roulette lobby
President-elect Donald Trump's proposed new arrangement for any company looking to expand in America garnered immediate suspicion and criticism Tuesday on social media. In a post to his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Trump said: "Any person or company investing ONE BILLION DOLLARS, OR MORE, in the United States of America, will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but in no way limited to, all Environmental approvals. GET READY TO ROCK!!!" This idea drew scorn and doubt from some commenters, who saw it — along with Trump's billionaire-run blue ribbon committee to advise on how to slash government programs — as the surrender of America to an oligarchy. "For $1 billion, Trump says you can avoid environmental regulations," wrote MSNBC contributor Sam Stein on X. "We’re have (sic) a land clearance sale, America," wrote Condé Nast legal affairs editor Luke Zaleski. ALSO READ: Agenda 47: Alarm sounded about Trump’s dystopian plans for his second term The reception on rival platform Bluesky was similar. "A government of oligarchs that will exist to solely serve the interests of oligarchs while distracting working people with culture wars," wrote former GOP adviser turned anti-Trump strategist Ron Filipkowski. "A government of the billionaires, by the billionaires, for the billionaires," wrote history professor Aviel Roshwald. Others weren't entirely opposed to an idea like this, as permitting reform has been a bipartisan idea gaining traction in recent years — but some questioned why Trump created such a transactional arrangement. "Probably better just to expedite permit approvals regardless of whether one invests a billion dollars or more," wrote history professor Aaron Astor. "Permits shouldn't be granted if the project will cause environmental damage. The problem is the delay in approval (or denying) them. Ironically, downsizing the government of its Federal workforce will make permit approval even more inefficient."Diary of disturbing disinformation and dangerous delusions With the presidential campaigns and President Biden’s historic, last-minute pullout, 2024 was quite a year — for fibs, lies, gaslighting and truly wacky statements, that is. Here are our picks for the absolute worst of them. — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board #1 “[Biden’s] sharp as a tack.” — Countless media and lefties throughout the year We say: President Biden himself proved that beyond false during his debate with Donald Trump. Turns out he was so “sharp” that his own party forced him to quit the race. #2 “She wasn’t the border czar.” — ABC’s Jon Karl, Aug. 11 We say: Funny. Just a year earlier, Karl was explaining that Biden “put Kamala Harris in, uh, playing a critical role in terms of trying to stop the flow of migrants across the border.” #3 “We’ve seen grocery prices come down over the past year or more.” — WH Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Aug. 30 We say: If Jean-Pierre saw prices falling , she must’ve been standing on her head — because they actually went up. Faster than in decades. #4 “Those [pro-Hamas protesters] down the street, they have a point.” — President Biden at the Democratic convention, Aug. 19 We say: Uh, no. Pro-terror protesters are deranged, morally abhorrent goons. And Biden’s remark was outrageous. #5 “We have . . . young black kids growing up in The Bronx who don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is.” — Gov. Hochul, May 6 We say: As The Post’s Adam B. Coleman noted at the time, this wasn’t a gaffe but “a window into the mindset of many mainstream elitist Democrats” — even if the gov later took back her idiotic slur. #6 “Kamala Harris is defying the laws of the political universe.” — Politico, Aug. 13 We say: Hmm: The November results showed she wasn’t so much defying political reality as being shielded by reality-denying media. #7 “Precedent by a court doesn’t matter anymore in this country. . . . People violate laws anytime they want.” — Pa. Democratic County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, Nov. 14 We say: Democrats scream about democracy, but when a Republican, Dave McCormick, narrowly beat Pennsylvania Dem Sen. Bob Casey in the race for his seat, Dems like Ellis-Marseglia sought to count ballots the state’s top court had already disqualified ( twice! ) to overturn the results. What hypocrites. #8 “We have been enforcing the law from Day 1.” — DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, May 21 We say: The November results are clear proof that Mayorkas’ bald-faced lies about border enforcement couldn’t fool all the people all the time. #9 “Republicans want to kill your kids.” — Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin, Nov. 19 We say: Rather than accept the November results, Trump-haters like Rubin doubled down — resorting to crass, hyperbolic fearmongering in a desperate bid to block the incoming prez’s agenda. #10 “Allowing Trump to hold an event at MSG is equivalent to the infamous Nazis rally at Madison Square Garden on February 20, 1939.” — State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, in an Oct. 9 tweet We say: The radical prog actually demanded Madison Square Garden cancel this Trump event. Ironically, it’s Hoylman-Sigal’s call to suppress his opponents that’s really reminiscent of Hitler’s Germany. #11 “I took action to make our subways safer . . . [Now] crime is going down, and ridership is going up.” — Gov. Hochul, Sunday We say: On the very day a suspected illegal immigrant fatally torches a woman on the F train, the gov opts to brag of her “successful” crackdown on subway crime. Talk about out of touch! #12 “We have a real contrast to be made — what I did in four years and what’s going to happen in the next four years.” — President Biden, Dec. 18 We say: For once, we agree! Biden & Co. botched everything they touched , from the border to the economy to foreign affairs. No way Trump (or any president) can do so much damage. #13 “I ask you to remember the context in which you exist.” [Cackle, cackle.] — VP Kamala Harris, Dec. 17 We say: Harris’ mindless word salads played a big role in her defeat, but that’s not stopping her from more such idiocies. Boy did America dodge a bullet. #14 “A full moon . . . is made up mostly of gases.” — Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, April 9 We say: Huh? Everyone knows the moon is made of cheese.
Sanjeeb Wazed, son of deposed Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has accused the Muhammad Yunus led interim government of "weaponising the judiciary" for carrying out a "political witch hunt" against the Awami League leadership. Wazed's allegations, as a long post on X, came two days after the interim government on Monday said it has sent a diplomatic note to New Delhi seeking Hasina's extradition from India. Hasina, 77, has been living in India since August 5 when she fled Bangladesh following a massive student-led protest that toppled her Awami League's (AL) 16-year regime. Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued arrest warrants for Hasina and several former Cabinet ministers, advisers, and military and civil officials for "crimes against humanity and genocide." "The judges and prosecutors appointed by unelected Yunus led regime to conduct farcical trial process through International Crimes Tribunal makes it a political witch hunt that forsakes justice and marks another ongoing onslaught to persecute Awami League leadership," Wazed said in his post on Tuesday. An IT entrepreneur, Wazed is based in the US and has been an ICT adviser in Hasina's government. "The kangaroo tribunal and subsequent request for extradition comes while hundreds of leaders and activists are extrajudicially killed, framing of outrageous murder charges, illegal incarceration of thousands by law enforcement and violent attacks including looting vandalism and arson going on with impunity everyday fuelled by denial of the regime," he added. On Monday, India confirmed receiving the 'note verbale' or diplomatic communication from the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi but refrained from commenting on it. Under the provisions of the India-Bangladesh extradition treaty, extradition may be refused if the offence is one of a "political character." Bangladesh's de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain said Dhaka wants Hasina back to face the judicial process. Wazed further accused that the chief prosecutor of ICT Tribunal Tajul Islam appointed by Yunus regime on December 22, despite proven records of defending war criminals, "reportedly spread deliberate disinformation campaign" against Hasina by claiming that Interpol issued red notice against her, and termed it as "a desperate bid to extradite her and hold farcical trial to serve the interest of Dr Yunus." "But the very prosecutor later altered his statement following media exposure of the outright lie and now officially sent a request to India for the extradition," Hasina's son said. "We reiterate our position that every single incident of human rights violation between July and August needs to be investigated in a free and fair manner but the Yunus led regime weaponised the judiciary, and we express no confidence in the justice system," he alleged. Last month, in an address to the nation on the completion of 100 days of the interim government, Yunus said Bangladesh will seek Hasina's extradition. "We must ensure justice in every killing... We will also ask India to send back fallen autocrat Sheikh Hasina," he had said then. Yunus, who assumed office on August 8, claimed that about 1,500 people, including students and workers, were killed while 19,931 others were wounded during the protest against the Hasina government. India has expressed concern as there have been a spate of attacks on minorities including on the Hindu community in Bangladesh in the last few months. In recent weeks, Hasina has accused the Yunus-led interim government of perpetrating "genocide" and failing to protect minorities, especially Hindus, since her ouster. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka two weeks back during which he conveyed to the Bangladeshi side India's concerns, especially those related to the safety and welfare of minorities. (This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
ボストン発, Dec. 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 損害保険および一般保険の未来を定義するグローバルなインテリジェントソリューションプロバイダーであっるダック・クリーク・テクノロジーズが、同社および顧客の成長と変革を推進することを目的に、熟練した3名の幹部をグローバル上級リーダーシップチームに任命した。これらの幹部は、北米営業担当シニアバイスプレジデントのウィリアム・マゴーワン (William Magowan)、EMEA担当マネージングディレクターのエロディ・ヒルデラル (Elodie Hilderal)、APAC担当マネージングディレクターのクリスチャン・エリクソン (Christian Erickson) である。彼らは、ダック・クリークの世界中の顧客やパートナーに世界クラスの体験を提供しつつ、組織全体と連携して拡大と収益成長の新たな機会を切り拓くために取り組む。 ウィリアム、エロディ、クリスチャンは、ダック・クリークを含む保険テクノロジー分野で豊富な経験を有している。 ウィリアム・マゴーワン は、 北米営業担当シニアバイスプレジデント としてダック・クリークに再入社した。同氏は保険テクノロジー業界における20年以上の営業リーダーとしての経験を持っている。彼は、高パフォーマンスの営業チームの開発とリーダーシップ、商品の革新推進、そして確かな顧客価値の提供において優れた実績を示してきた。 エロディ・ヒルデラル は、 EMEA担当マネージングディレクター に任命された。これは、ダック・クリークの営業担当バイスプレジデントとして大いに成功した役割に続くものである。エロディは、保険および再保険のエンタープライズソフトウェア業界で15年間にわたり営業、プロフェッショナルサービス、カスタマーサクセスの分野でリーダーシップを発揮してきた経験を持つ優れたリーダーである。 クリスチャン・エリクソン は、新たな APAC担当マネージングディレクター として、エンタープライズソフトウェア、クラウド、サイバーセキュリティ、プロフェッショナルサービスにおける25年以上の経験をもたらす。ダック・クリークに入社する前、クリスチャンはコグニザント (Cognizant) やアクセンチュア (Accenture) を含む複数の企業で金融サービスおよび保険部門のゼネラルマネージャーを務め、成長、カスタマーサクセス、プロフェッショナルサービスの責任を担っていた。 「ウィリアム、エロディ、そしてクリスチャンの任命は、ダック・クリークにとって重要な転換点となります。彼らのリーダーシップスキルと業界の専門知識により、2025年にこれまでにない成長を遂げ、グローバルな展開を拡大することができると確信しています」と、ダック・クリーク・テクノロジーズの最高経営責任者であるマイク・ジャコウスキー (Mike Jackowski) は述べている。「ダック・クリークは保険テクノロジーのパイオニアであり、当社の顧客は、展開するソリューションから届ける顧客体験に至るまで、卓越性の基準を設定することを期待しています。この3人の幹部はいずれも、ダック・クリークが業界をリードし続け、保険会社と保険契約者に長期的な利益をもたらすために必要な背景、ノウハウ、そして実績を備えています」。 ダック・クリーク・テクノロジーズについて ダック・クリーク・テクノロジーズは、損害保険業界および一般保険業界の未来を定義するインテリジェントソリューションのプロバイダーである。最新の保険システムを構築するためのプラットフォームであり、保険業界がクラウドのパワーを活用し、俊敏でインテリジェントな常勝のオペレーションを実行することを可能にする。ダック・クリークの中核を成すのは信頼性、目的、透明性であり、個人や企業が最も必要とするタイミング、場所、方法で保険が提供されるべきだと考えている。市場をリードする同社のソリューションは、スタンドアロンでも フルスイート でも利用可能であり、すべて ダック・クリーク・オンデマンド (Duck Creek OnDemand) で利用できる。詳しくは、 www.duckcreek.com を参照されたい。最新情報については、 LinkedIn および X のソーシャルチャネルでダック・クリークをフォローされたい。 報道関係者向け問い合わせ先: マリアンヌ・デンプシー (Marianne Dempsey) /タラ・ストレッド (Tara Stred) duckcreek@threeringsinc.comZachary Levi Defends Endorsing Trump to Bill Maher: America Under Trump Was 'Significantly Better' Than Biden's Four Years
Wall Street drifts lower as it waits for inflation dataChina’s new hobbies create a spending mirage
7 life hacks to make your flight as comfortable as possibleHigh-rolling investors have positioned themselves bearish on Red Cat Hldgs RCAT , and it's important for retail traders to take note.\This activity came to our attention today through Benzinga's tracking of publicly available options data. The identities of these investors are uncertain, but such a significant move in RCAT often signals that someone has privileged information. Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 12 options trades for Red Cat Hldgs. This is not a typical pattern. The sentiment among these major traders is split, with 33% bullish and 66% bearish. Among all the options we identified, there was one put, amounting to $35,000, and 11 calls, totaling $1,227,792. Predicted Price Range Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $7.0 to $15.0 for Red Cat Hldgs over the recent three months. Volume & Open Interest Development In today's trading context, the average open interest for options of Red Cat Hldgs stands at 2260.9, with a total volume reaching 6,739.00. The accompanying chart delineates the progression of both call and put option volume and open interest for high-value trades in Red Cat Hldgs, situated within the strike price corridor from $7.0 to $15.0, throughout the last 30 days. Red Cat Hldgs 30-Day Option Volume & Interest Snapshot Significant Options Trades Detected: Symbol PUT/CALL Trade Type Sentiment Exp. Date Ask Bid Price Strike Price Total Trade Price Open Interest Volume RCAT CALL TRADE BEARISH 07/18/25 $7.2 $6.7 $6.9 $11.00 $391.2K 1.0K 585 RCAT CALL SWEEP BEARISH 01/17/25 $7.4 $6.9 $6.98 $7.00 $174.8K 5.2K 266 RCAT CALL TRADE BEARISH 01/17/25 $7.1 $6.9 $6.9 $7.00 $171.8K 5.2K 519 RCAT CALL SWEEP BEARISH 04/17/25 $5.2 $4.9 $4.9 $13.00 $112.7K 1.3K 302 RCAT CALL TRADE BULLISH 07/18/25 $6.1 $6.0 $6.1 $15.00 $108.5K 499 179 About Red Cat Hldgs Red Cat Holdings Inc is a military technology company that integrates robotic hardware and software to provide critical situational awareness and actionable intelligence to on-the-ground warfighters and battlefield commanders. Its mission is to enhance the effectiveness and safety of military operations domestically and globally. Red Cat's suite of solutions includes Teal Drones, developer of the Golden Eagle, a small unmanned system with the highest resolution imaging for night-time operations, and Skypersonic, a provider of unmanned aircraft for interior spaces and other dangerous environments. In light of the recent options history for Red Cat Hldgs, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance. Present Market Standing of Red Cat Hldgs With a volume of 4,545,437, the price of RCAT is up 14.38% at $13.6. RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought. Next earnings are expected to be released in 81 days. Turn $1000 into $1270 in just 20 days? 20-year pro options trader reveals his one-line chart technique that shows when to buy and sell. Copy his trades, which have had averaged a 27% profit every 20 days. Click here for access . Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely. If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Red Cat Hldgs, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
One children's advocate counts 33 reports in 30 years into problems at Oranga Tamariki and its predecessors. Why is change at our child protection agency so hard to come by? Ten months after five-year-old Malachi Subecz was murdered by his carer, Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier drove out to Porirua to visit the little boy's uncle and cousin. He was there to deliver the findings of his investigations into their complaint that Oranga Tamariki had dismissed concerns about Malachi being abused. As he sat across the table from Malachi's whanau, Boshier remembers choking up. "It was an incredibly emotional experience, traumatic, in fact," he recalls. "But it was the right thing to do, to acknowledge the terrible acts of abuse this poor child had suffered. "And I think they could see that. They could see that we actually cared to the point where it was quite emotional for us." Boshier had reason to be emotional. His investigation found a "litany of failures" by Oranga Tamariki to follow its own policies after the Children's Ministry dismissed or ignored several reports of concern about Malachi's care. Just a few months earlier, Boshier had delivered the findings of his investigation into the uplift of newborn pēpi, He Take Kōhukihuki , which found process, system and record-keeping issues. "These were also underlying factors in Oranga Tamariki's failings in the Malachi Subecz case," Boshier says. He remembers feeling "enormous change" would be needed to prevent another case like this happening again. "Oranga Tamariki assured me following my investigation into the case of Malachi Subecz that there would be dramatic change. "Of course, I hoped it would be the last time I would have to investigate such a case." It was not to be. In February this year, Boshier's office released another report. Children in Care: Complaints to the Ombudsman 2019-2023 again identified poor record-keeping, inaccurate information and failures to follow up reports of concern as recurring themes. An RNZ investigation last week highlighted similar failures in the cases of two families, with devastating consequences for both. This is the final part of an RNZ investigative series into Oranga Tamariki. Read Part 1 , Part 2 and Part 3 . And despite promises of system-wide changes by agencies involved in child protection following Malachi's death in 2021, a September analysis by Aroturuki Tamariki Independent Children's Monitor found vulnerable children are no better off now than when he died. The reports added to an already teetering pile. Child Matters chief executive Jane Searle counts 33 reviews into the ministry and its predecessors over the last 30 years. "They all say similar things. These problems are not new. It's just that they're getting worse." So if the problems are known, and the need for change recognised, what will it take to actually make it happen? A broken system For Jane Searle, radical investment in the ministry's structure and culture is the only thing that will break the cycle. "It's going to take a lot of time, a lot of resources and very good leadership to do that. We've struggled to have the political desire to do that on a large level." There are good social workers trying to do their best in a system that is broken, she says. "But there are also cases of bad practice that have happened over many years which are difficult to change because it is such a huge organisation." The many reports and reviews all suggest similar solutions, but few have actually been enacted. "We haven't invested in the training and capacity building of Oranga Tamariki social workers and also ensuring that their workloads are manageable. And we also haven't invested in the capacity for community organisations to respond and play the important role that they play." Searle is equally concerned the ministry doesn't have robust IT systems that allow staff to do their jobs properly. "It's a hard job to protect vulnerable children and young people anyway, but if the organisation is not set up structurally to do that, with the right leadership and investment, it is going to continue to fail." Central to the issue is Oranga Tamariki's two-decade-old case management system, CYRAS, which its chief social worker Nicolette Dickson admits is "old and difficult" to use. A $62.5 million upgrade will start next year and won't be completed until about 2030, though the first stage should be complete by the end of next year, Dickson says. "This will make a significant difference in the way we're managing record-keeping. We won't have solved the whole problem but we will have made a really good start." "I just want a clear picture" Behind every record - complete, partial or missing - is a person. Ihorangi Reweti-Peters was just seven months old when he was placed into state care. Now 19, he's had over 14 different placements and experienced abuse from caregivers who were meant to protect him. After being officially discharged from state care last year, he's been trying to piece together his early years from Oranga Tamariki's records, but chunks of his time in care are missing from his file. "There are parts of my time in care which are not accurately recorded or they are parts missing ... so I don't know what happened." Some of the records from his first year of life are missing - lost when the ministry transferred files from paper to digital in 2006, he says. "I just want to know my whole journey through Oranga Tamariki, from the day that the first report of concern was made to when I left. "I just want a clear picture, which may be able to provide me with some closure to the negative experiences that I've had within Oranga Tamariki." Reweti-Peters, who is now a state care advocate, says there are hundreds of others like him. He's hopeful, but sceptical, that improvements will be forthcoming. "Oranga Tamariki has on multiple occasions said they are working on changes to accurately record and gather data but we haven't seen the results of that yet. "This is really important work. I would hope it would be able to get done quicker, to provide closure to survivors and to accurately monitor and record information." The IT and record-keeping upgrade can't come soon enough for Aroturuki Tamariki Independent Children's Monitor chief executive Arran Jones, as it will finally allow him to do his job properly. His agency, established in 2019 to monitor Oranga Tamariki's compliance with National Care Standards regulations, has struggled to carry out this task for the last three years due to "gaps" in OT's data about the children in its care. The regulations prescribe basic standards that must be met for children in state care, such as regular school attendance or whether they see a dentist or doctor once a year. But Jones doesn't know if the ministry is complying with all these standards. "They just don't have the information centrally to be able to tell whether the kids are getting what they need. These are legal requirements on Oranga Tamariki, and they are still unable to provide the information." Through its own self-monitoring process, Oranga Tamariki admits it has only been "partially compliant" with the national care standards the last two financial years. Jones also worries the recent loss of 419 back office jobs at Oranga Tamariki - including cuts to its information management and a reorganisation of its data team - could hinder progress. "I have spoken to the chief executive to gain an assurance that it wouldn't impact on the supply of information to us so that we can do our work. I guess my response to this will be a wait and see what impact it may have." Nicolette Dickson says keeping track of 80 standards for more than 5000 children in state care is challenging, due to the limitations of the case management system. Instead, the ministry has opted to report on a few lead indicators, and Dickson says what it has reported so far has shown improvements. "For example, in 2022, 72 percent of children in care had had an assessment of their needs completed. By 2024, this had risen to 90 percent. "So whilst I do accept the monitor's concern that the level of our detail and data and information doesn't enable a full picture over every aspect of the care standards, we have progressively improved the quality of information we provided to the monitor and seen progressive improvements." The upgrade in the pipeline will allow them to provide better quality information about children in state care, she says. Children's and Young Person's Commissioner Claire Achmad says the ministry has a duty and obligation to collect information about a child's situation in state care that can be held on their file and made available to them - which needs to be done even without a reliable case management system. "Because that will form an important part of their understanding of their identity and their story, and so Oranga Tamariki needs to be maintaining a clear focus on this all the time, regardless of whether it's in the process of upgrading its information and record keeping system." Like Searle, she says this will take resourcing and a culture change to get right. "I continue to call for Oranga Tamariki to focus on getting the basics right to ensure every child in the care of the state has their full range of rights upheld in all circumstances every day. "We know right now that Oranga Tamariki is too far away from that. But I do believe that with that focus, change is possible." "We have an absolutely clear focus on what needs to change" Dickson admits the ministry has lost its focus. "Oranga Tamariki and its predecessors have had a history of trying to be all things to all communities, to all families, and falling short actually." Dickson should know. She's worked at the ministry for more than 20 years, starting as a social worker before rising up the ranks to management. She's now its chief social worker and deputy chief executive of professional practice after the two roles were combined in a restructure earlier this year. She says the basic tenets of social work haven't changed much over that time - though it has become more complex with the rise of methamphetamine - but support for social workers has declined. "When I was a young social worker we had really strong systems of support, supervision, training and for a while that slipped away," she says. "I can't speak to why things may have slipped away, but I do know there's been a very clear shift back to focusing on the core fundamentals to make sure our social workers have the support they need to do a really busy, complex and demanding job." This shift came after a 2021 Oranga Tamariki ministerial advisory board report, Kahu Aroha, recommended the ministry get back to its core social work purpose and offer better support and training for social workers. "That's really provided a blueprint for making sure that we are focused on developing the best tools, resources, learning and support and coaching supervision for our staff," Dickson says. The ministry has three key priorities: providing a high level response to the kids that need it the most; enabling communities to take a lead and early response; and working with other agencies in health and education to plug the gaps. There's no timeframe for when these will be achieved, as it's about "progressive, long-term sustainable change over time," Dickson says. "Real, substantive, complex change isn't something that you can put a timeframe on. It's something you have to be relentlessly focused on day by day. "We have an absolutely clear focus on what needs to change." When it comes to record-keeping issues, the ministry regularly reviews cases and we "look at our practice really closely" so it knows where it can improve, she says. "We know there are areas where we've still got work to do, but what I am confident about as chief social worker, is that the areas that get in the way of our social workers doing a good job are actively being addressed." Despite the challenges, ministry social workers are doing amazing work every day, Dickson says. "We have social workers who, on a daily basis, are out there changing lives, sometimes saving lives. I understand why that's a narrative that sometimes doesn't get a lot of air time but there are truly amazing professionals we have working for this organisation." She strongly disagrees with suggestions that significant work is not being done to improve its record-keeping track record. "I do appreciate the sense that change isn't happening as quickly as people may want." She also rejects Boshier's assertion that the ministry intentionally or systematically provides incorrect information to the Family Court. "We've taken action in each case to understand the recommendations he's made. We've looked at areas of recording and the way we manage our court practices," she says. "These are longstanding challenging problems that exist across many care and protection systems across the world." But she agrees with Boshier that the ministry needs a sustained plan of improvement. "I have confidence that the plan is in place, underway and actively being worked on." A matter of records Proposed law changes may also beef up record-keeping at Oranga Tamariki, along with other government agencies. As part of its response to the Abuse in Care Inquiry, the government announced last week that it will amend the Public Records Act. The proposed changes will give greater powers to Archives New Zealand to make sure agencies are fulfilling their legal obligation to keep and maintain proper records of everything they do. The changes are a direct response to problems raised by survivors during the Inquiry about trouble accessing their state care records, including being given heavily redacted documents and incomplete files. The man in charge of ensuring all government agencies complies with their obligations is Archives New Zealand's director of government record-keeping Antony Moss. He believes the amendments could be a game-changer for a public sector that's "still struggling with the fundamentals of good record-keeping". "Overall we'd say the maturity in public sector information management is not at the level that we as the regulator would want it to be." At the moment, Archives can only audit government agencies on their information management practices every five years, and compliance with any issues that pop up are largely voluntary, Moss says. The proposed changes will allow Archives to conduct more frequent audits, issue improvement notices for any problems identified, and set deadlines for agencies to fix them. Moss says large, complex agencies like Oranga Tamariki, which have been through multiple reiterations over the years, often struggle with good record-keeping. A 2023 audit commissioned by Archives found most of the ministry's information practices were sub-optimal. Only five of the 20 areas assessed were operating well. While failures to comply with the Public Records Act can incur fines of up to $10,000, not a single individual or organisation has ever faced prosecution since it was brought into force in 2005. Moss says it's better to work with government agencies to lift their game than to prosecute them, and he hopes the proposed changes will encourage the whole public sector to invest in this area. "Of course, getting those investment plans in place for agencies to keep their systems up to date over years and decades is always a challenge, certainly in the current fiscal environment." His small team audits around 20 of public agencies a year, but he's hoping this will increase, and that they can encourage more agencies to undergo self-audits to monitor their own progress. A long way to go It will take more than new IT systems and tinkering with laws to avoid the same mistakes being repeated at Oranga Tamariki, Peter Boshier says. He believes there are two fundamental reasons for the systemic failures in record-keeping at Oranga Tamariki: discipline and culture. Boshier, a former Family Court Principal, says he came from a background where there is a strong culture in record-keeping. "Other agencies like the police, or health, also have strong record-keeping cultures, so there is no reason why Oranga Tamariki cannot. "I just think there is a lack of culture in how important these things are. There needs to be a cultural change, that this is just as important as the social work itself." The culture of an organisation is driven by its leadership, he says, although he is reluctant to directly criticise Oranga Tamariki's leaders. "That's an area for discussion between the chief executive and the Minister," he says. "But you've got to ask, is there a disconnect between the head office of Oranga Tamariki and perhaps what senior leaders aspire to and the way that's being interpreted inside offices? "I don't know the answer, but I would suggest to you that that could be an issue." He's frustrated by the lack of consequences for the organisation when it makes the same mistakes again and again. "We've found in our various reports that the organisation's own policy and guidelines are not being followed and kept. "Is there a consequence? We were told that there was so in Malachi Subecz's case. The chief executive said: 'This is unacceptable to me, and I will take steps in that particular site to require accountability.'" This perhaps explains his exasperation when a few weeks ago he issued yet another opinion highlighting the same issues. "How come that happened? Why is it that leadership appears not to be able to bring about a change at that fundamentally important site office level?," he asks. Boshier doesn't have the answers. "I sense the culture of the organisation needs to be shifted, and that will take time. I would like to see strident, clear, forceful leadership of expectation and consequence in the same way that most agencies would require it." He believes that every time his office issues another repetitive warning highlighting the same problems "faith diminishes" in the ministry's ability to do its job. "People are bound to become a little cynical, so that really is what Oranga Tamariki is facing." And while he's critical and possibly also cynical himself, he is also genuinely hopeful - optimistic even - that positive change can occur. "I am an inherent optimist that behaviour is capable of change, and culture is capable of change, providing there is a will and a willingness, and there is strong, concerted, clear leadership. "Both of those things are going to ultimately determine whether this organisation is capable of the quantum shift that's needed. "I will only be satisfied when I have actual measures of change; I want to see a decrease in serious complaints of the kind I am seeing now. This agency has a long way to go."
Suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO struggles, shouts while entering courthouseBlame it on the food and drink?Man Tried To Hang Himself, Saved After Friend Saw His Facebook LiveDoes Darrell Waltrip Still Have Ronnie Sanders’ Snowball Derby Trophy Despite Eventual Disqualification?
NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program and a landmark nuclear deal with the United States, has died. He was 92. Singh was admitted to New Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences late Thursday after his health deteriorated due to a “sudden loss of consciousness at home,” the hospital said in a statement. “Resuscitative measures were started immediately at home. He was brought to the Medical Emergency” at 8:06 p.m., the hospital said, but “despite all efforts, he could not be revived and was declared dead at 9:51 p.m.” Singh was being treated for “age-related medical conditions,” the statement said. A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh became one of India’s longest-serving prime ministers for 10 years and leader of the Congress Party in the Parliament's Upper House, earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen to fill the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi . But his sterling image was tainted by allegations of corruption against his ministers. Singh was reelected in 2009, but his second term as prime minister was clouded by financial scandals and corruption charges over the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This led to the Congress Party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 national election by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi . Singh adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister. Prime Minister Modi, who succeeded Singh in 2014, called him one of India’s “most distinguished leaders” who rose from humble origins and left “a strong imprint on our economic policy over the years.” “As our Prime Minister, he made extensive efforts to improve people’s lives,” Modi said in a post on the social platform X. He called Singh’s interventions in Parliament as a lawmaker “insightful” and said “his wisdom and humility were always visible.” Rahul Gandhi, from the same party as Singh and the opposition leader in the lower house of the Indian Parliament, said Singh’s “deep understanding of economics inspired the nation” and that he “led India with immense wisdom and integrity.” “I have lost a mentor and guide. Millions of us who admired him will remember him with the utmost pride,” Gandhi wrote on X. The United States offered its condolences, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying that Singh was “one of the greatest champions of the U.S.-India strategic partnership.” “We mourn Dr. Singh’s passing and will always remember his dedication to bringing the United States and India closer together,” Blinken said. Born on Sept. 26, 1932, in a village in the Punjab province of undivided India, Singh’s brilliant academic career took him to Cambridge University in Britain, where he earned a degree in economics in 1957. He then got his doctorate in economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. Singh taught at Panjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics before joining the Indian government in 1971 as economic advisor in the Commerce Ministry. In 1982, he became chief economic adviser to the Finance Ministry. He also served as deputy chair of the Planning Commission and governor of the Reserve Bank of India. As finance minister, Singh in 1991 instituted reforms that opened up the economy and moved India away from a socialist-patterned economy and toward a capitalist model in the face of a huge balance of payments deficit, skirting a potential economic crisis. His accolades include the 1987 Padma Vibhushan Award, India’s second-highest civilian honor; the Jawaharlal Nehru Birth Centenary Award of the Indian Science Congress in 1995; and the Asia Money Award for Finance Minister of the Year in 1993 and 1994. Singh was a member of India’s Upper House of Parliament and was leader of the opposition from 1998 to 2004 before he was named prime minister. He was the first Sikh to hold the country’s top post and made a public apology in Parliament for the 1984 Sikh Massacre in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed after then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by Sikh bodyguards. Under Singh, India adopted a Right to Information Act in 2005 to promote accountability and transparency from government officials and bureaucrats. He was also instrumental in implementing a welfare scheme that guaranteed at least 100 paid workdays for Indian rural citizens. The coalition government he headed for a decade brought together politicians and parties with differing ideologies that were rivals in the country’s various states. In a move hailed as one of his biggest achievements apart from economic reforms, Singh ended India’s nuclear isolation by signing a deal with the U.S. that gave India access to American nuclear technology. But the deal hit his government adversely, with Communist allies withdrawing support and criticism of the agreement growing within India in 2008 when it was finalized. Singh adopted a pragmatic foreign policy approach, pursuing a peace process with nuclear rival and neighbor Pakistan. But his efforts suffered a major setback after Pakistani militants carried out a massive gun and bomb attack in Mumbai in November 2008. He also tried to end the border dispute with China, brokering a deal to reopen the Nathu La pass into Tibet, which had been closed for more than 40 years. His 1965 book, “India’s Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth,” dealt with India’s inward-oriented trade policy. Singh is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and three daughters. Associated Press writer Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed to this report.
India's former prime minister Manmohan Singh, architect of economic reforms, dies at 92The suspect in the killing of UnitedHealthcare's chief executive struggled with sheriff’s deputies and shouted in an angry outburst as he arrived at court to fight extradition to New York . Luigi Nicholas Mangione, 26, could be heard shouting words that included “insulting the intelligence of the American people” as he was bundled into a Pennsylvania court by a horde of deputies for the hearing. Mangione is contesting his extradition back to New York where he has been charged with murder over the shooting of Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel. He was denied bail at the brief hearing. He has 14 days to challenge the bail decision. Prosecutors, meanwhile, have a month to seek a governor's warrant out of New York. Mangione, wearing an orange jumpsuit, mostly stared straight ahead during the hearing, occasionally consulting papers, rocking in his chair, or looking back at the gallery. At one point, he began to speak to respond to the court discussion, but was told to be quiet by his lawyer. Thomas Dickey, his defence lawyer, questioned whether the second-degree murder charge filed in New York might be eligible for bail under Pennsylvania law, but prosecutors raised concerns about both public safety and Mangione being a potential flight risk, and the judge denied it. Prosecutors on Tuesday were beginning to take steps to take Mangione back to New York to face the murder charge while new details emerged about his life and how he was captured. The Ivy League graduate from a prominent Maryland family was charged with murder hours after he was arrested in the killing of Mr Thompson, 50, who led the United States' largest medical insurance company. Mr Dickey had declined to comment before the hearing at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg. Mangione is being held without bail in Pennsylvania on charges of possession of an unlicensed firearm, forgery and providing false identification to police. Manhattan prosecutors have charged him with five counts, including murder, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a forged instrument. Mangione was likely motivated by his anger with what he called "parasitic" health insurance companies and a disdain for corporate greed, a law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said. He wrote that the US has the most expensive health care system in the world and that profits of major corporations continue to rise while "our life expectancy" does not, according to the bulletin, based on a review of his hand-written notes and social media posts. Mangione called "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski a "political revolutionary" and may have found inspiration from the man who carried out a series of bombings while railing against modern society and technology, according to the police bulletin. Mangione was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania - about 230 miles (370km) west of New York City - after a McDonald's customer recognised him and notified an employee, authorities said. Officers found him sitting at a back table, wearing a blue medical mask and looking at a laptop, according to a Pennsylvania police criminal complaint. He initially gave them a fake ID, but when an officer asked Mangione whether he had been to New York recently, he "became quiet and started to shake", the complaint says. When he pulled his mask down at officers' request, "we knew that was our guy," Officer Tyler Frye said. Images of Mangione released on Tuesday by Pennsylvania State Police showed him pulling down his mask in the corner of the McDonald's while holding what appeared to be hash browns and wearing a winter jacket and beanie. In another photo from a holding cell, he stood unsmiling with rumpled hair. New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Mangione was carrying a gun like the one used to kill Mr Thompson and the same fake ID the gunman had used to check into a New York hostel, along with a passport and other fraudulent IDs. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said Mangione also had a three-page, handwritten document that shows "some ill will toward corporate America". A law enforcement official who was not authorised to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the document included a line in which Mangione claimed to have acted alone. "To the Feds, I'll keep this short, because I do respect what you do for our country. To save you a lengthy investigation, I state plainly that I wasn't working with anyone," the document said, according to the official. It also had a line that said: "I do apologise for any strife or traumas but it had to be done. Frankly, these parasites simply had it coming." Pennsylvania prosecutor Peter Weeks said in court that Mangione was found with a passport and 10,000 dollars (£7,839) in cash, 2,000 dollars of it in foreign currency. Mangione disputed the amount. Mr Thompson was killed on Wednesday as he walked alone to a Manhattan hotel for an investor conference. Police quickly came to see the shooting as a targeted attack by a gunman who appeared to wait for Mr Thompson, came up behind him and fired a 9mm pistol. Investigators have said "delay," "deny" and "depose" were written on ammunition found near Mr Thompson's body. The words mimic "delay, deny, defend," a phrase used to criticise the insurance industry. From surveillance video, New York investigators determined the gunman quickly fled fled the city, likely by bus. A grandson of a wealthy, self-made real estate developer and philanthropist, Mangione is a cousin of a current Maryland state legislator. After his elite Baltimore prep school, he went on to earn undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science in 2020 from the University of Pennsylvania, a spokesperson said. "Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi's arrest," Mangione's family said in a statement posted on social media late Monday by his cousin, Nino Mangione. "We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved." From January to June 2022, Luigi Mangione lived at Surfbreak, a "co-living" space at the edge of Waikiki in Honolulu. Like other residents of the shared penthouse catering to remote workers, Mangione underwent a background check, said Josiah Ryan, a spokesperson for owner and founder RJ Martin. "Luigi was just widely considered to be a great guy. There were no complaints," Mr Ryan said. "There was no sign that might point to these alleged crimes they're saying he committed." At Surfbreak, Mr Martin learned Mangione had severe back pain from childhood that interfered with many aspects of his life, from surfing to romance, Ryan said. "He went surfing with RJ once but it didn't work out because of his back," Mr Ryan said, but noted that Mangione and Mr Martin often went together to a rock-climbing gym. Mangione left Surfbreak to get surgery on the mainland, Mr Ryan said, then later returned to Honolulu and rented an apartment. Mr Martin stopped hearing from Mangione six months to a year ago.