The Independent
17 states challenge federal rules entitling workers to accommodations for abortion
Republican attorneys general from 17 states filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging new federal rules entitling workers to time off and other accommodations for abortions, calling the rules an illegal interpretation of a 2022 federal law.The lawsuit led by Tennessee and Arkansas comes since finalized federal regulations were published on Monday to provide guidance for employers and workers on how to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The language means workers can ask for time off to obtain an abortion and recover from the procedure.The rules, which the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission adopted on a 3-2 vote along party lines,...
Mexico's chief detective apologizes for saying his country is the 'champion' of fentanyl production
The head of Mexico’s detective service apologized Thursday for saying his country is “the champion” of fentany l and meth production. The comments Tuesday by Felipe de Jesus Gallo, the head of Mexico’s Criminal Investigation Agency, appeared to contradict past statements by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has denied any fentanyl is produced in Mexico. Gallo's office cited a report of the comments by The Associated Press, and acknowledged that Gallo “used an inadequate word,” but didn't specify whether the offending word was “champion.” “It is clear that this word, which was reported by AP and a Mexican...
What’s next for Harvey Weinstein after appeals court overturned rape conviction?
A New York appeals court on Thursday overturned disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 conviction for rape and assault in incidents with two women, citing “egregious errors” in the original proceedings.These included, according to the split panel, allowing several women to testify about alleged incidents outside the charges in the case, and allowing prosecutors the option to ask Weinstein himself about various uncharged allegations, which the film producer’s attorneys cut-off his ability to testify in his defence.Attorneys for Weinstein celebrated the decision as a “great day for America,” while #MeToo activists like actor Ashley Judd, one of the first...
Ukraine pulls US-provided Abrams tanks from the front lines over Russian drone threats
Ukraine has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now in its fight against Russia, in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press. The U.S. agreed to send 31 Abrams to Ukraine in January 2023 after an aggressive monthslong campaign by Kyiv arguing that the tanks, which cost about $10 million apiece, were vital to its ability to breach Russian lines. But the battlefield has changed substantially since then, notably by the ubiquitous use of Russian surveillance drones...
US expected to provide $6 billion to fund long-term weapons contracts for Ukraine, officials say
The U.S. is expected to announce Friday that it will provide about $6 billion in long-term military aid to Ukraine, U.S. officials said, adding that it will include much sought after munitions for Patriot air defense systems.The officials said the aid package will be funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for longer-term contracts with the defense industry and means that it could take many months or years for the weapons to arrive. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.The new funding — the largest tranche of USAI aid sent...
Arnold Schwarzenegger, concerns about Melania, and ‘mentor’ Trump: Key takeaways from Trump’s day in court
Donald Trump’s hush money trial heard wide-ranging testimony from former American Media Inc. chief David Pecker during his third day on the stand.The former tabloid chief divulged background into the infamous “catch-and-kill” scheme and his time at a “thank you dinner” hosted by then-President Trump for his efforts to block compromising stories about Mr Trump from being published.On Thursday, lawyers also told the judge about four more potential breaches of the gag order — against the criminal defendant. Judge Juan Merchan still has to make a decision about previous claims that Mr Trump violated the gag order.Here are some...
Question Time: Policing minister Chris Philp appears to confuse Congo and Rwanda
Policing minister Chris Philp appeared to confuse the countries of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Question Time.Responding to an audience member’s question during the BBC One programme, the MP for Croydon South seemed to ask whether “Rwanda is a different country to Congo”.The audience member, who said he came from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, asked: “Had my family members come from Goma (a city on the country’s border) on a crossing right now, would they then be sent back to the country they are supposedly warring – Rwanda?“Does that make any sense to you?”Mr...
What the papers say – April 26
The breakthrough cancer jab leads the headlines this Friday, with good news for sufferers worldwide.The Daily Express and the i report on the world-first cancer inoculation touted to treat melanoma but may also combat lung, bladder and kidney cancers.Friday's front page: REVOLUTIONARY JAB OFFERS HOPE OF CANCER CURE #TomorrowsPapersToday https://t.co/Rr5Q5nG1Lb pic.twitter.com/exfW37una2— Daily Express (@Daily_Express) April 25, 2024Friday's i: World's first jab to stop skin cancer brings hope for patients#TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/WAovEIWGcj— Jack Surfleet (@jacksurfleet) April 25, 2024The Guardian splashes on the First Minister of Scotland, with the Greens ready to back a no-confidence motion against Humza Yousaf.Friday's GUARDIAN: Yousaf in peril...
Graduating seniors blame USC for ruining end of college with ‘military’ crackdown on pro-Palestine campus protests
Senior students in Los Angeles say they are now “reconsidering what it means to graduate from USC” after being “violated” by heavy-handed crackdowns against on-campus protests over the Israel-Gaza war this week.With just two weeks to go before their graduation ceremony on 10 May, some said the celebratory atmosphere had vanished and been replaced with one of “almost grief”. Others accused the institution of creating an environment of “us versus them” amongst Jewish and Muslim students. On Wednesday, like many universities across the country, USC – where tuition can cost up to $95,000 annually – saw demonstrations on campus descend...
Harry Potter audiobooks to be reproduced with full cast of voice actors
All seven of JK Rowling’s best-selling Harry Potter books are to be recorded with a full cast numbering more than 100 actors for a “groundbreaking” new audiobook series.The series will be available exclusively on Amazon’s Audible, which is producing the audiobooks in collaboration with author Rowling’s Pottermore Publishing.Audible and Pottermore Publishing said in a statement that the new, full-cast recordings would “bring these iconic stories to life as never heard before”.They said the series would create “immersive audio entertainment through high-quality sound design in Dolby Atmos, stunning scoring, a full range of character voices and real-world sound capture”.The Harry...
Harvey Weinstein court ruling is ‘clarion call’ for MeToo movement, says founder
The founder of #MeToo, Tarana Burke, has said the decision to overturn Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction is a “clarion call” for the movement.The New York Court of Appeals overturned Weinstein’s 23-year sentence in a 4-3 decision as it found the trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against him based on allegations that were not part of the case.On Thursday, American activist Burke, 50, addressed the court’s decision at a press conference and said it was “not a blow” to the #MeToo movement.“Many people, many survivors and those who love and support survivors probably thought that that original verdict meant that...
Humza Yousaf battles to stay First Minister as Greens vow to vote against him
Humza Yousaf is battling to save his position as First Minister after his former allies in the Scottish Greens vowed to vote against him in a motion of no confidence.The SNP leader dramatically brought the powersharing deal with the Greens to an end but now faces a backlash which could cost him his job.Allies of Mr Yousaf insisted he was “coming out fighting” in the face of a concerted effort by opponents to oust him.A source close to the First Minister said Mr Yousaf was “absolutely not” considering his position following the chaotic events of Thursday.His decision to end the...
Any benefits transition failings ‘will lead to real-world misery for thousands’
Any failure in the process of moving people to Universal Credit from older so-called legacy benefits could lead to “real-world misery for thousands”, MPs have warned.The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) must ensure it helps claimants, some of whom are “vulnerable”, to switch and not lose their benefits, their report said.The DWP has insisted benefits are only ever stopped as a last resort after multiple unsuccessful attempts to engage with someone.The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said DWP expected that around 4% of the claimants currently on legacy benefits would not switch to Universal Credit under the process known as...
Government must ‘rocket-boost’ mental health support in schools to tackle crisis
The Government needs to “rocket-boost” wellbeing support in schools to reduce the number of pupils struggling with mental health problems, the former children’s commissioner has said.Anne Longfield warned half of pupils in England – four million children – will still not have access to Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) in their school under the Government’s plans.Waiting lists for children’s mental health services are “chronic” and provision is a “postcode lottery”, according to the report from her Centre for Young Lives think tank and the Child of the North.The rise in the number of children experiencing mental health problems is an...
Conductor of Ukrainian orchestra to deliver lecture at Gordonstoun
The principal conductor of an orchestra from Ukraine has said it will be a “real privilege” to give a lecture to children at his former school in Scotland.Hobart Earle, who has conducted the Odesa Philharmonic Orchestra for the last 30 years, will give the annual Prince Philip Memorial Lecture to pupils at Gordonstoun School near Elgin, Moray, on Friday.His interactive talk and presentation, titled Ukraine. Music In Wartime, will provide an insight into how musicians in Ukraine have adapted to living and performing in wartime, and features videos of the orchestra performing from 2014, when Russia first invaded the country,...
Ceramics pioneer Clarice Cliff honoured with blue plaque 125 years after birth
Ceramics designer Clarice Cliff will be honoured with a blue plaque at her former Stoke-on-Trent home.The art deco pioneer is being commemorated 125 years after her birth at the flat at 20 Snow Hill in Shelton, where she lived at the height of her success.The plaque will be unveiled on Friday by arts and heritage minister Lord Parkinson following the return of the public memorial scheme, carried out by Historic England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).It reads: “Clarice Cliff 1899 – 1972 pottery designer and factory art director lived here.”A relative of Cliff, Sheila...
Stroke could cost UK £75bn by 2035, charity warns
The number of people suffering a stroke for the first time is expected to rise by more than 50% by 2035, costing the UK more than £75 billion for care and lost productivity, a charity has said.The Stroke Association urged the next government to invest more in prevention, as well as addressing issues with stroke treatment and rehabilitation services.Failing to do so could risk demand on NHS services becoming “unsustainable” in 11 years’ time, it said.A new manifesto published by the charity estimated that stroke will cost the UK about £43 billion this year, with 100,000 new stroke hospital admissions...
Music teacher’s ‘bump on the head’ turned out to be high-risk melanoma
A music teacher whose “bump on the head” turned out to be potentially deadly melanoma is taking part in a groundbreaking clinical trial.Steve Young, 52, from Stevenage, was shocked to discover he had cancer after being misdiagnosed by a GP and dermatologists, none of whom thought he had anything serious.He is now part of a trial led by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) involving a Moderna mRNA anti-cancer jab combined with MSD’s immunotherapy drug Keytruda.The jab offers patients hope of a cure and is custom-built for each person to tell the immune system to hunt down and...
British patients test world’s first personalised mRNA jab for melanoma
The world’s first personalised mRNA cancer jab for melanoma – which also has the potential to stop lung, bladder and kidney cancer – is being tested in British patients.The “gamechanger” jab, which offers hope of a cure, is custom-built for each person in just a few weeks.It works by telling the body to hunt down cancer cells and prevent the deadly disease from coming back.To be able to sit there and say to your patients that you're offering them something that's effectively like the Fat Duck at Bray versus McDonald's - it's that level of cordon bleu that's coming to...
Pep Guardiola urges Manchester City to remain focused for title run-in
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said Liverpool’s surprise derby defeat to Everton served as a warning to his players ahead of a 4-0 thrashing of Brighton.City moved a point behind Premier League leaders Arsenal and leapfrogged Jurgen Klopp’s side into second spot thanks to Phil Foden’s double and goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Julian Alvarez.A thumping south-coast success came 24 hours after Liverpool lost further ground in the title race by suffering a 2-0 loss to their Merseyside rivals at Goodison Park on the back of a shock 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace earlier this month.We're Man City......
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