Inflation has rocked post-pandemic economies throughout the world, resulting in central banks raising interest rates to levels rarely seen in decades.
In a geoeconomic environment characterized by isolationism, conflict and fragmentation, is it time to rethink approaches to inflation, drawing from the past, to better protect economies of the future?
Speakers: Mehreen Khan, Rania Al-Mashat, Martin Wolf, Julio Velarde, Martin Schlegel
The 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will provide a crucial space to focus on the fundamental principles driving trust, including transparency, consistency and accountability.
This Annual Meeting will welcome over 100 governments, all major international organizations, 1000 Forum’s Partners, as well as civil society leaders, experts, youth representatives, social entrepreneurs, and news outlets.
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/
X ► https://twitter.com/wef
LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF
Source: United States Senator for Nebraska Deb Fischer
Yesterday, U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, questioned Director of the National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program Shannon Kelly on the program to locate and intercept illegal drugs within the United States. She highlighted HIDTA’s successes in Nebraska, especially for the Panhandle’s Western Nebraska Intelligence and Narcotics Group (WING) Task Force.
During the hearing, Senator Fischer asked Ms. Kelly what future challenges she anticipates in achieving the program’s goals. She also asked about the benefits of a government-wide shared map to identify the reach of transnational drug trafficking organizations.
Click the image above to watch a video of Senator Fischer’s questioning
Click here to download audio
Click here to download video
Senator Fischer questions Shannon Kelly:
Senator Fischer: Ms. Kelly, I think a key step in addressing the illicit drug threat is ensuring the existing programs within the government are working. As you know, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, known as HIDTA, is a cornerstone of how we combat regional drug trafficking throughout the United States. And I have seen firsthand in my state of Nebraska, especially for law enforcement in rural areas with fewer local resources, how important this is. For example, HIDTA is the primary resource for the WING Task Force that covers 11 of our Panhandle counties. Through HIDTA, the task force has developed a uniquely cooperative investigative program, which is helping Western Nebraska law enforcement more actively manage narcotic and criminal investigations. In your view, how would you evaluate HIDTA’s effectiveness nationwide?
Shannon Kelly: Thank you so much, Senator Fischer, for your support and for the question. Nationwide, we’re extremely proud of the work that HIDTA’s been doing. One of the things that we often tout is that for every dollar invested in the HIDTA program, the rate of return is $63, which is a pretty phenomenal testament to the success of the program overall. In 2023, HIDTA has collectively disrupted or dismantled more than 3,000 drug trafficking organizations or money laundering organizations, and collectively they seized more than 2,000 metric tons of drugs, which I think also completes the narrative here. Often when we’re talking about drug interdiction, we have a tendency to focus on the ports of entry and at the borders, which is critical to our overall success. But we often like to point to the work of the HIDTAs interdicting drugs within the interior of the United States. And I think the success rate there is phenomenal as well.Senator Fischer: What challenges do you see or that you possibly anticipate in the future in meeting your goals that you have out there?
Shannon Kelly: Thank you, Senator, for asking that question. We do face a myriad of challenges. In some communities, the focus on drug trafficking is often subordinate to other threats, which is certainly a challenge in terms of making sure that there are state and local resources to put on HIDTA task forces. I would also say fatigue is a huge element for us, and I think it’s why the focus on border security and interdiction at the ports of entry and at the borders is key because I think we’re asking an awful lot of our state and local task force officers when they are being asked to interdict drugs that did evade the borders, and when they’re being asked to investigate the types of networks that are directly linked to cartels. That’s a huge challenge. It’s a training challenge, and it’s a resource challenge for all of our task forces.
Senator Fischer: You know, you brought up the border, and obviously the southern border is a major disruption zone. In years past, we’ve struggled with all the different agencies out there using different intel, using different maps, whether it’s DEA or FBI or CBP or the Department of Defense, as well. I think we have to have a shared map, government-wide shared map, to identify the threats that we have. In your testimony, you noted efforts by the Drug Enforcement Administration to map out this data comprehensively. Can you speak about that further please?
Shannon Kelly: Thank you so much for that question, Senator Fischer. I agree. I think we all agree that a common operating picture is imperative, and a big challenge for us too is making sure that we are in a place where we can share information freely—from the fed, from the IC, all the way down to our state and local partners. This is where we really rely on the work of our federal agencies to be the bridge so that, as you say, the map, the common operating picture, can be not just conceived, but then communicated from top to bottom.
Senator Fischer: And how do we achieve that?
Shannon Kelly: How we achieve that is a work in progress. It is, I won’t lie, it’s a challenge. It’s a challenge both in terms of the security levels, but it’s also a challenge in terms of culture and promoting information sharing. We’re talking about people who are accustomed to building trust with each other as people to share information, and sometimes, when we’re working across communities like that, we have to figure out not just one bridge but multiple ways to bridge that gap.
Senator Fischer: Thank you very much.
Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 – As Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress attempt to advance legislation to give massive tax breaks to billionaires and undermine Social Security, Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member on the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Social Security, Pensions and Family Policy, and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), along with Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Val Hoyle (D-Ore.), introduced the Social Security Expansion Act. The legislation would expand Social Security benefits by $2,400 a year and ensure Social Security is fully funded for the next 75 years by applying the Social Security payroll tax on all income above $250,000. Importantly, this legislation would not raise taxes by one penny on the over 91 percent of American households who make $250,000 or less.
These estimates reflect an analysis of the legislation conducted by the Social Security Administration at the request of Sen. Sanders in 2023.
Joining Sanders, Warren, Schakowsky and Hoyle on the Social Security Expansion Act are Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), as well as 17 cosponsors in the House including Reps. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-D.C.), Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.), Christopher R. Deluzio (D-Pa.), Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.), Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Greg Casar (D-Texas), Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), Troy Carter (D-La.), James McGovern (D-Mass.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.).
“At a time when nearly half of older Americans have no retirement savings and over 26% of seniors are trying to survive on an income of less than $17,500 a year, our job is not to cut Social Security as many of our Republican colleagues want to do,” said Sanders. “Our job is to expand Social Security so that every senior in America can retire with the dignity that they deserve and every person with a disability can live with the security they need. The legislation we are introducing today will expand Social Security benefits by $2,400 a year, lift millions of seniors out of poverty and extend the solvency of Social Security for generations to come by making sure that the wealthiest people in our society pay their fair share into the system. Right now, a billionaire pays the same amount into Social Security as someone who makes $176,100 a year. Our bill puts an end to that absurdity. And by doing that, we can expand Social Security benefits and make sure that Social Security can pay out every single benefit owed to every eligible American for the next 75 years.”
“Social Security serves as a lifeline for millions of seniors, and hardworking Americans deserve to receive the benefits they paid into,” said Warren. “It’s a mistake for Donald Trump and his allies in Congress to focus on securing tax cuts for billionaires and large corporations when we should be focusing on expanding and increasing Social Security benefits so that everyone can retire with dignity.”
“Social Security is your hard-earned money; it is not an entitlement. President Donald Trump and his unelected billionaire sidekick Elon Musk think they alone can decide if you get your Social Security check. They had better think again. That is stealing. Americans pay into the program with each paycheck. We must expand Social Security benefits, not cut them, and I have a bill to do just that,” said Schakowsky. “The Social Security Expansion Act will protect the national treasure that is Social Security by extending the trust fund’s solvency for 75 years and expanding benefits by $2,400 a year so that everyone in America can retire with the security and dignity they deserve after a lifetime of hard work.”
“Protecting Social Security is our commitment to seniors who’ve worked their whole lives to earn it,” said Hoyle. “While Congressional Republicans continue to threaten cuts to Social Security, I am proud to join Senator Sanders, Senator Warren and Representative Schakowsky in introducing a concrete proposal that extends the program for another 75 years by having millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share like every other working American. The Social Security Expansion Act was my first bill in Congress, and I will not stop fighting until I see it passed into law.”
Social Security is the most successful government program in the history of our country. For 86 years, through good times and bad, Social Security has paid out every benefit owed to every eligible American on time and without delay. Before 1935, when it was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, about 50 percent of the nation’s seniors lived in poverty, as did countless Americans with disabilities and surviving dependents of deceased workers. Nearly 90 years later, the senior poverty rate is down to 9.7 percent and in 2023 alone, Social Security lifted 27.6 million Americans out of poverty, including more than 19.5 million seniors.
Despite this success, tens of millions of seniors are still struggling to get by, and many older workers fear that they will never be able to retire with security and dignity. While the average Social Security benefit is only $1,838 a month, nearly 40 percent of seniors rely on Social Security for a majority of their income; one in seven rely on it for more than 90 percent of their income; and nearly half of Americans aged 65 and 74 have no retirement savings at all.
By requiring millionaires and billionaires to finally pay their fair share into the program, the Social Security Expansion Act would ensure the fund’s solvency to the end of the century, help low-income workers stay out of poverty by improving the Special Minimum Benefit, restore student benefits up to age 22 for children of disabled or deceased workers, strengthen benefits for senior citizens and people with disabilities, increase Cost-Of-Living-Adjustments (COLAs) and expand program benefits across-the-board.
The Social Security Expansion Act has also been endorsed by over 25 groups, including: Social Security Works, MoveOn, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Strengthen Social Security Coalition, American Federation of Teachers, Justice in Aging, Income Movement, Public Citizen, Blue Future, Campaign for America’s Future, Labor Campaign for Single Payer, Indivisible, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), AAFGE Council 215, Alliance for Retired Americans, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFSCME Retirees, American Postal Workers Union, People Power United, Left Click, Defeat Republicans, Progress America, The People United, Iron PAC, Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Other98 and Solidarity Action.
Read the bill text, here.
Read the fact sheet and full list of supporting organizations, here.
Read the Social Security Administration’s 2023 analysis of the legislation, here.
Read a 2021 analysis of what the world’s wealthiest people would pay under this legislation, here.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Thousands of fish released to restock Cheshire river
A total of 4,000 fish, including chub dace and roach, have been released into the River Weaver at two key locations in Cheshire.
The team preparing to stock the fish.
The restocking aims to help replenish populations after two pollution incidents in October 2023, which sadly led to the loss of thousands of fish.
The two key locations include Mill Island Weir and downstream in “The Willows” area.
Restocking is done where natural population numbers have been depleted or to create new fisheries and opportunities for anglers. It occurs in winter because water temperatures are low and this minimises any stress on the fish, giving them the best possible survival rates.
An image of the team restocking fish into the River Weaver
February is a good time to introduce the fish into rivers, as it enables them to acclimatise to their new surroundings, ahead of their spawning season in the spring.
Fish also play a critical role in sustaining a river’s finely-balanced eco-system, so the wider natural environment will also get a helping hand, as a result of the restocking.
James Grosscurth, Fisheries Officer for the Environment Agency in Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire, said:
Sometimes our native fish populations need a helping hand, particularly following pollution incidents.
After careful and consistent monitoring, increased agricultural site inspections and enforcement and an enhanced officer presence upstream of Nantwich Lake, we were pleased to confirm that the water quality in the River Weaver can provide a healthy habitat for thousands of new recruits.
This first restocking will form part of a three-year program, funded by rod licence income, to encourage natural recovery. Our thanks go to Nantwich Angling Society who have been working tirelessly, alongside our officers, to help make this happen.
All of the fish introduced to the Weaver have been reared at the Environment Agency’s National Coarse Fish Farm in Calverton, Nottinghamshire.
Every year, the Environment Agency stocks almost half a million fish of nine different species into England’s rivers. Being the principal supply of coarse fish for 32 years, the fish farm plays a crucial role to help improve fisheries around the country.
Close up of fish entering the river during restocking.
Fisheries officers use data from national surveys to identify where there are problems with poor breeding, issues with survival rates, or where numbers have been impacted following a pollution incident.
These surveys help the officers ensure that fish are released into the right locations and where the need is greatest as well as supporting angling clubs to boost local fishing spots.
Fisheries Officers inspect rod licences 24/7 throughout the North West, and work continually on cases of illegal fishing and other associated fisheries crime. Fishing illegally can result in a fine of up to £2,500, and offenders can also have their fishing equipment seized.
(Based on Information Provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service)
The new Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the United Nations, Milan J.N. Meetarbhan, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.
Prior to his appointment, he taught at the Mauritius campus of Paris-Panthéon-Assas University and served as a consultant to the university.
Mr. Meetarbhan previously held the position of Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the United Nations from January 2011 to January 2015. Before that, he was Chief Executive of the Financial Services Commission from December 2005 to December 2010.Since 1995, he has been a senior adviser to the Prime Minister of Mauritius.
Earlier in his career, he served as legal adviser in the Ministry of Finance and was later appointed as a member of the Stock Exchange Commission. He also chaired the Financial Services Consultative Committee, a government body responsible for reviewing financial sector legislation. In addition to his public service roles, he was an Associate Professor of Law and Head of the Law School of the University of Mauritius.
Mr. Meetarbhan holds a doctorate in international law and a diploma of advanced studies in international economic relations and international organizations law from Sorbonne University in Paris. He also earned a specialized graduate diploma in diplomacy and international relations from the University of Paris XI.
The Connecticut Hate Crimes Advisory Council and Governor Ned Lamont have proposed a bill to simplify and strengthen the state’s hate crimes statutes. UConn Law professors Sachin Pandya and Richard A. Wilson took lead roles in drafting the statute.
Currently, there are 20 separate hate crime statutes created over a 100-year period. This has created confusion as the statutes differ on what is covered and who is protected, as well as what hate crimes were covered by which statute. The new bill aims for consistency to make the law clear.
“The proposal puts all the hate crimes in one place in the criminal code,” Pandya said at a news conference held by the governor. “That makes it easier for police to find them. It makes them more consistent in what they require and who they protect. That makes the law easier to understand and enforce. It adds hate crime penalty enhancements for crimes involving physical injury or property damage, including for murder, arson, and other more serious crimes.”
The reform process began in 2021, when the council was created. It helped establish the Hate Crime Investigative Unit in the state police and then developed a hate crime reporting form for police, the first of its kind in the country.
“Then it became apparent that there were flaws with the hate crime statutes,” Wilson said. “There are 20 of them, and none are called ‘hate crime.’ They only cover minor felonies and do not specifically sanction bias-motivated murder or arson or other serious crimes. The statutes list different protected groups and they have different intent requirements. The list of flaws goes on; they’re a mess. They are outdated and inadequate to the task of protecting Connecticut’s citizens from hate crime, in a context where the willingness of the federal government to prosecute hate crime is uncertain.”
Wilson, who has been a member of the Hate Crimes Advisory Council since its inception, recruited Pandya to work on a new statute. Together, they visited every courthouse in the state and interviewed 72 police officers, prosecutors, judges, public defenders, and community groups in Connecticut as well as New York. They found a widespread consensus that the statutes were not workable.
Pandya drafted a new statute that brought all the 20 statutes into a single chapter and addressed the glaring inconsistencies. He and Wilson met with stakeholders on the council and throughout the state to discuss the draft and made adjustments based on the feedback, keeping consolidation as the main objective.
Wilson called the effort a “labor of love.”
In addition to consolidating all the hate crime statutes into one statute, the proposed bill authorizes the attorney general to investigate and bring civil actions on behalf of victims and authorizes judges to order participation in anti-bias programs for someone convicted of any hate crime. Previously only some of the statutes allowed for those actions.
While Pandya and Wilson led the efforts to draft the bill, bringing it to the legislature has been an effort from the whole Hate Crimes Advisory Council and is now a governor’s bill. It has support from many government agencies and community organizations across the state. It also has many ties to UConn.
Council co-chairs Douglas S. Lavine ’77 and Amy Lin Meyerson ’94 are law school alumni, and Meyerson is an adjunct professor currently leading the school’s Transactional Law Clinic. Council members Michelle Querijero ’08 and Ken Barone, who led the creation of the reporting form, are also connected to the university – Querijero as a law alumna and Barone as Associate Director of the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at the School of Public Policy.
Querijero has taken the lead in creating a new statewide hate crimes reporting portal (reporthate.ct.gov) available to the public.
“Hate crimes are vastly and systemically underreported, and for that reason the council determined that we needed to put together a public-facing reporting portal by which the public could report these hate crimes,” Querijero said at the news conference.
The next step for the new bill will be a public hearing before it is voted on later in the legislative session.
“When you hear from the [Anti-Defamation League], when you see the news, when you see that racist language out there, it’s a crime against that individual,” Lamont said at the news conference. “It’s also a dog whistle to others to commit similar type crimes. And that’s why we take this with the utmost seriousness. That’s why we treat it differently than just an individual crime. And this is why every day we want to make it easier for you to report this, easier for us to be able to enforce it, and make sure people know we’re here fighting for you.”
hanks to an Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) program, two Oregon universities are helping many people file their taxes for free. The ODHS Tax Infrastructure Grant Program makes this free tax help possible for individuals and families with incomes below $84,000 a year.
In 2024, the program was responsible for the filing of 14,246 current and prior year returns, more than triple the number filed two years ago, before the grant program began. Oregon State University (OSU) and Western Oregon University are two of the many grant recipients offering free tax help with more than 100 paid student workers helping people file their taxes – for free.
Emily Plant, who is working on her Bachelor of Science degree from OSU is one of those student workers. It’s her second year working as student worker.
She said all different types of people come in for the free service. About one-third are OSU students, and there are also community members, some OSU staff, some drive an hour or so to get tax help.
“It’s really important work, really meaningful. It helps people who have low incomes, disabilities, 65 plus-aged people, and people for whom English is a second language. People just don’t know they can get money back. People come in and get several thousand dollars back. For some this is life changing,” she said.
Another student worker is Kelleen Green, a Master’s degree student in education at Western Oregon University. She acknowledges that many people feel anxious and scared about doing their taxes.
“When we get taxpayers in – it is amazing. You can see they are so anxious and so overwhelmed. They think it is going to be the worst scenario. We’re here to help them. We see people get refunds almost all the time. Helps them feel empowered,” she said.
Another student worker at Western Oregon University, Camila Martinez, said that, “No situation is too hard to handle. We use all of our resources to help them.” And it is free.
“Last Saturday, I filed a tax return for someone who went to a private tax accountant last year. They were charged $350 for the tax return– the same amount they got back this year from the state. In total, they got a sizeable refund this year– over $1,000. They said they were very grateful for our services and how accessible our program is,” Martinez, a senior majoring in accounting, said.
What she would like to tell people is that, “It’s free and available to anyone who is eligible. It might be daunting to do taxes, but we’re here to help, answer questions, and lead you in the right direction.”
These free programs use the IRS’ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, or VITA. VITA volunteers who prepare returns must take and pass tax law training that meets or exceeds IRS standards.
The Tax Infrastructure Program funds culturally relevant or culturally specific organizations, Tribal governments and rural community organizations to help educate and provide free tax filing help for people with low incomes. Help is available in multiple languages. The grant money is also used to increase the number of certified tax preparers in Oregon.
Learn more at the ODHS Tax Infrastructure Grant Programwebsite; and inSpanish.
Where to get free help filing taxes
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO); TAX@irco.org; 971-427-3993; Portland, Ontario
SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Deepnight, the first and only company to use AI software for military night vision, announced today it raised $5.5M in funding. Led by Initialized Capital, additional participants include Y Combinator, renowned scientist Vladlen Koltun (co-author of Learning to See in the Dark), angel investor Kulveer Taggar, Brian Shin, a former partner at In-Q-Tel, and Matthew Bellamy, lead singer of the band Muse.
Deepnight will use the funds to continue to develop its AI-based night vision technology and hire for key roles in computational imaging research.
“What the Deepnight team has been able to accomplish using AI is truly revolutionary for night vision and will have broad implications for improving safety in low light environments, whether that’s defense, agriculture, or environmental research,” said Kim-Mai Cutler, Partner at Initialized Capital. “We are excited for Deepnight to advance its technology making digital night vision devices more affordable and accessible.”
Combining low-light cameras with a novel AI image processing algorithm, Deepnight achieves superior low-light imaging performance to existing military night vision created by industry incumbents like L3Harris.
Right now, state of the art military night vision goggles cost around $13K because they use rare metals and bespoke manufacturing processes. The high cost is attributable to the highly precise manufacturing, as opposed to the mass manufactured CMOS sensors found in digital camera systems. Deepnight instead uses a digital approach: by leveraging the ubiquity of silicon manufacturing, in both sensors and AI chips, Deepnight will mass produce higher performing digital night vision goggles at a fraction of the cost of their analog counterparts.
In less than a year, Deepnight has earned $4.6M in contracts with the federal government including the Air Force and the Army as well as with companies like Sionyx and SRI International.
“We are thrilled to work with our investors, which include experts in the fundamental science that we use, to advance our AI model and replace analog night vision with digital cameras enabled by algorithms,” said Lucas Young, Co-Founder and CEO of Deepnight. “This market was very overdue for a disruption and now with advances in AI we can deliver a complete night vision solution to these industries at a much more affordable price point.”
“What impressed me most about Deepnight is how they’ve fundamentally reimagined night vision technology,” said Kulveer Taggar. “By combining AI with digital sensors, Lucas and his team aren’t just drastically reducing costs, they’re actually delivering superior performance to traditional systems. Securing millions of dollars in government and defense contracts in their first year demonstrates the clear market demand for this breakthrough approach.”
About Deepnight
Deepnight is making advanced night vision accessible to everyone, transforming how the world sees after dark with groundbreaking AI-driven solutions. The company has disrupted the market with a digital approach and will mass produce higher performing digital night vision goggles at a fraction of the cost of their analog counterparts. Deepnight’s customers currently include the Air Force, the Army and companies like Sionyx and SRI International. The company is backed by Initialized Capital, Y Combinator and prominent investors and is headquartered in San Francisco. To learn more visit http://deepnight.ai.
LGBTQI+ individuals face rising global threats to their safety and well-being. Upholding a full spectrum of rights, protections and opportunities is crucial to promote equality and dignity.
How can government, civil society and business collaborate to ensure inclusivity, reduce stigma and protect LGBTQI+ lives in hostile environments?
Speakers: Frida Daniela Ruíz, Ben Fajzullin, Alexander Cheng, Sarah Kate Ellis, Jin Xing, Jean Daniel LaRock
The 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will provide a crucial space to focus on the fundamental principles driving trust, including transparency, consistency and accountability.
This Annual Meeting will welcome over 100 governments, all major international organizations, 1000 Forum’s Partners, as well as civil society leaders, experts, youth representatives, social entrepreneurs, and news outlets.
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/
X ► https://twitter.com/wef
LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Perpetrators of coercive behaviour have sentences increased
Two violent offenders who subjected women to campaigns of abuse have their jail terms increased by Court of Appeal following intervention from Solicitor General
Macauley Nesfield, 28, from Eastfield, had his jail term increased by the Court of Appeal on 26 February, and Bilal Rasheed has his sentence increased on 16 January.
Both decisions from the Court of Appeal followed references by the Solicitor General after the original sentences for controlling and coercive behaviour were considered unduly lenient.
The Court heard that Nesfield carried out a sustained campaign of abuse against a woman which included smacking, punching, throwing objects, grabbing by the throat, dragging by the hair and brandishing a knife.
Nesfield was sentenced in December 2024 for one count of Controlling or coercive behaviour, one count of Assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and one count of Unlawful wounding.
He also received a five-year restraining order. On 26 February 2025, following a referral of his original sentence to the Court of Appeal by Lucy Rigby KC MP, Nesfield had his sentence increased to three years’ imprisonment.
Bilal Rasheed repeatedly abused a woman and was controlling or coercive towards her.
He was sentenced in August 2024 for one count of controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate family relationship, one count of sending a malicious communication, and one count of criminal damage.
The Court of Appeal quashed his original jail term for coercive and controlling behaviour and increased it to three years.
The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:
I welcome the Court’s decision to increase these sentences.
This Government is committed to tackling violence against women and girls and we will continue to use all tools at our disposal to protect victims and put perpetrators behind bars.
Delegates from Iowa IAM Locals convened at the IAM District 6 office to discuss the political climate and upcoming legislative battles the union is taking up in the state and beyond.
IAM International President Brian Bryant and Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli joined the delegation and gave remarks to motivate the group of political activists for imminent policy threats to workers and IAM members.
“Regardless of party affiliation, it’s going to get downright scary,” said Bryant. “We can’t afford to sit on the sidelines, and we must continue to communicate with and educate members and families about the issues that affect us in every election.”
Bryant was adamant about supporting candidates that will support IAM members, no matter what side of the aisle they’re on.
“Unfortunately, I could not find anything from one of these executive orders that the current President of the United States has signed that will benefit workers or IAM members,” said Bryant.
Bryant also covered wins the union has fought for and their importance, not just legislatively but as an organization that is putting members first.
“Concentrating on who’s really important to our union, and that’s our membership, the IAM offers more programs for our members and their families than any other union in the entire labor movement,” said Bryant before highlighting the achievements of the IAM William W. Winpisinger Center,Veterans Services,Critical Incident Response Training,Employee Assistance Program and Addiction Services,Human Rights Department,Disaster Relief, andRetirees.
“Our union is strong, is sound, and is getting stronger every single day, sisters and brothers,” said Bryant. “We are winning industry leading contracts in all of our sectors, and we continue to grow and organize in both our traditional, but also in non-traditional industries,” said Bryant.
Cicinelli covered in-depth what measures have been taken on the political stage that are threatening IAM members and workers in general, citing recent actions by the executive branch.
“The President has effectively shut down the National Labor Relations Board’s operations, leaving the workers it defends on their own in the face of union-busting and retaliation,” said Cicinelli. “These moves will make it easier for bosses to violate the law and trample on workers’ legal rights on the job and fundamental freedom to organize. ”
Iowa Federation of Labor President Charlie Wishman thanked the State Council for their powerful work and support.
“There’s one union I know that we can call on and count on, and that’s the Machinists Union,” said Wishman. “We are the ones that stand up to the bullies. That’s why you’re here. We stand up to the bullies and the billionaires.”
Iowa State Council President Gary Pickett presided over the meeting and led members to elect their executive board before Bryant swore-in the newly elected officers to their positions on the Council.
President Metsola in the US, addresses Johns Hopkins University in Washington
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola said that the EU and the US have stood on the same side of history “not because we are homogenous, but because our greatest victories come from our shared conviction to doing what is right. This partnership matters.”
Speaking at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington DC, President Metsola said that the world relies on the strength of the transatlantic relationship which goes beyond shared trade, commerce and industry. President Metsola listed common values that the two sides have championed throughout the decades, including dignity of every human being, equal opportunity for everyone to reach their full potential, justice, the right to feel safe and live in safety and the belief in freedom – “individual liberty, free trade, freedom to disagree and the cornerstone of everything: freedom of speech.”
Simplification, rather than complicating systems, is on top of Europe’s agenda, she said, addressing the sense of frustration that voters expressed during June’s elections. The President added that solutions can be found to make it easier for companies to do business with and within Europe. Meeting with European industry leaders in DC that have massive operations in the US, she told them that Europe has their back. President Metsola also met with US companies to explain Europe’s future-driven approach, underlining that it is open for business.
The President of the European Parliament said that the EU and the US “can find a way for us all to win. That is why I think we should be talking about trade agreements rather than tariffs. We are not out to screw anyone”. On the latest US administration’s announcements on tariffs, President Metsola said that the EU will react firmly and immediately against unjustified barriers to free and fair trade, including when tariffs are used to challenge legal and non-discriminatory policies.
On defence, she called for an increase in defence spending. “We will put our money where our mouth is. We know that our commitment needs to match the level of threat we are facing. That threat is very high.”
Underlining that “peace is the essence of the European Union,” she remarked that the EU always wanted peace in Ukraine, acknowledging the cost and the devastation of war that many generations of people from across Europe had to endure. “At the same time, we also need to be honest with ourselves: peace without freedom, peace without dignity, peace without justice, peace not based on the principle of ‘anything about Ukraine without Ukraine,’ is no real peace at all,” stated President Metsola. “Europe is ready to play our part in guaranteeing peace and stability in Ukraine because we know that this means peace and stability in Europe and that is a win-win for all.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Millions have now taken action to access their eVisa
Published statistics show millions have accessed their eVisa, as an extension to the period expired immigration documents can be used for travel is confirmed.
Over 4 million UK visa holders have successfully created an account to access their eVisa, according to Home Office statistics published today. An estimated 600,000 people are yet to switch from their physical document to an eVisa.
Securing our borders is a key part of the government’s Plan for Change and eVisas are a key part of delivering a border and immigration system which is more digital and streamlined. This change will enhance the experience of people using the system, and increase the immigration system’s security and efficiency.
To support a continued smooth transition to eVisas, and ensure no one is disadvantaged, the Home Office is extending the ‘grace period’ announced in December 2024. We committed to keep this transitional measure under review and we are extending the end date from 31 March 2025 to 1 June 2025.
This allows people with a biometric residence permit (BRP) or EUSS biometric residence card (BRC) that expired on or after 31 December 2024, and who continue to hold underlying immigration status, to continue to use their expired document for international travel up to and including 1 June 2025.
From the 2 June 2025, expired BRPs and EUSS BRCs will no longer be acceptable evidence of immigration status when travelling to the UK.
Minister for Migration and Citizenship, Seema Malhotra MP said:
Today’s encouraging eVisa statistics show that a significant majority of the immigration status holders who needed to take action have done so.
We continue to listen carefully to feedback, and our confirmation that expired immigration documents can be used for travel until June this year will help to further ensure the transition to eVisas continues to be as smooth as possible.
Those yet to create an account to access their eVisa are encouraged to do so as soon as possible, to make the most of the benefits of using an eVisa and join the millions – including all EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) status holders – who already have an eVisa. It is free, and straightforward for those who hold physical and paper documents to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa.
People with indefinite leave to remain (ILR, also known as settlement) who use an ink stamp or vignette in a passport to prove their rights can continue to use their documents as they do today, including for travel, but are encouraged to make the switch to an eVisa to take advantage of the benefits it brings.
We had previously estimated the number of BRP holders who need to create an account to access their eVisa at over 4 million, but this number is hard to establish accurately given the daily fluctuations in this data. This is because of people’s leave expiring, people leaving the country before their leave expires, or leave being cancelled or curtailed.
Since the first eVisa statistics publication in December 2024, we have carried out further analysis and quality assurance to enhance our understanding of who has not yet acted, though the data is presented in same format for clarity.
A number of people who created a UKVI account already had one created as part of their visa application, and therefore now have 2 UKVI accounts – although only one eVisa. This should not cause issues for those people, but it does mean that the published data includes a number of duplicate accounts. To maintain consistency, we are continuing to publish data on eVisa account creation numbers, recognising that this contains duplicates.
However, we are also clarifying our revised estimate of the numbers of immigration status holders who still need to access their eVisa, which we anticipate to be approximately 600,000 BRP holders. This number will decrease as people’s leave expires and they leave the UK.
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – A federal jury has convicted a West Virginia man of firearms charges.
James Douglas Lambert, age 36, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was found guilty of two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm. Lambert has prior convictions of domestic battery, breaking and entering, and escape, prohibiting him from having firearms. The jury heard testimony that the West Virginia State Police, acting on a tip, visited Lambert’s home. During a search of the residence, troopers recovered seven firearms. On a separate date, Lambert was arrested for brandishing a firearm, which also led to the recovery of an additional firearm.
Lambert faces up to 15 years in federal prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Warner and Will Rhee prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
After the global financial crisis of 2007-08, the UK’s banking sector was placed under a much stricter regime. Bonuses were limited, regulations were beefed up and the whole industry scrutinised like never before.
The idea was to make banks safer places for everyone’s money. But regulators are now thinking about easing some of these financial safeguards in a bid to boost economic growth.
One proposal is to change the rules on mortgage affordability. One industry regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, is considering relaxing the lending restrictions which were designed to prevent households from building up unsustainable debt.
This includes reviewing affordability tests and allowing banks to lend more freely to borrowers with smaller deposits or lower incomes. Some commentators argue that these changes will help first-time buyers and increase overall mortgage availability.
But the risks of easier mortgage lending cannot be ignored. Before the last crisis, lenders approved loans to borrowers without verifying income or creditworthiness, assuming that rising property values would provide a safety net.
And when interest rates increased and property values collapsed, many borrowers could not afford their repayments – and lost their homes.
In fact, mortgage repayments are already becoming more difficult. The Bank of England has warned that over 1.5 million UK households will face significantly higher mortgage costs in 2025 after their current deals expire.
And loosening lending rules could easily push house prices even higher. When more buyers qualify for mortgages, demand for housing increases and prices go up. This makes home ownership even less affordable, especially for those first-time buyers.
Expanding access to debt without fixing underlying issues around housing supply only creates more financial risk. And it seems to be part of a broader trend towards deregulation.
Internationally agreed banking rules, which require banks to hold more capital as protection against financial shocks, are being delayed in the UK until 2027. The Bank of England has justified the wait by
saying that banks need more flexibility to increase lending and investment without the constraints those rules would bring.
Banks are also challenging regulations that require them to hold on to a specific type of debt designed to ensure that failing banks can absorb financial losses without taxpayer bailouts. But if these rules are weakened, the banking system could become more fragile, forcing governments to intervene.
The banking system is showing other signs of fragility too.
Banking on regulations
One worrying trend is the increasing use of something called “synthetic risk transfers”. This is a technique that banks use to reduce the amount of risk on their balance sheets, by transferring it to outside investors – such as hedge funds or insurers – through special financial contracts.
These are sometimes compared to “collateralised debt obligations” (or CDOs), where a bank bundles multiple loans (such as mortgages, corporate debt or car loans) and sells portions of that bundle to investors. These complex transactions were a key factor in the global financial crisis because they concealed risky loans, spreading financial instability across global markets.
On that occasion, banks and lenders wrongly sold PPI to millions of customers, leading to a record £50 billion in compensation payouts.
With the ongoing case of motor finance, the British government wanted regulators to limit compensation payouts to avoid disrupting financial markets, but this was rejected by the supreme court.
Yet despite these problems, some still claim that deregulation will do wonders for the sector’s financial flexibility. The British chancellor Rachel Reeves has argued that relaxing some regulations and reducing red tape will encourage growth and increase the UK’s competitiveness in global financial markets.
Perhaps she agrees with Donald Trump, whose aggressive financial agenda includes relaxed capital requirements and weakened regulatory oversight.
But past experience suggests that weakening financial safeguards and encouraging more debt in pursuit of short term growth can have severe long-term consequences.
The global financial crisis was a direct result of excessive risk-taking in an underregulated system. Governments had to bail out banks with taxpayer money, leading to more than a decade of austerity.
The same mistakes could happen again. For now though, it looks like some of those hard lessons have been forgotten.
Alper Kara 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: The Conversation – UK – By Ross Bennett-Cook, PhD Researcher, Carnegie School of Sport, Leeds Beckett University
When you think of Colombia, what images come to mind? For some, it may be coffee or perhaps the country’s diverse landscapes and cultures. For many others, it will be cartels, crime and cocaine.
Colombia’s history as a drug trafficking hub plays a major role in attracting visitors to the country – a form of travel known as “dark tourism”. But the Colombian government and much of the population are desperate to shake off this sordid association.
A new bill going through Colombia’s congress is proposing to ban the sale of souvenirs that depict notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar and other convicted criminals. The proposed law would mean fines for those who violate the rules, and a temporary suspension of businesses.
Colombia became a major producer of cocaine in the 1970s, fuelled by demand in North America. Led by Escobar, the Medellín cartel dominated this trade, controlling roughly 80% of the cocaine supply to the US.
In 1988, Time magazine famously dubbed Medellín the “most dangerous city” in the world. Car bombings, assassinations, kidnap and torture became part of everyday life. In a failed attempt to assassinate presidential hopeful César Gaviria in 1989, Escobar was even behind the bombing of a commercial flight that killed all 107 passengers and crew onboard.
Nowadays, Medellín is much more peaceful. Since Escobar’s death in 1993, its homicide rate has dropped by 97% due to increased security crackdowns and peace deals between the narco gangs.
Colombia now has a booming tourism industry, breaking records for its highest number of visitors in 2024. Medellín has even become a trendy location for digital nomads due to its exciting nightlife, stunning landscape and excellent weather.
Yet, when I visited Colombia in 2024, it was hard not to become infatuated by Escobar. His face is everywhere: on key rings, magnets, mugs and t-shirts, while you often see lookalikes posing for photographs. Even airports – the last place I would expect to be associated with drugs – stock Escobar souvenirs.
A quick look on TripAdvisor’s “best things to do in Medellín” shows Museum Pablo Escobar at number one. Almost every tour in the city is related to the notorious cartel leader, including visits to the neighbourhoods he controlled (and often terrorised), his hideout spots, and the location of his final shootout with the police.
Narco tourism’s boom can be largely attributed to the huge popularity of Narcos, a critically acclaimed series on Netflix that dramatised the life of Escobar. But shows such as Narcos have been criticised by some experts for glorifying the cartel lifestyle – focusing on money, glamour and sex rather than the harsh realities of life within Colombia’s drug trade.
According to dark tourism researcher Diego Felipe Caicedo, popular media related to narco culture often portrays cartel members as heroes managing to defeat the class structure established by the elite capitalist system.
This has resulted in a dissonant heritage of people like Escobar. To some, he is a Robin Hood-type figure who built houses and gave to the poor. To others, he is an evil figure and vicious murderer. And while Escobar did use some of his fortune to improve deprived neighbourhoods, many saw this as a tactic to buy loyalty and mask his criminal activity.
The romanticism of Escobar angers many in Colombia who hate the idea of a murderous drug tycoon being the most recognised image of the country. In a city where almost every family knows of someone affected by the violent consequences of the drug trade, victims in Medellín now live with reminders plastered across storefronts, vendor stalls and tourist’s t-shirts.
The souvenir trade is one of supply and demand – vendors are only selling Escobar souvenirs because they are the most popular. So, perhaps the focus should be on changing the attitudes and interests of tourists, rather than penalising the vendors.
Controlling the narrative
Camille Beauvais, a researcher of Colombian history, suggests it is up to local authorities to take control of the narrative through commemoration and education. This could follow the example of the anti-mafia museum in Palermo, Italy, which is designed to recognise the courage of the city and its people in standing up to criminal activity.
Attempts like this could steer tourists away from sensationalist tours to a more nuanced and historically accurate representation of this turbulent time. But the Colombian authorities have, up to now, tried to ignore this important period in the country’s history.
It was only in 2022 that the Colombia Truth Commission released an official report on the root causes of violence in Colombia, including governmental and international failures in tackling narcotraffickers.
However, some groups in Colombia have already tried to develop an alternate narrative. In 2019, the NGO Colombia ConMemoria (Colombia Remembers) created an online “Narcostore”, a fake souvenir website full of Escobar-themed products.
When visitors clicked to purchase the item, they were redirected to video testimonies of those affected by the drugs trade, many of whom had lost friends or relatives to Escobar’s terror. The site reached 180 million visitors worldwide.
Narco tourism does not seem to be disappearing. Fascination with true crime, drugs and cartels is as popular as ever. But perhaps these tourists should take a moment to consider how they might feel, if someone who had murdered their loved ones became a souvenir fridge magnet for people to remember their country by.
Ross Bennett-Cook 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: The Conversation – UK – By Tirion E. Havard, Professor of Gender Abuse and Policy, London South Bank University
Ryan Wellings has been jailed for more than six years after the death of his partner Kiena Dawes. Wellings was convicted of assault and coercive and controlling behaviour, having abused Dawes repeatedly throughout their relationship.
Dawes took her own life in July 2022 and squarely blamed Wellings’ abuse, leaving a suicide note that read: “I was murdered. Slowly … Ryan Wellings killed me.” Wellings was acquitted of manslaughter.
In the UK it is estimated that 1.6 million women aged 16 and over experienced domestic abuse last year. Yet when we hear horrific stories like Dawes’s, a common response is to ask, “Why would she stay with him?” This attitude perpetuates misconceptions about abuse, and misses the reality that anyone can become a victim.
Abuse often escalates over time, meaning that what looks like a loving relationship initially may become violent or controlling.
Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.
In the 1970s, psychologist Lenore Walker’s book The Battered Woman Syndrome proposed a theory that abuse in intimate relationships often occurs in a cycle, consisting of three main phases.
The first, tension building, is when the perpetrator indicates signs of anger or frustration and can last from minutes to months. It usually escalates until it shifts into the second phase (explosion), when there is physical or sexual violence.
After the event, the perpetrator may feel some remorse or guilt at the violence. Here they may enter the honeymoon phase, when the perpetrator apologises and promises that it will never happen again. The cycle is repeated, often becoming quicker (the honeymoon phase becomes shorter).
This explanation can be overly simplistic and is not consistent with all survivors’ experiences. But it can be helpful to understand how abuse can change over time.
As a probation officer, I worked with a woman who was severely abused by her long-term partner. Convinced that if she left him, he would kill her, she developed coping strategies based on the cycle of abuse. As the tension-building phase intensified, she became adept at recognising when the risk he posed became life-threatening.
To avoid an explosion (and serious harm to herself) she would deliberately shoplift in front of security guards. Her criminal record and reputation was so well established that she was banned from most shops in her area.
Once in court, she would plead for a custodial sentence. This would offer her some safety and “time out” from the abuse, but it also gave her partner time to reflect. At the time of her release, he would be sufficiently remorseful and the honeymoon period would start again.
Control and isolation
Like most intimate connections, abusive relationships typically start filled with romance, excitement and lust. In these early periods, perpetrators can be “over the top” with excessive communication and extreme flattery, even showering their partner with unnecessary gifts.
This “love bombing” is often accompanied with early and intense conversations about a future together, as exhibited by Wellings who had Kiena Dawes’s name and face tattooed on his body within only days of meeting.
Physical abuse typically comes later, sometimes triggered by life events such as marriage, pregnancy or childbirth. Usually, elements of control seep into the relationship as the couple becomes more established. These acts are discrete and difficult for the survivor, friends, family and professionals to recognise.
Abusers may persuade their partner to stay in to watch a film or have a romantic meal at home, rather than going out to meet friends or family. When a night out is organised, the perpetrator might invite themselves or turn up unexpectedly to social events.
This isolation is part of a perpetrator’s wider intention to control their partner. With no one to speak to and nothing to measure their relationship against, it becomes more difficult for survivors to recognise their relationship as abusive. Instead, they may doubt themselves and their perceptions.
Even if they do recognise their relationship as abusive, the lack of contact with others makes it more difficult to reach out for help. Survivors feel trapped, having no choice but to stay.
Over time, the control escalates and becomes more overt, often hiding in plain sight. As a probation officer, I once worked with a perpetrator who, on his wedding night, took the hotel towel and used it to strangle his new wife.
Thereafter when they had guests, he would purposefully place a towel over a chair – signalling to his partner that her friends needed to leave, or that she had crossed an invisible line and she would pay for it later.
The symbolism of this simple act would likely be missed by those around the couple, but would serve as a warning to the survivor of the abuse that was to come. As the evening continued, the tension would build alongside her crippling fear.
This kind of control can also occur when someone experiencing abuse is out in public or with friends. As I have found in my research, smartphones have given abusers more tools to control their victims, creating a panopticon effect, where victims feel surveilled and watched by their partners 24/7.
As Kiena Dawes’ story shows, there is no easy way to break this cycle. Research has shown that leaving an abusive relationship can be dangerous for women, as abuse typically continues post-separation.
The number of suicides linked with domestic abuse has risen steadily in recent years. There are currently more domestic abuse related deaths linked to suicide than homicide between partners. Between 2019 and 2022, 30% of suspected suicides in Kent and Medway identified domestic abuse as a factor.
The last government took important steps to recognise that abusive relationships can and do result in survivors taking their own lives, replacing the term “domestic homicide” with “fatal domestic abuse” in law.
Yet misunderstandings, particularly about why people stay with their abusers, persist. When faced with women who are experiencing abuse, the question should not be why do they stay, but what is stopping them from leaving – and how do we remove those barriers?
If you or someone you know is affected by abuse, the National Domestic Abuse Helpline is 0808 2000 247, and other resources are available.
Tirion E. Havard 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.
Humanoid robots will start to become much more common as prices tumble. thinkhubstudio
Humanoid robots are supposed to be our loyal assistants, but we saw another side to them the other day. Chinese robot manufacturer Unitree was demonstrating its latest H1 robots at a lantern festival in the city of Taishan, Guangdong province, when one walked up to the crowd barrier and seemed to lunge at an elderly woman, nearly headbutting her.
The incident quickly went viral, and sparked a fierce debate about whether the robot actually attacked the woman or had tripped up. It’s mostly being overlooked that we’re a long way from having robots that could intentionally attack someone – machines like these are often remote controlled – but the danger to the public is clearly real enough.
With sales of humanoid robots set to skyrocket over the next decade, the public will increasingly be at risk from these kinds of incidents. In our view as robotics researchers, governments have put very little thought into the risks.
Here are some urgent steps that they should take to make humanoid robots as safe as possible.
1. Increase owner requirements
The first important issue is to what extent humanoid robots will be controlled by users. Whereas Tesla’s Optimus can be remotely operated by people in a control centre, others such as the Unitree H1s are controlled by the user with a handheld joystick.
Currently on sale for around £90,000, they come with a software development kit on which you can develop your own artificial intelligence (AI) system, though only to a limited extent. For example, it could say a sentence or recognise a face but not take your kids to school.
Who is to blame if someone gets hurt or even killed by a human-controlled robot? It’s hard to know for sure – any discussion about liability would first involve proving whether the harm was caused by human error or a mechanical malfunction.
This came up in a Florida case where a widower sued medical robot-maker Intuitive Surgical Inc over his wife’s death in 2022. Her death was linked to injuries she sustained from a heat burn in her intestine during an operation that was caused by a fault in one of the company’s machines.
The case was dropped in 2024 after being partially dismissed by a district judge. But the fact that the widower sued the manufacturer rather than the medics demonstrated that the robotics industry needs a legal framework for preventing such situations as much as the public do.
While for drones there are aviation laws and other restrictions to govern their use in public areas, there are no specific laws for walking robots.
So far, the only place to have put forward governance guidelines is China’s Shanghai province. Published in summer 2024, these include stipulating that robots must not threaten human security, and that manufacturers must train users on how to use these machines ethically.
For robots controlled by owners, in the UK there is currently nothing preventing someone from taking a robot dog out for a stroll in a busy park, or a humanoid robot to the pub for a pint.
As a starting point, we could ban people from controlling robots under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or when they are otherwise distracted such as using their phones. Their use could also be restricted in risky environments such as confined spaces with lots of members of the public, places with fire or chemical hazards, and the roofs of buildings.
2. Improve design
Robots that looks sleek and can dance and flip are fun to watch, but how safe are the audiences? Safe designs would consider everything from reducing cavities where fingers could get caught, to waterproofing internal components.
Protective barriers or exoskeletons could further reduce unintended contact, while cushioning mechanisms could reduce the effect of an impact.
Robots should be designed to signal their intent through lights, sounds and gestures. For example, they should arguably make a noise when entering a room so as not to surprise anyone.
Even drones can alert their user if they lose signal or battery and need to return to home, and such mechanisms should also be built into walking robots. There are no legal requirements for any such features at present.
It’s not that manufacturers are entirely ignoring these issues for walking robots. Unitree’s quadroped Go2, for instance, blinks and beeps when the battery is low or if it is overheating.
It also has automatic emergency cut-offs in these situations, although they must be triggered by a remote operator when the robot is in “telemetric mode”. Crucially, however, there are no clear regulations to ensure that all manufacturers meet a certain safety standard.
3. Train operators
Clearly there will be dangers with robots using AI features, but remote-operated models could be even more dangerous. Mistakes could result from users’ lack of real-world training and experience in real-life situations.
There appears to be a major skills gap in operator training, and robotics companies will need to prioritise this to ensure operators can control machines efficiently and safely.
In addition, humans can have delayed reaction times and limited concentration, so we also need systems that can monitor the attention of robot operators and alert them to prevent accidents. This would be similar to the HGV-driver distraction-detection systems that were installed in vehicles in London in 2024.
4. Educate the public
The incident in China has highlighted current misconceptions about humanoid robots as the media is once again blaming AI despite the fact that this was not the issue. This risks causing widespread mistrust and confusion among the public.
If people understand to what extent walking robots are owner-operated or remote-operated, it will change their expectations about what the robot might do, and make everyone safer as a result.
Also, understanding the owner’s level of control is vital for managing buyers’ expectations and forewarning them about how much they’ll need to learn about operating and programming a robot before they buy one.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A global network of mayors known as the C40 Cities and other urban development experts have called this a “highly replicable” solution for environmental crises across urban Africa.
Reforestation helps Freetown cope with excess heat, annual seasonal floods, landslides and other environmental problems. Because of its geography, squeezed between wooded mountains and coastline, and widespread poverty, the city is one of the most vulnerable in the world to the effects of the climate change.
Deforestation of Freetown’s mountains for wood, charcoal and housing space led to a landslide in 2017 that killed 1,100 people and left at least another 3,000 people homeless. FreetownTheTreetown is a response to this disaster.
There are also important historical contexts. I’ve conducted research into the colonial history of Freetown and the changing historical meaning of its trees. From the spiritual meaning of trees in Indigenous west African cultures, through to their use in colonial planning schemes, trees in Freetown have been central to political struggles over the urban landscape.
Tree planting should not be viewed simply as a generic social good. Trees are embedded in wider structures of power. From colonial-era tree planting, which aimed to reorganise Freetown into a European style city, to the 21st century’s green capitalism – in which tree “tokens” have become commodities for their marketable “carbon offset” – trees are far from apolitical.
Tree planting projects alone cannot solve environmental problems in African cities. As the world heats up, reliance on fossil fuels must be reduced. Green capitalism’s tree planting schemes won’t cut greenhouse gas emissions at source.
Climate solutions
FreetownTheTreeTown is organised through an app, TreeTracker, used by community growers who plant and care for saplings that have been grown in a nursery. They use the app to tag the geographical location of each new tree and track tree growth with photographs.
But the project is supposed to start covering its own costs through selling carbon offset tokens to foreign nations and companies. Buyers will buy these to “cancel out” their own carbon emissions. A polluting airline in the US, for example, could claim it has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions if it buys carbon offset tokens from FreetownTheTreeTown.
Carbon offset schemes have been criticised by academics and journalists for overstating the rate and speed at which they can reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. They’ve been accused of distracting attention from the necessary and difficult work of transitioning away from polluting energy sources.
Charcoal is the most important product of the deforestation of Freetown’s mountainous peninsula because the city’s residents use it as cooking fuel. It is, however, highly polluting. People living in informal communities are encouraged to move to cleaner cooking fuels. Some briquettes are even made from human waste. Freetown is genuinely trying to reduce its extremely low carbon emissions.
Tensions in tree town
Tension between the conservation and exploitation of Freetown’s mountain forest has existed for centuries. Freetown was established by British colonists in 1792 as a site for the resettlement of formerly enslaved people from across west Africa. Mountain forests were cut down and turned into timber for the board houses of Freetown.
My research into the late 19th century history of Freetown has revealed that an enormous iroko tree with a trunk circumference of over 15 metres was a place of great spiritual and ritual significance in the area of Brookfields.
Many formerly enslaved people from Yorubaland, in what is today south-western Nigeria, believed iroko trees were inhabited by powerful spirits. Witches were thought to hold meetings around them.
The Brookfields iroko tree was feared. But it was also respected. Processions of the Bondo, an all-female secret society, visited the tree with offerings, such as corn and pieces of cloth.
The colonial government planted new trees to demarcate the gridded streetscape of Freetown. But Freetonians did not like the new trees. They suspected them of harbouring mosquitoes and snakes. Twenty years after the first planting, most had been cut down by the city’s residents. The colonial government attempted to overwrite west African understandings of trees by imposing a new order.
Tree planting schemes must pay close attention to histories of government-led dispossession if they are to successfully transform cities. FreetownTheTreeTown has begun to tackle this history head on by co-creating this reforested city with its communities. This is important work. But, there must be caution about simply transplanting the technical solutions from Freetown to other cities across Africa.
Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?
With international attention focused on two conflicts, in Gaza and Ukraine, other crises of diverse nature, from Sudan to Myanmar and DRC to Venezuela, are creating, instability, disruptions and challenges that the international system is struggling to cope with. In 2025, over 300 million people around the world will need humanitarian assistance and protection.
This session draws attention to unreported crises and the scale of the response required.
The 55th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum will provide a crucial space to focus on the fundamental principles driving trust, including transparency, consistency and accountability.
This Annual Meeting will welcome over 100 governments, all major international organizations, 1000 Forum’s Partners, as well as civil society leaders, experts, youth representatives, social entrepreneurs, and news outlets.
The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/
X ► https://twitter.com/wef
LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Foreign Secretary statement on Thailand’s deportation of 40 Uyghur Muslims to China
The Foreign Secretary made a statement following Thailand’s decision to deport 40 Uyghur Muslims to China.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:
The UK disagrees in the strongest terms with Thailand’s decision to deport 40 Uyghur Muslims to China. This is despite Thailand’s international obligations in relation to non-refoulement and the well-documented ongoing human rights violations in Xinjiang.
The UK calls for the human rights of this group to be upheld, and we urge China to implement the wider recommendations of the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights in relation to Xinjiang.
Notes:
In 2022, the independent and authoritative Xinjiang Assessment conducted by the Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights concluded that the extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.
Source: US National Agricultural Statistics Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2025 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the 2023 Census of Agriculture data for the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) today.
The most widely used statistics in the agriculture industry, the Census of Agriculture, is conducted every five years and provides the most comprehensive and impartial agriculture data at the island level. “We thank the producers who gave their time to complete the questionnaire. The Census of Agriculture data tells their agriculture story,” said NASS Administrator Joseph Parsons. “The agricultural census data provides vital data that helps shape policies, allocate resources, and support the growth and sustainability of agriculture in the CNMI.”
Federal and local governments, agribusinesses, organizations, and many more use Census of Agriculture data to support funding research and programs to improve farming techniques and equipment, building infrastructure for high-speed internet, providing effective production and distribution systems as well as natural disaster preparation, response, and recovery assistance.
Highlights from the 2023 Census of Agriculture for CNMI:
There were 316 farms, up 25% from the last census. Land in farms totaled 2,833 acres, with an average farm size of 9 acres.
The total value of sales was $ 2.8 million, with an average value of $ 8,731 per farm.
Vegetables and melons represented the largest category of production, with sales of $ 1.3 million.
The Census of Agriculture in CNMI defined a farm as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, in 2023.
The full Census of Agriculture report as well as publication dates for additional data products from the census can be found at nass.usda.gov/AgCensus.
SAN DIEGO, Calif., Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, today announced a collaboration with the Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE) and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego (BGCGSD) to provide an opportunity for San Diego middle school youth to learn about cybersecurity skills, safety, risks and potential careers the field.
According to CISA’s January 2023 report “Protecting Our Future: Partnering to Safeguard K–12 organizations from Cybersecurity Threats,” many K-12 schools lack the resources to implement comprehensive cybersecurity programs.
“ESET is committed to empowering San Diego youth with the skills and knowledge to stay safe online,” said Marissa Pitchford, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, ESET North America. “Through our longstanding relationship with both the Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE) and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego we aim to close cybersecurity education gaps and help keep our community safe from cyber threats.”
The Event On Thursday, February 27th, 100 middle school students will participate in cybersecurity workshops led by San Diego cybersecurity professionals. The educational event will be held from 2:00-4:30pm at Rincon Middle School, 925 Lehner Ave, Escondido, California. Workshops include sessions on cyber hygiene and online safety, and gamified cybersecurity skills training using the popular, hands-on video game program, World of Haiku. Volunteers will also help build awareness about the interests and skillsets that make good cyber professionals and how to pursue a career in cybersecurity.
“ESET has been a valuable partner for the BGCGSD and are invested in improving the lives of young people,” said Michelle Malin, COO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego. “As a recent partner in our annual Back 2 School Drive, ESET donated a free one-year security license and a cyber-safety parental guide with each of the 2,000 backpacks empowering local families in San Diego to navigate the digital world safely and confidently.”
Leading the workshops will be cybersecurity professionals volunteering their time from ESET, INDUS, Booz Allen, Yahoo!, Aira, Rice University/Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) San Diego, NVIDIA/National University, San Diego Gas & Electric/WiCyS San Diego, ASML, and the San Diego County Credit Union.
“We are grateful for our ongoing partnership with ESET,” said Lisa Easterly, President & CEO of the San Diego Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE). “CCOE mobilizes businesses, academia, and government in the region, and ESET’s support has been instrumental in inspiring the next generation of cyber warriors and educating local SMBs and vulnerable communities to foster a more secure digital community for all San Diegans.”
About ESET ESET provides cutting-edge digital security to prevent attacks before they happen. By combining the power of AI and human expertise, ESET stays ahead of known and emerging cyber threats — securing businesses, critical infrastructure, and individuals. Whether it’s endpoint, cloud or mobile protection, its AI-native, cloud-first solutions and services remain highly effective and easy to use. ESET technology includes robust detection and response, ultra-secure encryption, and multi-factor authentication. With 24/7 real-time defense and strong local support, we keep users safe and businesses running without interruption. An ever-evolving digital landscape demands a progressive approach to security: ESET is committed to world-class research and powerful threat intelligence, backed by R&D centers and a strong global partner network. For more information, visit www.eset.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)
ICYMI: Mullin Breaks Down President Trump’s First Month’s Performance on Meet the Press
“What Oklahomans want is to make sure that we get rid of the waste and fraud inside the federal government.”
Washington, D.C. – On Sunday, U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) joined NBC’s Kristen Welker on Meet the Press to discuss the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine War, bolster our national defense, and reform the federal workforce to best serve the American people.
Sen. Mullin’s full interview can be found here.
On the war that never would have happened if President Trump was in office:
“President Trump is absolutely correct. If he was in office, this war would have never, ever taken place. What we’re trying to do and what President Trump is trying to do is end the killing. It’s been going on for three years. The Biden administration turned a blind eye to it, and President Trump is the president that can end the war. There, fact – fact and simple…
“What we’re trying to do here is put President Trump in a good position to negotiate the end of the war. It’s the same way that Reagan worked with Gorbachev by trying to end the Cold War. Trump is the president that’s going to be able to end the killings that should have never taken place and would have never taken place if he would have been in office instead of Joe Biden. The reason why is because President Trump leads peace through strength. What Biden led through is appeasement.”
On the president’s right to pick his team of U.S. military advisors:
“We’re a civilian force, and the president gets to choose his closest advisors. And the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is [one of] his closest advisors.”
On Elon Musk’s efforts to cut waste, fraud, and abuse:
“What Oklahomans want is to make sure that get rid of the waste and fraud inside the federal government…
“I would tell you that the majority of the American people want to make sure that their taxpayers are being used correctly. I don’t want anybody to lose their job. That’s the last thing we want. But at the same time, anytime you’re trying to secure this country, which a national security risk we have right now is our national debt, we have to make changes, and we have to make it quickly.”
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
February 27, 2025
“ED failed to provide information on how it intends to ensure ED data is not compromised or misused… [and] failed to answer any of our questions about what safeguards and procedures are in place to protect this data”
“The Department’s evasive response…heightens our concerns about whether ED may have violated the law or the federal government’s procedures in handling this data.”
Text of Letter (PDF) | Response from ED to Original Letter (PDF)
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (BHUA), led 14 of her colleagues, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), in writing a letter to Acting Secretary of Education Denise Carter, raising concerns about the Department of Education’s (ED; the Department) response to their inquiry into the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) access to millions of student loan borrowers’ personal data. Earlier this week, a federal court blocked DOGE’s access to sensitive ED databases with borrower information.
The letter was joined by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt.).
“[T]he Department’s response was woefully inadequate, may have contained misleading information, and raised new concerns about the nature and extent of DOGE’s access to the Department’s internal systems,” wrote the senators.
ED’s response to the senators’ initial letter failed to answer basic questions about DOGE’s access to student loan borrowers’ personal data.
The Department refused to confirm or deny whether DOGE had been granted access to the National Student Loan Data System or other databases with sensitive federal student loan data.
ED claimed it was committed to following “applicable laws and regulations” regarding management of borrower data, but it did not provide any information about if, how, why, by whom, and to what extent DOGE was granted access to these databases.
While ED said the DOGE team was onboarded through the proper processes, “including background investigation and system access authorization,” additional information indicates that at least one DOGE employee granted access “ha[d] not yet completed ethics or information security trainings” according to a declaration submitted in federal court two days before ED’s response.
ED also shared new information about the extent of DOGE’s access to other sensitive databases, saying that DOGE “is currently supporting a review of Department and Federal Student Aid (FSA) contracts to identify possible efficiencies…To support this work, one employee had read-only access to two of FSA’s internal systems.” But the Department failed to provide full and declarative information about which DOGE or ED employees had access to which datasets, what they were doing with that access, whether any data is being fed through Artificial Intelligence systems, and why one employee’s access to FSA’s internal systems was revoked.
ED also failed to provide information on how it intends to ensure data at the department is not compromised or misused, saying only that “robust protections in place to ensure data are secure,” but not providing specifics.
“The Department’s evasive response, in addition to the recent news that a federal judge has blocked ED from sharing sensitive data with DOGE due to potential violations of federal law, heightens our concerns about whether ED may have violated the law or the federal government’s procedures in handling this data,” concluded the lawmakers.
The 15 senators pressed the Acting Secretary to provide more information about DOGE employees’ or affiliates’ access to ED’s databases, the safeguards in place to protect federal student loan data, the status of DOGE’s work at the department, and more by March 5, 2025.
Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
February 27, 2025
“[President Trump’s executive order] lets big oil and gas companies off the hook on following our environmental laws and regulations, and those are the rules that make sure that you have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.”
“Donald Trump is cutting jobs and raising energy costs on communities all across this country just to please his oil and gas donors.”
Video of Remarks (YouTube)
Washington, D.C. – On the floor of the U.S. Senate, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) spoke in support of Senate Joint Resolution 10, a resolution to end the “national energy emergency” declared by President Trump. Senator Warren’s remarks explained why Trump’s executive order is a giveaway to oil and gas CEOs and how Trump’s attacks on clean energy are raising prices and slashing jobs, including for communities in Massachusetts.
Transcript: Floor Speech In Support of Ending National Energy EmergencyU.S. Senate FloorFebruary 26, 2025
Thank you, Mr. President, and I want to thank the senator from Colorado for your energetic leadership in this area. I’m very grateful for your voice on this and for the work you do for the people of the country and also for everybody around the world. We’ve got to deal with this problem. So, thank you.
I rise today in support of Senator Kaine and Senator Heinrich’s resolution to terminate Donald Trump’s executive order declaring a national energy emergency. I just want to start by being clear about what’s going on here. Donald Trump promised to gut our environmental laws. If “Big Oil” CEOs gave him a billion dollars for his campaign, he was quite open about this. How could he do that? Well, he’s figured it out. He declared an emergency that he has focused on. That emergency will give him a chance to pay those oil executive CEOs back. Now, this order is not a serious attempt at lowering anyone’s energy costs. And you know how I know this? Because a true strategy to lower people’s costs would include clean energy sources like wind and solar, which this order deliberately excludes.
What does this executive order do? It lets “Big Oil and Gas” companies off the hook on following our environmental laws and regulations, and those are the rules that make sure that you have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink.
Why would Donald Trump do this? It is simple. He does not care about lowering anyone’s costs or helping create good jobs. All he cares about is his “rich as hell,” those are his words, his “rich as hell donors” and helping them make more money. Let’s be clear: energy prices are too high. Americans are feeling those high prices. Energy prices have been on the rise for the past decade. In the last year, 1/3 of Americans have had to cut back on necessary spending in order to pay their energy bills. Americans are looking for real solutions, and that is why Democrats got to work and passed the biggest climate package in the history of the world to unleash American innovation and to support a clean energy future.
Now America is producing more energy than ever before, including through offshore wind projects off the coast of Massachusetts, and we’re creating good jobs while we’re doing it. Clean energy jobs are now over 40% of all the energy jobs in the United States. They are growing twice as fast as other industries, but Donald Trump is now trying to unravel all of that progress. Why? In order to please his “Big Oil and Gas” donors, and this sham will have real consequences for our communities, raising energy costs and cutting American jobs.
Look no further than Somerset, Massachusetts, to see what is happening. At Brayton Point in Somerset, there is an old coal-fired power plant that closed down years and years ago, but a private company called Prysmian has decided that they want to turn part of this plant into a factory to build undersea cables to support American offshore wind farms. They want to build the cables so we can bring that power in and use it—that clean power in and use it here in the United States. That project would be transformative for Somerset. It would create about 250 to 300 good manufacturing jobs and would deliver more than ten million in annual tax revenues. That’s a big deal for a small town. So, for the last few years, local officials and our Massachusetts federal delegation have been working hard with the federal government to help turn that idea into a reality.
Last month, the company suddenly announced they’re ending the projects, no more jobs, no more tax revenue. And why? Because of Donald Trump’s attacks on clean energy. Somerset’s experience is just one of the experiences felt by many communities all around this country. Yes, Somerset will bounce back, but Donald Trump is cutting jobs and raising energy costs on communities all across this country just to please his oil and gas donors, and it’s communities like Somerset that are paying the price for that.
Make no mistake, we will fight back. That is why Democrats are here today. That fight starts with ending this sham of an executive order. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on Senator Kaine and Senator Heinrich’s resolution, and with that, I yield the floor.
Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), today delivered an opening statement at the committee’s second hearing to consider the advancement of Lori Chavez-DeRemer to serve as Secretary of Labor.
We are in an unusual and dangerous moment in American history.
We have a situation where, today, we have more income and wealth inequality then we have ever had in the history of this country. Three people on top have more wealth the bottom half of American society and the gap between rich and poor is growing wider.
We have a situation where people all over this country understand that joining a trade union is a way to get better wages and working conditions. Millions of workers all over this country say, “I want to join a union.” And yet we have large corporations acting illegally to deny workers the right to join unions, which is why one of my major priorities and the priority of many members on this side of the aisle is to pass the PRO Act.
Today, tens of millions of American workers are earning starvation wages. $12, $13 an hour. Nobody in any part of this country can survive on $12, $13 dollars an hour. And yet the minimum wage – the federal minimum wage of $7.25 – has not been raised in a very, very long time.
So what we need is a Secretary of Labor who is going to stand up and say we are going to take on powerful special interests. We are going to stand with the working class of this country.
Unfortunately, Mr. Chairman, Ms. Lori Chavez-DeRemer is not that person.
And the most important point of this hearing is: Today, we are not voting on who the next Secretary of Labor is. The next Secretary of Labor, the next Secretary of Education, the next Secretary of Housing, the next Secretary of the Treasury is Elon Musk. Let us understand that reality and not play along with this charade.
Does anyone here really think that any Secretary of Labor, any Secretary of Education, is going to make decisions by himself or herself?
Just yesterday, the president held a meeting with his cabinet. And who was the star of the meeting? Was it the Secretary of the Defense? Was it Secretary of State?
No, it was an unelected official who happens to be the wealthiest person on Earth. It was Elon Musk.
And at that meeting, President Trump asked his cabinet, “is anybody unhappy with Elon? Well, if you are, we’ll throw them out of here.”
In other words, if any cabinet official has courage to stand up to Mr. Musk and disobey his edicts, they are gone. So, Mr. Chairman, my request to you is a simple one. Let’s be honest. The American people understand it, and it’s time that we understood it as well.
If you want to discuss policies in the Department of Labor, let’s bring in the real secretary. Mr. Chairman, I respectfully request that this committee bring Elon Musk before this committee so that we can really hear what’s going on with the government.
Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the Improper Payments Transparency Act. The bill would require that the President’s annual budget request include clear and comprehensive data on the improper payments made by federal agencies. Ricketts is a member of the Senate DOGE Caucus.
“When federal agencies waste money, it means less money for essential services, national defense, or deficit reduction,” said Senator Ricketts. “Transparency brings accountability. My bipartisan bill will highlight where money is being misspent so we can combat waste and save taxpayer dollars.”
“We owe it to the hardworking people of Nevada to make sure that the federal government is using their tax dollars efficiently and responsibly,” said Senator Rosen. “Our bipartisan legislation will help to increase transparency and cut down on wasteful government spending. I’ll keep working to clean up Washington and look after American taxpayers’ hard-earned money.”
The bill was first covered by Fox News here. Bill text can be found here.
BACKGROUND
Improper payments are defined by U.S. code as any payment that should not have been made or that was made in an incorrect amount, including an overpayment or underpayment, under a statutory, contractual, administrative, or other legally applicable requirement.
Since 2003, the Government Accountability Office estimates that the federal government has made $2.8 trillion in improper payments. GAO estimated $236 billion in improper payments in Fiscal Year 2023 and $161.6 billion in improper payments in Fiscal Year 2024. The true cost of improper payments is likely higher due to a lack of reporting requirements. In FY23, the GAO reported that 10 of 24 executive branch agencies required to report improper payment information did not fully comply.
The Improper Payments Transparency Act would require clear data on improper payments in the President’s annual budget request, including:
Descriptions of programs required to submit improper payment reports;
Detailed explanations of why improper payments occurred;
Trends in improper payment amounts;
Corrective actions agencies will take to reduce improper payments.
The National Taxpayers Union named the legislation to their 2024 “No Brainers” List as one of the top bipartisan bills for taxpayers.
Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Budget Committee, outlined his bipartisan Improper Payments Transparency Act, introduced yesterday with Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV). Ricketts discussed the bill while on a conference call with Nebraska media:
“Today, I introduced bipartisan legislation to require more transparent and more accurate data about the scope of improper payments,” Ricketts said. “Improper payments continue to be a major contributor to wasteful spending. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Government Accountability Office, or GAO, estimated that the federal government made $236 billion of improper payments. That means ‘payments that should not have been made or were made in the incorrect amount.’ In Fiscal Year 2024, agencies reported $161.5 billion of improper payments. Since 2003, GAO estimates that the federal government has made $2.7 trillion in improper payments. The true cost of improper payments is likely even higher than this, however.”
“My Improper Payments Transparency Act would require better reporting,” Ricketts closed. “This bipartisan bill, introduced with Democrat Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada, would require the President’s budget to include the amounts and rates of improper payments at each executive agency. It would require a detailed explanation of yearly trends. It would also require a summary of corrective actions taken to reduce and stop improper payments. This data will help Congress and the American people see where money is being misspent. With this information, we can make better choices and save tax dollars.”
[embedded content]
Watch the video HERE.
TRANSCRIPT:
Senator Ricketts: “There is an inscription above the entrance to the Nebraska State Capitol. It reads: ‘the salvation of the state is watchfulness in the citizen.’
“Transparency is essential to watchfulness. Transparency brings accountability.
“We need more transparency when it comes to wasteful government spending.
“Our $36 trillion national debt is our greatest domestic threat.
“We must do all we can to eliminate waste and restore fiscal sanity.
“To that end: today, I introduced bipartisan legislation to require more transparent and more accurate data about the scope of improper payments.
“Improper payments continue to be a major contributor to wasteful spending.
“In Fiscal Year 2023, the Government Accountability Office, or GAO, estimated that the federal government made $236 billion of improper payments.
“That means ‘payments that should not have been made or were made in the incorrect amount.’
“In Fiscal Year 2024, agencies reported $161.5 billion of improper payments.
“Since 2003, GAO estimates that the federal government has made $2.7 trillion in improper payments.
“The true cost of improper payments is likely even higher than this, however.
“Because some federal programs do not report improper payments.
“In Fiscal Year 2023, eight federal programs were flagged as having potentially significant problems with improper payments.
“They were required to report but did not do so.
“They should have been transparent with Americans.
“Current law only requires agencies to consult with the Office of Management and Budget before deciding whether to report improper payments.
“That must change.
“Americans deserve to know whether our tax dollars are being misspent.
“They deserve transparent data.
“My Improper Payments Transparency Act would require better reporting.
“This bipartisan bill, introduced with Democrat Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada, would require the President’s budget to include the amounts and rates of improper payments at each executive agency.
“It would require a detailed explanation of yearly trends.
“It would also require a summary of corrective actions taken to reduce and stop improper payments.
“This data will help Congress and the American people see where money is being misspent.
“With this information, we can make better choices and save tax dollars.
“Improper payments are not just numbers. They have real consequences.
“When federal agencies waste money, it means less money supports essential services.
“It crowds out money for our national defense.
“It reduces the dollars for critical infrastructure and deficit reduction.
“Taxpayers deserve better.
“Transparency and accountability shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Americans work hard.
“Their money should not be wasted.
“Waste undermines public trust and perpetuates our unsustainable fiscal path.
“If we want to fix our nation’s debt, we must stop wasting hundreds of billions of dollars each year in improper payments.
“And trillions of dollars over the last twenty years.
“It is time to find the mistakes, fix the problems, and save taxpayers money.
“My Improper Payments Transparency Act will help us do that.
“I’m committed to improving transparency and ending wasteful spending.”
Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed arrived in Mogadishu today, February 27, where he was received at the airport by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohammed. This is an important step towards reconciliation between the two countries of the Horn of Africa, after the signing in December by Ethiopia and Somalia, under the auspices of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, of the so-called “Ankara Declaration”.With this agreement, both sides committed themselves, among other things, to mutual respect for each other’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity. With the declaration signed in the Turkish capital, Ethiopia renounces the memorandum of January 1, 2024, with which Addis Ababa would have granted official recognition of the Somali secessionist region of Somaliland for a period of 50 years in exchange for access to the sea along a 20 km coastline for its “naval forces” (see Fides, 3/1/2024).The memorandum had been described by the Somali government in Mogadishu as an “attack on its territorial integrity” (see Fides, 9/1/2024). During 2024, the Turkish government offered its mediation between the two countries (see Fides, 2/7/2024), which led to the declaration signed in Ankara last December, in which Somalia agreed to work with Ethiopia “to provide it with reliable, safe and sustainable access to and from the sea under the sovereign authority of the Federal Republic of Somalia”.Ethiopia has also pledged to contribute 2,500 troops to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which replaces the previous African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which was also supported by the African Union. The Ethiopian contingent would be the second largest after the Ugandan contingent (4,500 troops). AUSSOM is intended to support the Somali army in the fight against the jihadist movements operating in the country.Turkey has long been present in Somalia with its own troops and military bases. After an initial period of tension, relations between Ethiopia and Turkey have eased, also thanks to the rapprochement between the political parties in power in the two countries, Ahmed’s Prosperity Party (PP) and Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP). These days, a delegation of the Ethiopian PP is attending the 8th AKP Congress being held in Turkey. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 27/2/2025)
Share:
