WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor welcomed former Secretary of Labor and current White House Senior Advisor Tom Perez, other federal officials, state paid leave administrators, researchers and other stakeholders to the department’s Washington headquarters on June 26, 2024, to discuss the latest research on paid family and medical leave and how these programs can be implemented equitably.Organized by the department’s Women’s Bureau, the “Paid Leave: Equity in Implementation” conference had an in-person and online audience of approximately 200. In conjunction with the conference, the Women’s Bureau released their latest paid leave issue brief of 2024.“Having a paid leave law on the books…
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Then there’s the fact that “Judeo-Christian” as a definition is also problematic for the religion it leaves out: Islam. Muslims are as native to Europe as Christians and have been an influential force across the Continent for centuries. In Iberia, Muslims developed a syncretic culture where Jews, Christians and Muslims lived in relative harmony. They introduced oranges, lemons, cotton and rice — the key ingredient in paella. But when the Christians took control of the peninsula, millions of Muslim Europeans were either killed, expelled or forced to convert. Still, even after their expulsion, Muslims left a profound influence on Spanish…
As has often been the case, Americans see myriad international threats affecting the well-being of the United States. Around seven-in-ten U.S. adults describe cyberattacks from other countries (71%) and the spread of misinformation online (70%) as major threats. And more than six-in-ten say the same about China’s power and influence (67%), Russia’s power and influence (64%) and the condition of the global economy (63%), according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Since March 2020, however, there have been some notable shifts in the issues that Americans see as major threats, according to the survey, which was conducted March 21-27,…
Nearly a quarter of countries used force to prevent religious gatherings during the pandemic; other government restrictions and social hostilities related to religion remained fairly stable A religious service is held outside St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Burwood, Australia, to comply with COVID-19 social distancing rules in March 2020. (Jenny Evans/Getty Images) For the latest data on government restrictions and social hostilities involving religion, read our report “Globally, Government Restrictions on Religion Reached Peak Levels in 2021, While Social Hostilities Went Down” and visit the interactive “Religious restrictions around the world.” In 2020, the year the COVID-19 pandemic took hold…
Government funding for science is usually immune from political gridlock and polarization in Congress. But, federal funding for science is slated to drop for 2025. Science research dollars are considered to be discretionary, which means the funding has to be approved by Congress every year. But it’s in a budget category with larger entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security that are generally considered untouchable by politicians of both parties. Federal investment in scientific research encompasses everything from large telescopes supported by the National Science Foundation to NASA satellites studying climate change, programs studying the use and governance of artificial…
Secretary General, Assistant Secretary General, ministers, delegates – friends. I am glad to join you today. The UK places huge value on our relationships across the Americas. Indeed, we are working closely together on the great global issues, including security, climate change and sustainable development. With so many areas of shared interest and endeavour, this Assembly is an opportunity to forge even stronger ties. When it comes to Argentina in particular, the Foreign Secretary and President Milei enjoyed a warm and cordial meeting at Davos earlier this year. They set out their support for a more constructive relationship between our…
Geneva, 27 June – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Netherlands have announced the launch of a new phase of the Cooperation on Migration and Partnership to Achieve Sustainable Solutions (COMPASS) program. Building on its achievements since 2021, COMPASS will continue its mission to guide safe migration while protecting and upholding migrants’ rights until the end of 2027. “This new phase marks a significant step towards our goal of creating profound systemic change for vulnerable migrants,” says Yitna Getachew, Director of IOM’s Protection Division (ai). “I am confident that the next…
Election integrity is back in the news as Canadian political party leaders react to an explosive report released by a top-secret parliamentary committee. Concerns about China interfering in Canadian elections emerged in February 2023. As a result, Justice Marie-Josée Hogue was tasked in September to lead a public inquiry on electoral integrity and foreign interference at the federal level. Provincial governments have been touched as well, with allegations resulting in the exit of Vincent Ke, a member of provincial parliament, from the Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus. Ke has denied any wrongdoing and is suing a news outlet for defamation. Less…
If you have no shelter and are arrested for sleeping outside, are you being punished for something you did – or for being homeless? On June 28, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court decided 6-3 that the Oregon city of Grants Pass may prohibit camping, even if there are no free shelter beds in the area. Critics have argued that this policy was a form of “cruel and unusual punishment,” in violation of the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. A lower court agreed, saying it is unconstitutional to arrest people for a normal and necessary human behavior – sleeping –…
She told the Aviva Stadium crowd: “I haven’t been able to play a show in Dublin for over five years.“Nobody does it like you, you know this.“People in the crowd should be winning awards for their performances, their facial expressions, their choreography.”The 34-year-old pop superstar emerged on a hidden platform at 7.15 pm to thunderous applause and screams.Swift introduced herself to the audience with an understated: “Oh, hi.”“Does anyone here happen to know the words?” she asked during Cruel Summer.Taylor said: “Dublin. This was wild. That made me feel amazing.“Tonight, I get to play a sold-out show in Dublin on…