Open mike 26/12/2020
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6:00 am, December 26th, 2020 - 3 comments
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- Planting the seeds for rewarding careersA boost in funding for a number of Jobs for Nature initiatives across Canterbury will provide sustainable employment opportunities for more than 70 people, Conservation Minister Kiri Allan says. “The six projects are diverse, ranging from establishing coastline trapping in Kaikōura, to setting up a native plant nursery, restoration planting ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand congratulates Tonga's new Prime Minister on appointmentMinister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta today congratulated Hon Hu'akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni on being appointed Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Tonga. “Aotearoa New Zealand and Tonga have an enduring bond and the Kingdom is one of our closest neighbours in the Pacific. We look forward to working with Prime ...2 weeks ago
- High-tech investment extends drought forecasting for farmers and growersThe Government is investing in the development of a new forecasting tool that makes full use of innovative climate modelling to help farmers and growers prepare for dry conditions, Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor said. The new approach, which will cost $200,000 and is being jointly funded through the Ministry for ...2 weeks ago
- Support for fire-hit Waiharara communityThe government will contribute $20,000 towards a Mayoral Relief Fund to support those most affected by the fires in Waiharara in the Far North, Minister for Emergency Management Kiri Allan says. “I have spoken to Far North Mayor John Carter about the effect the fires continue to have, on residents ...3 weeks ago
- Manawatū’s ‘oases of nature’ receive conservation boostThe Government is throwing its support behind projects aimed at restoring a cluster of eco-islands and habitats in the Manawatū which were once home to kiwi and whio. “The projects, which stretch from the Ruahine Ranges to the Horowhenua coastline, will build on conservation efforts already underway and contribute ...3 weeks ago
- New Zealand to continue Solomon Islands supportA New Zealand Defence Force and Police deployment to help restore peace and stability to Solomon Islands is being scaled down and extended. The initial deployment followed a request for support from Solomon Islands Government after riots and looting in capital Honiara late last month. They joined personnel from Australia, ...3 weeks ago
- Government not prepared for Omicron – Luxon
National leader Christopher Luxon says the government went into a go-slow mode around Covid-19 over the summer, and urgently needs to increase availability of rapid antigen tests. ...2 hours ago - Global aid effort underway for Tonga’s recovery from the Hunga tsunami
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A global aid effort is underway for Tonga with vessels en route to the Pacific kingdom from Australia, the United Kingdom, Japan and the US as well as New Zealand. NZ Defence Force Maritime Component Commander Commodore Garin Golding told RNZ Pacific nearby Fiji ...6 hours ago - Tulagi bans betel nut selling as covid fears grow in Solomon IslandsBy Robert Iroga in Honiara Tulagi in the Central Islands province of Solomon islands is the first provincial capital to ban the sale of betel nut — for an indefinite period — as a measure to help control any potential spread of covid-19. Premier Stanley Manetiva told SBM Online that ...6 hours ago
- Second day of NZ’s Tonga tsunami emergency fundraiser todayRNZ Pacific The second day of a drive to receive emergency supplies in Aotearoa New Zealand to be sent to Tonga has started in Auckland this morning. Hundreds queued for hours at Mount Smart Stadium in Penrose yesterday to deliver emergency goods that will be sent to their families in ...6 hours ago
- Covid-19: NZ heading to red as Omicron spreads
The Omicron variant of Covid-19 is now circulating within Auckland and possibly other parts of the country, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says, as New Zealand heads into the most stringent setting in the new 'traffic light' system New Zealand is moving to the red setting of the Covid-19 ‘traffic light’ ...6 hours ago - Blair and Boris – who would have thought it?
At last, a glimpse of bipartisan analysis in the chaos engulfing Boris Johnson’s premiership. Say what you like about Tony Blair, but he is a serious politician. What he says is worth taking seriously. It is also not great for Boris. And worse for everyone else. In a ...11 hours ago - Rangitīkei Māori leader urges rural NZ people to prepare now for omicronBy Moana Ellis, Local Democracy Reporting journalist A New Zealand iwi development and social services leader in Taihape is urging rural people to prepare urgently for self-isolation or infection as the threat of omicron looms. Mōkai Pātea Services general manager Tracey Hiroa, who is also a Rangitīkei District councillor, says ...1 day ago
- Follow the money: matauranga Maori and the millions at stake
A lot of funding and influence is riding on the successful casting of indigenous knowledge as equal to science. GRAHAM ADAMS says the debate over the NCEA science syllabus is only the tip of an iceberg. Anyone trying to get a grip on the mātauranga Māori debate over the ...1 day ago - MIQ's purpose would change with Omicron spread – BakerBorder restrictions are still needed, and MIQ will remain valuable even if Omicron is spreading widely in the community, the epidemiologist says. ...1 day ago
- PM’s communication degree needed now more than ever
A communications degree has been one of the Prime Minister’s greatest strengths during the global pandemic. As the country heads into the unknown with Omicron, Jacinda Ardern needs to draw on that skillset more than ever before, writes political editor Jo Moir. Analysis: Many anti-Labour and anti-Ardern types use the ...2 days ago - Short story: The world of children's books, by Damien Wilkins
“Gavin was out beyond the breakers. You think he’s all right? said Kate”: a story set in the surf by Damien Wilkins This all happened on a writers’ tour of the Far North. It was our day off and we drove to the top of the Island. And do you ...2 days ago - Long read: How to prepare for Omicron
Writing from the United States, where Omicron has pushed Covid-19 hospitalisations to record levels, Marc Daalder reports on the what New Zealand needs to do to prepare for the variant Analysis: The terrifyingly rapid spread of the Omicron variant has upended much of the common wisdom overseas about how to respond ...2 days ago - Tonga’s King Tupou VI offers hope to families who lost relatives in deadly tsunamiKaniva News King Tupou VI has offered sympathy and prayers to all those who lost relatives in last weekend’s Tongan volcano eruption and tsunami disaster or are still waiting for news about their families. He said the whole of Tonga was devastated by the tsunami and it wiped out some ...2 days ago
- Safety at Tonga port being checked for arrival of more humanitarian suppliesRNZ News Specialist New Zealand Defence Force staff will be checking Tonga’s shipping lanes are passable and the wharf is safe so desperately needed humanitarian supplies can get through. Three deaths have been confirmed after Saturday’s massive volcanic eruption. There are reports of significant injuries, but no details yet. UN ...2 days ago
- Australia approves two new medicines in the fight against COVID. How can you get them and are they e...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Schubert, Pharmacist and PhD Candidate, University of Sydney On Thursday, health minister Greg Hunt announced Australia’s drug regulator had provisionally approved two new medicines for the treatment of COVID. These are Lagevrio, made by American pharmaceutical company Merck Sharpe & Dohme, ...2 days ago
- When humans compete with television, Yung Lung proves the liveness of bodies wins outSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Maguire-Rosier, Honorary Associate, Department of Theatre and Performance Studies, School of Literature, Art, and Media, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney Yaya Stempler Review: Yung Lung, choreographed by Antony Hamilton, Chunky Move The word “yung”, according ...2 days ago
- Government Spending Priorities
...2 days ago - Tonga eruption: NZ government brings aid funding up to $3mThe government has announced a further $2 million in aid to help Tonga recover after the huge eruption nearly a week ago. ...2 days ago
- Rising Food Demands Rising Incomes For Food EquityThe highest grocery price rises in a decade reinforces a new report’s call for increased household revenue through government intervention to allow all families fair access to healthy food. The How healthy are Aotearoa New Zealand’s food environments ...2 days ago
- Kids whose grandparents are overweight are almost twice as likely to struggle with obesitySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edmund Wedam Kanmiki, PhD Candidate, The University of Queensland Shutterstock School holidays can be a special time for extended families to gather. Children may see their grandparents at seasonal gatherings or as part of childcare arrangements to help working parents. ...2 days ago
- Australian art has lost two of its greats. Vale Ann Newmarch and Hossein ValamaneshSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Speck, Professorial Fellow (Honorary), The University of Melbourne Ann Newmarch, born Adelaide 1945, died Adelaide 2022, Self-portrait. 1/60th of a second, 1981, Adelaide, photo-etching on paper, 26.4 x 34.7 cm (plate), Public Donations Fund 2015, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, ...2 days ago
- The PM is promising “progress” and Sepuloni is reporting it on the welfare front – but doubts ...The PM’s first speech of the year, delivered to Labour MPs in New Plymouth at their annual caucus retreat, largely focused on Covid-19 and the Omicron variant, according to RNZ. Jacinda Ardern insisted the government has and is continuing to prepare for an Omicron outbreak in the community. “But it ...2 days ago
- Call For Government To Abandon Covid Measures While SummerThe NZ Outdoors and Freedom party is calling on the government to abandon the traffic light system and its threat of more extreme covid measures and let us all bask in enjoying a long hot summer. Co Leader Alan Simmons said "Nothing beats natural ...2 days ago
- The Government Must Make Use Of Its Human Rights Toolkit To Tackle Food InsecurityChief Human Rights Commissioner Paul Hunt has joined the call from community group Sunday Blessings for the government to tackle food insecurity by making better use of the tools available to it through international human rights law. On Thursday, ...2 days ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – January 21 2022Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content Covid Dileepa Fonseka (Stuff): ‘Too little, too late’: ...2 days ago
- Laws governing undersea cables have hardly changed since 1884 – Tonga is a reminder they need mode...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury An aerial view of heavy ash fall on the Tongan island of Nomuka. GettyImages Since the catastrophic volcanic eruption on January 16, Tonga has been largely cut off from the world due to a ...2 days ago
- Why do we find making new friends so hard as adults?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Hronis, Clinical Psychologist, University of Technology Sydney GettyImages If you’ve ever tried to make new friends as an adult, you’ll probably see why loneliness is at an all-time high. Making new friends feels just plain hard. In school, making ...2 days ago
- Record payout for dairy farmers is in the offing – but climate change policy pressure sours the ou...Behind all the Covid headlines lurked a positive story this week. Prices at the Fonterra Global Dairy Auction leapt 4.6% to hit an eight-year-high, as tight milk supply stokes demand for NZ’s biggest export commodity. Almost certainly Fonterra’s farmer-shareholders will receive a record payout this season, and, with a bit ...2 days ago
- Watercare Water Take Application Granted With ConditionsA Board of Inquiry has granted an application from Watercare Services Ltd, an Auckland Council organisation, to draw an additional 150 million litres of water a day from the Waikato River for Auckland City’s water supply network. The application was ...2 days ago
- Pedants at PoO say “cobblers” to reports about world’s oldest manThe pedants among the scribes at Point of Order (who shall go unnamed) swooped on a headline in the Dominion-Post this week. In its print edition, the newspaper had published a brief report under the heading “World’s oldest man dies”. Newshub was a bit more expansive, reporting the news under ...2 days ago
- UN General Assembly Votes On Holocaust DenialA historic vote in the United Nations General Assembly urges the 193 member states “to reject without any reservation any denial of the Holocaust as a historical event, in either full or in part, or any activities to this end.” The General Assembly ...2 days ago
- International Migration: November 2021 – Infoshare TablesInternational migration statistics give the latest outcomes-based measure of migration, which includes estimates of migrants entering or leaving New Zealand. Key facts The comparisons between the November 2021 and 2020 months and years use the latest provisional ...2 days ago
- Departures Lift Border Crossing NumbersThe number of people crossing New Zealand’s border went up in November 2021, mostly due to an increase in departures, Stats NZ said today. There were 28,700 border crossings in November 2021, made up of 12,300 arrivals and 16,400 departures. Arrivals and ...2 days ago
- Omicron will be a ‘different foe’, PM Jacinda Ardern warns NZBy Katie Scotcher, RNZ News political reporter Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is warning New Zealand’s covid-19 case numbers in 2022 will be unlike anything seen here before. Jacinda Ardern today delivered her first speech of the year — to Labour MPs gathered in New Plymouth for their annual caucus retreat. ...2 days ago
- Commerce Commission ready to rein in record pump prices
MBIE reports increased fuel company profit margins contributing to rising petrol and diesel prices this summer ...2 days ago - Punishment Of Licensed Firearms Owners Will Not Help Lower Crime Rates, Says COLFOThe Council of Licensed Firearms Owners (COLFO) says that punitive action from Police against legal firearms owners will not help reduce firearm thefts. Recently, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster indicated in the annual select committee review that licensed ...2 days ago
- Ukraine might be far away, but a security crisis in Europe can still threaten Aotearoa New ZealandSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sascha-Dominik (Dov) Bachmann, Professor in Law and Co-Convener National Security Hub (University of Canberra), University of Canberra GettyImages A geopolitical earthquake could begin within weeks. As a string of bilateral crisis talks predictably falter, further military aggression by Russia against ...2 days ago
- Dinosaur food and Hiroshima bomb survivors: maidenhair trees are ‘living fossils’ and your new f...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, The University of Melbourne Zhang Kaiyv/Unsplash, CC BY Most of us are captivated by the thought of a “living fossil”, which is any organism that appeared millions of years ago in the fossil record and ...2 days ago
- Vital Signs: disclosure please, we shouldn’t be playing bingo with COVID statisticsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW Shutterstock Given how much COVID-19 is dominating Australians’ lives, our governments should be telling us everything they know about infections, hospitalisations and deaths. So why aren’t they? Full disclosure is important for public health, ...2 days ago
- NZers urged to prepare for potentially thousands of daily Omicron infectionsNew Zealanders are being urged to prepare for potentially thousands of daily Covid-19 infections once the Omicron variant starts spreading in the community. ...2 days ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 21 January
...3 days ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 21 January3 days ago
- Wise business leaders invest in society, not short-term financial returns
Corporates are potent players in democratic society, but their response so far is rhetoric not reform ...3 days ago - The best-selling books of summer
The biggest-selling New Zealand books since Xmas, as recorded by the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list and described by Steve Braunias FICTION 1 To Italy, With Love by Nicky Pellegrino (Hachette, $34.99) Of course the biggest-selling novel of 2021 was the biggest-selling novel of summer; the holidays are an ...3 days ago - The Tonga volcano’s complex and violent history
Tonga’s eruption and tsunami highlights the significant threat from offshore volcanoes, Dr Simon Barker writes. On the evening of Saturday, January 15, Tongan volcano Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai erupted so powerfully it generated a shockwave that knocked people off their feet in Tonga and was detected around the world. And yet there have ...3 days ago - New Kiwi sprint star leaves hurdles far behind
Questioning her future on the track after a string of injuries, Anna Percy swapped hurdling for sprinting – with instant success. Now she’s ready for a showdown with New Zealand’s fastest woman, Zoe Hobbs. It’s not often a track athlete switches events – dropping down the distance they run and doing it successfully. In the case of rising Kiwi sprint star Anna Percy, the change ...3 days ago - Tova O’Brien: A reluctant public face to restraint-of-trade debate
What the Tova O’Brien employment dispute tells us about the controversial nature of non-compete clauses. Nikki Mandow reports The woman in the lift sighs wearily. It’s been a big day for staff at the Employment Relations Authority, she says as she heads home. Such a high profile case... She’s talking ...3 days ago - Grattan on Friday: Scott Morrison’s ministerial team looks far from match-fitSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra It sounded a touch desperate – Prime Minister Scott Morrison imploring backpackers to “come on down” to Australia, as the Omicron crisis escalated. “Enjoy a holiday here”, said the one-time managing director of Tourism ...3 days ago
- Queensland’s ‘Path to Treaty’ has some lessons for the rest of AustraliaSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Morgan Brigg, Associate Professor, Peace and Conflict Studies, The University of Queensland After decades of calls, a patchwork of treaty processes are being developed across Australia. However, without a history of treaty-making or treaty law in Australia, serious questions arise about the ...3 days ago
- Yes, Ngai Tahu could campaign for votes to win council seats – but why bother, if privilege is gra...Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey, the highest-ranked South Island and Canterbury MP in National’s recently reorganised caucus, went out to open the batting for democracy in the debate triggered by the introduction of the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngāi Tahu Representation) Bill. He expressed the Nats’ opposition to the legislative entrenchment of ...3 days ago
- Boris Johnson and ‘Partygate’: he who lives by the Brexit sword, dies by the Brexit swordSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben Wellings, Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, Monash University Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Boris Johnson’s time as the United Kingdom’s prime minister is under immediate threat. Johnson, who likes a classical analogy, will know that civil servant Sue Grey’s imminent ...3 days ago
- Schools can expect a year of disruption. Here are 7 ways they can help support the well-being of stu...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth J Edwards, Senior Lecturer in Education, The University of Queensland Shutterstock There’s just over a week to go before term one starts across the country – except in Queensland which has pushed back the start of the school year. ...3 days ago
- Omicron Outbreak Would Move The Country To Red – Expert ReactionThe Prime Minister has announced if Omicron cases spread into the community, the country will move to the traffic light system's Red setting within 48 hours. Jacinda Ardern also mentioned there will be changes to the country's testing regime, ...3 days ago
- Omicron is overwhelming Australia’s hospital system. 3 emergency measures aim to ease the burdenSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Leeder, Emeritus Professor, Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney Public hospitals – never with much spare capacity – have been severely stressed by the latest COVID wave. The current Omicron outbreak has loaded even heavier demands on hospital beds, ...3 days ago
- Government 'scrambling' over Omicron – National Party leader Christopher LuxonNational's leader Chris Luxon says the government has no plan for tackling Omicron, and decisions today show Labour "took a month off". ...3 days ago
- Revealed: Government's Media Pay-off For APEC Puff PiecesThe New Zealand Taxpayers' Union is condemning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's decision to pay media outlets $93,578 for 'sponsored content' about APEC 2021. The spending information was made available in a response provided under the ...3 days ago
- Response To David SeymourDavid Seymour MP wrote to us asking us to inquire into the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s decision to spend money on analysis of the Prime Minister’s Facebook Live sessions. We have decided that the matter raised by Mr Seymour does ...3 days ago
- PM Jacinda Ardern announces changes to traffic light system, provides Omicron updateJacinda Ardern has announced Northland will join the rest of the country in the orange setting from 11.59pm tonight, and signalled plans for Omicron. ...3 days ago
- More Job Opportunities, But Growth In Workers’ Earnings Remains SubduedWestpac McDermott Miller Employment Confidence, December quarter 2021 The Westpac McDermott Miller Employment Confidence Index rose 1.2 points in the December quarter, to a level of 106.9. This was the sixth straight rise in the index since the Covid-19 ...3 days ago
- Voice to Parliament design report still doesn’t meet international human rights standardsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dominic O’Sullivan, Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University Last month, the Australian government published the Indigenous Voice co-design final report. It’s the latest step in the debate about ...3 days ago
- Covid-19: PM lays out Omicron plan
*This story was first published on RNZ and is republished with permission* Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced Northland will join the rest of the country in the orange setting from 11.59pm tonight, and signalled plans for Omicron. Watch the PM speaking here: Cabinet ministers met yesterday to assess ...3 days ago - 2021 was one of the hottest years on record – and it could also be the coldest we’ll ever see a...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, The University of Melbourne Well, it’s official: 2021 was one of the planet’s seven hottest years since records began, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) declared this week. The year was about 1.11℃ above pre-industrial levels ...3 days ago
- Watch live: PM Jacinda Ardern announces changes to traffic light system, provides Omicron updateNorthland will learn whether it is moving out of the red setting of the traffic light system, while the rest of the country awaits news of when a shift to green would be possible. ...3 days ago
- Indonesia will take a big step on the global stage this year – are Australians paying enough atten...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Former Ambassador and Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland Tracey Nearmy/AP Many Australians are probably unaware that neighbouring Indonesia has assumed the G20 presidency and will host the crucial meeting of the ...3 days ago
- André Leon Talley dreamed of a life ‘in the pages of Vogue, where bad things never happened’Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter McNeil, Distinguished Professor of Design History, UTS, University of Technology Sydney Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images Every time we see a “fashion moment”, we use the words of André Leon Talley, from his description of Galliano’s 1994 Japonisme show. ...3 days ago
- Tonga update: Hercules takes off with aid suppliesNo announcements had been posted on The Beehive website, when Point of Order checked just before noon on what our ministers have been doing (a) in response to Tonga’s need for humanitarian relief and (b) in response to anything else. But a fresh announcement has been posted since then in ...3 days ago
- Omicron will be a 'different' foe, PM Jacinda Ardern warnsPrime Minister Jacinda Ardern is warning New Zealand's Covid-19 case numbers in 2022 will be unlike anything seen here before. ...3 days ago
- Tonga eruption: Airport runway cleared of ash, says WHO officialRNZ Pacific A World Health Organisation representative in Tonga says the international airport has been cleared of volcanic ash which will allow humanitarian aid flights to arrive. Hundreds of volunteers, workers and Tongan Defence Force personnel have been clearing the debris from the runway by hand. WHO liaison officer in ...3 days ago
- Solomon Islands imposes 60 hour Honiara lockdown over covid outbreakBy Robert Iroga in Honiara The Solomon islands government endorsed a 60 hour lockdown in the capital Honiara last night after an urgent special national address by Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare confirming covid-19 community transmission. Honiara Emergency Zone will be in lockdown from 6pm last evening to 6am, Saturday, 22 ...3 days ago
- National calls for better mental health services for AsiansThe government is being urged to make the mental health of Asian New Zealanders more of a priority, with suspected suicides among Asians more than doubling. ...3 days ago
- Why Is New Zealand, A Rich Country, Facing A “food Crisis”?...3 days ago
- Annual food price increase the highest in a decadeAnnual food prices were 4.5 percent higher in December 2021 than they were in December 2020, Stats NZ said today. This is the biggest annual increase since September 2011, when annual food prices increased 4.7 percent. The main contributor to this increase ...3 days ago
- Annual Food Price Increase The Highest In A DecadeAnnual food prices were 4.5 percent higher in December 2021 than they were in December 2020, Stats NZ said today. This is the biggest annual increase since September 2011, when annual food prices increased 4.7 percent. The main contributor to this increase ...3 days ago
- Newsletter: New Zealand Politics Daily – January 20 2022Editor’s Note: Here below is a list of the main issues currently under discussion in New Zealand and links to media coverage. You can sign up to NZ Politics Daily as well as New Zealand Political Roundup columns for free here. Today’s content Covid, MIQ, border Will Trafford (Māori TV): Secret state ...3 days ago
- Employment Indicators: Weekly As At 17 January 2022The experimental weekly series provides an early indicator of employment and labour market changes in a more timely manner than the monthly employment indicators series. Key facts The 6-day series includes jobs with a pay period equal to or less than ...3 days ago
Here is very good and reasoned interview by the ever reliable Aaron Mate’ with veteran US diplomat Chas Freeman on China via The Grey Zone..nice to be able to get some views and information on China/USA relations that doesn’t normalize the usual anti-China hysteria which seems to the starting off point of most articles or interviews I read or watch about China these days.
My guilty pleasure Boxing Day film is The Name of the Rose.
where you watching that? Has it held up well?