The numbers suggest that Trump's support is pretty firm around the 42-45% mark. Good news is that the more he gets into legal trouble, the more that number becomes a ceiling rather than a floor.
Something that isn't mentioned very often amongst all these polls showing support for trump at alarming (to many) levels amongst Republicans..is that neither Republicans nor democrats decide american elections..
Those who pick the president are the third leg..the independents..
From memory registered Republicans are about 25% of voters…
(So trump's support is actually 40+% of 25% of actual voters..meh..!)
And he had his share of support from those independents when elected…but for some time now trump's support amongst independents has tanked…
So (to me) the idea of trump getting the republican nomination..is just another meh..!..and will guarantee a democrat+independents victory..
And all these media stories about trump's support are essentially alarmist bullshit-clickbait if used as a marker to him getting the job again.
(nb:..the above derives from my general knowledge/memories from studying the american political system..and I am just trying to tell those possibly fretting over those alarmist poll-squealings from the media…and the prospect of the orange clown getting another go…to just go meh..!..)
I thought Biden was an excellent candidate last time from everyone of either party who put their names forward. Repairing Trump's damage required someone with vast institutional knowledge, and Biden was the best person for that job in my view. Decades in the Senate and 8 years as VP is not exactly a common CV. Given the difficulties in Congress that are usually underappreciated by most, he's done about as much as anyone was likely to.
That said, the system is so different compared to here, you can't really compare them fairly. Conservative Christians are much bigger part of the electoral base than here, and the Republican Party decided to welcome them in decades ago. The country is huge and there are more powers and politics at city, county and state level, so the state parties are a lot more important than the regions are in NZ. Both major US parties have independent state parties, and often state politics means that US party is a pretty broad church with a lot more overlap than you would think from a presidential campaign.
If Democrats want to be electable in places like Utah or Texas, for example, they have to be closer to the Republican Party in those areas which means pretty conservative politics at the national level. In somewhere like Vermont where Bernie Sanders is one of their Senators, they have a Republican governor, but to get elected, he has to be closer to the local Democratic Party which means pretty liberal politics at the national level.
Ideally someone else could pick it up, but it's nearly unheard of for a current president to not be renominated if they put their name forward. https://time.com/5682760/incumbent-presidents-primary-challenges/ has the 5 occasions in the 234 years of presidencies – the most recent is Chester A Arthur in 1884. The only elected president not to be renominated after seeking reelection was Franklin Pierce in 1856 – the other 4 were Vice-Presidents who replaced presidents who had died during office.
What does it say about the GOP and it's rump base that the only candidate they can muster is a superannuiated sex offender and insurrectionist?
I read at salon.com that this ruling – and Trump's other upcoming legal problems – may act as a bizarre incentive to keep him in the presidential race, since the DOJ will always go softly softly on any presidential candidate.
Biden's unfavourability rating is almost entirely driven by concerns over his age, he moves like a very old man and he makes very old man mistakes when talking. As long as his campaign can assure voters he is up to the job he'll easily defeat Trump.
Luxon has just ruled out working with the Maori Party on ZB.
Whatever anyone says about the decision, I don't think there is any doubt it is a politically astute move.
Given that Labour is not really in a position where it can do the same, there is a fairly clear choice for voters now. Especially since there is quite a furore over co-governance at the moment.
Don't know about "astute". Blind Freddy could see that it's the best thing to say – because irritation with TMP and Maori more generally is a core characteristic of your base. And also present at lower intensities outside your base.
Haven't heard anybody ask Luxon if John Key was therefore wrong to work with TMP during his term in office. Luxon would most likely warble away about circumstances bring different back then – at which point a decent interviewer would nail him to the floor by asking "so if circumstances change you might work with them?' Then the vacuous, prattling burbler would cut to his prepared script about "wasteful spending" as a way of escape – and a decent interviewer would cut him short. But hey, journalists, who needs real ones?
Haven't heard anybody ask Luxon if John Key was therefore wrong to work with TMP during his term in office.
I guess you have to take the politics of each situation in its context. I think what Key did was a forward thinking move at the time. He didn't actually need TMP when elected. But could see that having them inside the tent could be useful in future elections where he might need their support.
In this case, I have my doubts that TMP would go with National anyway even if that option was available. So, I don't think there is too much downside for National in ruling them out. And, the politics of the situation are that Labour really can't afford to do the same. So, I think TMP has become a bit of a ball and chain for Labour now.
It will be interesting to see if National will rule NZ First out as well. This could really mess with voter's heads if they have to consider National/Act versus a possible Labour/Greens/TMP/NZ First coalition.
And the answer to that question is "If the circumstances change, of course I might change with them. If TMP's leadership and policies were to change, then there is a chance to talk with them. But under the current circumstances – we are ruling them out."
I think TMP is a lot more radical than it was back in the Key times as well.
I think in the end this will be bad for them. Because, it will end up making them politically untouchable so long as there is wide spread resistance amongst voters to the co-governance concept.
So, if National wins this time around, I think Labour will have to rule out TMP in future elections due to a coalition involving TMP being seen as politically toxic for centre voters.
So, they may well end up having a presence in parliament, but never being in the position to achieve anything for their cause.
It will be interesting to see if National rules out NZ First as well. NZ First have already ruled out Labour. So, if National rules out NZ First, then there isn't much point in a protest vote to NZ First. Especially since National has already stolen NZ First's thunder by ruling out TMP.
Not much choice really, TMP base left them before because they supported National too much, to the degree that TMP lost all their MPs. Politically, TMP aren't really in a position to support National on much other than case-by-case legislation.
That is why I think ruling NZ First out is also a good idea. As I said, NZ First has ruled out Labour. So, if National rules out NZ First, there isn't any point voting for them.
Oh well, maybe the cholesterol overload will get to Mr Hoggard before he does too much damage! Bacon & eggs for breakfast, T-bone & chips for lunch, Roasted home kill beast for dinner…
Fed Farmers and their members have long been the filthiest of the dirty filthy tories when it comes down to it–profiting most of all from stolen and dubiously acquired land. They are in denial of post colonial fallout as they pour nitrates into the nation’s waterways via animal excretions from over fertilised industrial dairying operations.
For a Fed Farmers person to go ACT shows the desperation, the profitability crisis–plus they need cheap migrant labour and cruel live animal exporting and mud bog “winter farming” to keep their rate of profit up. Farmers crisis is a capitalist crisis.
It would be great to see the progressive farmer and horticulture groups coalesce together more often. Federated Farmers don't represent all farmers, and I sneakily suspect they don't represent a majority of them.
But we won't find that out until more progressive producers are prepared to poke their head above the parapet to face the next version of Howl of a Protest.
Fed Farmers is being outflanked on the right by Groundswell, which poses huge problems for the historic alliance between farmers and urban business that is the foundation of the National party.
The self-radicalisation of the right means there is a real possibility of ACT/Groundswell vying to replace National/Fed Farmers as the majoritry right wing political rural/urban alliance.
We have already seen chaos in Auckland resulting from climate change. And we can see the Nat-ACT boys intend to do nothing about emissions but whistle in the dark and wait for technology to turn up that will allow their farming & business backers to carry on exactly as they are – plus (maybe) some piss-weak concessions to adaptation.
When we see those things, it's completely clear who the real coalition of chaos is.
Well, the right don't like compromise or community, and see that as communism, so no real surprise that they and you? don't like listening to differing points of view.
They describe, by creating the "chaos" meme, any MMP coalition of 'other' groups, which are not Nats or Act.
Luxon thinks we only have one vote apparently, when clearly under MMP we have two.
There is a disconnect from community showing and a whiff of ‘my way’.imo.
My partner says that there are growers and farmers that are more 21st century and pro environment but they tend to be smaller producers, and some of them do get covered on the venerable “Country Calendar” these days. I have met a number in the Far North, which is a smallish, long geographic area when we do local markets so not so many baddies perhaps up here. But mid North down…
Not the first Fed worthy to have a go with ACT. Don Nicolson was ACT candidate in Clutha Southland in 2011 and 2014. He was #3 on ACT list in 2011 and #5 in 2014.
In both elections Nicolson's personal vote far exceeded ACT's party vote in the electorate.
OK it's a very different ACT party now but I think this illustrates that coming from a Fed Farmers presidency doesn't automatically translate to general election success.
Doubtful Hoggard could be as barking as Nicolson. But ya never know…
09:11, Jun 30 2011
Powerful people are manipulating us for their own ends, Don Nicolson believes. And the only way to defeat them is to allow free enterprise to have free rein.
The retiring president of Federated Farmers is convinced New Zealand is a victim of international job-creation schemes.
"There are senior people who absolutely know what they're doing," he says. "They've created industries by building complexity into everything. Every time they write something down – when it goes from the head to the paper – that's when we're lost."
Remember, tankies, a falling out between thieves delivered the USSR as an accidental ally to the West. Stalin had happily allied with Hitler to over run and divvy up large parts of Eastern Europe and provided fuel and raw materials for Hitler's invasions of Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France, Yugoslavia, Greece, and the fuel to bomb London.
Anti Sovietism remains the territory of vacillators and cowards. Much of the world would be have been “eating Bratwurst for breakfast” if not for the Russian people and their allies of WWII.
I'm sure tens of millions of Eastern Europeans were grateful to endure the controlling oppression, forced migration, and ethnic/cultural erasure imposed on them by their post-war colonisers.
You cannot understand why Victory Day is the most significant secular holiday in Russia without getting a sense of just how much the Soviet Union lost in the Nazi-Soviet War.
And the Ukrainians suffered more than most as they were living in the area that much of the fighting took place in and which was occupied for a couple of years by the Nazis.
Hitler started off by attacking Russia. I don't think he was thinking of attacking the British and French until Chamberlain declared war. The pact with Russia came about because he realized he would have deal with Western Europe first. Stalin probably went along with it because the respite gave him a chance sort out his own defenses. He probably guessed that Hitler would probably renege.
Theinvasion of Poland(1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet Union; which marked the beginning of World War II.
Great news from Bakhmut, the Ulrainian 3rd Assault Brigade has apparently countrer-attacked and driven the Russians back 2.6km on a 3km front, a big advance in the context of the fighting there.
I mentioned the unit because it is a very interesting and a very powerful one. Formed from Azov units it is basically a fully mechanised reinforced brigade of three infantry and one tank battalion plus one each of an artillery, drone, and combat engineer battalion.
Twitter video shows close tank/infantry coooperation in a combined arms assault, which indicates the unit has benefited from western training. There are heaps and heaps of dead Russians in the imagery. Just lately a lot of video and still imagery showing very large numbers of Russian KIA have been showing up online, perhaps indicating the Ukrainians are not only inflicting very heavy losses on the Russian forces but defeating them as well and seizing/retaining control of the battle zone.
If one well trained and equipped brigade can rout the Wagner forces so thoroughly in a local counter-attack, that has got to be an encouraging sign.
Read something awhile ago about a NATO peer to peer based estimate that Poots needs 1900 troops /kilometre to hold a fortified front against mechanised and tank divisions that can choose to attack anywhere along the 800 kilometre front.
The Russian have built multiple lines of defense in the occupied regions along the expected axis of any Ukrainian offensive. These lines are very formidable, consisting of minefileds, strongpoints, anti-tank ditches, dragons teeth, and extensive earthworks. They don't need to be well manned, just have enough men to act as a speed bump to buy time for mobile reserves and force multipliers – especially Russian airpower, which the Ukrainians have no answer – to intervene.
The issue for the Russians is manpower. To effectively defend against an attack that the Ukrainians are looking like putting together requires sufficient manpower in an area of the frontlines of 30 km of around 50 to 90 thousand troops. They can do this in upward of 90 to 100 km of the front. Unfortunately for them they need to do so for 500 km unless they pick exactly the spot the Ukrainians will focus upon.
" These lines are very formidable, consisting of minefields, strongpoints, anti-tank ditches, dragons teeth, and extensive earthworks. They don't need to be well manned, just have enough men to act as a speed bump to buy time for mobile reserves and force multipliers"
That sounds rather like the French intentions when they built the Maginot line back before WW 2. How did that work out?
Nothing like the Maginot line, a closer analogy would be the field works built by the Soviets at Kursk or possibly the Hindenburg line in WW1. The difference with Kursk is the Soviets deployed 1,900,000 men over a 260km front, and the Hindenburg line was 140km long and manned by 20 divisions, around 350-400,000 men.
Yes, I saw that. Some rather graphic footage. But, good to see the success.
I have thought for awhile that Bakhmut would be a good place to launch a counter offensive for several reasons:
Firstly, the Russians are on attack, so won't tend to be as well dug in.
Secondly, there is a good chance for Ukraine to do a pincer movement by attacking from either side of the flanks, and effectively encircling a lot of Russian and Wagner soldiers.
Update: this Ukrainian attack saw the combat debut of the Bradley IFV. At least a pair of them were involved and the destroyed at least four BMPs with ease. The BMP is completely outclassed by the Bradley.
Australian doctors in private practice may come under pressure to cease involvement in medicalised gender change of minors following a landmark insurance decision that stresses the significant risk of litigation.
“In response to the high risk of claims arising from irreversible treatments provided to those who medically and surgically transition as children and adolescents, [medical indemnity insurer] MDA National is restricting cover for practitioners in private practice,” the insurer says in an email to members with this exposure.
No payment
The MDA National email to doctors seeing gender dysphoric youth says: “[From July 1, we] will not cover you or make a payment when the claim against you arises in any way out of your assessment that a patient under the age of 18 years is suitable for gender transition.”
The insurer, which has 54,000 health professional members, also says it will no longer cover doctors if they face a claim after “initiating prescribing of gender affirming hormones for any patient under the age of 18 years.
The risks to the insurer are completely different to any medical risks to the people treated by private physicians. The insurer’s decision was purely commercial and protecting the business, if that’s what you mean with “objectively”.
They are socialising the losses/risks to state-funded clinics and hospitals. It is purely a commercial decision. In Oregon, they went the other way, as per the article.
well, yes, obviously the insurance company's motivation is commercial, but the basis for that decision is complex and important social and medical issues. There's an irony in insurance companies reigning in the excesses of neoliberalism and the overmedicalisation of teens and children. Likewise with climate.
In Oregon the state is forcing insurers to provide cover for medical procedures. In Australia the insurer is withdrawing cover for surgeons if they are involved in claims from surgery that leaves detrans people with permanent disability (sued or prosecuted, I'm unclear from the article). Two different kinds of insurance.
The former is ideological against evidence and safe practice. Good to see detransition surgery covered, but it's pretty fucked up to enforce a questionable system and then pay for remedial surgery to try and mitigate the entirely predictable mistakes and damage. My guess is the state is overriding the insurance sector's commercial motivations.
The latter is the insurance company having watched what is happening with both detrans legal cases internationally, as well as research.
I think that both Molly and you are conflating different types of risks involved in medical transition for minors. The insurer's decision is based on the risk of legal liability for potential claims arising from unhappy or harmed patients who may sue for malpractice or negligence. This risk is influenced by the strength of evidence for the safety and efficacy of the treatments, the quality of informed consent obtained from the patients and their parents, and the availability of alternative options for addressing gender dysphoria. The insurer's decision is not based on the risk of medical harm to the patients themselves, which is a separate issue that should be evaluated by qualified health professionals on a case-by-case basis.
You also said that Oregon is forcing insurers to provide cover for medical procedures, but this is not entirely correct. The State of Oregon is requiring insurers to cover gender-affirming treatments that are deemed medically necessary by a health care provider, which may include cosmetic services or revisions to prior treatments. This does not mean that insurers have to cover any procedure that a patient requests, but rather that they have to follow the professional judgment of the provider. This is different from Australia, where the insurer is withdrawing cover for doctors who assess or initiate gender transition for patients under 18, regardless of their professional judgment or the hospital setting. In effect, the Australian insurer is removing the ability of doctors to act on sound clinical judgement.
Yes, I agree with you that there is an irony in insurance companies reigning in the excesses of neoliberalism and the over-medicalisation of teens and children, but I also think that there is a danger in relying on insurance companies to determine the standard of care for complex and controversial medical issues. Insurance companies are not neutral judges of scientific evidence or ethical principles; they are profit-driven entities that may have ulterior motives or conflicts of interest. They may also be influenced by political or social pressures, such as transphobic backlash or litigation threats. It seems to me that this might be another cynical ploy in yet another culture war (or is it just one big one?), which is why some appear to be rejoicing at this decision. Only more independent research and better guidelines for health professionals and patients is going to lead to better options for treatment, which includes psychological treatment.
We've seen this with earthquake cover in Wellington, where properties are unable to get cover, if they are not up to Govt standards. It's an issue with apartments in particular (the complication of strata title, as well as costs being beyond the ability of some residents to pay).
We're starting to see it with climate risk insurance.
And, IMO, the sooner the better. Wealthy people can strong-arm the council with constant legal challenges to get to build what they want to, where they want to. They have no leverage over insurers. If they don't find the risk acceptable, they won't touch it with a barge pole.
Fair enough. Sensible…..enforces, hopefully, a period of what I call 'watchful waiting' until the person is 18 & over. The rush to transition and also the 'contagion' whereby groups of younger ones find a need to transition may abate by that stage with the move to new friends, moving on, time…….
To me it doesn't matter how a slow down occurs, whether by sensible society moves or by a withdrawing of insurance cover as long as the current madness is slowed.
Quote from the article
‘A physician who follows the gender clinic controversy told GCN he believed “this whole treatment area [of medicalised gender change for minors] has gone ahead without adequate evidence of, firstly, efficacy, and, secondly, safety’.
There is good dicussion in the article about the concept that this withdrawal of cover may force the consideration of requests to a multi group of specialists in a hospital setting. This can often include psychiatric help which has been lacking up until now.
Jordan Peterson who has not been my flavour of the month, has really risen in my estimation with his interviews drawing on his professional knowledge of the mental health and consent aspects.
The insurer is simply cutting its business risks it’s exposed to, it says so in the article. Anyway:
“We consider it appropriate that the assessment and initial prescribing for patients transitioning under the age of 18 years occurs with the support and management of a multi-disciplinary team in a hospital setting.”
[…]
If MDA National stands firm against any transgender activist backlash, and the remaining medical indemnity funds adopt similar carve-outs, the effect would be to concentrate the legal risk in state-funded children’s hospital gender clinics.
[…]
There is no good Australian data on the extent of medical transition of minors in the private health sector, but specialist gender clinics in public children’s hospitals have long waiting lists, and trans rights activists have campaigned to mainstream hormonal interventions through local family doctors and hospitals.
Your hopeful wish for 'watchful waiting' might be granted, especially when other insurers follow suit.
Yes the business is cutting its risks and you could say that this is because gender affirmation by chemicals designed to treat prostate cancer etcplus cross hormones, or 'heroic' ((meaning anything but) surgery as penises are fashioned out of forearms, made into vaginas, unnecessary hysterectomies and breast removals are done) is a risky business without much of a scientific or medical backing behind it.
The company would have thin grounds on which to support a member who may be taken to court.
To me it does not matter where the stopping comes from….having insurers cut back on costs for claiming and meeting litigation costs cases & the consequent restricting of access is as good a way as any.
There is no good Australian data on the extent of medical transition of minors in the private health sector,
Actually there is a lack of data, full stop, worldwide let alone 'good' data. An example is in Sweden which has pulled back on hormonal interventions…
Following a comprehensive review of evidence, the NBHW concluded that the evidence base for hormonal interventions for gender-dysphoric youth is of low quality, and that hormonal treatments may carry risks.
…
In light of above limitations in the evidence base, the ongoing identity formation in youth, and in view of the fact that gender transition has pervasive and lifelong consequences, the NBHW has concluded that, at present, the risks of hormonal interventions for gender dysphoric youth outweigh the potential benefits.
Teachers grew particularly alarmed early this year when word spread that Ken Witt, the new superintendent, did not plan to reapply for grants that covered the salaries of counselors and social workers.
At Gateway Elementary School in March, Witt told staff members he prioritized academic achievement, not students’ emotions. “We are not the department of health and human services,” he said, as teachers angrily objected, according to two recordings of the meeting made by staff members and shared with NBC News.
Someone in the meeting asked if taxpayers would get a say in these changes, and Witt said that they already did — when they elected the school board.
Not surprising the Bible makes an appearance in that particular little corner of looneyville. The surprise is the district superintendent is Ken Witt. 'Frank' would've suited him better then he officially could have been 'F Witt.'
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Both of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General,John Ryan, has joined the ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah SpengemanPeople wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...
The infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...
Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...
Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...
Feel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...
Michael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...
Without a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...
In our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...
A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...
The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...
Introduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...
Introduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...
Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...
Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...
Your car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...
In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the RuleIf you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...
Mazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...
Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...
Car registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...
Zoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...
Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...
Sleep mode is a power-saving state that allows your computer to quickly resume operation without having to boot up from scratch. This can be useful if you need to step away from your computer for a short period of time but don’t want to shut it down completely. There are ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
A significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...
New Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...
Today’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...
Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...
A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...
Scout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...
Megan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...
A new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...
Newsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...
Tara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs.This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...
Working as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...
There’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...
Asia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...
Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...
Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...
Opinion by Lynley Hood. Forty years on from my 1985 Fulbright Grant, my disquiet over the war in Gaza evoked some troubling questions. The answer to my first question – What is the primary purpose of the Fulbright Programme? – was on the Fulbright NZ website. It says: US Senator, ...
The ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis.AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...
A brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...
A poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.AUCKLAND1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38)A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...
The Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes.Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, ParramattaPhoto: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...
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Now that Trump has been found by a jury to be guilty of sexual assault, will Biden look any more attractive as a candidate?
Bidens polls are so so bad, can there be any upside or is MAGA contingent largely immovable?
The numbers suggest that Trump's support is pretty firm around the 42-45% mark. Good news is that the more he gets into legal trouble, the more that number becomes a ceiling rather than a floor.
Something that isn't mentioned very often amongst all these polls showing support for trump at alarming (to many) levels amongst Republicans..is that neither Republicans nor democrats decide american elections..
Those who pick the president are the third leg..the independents..
From memory registered Republicans are about 25% of voters…
(So trump's support is actually 40+% of 25% of actual voters..meh..!)
And he had his share of support from those independents when elected…but for some time now trump's support amongst independents has tanked…
So (to me) the idea of trump getting the republican nomination..is just another meh..!..and will guarantee a democrat+independents victory..
And all these media stories about trump's support are essentially alarmist bullshit-clickbait if used as a marker to him getting the job again.
(nb:..the above derives from my general knowledge/memories from studying the american political system..and I am just trying to tell those possibly fretting over those alarmist poll-squealings from the media…and the prospect of the orange clown getting another go…to just go meh..!..)
I am actually more alarmed by de santis…and would rather trump than that piece of work..
I just can't get my head around US politics. Given the population of the US, is Trump and Biden really the best they can find to lead their country?
And Trump looks like he is going to run for the Republicans again even though most polls suggest he will lose. It just doesn't make sense.
I would rank any of our leaders from either party over the last 20 years as far superior to those who the US have put up in recent times..
I thought Biden was an excellent candidate last time from everyone of either party who put their names forward. Repairing Trump's damage required someone with vast institutional knowledge, and Biden was the best person for that job in my view. Decades in the Senate and 8 years as VP is not exactly a common CV. Given the difficulties in Congress that are usually underappreciated by most, he's done about as much as anyone was likely to.
That said, the system is so different compared to here, you can't really compare them fairly. Conservative Christians are much bigger part of the electoral base than here, and the Republican Party decided to welcome them in decades ago. The country is huge and there are more powers and politics at city, county and state level, so the state parties are a lot more important than the regions are in NZ. Both major US parties have independent state parties, and often state politics means that US party is a pretty broad church with a lot more overlap than you would think from a presidential campaign.
If Democrats want to be electable in places like Utah or Texas, for example, they have to be closer to the Republican Party in those areas which means pretty conservative politics at the national level. In somewhere like Vermont where Bernie Sanders is one of their Senators, they have a Republican governor, but to get elected, he has to be closer to the local Democratic Party which means pretty liberal politics at the national level.
Biden, maybe…. But again? He is struggling now with what appears to be the onset of dementia. How will he be at the end of another term?
Ideally someone else could pick it up, but it's nearly unheard of for a current president to not be renominated if they put their name forward. https://time.com/5682760/incumbent-presidents-primary-challenges/ has the 5 occasions in the 234 years of presidencies – the most recent is Chester A Arthur in 1884. The only elected president not to be renominated after seeking reelection was Franklin Pierce in 1856 – the other 4 were Vice-Presidents who replaced presidents who had died during office.
As long as he remembers he is running, I guess.
Biden speaks at White House Correspondents' Dinner Apr 30 2023
Hardly senile. Start from about 6.30, the earlier part is about detained journalists. Well worth the watch.
Sorry, the link got stuffed up somehow. Biden speaks at WH Correspondents' dinner.
I feel you get a good measure of Biden as he works the crowd.
Immovable. Trump can do what he likes and the Ginni Thomas brigade will support him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onkrMT4wuJk
What does it say about the GOP and it's rump base that the only candidate they can muster is a superannuiated sex offender and insurrectionist?
I read at salon.com that this ruling – and Trump's other upcoming legal problems – may act as a bizarre incentive to keep him in the presidential race, since the DOJ will always go softly softly on any presidential candidate.
Biden's unfavourability rating is almost entirely driven by concerns over his age, he moves like a very old man and he makes very old man mistakes when talking. As long as his campaign can assure voters he is up to the job he'll easily defeat Trump.
Then roll on AOC for a tilt?
What are your thoughts on Robert F. Kennedy Jr?
Evidence that not even Camelot can escape the Hapsburg jaw turning up eventually.
Heh…!
Perfect, ha ha apart from the fact that he is a mad anti vaxxer and member of the so-called Disinformation Dozen.
https://counterhate.com/research/the-disinformation-dozen/
Who knows what other stuff he supports.
The jaw may not have 'Hapsburged' but the mind is not on a par with either JFK or RJK.
His supporters will be
He didn't do it, and if he did do it, it was her fault, and what about Hunter Biden's laptop?
Luxon has just ruled out working with the Maori Party on ZB.
Whatever anyone says about the decision, I don't think there is any doubt it is a politically astute move.
Given that Labour is not really in a position where it can do the same, there is a fairly clear choice for voters now. Especially since there is quite a furore over co-governance at the moment.
The turnout number will be of interest…I suspect it will be particularly low
Don't know about "astute". Blind Freddy could see that it's the best thing to say – because irritation with TMP and Maori more generally is a core characteristic of your base. And also present at lower intensities outside your base.
Haven't heard anybody ask Luxon if John Key was therefore wrong to work with TMP during his term in office. Luxon would most likely warble away about circumstances bring different back then – at which point a decent interviewer would nail him to the floor by asking "so if circumstances change you might work with them?' Then the vacuous, prattling burbler would cut to his prepared script about "wasteful spending" as a way of escape – and a decent interviewer would cut him short. But hey, journalists, who needs real ones?
I guess you have to take the politics of each situation in its context. I think what Key did was a forward thinking move at the time. He didn't actually need TMP when elected. But could see that having them inside the tent could be useful in future elections where he might need their support.
In this case, I have my doubts that TMP would go with National anyway even if that option was available. So, I don't think there is too much downside for National in ruling them out. And, the politics of the situation are that Labour really can't afford to do the same. So, I think TMP has become a bit of a ball and chain for Labour now.
It will be interesting to see if National will rule NZ First out as well. This could really mess with voter's heads if they have to consider National/Act versus a possible Labour/Greens/TMP/NZ First coalition.
Unfortunately I think it's more than likely the tpm will gift the election to nact. They're coming across as pretty radical
And the answer to that question is "If the circumstances change, of course I might change with them. If TMP's leadership and policies were to change, then there is a chance to talk with them. But under the current circumstances – we are ruling them out."
Simples.
Which allows follow-up questions – "Which leaders and policies do you object to" etc. etc. However it ends, you get a decent interview.
I think TMP is a lot more radical than it was back in the Key times as well.
I think in the end this will be bad for them. Because, it will end up making them politically untouchable so long as there is wide spread resistance amongst voters to the co-governance concept.
So, if National wins this time around, I think Labour will have to rule out TMP in future elections due to a coalition involving TMP being seen as politically toxic for centre voters.
So, they may well end up having a presence in parliament, but never being in the position to achieve anything for their cause.
It will be interesting to see if National rules out NZ First as well. NZ First have already ruled out Labour. So, if National rules out NZ First, then there isn't much point in a protest vote to NZ First. Especially since National has already stolen NZ First's thunder by ruling out TMP.
Not much choice really, TMP base left them before because they supported National too much, to the degree that TMP lost all their MPs. Politically, TMP aren't really in a position to support National on much other than case-by-case legislation.
How strange for Luxon to be so decisive. Maybe there was no fence available for him to sit on?
Pretty slack for a man with potentially 21 boundries.
I just hope NZF gets 4.9 %-all right wing votes wasted because Peters has made it plain he will go with Luxon.
That is why I think ruling NZ First out is also a good idea. As I said, NZ First has ruled out Labour. So, if National rules out NZ First, there isn't any point voting for them.
Fed Farmers go ACT…
https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/300873696/from-fed-farmers-to-act-party-andrew-hoggard-goes-into-politics
Oh well, maybe the cholesterol overload will get to Mr Hoggard before he does too much damage! Bacon & eggs for breakfast, T-bone & chips for lunch, Roasted home kill beast for dinner…
Fed Farmers and their members have long been the filthiest of the dirty filthy tories when it comes down to it–profiting most of all from stolen and dubiously acquired land. They are in denial of post colonial fallout as they pour nitrates into the nation’s waterways via animal excretions from over fertilised industrial dairying operations.
For a Fed Farmers person to go ACT shows the desperation, the profitability crisis–plus they need cheap migrant labour and cruel live animal exporting and mud bog “winter farming” to keep their rate of profit up. Farmers crisis is a capitalist crisis.
It would be great to see the progressive farmer and horticulture groups coalesce together more often. Federated Farmers don't represent all farmers, and I sneakily suspect they don't represent a majority of them.
But we won't find that out until more progressive producers are prepared to poke their head above the parapet to face the next version of Howl of a Protest.
Fed Farmers is being outflanked on the right by Groundswell, which poses huge problems for the historic alliance between farmers and urban business that is the foundation of the National party.
The self-radicalisation of the right means there is a real possibility of ACT/Groundswell vying to replace National/Fed Farmers as the majoritry right wing political rural/urban alliance.
How bleak is that?
Not nearly as bleak as the coalition of chaos mustering on the left.
Thats right, because as they like to constantly remind us, the right always prefers the jackboot of Fascism to the messiness of democracy.
We have already seen chaos in Auckland resulting from climate change. And we can see the Nat-ACT boys intend to do nothing about emissions but whistle in the dark and wait for technology to turn up that will allow their farming & business backers to carry on exactly as they are – plus (maybe) some piss-weak concessions to adaptation.
When we see those things, it's completely clear who the real coalition of chaos is.
Well, the right don't like compromise or community, and see that as communism, so no real surprise that they and you? don't like listening to differing points of view.
They describe, by creating the "chaos" meme, any MMP coalition of 'other' groups, which are not Nats or Act.
Luxon thinks we only have one vote apparently, when clearly under MMP we have two.
There is a disconnect from community showing and a whiff of ‘my way’.imo.
My partner says that there are growers and farmers that are more 21st century and pro environment but they tend to be smaller producers, and some of them do get covered on the venerable “Country Calendar” these days. I have met a number in the Far North, which is a smallish, long geographic area when we do local markets so not so many baddies perhaps up here. But mid North down…
Not the first Fed worthy to have a go with ACT. Don Nicolson was ACT candidate in Clutha Southland in 2011 and 2014. He was #3 on ACT list in 2011 and #5 in 2014.
At an electorate level Nicolson got 796 votes, Tat Loo (Lab) got 5207, Bill cleaned up at 21,327. The same happened in 2014 with Todd Barclay as Nat candidate.
In both elections Nicolson's personal vote far exceeded ACT's party vote in the electorate.
OK it's a very different ACT party now but I think this illustrates that coming from a Fed Farmers presidency doesn't automatically translate to general election success.
Doubtful Hoggard could be as barking as Nicolson. But ya never know…
09:11, Jun 30 2011
Powerful people are manipulating us for their own ends, Don Nicolson believes. And the only way to defeat them is to allow free enterprise to have free rein.
The retiring president of Federated Farmers is convinced New Zealand is a victim of international job-creation schemes.
"There are senior people who absolutely know what they're doing," he says. "They've created industries by building complexity into everything. Every time they write something down – when it goes from the head to the paper – that's when we're lost."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/5211126/Free-enterprise-cooks-up-a-tasty-stew
Tat loo, wonder where he's at now, ??
Remember, tankies, a falling out between thieves delivered the USSR as an accidental ally to the West. Stalin had happily allied with Hitler to over run and divvy up large parts of Eastern Europe and provided fuel and raw materials for Hitler's invasions of Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France, Yugoslavia, Greece, and the fuel to bomb London.
Anton Shekhovtsov ✚
@A_SHEKH0VTS0V
“Victory day” in Russia, celebrating the Soviet occupation of half of Europe
https://twitter.com/A_SHEKH0VTS0V/status/1655823472533045249
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2F90c165b4-1438-11eb-bca5-e85774a5f3b9.jpg?crop=3825%2C2152%2C141%2C258
Anti Sovietism remains the territory of vacillators and cowards. Much of the world would be have been “eating Bratwurst for breakfast” if not for the Russian people and their allies of WWII.
I'm sure tens of millions of Eastern Europeans were grateful to endure the controlling oppression, forced migration, and ethnic/cultural erasure imposed on them by their post-war colonisers.
.
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1523688487265787906.html
It's a bit of a bastard when things don't work out quite the way you thought they would, eh.
And the Ukrainians suffered more than most as they were living in the area that much of the fighting took place in and which was occupied for a couple of years by the Nazis.
Stalin genocided 5 million Ukrainians in the early 1930s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor
Not that they thank the US that provided Russia with vast amounts of equipment including over 11000 planes and 6000 tanks.
And for all that ant-Nazi talk from Russia, the Russians were very cosy with the Nazis at the start of the war.
When you mention allies of the Russian people do you mean Ukrainians?
Hitler started off by attacking Russia. I don't think he was thinking of attacking the British and French until Chamberlain declared war. The pact with Russia came about because he realized he would have deal with Western Europe first. Stalin probably went along with it because the respite gave him a chance sort out his own defenses. He probably guessed that Hitler would probably renege.
Hitler started off by attacking Russia.
You should do a little reading, friend.
The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet Union; which marked the beginning of World War II.
Great news from Bakhmut, the Ulrainian 3rd Assault Brigade has apparently countrer-attacked and driven the Russians back 2.6km on a 3km front, a big advance in the context of the fighting there.
I mentioned the unit because it is a very interesting and a very powerful one. Formed from Azov units it is basically a fully mechanised reinforced brigade of three infantry and one tank battalion plus one each of an artillery, drone, and combat engineer battalion.
Twitter video shows close tank/infantry coooperation in a combined arms assault, which indicates the unit has benefited from western training. There are heaps and heaps of dead Russians in the imagery. Just lately a lot of video and still imagery showing very large numbers of Russian KIA have been showing up online, perhaps indicating the Ukrainians are not only inflicting very heavy losses on the Russian forces but defeating them as well and seizing/retaining control of the battle zone.
If one well trained and equipped brigade can rout the Wagner forces so thoroughly in a local counter-attack, that has got to be an encouraging sign.
US Imperialist and NATO backed…
Great news from Bakhmut indeed, and given UA has been conservative in releasing information, potentially even better news than it seems
Read something awhile ago about a NATO peer to peer based estimate that Poots needs 1900 troops /kilometre to hold a fortified front against mechanised and tank divisions that can choose to attack anywhere along the 800 kilometre front.
The Russian have built multiple lines of defense in the occupied regions along the expected axis of any Ukrainian offensive. These lines are very formidable, consisting of minefileds, strongpoints, anti-tank ditches, dragons teeth, and extensive earthworks. They don't need to be well manned, just have enough men to act as a speed bump to buy time for mobile reserves and force multipliers – especially Russian airpower, which the Ukrainians have no answer – to intervene.
The outcome is not certain at all.
The issue for the Russians is manpower. To effectively defend against an attack that the Ukrainians are looking like putting together requires sufficient manpower in an area of the frontlines of 30 km of around 50 to 90 thousand troops. They can do this in upward of 90 to 100 km of the front. Unfortunately for them they need to do so for 500 km unless they pick exactly the spot the Ukrainians will focus upon.
I thought Ukraine should ask the Finnish if they could enter Russia via Karelia – encircle St Petersburg – and then negotiate.
Well, the Fins did oblige NATO with another 1,340 kilometers of border to encircle Russia…
" These lines are very formidable, consisting of minefields, strongpoints, anti-tank ditches, dragons teeth, and extensive earthworks. They don't need to be well manned, just have enough men to act as a speed bump to buy time for mobile reserves and force multipliers"
That sounds rather like the French intentions when they built the Maginot line back before WW 2. How did that work out?
Nothing like the Maginot line, a closer analogy would be the field works built by the Soviets at Kursk or possibly the Hindenburg line in WW1. The difference with Kursk is the Soviets deployed 1,900,000 men over a 260km front, and the Hindenburg line was 140km long and manned by 20 divisions, around 350-400,000 men.
Yes, I saw that. Some rather graphic footage. But, good to see the success.
I have thought for awhile that Bakhmut would be a good place to launch a counter offensive for several reasons:
Firstly, the Russians are on attack, so won't tend to be as well dug in.
Secondly, there is a good chance for Ukraine to do a pincer movement by attacking from either side of the flanks, and effectively encircling a lot of Russian and Wagner soldiers.
Update: this Ukrainian attack saw the combat debut of the Bradley IFV. At least a pair of them were involved and the destroyed at least four BMPs with ease. The BMP is completely outclassed by the Bradley.
Even if the medical establishment refrain from to doing so, eventually the insurance companies will objectively assess risk:
https://genderclinicnews.substack.com/p/exposed
The risks to the insurer are completely different to any medical risks to the people treated by private physicians. The insurer’s decision was purely commercial and protecting the business, if that’s what you mean with “objectively”.
kind of like with climate change. The insurance companies see the writing on the wall before the general public or the professions/industries.
They are socialising the losses/risks to state-funded clinics and hospitals. It is purely a commercial decision. In Oregon, they went the other way, as per the article.
well, yes, obviously the insurance company's motivation is commercial, but the basis for that decision is complex and important social and medical issues. There's an irony in insurance companies reigning in the excesses of neoliberalism and the overmedicalisation of teens and children. Likewise with climate.
In Oregon the state is forcing insurers to provide cover for medical procedures. In Australia the insurer is withdrawing cover for surgeons if they are involved in claims from surgery that leaves detrans people with permanent disability (sued or prosecuted, I'm unclear from the article). Two different kinds of insurance.
The former is ideological against evidence and safe practice. Good to see detransition surgery covered, but it's pretty fucked up to enforce a questionable system and then pay for remedial surgery to try and mitigate the entirely predictable mistakes and damage. My guess is the state is overriding the insurance sector's commercial motivations.
The latter is the insurance company having watched what is happening with both detrans legal cases internationally, as well as research.
I think that both Molly and you are conflating different types of risks involved in medical transition for minors. The insurer's decision is based on the risk of legal liability for potential claims arising from unhappy or harmed patients who may sue for malpractice or negligence. This risk is influenced by the strength of evidence for the safety and efficacy of the treatments, the quality of informed consent obtained from the patients and their parents, and the availability of alternative options for addressing gender dysphoria. The insurer's decision is not based on the risk of medical harm to the patients themselves, which is a separate issue that should be evaluated by qualified health professionals on a case-by-case basis.
You also said that Oregon is forcing insurers to provide cover for medical procedures, but this is not entirely correct. The State of Oregon is requiring insurers to cover gender-affirming treatments that are deemed medically necessary by a health care provider, which may include cosmetic services or revisions to prior treatments. This does not mean that insurers have to cover any procedure that a patient requests, but rather that they have to follow the professional judgment of the provider. This is different from Australia, where the insurer is withdrawing cover for doctors who assess or initiate gender transition for patients under 18, regardless of their professional judgment or the hospital setting. In effect, the Australian insurer is removing the ability of doctors to act on sound clinical judgement.
Yes, I agree with you that there is an irony in insurance companies reigning in the excesses of neoliberalism and the over-medicalisation of teens and children, but I also think that there is a danger in relying on insurance companies to determine the standard of care for complex and controversial medical issues. Insurance companies are not neutral judges of scientific evidence or ethical principles; they are profit-driven entities that may have ulterior motives or conflicts of interest. They may also be influenced by political or social pressures, such as transphobic backlash or litigation threats. It seems to me that this might be another cynical ploy in yet another culture war (or is it just one big one?), which is why some appear to be rejoicing at this decision. Only more independent research and better guidelines for health professionals and patients is going to lead to better options for treatment, which includes psychological treatment.
We've seen this with earthquake cover in Wellington, where properties are unable to get cover, if they are not up to Govt standards. It's an issue with apartments in particular (the complication of strata title, as well as costs being beyond the ability of some residents to pay).
We're starting to see it with climate risk insurance.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/opinion-analysis/131169361/owners-of-floodprone-homes-will-pay-more-for-insurance
And, IMO, the sooner the better. Wealthy people can strong-arm the council with constant legal challenges to get to build what they want to, where they want to. They have no leverage over insurers. If they don't find the risk acceptable, they won't touch it with a barge pole.
Fair enough. Sensible…..enforces, hopefully, a period of what I call 'watchful waiting' until the person is 18 & over. The rush to transition and also the 'contagion' whereby groups of younger ones find a need to transition may abate by that stage with the move to new friends, moving on, time…….
To me it doesn't matter how a slow down occurs, whether by sensible society moves or by a withdrawing of insurance cover as long as the current madness is slowed.
Quote from the article
‘A physician who follows the gender clinic controversy told GCN he believed “this whole treatment area [of medicalised gender change for minors] has gone ahead without adequate evidence of, firstly, efficacy, and, secondly, safety’.
There is good dicussion in the article about the concept that this withdrawal of cover may force the consideration of requests to a multi group of specialists in a hospital setting. This can often include psychiatric help which has been lacking up until now.
Jordan Peterson who has not been my flavour of the month, has really risen in my estimation with his interviews drawing on his professional knowledge of the mental health and consent aspects.
The insurer is simply cutting its business risks it’s exposed to, it says so in the article. Anyway:
Your hopeful wish for 'watchful waiting' might be granted, especially when other insurers follow suit.
Yes the business is cutting its risks and you could say that this is because gender affirmation by chemicals designed to treat prostate cancer etcplus cross hormones, or 'heroic' ((meaning anything but) surgery as penises are fashioned out of forearms, made into vaginas, unnecessary hysterectomies and breast removals are done) is a risky business without much of a scientific or medical backing behind it.
The company would have thin grounds on which to support a member who may be taken to court.
To me it does not matter where the stopping comes from….having insurers cut back on costs for claiming and meeting litigation costs cases & the consequent restricting of access is as good a way as any.
Actually there is a lack of data, full stop, worldwide let alone 'good' data. An example is in Sweden which has pulled back on hormonal interventions…
https://segm.org/segm-summary-sweden-prioritizes-therapy-curbs-hormones-for-gender-dysphoric-youth
…
I think Finland & France have too.
I'm no fan of Greenwald but this is damn tough.
Awe Glenn taku arohanui kia koe me to whanau i tenei pouritanga. Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/david-miranda-brazilian-congressman-and-husband-of-glenn-greenwald-dies-at-37-after-9-month-icu-battle/ar-AA1aWV84
When RWNJ's take over.
Teachers grew particularly alarmed early this year when word spread that Ken Witt, the new superintendent, did not plan to reapply for grants that covered the salaries of counselors and social workers.
At Gateway Elementary School in March, Witt told staff members he prioritized academic achievement, not students’ emotions. “We are not the department of health and human services,” he said, as teachers angrily objected, according to two recordings of the meeting made by staff members and shared with NBC News.
Someone in the meeting asked if taxpayers would get a say in these changes, and Witt said that they already did — when they elected the school board.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/woodland-park-colorado-school-board-conservatives-rcna83311
Wow!
Not surprising the Bible makes an appearance in that particular little corner of looneyville. The surprise is the district superintendent is Ken Witt. 'Frank' would've suited him better then he officially could have been 'F Witt.'
(Board meetings go on line. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R5eyqjK0po)