Month: May 2023

26 May

Vivid Sydney 2023 Lights Up Its Greatest Festival Yet

Travel

Vivid Sydney Drone Show Credit - Destination NSW SYDNEY, May 26, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Vivid Sydney has kicked off its 13th year with a spectacular opening night that included a powerful Welcome to Country, fireworks, beams across the harbour, drones and a very poignant Lighting of the Sails at the Sydney Opera House. The Welcome to Country, curated by Vivid Sydney's First Nations Advisor, Rhoda Roberts AO - First Light - incorporated a call-in country performance from artists representing many First Nations across different language groups, including Yothu Yindi, Tenzin Choegyal, Chantel Cofie, and African drum and dance ensemble Wontanara. …

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26 May

Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Minnesota Enacting Paid Family and Medical Leave

Politics

Today, with Governor Tim Walz’s signature, Minnesota has become the twelfth state, along with the District of Columbia, to pass paid family and medical leave legislation, and the first state to do so in 2023. President Biden commends the leadership of Governor Tim Walz, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman, Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic, legislative sponsors, and state and community leaders who played essential roles in this achievement for Minnesota families. This legislation will ensure that Minnesotans can take the time they need to recover from a serious illness, care for a sick family member,…

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26 May

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Guam Disaster Declaration

Politics

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the territory of Guam and ordered Federal aid to supplement territory and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Typhoon Mawar beginning on May 22, 2023, and continuing. The President’s action makes Federal funding available to territory and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance in the territory of Guam. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire territory of Guam. Mr. Benigno B. Ruiz…

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26 May

Message to the House of Representatives — President’s Veto of H.J. Res. 42

Politics

TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: I am returning herewith without my approval H.J. Res. 42, a resolution that would disapprove the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022.      I believe we have an obligation to make sure that all our people are safe and that public safety depends on public trust.  It is a core policy of my Administration to provide law enforcement with the resources they need for effective, accountable community policing.      While I do not support every provision of the Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of…

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26 May

Statement from President Joe Biden on Supreme Court Decision in Sackett v. EPA

Politics

The Supreme Court’s disappointing decision in Sackett v. EPA will take our country backwards. It puts our Nation’s wetlands – and the rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds connected to them – at risk of pollution and destruction, jeopardizing the sources of clean water that millions of American families, farmers, and businesses rely on. Since the Clean Water Act was passed by an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress in 1972, it has been used by Republican and Democratic administrations alike to help ensure Americans in every state have clean water. It is the reason why today America’s lakes are swimmable, why we…

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25 May

Day 455: war diaries w/Former Advisor to Ukraine President, Intel Officer @arestovych & #Feygin

Politics

There is a lot of pro-Putin bias in the Western world. We aim to dispel this “macho” propaganda and reveal true colors of his regime: murder, intimidation, industrialized kleptocracy and well-funded russian fascism propaganda machines. We were born in Russia, we have lost friends to this murderer… we see how he “zombifies” most and intimidates and beats down the rest. We also know where his weak spots are and what atrocities his regime is committing on a daily basis. Message from the source channel owner. Daily War Chronicles: Feygin and Arestovych #Фейгин #ФейгинLIVE — English translation #PrivateerStation (in Russian: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQVtD_N4OeD-9PshBq7NwyQ)…

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25 May

Readout of White House Listening Session on Automated Worker Surveillance and Management

Politics

On Tuesday, the White House convened a listening session with workers, researchers, labor and civil rights leaders, and policymakers on the use of automated technologies by employers to surveil, monitor, evaluate, and manage their workers. During the session, workers representing diverse sectors of the economy—including call centers, trucking, warehousing, home health care, and app-based ride sharing—shared their stories about how the use of these technologies impacted them. Workers raised concerns about health, safety, privacy, fair pay, labor organizing, collective bargaining, and reasonable accommodations for disabilities. The listening session was attended by officials from the White House Domestic Policy Council (DPC),…

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25 May

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at the Reagan Institute Summit on Education

Politics

Washington, D.C. Thank you, Fred. And thank you for the warm welcome at this conference. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you through our work with the White House Historical Association—and it’s wonderful to see you again. I’m glad to be back with the Reagan Institute today. When I spoke here five years ago, I talked about how much I’ve learned from my students over the years. How they remind me, every day, of just how much education matters. And as your First Lady, that lesson has only been reinforced. As I’ve traveled the country, I’ve visited red states and…

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25 May

Remarks by President Biden Announcing His Intent to Nominate the Next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Politics

Rose Garden 1:52 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon.  Please, everybody, be seated.  Thank you. Before I begin, I want to address a — ongoing budget negotiations with congressional leaders.  I’ll be very brief. Speaker McCarthy and I have had several productive conversations, and our staffs continue to meet as we speak, as a matter of fact, and they’re making progress. I’ve made clear time and again: Defaulting on our national debt is not an option. The American people deserve to know that their Social Security payments will be there, that veterans’ hospitals remain open, and that economic progress will be made and we’re…

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25 May

Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on South Carolina’s Abortion Ban

Politics

Today in South Carolina, Governor McMaster signed an extreme and dangerous abortion ban into law. If allowed to stand, South Carolina’s ban, like more than a dozen other bans currently in effect, will criminalize health care providers and cause delays and denials of health and life-saving care. With the passage of abortion bans in states like Florida and North Carolina earlier this year, Republican officials are dismantling women’s rights across the South, putting their health and lives in jeopardy.  South Carolina’s ban will cut off access to abortion for women in the state and those across the entire region for…

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