Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) issued the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the brutal October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel:”One year ago today our great ally Israel was savagely attacked. A year later, they’re still fighting to defend their nation,” Sen. Hawley wrote. “Now more than ever, we must stand with Israel.”
Sen. Hawley has been a vocal supporter of Israel. Last year, the Senate passed his resolution condemning Hamas and the antisemitic student groups on college campuses that celebrated the Oct. 7 attack.
Senator Hawley demanded Secretary Mayorkas terminate a DHS employee who has a documented history of making blatantly antisemitic, pro-Hamas statements.
He has also called for a DOJ investigation into third-party funding behind the violent antisemitic protests that convulsed college campuses across the country, supported deportations and visa cancellations for undocumented students participating in these protests, and exposed Biden administration nominees with antisemitic ties.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Carol Johnson, Emerita Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Adelaide
It wasn’t meant to be like this.
In her 2022 study of Anthony Albanese, Katharine Murphy describes a prime minister who thought he’d be successfully managing an idealistic, collaborative and positive “new politics” that would favour the Teal independents rather than Dutton’s Liberals. Albanese seemed confident that Labor was destined for an extended period in office. Given he later appointed Murphy to his communications team, he apparently approved of her analysis.
However, even at the time Murphy’s Lone Wolf: Albanese and the New Politics was published, various commentators, including myself, queried the “new politics” scenario. While the Teals may represent a new politics, it is clear that the old Liberal politics — of culture wars and denouncing Labor’s economic and climate change policies — is also still very much with us.
Labor and the Liberals are now neck-and-neck in some polls, with minority government (or worse) potentially looming for Labor. Meanwhile, Gareth Evans and Bill Kelty, key figures from the Hawke/Keating period, have excoriated the Albanese government’s allegedly lacklustre performance.
How did it all go so wrong?
Great expectations; modest reality
Some of the reasons can be traced back to difficulties addressing unrealistic expectations in Labor’s 2022 election strategy. Albanese went to the 2022 election with a “new politics”, collaborative style agenda that sought to bring all Australians, including business, labour, Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians together. It was a small target strategy based on assumed common interests, kindness and compassion rather than divisiveness.
As a result, Labor successfully countered Scott Morrison’s populist, “us versus them” campaign strategy. However, Labor’s approach was to prove easier to implement as an election strategy than in government, as three examples show.
First, Albanese was channelling Bob Hawke when it came to bringing business and labour together. Yet, the Hawke government’s rapprochement with business was based on business being able to pay lower wages, because workers would be compensated by a government-funded “social wage” in the form of benefits and entitlements.
By contrast, the Albanese government pledged to end the wage stagnation of the Liberal years and generally increase wages. A major emphasis was placed on improving the wages of low-paid women workers. In the process, Labor tackled issues that arose from Keating’s flawed, neoliberal-influenced, enterprise bargaining model.
However, key business groups criticised Labor’s resulting industrial relations measures, including multi-employer bargaining, increases in the minimum wage, and measures designed to address precarious and contract work. The Liberals have largely sided with business critiques.
Second, Labor’s attempts to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians together, via the Voice referendum, fell victim to a divisive, populist campaign by Dutton and others. Dutton depicted the Voice proposal not as arising from a major national meeting of Indigenous representatives but as being an elite “Canberra voice” that would give special rights to Indigenous Australians that were denied to others. Furthermore, he argued that government was so focused on elite “woke” issues such as the Voice, it was neglecting Australian workers’ cost-of-living crisis. Labor’s strategy for countering right-wing populism was in disarray.
Albanese’s response to the Voice loss was to go even more “small target” in ways that alienated progressive supporters. He abandoned key commitments ranging from the Indigenous Makarrata commission process of Treaty and Truth-telling, to protecting LGBTQI+ teachers and students from being sacked by religious schools. The debacle over including gender identity questions in the census was another result.
Third, international events, and other parties’ politicisation of them, have impeded the government’s attempts at social cohesion. Australian political debate has become so polarised over developments in the Middle East that the Albanese government is accused of abandoning support for Israel by the Liberals and the Murdoch press, while simultaneously being accused of being “complicit in Israel’s genocide” by the Greens and pro-Palestinian groups.
Narrative failure
As its original story of bringing Australians together has been increasingly undermined, the government has floundered when it comes to telling a clear narrative about itself. By contrast, Dutton’s relentless, focused and simply expressed negativity has been cutting through.
Part of Labor’s problem in countering Dutton is that he is targeting them for things that are often beyond their control.
For example, Dutton’s claim the government has been too distracted by so-called “woke” issues to address the cost-of-living crisis has been particularly electorally damaging for Labor. So have his claims that Labor’s renewable energy policies are fuelling inflation and pushing up the cost of living still further.
The government argues it has been providing extensive cost-of-living relief in the form of tax cuts, energy bill relief, rental assistance, wage increases, cheaper medicines and reduced child care costs. However, the problem is that such government measures are being continually undercut by inflation, price increases, high interest rates, and the housing affordability and supply crisis.
Yet, the housing affordability and supply crisis has been aggravated by decades of poor housing policy that long predate the Albanese government. Furthermore, Labor’s attempts to address it are currently being stymied by a combination of Coalition and Greens opposition, once again sandwiching Labor.
Meanwhile, the Coalition argues that government spending is exacerbating inflation and high interest rates. However, even the independent Reserve Bank, which sets cash interest rates and is also critical of government spending, has drawn attention to multiple international factors playing a role in inflation. Price increase gouging by some businesses to augment their profits has exacerbated the problem.
Furthermore, Treasurer Jim Chalmers argues that existing government spending levels have been essential to preventing Australia sliding into recession, while still enabling a budget surplus.
Chalmers has struggled to cut through in the way that Keating’s messages did. However, Keating benefited from the Coalition largely agreeing with his neoliberal-influenced “reform” agenda, despite arguing it wasn’t going far enough. By contrast, Chalmers has been facing a fundamentally hostile opposition, unsympathetic to key influences on his thought, such as Mariana Mazzucato.
Labor has also had trouble selling the government’s achievements because, as I argue in a recent book, some of the Albanese government’s most successful reform measures have been in gender equality (although much more still needs to be done). Despite women making up more than half of the population, reforms that affect women tend to be undervalued in what is still a male defined political culture. Furthermore, the working class is often conceived in terms of blue collar male employment, so benefits for women workers are not being adequately recognised. This is particularly the case in Dutton’s hyper-masculine, strongman discourse.
Mobilising gendered leadership stereotypes has been central to Dutton’s populist “us” versus “them” politics. Dutton consistently depicts Albanese as an emasculated “weak” leader on issues ranging from addressing the cost of living crisis to detaining asylum seekers freed by a High Court decision, and supporting Israel. By contrast, Dutton is depicted as the strong leader who will stand up for everyday Australians allegedly abandoned by Labor and the so-called elites.
This does not look like a “new politics” at all and it is a divisive, populist terrain that Labor is finding very difficult to negotiate.
Carol Johnson has received past funding from the Australian Research Council for work on Labor governments and on gender equality policy. .
The linear accelerator at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, where researchers study rare isotopes of elements. Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
The word magic is not often used in the context of science. But in the early 1930s, scientists discovered that some atomic nuclei – the center part of atoms, which make up all matter – were more stable than others. These nuclei had specific numbers of protons or neutrons, or magic numbers, as physicist Eugene Wigner called them.
The race to figure out what made these nuclei so stable began. Understanding these magic numbers would allow scientists to predict the properties of other nuclei, such as their mass or how long they are expected to live. With that, scientists could also predict which combinations of protons and neutrons can result in a nucleus.
For their discovery, the two physicists each got a quarter of the 1963 Nobel Prize in physics. We’re twonuclear scientists whose work is built on Goeppert Mayer’s and Jensen’s discoveries 75 years ago. These magic numbers continue to play an important role in our research, only now we can study them in nuclei that live for just a fraction of a second.
Stability in the atom
The atom is a complex system of particles. It’s made up of a central nucleus consisting of protons and neutrons, called nucleons, with electrons orbiting around the nucleus.
Nobel prize-winning physicist Niels Bohr described these electrons in the atom as existing in a shell structure. The electrons circulate around the nucleus in particular energy levels, or orbits. These orbits have specific energies, and each orbit can hold only so many electrons.
Chemical reactions result from interactions between the electrons in two atoms. In Bohr’s model, if an electron orbit is not already filled, then it’s easier for the atoms to exchange or share those electrons and induce chemical reactions.
One class of elements, the noble gases, hardly ever react with other elements. In noble gases, the electrons occupy completely filled orbits, and as a result the atoms greedily hold onto their electrons instead of sharing and undergoing a chemical reaction.
In the 1930s, scientists wondered whether protons and neutrons might also occupy orbits, like electrons. But nobody could show this conclusively. For more than a decade, the scientific community was unable to describe the nucleus in terms of individual protons and neutrons. Scientists used a more simplified picture, one that treated protons and neutrons as one single system, like a drop of water.
Magic numbers
In 1949, Goeppert Mayer and Jensen developed the so-called shell model of the nucleus.
Protons and neutrons occupy particular orbits, analogous to electrons, but they also have a property called spin – similar to a spinning top. Goeppert Mayer and Jensen found that when combining the two properties in their calculations, they were able to reproduce the experimental observations.
Through some experiments, they found that nuclei with certain magic numbers of neutrons or protons are unusually stable and hold onto their nucleons more than researchers previously expected, just like how noble gases hold onto their electrons.
The magic numbers known to scientists are 2, 8, 20, 28, 50, 82 and 126. They are the same for both protons and neutrons. When a nucleus has a magic number of protons or neutrons, then the particular orbit is filled, and the nucleus is not very reactive, similar to the noble gases.
For example, the element tin has a magic number of protons. Tin always has 50 protons, and its most common isotope has 70 neutrons. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have a different number of neutrons.
There are nine other stable isotopes of tin that can exist – it’s the element with the largest number of stable isotopes. A stable isotope will never spontaneously change into a different element, which is what happens to radioactive isotopes.
Helium, with two protons and two neutrons, is the lightest “doubly magic” nucleus. Both its neutron count and its proton count are a magic number. The forces that hold the helium-4 nucleus together are so strong that it’s impossible to attach another proton or neutron. If you tried to add another proton or neutron, the resulting atom would fall apart instantaneously.
On the other hand, the heaviest stable nucleus in existence, lead-208, is also a doubly magic nucleus. It has magic numbers of 82 protons and 126 neutrons.
Many stable isotopes have magic numbers of protons and neutrons. The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams
Examples of magic numbers and stable nuclei exist everywhere – but scientists couldn’t explain them without the introduction of the shell model.
Stable nuclei in nature
The shell structure in nuclei tells researchers about how elements are distributed across the Earth and throughout the universe.
One of the most abundant elements on our planet and in the human body is oxygen, in particular the isotope oxygen-16.
With eight protons and eight neutrons, oxygen-16 has an extremely stable nucleus. A nearby star produced the oxygen we find on Earth through nuclear reactions in its core sometime before the solar system was formed.
Since oxygen nuclei are doubly magic, these nuclei in the star did not interact very much with other nuclei. So more oxygen was left around to eventually act as an essential ingredient for life on Earth.
In her Nobel lecture, Maria Goeppert Mayer talked about the work she did with physicist Edward Teller. The two had attempted to describe how these elements formed in stars. In the 1930s, it was impossible for them to explain why certain elements and isotopes were more abundant in stars than others. She later found that the increased abundances corresponded to nuclei with something in common: They all had magic numbers of neutrons.
With the shell model and the explanation of magic numbers, the production of elements in stars was possible and was published in 1957.
Scientists today continue to use ideas from the nuclear shell model to explain new phenomena in nuclear science. A few accelerator facilities, such as the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, where we work, aim to create more exotic nuclei to understand how their properties change compared with their stable counterparts.
At the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams, scientists produce new isotopes by accelerating stable isotopes to about half the speed of light and smashing them at a target. Out of the pieces, we select the rarest ones and study their properties.
Possibly the most profound modern discovery is the fact that the magic numbers change in exotic nuclei like the type we create here. So, 75 years after the original discovery, the race to discover the next magic number is still on.
Artemis Spyrou receives funding from the US National Science Foundation.
Sean Liddick receives funding from the Department of Energy, Office of Science and the Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration.
Factors including climate change, disruption of animal habitats, poverty and global travel mean we’re only likely to see more pandemics in the future.
It’s impossible to predict exactly when the next pandemic will happen, or what it will be. But experts around the world are working to prepare for this inevitable “disease X”.
One of the cornerstones of being prepared for the next pandemic is being in the best possible position to design and deploy a suitable vaccine. To this end, scientists and researchers can learn a lot from COVID vaccine development.
A look back
After SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID) was discovered, vaccine development moved very quickly. In February 2020 the first batch of vaccines was completed (from Moderna) and the first clinical trials began in March.
An mRNA vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech was the first to be approved, on December 2 2020 in the United Kingdom. Approvals for this and other vaccines, including shots developed by Moderna (another mRNA vaccine) and Oxford/AstraZeneca (a viral vector vaccine), followed elsewhere soon afterwards.
Previously the fastest vaccine developed took around four years (for mumps in the 1960s). Had COVID vaccines taken this long it would mean we would only just be rolling them out this year.
An estimated 13.72 billion COVID vaccine doses have now been administered, with more than 70% of the world’s population having received at least one dose.
The rapid development and rollout of COVID vaccines is likely to be one of the greatest achievements of medical science ever. It also means we are in a much better position to respond to future emerging pathogens.
New vaccine technology
A lot of work over many years prepared us to develop COVID vaccines as quickly as we did. This included developing new platforms such as viral vector and mRNA vaccines that can be adapted quickly to new pathogens.
While scientists had been working on mRNA vaccines for decades before the COVID pandemic, the COVID shots from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna were the first mRNA vaccines to be approved for human use.
These vaccines work by giving our body instructions (the “m” in mRNA stands for messenger) to make SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. These are proteins on the surface of the virus which it uses to attach to our cells. This means when we encounter SARS-CoV-2, our immune system is poised to respond.
This technology will almost certainly be used to protect against other diseases, and could potentially help with a future pandemic.
In the meantime, scientists are working to improve mRNA technology even further. For example, “self-amplifying RNA” has the potential to enhance immune responses at lower doses compared with conventional mRNA.
While our current COVID vaccines are safe and very effective at protecting against severe disease, they’re not perfect. We may never be able to achieve a “perfect” vaccine, but some additional properties we’d like to see in future COVID vaccines include being better at reducing transmission, lasting longer, and needing to be updated less often as new variants emerge.
Even now there are many COVID vaccines in clinical trials. So hopefully, COVID vaccines that improve on the initial shots will be available relatively soon.
Other desirable attributes include vaccines we can administer by alternate routes to needles. For COVID and other diseases such as influenza, we’re seeing significant developments locally and internationally on vaccines than can be administered via skin patches, through the nose, and even orally.
Some challenges
Developing vaccines for COVID was a huge challenge, but one that can mostly be judged a success. Research has estimated COVID vaccines saved 14.4 million lives across 185 countries in just their first year.
However, the story of COVID vaccination has also had many other challenges, and arguably a number of failures.
First, the distribution of vaccines was not equitable. Analysis of the initial rollout suggested nearly 80% of eligible people in high-income countries were vaccinated, compared with just over 10% in low-income nations.
Supply of vaccines was an issue in many parts of the world, so expanding local capacity to enable more rapid production and distribution of vaccines will be important for the next pandemic.
Further, adverse events linked to COVID vaccines, such as rare blood clots after the AstraZeneca vaccine, affected perceptions of vaccine safety. While every serious adverse event is significant, these incidents were very rare.
However, these issues exacerbated other challenges that hampered vaccine uptake, including the spread of misinformation.
Misinformation remains a problem now and will probably still be prevalent whenever we face the next pandemic. Addressing this challenge involves understanding what’s deterring people from getting vaccinated, then informing and educating, addressing misinformation both about vaccination and the risks of the disease itself.
Restoring and building trust in public health authorities also needs to continue to be a focus. Trust in governments and health authorities declined during the COVID pandemic, and evidence shows lower trust is associated with lower vaccine uptake.
There’s no doubt our recent experience with COVID, particularly the rapid development of multiple safe and effective vaccines, has put us in a better position for the next pandemic.
This didn’t happen by accident. There was a lot of preparation even before COVID was first discovered that facilitated this. Organisations like the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) have been supporting research to develop vaccines rapidly to respond to a new threat for some time.
CEPI has an ongoing program that aims to be able to develop a vaccine against a new threat, or disease X, in just 100 days. While COVID vaccines have been a huge achievement, work continues in the hope we will be able to develop a vaccine even faster next time.
Paul Griffin is a director and scientific advisory board member of the immunisation coalition. He has served on Medical Advisory Boards including for AstraZeneca, GSK, MSD, Moderna, Biocelect/Novavax, Seqirus and Pfizer and has received speaker honoraria including from Seqirus, Novartis, Gilead, Sanofi, MSD and Janssen.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Cinner, Professor & ARC Laureate Fellow, Thriving Oceans Research Hub, School of Geosciences, University of Sydney
Ocean fish populations have fallen dramatically in the past half-century, and climate change is expected to make the problem worse. Governments have designated “marine protected areas”, where where human activity is constrained to protect ocean life. But have these efforts worked?
About 8% of Earth’s oceans are protected, including about 3% where fishing is banned altogether. Our new study of nearly 2,600 tropical coral reefs around the world is the first to examine whether these areas have helped fish populations.
We found about one in ten kilograms of fish on coral reefs is the result of efforts such as marine protected areas and other restrictions on fishing. This is promising news. But our study also reveals great room for improvement.
A video discussing how Earth’s fish stocks are declining.
Getting to grips with marine protection
Maintaining healthy fish populations is important. Many communities depend on fishing for their food and livelihoods. And fish play a vital role in ocean ecosystems.
Marine protected areas are a key policy tool used to increase fish populations. They cover a range of ocean areas including lagoons, coastal waters, deep seabed waters and coral reefs.
The areas go by several names, including marine parks and conservation zones. Some, where fishing is prohibited, are known as no-take zones.
Governments often quote figures on the area of ocean protected when seeking to tout their conservation policies. For example in Australia, we are told the federal, state and territory governments have established marine parks covering 4.3 million square kilometres or 48% of our oceans.
But the extent to which marine protected areas actually conserve marine life varies enormously from place to place. So simply counting up the protected ocean area doesn’t tell you much about what has actually been achieved.
Measuring success
We and our colleagues wanted to assess the extent to which marine protection efforts have increased the amount of fish on coral reefs.
We developed a computer model based on about 2,600 reefs across the global tropics, which includes reefs in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. From that, we estimated the amount of fish currently on each reef – measured in the kilograms of fish per hectare, or “biomass”.
The estimations were based on information such as:
environmental conditions such as ocean temperature and the type of habitat where the reef is located
the intensity of fishing activity, known as “fishing pressure”
how strong the protection is – for example whether it bans fishing, or just restricts it
the level of compliance with no-take zones.
We then simulated what would happen if we changed the type of protection strategy in each location while keeping everything else the same.
We ran a few scenarios:
no coral reef conservation existed anywhere and all reefs could be fished without constraint
sites currently fished without constraint (which amounted to over half of our sites) had restrictions in place
fishing was prohibited on 30% of all reefs.
And the results?
We found both marine protected areas and other fishing restrictions account for about 10% of the fish “biomass” on reefs. In other words, about one in ten kilograms of fish on coral reefs is due to protection efforts.
No-take zones punch above their weight. Of the fish biomass attributable to protection efforts, about 20% comes from just 3% of sites in no-take zones. This proportion would be even higher if illegal fishing in no-take zones was stamped out.
But we found any type of fishing restriction was useful. If everywhere currently fished without constraint was subject to some level of protection – such as banning nets or spear guns – the biomass of fish globally would be another 10.5% higher, our study found. This essentially matches all conservation efforts to date.
Our modelling also showed fish on coral reefs could be increased by up to 28% globally if the area of no-take zones rose to 30%.
But these reefs must be chosen strategically. That’s because protection strategies can lead to wildly different results, depending on local conditions. For example, sites with lower fishing pressure in the surrounding seascape got a bigger boost from protection than places surrounded by intensive fishing effort.
This may be because at heavily fished locations, algae often overtakes coral as the dominant feature. Algae is less fish-friendly than coral, so fish populations may not bounce back quickly even when fishing pressure is reduced.
Grounds for optimism
Our study tested the mettle of global coral reef conservation. On one hand, we found conservation efforts have made a contribution to the amount of fish on global coral reefs, which provides grounds for cautious optimism.
But on the other hand, this contribution is quite modest. Our study shows much greater gains could be made not only by expanding protected marine areas, but also by improving compliance in existing ones.
Most nations have signed a global agreement to protect 30% of Earth’s land and waters by 2030. That means the amount of ocean in marine protected areas globally will increase nearly fourfold in just six years.
As governments continue this task, we hope our results help identify ocean sites that will benefit most from protection.
Joshua Cinner receives funding from the Australian Research Council and National Geographic Society. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and the International Coral Reef Society.
Iain R. Caldwell is affiliated with the Wildlife Conservation Society
How can you tell if tutoring is right for your child?
What is tutoring?
Private tutoring can be take many forms, but involves parents paying for additional lessons outside of schools hours. These are either one-to-one or in small groups.
There are services available for students in primary school through to senior high school.
Some tutoring services target specific skills, such as literacy or numeracy. Others offer support for young people with organisation skills and homework or preparation for certain exams.
Tutoring can go for a short burst over a few weeks to prepare for an exam or it may be regular and ongoing to maintain learning.
Tutoring could be to catch up on one element of school, such as handwriting or reading. Deyan Georgiev/ Shutterstock
Why do people get tutoring?
Families can get tutoring for a student for a wide range of reasons.
A child may be struggling with certain elements of schooling – such as reading, writing, or maths. Tutoring can provide an opportunity to catch-up with tailored support.
Tutoring can also help children prepare for tests and exams, such as NAPLAN or Year 12.
Researchers have highlighted some cultural backgrounds see investing in tutoring as an essential part of educating their children and helping them reach their full potential.
The tutoring debate
Tutoring can be expensive and time consuming for families. Families may pay between $30 and $200 a session, depending on the subject and qualifications of the tutor.
Despite the criticism, there are benefits to tutoring. This includes giving students extra opportunities to consolidate their knowledge – we know this can help students learn.
It can also help build their confidence if a tutor can step through learning in a less pressured environment. As my research has shown, academic progress relies heavily on a students’ belief in their capacity to succeed.
Does my child need a tutor?
All students can benefit from personalised support and coaching in whatever they wish to peruse. However, all students do not need a tutor. The choice to engage a tutor should be attached to a goal that you and your child agree on.
If the young person does not want to engage in tutoring having a tutor is not going to help. Rather, it is more likely to lead to stress and arguments.
It may help to talk to your child’s teacher and review school reports before starting with a tutor to work out which particular areas need extra attention.
Depending on what you need, your child’s tutor may be a university student or someone who has made a career out of tutoring. Dmytro Zinkevvych/Shutterstock
If your shared goal is to catch up or help with certain academic skills, it is important to find a tutor who is experienced and can explain the approach they take and what evidence it is based on.
If the goal is organisation, homework or even just to improve confidence, you could at first try a university student who has past success themselves or with other students. For more specialised goals, seek out tutors who are open about their qualifications, experience and past success.
Child safety should also be a consideration. The Australian Tutoring Association provides practical advice for parents choosing a tutor and a code of conduct for tutors.
There is no requirement for tutors to be a member of the association. So parents should make sure any tutor has a current Working with Children check. You can of course also talk to other parents and teachers for recommendations.
Matthew White does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Bob Casey
Grants funded by Casey-backed Inflation Reduction Act
Grants will go towards purchasing and installing solar energy systems and improving waste digestion to help farmers and small businesses save on energy costs
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) secured a total of $4,537,255 to lower energy costs for farmers and small businesses across the Commonwealth. The twenty awards will help businesses and farms purchase and install solar photovoltaic systems, which will convert captured solar energy into electricity to power machines and operations and save Pennsylvanians thousands of dollars per year. These funds will also help a Pennsylvania dairy farm purchase and install a new engine for their anerobic digester. The funding comes from the U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Energy for America (REAP) program, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act.
“When we invest in technology that lowers energy costs for our businesses and farmers, we are investing in the Commonwealth’s long-term success,” said Senator Casey. “Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, farmers and small businesses can continue supporting their families and their communities and save thousands of dollars each year. I will always fight for investments that lower costs, support businesses, and protect our Commonwealth’s environment for generations to come.”
See below for a list of project recipients of the Inflation Reduction Act funding.
Table of Funding Recipients
Recipient
Grant
City/County
HBO’s latest crime drama The Penguin came with a flood of memes on TikTok, X and Instagram. They compare actor Colin Farrell’s Oswald Cobblepot to James Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano.
It’s true, there are undeniable similarities between the two portrayals and shows. HBO’s official TikTok account went so far as to upload an edit of The Penguin trailer cut to the rhythm of Alabama 3’s Woke Up This Morning – the title theme for The Sopranos.
Running for six seasons from 1999 to 2007, The Sopranos is enjoying a sustained cultural relevancy in 2024 – something other prestige dramas of the same era such as Six Feet Under and The Shield have not achieved. A new two-part documentary about the making of the The Sopranos just premiered on HBO, 25 years after the show made its debut.
For the last couple of years, fans have been discovering the show and making it their own. But how does it fit the present moment?
The Sopranos as catharsis
My research and upcoming book is based on in-depth interviews with a group of new Sopranos fans all aged between 19–26. In other words, not old enough to have watched the show when it first aired.
During the pandemic, The Sopranos saw a surge in viewership and interest that outstripped its contemporaries like Deadwood.
Superficially, the show is visually comparable to COVID lockdown. Tony and his kids are regularly shown sleeping in, dressed in baggy clothes, and shuffling around the kitchen picking at cold cuts.
For those I spoke with, viewing The Sopranos wasn’t a way to escape from lockdown: it was a way to purge pent-up emotion.
For Darcy, the show became:
Like a cathartic tool, like, I can relate, this is how life feels right now […] A bit of relief, and a sense of relatability, you know? It was always comforting when things are not good.
Tom shared this feeling:
One of the cool things about The Sopranos is that a lot of the stuff is really mundane […] It’s about drudgery more than anything […] That’s what lockdown feels like – and it definitely is what a lot of daily life feels like […] it’s those moments of opening up the fridge and just eating like 20 slices of gabagool because you can’t be fucked making something to eat.
The Sopranos as nostalgia
The Sopranos is a profoundly negative show and yet it was being viewed by the young people I spoke to through quite an optimistic lens.
Alannah said:
It makes me feel nostalgic for a time when things felt a little bit like […] simpler, even though they have complications. It just seemed like a good stage of history to be in.
In a similar vein, Callum positively characterised this feeling as an “added bonus” that “drew him into watching the show”. Selina fondly remembered the fashion and music of the show.
Watching with a new lens
During its original run, The Sopranos was often lauded by scholars for its deconstruction of patriarchal masculinity. This was not so much the case for the people I spoke to.
Alannah worried The Sopranos could easily be placed in the toxic online “manosphere”:
[The Sopranos is] like Fight Club and American Psycho. White dudes will watch it and be like, ‘Yeah, this is fucking sick – that’s me man’. And it’s like, you don’t want to be these people! You have to criticise it yourself because it is not overt in my opinion.
Stuart expressed a similar concern about The Sopranos’ ability to be a dangerous power fantasy.
In his experience with online Sopranos content, he observed:
[There are fans] who see Tony Soprano as the ideal man and don’t notice that the show is supposed to be critiquing his behaviour.
These concerns about “misunderstanding” the show very much reflect current anxieties. The reporting about how the 2019 Joker film might incite violence from white men provides a salient reference point for these worries.
For the new viewers I spoke to, there was a real concern The Sopranos could combine dangerously with today’s toxic misogynistic online content. They were worried Tony Soprano could be interpreted as a celebration of patriarchal masculinity rather than a critique.
Born under a bad sign
In 2024, The Sopranos is still managing to click with new audiences. But these fans interpret the show differently and take new meaning from it. When we look at their responses, we can see how The Sopranos intersects with the attitudes and anxieties of modern audiences.
Next time you see a meme about Tony Soprano, consider what context today’s viewers place him in – and whether an audience from 20 years ago would have done the same. Today, he might be considered even more dangerous.
Alexander H. Beare does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Mehemea he pai mō te tangata, mahia! If it’s good for the people, get on with it!
A $35 million Government investment will enable the delivery of 100 affordable rental homes in partnership with Waikato-Tainui, Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka says.
Investment for the partnership, signed and announced today in Waikato, will go toward the delivery of 57 affordable rental homes and enable the infrastructure of a further 43 affordable rentals just north of Ngāruawāhia.
“The Hopuhopu Housing Development will help deliver better social and community outcomes for whānau who will live, work, and build cultural identity there,” Potaka says.
“Waikato has the highest number of emergency housing use, and nearby Hamilton has the third highest number of applicants on the Housing Register of any territorial authority.
“Solving the housing crisis is one of this Government’s top priorities. In addition to our efforts to reduce emergency housing numbers, this partnership is another example of how we are taking action with Iwi to help address the housing shortage.”
The Hopuhopu Housing Development will be on 170 hectares of land owned by Waikato-Tanui within the Hamilton to Auckland transport corridor. The land was initially confiscated and established as a military camp from 1920 until its return to Waikato-Tainui in 1993
Chair of the Waikato-Tainui executive, Te Arataura, Tukoroirangi Morgan said Hopuhopu was the first land parcel to be given back under the Waikato Raupatu Lands Settlement – its significance to Waikato-Tainui cannot be understated.
“Providing stable housing for our whānau further activates our focus to scale our investment,” says Morgan.
“For us, the Hopuhopu Development will enable Waikato-Tainui to realise aspirations for a unique, vibrant, interconnected working, living and learning community that inspires unity, collaboration and innovation.
“We want to drive social returns in a way that enables the investment capital to be recycled in perpetuity.
“The new homes will be for whānau with genuine housing need including kaumātua, and will include the building of larger whānau homes which may not be readily available or affordable on the private rental market.”
The first construction contracts will be awarded in the final quarter of 2024, and it is expected Iwi members will be involved in the construction mahi.
The Government’s funding contribution has been led out of Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga – Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and is delivered through theWhai Kāinga Whai Orangaprogramme, which enables local affordable housing solutions that are delivered in partnership with Iwi and other Māori land owning entities.
Source: United States Senator for Pennsylvania Bob Casey
Army Corps is leading on lock and dam removal in broader effort to modernize Monongahela River, key for region’s economy
Members: “We understand that the various agencies of the Commonwealth are already standing ready to support the needed work on the Mon River. The Corps must do the same, as quickly as possible”
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and John Fetterman (D-PA) and U.S. Representatives Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14), Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), and Summer Lee (D-PA-12) continued to demand action on significant navigation issues on the Monongahela River and the ongoing impacts to the local economy. Due to significant changes in water levels, commercial barges continue to encounter shallow areas that damage equipment and impede regional commerce. The Members pressed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to act swiftly to do all in its power to help alleviate the depth and navigational issues to keep the Mon—and Southwestern Pennsylvania’s economy—flowing.
“We recognize that addressing shallow areas that hinder navigation is a shared priority for all stakeholders involved. Because the dam removal led to the current navigational challenges, we believe it is imperative that the Corps does everything in its power to assist in remedying the navigational issues on the Mon River,” the Members wrote.
In the letter, the Members highlighted how the project will be extensive and require a multi-party effort to address and urged USACE to commit to assist in determining outstanding dredging needs with the U.S Coast Guard, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), and industry stakeholders.
The Members continued, “We understand that the various agencies of the Commonwealth are already standing ready to support the needed work on the Mon River. The Corps must do the same, as quickly as possible.”
The removal of the Elizabeth Locks and Dam is part of a broader effort to modernize the Monongahela River, a key waterway for Southwestern Pennsylvania’s economy. Earlier this summer, USACE began the dam removal project with help from the U.S. Coast Guard to keep the river safe and navigable during the project. Unfortunately, due to a resulting shallowness in the lock chamber, commercial barges could not initially navigate the Mon River at standard draft. The Members alerted the Corps to the ongoing issue and urged the Corps to do everything in its power to remedy the navigational challenges that continue to threaten the economy in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Senators Casey and Fetterman and Representatives Reschenthaler, Deluzio, and Lee have consistently pressed USACE to act swiftly to restore commercial barge navigability to normal. In August, the Members raised alarms to the Corps after learning that the water levels in the Elizabeth Locks were too shallow to accommodate traditional commercial vessels. In July, the Members urged USACE to prioritize the restoration of the nine-foot draft and provide ongoing updates about the project’s status. They also reminded USACE about the steep economic costs of delaying this project.
Read the letter HERE or below:
Dear Lieutenant General Graham:
We write to reiterate our ongoing concerns with the impact of the dam removal at Locks and Dam (LD) 3 on navigation traffic on the Monongahela River (“Mon River”) near Elizabeth, Pennsylvania. The project’s goal was to create one, continuous pool of water between Charleroi, PA and Braddock, PA, reducing travel times for commercial vessels and boosting the regional economy. While some overall reduction in water levels were expected, the drop observed after the initial demolition at Elizabeth has been unexpectedly detrimental to navigation. The resulting low water levels have created new navigational challenges on the river, that must be remedied to ensure that the benefits of the removal become a reality.
We recognize that addressing shallow areas that hinder navigation is a shared priority for all stakeholders involved. Because the dam removal led to the current navigational challenges, we believe it is imperative that the Corps does everything in its power to assist in remedying the navigational issues on the Mon River. We understand that the Corps’ support for this work could include, but is not limited to:
Developing and sharing all relevant data, including all survey results that may be helpful to determining outstanding dredging needs with the Coast Guard, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), and industry stakeholders;
Exploring potential beneficial uses of dredged materials produced as a result of Corps dredging and any supplementary dredging;
Expediting permitting for dredge work on the Mon River;
We appreciate the Corps’ ongoing work to respond as it can to the high points by using existing funding to quickly begin dredge work on problematic areas. However, the outstanding work required to return the river to its pre-demolition functionality is extensive and will require a multi-party effort to address. To facilitate that essential collaboration, we respectfully request answers to the following questions:
Will USACE commit to taking all action possible to return the Mon to its pre-demolition functionality, including but not limited to sharing all relevant river survey results with the Coast Guard, PennDOT, and industry stakeholders, exploring potential beneficial uses of dredged material, and expediting permitting as possible and appropriate?
What is USACE’s plan for the remainder of the dam at the Elizabeth Locks and Dam? Will USACE and its contractors continue to detonate and remove the dam? If so, does USACE anticipate that this will have any impact on water levels?
How is USACE prepared to work with other permitting agencies to expedite any needed permit adjustments?
We understand that the various agencies of the Commonwealth are already standing ready to support the needed work on the Mon River. The Corps must do the same, as quickly as possible. We appreciate your prompt attention to the urgent needs on the Mon River and the questions above.
Minister Radosław Sikorski honored the memory of the victims of the terrorist attack of October 7, 2023.07.10.2024The ceremony took place in the gardens of the Embassy of Israel in Warsaw in the presence of the Minister in the Chancellery of the President Wojciech Kolarski, the diplomatic corps, representatives of Jewish organizations. El embajador Yacov Livne expressed gratitude to the president, the government and the Polish nation for unanimously condemning the attack a year ago.
In the October attack by Hamas and other groups on Israeli territory, approximately 1,200 people were killed, including over 800 civilians. In addition, 251 people were kidnapped to the Gaza Strip – 117 of whom were released, most of whom were released in November last year as a result of a short-term ceasefire. As a result of these events and further actions in the Gaza Strip, at least 19 people of Polish origin were killed, including 9 people with dual Polish and Israeli citizenship. One of the victims – the historian Alex Dancyg, born in Warsaw and distinguished for Polish-Jewish dialogue, was remembered by his son Yuval Dancyg. Minister Sikorski recalled that Poland has always condemned terrorism in any form and hopes that in the future the inhabitants of the Middle East will live in harmony. Those participating in the ceremony expressed solidarity with the group of 101 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip. The fate of most of them remains unknown.
Armed Forces Innovation Forum 202403.10.202416 in energy in 2024 The 4th edition of the Armed Forces Innovation Forum of the Republic of Poland will be held in the complex of the Military University of Technology, a flagship undertaking of the Ministry of National Defence, constituting a meeting platform for the army, science and industry.
FORO DE ASSUMPTIONS:Placing emphasis on the role of innovation in the development of the Polish Armed Forces and the need for the Ministry of National Defence to take decisive action in this direction.Promoting innovation in building and strengthening the capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces.Increasing competitiveness among project contractors – an opportunity for innovative enterprises.Specialization, building and strengthening the potential of domestic research and development entities and industries in the area of new and breakthrough technologies.Promoting new international tools as an opportunity for the development of innovation.Promoting the use of the capabilities of the Polish space industry in meeting the needs of the Polish Armed Forces as part of the implementation of the operational domain of space.FORO GOALS:UNDERTAKING ACTIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INNOVATION SYSTEM IN THE FORUM is a good platform for starting a debate on the needs of the Polish Armed Forces and the possibilities of meeting them through the use of new solutions, including dual-use technologies. The implementation of this goal requires the creation of an appropriate system that promotes innovation in the RON, which is also to be served by the currently developed departmental innovation strategy. Initiating a debate on the role of tactical level commanders in the process of identifying, developing and using dual-use products for the needs of the Polish Armed Forces. PERFORMING THE FUNCTION OF A MEETING PLATFORM FOR THE ARMY, SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY A platform for meetings of representatives of the army, science and industry. During the sessions (discussion panels), a discussion will be held on the needs of the Polish army and the opportunities and innovation in science and industry in Poland and around the world. During the Forum, experiences will be exchanged and cooperation will be established between representatives of various environments. PRESENTATION OF CONCEPTS AND SOLUTIONS BY RESEARCH CENTRES, UNIVERSITIES AND POLISH INDUSTRY The Innovation Forum enables the presentation of new concepts and ideas that may have an impact on increasing the potential of the Polish Armed Forces, while at the same time being a platform for cooperation, exchange of information and experiences with research centers, universities and representatives of the Polish defense industry. Participation in the Forum of Polish Scientists is an opportunity for them to use their ideas and concepts for the benefit of Poland’s security and defence. STRENGTHENING COOPERATION FOR POLAND’S DEFENCE AND SECURITY The Forum has become one of many mechanisms that support the use of the research potential of Polish centers and the discovery of new opportunities among Polish scientific entities (or among Polish scientists). THEMATIC PANELS Three thematic panels will be held during the Forum: Dual-use technologies – a new trend that will pass, or a way to build the capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces? The prospect of developing the innovation system in the Ministry of National Defense. The area of outer space – the needs of the Polish Armed Forces and the capabilities of Polish industry and science. FORO PARTICIPATION IN THE INNOVATION OF THE ARMED FORCES 2024 The Forum will be held in a stationary form on October 16, 2024. The event will be a closed conference, in which invited participants will participate guests. An online broadcast will be held simultaneously for interested representatives of the world of science, industry, the Polish army and communities dealing with security and defense. Please send your online applications by October 11 to the electrifying director: forum@mon.gov.pl. Participation will be confirmed via the link to the online broadcast of the event. In case of questions or concerns, please contact the electrifying director: forum@mon.gov.pl.
CHARLESTON, WV — Gov. Jim Justice has issued a proclamation amending his original call for the West Virginia Legislature to convene in Special Session, adding several new items for consideration.
Some of the additional items include:
A 2% reduction in the personal income tax.
A resolution to honor Hershel “Woody” Williams with a statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection.
Funding for certain federally-funded broadband expansion programs to come from the West Virginia Economic Development Authority.
Supplemental funding for West Virginia University, Marshall University, Concord University, Shepherd University, and New River Community and Technical College.
The allocation of $5 million for statewide EMS program support.
What you need to know: Governor Newsom’s Advisory Council and Million Coaches Challenge are joining forces to train 25,000 youth coaches in California by 2025, setting a new standard for positive youth development and equity in sports.
Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom announced today that the California Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-being is teaming up with the Susan Crown Exchange’s Million Coaches Challenge (MCC) to launch 25×25: The California Coaches Challenge. This initiative aims to train 25,000 coaches in positive youth coaching across California by the end of 2025.
Through the Council’s Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind campaign, MCC partners Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) and the Center for Healing and Justice through Sport (CHJS) will spearhead a statewide effort to instill the principles of positive youth development, social-emotional learning, healing-centered practices, and culturally responsive coaching in youth coaches. Coaches will learn a range of youth-centered strategies, including creating safe spaces for all young people, fostering a sense of belonging, and coaching with empathy. The American Institutes for Research (AIR), which leads the multiyear implementation study of the MCC, will provide research support for the 25×25 California Coaches Challenge.
“Sports are a hugely important tool for helping kids develop teamwork, confidence, and physical and mental health, while also meeting strong role models in their coaches. As leaders, we have an obligation to make sure those coaches have the tools to meet that high bar. Working with the Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-being and Million Coaches Challenge, I’m confident that we can build a new generation of coaches that are ready to meet every challenge our young athletes throw at them.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
“A positive and empowering youth sports culture is critical to the mental health and overall well-being of our children. When coaches are trained to prioritize character development, teamwork, grit, and emotional resilience, young people are more likely to stay engaged in sports and build essential life skills. The partnership between the Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-being and Million Coaches Challenge will ensure that our youth not only experience the physical benefits of sports but also gain the social and emotional support they need to thrive on and off the field.”
First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Why this matters
Physical activity and sports participation rates are declining nationally, and California is no exception. Today many children in California are not meeting daily physical activity recommendations, and only half of California’s youth participate in sports. With around 70% of children discontinuing organized sports before reaching high school, the 25×25 California Coaches Challenge aims to create a more positive and inclusive sports and fitness culture that keeps youth engaged in sport and helps them develop the skills needed to thrive.
Through existing relationships with parks and recreation systems, schools, community-based organizations, and club teams, PCA and CHJS will provide training to at least 25,000 coaches across California by December 2025. The Governor’s Advisory Council will promote the initiative statewide, reaching communities with significant need and underrepresentation in youth sports. CHJS has existing coach training partnerships across the state. Notable examples include the Dodgers Foundation, the Los Angeles Clippers, the YMCA of Greater Los Angeles, and, together with Nike, the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department. PCA, with its robust state-wide infrastructure, also has planned trainings this fall with the LA Jr. Clippers, USTA Southern California, Boys and Girls Club of Burbank, Irvine Ice Foundation, Santa Maria Swim Club, and numerous high schools across the state.
Kevin Connors, Managing Director of the Susan Crown Exchange, funder of the Million Coaches Challenge: “California is setting a powerful example for the country. This initiative will help ensure that hundreds of thousands of young athletes experience sports in ways that promote physical, emotional, and mental well-being.”
The California Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-being
Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind is a California campaign launched in 2023 by the Governor’s Advisory Council on Physical Fitness and Mental Well-Being, with a goal to provide guidance and resources on physical activity and mental well-being for Californians of all ages; increase awareness among all age groups about the benefits of movement, sport, nutrition, and overall mental wellness; encourage intergenerational physical fitness activities; promote equitable access to outdoor and physical activities for underserved communities; and facilitate collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies, education, business and industry, the private sector, and others in the promotion of movement and mental wellness. The campaign provides easy ways for Californians to get active and to take steps to increase mental well-being. Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind provides resources for both individuals and organizations.
The Million Coaches Challenge
The Million Coaches Challenge partners have embarked on a journey to grow a generation of coaches trained in youth development. Coach training is essential to creating quality sports experiences and we envision a world in which all young athletes, regardless of their family’s income, their gender, their race, or their ability status, have access to coaches who are well-versed in youth development and skill-building techniques that help kids succeed on and off the field. The first step: train one million coaches in youth development practices by 2025. The Million Coaches Challenge is funded by the Susan Crown Exchange.
Recent news
Oct 7, 2024
News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued the following statement marking one year since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel:“For the last year, the people of Israel – and Jewish communities across the globe – have mourned for their lost loved…
Oct 4, 2024
News Lo que necesita saber: El Estado lanzó una versión renovada de CA.gov, el portal insignia de California que conecta a las personas con cientos de servicios y programas estatales, como por ejemplo CalFresh, certificados de nacimiento, licencias comerciales,…
Oct 4, 2024
News What you need to know: The state launched a refreshed version of CA.gov, California’s flagship portal that connects people to hundreds of state services and programs. Haga clic aquí para español.SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the launch of the…
SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued the following statement marking one year since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israel:
“For the last year, the people of Israel – and Jewish communities across the globe – have mourned for their lost loved ones, prayed for the return of the hostages, and come together to show incredible strength in the face of rising antisemitism. The Jewish spirit is one of resilience and commitment to community, especially in times of great trauma, and California stands beside the people of Israel and the innocent families impacted by this ongoing conflict. As Jews around the world observe the Days of Awe and celebrate this most holy of times, may we pray for peace for all in the new year.”
Governor Newsom visited Israel following the attacks and met with survivors impacted families, and officials. The State of California shipped medical supplies — including field hospitals — to support humanitarian relief efforts in Israel and Gaza. Earlier this year, the Governor issued a Golden State Plan to Counter Antisemitism and penned an open letter to California’s Muslim, Palestinian American, and Arab American communities.
Press Releases
Recent news
Oct 4, 2024
News Lo que necesita saber: El Estado lanzó una versión renovada de CA.gov, el portal insignia de California que conecta a las personas con cientos de servicios y programas estatales, como por ejemplo CalFresh, certificados de nacimiento, licencias comerciales,…
Oct 4, 2024
News What you need to know: The state launched a refreshed version of CA.gov, California’s flagship portal that connects people to hundreds of state services and programs. Haga clic aquí para español.SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the launch of the…
Oct 4, 2024
News What you need to know: California is providing 18 local communities with nearly $131 million to help people experiencing homelessness in dangerous encampments — with robust new accountability requirements and expectations for local governments. Governor Newsom is…
Having regular mammograms can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer and with more younger women being diagnosed, it’s important to pay attention to the new screening guidelines. Dr. Alex Merkulov, section chief of women’s imaging at UConn Health, discusses the guidelines and how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the way mammograms are reviewed.
To schedule your mammogram, call UConn Health Imaging at 860-679-2800.
Governor Shapiro Visits Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History to Tour Nova Exhibition Honoring Victims of October 7th Massacre in Israel
Governor Josh Shapiro visited the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History for a tour of The Moment the Music Stood Still: The Nova Music Festival Exhibition alongside business leaders, elected officials, and leaders from various faith communities in recognition of the first anniversary of the October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel.
The exhibition includes both interior and exterior installations aimed at memorializing the victims of the Hamas-led massacre, including personal belongings of festivalgoers, such as burned cars, bullet-riddled structures, and objects left behind by survivors of the attack at the Nova Music Festival.
To commemorate the first anniversary of the October 7th attacks, Governor Shapiro led a delegation of business leaders, elected officials, and leaders from various faith communities through the exhibit, including Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis and Senator Bob Casey. Before the tour, Governor Shapiro, Lt. Gov. Davis, and Sen. Casey met with Sigal Manzuri and members of her family, whose two daughters, Norelle and Roya, attended the Nova Music Festival and were killed on October 7, 2023 – to hear their stories of strength and remembrance.
List of Speakers: Governor Josh Shapiro Sigi Manzuri Senator Bob Casey Lt. Governor Austin Davis
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02)
WASHINGTON — Congressmen Jared Golden (ME-02) and August Pfluger (TX-11) todayintroduced the bipartisan Postmaster General Reform Act,which would establish term limits for the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) postmaster general and require nominations to be confirmed by the Senate. Golden’s bill comes after heco-led a new bipartisan letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoycriticizing the agency’s announcement that it will further slow mail delivery for rural communities.
“The Postal Service should be accountable to the people it serves,” Golden said. “Requiring congressional approval for the head of the agency is a basic yet necessary step to make the postmaster general more responsive and attentive to the communities who justifiably feel ignored by current USPS leadership.”
“As Americans across the country experience mail delays and difficulties, especially in rural areas, it is important to uphold standards of efficiency and attention to detail in our postal service,” Pfluger said. “By giving the President and Senate the power to appoint a postmaster general we are holding an incredibly important agency accountable.”
Currently, only the Postal Service Board of Governors has the power to appoint or fire the postmaster general, who may serve an unlimited term. The Board of Governors is composed of nine presidential appointees that must be confirmed by the Senate.
The Postmaster General Reform Act would move these authorities to the president and require the Senate to approve any postmaster general nominee. After the conclusion of a five year term, the Senate would have the ability to extend the postmaster general’s term to a second and final five year term.
A Senate version of the Postmaster General Reform Act is led by Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA).
“We look forward to more oversight and control over the Postmaster General, as the current system is failing,” Scott Adams, president of theAmerican Postal Workers Union Local 458said.
Golden’s newest bipartisan letter to Postmaster DeJoy — signed by 20 House lawmakers — follows the Postal Service’s announcement that it will lengthen delivery times by at least 24 hours for communities further than 50 miles from a USPS processing center. Maine’s only processing centers are located in Scarborough and Hampden.
“While we understand the need for modernization and financial changes across the Postal Service, these changes cannot come at the expense of rural residents who rely on the USPS,” the lawmakers wrote. “Americans, particularly those living in rural areas depend on the Postal Service for medicine, food, paychecks and bills. For many families that we represent, a one-day delivery delay could mean late fees on a bill, a held-up paycheck creating financial stress and increased health risks awaiting critical medication. This is especially important for rural constituents who may not live near a hospital or doctor’s office.”
Golden has been a champion of holding the Postal Service accountable to Mainers throughout his time in Congress. Following his outreach to Postmaster General DeJoy earlier this summer,USPS signed a new lease for its West Paris facility,which had been closed for more than three years.USPS reopened its Etna facilityearlier this year after pressure from Golden. Last month, USPS announced that it was postponing plans to consolidate the Eastern Maine Processing & Distribution Facility in Hampden after bipartisan efforts led by Golden and other members of Congress. His bipartisan Timely Mail Delivery and Postal Services Protection Act — which he introduced in April — would permanently block the process USPS uses to consolidate mail processing facilities across the country.
Text of the Postmaster General Reform Act can be found here.Golden’s letter can be found here, and is attached below in full:
+++
September 30, 2024
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy USPS – Headquarters 475 L’Enfant Plaza, SW Washington, DC 20260
Postmaster General DeJoy:
We are writing to express our extreme concern with the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) August 22, 2024, announcement that you will be adjusting mail delivery times, resulting in additional delays for our constituents who live in rural areas and areas that are more than 50 miles from a USPS processing center.
While we understand the need for modernization and financial changes across the Postal Service, these changes cannot come at the expense of rural residents who rely on the USPS. Americans, particularly those living in rural areas depend on the Postal Service for medicine, food, paychecks and bills. For many families that we represent, a one-day delivery delay could mean late fees on a bill, a held-up paycheck creating financial stress and increased health risks awaiting critical medication. This is especially important for rural constituents who may not live near a hospital or doctor’s office.
With this in mind, we ask you to reconsider your proposed changes to service standards, which could result in longer shipping times for those who do not live near a major USPS hub. While we understand that our constituents, regardless of proximity to larger postal facilities, would still be under the existing one-to-five-day service standards, USPS has already been failing to meet these delivery standards for many of our constituents. Adding up to 24 hours of additional delays for rural residents will only exacerbate the existing on-time delivery problems our constituents are facing.
In the second quarter of fiscal year 2024, USPS reported that their on-time quarterly performance fell to 69.9% for three-to-five-day First Class mail delivery, far below USPS’s target of 90.3% on-time delivery for three-to-five day mail. This means that even before these changes take effect, nearly a third of USPS customers who use the three-to-five-day mailing options are not receiving their mail on time. Increased delays for some consumers will only increase delivery issues for our rural constituents and further decrease public faith in USPS’s ability to deliver on-time mail for all constituents, regardless of location.
Given the information provided, we strongly urge you to reconsider these plans. We also ask that you provide us with a list of counties, towns and ZIP codes that will face longer wait times for mail as a result of this plan. We request a response in writing by October 18, 2024.
We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter.
European Commission Speech Strasbourg, 07 Oct 2024 I am proud to live in the Schengen area.
And I think all of us are.
The biggest area of free movement in the world.
450 million people in 29 countries, who can …
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Adam Smith (9th District of Washington)
Statement from Rep. Adam Smith on the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attack
Today, Representative Smith released a statement on the one-year anniversary of the October 7 attack, reiterating the importance of a ceasefire and a return of the hostages.
“Today marks the one-year anniversary of the horrific attack on Israel by Hamas. On October 7, 2023, over 1,200 men, women, and children were brutally murdered, including 46 U.S. citizens, and hundreds more were taken hostage. My thoughts are with the victims of this staggering act of terrorist violence, as well as their loved ones and survivors.
“As I have said before, I vehemently condemn that attack, and Israel has a right and a duty to ensure Hamas is never able to commit such an atrocity again. Israel also has a right to defend against hostilities from Iran, Hezbollah, and other threats. I support the U.S.’s financial and military commitment to Israel’s security. Attacks on Israel from regional actors have significantly increased, threatening civilians across the Middle East and in Israel. We must continue to assist Israel in their defense against these existential threats.
“The U.S. must also remain committed to working with all partners in the region to try to reduce hostilities and ultimately get to a ceasefire. The war in Gaza has killed tens of thousands of people and, despite countless attempts to rescue them, more than 100 hostages remain in captivity – including four American citizens. Civilians in the Gaza strip are struggling to survive in catastrophic conditions lacking basic necessities like food, water, medical care, and shelter. It is crucial that Israel do everything they can to safeguard civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Ensuring a future of self-governance for the Palestinian people is in the best interest of not only the Palestinians, but also of Israel and the Middle East. It is the only path that offers viable long-term security for Israel and peace, prosperity, and dignity for the Palestinian people. Israel, the United States, and allies and partners in the region must keep working toward that end.”
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) issued the following statement:
“It has been a difficult year since October 7th, 2023, where we watched in horror as 1,200 innocent people, including 46 Americans, were brutally killed by Hamas terrorists. We must all condemn the heinous acts of brutality they perpetrated on the people of Kfar Aza, the Nova Music Festival, and the oppressive hold that Hamas has over the people of Gaza – the victims of this war. The indifference to killing must end.
“As, we continue to mourn all those lost on that terrible day, and as we continue our work to free the hostages from their captors, I am mindful that this tragic chapter is only the most recent in a long and devastating history of antisemitism, hatred, and pain that the Jewish community has confronted over the millennia. But it has also reaffirmed the spirit of perseverance that will forever define the Jewish people.
“In this painful and pivotal moment, it is imperative for the United States to maintain its commitment to the our ally Israel and continue in its efforts to bring about the release of the hostages that have been held in Gaza for the past year and secure a pathway to peace and stability to the war that is engulfing the Middle East.
“Through this past year, too much blood has been shed, and too many lives have been lost. Too much pain has found innocent people, and too many families have been torn apart. The trauma and aftershocks of the October 7th attack continue to be felt beyond our shores as war and tragedy continues to plague the Middle East. Here at home, we are confronting rising hate and antisemitism and Islamophobia in our own communities. Sadly, too many of our visibly religious neighbors feel unsafe walking their own streets. As the Congressional representative of one of our nation’s most diverse populations, like any blended community, we take great pride in supporting one another during trying times. We pray and work for brighter days, because these times of conflict and hardship must come to an end.
“As we mark today’s devastating anniversary, let it remind each of us that Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in dignity, safety, and security. In memory of all those innocent people that we have lost, and in full consideration of all those we hope to save, it is time to embrace a lasting ceasefire and to, at long last, begin walking the path towards peace.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Don Bacon (2nd District of Nebraska)
Bacon’s statement on October 7th War Anniversary
Washington, October 7, 2024
Washington – Rep. Don Bacon (NE-02) issued a statement on the first anniversary of the Hamas, Israel war that started a year from today.
“Our hearts are with the families of the murdered victims, the hostages, and their families. The barbarity we saw on 7 Oct was evil and Hamas must be fully rooted out of Gaza. We stand with Israel.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)
Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screenings Hold Potential to Catch Cancer Earlier Than Ever Before
Read the Bill Here
Washington, DC – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) joined Congresswoman Terri Sewell (AL-07), Congresswoman Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Congressman Richard Hudson (NC-09), and Congressman Raul Ruiz (CA-25) in introducing the Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Screening Coverage Act.
This bipartisan legislation, named after Congresswoman Sewell’s mother who passed away in 2021 from pancreatic cancer, would create a pathway for Medicare to cover emerging blood-based cancer screenings, which can detect cancer at earlier rates than ever before.
“New early cancer detection technology has life-saving potential for the two million Americans diagnosed with cancer every year,” Congressman Dan Goldman said. “I know the pain of losing a loved one to cancer before their time. I also know that the earlier it’s detected, the easier it is to beat – which is why it’s so important that we expand Medicare coverage and maximize accessibility for as many Americans as possible.”
Currently, just 14 percent of cancers are detected via screenings. MCED tools complement existing medical technologies and have the potential to dramatically accelerate the rates at which our nation can detect cancer early. This legislation would expand Medicare to cover MCED’s once they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Specifically, the Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act would:
Create the authority for CMS to cover blood-based MCED tests and future test methods once approved by the FDA and shown to have clinical benefit.
Maintain CMS’ authority to use an evidence-based process to determine coverage parameters for these new tests.
Clarify that (1) these new tools will complement, not replace, existing screenings and coverage and (2) cost sharing will not be impacted.
Congressman Goldman is committed to ensuring Medicare and Medicaid provide comprehensive health care to those who need them.
In May 2024, Congressman Goldman introduced the ‘Michelle Alyssa Go Act,’ which would expand access to psychiatric care by increasing the number of federal Medicaid-eligible in-patient psychiatric beds for individuals seeking treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. The legislation would additionally ensure the facilities ordering these beds meet nationally recognized, evidence-based standards of care.
Additionally, Goldman joined his colleagues in February 2023 in sending a letter urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to maintain coverage of at-home COVID-19 tests at no-cost to Medicare beneficiaries after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10)
New York, NY – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) today issued the following statement to mark the one-year anniversary of the October 7 terror attacks.
“One year ago today, on a sacred Jewish holiday, my family and I were awoken by sirens in our Tel Aviv hotel and scurried to a bomb shelter to avoid rocket fire from Hamas, a terrorist organization dedicated to the eradication of Israel and all Jews.
“We know what happened that day: 1200 people were murdered, including 46 Americans; more than 250 people were illegally abducted as hostages, including more than 100 who still remain in unthinkable conditions; barbaric sexual violence and the indiscriminate desecration and beheading of babies and the elderly alike.
“My heart is back in Israel today, mourning with all those saying Kaddish for loved ones and desperately hoping for the return of the hostages and the deceased in the tunnels in Gaza.
“The past year has laid bare that Hamas is just one of seven Iranian-backed terrorist proxies intent not only on the destruction of Israel but of western democracy itself, including the United States.
“Americans of all color, creed and religion must remain united against terrorism around the globe, and we must stand firmly alongside our democratic ally, Israel, in its defense from forces of terror.”
Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)
SACRAMENTO, CA– Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) issued the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas against Israeli civilians.
“One year ago, a horrific terrorist attack by Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and foreigners from more than 40 different nations. Hamas took 250 innocent civilians hostage – 101 of whom are still in captivity today, including 7 Americans,” said Congresswoman Matsui. “To honor the memories of the innocent Israelis and Palestinians whose lives have been lost, we must be focused on bringing this conflict to an end and committing ourselves to finding a path towards lasting peace in the region. We must free all of the hostages. We must allow the flow of real and substantial humanitarian aid. I have always believed in Israel’s inherent right to defend its people, and I remain committed to ensuring the conditions that led to the October 7th attack never happen again. At the same time, it is imperative that we do everything in our power to avoid a wider regional war and prevent further senseless loss of life. In a time of extraordinary challenges, pain, and emotion, we must come together and allow our common humanity to break this vicious cycle of violence.”
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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Collins (R-Georgia 10th District)
Hurricane Helene has devastated parts of our state, and I wish you and your family well as you recover from any damage sustained in your neighborhoods. If you have been impacted, please know that you are not alone. If you require assistance or information, please view the below resources.
Local Resources
State Resources
Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA): 404-635-7200
Report damage to GEMA.
Hurricane Helene Cleanup Hotline: 844-965-1386
Check current highway conditions.
Federal Resources
To report crop loss or seek assistance regarding your farm, please contact your local USDA Service Center or call 877-508-8364. The following are USDA disaster assistance resources and links:
Apply for FEMA Assistance online or check your status by phone at 1-800-621-3362.
How to Apply for Individual Assistance
Homeowners and renters in Georgia’s 10th Congressional District communities of Elbert, Butts, and Newton counties who had uninsured damage or losses caused by Hurricane Helene may be eligible for FEMA disaster assistance. Individual Assistance may include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, immediate housing and food needs, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of Hurricane Helene.
There are several ways to apply: Go online to DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA Appor call 800-621-3362.
Understanding Your FEMA Eligibility Letter
If you applied for FEMA assistance after Hurricane Helene, you will receive an eligibility letter from FEMA in the mail or by email.
The letter will explain your application status and how to respond. It is important to read the letter carefully because it will include the amount of any assistance FEMA may provide and information on the appropriate use of disaster assistance funds.
You may need to submit additional information or supporting documentation for FEMA to continue to process an application for financial assistance. Examples of missing documentation may include:
Proof of insurance coverage
Settlement of insurance claims or denial letter from insurance provider
Proof of identity
Proof of occupancy
Proof of ownership
Proof that the damaged property was the applicant’s primary residence at the time of the disaster
If you have questions about your letter, or disagree with the initial decision, visit a Disaster Recovery Center, if available, or call the disaster assistance helpline at 800-621-3362 to find out what information FEMA needs.
How to Appeal
The letter from FEMA will provide information on the types of documents or information that FEMA needs. It will also include an optional appeal form that you can use. Your appeal must be submitted within 60 days of the date of your decision letter.
You can appeal any FEMA decision or award amount by sending documents that show you qualify and need more help, like estimates for repairs, receipts, bills, etc. Each decision letter you receive from FEMA explains types of documents that may help you appeal your FEMA’s decision or award amount for that type of assistance.
Supporting documents may include:
Receipts,
Bills,
Repair estimates,
Property titles or deeds, or
Any other information that may support the reasons for the appeal.
What should I include on documents I send to FEMA?
All documents you send to FEMA as part of your appeal should include your:
Full name,
Current phone number and address,
Disaster Number (DR-4821-GA for Tropical Storm Debby) (DR-4830-GA for Hurricane Helene) and FEMA Application Number written on all pages, and
Address of the disaster-damaged home.
Receipts, bills and estimates must include the business name and contact information to help FEMA confirm the information.
Can someone appeal for me?
Yes. If you send a written explanation for the appeal that is written by someone other than you, it must include their signature. FEMA will need your written permission to share information about your application. You can do this by completing an Authorization for the Release of Information Under the Privacy Act form and sending it to FEMA.
How can I send documents?
You can send appeals or supporting documents to FEMA by:
Uploading to your disaster assistance account at DisasterAssistance.gov,
Mailing to FEMA, P.O. Box 10055, Hyattsville, MD 20782-8055.
Explore Antarctica’s future through the eyes of writer and filmmaker Maggie Dewane. What does coexistence look like in 2045?
Create your own vision at thefuturethanksyou.com and see how our present actions can make it real.
The Future Thanks You – a campaign from the Verified initiative by the United Nations and Purpose – aims to build support for a future powered by renewable energy.
Marine Rotational Force – Southeast Asia (MRF-SEA) is a Marine Corps Forces Pacific construct involving planned exchanges with subject matter experts, promoting shared security goals with Allies and partners, and positions the Marines of I Marine Expeditionary Force west of the international date line.
Much like the Unit Deployment Program or Marine Expeditionary Unit deployments that leverage purpose-built units, MRF-SEA maintains a forward presence and enhances Marine Corps crisis and contingency response capabilities.
On 7 October 2024, the Global Observance of World Habitat Day, will be under the theme “Engaging youth to create a better urban future.” The world is rapidly urbanizing, and many urban residents these days are young people, especially in some countries in Africa and Asia. It will focus on how we can engage the new generation in planning their urban present and future through participatory processes and local leadership opportunities.
As our world urbanizes at an unprecedented pace, young people, particularly in Africa and Asia, are becoming a prominent portion of urban populations. This year’s observance will explore ways to actively involve new generations in shaping their urban environments through participatory processes and leadership opportunities at the local level.
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