Wairarapa residents and drivers can expect night closures later this month as maintenance works and median barrier repairs are carried out on State Highway 2 between Masterton and Carterton.
Night works are planned from Sunday, 17 November, until Thursday, 21 November. The highway will be closed between Hughes Line and the Norfolk Road/Cornwall Road roundabout from 9 pm to 4:30 am.
Roxanne Hilliard, Wellington Alliance Manager, says most of the work will be general maintenance.
“Road crews will complete drainage work, pavement repairs, and replacing signs”.
“They’ll also be repairing the wire rope median barriers, which have been struck twice since they were last repaired in July of this year. It’s great to see the barriers doing their job and protecting drivers from head-on collisions, which are the biggest cause of serious crashes on our roads,” Ms Hilliard says.
Some of the work planned is in preparation for resurfacing, which will be done in the warmer summer months, early next year.
“We’ll take the opportunity to do some road repairs. This will speed up our work when we resurface the road next year.”
Local road detours will be in place while the work is underway.
“A full closure means work crews can do the job much faster. That means much less all-round disruption for drivers.”
The detour will require slightly longer travel times, so drivers must allow extra time for their journeys.
Drivers must remember the detours is on a local roads not the state highway – and ensure they drive to the conditions.
Works schedule and detour route
Sunday, 17 November to Thursday, 21 November, 9 pm – 4:30 am.
SH2 CLOSED between the rest area north of Hughes Line and Norfolk Road/Cornwall Road roundabout.
Local road detour via Cornwall Road and Hughes Line.
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority hit one billion trips on the New York City subway in 2024. The billionth customer was identified as Sir Michael Carrasquillo from Prospect Heights, Brooklyn who tapped into the subway system at Atlantic Av–Barclays Ctr 2 3 4 5 B D N R Q Station at 1:45 p.m. Mr. Carrasquillo received four weeks of unlimited rides on an OMNY card, and an OMNY hat and T-shirt. This milestone follows the busiest Sunday since the pandemic with the subway carrying 2.6 million riders during the New York City Marathon and comes nearly two months earlier than in 2022. October was the busiest October for New York City Transit since the pandemic, with nearly 114 million subway rides and over 40 million bus rides, 10 million more subway rides and 3 million more bus rides than the previous year.
“There’s no better way to get around New York City than taking the subway, and we’re proud to be setting post-pandemic ridership records while investing in major new initiatives that will modernize our transit system,” Governor Hochul said. “We’ve also doubled down on our commitment to making mass transit safer, ensuring that every New Yorker experiences the standard of safety and service they deserve.”
Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) also experienced record-breaking Octobers. Metro-North had an average of 230,400 weekday trips and LIRR had an average of 261,900 weekday trips, representing a post-pandemic record. Both railroads exceeded pre-pandemic weekend ridership. LIRR averaged nearly 135,000 trips per day on weekends, equaling 132 percent of Oct. 2019 weekend ridership. Metro-North averaged nearly 132,000 trips per weekend day, equaling 102 percent of Oct. 2019 weekend ridership.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “The MTA is proud to be the engine that moves and powers New York and we’re welcoming riders back in record numbers. Credit to Governor Hochul and the NY Legislature for stepping up and allowing us to increase service when the rest of the country was making cuts and, here we are, billions of rides later.”
MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara said, “It’s great to see ridership rebound with leisure hours during the weekends booming and students are loving their OMNY cards with 20 million taps across the system. None of these records would be possible without great employees who work day-in and day-out to move customers throughout the system.”
New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said, “Achieving ridership records at a quicker pace shows us that customers are relying on the subway to get where they need to go. NYCT will continue working to deliver reliable, fast and safe service, and I look forward to delivering on that goal for billions more trips.”
Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi said, “There’s nothing like fall in the Hudson Valley, and it’s wonderful to see so many riders taking advantage of Metro-North’s great service to see the changing leaves or heading out to Yankee Stadium. As we move into the holiday season, Metro-North service is the best way to beat traffic and enjoy the iconic Grand Central Terminal and other holiday attractions throughout the region.”
Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free said, “We’re providing historic levels of service, record on-time performance, and increased reliability thanks to investments like Grand Central Madison and Main Line Third Track and customers are responding in record numbers. I look forward to continuing to build on October’s success and finish the year even stronger.”
OMNY’s market share continues to grow with 82 percent of Regular Fare subway rides taken by tapping with OMNY. With Reduced-Fare customers now eligible for OMNY, last week 60 percent of all subway trips were taken via OMNY, an increase of 16 percent over the same week in 2023. And since receiving Student OMNY cards with expanded benefits at the start of the school year, students have tapped over 20 million times.
To ensure subway customers were able to travel to and from the race smoothly and safely, NYCT did not schedule any non-essential work along lines that were anticipated to carry significant numbers of runners and race viewers. Platform controllers were deployed at stations surrounding the finishing area and other high priority viewing points, such as Queensboro Plaza 7 N W and Lexington Av/59 St 4 5 6 N R W . In order to prevent overcrowding on stairways and platforms at subway stations, some stairways were designated as “entrance or exit only.”
Knowing that the subway is the fastest way to get around on Marathon Sunday, the Detroit Pistons took the train to Barclays Center for an afternoon NBA match up with the Brooklyn Nets.
Following the news that the US-based buy now pay later (BNPL) startup Affirm has entered the UK market;
Phoebe Hodgson, Associate Analyst, Banking and Payments at GlobalData, offers her view:
“The BNPL market in the UK is becoming increasingly saturated. According to GlobalData’s 2024 Financial Services Consumer Survey*, only 21% of respondents in the UK have used an online BNPL service while buying goods and services. This limited adoption, coupled with an already concentrated market, where 75% of the UK market is held by five BNPL providers, suggests Affirm may find it challenging to position itself among the well-established competitors like Klarna, PayPal and Zilch.
“Affirm’s unique selling points, such as extended loan periods and strategic partnerships, could help distinguish it, but it will have to overcome significant obstacles. One of the biggest hurdles is the evolving regulatory environment. The UK government seeks to regulate the BNPL product further, treating it as if it were a credit product, subjecting them to stricter consumer protections and potentially reducing the appeal for BNPL for both providers and consumers alike. Soon to be under stricter regulations, Affirm must work under pressure to assert itself among the UK customers, who are more cautious of debt amid high living costs and economic uncertainty. Furthermore, with competitors already moving towards innovative product extensions, and compliance initiatives, Affirm’s market entry may need to be more than just a product push – it must be a strategic positioning exercise to resonate with cautious UK consumers.”
*Global survey conducted online in Q2 2024 among 67,292 consumers across 41 markets globally. The survey explores global consumer behaviors, purchasing preferences, and attitudes across the most important banking products. The UK’s sample is 5,003.
About GlobalData
4,000 of the world’s largest companies, including over 70% of FTSE 100 and 60% of Fortune 100 companies, make more timely and better business decisions thanks to GlobalData’s unique data, expert analysis and innovative solutions, all in one platform. GlobalData’s mission is to help our clients decode the future to be more successful and innovative across a range of industries, including the healthcare, consumer, retail, financial, technology and professional services sectors.
Source: Prostate Cancer Foundation New Zealand (PCFNZ)
PCFNZ launching ‘Life After Treatment’ educational roadshow supporting Aotearoa New Zealand’s prostate cancer community.
Kiwis treated for our nation’s most commonly diagnosed male cancer – prostate cancer, – report experiencing a confidence-robbing, stigmatised treatment side-effect, erectile dysfunction (ED), according to Prostate Cancer Foundation New Zealand (PCFNZ) survey findings released today.
Nine in 10 (93 per cent) survey respondents reported developing ED after treatment; 36 per cent felt “robbed of confidence”; while 28 per cent experienced “moderate compromise” to their mental health.
PCFNZ’s release of the new survey findings today coincides with the first of six, free, PCFNZ public information evenings for prostate cancer survivors, and their families, kicking off in Tauranga this evening.
Featuring leading Urologists and health professional speakers, the PCFNZ ‘Prostate Cancer – Life After Treatment’ roadshow will tour Tauranga, Palmerston North, Auckland, Dunedin, Christchurch and Wellington between November 5 – 14, 2024. Running between 7:00-8:30pm, each event will canvass the potential side-effects of prostate cancer treatment, and treatment options available to help manage, and aid recovery.
According to PCFNZ Chief Executive Officer, Peter Dickens, for the more than 4,000 New Zealand men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, treatment can disrupt urinary, bowel and sexual function.
“Findings from our PCFNZ ‘Life After Treatment’ survey complements data from the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Registry (PCOR-NZ), which reported sexual function as the most compromised patient outcome associated with prostate cancer treatment – 38 per cent of patients reported moderate to substantial ‘bother’, compared to bother with urinary function (10 per cent) and bowel function (5 per cent).
“Our survey aimed to glean insights from patients treated for prostate cancer, on the physical, mental, emotional and relationship challenges they have faced,” said Mr Dickens.
“Numerous prostate cancer survivors experience distressing sexual and urinary difficulties following surgery, which compromise their mental health and wellbeing, and intimate relationships.
“Many men report their quality of life to be severely, or moderately affected by ED following prostate cancer treatment,” Mr Dickens said.
“Similarly, urinary incontinence (UI) can also significantly impair a man’s quality of life following prostate cancer treatment.”
ED is a common, yet under-diagnosed and under-treated men’s health condition 4, affecting one in every three New Zealand men aged 40-70 years.
“Almost 7 in 10 respondents (69 per cent) to our survey reported they were experiencing ED very frequently (at least once a week), while nearly 8 in 10 respondents (78 per cent) have experienced UI, with 45 per cent describing their symptoms as either ‘moderate’ or ‘severe’,”5 said Mr Dickens.
“Concerningly, more than two in five (42 per cent) of the prostate cancer survivors who participated in our survey reported they were neither informed, nor adequately educated on the possibility of developing ED after prostate cancer treatment.
“We are therefore, encouraging men and their families nation-wide, to attend our ‘Prostate Cancer: Life After Treatment’ public information evenings, to learn about, and discuss management and treatment options with leading experts in the field,” Mr Dickens said.
Urologist and Clinical Director of Urology, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury, and Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Otago, Mr Giovanni Losco, Christchurch, said ED is an outcome of prostate cancer surgery for many men. While the cancer may be effectively treated, those who fail to seek help may face future challenges with erectile function.
“ED can lead to feelings of shame and frustration, may compromise mental health, and even taint a man’s view of himself as being ‘complete or whole’.
“Almost half (47 per cent) of the Life After Treatment survey respondents reported living with ED following prostate cancer treatment had ‘severely affected’ their sex drive, while 37 per cent were left feeling ‘moderately frustrated’, and 36 per cent ‘lacking confidence’,”5 Mr Losco said.
“Living with ED can further compromise men’s work, friend, and intimate relationships, with 40 per cent of the survey respondents claiming the condition, post-prostate cancer treatment, had led to a ‘severe loss of intimacy’ with their partner.
”According to the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) President, Professor Helen O’Connell, AO, men who have experienced, or are at risk of developing prostate cancer, need to know effective treatment is available for ED.
“As USANZ President, I want men to know that we recognise ED and UI as important health problems.
“Once men have both overcome, and recovered from prostate cancer surgery, I urge them to be proactive in understanding how to both prevent, and recover from ED and UI,” said Prof O’Connell.
“Importantly, a significant cause of ED is a history of prostate cancer and its treatment.
“Should ED persist, don’t suffer in silence. Talk to your Urologist about your treatment options, because outside treatment for prostate cancer, there are other risk factors for developing ED,” Prof O’Connell said.
“While it may take a little bit of courage, there are potential rewards for your relationship, mental health, partner, and your partnership in addressing the underlying causes of, and accessing effective treatment for both ED and UI.”
Semi-retiree, father-to-two, and grandfather-to-three (with another on the way), Mike, 73, Tauranga, was diagnosed with ED and UI in 2016, following prostate cancer surgery. Although his UI improved within a few months, unfortunately Mike continued to grapple with the longer-term surgical side-effect, ED.
“Prostate cancer itself was a really big thing, but then I was forced to contend with additional changes to my body following the surgery.
“With UI, I set myself a goal to improve my symptoms, so I could stop using [incontinence] pads as quickly as possible,” Mike said.
“I followed up with my surgeon, visited a physio, did pelvic floor exercises, and had a nurse call in every week. I managed my UI well and recovered within two-to-three months.
“However, managing ED proved a much more protracted, complex journey, for which my main challenge was managing my compromised mental health,” said Mike.
“As a man, I felt a loss. When you’re in a relationship, intimacy is vital, and I feared losing that special bond.
Today Mike has an important, but poignant message for other Kiwi men (prostate cancer survivors or otherwise) living with ED.
“Be proactive, and take the conversation lead with your family doctor.”
About the survey
PCFNZ conducted an online anonymous survey open to the public that attracted responses from 123 New Zealand men aged 45+ years between October 8 – 21, 2024. The ‘Prostate Cancer – Life After Treatment’ survey strove to glean insights from prostate cancer survivors about their experience of ED and UI following prostate cancer treatment.
About Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ (PCFNZ)
Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ provides vital support, education and information to patients, their families and whānau across Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as reducing the impact of prostate cancer through raising awareness, funding NZ-based research and advocating for improved standards of care.
PCFNZ is Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading male cancer charity. Our vision is to significantly reduce and ultimately end suffering from prostate and testicular cancer. We achieve this by providing support and education to the thousands of men and their families, those caring for them, and health professionals; advocating on their behalf for improved health outcomes; and investing in research that raises the understanding of the cancers, the effects on men, their families and our communities.
To learn more about prostate cancer, ED and UI, head to prostate.org.nz or call the PCFNZ Information Service on 0800 66 0800.
The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission has published Testing our thinking: Developing an enduring National Infrastructure Plan to share its initial thinking and seek feedback as it develops the National Infrastructure Plan. When completed, the 30-year Plan will help inform decision-making by both central and local government, giving the infrastructure industry more confidence to invest in the people, technology and equipment they need to build more efficiently.
“The infrastructure we depend on today was built and paid for by previous generations. We need to leave future generations with just as strong a legacy, while making sure we don’t overly burden them with the costs. This will mean making careful choices about where we spend our infrastructure dollar, understanding what our needs are, while also allowing flexibility for the needs we can’t foresee,” says Peter Nunns, Acting General Manager – Strategy.
“In the discussion document we outline some of the ways we’re looking at addressing this through the Plan. This includes forecasting long-term infrastructure needs, looking at current investment intentions, and independently reviewing unfunded infrastructure proposals to give decision-makers a menu of high-quality vetted proposals through the Infrastructure Priorities Programme. We will also provide advice about how we can build capability to plan and build infrastructure better, how we can take better care of our existing assets, and how we can regulate and govern infrastructure better.”
“We obviously don’t have a monopoly on good ideas so to develop the National Infrastructure Plan we need to hear from people who provide and use infrastructure. We’ve released a discussion document to help to test our thinking on our long-term infrastructure needs and how we can address them. We welcome and encourage your feedback,” says Nunns.
Background
Part of the role of the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission is to help build a shared, long-term view of New Zealand’s infrastructure needs and priorities. The New Zealand Instructure Commission is required to produce strategic, independent advice on the long-term needs for New Zealand’s infrastructure every five years. This advice is delivered to the Minister for Infrastructure, and the Government must develop its response. In May 2022, the Commission published New Zealand’s first Infrastructure Strategy, making recommendations for improving New Zealand’s infrastructure system. The National Infrastructure Plan will build on the Strategy and include recommendations to meet New Zealand’s infrastructure challenges.
The Minister for Infrastructure has asked the Commission to lead in the development of the Plan. To help inform our thinking for the Plan, the Commission is seeking input from Māori/iwi organisations, across central and local government, and with the private sector and the public.
A draft of the Plan will be delivered to the Minister for Infrastructure in mid-2025. Following public consultation and feedback from the Minister, the Commission will finalise the Plan which will be delivered to the Government in late 2025.
Notes for Editors
The discussion document includes four key sections, summarised below:
Section One: Why we need a National Infrastructure Plan
This section discusses the drivers for a National Infrastructure Plan, including:
The need to balance greater certainty about our infrastructure needs so we can plan and prioritise, with the flexibility to allow for changing needs and unforeseen events.
The challenge of investment efficiency. International comparisons show New Zealand’s invests in infrastructure at a similar or even higher level than other OECD countries, but we rank near the bottom for the efficiency of that spend.
A need to find new ways to meet our infrastructure needs. Research has show that if we were to simply build all the public infrastructure we may think we need, it would cost 9.6% of our GDP – almost twice what we are currently spending and more than we’ve spent in the past. Instead we can look at what we can afford and get better use from what we’ve got.
A need to improve the way we govern infrastructure. New Zealand ranks poorly against other high-income countries on infrastructure governance practices
The opportunity to better coordinate infrastructure planning, delivery and operations. This enables infrastructure investment to be focused on the right things at the right times, reduced project costs, and delivery of more affordable services.
Section Two: Our long-term Needs
This section sets out our approach to identifying infrastructure needs through a system-wide view. This means considering the infrastructure we already have and the factors that may increase or decrease the need for investment in the future.
We will take a realistic view on what financial resources we are likely to have for infrastructure investment, based on what we have spent in the past.
We outline eight factors that will influence our long-term investment needs:
the need to renew existing infrastructure as it wears out
population growth and demographic change
economic development and changing standards
construction price inflation
resilience to natural hazards
decarbonising our economy
technology change
shortage of existing infrastructure.
Section Three: What Infrastructure is Already Planned
The Infrastructure Commission already gathers and shares data on current or planned infrastructure projects through the National Infrastructure Pipeline. This data, alongside other information gathered by the Treasury or published by infrastructure providers, helps to paint a picture of investment intentions.
In this section, we discuss our approach to comparing the information on current investment we get from these and other sources of information, with the data we’re gathering about long-term trends from our infrastructure needs analysis. By comparing these, we can see where New Zealand may be over or under-investing in infrastructure, where there are trade-offs between different investment paths, and where we still have gaps in our knowledge.
In taking this approach, a National Infrastructure Plan can provide decision-makers with a guide for infrastructure investment.
Section Four: Changing the approach
This section discusses areas where change to our infrastructure system could get us better results. These include:
Our capability to plan and build. This means:
improving our approach to investment management
growing the infrastructure workforce and building project leadership capability
finding ways to reduce the cost of our projects.
Taking care of what we have. This means
getting better at asset management, or looking after our existing infrastructure
improving our resilience, and preparing for greater disruption from shocks like natural hazards
ensuring our infrastructure contributes to achieving a net zero carbon economy.
Getting the settings right. This means:
making sure we have the right institutional settings to get the best from our infrastructure system
considering the way we pay for infrastructure, including the potential for methods like congestion charging or volumetric charging which can both guide investment and help manage demand
making sure regulation, like our consenting system, enables efficient and timely infrastructure development.
Work has started on the New South Wales Central Coast to determine the best route for a proposed high-speed rail link connecting the region to Sydney in just 30 minutes.
The Albanese Government is planning for a future high-speed rail network to connect Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and regional communities across the east coast of Australia.
The first stage connects Newcastle to Sydney via the Central Coast with a fast, reliable and regular link between the two largest cities in NSW.
Two drill rigs have started work on the Hawkesbury River at Brooklyn and at Brisbane Water in Gosford as part of geotechnical investigations to determine the optimum route alignment.
Assembling the two barges took three days. They will drill six boreholes, some to a depth of 140 metres, in locations within Brisbane Water and the Hawkesbury River, with the barge on the Hawkesbury River to operate for about two months.
The rock and sediment samples will be analysed, with the results helping inform construction methods and key details such as the design and depth of potential rail tunnels.
The geotechnical work – which involves about 27 boreholes in key areas between Newcastle and Sydney – helps with planning for rail tunnel depths, recognising the geological complexities of traversing the escarpment into the Central Coast and on to Sydney and Newcastle.
The work is being coordinated by the Australian Government’s High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) as part of the business case being developed for the first stage connecting Newcastle to Sydney.
High-speed rail will connect Australian regions, cities and communities – delivering more job and lifestyle choices, greater housing options and new economic opportunities.
The Albanese Government has committed $500 million for the planning and corridor protection of the Newcastle to Sydney section, and established the HSRA to conduct the work.
The business case for the Newcastle to Sydney stage is due to be delivered to the Government by the end of this year.
Quotes attributable to Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:
“High-speed rail means generations of new opportunities for regional Australia, creating more jobs in more locations and giving people greater choices in where they live, work, study and play.
“Our transformational investment in high-speed rail will help shape Australia for decades to come.”
Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Robertson Dr Gordon Reid:
“The Central Coast stands to benefit from the Australian Government’s nation-shaping investment in high-speed rail.
“Our Government is committed to high-speed rail so we can support a growing population, better link workers with job opportunities, and deliver sustainable, low-emissions transport.
“I know that the Central Coast community cannot wait to see this project come to fruition.”
Quotes attributable to High Speed Rail Authority CEO Tim Parker:
“Journeys will be reliable, quick, convenient and comfortable.
“Right now, we’re working on how to build a new railway in complex areas and the engineering challenges we would face.”
The Cancer Institute NSW’s newly released melanoma hotspot map reveals Ballina, Lismore, Byron, Clarence Valley and Coffs Harbour local government areas (LGAs) have the state’s highest rates of melanoma, with almost 350 cases projected to be diagnosed in those areas in 2024.
Sutherland Shire, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Tweed and Kempsey and Richmond Valley LGAs are also in the state’s top 10 melanoma hotspots, while Mosman, Mid-Western Regional, Shoalhaven, Cessnock and Wagga Wagga LGAs have entered the top 25.
Melanoma is one of the most common cancers among young Australians and the third most diagnosed cancer in NSW, with more than 5000 people expected to be diagnosed in the state in 2024.
As the most serious form of skin cancer, melanoma can be deadly and is projected to take the lives of close to 500 people across NSW this year.
Ninety-five per cent of melanoma and 99 per cent of non-melanoma skin cancers are caused by overexposure to UV radiation from the sun and can be prevented with proper sun protection.
The Cancer Institute NSW has several initiatives in place to reduce the impact of skin cancer in NSW as part of its Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy 2023-2030. Initiatives include the If You Could See UV campaign, which is about to be relaunched in time for summer.
The behaviour change campaign, which aims to motivate 18–24-year-olds to protect their skin from UV radiation, has recently received two prestigious Australian Effectiveness Awards (Effies) for Positive Change, and Insight and Strategic Thinking.
Research shows more than 75 per cent of young people felt motivated to protect their skin from the sun after watching the campaign, which will deliver geo-targeted reminders on weather apps and outdoor advertising of the UV index in areas of NSW where young people are more likely to be outdoors.
The most effective defence against UV radiation is to follow these five key steps before leaving the house:
Slip on protective clothing
Slop on SPF50+ sunscreen. Sunscreen should always be applied 20 minutes before heading outdoors and re-applied every two hours.
“The release of the latest melanoma hotspot map is a timely reminder, particularly as we head into summer, to always take protective measures when outdoors.
“Most melanoma hotspots are in regional areas but it’s important to remember that no matter where you live, the risk of skin cancer is ever present.
“Australia has one of the highest skin cancer rates in the world and as a community, it’s imperative we take the threat of skin cancer seriously and follow the simple, life-saving steps needed to reduce our risk of this deadly disease.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Wakehurst Michael Regan:
“Here on the Northern Beaches, we love being outdoors enjoying the natural environment or being active. This is healthy, but only if you’re being sun smart. Otherwise, it can be deadly.
“I know this all too well, losing my dad when he was 48 to melanoma. I was just 26. We know more now than we did then. The best cure is prevention. Slip slop slap seek slide is the way to go.
“Each of us has a role to play is creating a sun smart culture, through our own behaviours and what we encourage in others.
“Make today the day you decide to step up your sun protection game ahead of summer.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Chief Cancer Officer and Chief Executive Cancer Institute NSW, Professor Tracey O’Brien AM
“Two out of three Australians will be treated for skin cancer in their lifetime which is why protecting our skin from the sun from a very young age, and into adulthood, is key to reducing our risk of this devastating disease.
“In NSW, UV radiation levels are high 10 months of the year and even short bursts of exposure to the sun can be deadly.
“Whether you’re going to the beach or hanging the washing or walking to the shops or train station, I urge everyone to do the simple things like seeking shade when outdoors, wearing sunscreen, putting on a hat, sunglasses and protective clothing to safeguard themselves from harmful UV radiation from the sun.”
Quotes attributable to Anne Gately:
“I was diagnosed with melanoma at age 44 in 2010 and after having the mole and some lymph nodes removed, I was given the all clear. Eight years later I was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma, but thankfully after receiving immunotherapy treatment I was cancer free within three months.
“I was a tanner, so I spent a lot of time at the beach, and I also spent a lot of time playing sport, which is why I think it’s not just about personal responsibility but that we have a duty of care to others in our community when it comes to sun protection.
“I think the campaign is spot on, in spreading the message that while you may not be able to see or feel the consequences every amount of UV exposure is adding to the damage.”
Quotes attributable to Sonia Knight:
“I was 43 when I noticed a mole on my arm that was changing and looked nasty and a visit to the GP confirmed it was a melanoma which had spread to some lymph nodes. I had it removed and was cancer free for five years, until July this year when I received news the melanoma had returned at stage 3c. I had surgery recently and will soon start immunotherapy.
“I grew up on Northern Beaches and spent every weekend at the beach, I thought a tan was healthy looking but now I tell everyone, tanning is definitely not cool and how important it is to protect your skin from the sun – my daughters don’t leave the house unless they’re applied sunscreen half an hour beforehand.
“I have lent on many services that I didn’t even know existed including Canteen, Melanoma Patients Australia and Cancer Wellness and would encourage others to seek out this sort of vital support.”
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Northern Territory Police conducted a proactive Wanding Operation in the Katherine CBD between Thursday and Saturday of last week.
During the operation 399 individuals were scanned, resulting in five arrests, one Notice to Appear and six cautions. There were 20 positive indications for weapons, leading to the seizure of multiple pairs of scissors, a screwdriver, a knife, two machetes, a bullet and 71 litres of alcohol.
Commander Kylie Anderson stated, “Strike Force Cerberus and Katherine General Duties officers carried out this operation to prevent and deter the carrying of edged weapons which, in turn, enhances community safety.
“By removing these dangerous items from circulation, we aim to create a safer environment for everyone in the Katherine region.”
Every November, satellites detect large numbers of small smoke plumes and heightened fire activity in northern India and Pakistan as farmers burn off excess straw after the rice harvest. Many farmers, particularly in the Punjab region, use fire as a fast, inexpensive way to clean up fields before planting winter wheat crops. However, the influx of smoke to the densely populated Indo-Gangetic Plain often contributes to a sharp deterioration of air quality in October and November. Levels of air pollution soared during the last week of October and first week of November in 2024 as weather patterns kept air bottled up in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. On November 3, 2024, the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the Suomi NPP satellite acquired this natural-color image of plumes of smoke streaming from large numbers of small fires burning in Pakistan and India. Air quality sensors in Lahore, Pakistan, recorded concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) at hazardous levels—above 300 on the air quality index (AQI)—on several days in October and November, according to data posted by AirNow. As pollution levels rose, authorities in Pakistan announced school closures, partial lockdowns, and halts in construction in a bid to limit the health impacts, according to news reports. Smoke from crop fires is not the only contributor to the hazy skies, explained Pawan Gupta, a lead scientist for AERONET, a NASA-sponsored network of ground-based sensors that measures the concentration of aerosols at hundreds of locations around the world. Influxes of dust sometimes arrive from the Thar Desert to the west. An array of other human-caused sources of air pollution in cities, including motor vehicle emissions, industrial and construction activity, fireworks, and fires for heating and cooking, also produce particulate matter and other pollutants, Gupta added. Geography and weather can exacerbate the region’s poor air quality. Temperature inversions are common in November and December as cold air rolls off the Tibetan Plateau and mixes with smoky air from the Indo-Gangetic Plain. An inversion can function like a lid, with warm air trapping pollutants near the surface. The low-hanging haze becomes hemmed in between the Himalayas to the north and the Vindhya Range to the south. Pollution levels in Lahore typically peak in late November and December, “so this is just beginning,” Gupta said. “The worst pollution days are probably still ahead of us.” Hiren Jethva, a senior research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Morgan State University, uses the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)—a measure of the land’s “greenness”—to anticipate fire activity in the region each year. Based on the NDVI data, he expects that NASA’s Aqua satellite will detect between 15,500 and 18,500 fires in 2024—higher than most years since 2002 but lower than 2016 and 2021, years with especially bountiful rice crops. NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE, GIBS/Worldview, and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership. Story by Adam Voiland.
KEY QUOTE: “More than 72% of respondents to the Kansas Speaks survey said they support expanding Medicaid, up slightly from last year. That includes over 63% of Republicans and nearly 90% of Democrats… These signs of growth in support for Medicaid expansion follow a significant media tour and legislative push by Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly earlier this year.”
These two issues find strong support among Kansans, according to Docking survey Rose Conlon, Kansas News Service Oct. 30, 2024
Support for Medicaid expansion in Kansas remains high, according to a new survey by the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University.
According to the Kansas Health Institute, Medicaid expansion would allow an estimated 152,000 more low-income Kansans to receive coverage under the government health care program.
The majority of the costs for the expansion are covered by federal funding, and Kansas is one of only ten states that has not yet implemented this expansion. Analysts say that many individuals who would benefit from the expansion are employed in jobs that don’t offer health insurance.
The survey also revealed that over 11% more Kansans now believe that expanding Medicaid would help rural hospitals remain in business. Several rural hospitals in the state have closed in recent years, including closures last year in Fort Scott and Herington, which have threatened timely access to emergency medical care.
Around half of Kansans who responded to the Kansas Speaks survey said the issue is highly or extremely important as they decide who to vote to represent them in the state legislature.
“We can see that a huge portion of Kansans say that (Medicaid expansion) is important to some degree,” said Alexandra Middlewood, a political science professor at Wichita State University who contributed to the survey’s development.
COCONUT CREEK, Fla., Nov. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) (“WLFC” or the “Company”) today reported that on October 31, 2024, the Company entered into a new, $1.0 billion, five-year, revolving credit facility (the “Credit Agreement”) among WLFC, certain wholly-owned subsidiaries of WLFC, as guarantors, the lenders party thereto from time to time (the “Lenders”), and Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, collateral agent, swing line lender, and letter of credit issuer. The Credit Agreement replaced the existing $500.0 million revolving credit agreement, dated as of June 7, 2019 (as amended and restated, the “Existing Credit Agreement”), among WLFC, the lenders party thereto from time to time and MUFG Bank, Ltd. as agent.
Under the Credit Agreement, WLFC may request an additional increase of the aggregate commitments from time to time up to an aggregate additional $250.0 million from the lenders, who may elect to make such increase available, upon the satisfaction of certain conditions.
Proceeds from the revolving credit facility may be used for general corporate purposes. The credit facility will be available on a revolving basis until October 31, 2029, and WLFC may request to extend the maturity, subject to lender approval.
Loans under the Credit Agreement will bear interest based on a floating rate (Term SOFR) plus a margin. In addition, WLFC has agreed to pay Bank of America, N.A. an unused line fee, quarterly in arrears, as well as pay other fees to Bank of America, N.A. and to the Lenders as separately agreed upon in writing.
The Credit Agreement also requires WLFC to maintain, as of the last day of each Measurement Period (as defined in the Credit Agreement), commencing with the last day of the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2024, a Consolidated Interest Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) of no less than 2.25 to 1.00, and a Consolidated Leverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement ) of no greater than 4.25 to 1.00 through June 30, 2025 and no greater than 4.00 to 1.00 thereafter.
“We are very excited to have closed our new, expanded revolving credit facility,” said Scott B. Flaherty, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer. “Our new facility will provide incremental capital to support the growth we are experiencing across the WLFC platform.”
Willis Lease Finance Corporation
Willis Lease Finance Corporation (“WLFC”) leases large and regional spare commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and aircraft to airlines, aircraft engine manufacturers and maintenance, repair and overhaul providers worldwide. These leasing activities are integrated with engine and aircraft trading, engine lease pools and asset management services through Willis Asset Management Limited, as well as various end-of-life solutions for engines and aviation materials provided through Willis Aeronautical Services, Inc. Additionally, through Willis Engine Repair Center®, Jet Centre by Willis, and Willis Aviation Services Limited, the Company’s service offerings include Part 145 engine maintenance, aircraft line and base maintenance, aircraft disassembly, parking and storage, airport FBO and ground and cargo handling services.
Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Do not unduly rely on forward-looking statements, which give only expectations about the future and are not guarantees. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. Our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: the effects on the airline industry and the global economy of events such as war, terrorist activity and pandemics; changes in oil prices, rising inflation and other disruptions to world markets; trends in the airline industry and our ability to capitalize on those trends, including growth rates of markets and other economic factors; risks associated with owning and leasing jet engines and aircraft; our ability to successfully negotiate equipment purchases, sales and leases, to collect outstanding amounts due and to control costs and expenses; changes in interest rates and availability of capital, both to us and our customers; our ability to continue to meet changing customer demands; regulatory changes affecting airline operations, aircraft maintenance, accounting standards and taxes; the market value of engines and other assets in our portfolio; and risks detailed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and other continuing reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
NASHVILLE, TN—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking and Foreign Relations Committees, today joined Mornings with Maria on Fox Business to discuss the failed economic and foreign policies of the Biden-Harris Administration and their sharp contrast with the successful policies of the Trump Administration.
*Click the photo above or here to watch*
Partial TranscriptHagerty on the failed economic policies of the Biden-Harris Administration: “Well, the economic policies of this Administration under Kamala Harris have been an absolute disaster for America. If you look at it, 72 percent of American people think that this country is on the wrong track, and the number one issue, Maria, is the fact that real wages have gone down. Inflation has destroyed and devastated families here in America, and I think the only thing keeping the market up right now is the anticipation, and frankly, the sheer hope that President Trump gets reelected on Tuesday.”
Hagerty on the failed foreign policies of the Biden-Harris Administration: “Well, if you look at the foreign policy of this Administration, it’s absolutely pathetic. Under President Trump, we had no wars. Under [Joe] Biden and [Kamala] Harris, this has been a complete disaster. It goes back to the failed withdrawal from Afghanistan where Kamala Harris was the quote, ‘last voice in the room.’ That was an absolute disgrace and a disaster that embarrassed our nation like nothing in our lifetimes, Maria. And that invited and precipitated, I think, and emboldened our adversaries around the world. You look at what happened with Iran: the day that this Administration came into office, they stopped enforcing sanctions against Iran. I worked very closely with President Trump and in his Administration to impose maximum sanctions on Iran, to put maximum pressures on them, to get our allies to stop buying oil from Iran. It worked. What we did was we made Iran basically broke. We stopped the funding of Hamas, stopped the funding of Hezbollah, the Houthis had no funds. We saw peace break out in the Middle East. President Trump was able to move our embassy to Jerusalem. He was able to take out Soleimani and Al-Baghdadi. He even did the Abraham Accords, which was the foundation, I think, of peace and prosperity in the Middle East. Iran could do nothing about it. As soon as [Joe] Biden comes into office, as soon as [Kamala] Harris comes into office, they start allowing the funds to flow, and we have terrible wars outbreaking in the Middle East.”
Hagerty on Kamala Harris running conflicting advertisements on Israel stance: “Well, she wants to [have it both ways]. It’s a complete lack of integrity. And if you talk about having it both ways, we have seen her flip-flop on every major policy. It’s like an avatar, Maria. The media have helped support this. Again, the partisan media, not yourself, have helped support creation of a candidate that’s nowhere close to where Kamala Harris from San Francisco, the most liberal Senator in the United States Senate, has been for her entire political career. Now they’re trying to create something entirely different, entirely false. They send one message into Michigan. They’ll send a completely different message into Pennsylvania to try to appeal to Jewish voters. I think the American public can see right through this.”
Hagerty on Iran changing its nuclear policy to produce nuclear weapons: “Well, I remind you, we wouldn’t be in a position for Iran to respond at all were President Trump in office because we brought Iran to its knees. That’s got to happen again. If Kamala Harris gets into office, I think Iran’s going to have free range to do whatever they want to do, because they’re going to continue to allow Iran to bring billions of dollars in. They’re going to continue to allow them to pump [oil]. They’re going to continue to allow Iran to sell weapons to Russia. Iran has had free reign under Kamala Harris, and at the same time, you see her bringing in people like Liz Cheney, others that all want to see war breakout in the Middle East. I think what we’ve got to do is look directly at what the past has shown us. We’ve got a track record with President Trump That has delivered peace and prosperity. We’ve got a track record with Kamala Harris that has delivered nothing but agony and war in the Middle East and around the world.”
Hagerty on the top priority of a second Trump Administration: “Well, for me, Maria, our foreign policy is derived directly from the strength of our economy. We have the most amazing, the most prosperous economy in the world. Access to that economy is absolutely critical. President Trump understands that. Let’s get our economy moving again. That’s what the people of America need to see. We need to see security at our southern border. We have a national security risk like we’ve never seen before. No one’s better than you in reporting on this. But then we’ve got to turn around and deal with strength and credibility with our adversaries. No one in the world believes that Kamala Harris can deal with Vladimir Putin, can deal with Xi Jinping, can deal with the Ayatollah. She has no credibility whatsoever. President Trump has and will.”
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kevin Quigley, Scholarly Director of the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance, Dalhousie University
Should Donald Trump be re-elected on Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is likely facing a major shake-up. Many Republicans were frustrated by the CDC’s performance during the pandemic. Project 2025, authored by leading Republicans with ties to Trump, describes the CDC as incompetent and arrogant.
In fact, no matter who wins the United States presidential election on Nov. 5, the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is a cautionary tale for Canada.
There was clearly a disconnect between Trump and the CDC during the pandemic. For weeks in early 2020, President Trump had described the threat as low risk; he said that the situation was under control in the U.S. and that only a few cases had been reported.
Rapid responses are crucial during such events, and the early stages of the U.S.’s pandemic response provides salient lessons for Canada, both about its relationship with the U.S. and to global threats more generally.
Borders can re-assert themselves. Despite decades of global political and economic agreements that saw a freer flow of goods, services and people, many western governments were unable or unwilling to assume the risks associated with letting those from other jurisdictions cross their borders, and as such, imposed strict rules to prevent non-citizens from entering. This aggressive stance was ironic and unforeseen, as during previous public health crises such as the H1N1 flu episode in 2009-10, many governments underscored that closing borders had little impact on disease spread.
Global manufacturing capabilities for vaccines were below what was needed, with only about a dozen countries able to produce COVID-19 vaccines early on, including the U.S. More than any other country, the U.S. enabled the rapid development and production of the vaccine, highlighting Canada’s considerable dependence on the U.S. Canada has since funded vaccine manufacturing initiatives, but the investments have produced little to-date.
The adage “When the U.S. sneezes, the world catches a cold” applies nowhere more than in Canada. Should Trump be re-elected, the CDC will likely exist on a smaller budget with a reduced role internationally. This will increase Canadian vulnerabilities.
Whatever the criticisms, the CDC has more capacity and influence than any other health agency in the world. If Canada cannot depend on strong and co-ordinated response from the U.S. administration during a health crisis, Canada has to be better prepared to adapt. Lessons from the pandemic provide a powerful to-do list.
Kevin Quigley is the Scholarly Director of the MacEachen Institute for Public Policy and Governance, an independent, non-partisan research institute located at Dalhousie University.
If passed, the Financial Statues Amendment Act would provide alternative financing options to help expand mortgage financing options for all Albertans. The bill also includes amendments to provide more support for parents who have lost a child, and standardizes indexing across government to help Albertans with the cost of living by creating a consistent and stable system. In addition, a new annual adjustment system would enable a more consistent and flexible approach to determining the amount that benefits and taxes will be impacted. The legislation would also introduce a new tax on electric vehicles, as was announced in Budget 2024.
“This bill proposes a number of important changes. I’m particularly pleased that if passed, Alberta would be the first jurisdiction in Canada to make legislative changes that would permit provincial financial institutions to offer alternative financing options.”
Alternative financing options would provide homebuyers with more options for mortgage financing. All Albertans who want to buy a home can apply for this financing option.
Additional changes being proposed in the Financial Statutes Amendment Act include continuing Alberta Child and Family Benefit payments to parents of deceased children for six months after their child passes away. These amendments would align with similar federal changes under the Canada Child Benefit program.
“Families experiencing the unimaginable loss of a child face enough challenges. The proposed changes to the Alberta Child and Family Benefit will not only help lighten the financial burden, but offer a measure of comfort during their darkest moments.”
Other changes in the proposed bill include:
Standardizing indexation rates across government. Government is also introducing a system to enable a more consistent and flexible approach for these annual enhancements. This change ensures Albertans continue to receive annual cost-of-living increases to personal income taxes and important support programs.
Amendments to the Fuel Tax Act to implement an electric vehicle tax of $200 annually. This is in line with what drivers of a typical internal combustion engine vehicle pay in fuel tax and is a fair way for all drivers to contribute to public services, such as keeping our roads and highways safe and smooth.
Technical changes to align Alberta’s taxation of multi-jurisdictional tax filers who have a split income with that of other provinces in order to meet the requirements of the federal-provincial Tax Collection Agreement.
Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
November 04, 2024
Friday, Nov. 8 town hall at David Douglas High School will be No. 1,101 in fulfilling the Senator’s pledge to hold at least one annual town hall in each of Oregon’s 36 counties
Portland – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today announced he will hold an open-to-all town hall on Friday, Nov. 8 in Multnomah County.
This 10 am town hall at David Douglas High School’s Howard F. Horner Performing Arts Center (1400 SE 130th Ave, Portland) will be Wyden’s 1,101st overall — honoring his promise to hold at least one town hall each year in each of our state’s 36 counties.
“Town halls that provide Americans the opportunity to have face-to-face conversations with their elected representatives are just as vital to a vibrant democracy as elections,” Wyden said. “I’m honored that Oregonians have turned out 1,100 times in every county every year to voice their opinions in an open-to-all setting. And I very much look forward to this Friday’s town hall in Multnomah County to work on common-ground and common-sense solutions that make our state an even better place to live and work. That’s the Oregon Way.”
Parking is limited due to construction on campus, so public transit or carpooling is encouraged. Attendees who want to park should use street parking or use the high school’s South Lot, 1500 SE 130th Ave, Portland. ADA parking and attendee drop-off only can be done in the Howard F. Horner Performing Arts Center Lot.
He lived his life unapologetically, using his gifts to lift others up. He broke down barriers and opened doors for those who came after him, not for praise but because he knew the power of our shared potential.
For more than half a century, as a composer, arranger, record and movie producer, Quincy Jones created art that brought joy to millions of people. As an activist, Quincy Jones championed civil and human rights. He brought together artists who wanted to unite their voices to drive change. As a role model, in particular for young people of color in the music industry, Quincy Jones offered inspiration and mentorship.
I was honored to call Quincy a friend. I will always remember his generosity of spirit, his selfless support, and his deep kindness. Our world has lost a giant. But in his melodies, and in the lives he touched, Quincy’s legacy will live on forever.
Today, Doug and I are praying for the Jones family and all those who loved him.
BLUEFIELD, WV — Gov. Jim Justice today announced the contract award for Roaring Run Bridge, completing the Kerens to Parsons section of Corridor H. Triton Construction Inc. has been awarded the over $77 million project.
Gov. Justice made the announcement during an event along the King Coal Highway, where he announced another contract award.
“Getting the Roaring Run Bridge project off the ground is just another piece of the puzzle for Corridor H,” Gov. Justice said. “This final piece for the Kerens to Parsons section is a massive milestone in our ultimate goal of finishing this corridor. These announcements bring us closer to running through the finish line on Corridor H. I’ve said it over and over again, but Corridor H is the most important project for West Virginia. Celebrating these days feels amazing, and when we finally say that Corridor H is finished, it will be a historic day for West Virginia.”
Transportation Secretary Jimmy Wriston, P.E. said. “This accomplishment involved many late nights of work and after-hour meetings involved in coordinating with our partners at FHWA, Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Monongahela National Forest, local leaders, our design consultants, and residents of the local communities. With this project now being underway, only two sections remain in achieving the ultimate goal of fully completing Corridor H.”
Kerens to Parsons carries Corridor H through some of the most rugged terrain on the entire route.
When Gov. Jim Justice took office in 2017, he made completing Corridor H a priority of his administration. The four-lane highway begins at Weston and travels across central West Virginia to eventually link up with Interstate 81 in Strasburg, Virginia.
The highway is expected to open some of West Virginia’s most remote areas in Grant, Tucker, and Hardy counties to economic development, connect West Virginia’s highlands with eastern ports, speed travel times through the mountains, and provide a smooth, safe highway for travelers and residents.
This October, students from Watson Lake Secondary School (WLSS)’s grade 12 class participated in an on the land hunting adventure on Kaska Traditional Territory alongside Watson Lake RCMP and Yukon conservation officers.
Following the success of the youth hunt collaboration in 2023, the First Nations School Board met with key stake holders and purchased canvas wall tents, stoves, and a Utility Task Vehicle (UTV), ensuring the program could continue.
This year, the hunt was held the week of October 7 to 11. David Dickson, Land and Language Connector for WLSS, organized Elders to attend the camp for the week to share the knowledge of the area, traditions, and culture of the Kaska Nation. Elder Agnes Chief, who was born at Frances Lake, told of stories about living off the land and making the long journey down the Frances River to Watson Lake for supplies. Students also learned about the community of Frances Lake and the forts that existed during the fur trade.
Elder Charlie Dickson, taught the students about traditional methods of preparing a moose head. Elder Agnes Chief taught about local, traditional medicines, where to find them and how to prepare them for consumption.
The youth were shown how to field dress and care for meat. They learned about giving thanks to the animals and the traditional ways of giving respect to the harvested moose. The harvested meat was shared throughout the community, benefiting Elders, students, community members, Liard Aboriginal Women Society, and the First Nations Health Program. The First Nations Heath Program will use the meat for traditional meals and will be shared among all three Yukon Hospitals for patients.
“Traditions being passed down to the younger generation is what life is all about, I was very honoured to be apart of such a meaningful hunt. Seeing Elders and youth interact together brought back so many memories from when I was young. Being raised to hunt was always apart of my upbringing, and now that I’m older and able to provide for my family it has taken on a whole different meaning. Being that role model to my kids but also being a strong woman role model for young lady hunters is also very empowering. Seeing the young ladies dive in with no fear of getting dirty was very heart filling and made me proud” – Nicole Donovan from First Nations Health Program
“The Yukon Territory provides unparalleled access to incredible outdoor recreation opportunities. The WLSS Grade 12 Youth Hunt, with the support of the Watson Lake RCMP Detachment, Yukon Conservation Officer Services, Liard First Nation, First Nations School Board, and local community members, is an impressive joint-effort to ensure that the next generation is exposed to these amazing opportunities. The experiences, skills, ethics, and knowledge shared with the youth will stay with them for the rest of their lives, and hopefully provide some youths with the first step to taking on the age-old tradition of being a provider to one’s family and community. As a Conservation Officer, I believe that there is no experience more fulfilling to a young man or woman than putting hard work into a hunt, and as a result, providing wholesome food for their family and community. There is a deep sense of pride instilled in a young person when they experience the incredible sense of accomplishment that comes from a hunt. That is the greatest benefit of the youth hunt, and I am optimistic that all of the participating youth will carry that sense of accomplishment and pride with them for the rest of their lives.” – Yukon Conservation Officer, Parker Antal
“The continued success of this program could not have been achieved without the community support of Liard First Nations, First Nations School Board, Liard Aboriginal Women Society, WLSS, Yukon Conservation Officer Services, and the community volunteers. We look forward to 2025. ” – Sergeant Jordan Cropper, Detachment Commander Watson Lake RCMP
“It’s important for me to be part of this initiative, on my traditional territory. I am happy to participate. Sógá sénlá’.” – David Dickson, Land and Language Connector with the First Nation School Board
A new study co-funded by the African Development Bank finds that applying technology to healthcare delivery, management, and research could provide more Africans with universal health coverage and significantly advance Africa’s progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The report, titled Policy Blueprint to Fast-Track Healthtech Innovations in Public Health in Africa, examined the potential of health technology innovations – called healthtech to benefit patients, health systems and communities across the continent. Commissioned by HealthTech Hub Africa and produced by VillageReach, the study was funded by UBS Optimus Foundation and the African Development Bank Group’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab with financing from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.
The study, conducted between May 2023 and February 2024, involved data collection and stakeholder consultation with innovators, startups, investors, civil society, and government and civil society representatives across 11 African countries — Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Cameroon.
The findings offer policy guidance, specific actions and practical examples to accelerate healthtech in Africa while supporting innovation development, testing and sustainability.
Dr. Babatunde Omilola, the African Development Bank’s Manager for Public Health, Security and Social Protection, emphasized the timeliness of the report. “This policy blueprint comes at a very opportune time as it gives policy directions to governments across Africa who are witnessing increased entrepreneurs involved in developing innovative healthtech products. The policy guidance will help create an enabling environment for products that can improve healthcare access and quality while reducing costs for millions.”
The report identified several challenges hindering mainstreaming health tech in Africa, including:
Lack of unified, comprehensive and updated policies
Complex licensing processes
Fragmented and poorly digitized health data systems
Insufficient funding and innovation incentives
To address these issues, the report recommends:
Strengthening dialogue and coordination among healthtech stakeholders
Refining policies on health data access and interoperability
Accelerating innovation while safeguarding data
The study aligns with the African Development Bank’s broader efforts to improve healthcare across the continent. In 2022, the Bank approved its Strategy for Quality Health Infrastructure for Africa 2022-2030, which supports facilities like connection to water and sanitation, energy, transport, and communications services. In 2020, it adopted the Pharmaceutical Sector Action Plan to enhance local production capacities of medicines and vaccines and support research and development of pharmaceutical products.
Just one day after President Prabowo Subianto’s inauguration, a minister announced plans to resume the transmigration programme in eastern Indonesia, particularly in Papua, saying it was needed for enhancing unity and providing locals with welfare.
Transmigration is the process of moving people from densely populated regions to less densely populated ones in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s most populous country with 285 million people.
The ministry intends to revitalise 10 zones in Papua, potentially using local relocation rather than bringing in outsiders.
The programme will resume after it was officially paused in Papua 23 years ago.
“We want Papua to be fully united as part of Indonesia in terms of welfare, national unity and beyond,” Muhammad Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara, the Minister of Transmigration, said during a handover ceremony on October 21.
Iftitah promised strict evaluations focusing on community welfare rather than on relocation numbers. Despite the minister’s promises, the plan drew an outcry from indigenous Papuans who cited social and economic concerns.
Papua, a remote and resource-rich region, has long been a flashpoint for conflict, with its people enduring decades of military abuse and human rights violations under Indonesian rule.
Human rights abuses Prabowo, a former army general, was accused of human rights abuses in his military career, including in East Timor (Timor-Leste) during a pro-independence insurgency against Jakarta rule.
Simon Balagaize, a young Papuan leader from Merauke, highlighted the negative impacts of transmigration efforts in Papua under dictator Suharto’s New Order during the 1960s.
“Customary land was taken, forests were cut down, and the indigenous Malind people now speak Javanese better than their native language,” he told BenarNews.
The Papuan Church Council stressed that locals desperately needed services, but could do without more transmigration.
“Papuans need education, health services and welfare – not transmigration that only further marginalises landowners,” Reverend Dorman Wandikbo, a member of the council, told BenarNews.
Transmigration into Papua has sparked protests over concerns about reduced job opportunities for indigenous people, along with broader political and economic impacts.
Apei Tarami, who joined a recent demonstration in South Sorong, Southwest Papua province, warned of consequences, stating that “this policy affects both political and economic aspects of Papua.”
We firmly reject Indonesia’s new transmigration policy to relocate Indonesians to West Papua, along with the world’s biggest deforestation project in Merauke, as it threatens the survival of West Papuans.
— Free West Papua Campaign (Nederland) (@FreeWestPapuaNL) November 4, 2024
Human rights ignored Meanwhile, human rights advocate Theo Hasegem criticised the government’s plans, arguing that human rights issues are ignored and non-Papuans could be endangered because pro-independence groups often target newcomers.
“Do the president and vice-president guarantee the safety of those relocated from Java,” Hasegem told BenarNews.
The programme, which dates to 1905, has continued through various administrations under the guise of promoting development and unity.
Indonesia’s policy resumed post-independence on December 12, 1950, under President Sukarno, who sought to foster prosperity and equitable development.
It also aimed to promote social unity by relocating citizens across regions.
Transmigration involving 78,000 families occurred in Papua from 1964 to 1999, according to statistics from the Papua provincial government. That would equal between 312,000 and 390,000 people settling in Papua from other parts of the country, assuming the average Indonesian family has 4 to 5 people.
The programme paused in 2001 after a Special Autonomy Law required regional regulations to be followed.
Students hold a rally at Abepura Circle in Jayapura, the capital of Indonesia’s Papua Province, yesterday to protest against Indonesia’s plan to resume a transmigration programme, Image: Victor Mambor/BenarNews
Legality questioned Papuan legislator John N.R. Gobay questioned the role of Papua’s six new autonomous regional governments in the transmigration process. He cited Article 61 of the law, which mandates that transmigration proceed only with gubernatorial consent and regulatory backing.
Without these clear regional regulations, he warned, transmigration lacks a strong legal foundation and could conflict with special autonomy rules.
He also pointed to a 2008 Papuan regulation stating that transmigration should proceed only after the Indigenous Papuan population reaches 20 million. In 2023, the population across six provinces of Papua was about 6.25 million, according to Indonesia’s Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS).
Gobay suggested prioritising local transmigration to better support indigenous development in their own region.
‘Entrenched inequality’ British MP Alex Sobel, chair of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua, expressed concern over the programme, noting its role in drastic demographic shifts and structural discrimination in education, land rights and employment.
“Transmigration has entrenched inequality rather than promoting prosperity,” Sobel told BenarNews, adding that it had contributed to Papua remaining Indonesia’s poorest regions.
Pramono Suharjono, who transmigrated to Papua, Indonesia, in 1986, harvests oranges on his land in Arso II in Keerom regency last week. Image: Victor Mambor/BenarNews]
Pramono Suharjono, a resident of Arso II in Keerom, Papua, welcomed the idea of restarting the programme, viewing it as positive for the region’s growth.
“This supports national development, not colonisation,” he told BenarNews.
A former transmigrant who has served as a local representative, Pramono said transmigration had increased local knowledge in agriculture, craftsmanship and trade.
However, research has shown that longstanding social issues, including tensions from cultural differences, have marginalised indigenous Papuans and fostered resentment toward non-locals, said La Pona, a lecturer at Cenderawasih University.
Papua also faces a humanitarian crisis because of conflicts between Indonesian forces and pro-independence groups. United Nations data shows between 60,000 and 100,000 Papuans were displaced between and 2022.
As of September 2024, human rights advocates estimate 79,000 Papuans remain displaced even as Indonesia denies UN officials access to the region.
Pizaro Gozali Idrus in Jakarta contributed to this report. Republished with the permission of BenarNews.
Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Revelton Distilling Company of Clarke County. Throughout this Congress, Ranking Member Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
“Revelton Distilling Company has found a neat way to keep spirits high with award-winning bourbon created from Iowa-grown corn,” said Ranking Member Ernst. “For the last four years, master distillers Robert and Christi Taylor have supported local farmers and found new ways to stay dedicated to their old fashioned craft. Let’s raise a toast and celebrate this Clarke County business earning international recognition!”
After learning that Kentucky bourbon producers source their corn from Iowa farmers, Robert and Christi Taylor decided to attend distillery school in 2016 and opened Revelton Distilling Company in 2020. Revelton Distilling Company offers a wide variety of spirits, including their barrel-aged bourbon whisky and their award-winning mulberry gin. The taste and design of Revelton Distilling Company’s products have earned them multiple international awards from the Micro Liquor Spirit Awards and San Francisco Spirit Awards. Today, over 600 bars, restaurants, liquor stores, and grocery stores carry their spirits.
Stay tuned as Ranking Member Ernst recognizes more Iowa small businesses across the state with her Small Business of the Week award.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds a symposium with select exhibitors and buyers attending the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
SHANGHAI, Nov. 4 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday said that China will open its doors wider to the outside world, regardless of how the international environment changes.
Li made the remarks during a meeting with select exhibitors and buyers attending the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE), including Synopsys, General Electric Company, MSD and China FAW Group Co., Ltd.
The foreign-funded enterprises at the meeting expressed optimism about the Chinese market, saying that they will deepen their presence and increase investment in the country.
Despite a sluggish global economic recovery, China’s overall economic operations have remained generally stable and seen progress, Li said, stressing that the Chinese market is still one of the best choices for global enterprises.
China will continue easing market access and push for the orderly expansion of opening-up in sectors like telecommunication, education, culture and medical care, the premier said.
He pledged to continue improving the business environment and provide equal opportunities in accessing production factors, qualification licensing and participation in government procurement, among other areas.
Li expressed the hope that China will become not only an export destination for foreign enterprises, but also a land of investment and entrepreneurship, facilitating closer links between China and the global market.
He noted his expectation that Chinese and foreign entrepreneurs will continue to support economic globalization firmly, work together to promote technological advancement and industrial upgrading, and foster new growth engines for the world economy.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds a symposium with select exhibitors and buyers attending the seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
The Nevis Bluff spring/summer rockfall scaling programme will shortly get underway, on SH6 between Cromwell and Queenstown, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
The scaling occurs every autumn and spring with abseilers, suspended on ropes, inspecting the rocky face and removing loosened rocks that are hazardous to highway users.
“People should be ready for delays up to about ten minutes and allow some extra travel time for journeys between Cromwell and Queenstown,” says Peter Standring, NZTA Maintenance and Contract Manager in Central Otago.
The work is scheduled to take place over three weeks from Monday, 11 November, through to Friday, 29 November, 8 am to 5 pm weekdays, subject to weather conditions.
“People using the section of SH6 between Cromwell and Queenstown are advised to build in extra time of about 10 minutes as delays will be inevitable while the work is carried out,” says Mr Standring.
“We know these delays can be frustrating, but we’re asking people to be patient and to understand that they are necessary to ensure the safety of road users, which is our number one concern.”
Abseilers working over the rocky schist faces aim to release rock, loosened by the freezing and thawing winter conditions, in a controlled way when there is no traffic on the highway.
The Nevis Bluff is about half-way between Cromwell and Queenstown – 25 minutes from Cromwell, 35 minutes from Queenstown.
Work on the cycle trail, currently under construction, will be paused for a few days while the abseilers are overhead.
NZTA thanks everyone for their patience and for taking care while this important safety work is completed leading into the busy summer period.
The Albanese Labor Government has today announced the appointment of Ms Annette Shun Wah as the next Chair of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) Board, and the reappointment of Mrs Lucinda Brogden AM as a member of the NFSA Board.
A treasured national collecting institutions now in its 40th anniversary year, the NFSA collects, preserves and shares Australia’s audiovisual culture – providing an unbroken record of Australian creativity and diversity.
Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the Albanese Labor Government had safeguarded the NFSA’s future after a decade of chronic underfunding by the Coalition – and these two appointments would help the iconic cultural institution thrive.
“Both Annette and Lucinda have accomplished and varied careers in their respective fields, and both have a strong commitment to preserving Australia’s audiovisual legacy.
“We want to protect our beloved cultural institutions and part of that is ensuring you have experienced, knowledgeable and representative voices leading the way.
“I want to thank the current Chair of the Board, Caroline Elliott, whose term ends in December and who has guided the Archive in its commitment to implement the National Cultural Policy,Revive.”
Ms Annette Shun Wah is currently the Programming Adviser of the Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival, where she was Artistic Director from 2020-2023, and also serves as Director of the Board of the Sydney Theatre Company.
Ms Shun Wah has had an extensive career across radio, television, publishing and theatre, including as an actor, host, producer and writer on a range of shows and feature films since 1982. In 1996, she was nominated for an Australian Film Industry award for her supporting role in Australia’s first foreign language feature film,Floating Life.
In 2018, Ms Shun Wah was inducted into the Adelaide Festival Centres Walk of Fame, and in 2023 was awarded an Honorary Master of Fine Arts from the National Institute of Dramatic Art. She was appointed as the Deputy Chair of the NFSA Board in October 2023 and will commence as the Chair of the Board in December 2024.
Mrs Lucinda Brogden AM has been a member of the NFSA Board since December 2021 and has more than 30 years’ experience in accounting, finance and organisational psychology. She currently serves on a number of boards including as Chair of the Diabetes Australia Research Trust, Director of the Corporate Mental Health Alliance, Director at Australian Unity, and a Director of Be Kind Sydney.
Mrs Brogden was also formerly the Chair and Commissioner of the National Mental Health Commission Advisory Board and Director of the Sydney Community Foundation.
In 2019, Mrs Brogden was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to workplace mental health and wellbeing.
Lucinda is proud to be a great-niece of the late Ken G Hall AO. As a child she used to play with Ken’s Oscar and Logie; both are now in the care of the National Film and Sound Archive.
Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development
The Albanese Labor Government has today announced the appointment of Ms Annette Shun Wah as the next Chair of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) Board, and the reappointment of Mrs Lucinda Brogden AM as a member of the NFSA Board.
A treasured national collecting institutions now in its 40th anniversary year, the NFSA collects, preserves and shares Australia’s audiovisual culture – providing an unbroken record of Australian creativity and diversity.
Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the Albanese Labor Government had safeguarded the NFSA’s future after a decade of chronic underfunding by the Coalition – and these two appointments would help the iconic cultural institution thrive.
“Both Annette and Lucinda have accomplished and varied careers in their respective fields, and both have a strong commitment to preserving Australia’s audiovisual legacy.
“We want to protect our beloved cultural institutions and part of that is ensuring you have experienced, knowledgeable and representative voices leading the way.
“I want to thank the current Chair of the Board, Caroline Elliott, whose term ends in December and who has guided the Archive in its commitment to implement the National Cultural Policy,Revive.”
Ms Annette Shun Wah is currently the Programming Adviser of the Adelaide Festival Centre’s OzAsia Festival, where she was Artistic Director from 2020-2023, and also serves as Director of the Board of the Sydney Theatre Company.
Ms Shun Wah has had an extensive career across radio, television, publishing and theatre, including as an actor, host, producer and writer on a range of shows and feature films since 1982. In 1996, she was nominated for an Australian Film Industry award for her supporting role in Australia’s first foreign language feature film,Floating Life.
In 2018, Ms Shun Wah was inducted into the Adelaide Festival Centres Walk of Fame, and in 2023 was awarded an Honorary Master of Fine Arts from the National Institute of Dramatic Art. She was appointed as the Deputy Chair of the NFSA Board in October 2023 and will commence as the Chair of the Board in December 2024.
Mrs Lucinda Brogden AM has been a member of the NFSA Board since December 2021 and has more than 30 years’ experience in accounting, finance and organisational psychology. She currently serves on a number of boards including as Chair of the Diabetes Australia Research Trust, Director of the Corporate Mental Health Alliance, Director at Australian Unity, and a Director of Be Kind Sydney.
Mrs Brogden was also formerly the Chair and Commissioner of the National Mental Health Commission Advisory Board and Director of the Sydney Community Foundation.
In 2019, Mrs Brogden was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to workplace mental health and wellbeing.
Lucinda is proud to be a great-niece of the late Ken G Hall AO. As a child she used to play with Ken’s Oscar and Logie; both are now in the care of the National Film and Sound Archive.
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, who is here for the 7th China International Import Expo, in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
SHANGHAI, Nov. 4 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday met with Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, who is in Shanghai for the 7th China International Import Expo.
On China-Uzbekistan ties, Li noted that the two heads of state have met twice this year, reaching important common understandings on developing an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era, and on building a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future from a higher starting point.
China will work with Uzbekistan to transform those common understandings into concrete actions and cooperation results so as to bring more benefits to the people of the two countries, Li said.
China and Uzbekistan should always view their relations from a strategic, long-term perspective, provide firm mutual support on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns, and be trustworthy friends and partners, Li said.
The two countries should further align their development strategies, expand economic and trade cooperation, strengthen connectivity infrastructure construction, and build the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway into a flagship project of the Belt and Road cooperation, he said.
Li also stressed tapping into cooperation potential in emerging industries such as new energy, the digital economy, artificial intelligence, cross-border e-commerce, 5G and green mining.
China stands ready to strengthen cooperation with Uzbekistan in areas such as culture, education, tourism and poverty reduction, and to facilitate the people-to-people exchange, Li said.
The two countries should continue to strengthen their coordination and cooperation within multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the China-Central Asia Mechanism, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the two countries and all other developing countries, he added.
Aripov spoke highly of China’s development achievements and its increasing global influence, saying China has been sharing its development opportunities and achievements with the world.
Uzbekistan firmly abides by the one-China principle and supports the Belt and Road Initiative, Aripov said, expressing the willingness to expand practical cooperation on trade, investment, energy, manufacturing, connectivity, people-to-people exchange, and transportation and logistics.
He also stressed jointly combating the “three evil forces” of terrorism, extremism and separatism.
Uzbekistan is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China within the framework of the SCO and the China-Central Asia Mechanism to promote the greater development of Uzbekistan-China relations, he said.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov, who is here for the 7th China International Import Expo, in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
In a major milestone for one of regional Australia’s biggest infrastructure projects, the first phase of the multi-billion-dollar Coffs Harbour Bypass is complete.
The Coffs Harbour bypass tunnelling team working on either side of the 410-metre-long Gatelys Road Tunnel broke through the northbound tube on Monday 28 October.
Today, they have broken through the southbound tube, completing the first major phase of the three tunnels to be built as part of the bypass.
Each of the three tunnels will have two tubes, with each tube capable of carrying two lanes of traffic. There will also be room to accommodate cyclists.
The Australian Government is investing $1.76 billion towards the project, with the remaining $440 million investment provided by the New South Wales Government.
In a sign of how quickly things are moving for the tunnelling teams, a breakthrough at the 320-metre-long Shephards Lane tunnel is expected in mid-April next year.
The work comes despite a traditional tunnel boring machine not being feasible for use on the short tunnels due to the mobilisation time and cost.
Workers will now start excavating the tunnel floor, carry out the permanent tunnel lining works, install drainage, build the pavement, and complete the fit-out of the mechanical, electrical, fire, safety and intelligent transport systems.
All the equipment will then be tested and commissioned before the bypass is opened to the public.
The bypass is expected to open to traffic in late 2026.
Quotes attributable to Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:
“This is a major milestone for this nation-shaping project.
“During consultation ahead of the project in 2016, the people of Coffs Harbour were very clear they wanted tunnels instead of cuttings and it is great to see progress in bringing that to fruition.
“Being able to pass through from one side of this large hill to the other is a major achievement, and I look forward to the work over the next two years as the tunnels start to take their final shape.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison:
“It’s great to see a major tunnel project in the regions that has created 600 jobs and will remove 12,000 vehicles from the CBD. This will reduce travel times and deliver vital safety improvements.
“We see and hear regularly about tunnel projects around Sydney where tunnellers bore largely through sandstone or similar softer materials, but here in Coffs it’s been more challenging due to the material and location.
“I want to thank the project team for their hard work and commitment to delivering this critical piece of enabling transport infrastructure for the Coffs region and the entire country.”
Quotes attributable to NSW Labor’s spokesperson for Coffs Harbour Cameron Murphy:
“The bypass, when it opens to traffic at the end of 2026, will make Coffs Harbour an even better place to live, work and visit.
“The tunnels are a major component of this project, and it is wonderful to see them progressing so well.”
Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia
Senator Reverend Warnock, Colleagues Urge Federal Agencies Expand Outreach on Discharging Student Loan Debt in Bankruptcy
New data shows vast majority of borrowers using the new guidance received recommendations for either full or partial debt discharge
ICYMI from Business Insider: More student-loan borrowers are taking advantage of an updated route to get rid of their debt in bankruptcy court, top Democratic senators say
Senator Reverend Warnock, lawmakers: “We encourage your agencies to continue to expand awareness of the guidance so that the 43 million borrowers in the United States… may be able to access relief if they need to file for bankruptcy”
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (ED) to continue expanding awareness to student loan borrowers who are struggling financially about available resources to discharge their student loans in bankruptcy.
In November 2022, the DOJ and ED issued guidance to DOJ attorneys that sought to streamline the process of discharging student loans in bankruptcy. Prior to this change, borrowers had to undergo a confusing, invasive, and time-consuming process in bankruptcy court to prove repayment would constitute an “undue hardship.”
“The ‘undue hardship’ standard historically set an unnecessarily high bar that essentially required borrowers to demonstrate a certainty of hopelessness to obtain relief,” wrote the senators.
99.9% of borrowers who filed bankruptcy from 2011 to 2019 did not have their student loans discharged — borrowers came to believe that there was no way out of the crushing weight of student loans, even through bankruptcy. Since DOJ and ED’s new process was announced, more and more borrowers have received relief. New data obtained by Senator Warren’s office show that, under the Biden administration’s new guidance, 85% of borrowers who sought relief received recommendations for either full or partial debt discharge.
The high rates of total or partial discharge for those who have applied through the new guidance suggest that many other borrowers could also qualify if they applied. The senators are pushing to expand awareness on the more transparent, fair, and accessible process.
“We thank you for your agencies’ ongoing commitment to helping borrowers struggling with student debt and urge continued outreach to expand awareness of the streamlined process for qualified borrowers,” concluded the senators.
Senator Reverend Warnock has long advocated for comprehensive action to address the student loan crisis and has continued pushing the Administration to deliver meaningful student debt relief. Most recently, Senator Warnock led the first Senate Banking committee hearing in over a decade to focus on private student loans and explored the lack of data and transparency in that market and loan servicing concerns while highlighting the potential legislative and regulatory recommendations and measures to stop these abusive practices and to better protect students and taxpayers. Additionally, in August of 2023, the Senator pushed President Biden to swiftly fulfill his promise to deliver targeted student debt cancellation to working and middle-class families following the misguided SCOTUS decision overturning the President’s student debt cancellation.
The letter can be found HERE and text of the letter is below:
Dear Attorney General Garland and Secretary Cardona:
We are writing today to highlight and support your agencies’ progress in making it easier for borrowers struggling financially to discharge their student loans in bankruptcy. In November 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (ED) released guidance to DOJ attorneys that sought to streamline the process of discharging student loans in bankruptcy. In the time since, more and more borrowers have taken advantage of this guidance and received relief.
The 1978 Bankruptcy Code allowed borrowers to discharge their federal student loans by demonstrating that repayment would impose an “undue hardship” on the borrower or by showing that the loan became due at least five years before the borrower’s bankruptcy filing. Subsequent amendments benefitting lenders, however, removed the second option. Further, the “undue hardship” standard historically set an unnecessarily high bar that essentially required borrowers to demonstrate a certainty of hopelessness to obtain relief. The federal government’s aggressive challenges in bankruptcy court against students who pursued undue hardship claims only exacerbated the issue. The lack of clarity resulted in a situation where 99.9% of borrowers who filed bankruptcy from 2011 to 2019 did not have their student loans discharged and remained burdened by student loans even after exiting the bankruptcy process.
In November 2022, after we advocated for a more simplified and transparent process, DOJ and ED published new guidance to make it easier for borrowers to discharge student loans through bankruptcy. The guidance outlined a more transparent, fair, and accessible process designed to empower borrowers burdened with crippling student loan debt who previously had no clear pathway for relief.
Previously unpublished data obtained by our offices show the impressive growth of the program thus far. For example, while only roughly 200 borrowers attempted to discharge student debt in each of Fiscal Years (FY) 2021 and 2022, that number rose to 648 in FY 2023. In less than eight months in FY 2024, nearly 900 borrowers sought to discharge their student loans in bankruptcy, adding up to 1,520 borrowers since the guidance was implemented.
Equally important, both unpublished and publicly available data show that the overwhelming majority of those who sought discharge using the new guidance were provided debt relief through full or partial discharge. The Biden Administration recommended approximately seven in 10 borrowers who filed using the updated guidance for full student loan debt discharge. The Administration recommended another 15% of borrowers receive partial debt discharge, meaning 85% of borrowers using the new guidance received recommendations for either full or partial debt discharge. Critically, courts accepted those recommendations in 98% of cases, meaning borrowers received real relief at the end of this process.
ED and DOJ deserve praise for the complete turnaround of student loan bankruptcy outcomes and you should continue to build on the successes of the streamlined guidance so that more borrowers with crushing student loan debt can find relief. We encourage your agencies to continue to expand awareness of the guidance so that the 43 million borrowers in the United States, who carry a total of $1.6 trillion dollars in student loan debt, may be able to access relief if they need to file for bankruptcy. The high rates of total or partial discharge for those who have applied through the new guidance suggest that many other borrowers would also qualify if they have applied. For years, borrowers came to correctly believe that there was essentially no way out of the crushing weight of student loans, even through bankruptcy. ED and DOJ have changed this narrative and you should continue to educate potentially qualifying borrowers, their attorneys, and other individuals and organizations who work to help borrowers.
We thank you for your agencies’ ongoing commitment to helping borrowers struggling with student debt and urge continued outreach to expand awareness of the streamlined process for qualified borrowers. Further, for Congress and the public to better assess your agencies’ plans to increase borrowers’ access to relief through bankruptcy, please provide responses to the following questions by November 12, 2024:
What types of education and outreach have your agencies already used to reach borrowers regarding the new guidance?
What are your agencies’ plans for continued and improved education and outreach about the streamlined process to borrowers who may benefit from it?
What specific goals do your agencies have for measuring the success of increased education and outreach to borrowers who may benefit from the streamlined process? How will these goals change over time if at all?
Do your agencies have systems in place so that borrowers who have filed for bankruptcy can track their filing? If a system does not yet exist, what resources do your agencies need to create one?
How much time elapses, on average, between a borrower’s bankruptcy filing and a discharge determination entered by a court under the new process? Please provide a timeline of the different phases of the process (e.g., filing of an adversary proceeding, review by the assigned DOJ attorney, review by ED, recommendation filed by DOJ and ED) and how long each phase typically takes.
Do your agencies track or record the reasons for denial of discharge based on the factors considered under the guidance? If so, please describe the 3-5 most common reasons you have identified.
Do your agencies track or record student loan discharge outcomes by region? If so, please describe any regional trends you have observed.
How can Congress support your agencies as you increase your education and outreach efforts to borrowers?
China on Monday appealed to the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the EU’s final ruling of countervailing measures on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), according to China’s commerce ministry.
China firmly opposes the final measures of the EU to impose high countervailing duties on Chinese-made EVs, despite a barrage of objections raised by relevant parties, including the governments of EU member states, the industry and the public, said a ministry spokesperson.
To safeguard the development interests of the EV industry and global cooperation on green transformation, China decided to make the appeal to the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, the spokesperson said.
The complaint followed China’s previous appeal to the organization against the EU’s initial anti-subsidy measures for Chinese EVs, according to the ministry.
China believes that the EU’s ruling, lacking factual and legal basis while violating WTO rules, is an abuse of trade remedy measures and a practice of trade protectionism in the name of countervailing, the spokesperson noted.
China has urged the EU to face up to its own mistakes, immediately correct its illegal practices, and jointly safeguard the stability of the global EV industrial chain and supply chain as well as the overall China-EU economic and trade cooperation, the spokesperson said.
Eleview International Inc., Oleg Nayandin, 54, of Fairfax, Virginia, and Vitaliy Borisenko, 39, of Vienna, Virginia, made their initial appearance today in the Eastern District of Virginia pursuant to a now unsealed complaint charging them with conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act.
“As alleged, the defendants — a Virginia company and two of its senior executives — conspired through three evasion schemes to circumvent the export restrictions imposed on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “U.S. companies are responsible for complying with laws that protect our national security. The National Security Division is committed to holding accountable individuals and companies who violate these laws and place financial profit over our collective security.”
“This company allegedly used not one, not two, but three different schemes to illegally transship sensitive American technology to Russia,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod of the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). “Today’s charges, against both the company and two top executives, are a prime example of our work to bring to justice both the companies and the corporate executives alleged to have circumvented our rules in search of a fatter bottom line.”
“We must not allow critical systems and technologies to be transferred to anyone who may use them against America and our global partners,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Guarding against these transfers is imperative, and violations of the laws that protect our national security will be met with ardent prosecution.”
“Export control evasion schemes put the American public at risk by concealing the true recipient,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. “In this instance, HSI, working in partnership with our colleagues at Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, uncovered this scheme was supporting a sanctioned country, thus threatening our national security and the safety of other countries. HSI is dedicated to preventing technology with military applications from falling into the wrong hands.”
According to the complaint, between approximately March 2022 and June 2023, Eleview International Inc. (Eleview), allegedly a Virginia-based company that operated a freight consolidation and forwarding business; Nayandin, the owner, president, and CEO of Eleview; and Borisenko, who oversaw the day-to-day operations of Eleview’s freight forwarding business, conspired to illegally export goods and technology from the United States to Russia by transshipping them through three countries bordering or near Russia.
As alleged, the defendants operated an e-commerce website that allowed Russian customers to order U.S. goods and technology directly from U.S. retailers, who shipped the items to Eleview’s warehouse in Chantilly, Virginia. The defendants then consolidated the packages before shipping them to the Russian customers, often using other freight forwarders as intermediaries, in exchange for a fee. After the Department of Commerce imposed stricter export controls in response to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the defendants began shipping items to purported end users in Turkey, Finland, and Kazakhstan, knowing that the items were ultimately destined for end users in Russia. To facilitate these illegal exports, the defendants made numerous false statements to the Department of Commerce and other freight forwarders about the end users and ultimate consignees of the items in these shipments.
As part of the conspiracy, the defendants engaged in three export-control evasion schemes, each specific to a different intermediary country. In the Turkey scheme, the defendants exported about $1.48 million worth of telecommunications equipment to a false end user in Turkey, knowing that the equipment was intended for a Russian telecommunications company that supplied the Russian government, including the Federal Security Service, or FSB. The telecommunications equipment that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Turkey scheme had military applications, including use by the Russian military to create and expand communication networks in its war effort against Ukraine.
In the Finland scheme, the defendants exported about $3.45 million worth of goods purchased to Russia through Eleview’s e-commerce website to a false end user in Finland that neither purchased nor sold goods. Before consolidating the packages into larger pallets for shipment to Finland, the defendants affixed to each package a label with a Russian postal service tracking number so that the Russian postal service could easily ship the package to the customer in Russia. The goods that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Finland scheme included “high priority” items that the Department of Commerce has identified as particularly significant to Russian weaponry, including the same type of electronic component found on Russian “suicide” drones used to destroy Ukrainian tanks and jets.
In the Kazakhstan scheme, the defendants exported about $1.47 million worth of goods to Russia through an entity in Kazakhstan that advertises its ability to deliver goods to Russia. The goods that the defendants illegally exported as part of the Kazakhstan scheme included controlled dual-use items.
If convicted, Nayandin and Borisenko each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The BIS and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gavin R. Tisdale and Amanda St. Cyr for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case with past assistance provided by then-First Assistant U.S. Attorney Raj Parekh.
The case is being coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Justice and Commerce Departments designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. Alldefendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.