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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has released a proposed rule with the goal of protecting millions of workers from the significant health risks of extreme heat. If finalized, the proposed rule would help protect approximately 36 million workers in indoor and outdoor work settings and substantially reduce heat injuries, illnesses and deaths in the workplace. Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. Excessive workplace heat can lead to heat stroke and even death. While heat hazards impact workers in many industries, workers of color have a higher likelihood of working in jobs with hazardous heat exposure.  “Every…

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With just one day to go until the U.K. election, the candidates actually running to lead Britain were overshadowed by a blast from the past: former PM Boris Johnson. Johnson made a surprise appearance at a campaign rally in Chelsea for Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday night, taking aim at Labour Leader Keir Starmer and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage — and providing Tory spirits with a much-needed boost. But Johnson’s rock-star reception from the assembled party activists also provided an uncomfortable reality check for Sunak, whose appearance was well and truly overshadowed. The prime minister will stay in the…

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New Zealand shifted closer towards digital credentials for access to online services this week with the launch of the Trust Framework Authority. It will determine which organisations are verified to provide digital identity services. The digital ID scheme aims to ease transactions such as opening a bank account or accessing government services by moving identity verification away from physical documents. This has the potential to transform New Zealand’s digital economy, and Minister for Digitising Government Judith Collins has already suggested she wants to expand the government’s use of AI, including in health and education. But both the launch of the…

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At the outset of the Russian Presidency, let me put on record the UK’s strong view that all Council members – particularly permanent members, and even more so the Presidency of the Council – have a responsibility to uphold the principles of the Charter. We deplore the fact that Russia is shamefully failing to do that in Ukraine. I’d like to start by joining others in thanking the Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator, for your important work to alleviate the suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza including the focus on women and children.  They are still facing a devastating and…

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The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp to congratulate him on his new role as Foreign Minister.  Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Veldkamp discussed the strong transatlantic partnership between the United States and the Netherlands, and underscored their shared unwavering commitment to Ukraine, NATO, and critical technology cooperation. Source_link

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The U.S. Supreme Court has sent back to lower courts the decision about whether states can block social media companies such as Facebook and X, formerly Twitter, from regulating and controlling what users can post on their platforms. Laws in Florida and Texas sought to impose restrictions on the internal policies and algorithms of social media platforms in ways that influence which posts will be promoted and spread widely and which will be made less visible or even removed. In the unanimous decision, issued on July 1, 2024, the high court remanded the two cases, Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice…

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A new study sheds light on the critical role of patient education in managing cardiovascular diseases. Researchers examined the information needs of over 1,600 heart patients from diverse regions, revealing significant insights into the challenges faced by individuals dealing with heart-related issues. Cardiovascular diseases continue to impact millions of people worldwide. Patients who have lived through a cardiac event (such as a heart attack) often find themselves navigating a complex maze of symptoms, medications and lifestyle adjustments. Understanding the pivotal role of patient education in this journey, our international team of researchers sought to identify the specific information needs of…

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Classifying parties as populist Although experts generally agree that populist political leaders or parties display high levels of anti-elitism, definitions of populism vary. We use three measures to classify populist parties: anti-elite ratings from the 2019 Chapel Hill Expert Survey (CHES), Norris’ Global Party Survey and The PopuList. We define a party as populist when at least two of these three measures classify it as such.    CHES, which was conducted from February to May 2020, asked 421 political scientists specializing in political parties and European integration to evaluate the 2019 positions of 277 European political parties across all European Union…

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HOUSTON – A federal workplace inspection at a metal refinisher in Houston found the company exposing employees to more than 40 safety hazards with the potential to cause serious health concerns, including birth defects, respiratory disorders, cardiovascular disease and cancers.Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation in December 2023 at Outdoor Furniture Refinishing Inc., operating as Allied Powder Coating, and identified 39 serious violations and five other-than-serious violations of OSHA regulations. Agency inspectors found the company failed to use required engineering controls and respiratory protection to prevent health hazards related to triglycidyl isocyanurate, arsenic,…

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It took 223 days to get there. But the Dutch king on Tuesday gave his blessing to a new Cabinet — a formal but important final step in the formation of the most right-wing government in the country’s recent history. Dick Schoof, a former Dutch intelligence boss of no party alignment and who was not on the ballot in the November election, is replacing Mark Rutte as prime minister. As the party that gained the most votes, the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) got the first pick of ministers, claiming posts on asylum, infrastructure, economic affairs, foreign trade and health…

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