Source: United Nations (Video News)
One year after the war in Gaza, violence persists, and the humanitarian crisis continues. Over the past year, UN officials have condemned Hamas’s attacks, called for the immediate release of all hostages, and urged for ceasefires. Gaza remains sealed off, leaving no safe areas for civilians. The UN is fully committed to staying and delivering aid to the people of Gaza.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Betsy Donald, Professor, Department of Geography and Planning, Queen’s University, Ontario
Canadian cities are falling behind globally when it comes to efficiently moving people. Long commute times, high congestion rates and infrastructure that is vulnerable to climate change are symptoms of a mobility crisis.
Mobility is an essential public good, and modern policies aim to move people in a safe, efficient, accessible and non-polluting way. However, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed and worsened existing vulnerabilities in Canada’s urban mobility systems, undermining progress toward these goals.
Our new book, Urban Mobility: How the iPhone, COVID, and Climate Changed Everything, explores how technology, the pandemic and climate change have shaped, and continue to shape, urban mobility, particularly for those with inadequate transportation networks.
One of the primary challenges Canadian cities face is that they have grown faster than their sustainable transportation options. While urban populations have expanded, investment in public transportation has not kept pace, resulting in a gap between capacity and potential.
The COVID-19 pandemic also impacted city life in profound ways, and urban life and economies in Canada are still being affected to this day. Remote work became the norm for many, reducing the number of people commuting and causing a significant drop in public transit ridership.
Additionally, the shift to hybrid work has permanently altered how Canadians engage with their cities. People are shopping online more, using public transit less, and central business districts and physical retail spaces are seeing less foot traffic.
Urban economies, which have been designed to rely heavily on the movement and presence of large numbers of people through public transit and local businesses, are still grappling with this new reality. Activity levels, for instance, are down by about 20 per cent from pre-pandemic levels in many downtown spaces still.
Digital platform firms like Zoom, Uber, Amazon and Instacart adapted quickly during the pandemic, offering safe work-from-home options, private transportation and online shopping services to people. These platforms disrupted the traditional urban economic model, which relies on transit, physical stores and foot traffic.
Ride-hailing services drew passengers and their fares away from local economies into foreign-owned ride-hailing companies. Transit systems not only depend on the massive built public infrastructure, but also passenger fares and other government funding to maintain the public system over time.
In addition, these tech platform companies come with equity and accessibility concerns. Research on the use of ride-hailing and public transit during the pandemic found that its usage in Toronto was clearly organized along class, neighbourhood and social lines. People identifying as one or more of the following were more likely to continue riding transit during the pandemic: low-income, immigrant, racialized, essential workers and car-less, in large part because other options were not available to them.
Similarly, in Calgary, private technology experiments in electric scooters privileged wealthier neighbourhoods. Electric scooters were used more in wealthier neighbourhoods, and as poverty levels increased at the neighbourhood level, the use of them dropped. The researchers concluded that greater attention needs to be paid to ensuring all communities, regardless of economic status, have access to micro-mobility options.
Canada has a history of importing technological solutions, rather than creating its own. Montréal, however, offers a successful example with its Bixi bike program, the third largest bike share system in North America after New York and Chicago, with 11,000 bikes and almost 900 stations. A non-profit runs the program, Rio Tinto Alcan provides aluminum for the bikes and Cycles Devinci manufactures them in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean.
Canadian cities need to build innovation opportunities that promote economic development and improve mobility at the same time. Canada’s technology sector is woefully undersupported at present.
The third, and perhaps most pressing challenge facing Canadian cities is the growing climate crisis. Cities are both instigators and victims of climate change. They contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, but are also heavily impacted by severe weather events, heat waves and other side effects.
These impacts are becoming increasingly concerning with the intensification of wildfires, urban flooding and other extreme weather events.
By the end of the 20th century, most large Canadian cities were heavily investing in strategies to encourage people to use alternatives to cars, such as transit, light rail, biking and walking.
However, shifting priorities, ideologies and budgetary adjustments led to government cutbacks to transit funding and a lack of new transportation innovation. In Ontario, for example, the government continues to push unrealistic road-building ideas at the expense of more active transit options.
This failure to effectively move people around has left an opening for new mobility experiments led by private companies, but some of these programs don’t really integrate well into the Canadian urban mobility ecosystem. Many of these mobility options — such as ride-hailing — are also costly and exclusive. Others, like electronic scooters, can lead to e-waste.
The disruptions caused by technology, the pandemic and climate change are reshaping how people and goods move in cities. To build a better future, Canadian cities must address the interconnected challenges of three transitions: digital, health and environmental.
While all sectors need to invest, strong leadership and policy action from governments at all levels is needed to create a more climate-friendly, economically vibrant and equitable urban mobility future. Governments will need to embrace bold, innovative solutions that address all three of these challenges.
This means policy frameworks that reduce carbon emissions through climate action plans, leveraging political will and funding in efforts to shift away from private automobiles and toward transit, bike lanes and pedestrian pathways, and experimenting with digital mobility services while still prioritizing sustainability.
Betsy Donald receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
Shauna Brail receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.
– ref. Canadian urban mobility is woefully lacking, but building a better future is still possible – https://theconversation.com/canadian-urban-mobility-is-woefully-lacking-but-building-a-better-future-is-still-possible-239679
Source: Government of Canada regional news
Municipalities play an important role in shaping Alberta’s communities and contributing to a stronger province. Alberta’s government is providing reliable funding so municipalities can plan more effectively for the future.
Alberta’s government introduced the Local Government Fiscal Framework (LGFF) in Budget 2024 to replace the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) and provide a more predictable, legislated municipal infrastructure-funding model that is 100 per cent tied to provincial revenues, as municipalities requested. This means that when provincial revenues increase, municipal funding increases at the same percentage. Next year, municipalities will receive more than $820 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year, an increase of just over 13 per cent from Budget 2024.
“Our government recognizes the importance of infrastructure funding for communities across Alberta, and for that funding to be predictable. We agreed to tie capital infrastructure funding for municipalities to provincial revenues, and the Local Government Fiscal Framework delivers on that promise. LGFF funds are increasing in 2025 because of our shared commitment to sustainability.”
The LGFF provides funding for local infrastructure priorities in cities, towns, villages, summer villages, municipal districts and counties, and Metis Settlements across Alberta. Budget 2024 also included $60 million in LGFF operating funding for communities outside Calgary and Edmonton.
Through the Local Government Fiscal Framework Act, the LGFF includes a revenue index factor that ties future funding levels to the percentage change in provincial revenues from three years prior. The boost in municipal infrastructure funding for Budget 2025 is the result of increased provincial revenues for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, and is evidence of the LGFF revenue index factor at work.
Source: CAF Development Bank of Latin America
Reintroducing Poverty to the Forefront of Public Debate
Reducing poverty requires a strong political commitment from all sectors of society. To accelerate progress, it is imperative to re-establish poverty as a central issue in public debate. In recent years, the focus on poverty has been overshadowed by a series of severe crises affecting the region. Beyond the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the escalating climate crisis, with massive fires in areas like the Amazon and the Chaco, and increased flooding in other regions, has had a devastating effect. Governance crises have also emerged, including in countries that traditionally excelled in economic growth and poverty reduction, such as Chile. Moreover, migration crises, once primarily directed towards the United States, have now developed an intraregional dimension, imposing pressure on public expenditure and, at times, leading to conflicts within recipient communities. Violence has spread to previously peaceful countries, with organized crime posing an ever-greater threat. These crises have diverted attention away from the poverty debate, even though poverty remains a fundamental factor in each of these challenges.
Public discourse should stimulate action and encourage a more ambitious discussion on the determinants of poverty and their policy implications. Key determinants such as high inequality, sluggish economic growth, environmental degradation, entrenched power structures, inadequate social protection systems, ineffective governance, a fragile rule of law, an unfavorable business environment, low female labor force participation, informality, crime and violence, and a lack of innovation, have all been identified as determinants of poverty in the region (UNDP, 2021; IMF, 2024; CODS, 2020). A comprehensive debate is needed to distil the most critical aspects and understand their interconnections to optimize efforts towards achieving sustainable development and equitable growth.
Furthermore, public debate is essential concerning the data needed to make meaningful progress in poverty reduction. While the availability of data in the region has improved, there remain issues related to periodicity, potential for disaggregation, and gaps in crucial topics. For example, the inability to link data on crime and violence with poverty data hampers a comprehensive understanding of these phenomena. Thus, a rigorous debate on where to channel limited resources for data collection is vital to generate robust data that can effectively guide policy decisions.
New Instruments for Poverty Reduction
As previously highlighted, economic growth and the widespread implementation of conditional cash transfer programs have played a pivotal role in reducing income poverty across the region in recent decades. However, from 2015 onwards, the pace of poverty reduction began to slow due to declining growth rates, a trend further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Three years after the crisis, income poverty levels in the region are only now returning to pre-pandemic figures (The World Bank, 2023). Yet, economic growth—and consequently, the fiscal capacity to fund poverty reduction initiatives—remains constrained, with regional GDP projected to expand by merely 1.6% in 2024, 2.7% in 2025, and 2.6% in 2026, rates insufficient to generate widespread prosperity (The World Bank, 2024).
Given this, the principal mechanisms that drove poverty reduction in previous years must be supplemented with innovative tools capable of maximizing poverty alleviation within a restricted fiscal environment. Aspects such as strategic planning, effective coordination, rigorous monitoring, and efficient expenditure will become increasingly crucial in the coming years. The region must foster innovation and develop a new generation of poverty reduction strategies and instruments that can effectively complement the existing frameworks.
Strengthening the Integration of Poverty Reduction Strategies with National Policies
In many cases, significant national policies that have a direct impact on poverty are formulated and implemented without a clear analysis or identification of their connections to the country’s poverty reduction strategy. Policies in areas such as energy, productivity, private sector development, and environmental or climate change often have profound implications for poverty alleviation. However, these policies are frequently designed with sector-specific objectives and within a growth-oriented framework, rather than with a focus on poverty reduction. Strengthening these connections can facilitate valuable cross-fertilization between different policy agendas, thereby accelerating efforts to reduce poverty.
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
EATONTOWN, N.J., Oct. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Climb Global Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLMB) (“Climb” or the “Company”), a value-added global IT channel company providing unique sales and distribution solutions for innovative technology vendors, will host a conference call on Thursday, October 31, 2024 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time to discuss its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024. The Company’s results will be reported in a press release prior to the call.
Climb’s management will host the conference call, followed by a question-and-answer period. Interested parties may submit questions to the Company prior to the call by emailing CLMB@elevate-ir.com.
Date: Thursday, October 31, 2024
Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern time
Toll-free dial-in number: (800) 274-8461
International dial-in number: (203) 518-9814
Conference ID: CLIMB
Webcast: Climb’s Q3 2024 Conference Call
If you have any difficulty registering or connecting with the conference call, please contact Elevate IR at (720) 330-2829.
The conference call will also be available for replay on the investor relations section of the Company’s website at http://www.climbglobalsolutions.com.
About Climb Global Solutions
Climb Global Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:CLMB) is a value-added global IT distribution and solutions company specializing in emerging and innovative technologies. Climb operates across the US, Canada and Europe through multiple business units, including Climb Channel Solutions, Grey Matter and Climb Global Services. The Company provides IT distribution and solutions for companies in the Security, Data Management, Connectivity, Storage & HCI, Virtualization & Cloud, and Software & ALM industries.
Additional information can be found by visiting http://www.climbglobalsolutions.com.
Company Contact
Drew Clark
Chief Financial Officer
(732) 389-0932
Drew@ClimbGS.com
Investor Relations Contact
Sean Mansouri, CFA
Elevate IR
(720) 330-2829
CLMB@elevate-ir.com
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 08, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BigCommerce Holdings, Inc. (“BigCommerce”) (Nasdaq: BIGC), an open SaaS, composable ecommerce platform for fast-growing and established B2C and B2B brands and retailers, today announced it will report its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024, before market open on Thursday, November 7, 2024.
The financial results and business highlights will be discussed on a conference call and webcast scheduled at 7:00 a.m. CT (8:00 a.m. ET) on Thursday, November 7, 2024. The conference call can be accessed by dialing (833) 634-1254 from the United States and Canada or (412) 317-6012 internationally and requesting to join the “BigCommerce conference call.” The live webcast of the conference call can be accessed from BigCommerce’s investor relations website at http://investors.bigcommerce.com.
Following the completion of the call through 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 14, 2024, a telephone replay will be available by dialing (877) 344-7529 from the United States, (855) 669-9658 from Canada or (412) 317-0088 internationally with conference ID 1719588. A webcast replay will also be available at http://investors.bigcommerce.com for 12 months.
About BigCommerce
BigCommerce is a leading open SaaS and composable ecommerce platform that empowers brands and retailers of all sizes to build, innovate and grow their businesses online. BigCommerce provides its customers sophisticated enterprise-grade functionality, customization and performance with simplicity and ease-of-use. Tens of thousands of B2C and B2B companies across 150 countries and numerous industries rely on BigCommerce, including Burrow, Coldwater Creek, Harvey Nichols, King Arthur Baking Co., MKM Building Supplies, United Aqua Group and Uplift Desk. For more information, please visit http://www.bigcommerce.com or follow us on X and LinkedIn.
BigCommerce® is a registered trademark of BigCommerce Pty. Ltd. Third-party trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.
MIL ASI Translation. Region: Polish/Europe –
Fuente: Gobierno de Polonia en poleco.
The Council of Ministers adopted the Medium-Term Budgetary and Structural Plan for 2025-202808.10.2024
On October 8, 2024, the Council of Ministers adopted the Medium-Term Budgetary and Structural Plan for 2025-2028. The scale and pace of fiscal consolidation are fully compliant with all requirements set out in EU regulations and European Commission guidelines. The Plan will be implemented by implementing appropriate measures in subsequent budget laws until 2028 and in annual reports on the implementation of the Plan, published by April 30. In connection with the Reform of Economic Governance in the European Union, which entered into force in April this year, the medium-term budgetary and structural plan. The Plan, which is a fiscal strategy for 2025-2028, presents a path for reducing the deficit and debt of the general government sector, while at the same time ensuring that economic growth and public investment are maintained. Contents of the Plan The Plan assumes reducing the nominal deficit below 3% of GDP in 2028 and, as a result, exiting the excessive deficit procedure and introducing the debt onto a path of its gradual reduction (ultimately below 60% of GDP). The most important element of the Plan is the sector expenditure path until 2028, which should ensure compliance of the sector deficit and debt with EU regulations in the medium term. The implementation of this scenario requires the government to take appropriate actions (the Plan presents only a framework consolidation structure). The Plan assumes using the possibility provided for in EU regulations to unevenly distribute the deficit reduction over the period covered by the Plan. As a result, next year it is planned – in line with the draft budget act for 2025 – to reduce the primary structural deficit by 0.25% of GDP. This then means a correspondingly greater effort in the next 3 years of the Plan (on average slightly above 1% of GDP in 2026-28). The sector deficit forecast for 2024-2025 presented in the Plan is consistent with the forecast for the draft budget act for 2025. After increasing to 5.7% of GDP in 2024, the sector deficit will be reduced in subsequent years and is to reach 2.9% of GDP in 2028. EU regulations do not require the presentation in the Plan of all measures leading to deficit reduction. These, depending on the development of the deficit, economic growth and the actual effects of already planned measures, will be implemented in subsequent years and presented in annual reports on the implementation of the Plan. However, the Plan presents the first measures supporting deficit reduction in the Plan period.
Throughout the entire period of the Plan, a significant challenge will be the need to implement high defense expenditures while reducing excessive deficits and ensuring that economic growth and public investment are maintained. Defense expenditures in subsequent years within the Plan horizon will result from the limits specified in the Homeland Defense Act (no less than 3% of GDP) and will be significantly higher than those incurred before Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Expanding defense capabilities is also one of the common priorities of the EU. Defense expenditures in the so-called cash approach, used in the Polish budget act, are the largest in OTAN. The projected sector debt-to-GDP ratio for 2025-2028 is consistent with the fiscal adjustment path and compliance with the net expenditure path presented in the Plan. The forecasted sector debt-to-GDP ratio will amount to 54.6% in 2024 and 58.4% in 2025. Then – mainly as a result of high defence expenditure – it will increase to 61.3% in 2027 and in 2028 it will decrease to 61.2%, which is consistent with the Public Finance Sector Debt Management Strategy for 2025-2028. The debt-to-GDP reference value of 60% will be exceeded in 2026. Forecasts and simulations of the development of the sector debt discussed in detail in the budget part of the Plan confirm that after eliminating the excessive deficit and in the absence of further changes in budgetary policy, the debt – even in the case of adverse shocks – will return to a level below 60% of GDP in 2030. The three alternative scenarios presented below assume: a permanent deterioration in the structural primary balance (SPB) by 0.5 percentage points of GDP, a one-year increase in the short and long interest rate by 1 percentage point, a permanent deterioration in the ratio of real economic growth to interest rates by 1 percentage point.
Part of the Plan was prepared by the Ministry of Development and Technology and includes reforms and investments planned for implementation by 2028, which contribute to the implementation of the EU Council recommendations for Poland (so-called CSR) issued annually during the European Structural Funds and to the implementation of the common EU economic priorities: a fair ecological and digital transformation, including climate goals; social and economic resilience, including the European Pillar of Social Rights; energy security. This set does not constitute a comprehensive list of the portfolio of reforms and investments that Poland intends to undertake in the coming years. Assessment of the Plan by EU institutions After adoption by the Council of Ministers, the Plan will be forwarded to the Commission and the EU Council. The Commission will have about 6 weeks to assess the Plan and prepare a draft recommendation of the EU Council establishing the expenditure path. Then, in early 2025, the Ecofin Council will adopt, in parallel with the recommendation establishing the expenditure path, recommendations for Poland regarding the elimination of the excessive deficit. The reformed economic governance framework allows, unlike before 2024, to spread the reduction of the excessive deficit over a longer period, in principle 4 years, and to base the consolidation path on the country’s position presented in the Plan. The implementation of the Plan will be monitored through reports, prepared annually by the end of April. The report will present, among other things, progress in implementing the expenditure path established by the Council and up-to-date information on measures supporting compliance with the path, in particular those contained in the budget law. Informe will also include information on Poland’s implementation of the recommendations of the EU Council and the common priorities of the Union. The report may include new significant policy initiatives, in particular in the area of reforms and investments. The first report will be submitted for adoption by the Council of Ministers in April 2025 and will be published no later than 30 April.
MaterialMedium-term budgetary and structural plan for 2025-2028[presentation]_MTP_MEDIA_final_with_table2.pdf 4.65MB
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
MIL ASI Translation. Region: Polish/Europe –
Fuente: Gobierno de Polonia en poleco.
The Council of Ministers meeting began with a report on the removal of the effects of the flood. It discussed progress in reconstruction, support provided to the victims, and the investigation of issues related to irregularities during the flood. The Prime Minister emphasized that the government must be united in this matter and support each other. Effective aid and rapid action
Although the flood situation is now under control, the government continues to monitor the areas affected by the element. On Tuesday, the Council of Ministers adopted a resolution on the coordination of actions related to the occurrence of floods in September 2024, which will allow Minister Marcin Kierwiński to more effectively coordinate actions related to the removal of flood damage, i.e., first of all, directing money so that it reaches them in an optimal way and in agreement with local communities.
The role of Minister Kierwiński is to coordinate, facilitate this work for us as a team. Para bromear commitment of the government as a whole, not individual ministries
– explained the Prime Minister. At Tuesday’s meeting, the Prime Minister announced the establishment of a special team that will be an auxiliary body supporting the Minister in coordinating activities related to reconstruction after the flood.
Financial support for victims
So far, provincial governors have already paid out approximately 200 million zlotys in aid benefits to people affected by the flood.
There are no hold-ups in this regard. Another 13 million zlotys are still to be paid. I think it is a matter of today, tomorrow at the latest, how this money will reach the victims
– Minister Marcin Kierwiński noted. The Ministry of Development and Technology has delegated 120 employees of the General Office of Building Supervision to the areas affected by the flood, who will accelerate the process of valuation and granting residents support in the amount of PLN 100-200 thousand.
Reconstruction of the transport and school infrastructure
One of the government’s priorities is the rapid reconstruction of infraestructura, including educational and sports facilities. Local government officials can use a special application to report losses in public utility facilities, which will help estimate the reconstruction plan using EU funds.
Thanks to the funds prepared by Minister Sławomir Nitras, we have started a program to rebuild sports and tourist infrastructure for the amount of 400 million złoty. After my visit to the flooded areas, I know that a very important problem is the issue of rapid reconstruction and restoration of normal functioning of the infrastructure of schools
– emphasized M. Kierwiński. As a result of the flooding, school boiler rooms suffered, among others. In the perspective of the autumn-winter period, their renovation and reconstruction are a priority, in order to be able to conduct lessons in comfortable conditions.
Flood-related cases under scrutiny by prosecutor’s office
During the meeting, Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar announced the involvement of the prosecutor’s office in investigating irregularities related to the flood.
The prosecutor’s office is working intensively with experts from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology to clarify all the circumstances related to the damage to the flood embankments.
– said Adam Bodnar. The Minister of Justice drew attention to several ongoing proceedings, including cases of looting, disinformation and the washing away of an earth dam in Stronie Śląskie, which concerns over 2 thousand injured people. The analysis of these cases is aimed at eliminating similar threats in the future.
The Future: Reconstruction Plus
Reconstruction after the flood will also be an opportunity to improve the quality of life of residents. Regions affected by the devastating element will not only be rebuilt, but also modernized.
Reconstruction must be this Reconstruction Plus. This space must be better than it was before the flood. We will overcome the effects of this flood if we act united and support each other
– Prime Minister announced. The reconstruction will be carried out with long-term benefits in mind, while ensuring that aid reaches all those affected by the floods. The Prime Minister thanked members of the government for their continued commitment to helping the disaster-stricken regions and their residents.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.
Source: US State of South Carolina
(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson today joined a bipartisan coalition of 14 attorneys general in filing separate enforcement actions against TikTok for violations of state consumer protection laws. Attorney General Wilson’s action alleges that TikTok exploits and harms young users and deceives the public about the social media platform’s dangers.
“TikTok is knowingly addicting children to their platform and monetizing this behavior, all while deceiving parents about the safety of their business model,” said Attorney General Wilson.
Use of TikTok is pervasive among young people in the United States. In 2023, 63% of all Americans aged 13 to 17 who responded to a Pew Research survey reported using TikTok, and most teenagers in the U.S. were using TikTok daily. In today’s lawsuit, Attorney General Wilson alleges TikTok violated South Carolina consumer protection statutes.
TikTok’s misconduct arises from its underlying business model that focuses on maximizing young users’ time on the TikTok platform to enable the company to boost revenue from selling targeted advertising space. TikTok’s misconduct includes:
Attorneys general from the following states join Attorney General Wilson today in filing separate enforcement actions against TikTok to hold it accountable for its role in the children’s mental health crisis: California, New York, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
As of today, 23 attorneys general have filed actions against TikTok for its conduct toward youth, including existing actions filed by the attorneys general of Utah, Nevada, Indiana, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, and Texas.
You can read the complaint here.
Source: US Congressional Budget Office
H.R. 7776 would allow the Department of the Interior (DOI) to use money from a particular account within the Colorado River Dam Fund to pay for operations, maintenance, and repairs of the Hoover Dam. Under current law, amounts collected from Hoover Dam project contractors are deposited into the fund and, excepting that one account, are available to be spent for those purposes. The bill would allow DOI to draw from that account for Hoover Dam projects.
For this estimate, CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted before the end of calendar year 2024. Using information from the Office of Management and Budget, CBO estimates that $48 million currently in the fund would become available to DOI under the bill; CBO does not expect any additional deposits into that account. Based on historical spending patterns, CBO estimates that enacting the bill would cost $48 million over the 2025-2034 period. That spending would be classified as direct spending because the bill would allow those amounts to be spent without further appropriation.
Source: US International Brotherhood of Boilermakers
Joseph Franklin’s 36-year tenure as International President (1908-1944) stands as a demonstration of unwavering leadership during some of the most turbulent periods in United States history. From the Great Depression to wartime chaos, Franklin’s leadership was characterized by resilience, adaptability and an unyielding commitment to the union and its members.
When members voted for Franklin as president in 1908, the Brotherhood was facing existential threats. Membership and income had plummeted to the point where many doubted the union’s survival. Yet, under his leadership, the Brotherhood not only survived but thrived, weathering economic downturns, wars and shifting industries. His tenure saw the Brotherhood’s transformation from a primarily railroad union to a shipbuilders’ union during WWI, back to a railroad union in the interwar years, and again to shipbuilding during WWII.
Born in 1868, Franklin’s early life was marked by hardship. His father died when Franklin was only six years old, and his formal education was brief. He entered the boilermaker trade in 1892. Seven years later, he joined the Boilermakers, becoming one of the charter members of Local 221 in Pittsburg, Kansas. His rise to the highest office was swift. By 1906, he was elected first International Vice President, and just two years later, members elected him International President.
Franklin’s leadership style was shaped by his own experiences as a young man who’d been blacklisted for union activities. This experience instilled in him an intense determination to protect and advance the union and defend the working class. His efforts to improve conditions for Boilermakers extended beyond the union. In 1908, he was a key figure in founding the Railroad Employees Department, and in 1912, he co-founded the Federations of Railway Employees, which later became part of the AFL’s Railway Employees Department.
Franklin’s influence also reached the highest levels of government. In 1918, President Woodrow Wilson appointed him assistant director of labor for the United States Railroad Administration. This role, which he held until the agency’s dissolution in 1920, demonstrated his ability to navigate both labor and management.
One of Franklin’s most significant contributions was his focus on ensuring the union’s financial stability. In 1914, he convinced convention delegates to establish a fund to purchase a headquarters building. Four years later, he was instrumental in founding the Brotherhood Bank, where he served as the first board chairman. These institutions proved crucial during the Great Depression, when membership shrank, and many banks failed.
His commitment to the Boilermakers earned him the unwavering loyalty of members, and his steadfast commitment to organizing and recruiting kept the union solvent and thriving throughout many turbulent years.
Franklin passed away in Kansas City on Feb. 18, 1948, at the age of 79. His legacy as a leader who never compromised his principles remains today. His successor, Charles MacGowan, eulogized him as “a man, rugged and wholesome but noble and lovable. The dominant urge in his whole being was to render a full measure of service to the cause in which he had dedicated even life itself.”
Source: US Congressional Budget Office
H.R. 9686 would amend the Congressional Budget Act to establish in statute a Panel of Health Advisors for the Congressional Budget Office. Under the bill, the 15-person panel would provide technical advice to CBO, meet at least once each year, and report annually to the House and Senate Committees on the Budget.
Source: US Congressional Budget Office
H.R. 8068 would amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to change how the discretionary spending baseline is projected in the baseline. Under the bill, budgetary resources designated as an emergency requirement or provided in supplemental appropriation laws would no longer be projected in the discretionary spending baseline in subsequent years.
Source: US Congressional Budget Office
|
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars |
2025 |
2025-2029 |
2025-2034 |
||||||||
|
Direct Spending (Outlays) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||||||||
|
Revenues |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||||||||
|
Increase or Decrease (-) in the Deficit |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||||||||
|
Spending Subject to Appropriation (Outlays) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||||||||
|
Increases net direct spending in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2035? |
No |
Statutory pay-as-you-go procedures apply? |
No |
||||||||
|
Mandate Effects |
|||||||||||
|
Increases on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2035? |
No |
Contains intergovernmental mandate? |
No |
||||||||
|
Contains private-sector mandate? |
No |
||||||||||
Source: US Congressional Budget Office
H.R. 9716 would amend the Congressional Budget Act to require CBO, to the extent practicable, to submit at least two updates each year to its annual budget and economic forecast. At least one of those would include the economic data underlying the update. The bill also would require the Administration to submit to the Congress technical budget data on or before February 1 of each year.
Source: US Congressional Budget Office
H.R. 9751 would amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to require that CBO include the budgetary effects of any judicial action and any executive action in its baseline projections of revenues and spending in a manner that is consistent with the scorekeeping guidelines established under that act. Further, the bill would amend the Congressional Budget Act to require CBO to include a table in its baseline reports to the Congress that lists, to the extent practicable, all such judicial and executive actions that have a cumulative budgetary effect of at least $50 billion over the current year through the end of the 10-year budget window.
Source: US National Republican Congressional Committee
The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –
October 8, 2024
Extreme Democrat Janelle Bynum struggled to explain her behavior and the damning text messages as a growing cover-up scandal engulfed her campaign.
Bynum doubled down trying to shift blame away from herself after more reports an Oregon Democrat filed an ethics complaint against her for turning a blind eye to sexual harassment in her campaign.
In case you missed it…
KOIN: “…Janelle Bynum is now responding to a report that she downplayed sexual harassment allegations against a man working for her campaign. And that harassment complaint filed with the state legislative equity office says it happened during Bynum’s 2022 campaign for the state legislature.”
Oregon Capital Chronicle: “A top staffer for Democratic congressional candidate Janelle Bynum’s rival in the May primary filed a complaint this summer alleging that Bynum turned a blind eye to sexual harassment and assault by an operative assigned to her 2022 legislative campaign. The third-party complaint was first reported over the weekend by Fox News, which underlined the importance of the race.”
“Janelle Bynum’s weak denials crumble in the face of damaging text messages and a complaint coming from within her own party. Oregonians deserve transparency and immediate answers, not Bynum’s pathetic attempts to dodge accountability.” – NRCC Spokesperson Ben Petersen
News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team
As hurricanes and other natural disasters occur, CISA urges individuals to remain on alert for potential malicious cyber activity. Fraudulent emails and social media messages—often containing malicious links or attachments—are common after major natural disasters. Exercise caution in handling emails with hurricane-related subject lines, attachments, or hyperlinks. In addition, be wary of social media pleas, texts, or door-to-door solicitations relating to severe weather events. Before responding, ensure hurricane-related guidance is from trusted sources, such as local officials and disaster response organizations, including Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and DHS’s Ready.gov.
CISA encourages users to review the following resources to avoid falling victim to malicious cyber activity:
Source: USAID
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Benjamin Suarato:
On October 7, Administrator Samantha Power spoke with Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Administrator Power and High Commissioner Türk discussed the shared commitment of USAID and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to protect and advance human rights around the world. They discussed the status of detained UN, NGO, and diplomatic staff in Yemen, support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the efforts of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti, and helping enable the critical work of human rights defenders in Latin America.
Source: USAID
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Benjamin Suarato:
On October 7, Administrator Samantha Power met with India’s new Ambassador to the United States Vinay Kwatra. The Administrator highlighted opportunities to build on the U.S. and India’s evolving strategic development partnership to address shared global goals and emphasized our joint work in the Indo-Pacific under the Triangular Development Partnership (TriDeP).
Administrator Power and Ambassador Kwatra discussed India’s leadership role in catalyzing regional clean energy ambitions, and Administrator Power reaffirmed USAID’s commitment to the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership.
News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team
Fact sheet provides information on actors’ techniques and recommended mitigations for individuals and organizations associated with national political campaigns
WASHINGTON – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published a fact sheet today, How to Protect against Iranian Targeting of Accounts Associated with National Political Organizations. Actors affiliated with the Iranian Government’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are using social engineering techniques across email and chat applications probably to stoke discord and undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions. This fact sheet provides recommended actions to protect against this malicious activity.
IRGC actors target and compromise the personal and business accounts of Americans, in particular. individuals associated with national political organizations. They also target individuals and organizations working or have worked on issues related to Iranian and Middle Eastern affairs.
CISA and the FBI recommend mitigations and best practices that will help organizations and individuals strengthen their security and resilience, including keeping applications and operating systems updated, training staff to only use official accounts for business, and implementing phishing-resistant multifactor authentication (MFA).
“With FBI, CISA works to provide timely, actionable information that helps our partners reduce their risk from myriad threats,” said CISA Executive Assistant Director for Cybersecurity, Jeff Greene. “IRGC cyber actors pose an ongoing and escalating risk. We urge individuals and organizations associated with national political organizations or campaigns to review and implement actions in this joint fact sheet.”
The FBI and CISA continue to work closely to provide services and information to safeguard public and private sector and individuals.
For more information, please visit CISA’s Iran Cyber Threat and #Protect2024 webpages.
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About CISA
As the nation’s cyber defense agency and national coordinator for critical infrastructure security, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency leads the national effort to understand, manage, and reduce risk to the digital and physical infrastructure Americans rely on every hour of every day.
Visit CISA.gov for more information and follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram.
News In Brief – Source: US Computer Emergency Readiness Team
Today, CISA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released joint fact sheet, How to Protect Against Iranian Targeting of Accounts Associated with National Political Organizations. This fact sheet provides information about threat actors affiliated with the Iranian Government’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targeting and compromising accounts of Americans to stoke discord and undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions.
IRGC actors have previously gained and continue to seek access to personal and business accounts using social engineering techniques by targeting victims across email and chat. This fact sheet includes steps that individuals and organizations can take to enhance their security and resilience to protect themselves against the common techniques used by these cyber actors.
CISA and FBI strongly recommend all individuals and organizations associated with national political organizations apply the mitigations in this fact sheet, including protecting their sensitive accounts with phishing-resistant multifactor authentication (MFA).
Election infrastructure stakeholders and the public can find more resources on how to protect against cyber and physical threats at #Protect2024. CISA encourages organizations to review its Iran Cyber Threat webpage for advisories and actions to defend their networks.
Source: USAID
The following is attributable to Deputy Spokesperson Shejal Pulivarti:
Last week, Deputy Administrator Isobel Coleman led an official delegation with representatives from the White House, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Interior, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and the U.S. Trade and Development Agency to Palau, Papua New Guinea (PNG), and Fiji. The goal of the interagency delegation was to demonstrate a whole-of-government approach to delivering on the region’s top priorities, especially economic growth. The delegation emphasized that the U.S. government leverages its resources, expertise, and influence from across the entire government to mobilize new investments and strengthen partnerships – particularly with the private sector – to achieve the ambitious goals set forward by our Pacific partners in the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent and the Boe Declaration.
In Palau, the Deputy Administrator met with Republic of Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr., and announced $1.5 million additional humanitarian assistance funding to the American Red Cross to bolster disaster preparedness and response capabilities of the national Red Cross societies in the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Deputy Administrator Coleman also launched a new partnership with the Palau Chamber of Commerce to combat human trafficking, which will raise awareness about trafficking in persons, improve protection for victims, and ensure collaboration among partners.
The Deputy Administrator highlighted the collaboration between USAID and the Department of the Interior under the U.S.-Australia-Japan Trilateral Infrastructure Partnership, where USAID and partners are working to deliver safe, secure, and open internet access for Palauans. She also reinforced the United States’ commitment to finding local solutions to complex problems such as trafficking in persons, and engaged with local partners and the private sector to gain a better understanding of the challenges they face in the country.
The Deputy Administrator led the U.S. government’s delegation at Palau’s Independence Day celebrations, marking 30 years of independence and bilateral partnerships. Deputy Administrator Coleman reinforced the United States’ commitment to and partnership with Palau and the Pacific Islands region as a whole, and that the U.S. government supports Palau’s development goals for more resilient communities, sustainable economic growth, and strong democratic processes.
In PNG, the Deputy Administrator and delegation met with a variety of stakeholders, including Deputy Prime Minister John Rosso, local and international businesses, women entrepreneurs, as well as the diplomatic and development partner community to reinforce the United States’ commitment to partnering with PNG to increase investment, expand electrification, and support increased peace and security for Papua New Guinean communities. While in Port Moresby, Deputy Administrator Coleman launched USAID’s flagship Peace Project, which will empower PNG communities to prevent conflict, promote stability, and empower communities to thrive.
In Fiji, Deputy Administrator Coleman met with Fiji’s Prime Minister, Sitiveni Rabuka, Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lesikimacuata Korovavala, and the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Trade, Cooperatives and Small and Medium Sized Enterprises Mr. Shaheen Ali, and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretary General Baron Waqa to underscore the United States’ commitment to fostering partnerships and help Fiji’s growing democracy deliver economic and social progress, especially to address the effects of climate change and increase economic connectivity. The Deputy Administrator and the delegation met with American businesses operating in the region and Fijian women entrepreneurs to discuss market challenges, overcoming barriers, and unlocking potential for greater economic collaboration and innovation in the Pacific.
The Deputy Administrator participated in the signing of the bilateral framework agreement between USAID and the Government of Fiji. This Agreement demonstrates the United States’ commitment to the Pacific and further solidifies our Pacific Islands regional mission’s presence in Suva, Fiji.
Deputy Administrator Coleman co-hosted a roundtable at the University of South Pacific with students and members of the diplomatic corps focused on the U.S government’s innovative efforts for economic connectivity, trade, climate, and business in the Pacific. At the town hall, the Deputy Administrator announced that USAID intends to provide over $4 million in additional support to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth and increase efforts to withstand the effects of climate change across the Pacific Island countries.
Source: US Department of Labor
Employers: Wholestone Farms Cooperative Inc.
900 South Platte Ave.
Fremont, NE
Actions: OSHA investigation
Findings: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Wholestone Farms Cooperative Inc. for three serious safety and health violations and proposed penalties totaling $36,873, following a March 2024 complaint investigation.
OSHA issued serious violations under the general duty clause, after finding employees were exposed to ergonomic stressors likely to cause musculoskeletal disorders and injuries when working in the palletizing area.
The company put employees at risk of musculoskeletal injuries by requiring them to manually lift boxes weighing up to 99 pounds from the palletizing conveyor onto pallets at floor level and stack them up to nine boxes high. The frequency and duration of lifts, weights lifted, motions repeated, forced exertions, and irregular postures exposed employees to the risk of injuries.
Wholestone also received a serious violation for exposing workers to slip and fall hazards by allowing employees to walk and work on a damaged, uneven surface in the shipping department’s cold storage area and by not keeping aisles and a passageway clear and in good repair.
Quote: “Musculoskeletal injuries are among the most frequent causes of lost or restricted work time and a known hazard in the meatpacking industry. Such injuries occur when lifting heavy items, bending, working in awkward body postures and performing the same or similar tasks repetitively,” said OSHA Area Director Matthew Thurlby in Omaha, Nebraska. “Work-related musculoskeletal injuries can be prevented by creating an effective ergonomics program that includes training, hazard analysis and control, medical management, and process evaluation to limit muscle strain.”
Background: Learn more about OSHA’s Ergonomics Program Management Guidelines for meatpacking plants.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Learn more about OSHA and industry-recognized safety rules for agricultural operations.
Source: Auckland Council
Auckland Council has appointed Brett Ellison and Aaron Hockly as directors of Eke Panuku Development Auckland.
The council sought candidates with experience in the property industry relevant to the governance of Eke Panuku, experience in driving outcomes from board level and the ability to work in regulatory frameworks. Council also sought candidates who would bring expertise in iwi relationships, understanding of Te Ao Māori and tikanga Māori, legal expertise and experience of health and safety.
Councillor Greg Sayers chaired the selection panel and welcomes the appointments.
“I am pleased to welcome Mr Ellison and Mr Hockly to the Auckland Council whanau as two seasoned property professionals with the leadership skills and experience to provide real strength to the Eke Panuku board. They each bring a set of skills that will complement the existing board members and support the good governance of this organisation, with Mr Ellison providing the board with a strong Māori perspective and Mr Hockly bringing legal expertise,” says Cr Sayers.
The appointment was approved by the Performance and Appointments Committee on 24 September. The committee is responsible for all appointments to the boards of council-controlled organisations, in accordance with the council’s Appointment and Remuneration Policy for Board Members and the Local Government Act.
About Brett Ellison
Brett is an experienced executive across the iwi commercial sector, having spent over 10 years in senior roles across the Ngāi Tahu Holdings Group and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu – focusing on their seafood and property sector, and Crown relationships and Settlement rights. He was formerly the GM for Business Development at Ngāi Tahu Property which has played a key role in the urban development of Christchurch.
Brett is an Investment Manager with Koau Capital Partners and supports the property activity of various iwi, and acts as investment manager for the Hāpai property collective – an iwi owned and governed property vehicle with a focus across the commercial, development and housing sectors.
Born and bred at Ōtākou, and a graduate (BA, MA) of the University of Otago, Brett has been a director on Rangitāne Holdings, and chairs Te Rūnaka Ōtākou Ltd.
About Aaron Hockly
Aaron Hockly has over 20 years’ experience in financial services, property and law and currently heads up the NZX-listed, Vital Healthcare Property Trust, which owns hospitals and other healthcare facilities across New Zealand and Australia valued at ~$3.2 billion. Originally from New Zealand, Aaron spent 17 years in the UK and Australia until returning in 2018. He was Chief Operating Officer for a large ASX listed property group for ~10 years where he was responsible for strategy, major transactions and investor relations.
Among other qualifications, Aaron has a Masters in Applied Finance and a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Auckland. He is a Fellow of both Governance New Zealand and the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA), a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors (NZ) and a member of INFINZ.
Aaron has served on the boards of several charities in both New Zealand and Australia and is currently a member of the Auckland Urban Design Panel.
Source: South Australia Police
Police are investigating an incident at Gulfview Heights where two people were stabbed.
About 3.45am on Wednesday 9 October, police were called to a home on Nelson Road after reports that a group of armed males forced entry into the property and stabbed two occupants.
The group left the scene in a vehicle which was last seen turning on to Yulinda Terrace.
A 53-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy were both taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A third person was also taken to hospital with minor injuries after being assaulted.
It is early in the investigation however police do not believe this to be a random incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at http://www.crimestopperssa.com.au/ or on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) and U.S. Senator Alex Padilla today led six of their California Democratic Congressional Delegation colleagues in requesting a Congressional Status Conference before December 2024, when the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) contract governing the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center and Golden State Annex is up for renewal. This follows years of reported abuse allegations and retaliatory behavior toward detainees at the facilities, including a formal civil liberties complaint, reports of denied access to attorneys, hunger strikes and subsequent facility transfers, and worker strikes.
In their letter, the Members also reiterated their call for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE to end the federal government’s contract with both private facilities. They sent letters on related topics in May 2023, September 2022, and October 2021.
In addition to Lofgren and Padilla, the letter was signed by Reps. Lou Correa (CA-46), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Nanette Diaz-Barragan (CA-44), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Katie Porter (CA-47), and Juan Vargas (CA-52).
Full text of the letter can be downloaded here and is copied below:
Dear Secretary Mayorkas and Acting Director Lechleitner,
We write to follow-up on our May 3, 2023 letter regarding ongoing complaints describing disturbing conditions and abusive and retaliatory behavior towards detainees by facility staff at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center (“Mesa Verde”) and Golden State Annex (“Golden State”), both of which are run by the GEO Group (“GEO”).
Furthermore, it has been brought to our attention that the ICE contract governing Mesa Verde and GSA is up for renewal in December of 2024 and that the Department of Homeland Security is currently reviewing and considering the contract renewals to both facilities.
Due to the disturbing and ongoing reports authored by people in both of these facilities as well as the DHS’s own Office of Inspector General1 (OIG) unannounced inspection report and Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties complaints filed, we request a congressional status conference for both DHS and ICE to provide a briefing to Members regarding conditions at Mesa Verde and Golden State. In particular, we would like responses to the following questions:
1. What is the preliminary status regarding renewal or termination of the Mesa Verde and Golden State contracts?
2. What plan is in place to ensure that free phone calls are made available to individuals detained at both Mesa Verde and Golden State?
3. Can you provide copies of responses and corrective actions taken regarding the numerous performance-based national detention standards violations found in the OIG report dated April 2024?
We reiterate our call for DHS to end contracts with GEO for Mesa Verde and Golden State, given that the ongoing allegations brought forward in our September 14, 2022 letter and our May 4, 2023 letter have been affirmed in multiple federal and state reports, and in the interest of the safety of individuals who are subjected to such conditions. We also once again ask that detainees are not merely transferred to another facility away from their support networks, legal representation and families, but are instead released on alternatives to detention and case management.
We request that DHS conduct a fair, thorough, case-by-case review of all individuals to assess their safety and determine their ongoing custody status to ensure that the facilities will close justly.
We look forward to your response and appreciate your consideration of this urgent matter.
Sincerely,
1 https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2024-04/OIG-24-23-Apr24.pdf
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Source: Government of Canada regional news
This is a joint news release between the Government of Yukon and the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS).
Source: Government of Canada regional news
Volunteer firefighters in unincorporated communities across the Yukon will be compensated more for their volunteer service as of October 1, 2024.
The volunteer honorarium will be increased to $30.74 per hour, up from $22 per hour. Volunteer firefighters will receive honorarium for each hour responding to calls. In addition, the increased honorarium will be provided for each hour of fire service training.
Source: Government of Canada regional news
Minister of Health and Social Services Tracy-Anne McPhee has issued the following statement:
“This week, from October 6 to 12, we observe Mental Illness Awareness Week, an opportunity to raise awareness, reduce stigma and advocate for better access to mental health care for all.