President-elect Trump said Friday he'll try to bring an end to the twice-a-year time changes most of the nation observes. "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't!" Trump posted on , per . "Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation." It's not entirely whether Trump and his allies want to stay on standard time or daylight saving time, per . Elon Musk posted last month about getting rid of "the annoying time changes," eliciting a supportive post from Vivek Ramaswamy. Donald Trump Jr. responded with agreement but the recommendation, "Leave it daylight savings time always." Permanent standard time makes for brighter mornings, while daylight saving time shifts daylight to the evening. At least 20 states have taken steps to establish daylight saving time permanently. Arizona and Hawaii stay on standard time. The US Senate approved legislation in 2022 to have daylight saving time all year, but the bill stalled in the House. Senators last year. Scientists and sleep experts have said standard time is better for the body, per Axios; retailers and some industries prefer the later daylight. (More stories.)Clubs from across the football pyramid are “alarmed” by the lack of consultation on legislation which could “fundamentally affect the future of English football”, West Ham vice-chairwoman Karren Brady has said. The Apprentice star also argued that a lack of clarity from the Government on the ownership test is causing “significant uncertainty” for potential investors. This came as the House of Lords continued its scrutiny of the Football Governance Bill, which seeks to establish an independent regulator for the top five tiers of the men’s game. In the upper chamber, Baroness Brady said: “We are creating legislation which will profoundly affect 160 quite unique institutions, from Premier League clubs through to the National League community clubs, but it is important for everyone to understand that the consultation with these affected businesses by the current Government has been remarkably limited, almost unbelievably so. “Just seven Premier League clubs, I was one of them, was granted a brief half-hour meeting with the Secretary of State over the summer. “And following this cursory engagement, significant decisions were made that could fundamentally affect the future of English football, most notably with the inclusion of parachute payments within the backstop mechanism. “This is particularly concerning given that fundamental issues still remained unresolved, we still lack any clarity on Uefa’s position on state interference, for example, this clearly creates profound uncertainty for clubs competing in or aspiring to European competition, as well as our national teams.” “We don’t know what the ownership test will look like, this causes significant uncertainty for potential investors as to whether they are able to own a club,” she added. Lady Brady continued: “I have spoken to many of my colleagues across all of the football pyramid, we are all alarmed about and puzzled by the lack of discussion on the Bill with ministers. “Would the minister agree that we all want to get the detail of this Bill right? And can she see any downsides to providing meaningful opportunities to hear from all clubs across the football pyramid affected by the legislation?” Prior to this, Tory shadow sports minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay had tabled an amendment which he said would allow clubs to “make their views known on this legislation” by including specific competitions on the face of the Bill. Labour frontbencher Baroness Twycross told the upper chamber: “I don’t think the leagues are confused either on which leagues this legislation will apply to.” She added: “This power is both reasonable and the result of evidence-based consultation with all key stakeholders in the industry. “This power ensures that the competitions in scope can be amended in a timely manner and ensures the scope of the regime remains relevant.” The peer later said: “Over the past three years there have been countless opportunities for all affected and interested parties to make representations.” Lady Brady also raised concerns about the financial distribution backstop, which she said is “clearly designed as a mechanism to gain direct access to, and apportionate Premier League revenue, and no-one else’s”. “I might add the backstop will allow the IFR (Independent Football Regulator) to do this even if it was against the Premier League clubs’ will, or even without the clubs’ agreement, even if it was to have a detrimental effect on the clubs and the overall competition it removes revenue from,” she added. The backstop would allow the new IFR to intervene in the distribution of Premier League broadcast revenue down the leagues as a last resort. It could be triggered by the Premier League, English Football League (EFL) or National League to mediate the fair financial distribution of this revenue if they are not able to come to an agreement. Conservative peers later raised concerns over the cost implications to clubs of establishing the regulator, although they faced claims of “filibustering” – wasting time by making overlong speeches in a bid to delay progress. Watching opposition benches blatantly filibustering to destroy the Football Governance Bill is nothing short of sporting vandalism.Football is broken. Clubs are struggling. Now those seats have been lost, do they no longer care about likes of Reading or Southend? — Niall Couper (@NiallCouper) Labour peer Lord Watson of Invergowrie questioned why Lord Parkinson was showing “confected outrage” at the Bill when the former culture minister would have been defending a similar proposal had the Tories remained in power. Lord Parkinson, in his reply, said: “We want to see this regulator established, we want to see it doing its work and doing so effectively, but we also see before us a Bill that is different because of the election that was called and the result that happened, and we’re interrogating particularly closely the changes that the Government have made to the Bill – of which there are many. “And we have more concerns on these benches than we did before the election from my colleagues behind me about the way we do it.” The Tory peer pointed to Labour frontbenchers fulfilling their duties to “properly scrutinise” then-government legislation when they were on the opposition benches. Lady Twycross, in an intervention, said: “While I agree that (Lord Parkinson) is correct that I would scrutinise legislation when I was sitting on those (opposition) benches, I have never sought to filibuster a Bill to which my party had committed, which my party had laid before Parliament, and intended to filibuster it to the point of getting us stuck in treacle.” Lord Parkinson replied: “That is not what we’re doing.” Niall Couper, chief executive of the campaign group Fair Game, wrote on social media site X: “Watching opposition benches blatantly filibustering to destroy the Football Governance Bill is nothing short of sporting vandalism.”
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Bronx nonprofits say the city is months late in reimbursing them for millions of dollars in contracted services, straining their financial outlook and ability to provide critical social services. While this issue is not new, leaders of organizations say this year has been worse than ever. BronxWorks — which provides youth programming, meals, homeless shelters and more — is currently owed $9 million in unreimbursed services and recently had to use a line of credit to cover payroll, chief financial officer Gordon Miller told the Bronx Times. Bronx Defenders, a provider of legal assistance and holisti c support for Bronxites in the criminal justice system, is waiting on $1 million, according to Executive Director Juval Scott. The Mayor’s Office of Contract Services (MOCS), however, told the Bronx Times that the city is dedicated to helping nonprofits “navigate the invoicing challenges” and assisting them in getting paid. Despite the city’s pledge, organizations say that late payments, which have been a persistent problem, are now even worse. The city contracts with social service providers for billions each year, but slow payments are leaving many scrambling, forcing some to cover expenses through borrowing — and footing the bill for high interest costs. Small nonprofits are especially affected — even waiting on $10,000 can have a drastic impact on their bottom line, said June Jimenez, interim executive director of the Bronx Community Foundation, which supports the borough’s nonprofit sector. Lack of consequences Past attempts to improve the city contract process resulted in temporary gains. Shortly after Mayor Eric Adams was elected, he and Comptroller Brad Lander announced a Task Force on Nonprofit Contracting, culminating in a February 2022 report with recommendations for improving the “onerous and slow” process. That spring, the mayor touted his “Clear the Backlog” initiative, which freed up over $4 billion in contractual dollars owed to nonprofits. But any past progress is now “stalled” — and the city is again unacceptably late in payments to many nonprofits doing critical work, said Council Members Althea Stevens and Justin Brannan in a recent op-ed . Stevens, who represents the southwest Bronx, and Brannan, who represents Brooklyn neighborhoods including Bay Ridge and Coney Island, said the current contract process creates no incentive for prompt repayment, as it has no set timeframes or deadlines — a fact that has apparently not changed since the same concern was raised in the 2022 task force report. “[T]he city is behaving like a disengaged, deadbeat parent,” wrote Stevens and Brannan, who are working together on legislation requiring the city to pay interest on late payments. Stevens told the Bronx Times that “Clear the Backlog” was proof that the administration knows how to resolve the issue but has not consistently made it a priority — leaving nonprofits “essentially floating the city.” “If the city doesn’t have consequences, they don’t have incentive to pay these people,” she said. In a statement to the Bronx Times, MOCS affirmed the administration’s commitment to keeping critical service organizations going, noting that the nonprofits also have many employees. “The Adams administration has made it clear that supporting the workers that provide vital services to New Yorkers, particularly our most vulnerable residents is a top priority.” The office pointed to measures aimed at protecting vulnerable New Yorkers — while acknowledging challenges in the contract process. “MOCS continues to collaborate with the City’s contracting agencies to ensure that procurement professionals and our nonprofits receive the necessary information, resources, and personalized support to successfully navigate the invoicing challenges.” But Stevens said local nonprofits are not receiving enough help. The task force should be reconvened, she said, because many social service organizations are worried about even making payroll in December — putting thousands of New Yorkers at risk for a terrible holiday season without the services they rely on. Stevens predicted that until change comes to the contract process, more nonprofits may suffer the same fate as Sheltering Arms, which shuttered and filed for bankruptcy in 2023 after years of budget cuts and delayed city payments. “It’s not their fault. This is not okay,” she said. ‘It’s unsustainable’ Many New York City nonprofits are increasingly dissatisfied when contracting with the city. In a recent survey by the Human Services Council of New York, a coalition of nonprofit organizations, half of its 70 respondents called the contract process “the worst it has ever been.” Raye Barbieri, CEO of the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center, agreed. “This year seems to be particularly horrible for everybody across the board.” The center was founded in 1974 and has a food justice arm, a rape crisis center, early childhood programming and more. The Human Services Council survey found that 90% of respondents were waiting on payments totaling $365 million — and nearly one-third were delayed by more than six months. Additionally, the survey found that 48% of respondents had to use loans or lines of credit to cover the late funds, saddling them with a total of $6 million in interest that cannot be reimbursed. A major contributor to the delays lies with PASSPort, the city’s system for contract management, which was upgraded this year to include invoicing and payment capabilities, said Miller at BronxWorks. Problems with implementing the new functionality appear to have made the existing backlog problem even worse, he said. The public version of PASSPort can be found here . The city defended the technology, saying in a statement that “MOCS is diligently working around the clock to evaluate the PASSPort system and implement upgrades that enhance in-system payment processes. This is to guarantee that payments to our valued nonprofit contracting partners are not interrupted.” But Miller said payments have indeed been severely interrupted — and that BronxWorks is paying the price. While he said he has seen recent signs that the backlog is slowly clearing and the city granted two partial advances on their contract, those funds dried up, leaving BronxWorks no choice but to use a line of credit to make payroll. For now, the organization is getting by, he said. “We’re still continuing our excellent service and working with our clients.” But even if every problem with PASSPort was fixed tomorrow, “You gotta play catch up.” Barbieri said her organization has not yet needed to use its available line of credit, thanks only to scrimping and saving, and she could not give a dollar amount for which the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center is owed. But she said there is much anxiety around the delays, especially for their largest contracts with the Department of Education. Barbieri said nonprofits are treated unfairly compared to other entities that contract with the city. Despite — or perhaps because of — the essential nature of their work, they have little choice but to keep going while waiting on their funds. “There’s no other category of vendor in New York City that would ever be expected to or asked to provide services, programming or supplies before a contract is registered and in place,” she said. There’s no construction company that’s going to say, ‘Sure, we’ll start working without a contract.’” ‘It’s unsustainable’ Scott at Bronx Defenders also expressed frustration at not being able to begin any steps of the reimbursement process. The organization has been unable to submit invoices in PASSPort for the past six months due to technical problems, she said. The late payments are bringing down staff morale, adding another layer of stress to their already challenging workload — which in turn trickles down to clients, said Scott. Within Bronx Defenders, the sectors waiting on the most money are legal services for immigrant families and residents facing eviction, areas that already struggle to meet demand, said Scott. The late payments “seriously jeopardize” the organization’s ability to continue services, she said. As with BronxWorks, the city also gave the Bronx Defenders a partial advance on their contract, which got them through for a time. But now, with the advance running out, Scott said she desperately wants to avoid taking out a loan. “It’s unsustainable,” she said. “It’s not a good way to manage.” Scott said while the late payments seem mainly due to technical and administrative problems, they have a real “punitive effect” on nonprofit organizations. If the Bronx Defenders takes away funds for other services to cover loan interest, “The people that benefit from this are the banks.” Barbieri said while nonprofits are resilient, the sector needs to be treated with greater priority. Until reform comes, her organization will continue its work — such as providing holiday food packages for over 500 residents last week — even if running on fumes. “We’re gonna deliver services because that’s our mission,” she said. “A construction company can say ‘full work stoppage.’ We can’t do that.” Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
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Wayfair Black Friday Sale: $17 Bedding, $14 Holiday Decor & MoreEfforts to reduce the nation’s persistently high maternal mortality rates involve state panels of experts that investigate and learn from each mother’s death. The panels — called maternal mortality review committees — usually work quietly out of the public eye, but that’s not been the case recently in three states with strict abortion laws. Georgia dismissed all members of its committee in November after information about deaths being reviewed leaked to the news organization ProPublica. Days later, The Washington Post reported that Texas’ committee won’t review cases from 2022 and 2023, the first two years after the state banned nearly all abortions. In Idaho, the state let its panel disband in 2023 only to reinstate it this year. “They’ve become more of a lightning rod than they were before,” said epidemiologist Michael Kramer, director of the Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities at Mercer University in Georgia. Here’s what these committees do and what might happen next: “Maternal mortality review committees are important because they are the most comprehensive source of information about maternal mortality that we have,” said David Goodman, who leads the maternal mortality prevention team at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The panels review deaths that occur during pregnancy or within a year after it ends, whether related to the pregnancy or not. Causes of death can range from hemorrhage during childbirth to drug overdoses to traffic accidents. The goal, Kramer said, is to examine maternal deaths and help “decide what we can do about them.” All states, a few cities and Puerto Rico have these committees. Their membership varies and may include OB-GYNs, maternal-fetal medicine doctors, nurses, midwives, mental and public health experts and members of patient advocacy groups. Most have representatives from several areas of expertise, which the CDC recommends. How members are selected also varies; people may apply, submit letters of interest or be invited to serve. The selection shouldn’t be politically motivated, Kramer said, because “if there’s a systematic exclusion of certain data or certain perspectives” it’s difficult to truly understand what’s happening. The panels work with state vital statistics offices and epidemiologists to identify deaths associated with pregnancy by examining death certificates and looking for a pregnancy checkbox or a related cause of death. They also may search for links to birth and fetal death records, or delve into hospital discharge data, media reports and obituaries. Once they identify cases, they collect as much information as possible, such as prenatal care records, hospital and social service records, autopsy reports and interviews with family members. Professional “abstractors” distill all this into case narratives, which committee members pore over. Most use a standardized review process developed by the CDC — and all panels can get help and guidance from the agency. They consider questions such as: Was the death pregnancy- related? What was the underlying cause? Was it preventable? What factors contributed? States generally have privacy rules that protect committee members and people who provide information on the deaths. The groups then issue public reports that don’t name mothers or hospitals but include overall findings, trends and recommendations. Some come out a couple of years or more after the deaths. Across the nation in 2023, Goodman said, 151 recommendations from those reports were implemented by communities, hospitals, medical professionals and policymakers. Georgia will rebuild its committee through a new application process, the state public health commissioner said. Texas’ committee has been reviewing 2021 deaths and will start on 2024 cases at its next meeting, Texas Department of State Health Services spokesperson Lara Anton said. “Reviewing cases is a lengthy process and legislators have asked for more recent data. Starting the next review cycle with 2024 cases will allow us to provide that in the next report,” Anton said, adding that maternal and child health epidemiologists will continue to analyze and publish data for 2022 and 2023. In Idaho, the reconstituted review committee now falls under the state board of medicine, which licenses doctors, instead of the state’s health and welfare department. It will operate like it always has, said Bob McLaughlin, spokesperson for the medical board. Members met for the first time in November and plan to issue a report by Jan. 31. Because the legislature wanted the most up-to-date information, McLaughlin said the first report will cover only 2023 cases, and the group will review 2022 deaths next. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Kroger Announces Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer Succession
In light of the recent lawsuit and sexual harassment complaint against actor Justin Baldoni , his wedding apology to his wife Emily Baldoni has resurfaced. During their nuptials, the Jane The Virgin star expressed regret for "anything I've ever said or done that has hurt you" also apologizing for his "faults, shortcomings, insecurities and my ego." Baldoni, 40, and the studio behind the romantic drama It Ends With Us , based on Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel , are accused of a "multi-tiered plan" to tarnish Blake Lively's reputation following a meeting addressing allegations of "repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior" against Baldoni and a film producer. A Simple Favor director shows support for Blake Lively after Baldoni accusations Amber Heard breaks silence on accusations against Justin Baldoni Baldoni vehemently denies these claims. In the pre-lawsuit damages complaint, Baldoni, his publicists, and Wayfarer Studios are named as defendants. It Ends With Us tells the story of a woman seeking a healthy, loving relationship, with Lively, 37, portraying lead character Lily Bloom and Baldoni playing her love interest Ryle Kincaid. Emily Baldoni, who shares two children with her husband, appears in the film as the medic performing a scan on Lively's pregnant character Lily. The couple wed in July 2013 in Corona, California , with MailOnline reporting that Baldoni pledged to "cherish, listen to you, honor you and respect" his wife during their Midsummer Night's Dream-themed ceremony. Emily allegedly replied, vowing to "stand tall by your side. Feeling blessed to have a man who speaks for those who cannot or do not have the strength to. And a man who will go without sleep to make sure someone's story is told." Blake Lively's co-stars and pals break silence over Justin Baldoni lawsuit Blake Lively ‘little bump’ reporter speaks out on Justin Baldoni lawsuit saga Ryan Reynolds 'blocked Justin Baldoni' on social media before bombshell lawsuit As they exchanged their vows, the couple reportedly high-fived, with Emily becoming emotional as she proclaimed: "Where there is love, nothing is too much trouble". Following the news of Lively's lawsuit, author Colleen Hoover expressed her support for the actress on Instagram, writing: "@blakelively you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met." "Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt." Hoover then shared a link to a New York Times article titled We Can Bury Anyone: Inside A Hollywood Smear Machine, which outlines the allegations, including claims that Baldoni worked with a crisis communications specialist to launch a "sophisticated, coordinated, and well-financed retaliation plan" that created "manufactured content" to sway public opinion, allegedly with the "approval" of the studio. "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted," Lively said in a statement to the newspaper. Bryan Freedman, a lawyer representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and its representatives, countered the allegations as "completely false, outrageous, and intentionally salacious." Freedman explained that the studio "made the decision to proactively hire a crisis manager prior to the marketing campaign of the film" and clarified: "There were no proactive measures taken with media or otherwise; just internal scenario-planning and private correspondence to strategize, which is standard operating procedure with public relations professionals."Mazarin Inc. and subsidiary Asbestos Corporation Limited announce a change to its organization
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Prince George Cougars centre Riley Heidt cut from Team Canada rosterUS urges push for Syria de-escalationPrime Minister Sir Keir Starmer WPA Pool via Getty Images Labour will recruit an extra 13,000 neighbourhood police to tackle anti-social behaviour between now and the general election, Keir Starmer will pledge on Thursday. The prime minister will unveil the plan in a major speech as he attempts to relaunch his government after a turbulent first five months in office. Advertisement Every community will have a “named, contactable officer” tasked with patrolling their neighbourhood and who cannot be used to plug policing shortages in other areas, the PM will say. The new “neighbourhood policing guarantee” is part of a “plan for change” setting out how Labour intends to achieve its five missions for government and will include separate pledges on clearing hospital backlogs, improving education, tackling the cost of living and bringing down energy bills. But No.10 has denied that the PM has been forced into the reset by the controversies and scandals which have dogged the government since Labour’s landslide election victory in July. They have included a row over Labour donor Lord Alli buying clothes and glasses for the prime minister, the sacking of Starmer’s chief of staff Sue Gray , and last week’s resignation by transport secretary Louise Haigh . Advertisement In his speech, Starmer will say: “The neighbourhood policing guarantee will deliver 13,000 extra neighbourhood police, visible on your streets, cracking down on anti-social behaviour. “A named, contactable officer in every community. A relief to millions of people scared to walk their streets they call home.” The extra numbers will be made up of police, community support officers and special constables. Home secretary Yvette Cooper said the move was “about rebuilding the vital connection between the public and the police”. “This marks a return to the founding principles of British policing - where officers are part of the communities they serve,” she said. “Through this visible, responsive police presence in every neighbourhood, we will restore the trust and partnership that lies at the heart of keeping our communities safe.” Advertisement Starmer is also expected to address public concerns about high immigration in his speech, as well as announce a major programme of public sector reform. He will say: “My government was elected to deliver change, and today marks the next step. People are tired of being promised the world, but short-term sticking plaster politics letting them down. “Hardworking Brits are going out grafting every day but are getting short shrift from a politics that should serve them. “They reasonably want a stable economy, their country to be safe, their borders secure, more cash in their pocket, safer streets in their town, opportunities for their children, secure British energy in their home, and an NHS that is there when they need it. My mission-led government will deliver.” Related labour party keir starmer police No.10 Denies Keir Starmer Ever Boycotted Qatar Despite World Cup Snub Starmer Bats Back Badenoch's Jibe Over Louise Haigh With 'Gentle' Reminder Of Tory Legacy Support For Starmer Plummets As He Prepares To 'Reset' His Government
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Here's Why Food Recalls Have Been On The Rise In 2024How Sell a Business Quickly and Easily Guide Released for Consumers by IRAEmpireOpenAI CEO Sam Altman is the latest tech giant to open his wallet to welcome President-elect back to the White House. plans to personally contribute $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, according to an OpenAI spokesperson. “President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead," Altman said in a statement. Altman's announcement comes after both and announced plans to contribute $1 million to the inauguration, and as Google's CEO plans to meet with Trump. Amazon also will livestream the inauguration on Amazon Prime, which amounts to a $1 million in-kind contribution, according to a company spokesperson, and company founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos will meet with the president-elect next week. Tech companies are lining up to try to influence Trump's approach to the industry, which he has strongly criticized. Trump appointees for key jobs overseeing tech companies in his next administration are expected to take an aggressive approach. "Big Tech has run wild for years, stifling competition in our most innovative sector and, as we all know, using its market power to crack down on the rights of so many Americans, as well as those of Little Tech!" Trump said in announcing his appointment of Gail Slater as assistant attorney general overseeing the antitrust division of the Department of Justice, adding she would continue his efforts to "fight these abuses." Trump has and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at times. In addition to contributing to Trump's inauguration, both tech leaders have made other overtures to the president-elect in recent months. Zuckerberg meet with Trump at his , Florida last month.