morning, Permanente, Coalition, Kaiser Permanente Unions Locations: Washington, DC, —, Colorado

☆ A contract for 75,000 workers is about to expire. The largest US health care strike in history could be next
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A labor contract for thousands of unionized health care workers across five states and Washington, DC, is set to expire on Saturday at 11:59 pm PT, potentially triggering the largest health care strike in US history. More than 75,000 health care employees who work at hundreds of Kaiser Permanente facilities plan to strike from October 4 through October 7 if a labor deal is not reached. They work in a wide range of health care support positions, which include nursing assistants, x-ray technicians, pharmacists and optometrists, among other roles. Unlike traditional fee-for-service medical systems in the United States, Kaiser Permanente patients pay membership dues for health care services. Kaiser Permanente has 12.7 million members and operates 39 hospitals and 622 medical offices, according to its website.

Persons: Kaiser Permanente’s, Renee Saldana, Hilary Costa, ” Costa, “, ”, Kaiser, UHW, Saldana, they’re, Betsy Twitchell, ” Twitchell Organizations: CNN, Kaiser Permanente, Service Employees International Union, United Healthcare, SEIU, UHW, Permanente, “ Workers Locations: Washington, DC, Kaiser, California , Colorado , Oregon, Washington , Virginia, United States

☆ Australia Voice referendum: Cherbourg, a community built on racial segregation, looks to the future
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

“We’ve got around 260 people waiting on our waiting list,” said Cherbourg Council CEO Chatur Zala. “My community is very, very confused,” said Mayor Elvie Sandow, from her air-conditioned office in the center of Cherbourg. Hilary Whiteman/CNNZala said Cherbourg Council has made gains in recent years, since Mayor Elvie was elected in 2020. “The highest employment rate of any Indigenous community,” he boasted. At the end of the day, I am the voice of Cherbourg because I’m the elected mayor for this community.”I am the voice of Cherbourg because I’m the elected mayor for this community.

Persons: Australia CNN —, “ We’ve, ”, Chatur Zala, –, Elvie Sandow, “ They’re, they’ll, “, “ They’ll, Hilary Whiteman, Erin Johnston, ” Johnston, Michael Blair, Andy Roache, Anthony Albanese, Cherbourg Aunty Ruth Hegarty, Aunty Ruth, Betty McKenzie, You’re, ” Aunty Ruth, Ruth, we’re, Aunty Ruth Hegarty, Moira Bligh, Nyunggai Warren Mundine, Blair Gilchrist, that’s, aren’t, it’s, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Richard Milnes, ” Price, “ It’s, Warren, It’s, Jacinta Nampijinpa, CNN Zala, Mayor Elvie, Zala, They’ve, Elvie, “ I’m, I’m, Elvie Sandow Zala, “ That’s, he’ll Organizations: Australia CNN, Torres Strait Islanders, ” Cherbourg, CNN, Australian Electoral Commission, AEC, Indigenous, Nations, Queensland Museum, Opium, Advance, Labor, Conservative Political, Conference, Tourists, Shed, Mayor, Digital Service Center Locations: Cherbourg, Australia, Queensland, Brisbane, Mitchell, Northern, ”, Trust, Canberra, Gujarat, India

☆ A 5G-powered wildfire-detection tool is helping first responders contain fires faster
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Sarah Sloat | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Pano AI, a wildfire-detection startup, uses ultrahigh definition, 360-degree cameras and an artificial-intelligence platform to scan, identify, and monitor wildfires. Pano AI alerted the state's Department of National Resources, which began a partnership with the startup in March, and provided visual and location data. Pano AI estimated its alert sped up the response time by 20 to 30 minutes. There are over 100 Pano AI systems deployed across the US and Australia. A Pano AI detection image of the Flat Fire in California.

Persons: —, Rogers, Pano AI's, Sonia Kastner, Arvind Satyam, Kastner, Satyam, Hilary Franz Organizations: Service, state's Department of National Resources, Research, 4G Locations: Washington, Mount Rainier, Australia, Canadian, British Columbia, San Francisco, California

☆ UAW leader condemns Trump ahead of Michigan visit during union strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

United Auto Workers (UAW) President, Shawn Fain addresses picketing UAW members at a General Motors Service Parts Operations plant in Belleville, Michigan, on September 26, 2023, as US President Joe Biden joined the workers. "President Trump will be in Michigan talking with union workers and ensuring American jobs are protected. "Our focus right now is 100% on getting a great agreement for our members," Fain told CNN. Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during a rally in Warren, Michigan, U.S., October 1, 2022. But UAW members have previously attended and participated in Trump's events in Michigan.

Persons: Shawn Fain, Joe Biden, Jim Watson, Donald Trump, Trump's, Fain, Trump, Crooked Joe Biden, Steven Cheung, Biden, Joe, there's, Hilary Clinton, Melania, Michael Fabian, Rich Schmidt, Carlos Barria Organizations: United Auto Workers, UAW, General Motors Service, Operations, Afp, Getty, DETROIT, Republican, Drake Enterprises, CNN, Trump, Biden, General Motors, Ford Motor, Former U.S, Chery, Reutersm, EVs, GOP, Trump's, Democratic, Lordstown Motors, White Locations: Belleville , Michigan, Michigan, Detroit, Warren , Michigan, U.S, Dieu, Macomb County , Michigan, Ohio, Washington , U.S

☆ How insurance companies are battered by hurricane season and climate change
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Insurance companies are in a tough spot with this year's stronger-than-average hurricane season, while climate-related perils continue to push catastrophe losses higher. Adding fuel to the industry's woes is the higher frequency of secondary perils, such as wildfires and flooding, due to climate change. These increased occurrences have been slowly adding to primary insurers' catastrophe losses and limiting profitability. While the industry is currently in the middle of peak hurricane season, insurance stocks typically rebound when the size of the insured losses become apparent or are announced by the companies, according to Piper Sandler. Insurance stocks tend to fall initially as big hurricanes near landfall and the likely extent of damage is appraised.

Persons: Piper Sandler, Paul Newsome, Newsome, Chubb, Bob Huang, Morgan Stanley, Huang Organizations: Atlantic, . Insurance, Insurance, Allstate, American International Group, Progressive, Universal Insurance Holdings, Everest Re Locations: Florida, Maui, Hawaii, California

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