phmacao login

phmacao login CLAYTON — The daughter of a St. Louis County health administrator didn’t work hours she put on her time sheet and had help from a supervisor in falsifying records, according to a county audit. The report, by county Auditor Toni Jackson’s office, doesn’t name the employees involved. But it says the staffer worked as a food and pool inspector for the environmental services team from at least 2021 until resigning in March of this year. The audit also singles out her mother and a supervisor in the department. The director of the health department, Dr. Kanika Cunningham, has referred the matter to police in Berkeley, where the health department has an office. The audit shows: The daughter’s supervisor allowed her to record time for hours not actually worked: “Evidence shows years of deliberate falsification of time sheets and inspections reports.” From June 10, 2023, through Jan. 6, 10 of 16 time sheets did not have the supervisor’s signature. None of them had the correct dates. The daughter worked an internship at Webster University in 2021 but did not file for paid time off from her county job. Four food inspections by the daughter were missing temperature checks. Three lacked hepatitis immunization compliance data. Two inaccurately recorded food safety plans, and 10 didn’t include codes for violations. Four inspections indicated pools had safety signs when there were none, and another duplicated information. The mother completes and submits time sheets for employees who don’t directly report to her, including her daughter. In an interview with the auditor’s office, the daughter denied the accusations, saying “she would not falsify her time or her work.” The audit commends the health department for “taking swift action to address issues.” But it also recommends potentially firing or demoting the supervisor. “Field inspectors play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and compliance of food, pool and other establishments,” the audit says. “Violations of any kind can lead to serious health risks and consequences can be severe, impacting consumers and businesses, along with legal fees, penalties, other repercussions, and reputational damage to St. Louis County.” Others have worked in the health department with their parents. The Post-Dispatch reported earlier this year that Cunningham, the health director who started in January 2023, hired her daughter as an inspector and gave her a raise. The daughter of former department spokesman Christopher Ave also worked as an inspector in the summer. In the case reviewed in the audit, Jackson’s office received an anonymous email in early December 2023 about the daughter’s work practices. The tip said the daughter claims “40 hours of work on her timesheets, but only works 1-2 days per week on average,” the audit says. The tip also said her mother and the supervisor “are covering for her by falsifying inspections.” The auditor launched a yearlong investigation, interviewing employees, reviewing payroll records and time sheets, studying inspection reports, and analyzing management procedures. The audit is dated Dec. 18. Among other conclusions, the audit found the daughter had an orientation at Webster University on Aug. 24, 2021, but was not marked for paid time off from her county job. The audit also found she had an internship at the university; for four weeks between the end of May and the beginning of September last year, she didn’t take paid time off from her county job to cover time worked at the internship. In late June, the auditor received an envelope delivered anonymously. It contained a letter that said the daughter had resigned in March and was recommended in personnel records for rehiring. The audit, however, suggested changing her status to “not recommended rehire.” The audit made several other recommendations, including: conducting a comprehensive review of health department policies; creating a clear policy for payroll, timekeeping and training; defining disciplinary actions for violation of timekeeping and payroll rules; and monitoring compliance of timekeeping procedures. An employee fabricating hours on a time sheet “is committing theft,” the audit says. “This behavior should have severe consequences.” The health department is already addressing the problems, including potential disciplinary actions against the supervisor, Cunningham wrote in a response to the auditor. The county also plans to install new timekeeping software, conduct biannual training on inspections and notify employees of updated timekeeping policies. “Since first learning of this investigation, our teams have worked collaboratively to ensure all allegations were addressed appropriately,” Cunningham wrote. “Indeed, before this was brought to our attention, efforts were underway to address the issue of timekeeping, showing that our internal controls and processes work.” The environmental services team in the health department does thousands of inspections of pools, restaurants and stores. The team employs up to 24 field inspectors, who use data management software to track inspections and reports.In a bid to neutralise anti-incumbency sentiment and “public angst” against some legislators, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has been securing landslide victories in Delhi since the 2015 assembly elections, is likely to drop more than a third of its sitting MLAs from the running for the 2025 polls, according to at least three senior leaders aware of the developments. The decision to drop more than 20 legislators is based on ground surveys and evaluation of legislators on a range of criteria such as development work carried out in respective segments, popularity and accessibility, and anti-incumbency sentiment, the leaders involved in the election strategy of the party told HT. The party has already dropped three sitting legislators from its first list of candidates released last month. “The tickets are being finalised on the basis of surveys and the feedbacks of the local people...While many MLAs continue to be quite popular, there is anger against many MLAs but locals are saying they are satisfied with Arvind Kejriwal... As per our estimate, around 20 MLAs may be dropped. The final decision, however, will be taken by the party leadership,” said one of the three leaders, asking not to be named. READ | Congress leader slams AAP after Avadh Ojha's interview stopped abruptly: 'Drama company' The AAP won 62 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly in the February 2020 assembly elections, and the BJP won the remaining eight. However, four AAP leaders, the latest being former transport minister Kailash Gahlot, either resigned or were disqualified, bringing the party’s strength in the House down to 58. The ruling party is now gearing up for the elections and hopes to rise above the allegations of corruption that have haunted heavyweights with CBI and ED probes and jail time, leading to a series of changes in the AAP in the last few years. Adding to this, one of the leaders cited above admitted that there is also brewing anger among people against “several MLAs for not doing their work”. “The surveys also says that 65% of people want (Arvind) Kejriwal back,” said the leader, requesting not to be identified. HT reached out to the AAP for an official response but it did not issue one. In the 2020 assembly elections too, the AAP had dropped 16 sitting MLAs — many of whom rebelled against the party — but still managed to win 62 out of the 70 seats. On November 21 this year, the AAP released its first list of 11 candidates dropping three sitting MLAs — Gulab Singh (Matiala), Abdul Rehman (Seelampur) and Rituraj Jha (Kirari), and fielded leaders who switched from the Congress and the BJP. Two other MLAs — Ram Niwas Goel (Shahdara) and Dilip Kumar Pandey (Timarpur) – have opted out of the elections “on their own.” The move seems to have been inspired from the election formula the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has often adopted in several of the previous elections — this year’s Lok Sabha elections, the recent Haryana elections, and the 2022 Gujarat elections. In the general elections in June, the BJP dropped more than 130 of its 303 sitting MPs. The BJP later secured 240 seats on its own. It also seeks to compensate for the city governance that took a heavy toll with the jailing of former CM Arvind Kejriwal, former deputy CM Manish Sisodia, and former minister Satyendar Jain over graft allegations. The AAP has been unable to fulfil many promises it made such as refurbishing roads, making Yamuna clean, and supply of 24x7 uninterrupted water across the city. Other issues that piled up was the worsening condition of roads and overflowing sewer lines, especially during the monsoon. AAP chief monitoring surveys For the last few months, the AAP has been conducting surveys across constituencies to gather public feedback on the performance of MLAs in their respective segments. These surveys have been commissioned and are being monitored directly by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, said one of the leaders cited above. “The party chief directly takes feedback from those conducting the surveys and takes the decisions based on merit so that the election strategy is sharp and can bring the desired results,” the second party leader said, who asked not to be named. READ | AAP going to form govt again in Delhi, win more seats than previous polls: Kejriwal The upcoming election is more crucial for the AAP for multiple reasons: it will be Kejriwal’s attempt at redemption after spending six months in jail this year in connection with the excise policy cases which led to him quitting the CM’s post, a tough Opposition riding high on its series of victories in crucial states and the Lok Sabha elections, and gaining back public trust by resuming unfinished government works. Tanvir Aeijaz, associate professor of political science at Ramjas College, said: “There are majorly two reasons for not giving tickets to some of the sitting legislators. One, to stave off the possible anti-incumbencies of those legislators whose reports are unfavourable. Two, by bringing new faces, Kejriwal, the patriarch of the party, would like to convey his leadership and further retain his sway in the party.”

CrowdStrike Earnings Beat. Cybersecurity Firm's Quarterly Revenue Tops $1 Billion.The Rediscover Recovery Community Center announced Tuesday the launch of the Nurturing Parenting Program for Families in Substance Use Treatment and Recovery. “We are excited to bring this transformative program to our community,” RRCC executive director Dominic Capella said. “Thanks to the generous support of the Better Health Foundation, we can equip families with the tools they need to thrive during recovery and beyond.” The 17-week program is an evidence-based initiative designed to strengthen parenting skills and improve parenting competence, improve family dynamics through stronger relationships, and support long-term addiction recovery with increased engagement in recovery-focused activities, according to Cappella By creating a sustainable support network for families, the intent of the initiative is also to help reduce social and economic impacts of substance use disorders in the Clinton area, creating healthier homes and more resilient communities. Funded by the Better Health Foundation in the Greater Quad Cities region, the program is recognized by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Recruitment for participants is to begin in January 2025, with sessions set to commence shortly thereafter. The nonprofit RRCC, located at 232 Fifth Ave. South, is dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by substance use disorders and empowering individuals in recovery to achieve lasting success through evidence-based programs, community partnerships, and compassionate care. For more information, contact Capella at (563) 206-1479. More information is also available online at rediscoverrcc.orgIran envoy to Beirut: Syria developments ‘a threat’ to entire region

Sports on TV for Sunday, Dec. 8

Are Pre-Owned Smartphones Safe? How To Choose A Second-Hand Phone And Avoid Security RisksSave Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Got it Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Michelle Rowland once confessed she had a vice. It was “excessive online clothes shopping”, Rowland told this masthead in 2021 , when she was Labor’s communications spokeswoman. “I blame Instagram.” Now the communications minister with responsibility for regulating social media, Rowland is doing something to curb its influence. The politician known for having such a lawyerly, cautious approach that she reads from notes even in private meetings has taken the audacious step of banning under 16s from social media . The move has outraged technology giants and generated headlines around the world. “We would like that something very similar could be put in place, enforced in Europe,” French Education Minister Anne Genetet said. “We absolutely urgently need something to be put in place.” Michelle Rowland has strong backroom relationships. But they have not been enough to advance major parts of the government’s agenda that she is overseeing. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen That Australia is out ahead of any other country is all the more striking because two of Rowland’s other priorities – a bill to ban lies online and a crackdown on gambling ads – are dead or dying. Rowland’s critics blame the minister for that. “Minister Rowland seems to operate under the belief that she doesn’t have to bring anyone along with her on her legislation and policies,” Greens communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young says. “For the communications minister, she’s not a great communicator.” But the wooden exterior belies a different Rowland. Behind the closed doors of the Labor Party, colleagues know her as funny (the type of minister who leaves odd snacks on staff desks), sharp and influential. Advertisement Rowland, they say, is in her dream job. She is the first sitting MP since Paul Keating to serve as NSW party president, a role in which she has helped keep internal NSW Labor dramas off the front page as the state branch won an election after more than a decade in opposition. The former communications and regulatory lawyer, who worked with star lawyer Danny Gilbert and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb, cares about her portfolio and knows it inside out. Loading Growing up in the western Sydney electorate of Greenway that she represents, Rowland rose through the ranks of Young Labor before marrying Michael Chaaya, a corporate lawyer who could not speak English when he started school in Mount Druitt. The pair regularly attend a Maronite church together, grounding her views in favour of religious freedom and against antisemitism. In 2009, Rowland was a senior lawyer at Gilbert+Tobin when an electoral redistribution flipped Greenway from a safe Liberal seat to a winnable prospect for Labor. Rowland won it the next year and began a steady rise through the party that has won her fans in Labor’s most senior ranks. Treasurer Jim Chalmers secured her a position on the powerful cabinet expenditure review committee that signs off on government spending – a rarity for a communications minister. “She is very smart, very thorough and very tough,” one senior minister says. “She has a lawyer’s sense of the detail and a marginal member’s sense of the politics, and that makes her very influential.” Advertisement And she has personal bonds, too. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rates not only her political judgment as a voice from suburban Labor comfortable on Sky News, but also her health advice. He followed Rowland’s diet (she lost about 40kg – roughly half her body weight – on the strict meal-prepping plan in 2020 and still gets up at 4.30am for Pilates) to lose weight before the 2022 election, declaring it made him “match fit”. Yet, those backroom relationships have not been enough to advance major parts of the government’s agenda that Rowland is overseeing in a portfolio that deals with politically influential organisations such as media companies and sporting codes. On some other issues, such as modernising Australia Post, updating rules to preserve major sport on free-to-air TV, reshaping the National Broadband Network, and letting users find broadcast stations on smart TVs, Rowland has confronted issues that her Coalition predecessors left alone. But rules to require more Australian content on streaming services such as Netflix, which sit both in Rowland’s patch and the arts portfolio, are nowhere to be seen. Labor’s anti-misinformation bill , which would have let the media regulator pressure social media companies to take down falsehoods circulating online, attracted a chorus of critics, from human rights groups to religious institutions. Intended to prevent conspiracy theories about events such as terrorist attacks, it left experts baffled about who would determine what was true and how. Rowland abandoned her second attempt to pass the law late last month. Advertisement Gambling reform has fared scarcely better. More than a year after the late Labor MP Peta Murphy delivered bipartisan recommendations from a parliamentary committee for a blanket ban on gambling advertising, no laws have been introduced and a government commitment to respond by the end of this year has been all but abandoned. Anti-gambling advocates have accused the government of betraying Murphy’s memory. That is despite Rowland privately briefing interested parties on a full digital ban on gambling ads online and a cap on those airing on television, less than the proposal Murphy backed, but further than the sports, gambling and media sectors wanted and beyond what any previous government has floated. Loading But Rowland has done little to convince the public of the significance of the reforms. In press conferences, Rowland is disciplined to the point of appearing stilted. Those who have spoken with her in private say her habit of referring to notes, which is unusual for a politician but more common in the law, has the same effect. It is, one former minister says, an “insult to the craft”. Rowland’s allies admit her attitude towards the gambling sector changed after this masthead reported in February 2023 that she had received donations and a Rockpool dinner from Sportsbet before the 2022 federal election, leading to crossbench calls for her resignation. Teal MPs and anti-gambling advocates portrayed Rowland as captured by corporate interests. That perception has meant her proposed set of policies, which would hurt media companies and sporting codes’ finances, won no friends. “The reputational damage done by the Sportsbet stuff meant she was always on the back foot on the gambling issue,” one gambling industry source says. “People like [Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate] Tim Costello were always going to paint her as weak if she ended up anywhere other than a full blanket ban.” Advertisement With the prime minister publicly suggesting poker machines are a greater problem and privately convinced there is little electoral benefit in prosecuting the crackdown, Rowland’s problem is unlikely to go away unless she can muster the rhetoric to convince the public that a middle path works. That more charismatic Rowland has peeked through before. Asked her favourite TV show in that 2021 Q&A with this masthead , Rowland named the Netflix show Vikings . It’s full of “heavily tattooed Nordic beefcakes in sweaty battle scenes”, she said. “I’m only human.” Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter .

‘Like gold’: Allan government urged to set affordable housing targetsWest Ham added the 34-year-old player was in a stable condition. “Michail is conscious and communicating and is currently under close supervision at a central London hospital," the Premier League club said in a statement. “At this difficult time, we kindly ask everyone to respect the privacy of Michail and his family. “The club will make no further comment this evening, but will issue a further update in due course.” Unverified images of a heavily damaged Ferrari in the Essex area were shared on social media on Saturday. It was not known if it was the car involved in the accident. Antonio signed for West Ham in 2015 and has made more than 300 appearances. West Ham doesn't have a league game until Monday. James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Gabriel mimics Gyokeres in cheeky goal celebration in Arsenal win over Sporting in Champions League

( MENAFN - The Rio Times) Brazilian bus manufacturer Marcopolo has acquired a 40% stake in Chilean innovator Reborn Electric Motors for $4 million. This strategic investment aims to capture a significant share of Latin America's growing electric bus market. Reborn, founded in 2019, has already made headlines by producing the first electric bus to operate in Antarctica. This achievement aligns with Marcopolo 's goal to lead in sustainable transport solutions across the continent. The timing is opportune. Latin America's electric bus market is projected to grow by 15% annually until 2025. Currently, 5,900 electric buses operate in 41 cities across the region, with Chile leading at 2,659 units. Marcopolo's strong financials support this move. In Q3 2024, the company reported a net profit of R$335.7 million ($54 million), a 107.6% year-over-year increase. Their EBITDA reached R$466.0 million ($75 million), showing robust operational performance. This partnership positions Marcopolo to compete with established players like BYD , Foton, and Yutong in Latin America. By combining Marcopolo's manufacturing prowess with Reborn's innovative technology, the duo aims to accelerate eco-friendly public transportation adoption across the continent. As Latin American cities prioritize reducing emissions and improving air quality, Marcopolo's investment in Reborn could prove crucial. This move not only promises financial returns but also contributes to a cleaner, more sustainable future for urban transportation in the region. MENAFN24122024007421016031ID1109028378 Legal Disclaimer: MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.'Soberish' drink options for the holiday season

BENNINGTON — The Bank of Bennington Foundation has donated $50,000 toward the construction of a year-round indoor Little League facility in Bennington. "Youth sports is an area The Bank of Bennington finds great value in supporting. It fosters teamwork, character, and athleticism, all of which are essential for developing healthier young people," said Jim Brown, President of The Bank of Bennington. Now in its 66th year of offering youth baseball programs, Bennington Little League is excited to expand its offerings to local kids, allowing them to hone their skills and foster a lifelong love of America's pastime. “Bennington Little League is excited, thanks in part to The Bank of Bennington, to share an update on our highly anticipated indoor training facility. We expect to use this new addition to our program as early as February,” said Geoff Metcalfe, Bennington Little League Board President. Metcalfe further explained that the complex, made possible by the community's support and The Bank of Bennington's donation, would be available for various community uses. The building will consist of 4,000 square feet of wide open, turfed space, housing three net-style cages for batting and pitching. All of the cages are retractable, allowing a large room that can be used for baseball activities, as well as other sports and activities. This versatility opens up a world of possibilities for the community. The capital campaign is still ongoing, and the Bank of Bennington invites the public to join us in making this dream a reality. Visit to learn more and be a part of this exciting project. The Bank of Bennington, the only bank headquartered in Bennington County, has a long history of supporting the local community. Known for its customer service, financial strength, and community involvement, the bank offers a wide range of deposit and loan services for consumers and businesses. To learn more about The Bank of Bennington, visit .The Atlanta Falcons drafting of Michael Penix Jr. just six weeks after signing Kirk Cousins to a $180 million contract doesn't seem like that much of a head-scratcher anymore. Penix, the eighth overall pick in this year's draft, was supposed to serve as Cousins' understudy for a year or two, a plan that was scuttled when Cousins quickly lost the zip and accuracy on his passes and his grip on the starting job. It was hard to argue with making the change after Cousins had nine picks and one touchdown pass in his last five starts — but it was a daring move nonetheless with the Falcons trailing first-place Tampa Bay by a single game with three weeks left. Penix made the move pay off with a solid first NFL start in the Falcons' 34-7 rout of the New York Giants on Sunday that bolstered Atlanta's playoff hopes , and the Falcons (8-7) moved back into first place in the NFC South with the Buccaneers' loss at Dallas on Sunday night. The left-hander was not at all overwhelmed by the moment, completing 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards — numbers that would’ve been better if not for at least three dropped passes, one of which Kyle Pitts bobbled right into the hands of a New York defender for Penix’s lone interception. “He went out and played almost flawless football,” coach Raheem Morris said. Cousins will almost certainly be looking for his fourth team in 2025. If the Falcons cut ties as expected, they'll have paid Cousins $90 million for 14 games. Cousins' career earnings are about $321 million and his record is 84-77-2, including a 1-3 mark in the playoffs and 7-7 this season. In the spirit of expedited judgments, let's take a gander at how other quarterbacks have fared with their new teams in 2024. The Pittsburgh Steelers landed the biggest bargain of the season in Wilson, whom they signed for the veteran's minimum of $1.21 million, leaving his former team, the Denver Broncos, on the hook for the remaining $37.79 million of his 2024 salary. Wilson's calf injury in camp forced the Steelers to start Justin Fields, who went 4-2 before Mike Tomlin made the risky switch to Wilson, who's gone 6-3 with 15 TD throws and four interceptions. With the Steelers (10-5) playoff-bound, Wilson will make his first postseason appearance since 2020. The only question is whether it'll be at home as AFC North champ or on the road as a wild-card. They're tied with the Ravens atop the division but currently own the tiebreaker. This was expected to be a rebuilding year in Minnesota after the Vikings lost Cousins in free agency. They signed Darnold, the third overall pick in 2018, to a $10 million, one-year contract and drafted national champion J.J. McCarthy with the 10th overall pick. McCarthy tore the meniscus in his right knee during the preseason opener and has undergone two surgeries, opening the way for Darnold's breakthrough season. Darnold brought a 21-35 career record with him to Minneapolis and all he's done is go 13-2 while setting career highs with 32 touchdown passes, 3,776 passing yards and a 67.2% completion percentage. The Vikings are tied with the Lions atop the packed NFC North and the division crown could come down to Minnesota's season finale at Detroit on Jan. 5. The Las Vegas Raiders signed Minshew to a two-year, $25 million contract and he beat out incumbent Aidan O'Connell for the starting gig. But he only went 2-7 and sustained a season-ending broken collarbone in a Week 12 loss to the Broncos, opening the door for O'Connell (1-4) to return. The Raiders' 19-14 win over Jacksonville on Sunday snapped a 10-game skid but might have taken them out of the Shedeur Sanders sweepstakes. They are 3-12, a game behind the Giants (2-13), who jettisoned QB Daniel Jones less than two years after signing him to a four-year, $160 million contract and have gone with Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito instead. The Chicago Bears had high hopes after drafting Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, but it might turn out that the second QB taken — Washington's Jayden Daniels — is better than the first as was the case last year when C.J. Stroud outperformed Carolina's Bryce Young. Williams has a terrific TD-to-INT ratio of 19-5, but the Bears are 4-11 and have lost nine in a row. Their last win came way back on Oct. 13 against Jacksonville. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner out of LSU has led the Washington Commanders (10-5) to the cusp of their first playoff appearance since 2020. His bolstered his Rookie of the Year credentials with a five-TD performance Sunday in leading the Commanders to a 36-33 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. For the year, Daniels has 22 TD throws and eight interceptions. The former Auburn and Oregon star hasn't looked much like a rookie after starting an NCAA QB record 61 times in college. The Broncos (9-6) could snap an eight-year playoff drought with a win Sunday at Cincinnati thanks to Nix's steady play , Sean Payton's exhaustive guidance and Denver's traditionally stingy defense. Nix was drafted 12th overall after the Broncos released Wilson despite a a whopping $85 million dead money charge on top of the $37.79 million they're paying Wilson to play for Pittsburgh this year. With 22 TDs and 11 interceptions, Nix has almost matched Russell's win total (11-19) in his two seasons in Denver. AP Sports Writer Paul Newberry in Atlanta contributed to this report. Behind the Call analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL during the season. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Avenix Fzco Pushes Forex Trading Boundaries With New Pivlex Forex Robot

We are done with woke Hollywood revisions of the classics, right? The artistic obsession with ramming political messages down the throats of consumers, of spoiling a good story with a parable about tolerance, or acceptance, or diversity, or whatever? Apparently not. Ariana Grande, as Galinda, and Cynthia Erivo, as Elphaba, in Wicked. Credit: Universal Call it a post-Trump lament, if you like, but Wicked – the blockbuster prequel to The Wizard of Oz , and which explains the back-story of Glinda and Elphaba, the witches of the West and the East, one good and one wicked – has captivated audiences and broken box-office records. It is already the highest-grossing Broadway adaptation ever, ahead of 1978’s Grease – a movie that did not trouble itself at all with political correctness. Wicked is openly a political allegory . It tells the story of the green-skinned Elphaba, who is marked as different from birth. She is ostracised and demonised by those around her, including her own family. As an adult witch with extraordinary powers (which, as with Elsa from Frozen , she has not yet learnt to control), Elphaba is groomed as a useful tool by the state of Oz, and later persecuted when she refuses to do its bidding. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair in Sydney last month. Credit: Kate Geraghty Oz, of course, is led by a strongman leader, the Wizard, played by a creepy Jeff Goldblum, who flirts with just enough neediness to make him perfectly Trumpian. Elphaba is the only one brave enough to stand up for the minority segment of society (animals), which the Wizard is blaming for all of Oz’s ills, and so she is hunted down by the state. The story truly has something for everyone: it is a morality tale about racism, fascism, the power of propaganda, and the dangerous seduction of peer pressure and groupthink. Even animal rights activists have claimed Wicked as their own – it is animals who are increasingly marginalised in Oz, forced out of jobs and eventually banned from speaking, a repression-creep that borrows much from Germany in the 1930s. I count myself as a narrative purist – I get tired of ideological messages which get in the way of good story-telling. But Wicked is not that. It’s never that – otherwise it wouldn’t be so beloved by adults and children alike. The politics drive the story but never impinge on it. And at the story’s heart is the relationship between Elphaba and Galinda, the young wizardry student who will go on to become Glinda the Good Witch – Dorothy’s great benefactor. Loading For my money, the most complex political message in Wicked lies in its treatment of female friendship, and the unblinking gaze it casts on the opposing roles women are often channelled into. Most radically, it calculates, with mathematical precision, the cost of female niceness. Galinda (who, halfway through the movie, drops the first “a” in her name in an act of performative virtue signalling) is styled as the idealised good girl/witch, princessy and pretty in pastel hoop skirts and dainty shoes. Her waist is tiny. Her hair is long, thick and blonde. She has perfected the art of swooshing it. She oozes privilege and perfection. Galinda is the alpha female of the university she and Elphaba both attend. At their initial meeting, Galinda squeaks in disgust at Elphaba’s green skin. But then, remembering her personal brand is Goodness, with a capital G, she quickly rearranges her features in a mask of concern for Elphaba, the poor, poor thing. Elphaba refuses to accept Galinda’s pity and sees straight through her phoney benevolence. We have our conflict: the story has begun. The two clash, particularly as they have been thrown together in a dorm room which Galinda populates with her extensive wardrobe and girlish paraphernalia. But then the story does something more interesting than simply playing out a female rivalry (even though it nods to the traditional arc of such stories with a “makeover” scene and a love triangle between the two witches and a charismatically rogueish prince). Galinda, played by pop star Ariana Grande, starts envying Elphaba. At first, she is jealous of Elphaba’s magic powers – which are far superior to Galinda’s own – and the attention those powers bring from the regal headmistress of the college. But then, as she gets to know Elphaba – played magnificently by Cynthia Erivo – Galinda begins to envy her classmate’s self-possession and her freedom to be herself. Her green skin allows her to sidestep pretence. Galinda is all pretence, and by observing Elphaba, she starts to see how constricting it is. Galinda is trapped in a prison of niceness, needing to publicly display her unending kindness and unfailing sweetness at every turn, lest she ruin her image. She is ruled by moral vanity. But she is not “nice” – she is envious and covetous, with a capacity for real malice. Which is to say, she is human. When the class holds a party, Galinda gives Elphaba a hat to wear. She does so with treacly sweetness, knowing that Elphaba will be mocked when she wears it. Loading Galinda’s transformation comes when she allows herself to be more like Elphaba – non-conformist. Apart from anything else, Galinda is very funny, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not, and it’s not possible to be funny without some capacity for wickedness. But as all women know, the need for niceness runs deep. It is hard to de-program oneself from people-pleasing, even though the mask often slips, revealing the resentment that lies under it. Galinda struggles with the conflict between doing the right thing and doing what is expected of her by the society of Oz. The film is the first of two parts, so the conflict is not resolved. We have to wait for the sequel. But as Grande told a journalist during the extensive press tour for the movie – Wicked serves “to remind people that change is possible ... we can choose to be good, and we can be wrong”. It also serves to show everyone (but especially young girls), that we can reject the tyranny of niceness. We can choose to be green-skinned, sardonic, clever and wicked. Apart from anything else, those things make for a more interesting story. Jacqueline Maley is a senior writer and regular columnist. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Feminism Opinion Ariana Grande Cinema Gender equality For subscribers Jacqueline Maley is a columnist. Connect via Twitter or Facebook . Most Viewed in Politics Loading

'Wemby' and 'Ant-Man' to make NBA Christmas debutsNick Fuentes Arrested For Allegedly Macing Woman Who Confronted Him Over 'Your Body, My Choice' PostHegseth makes play to win hard-to-get GOP centrists

Michigan football finally looked like the team that won the national championship last season, dominating Northwestern 50-6 on Saturday to clinch their fourth consecutive bowl game. The Wolverines (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) put together their most complete performance of the year, just in time for next week's showdown with No. 2 Ohio State. The offense found the balance that former coach Jim Harbaugh used to preach about, rushing for 201 yards on 35 carries while the defense held Northwestern to just 127 total yards. Kalel Mullings had his best game as a Wolverine, rushing for 92 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries. Senior Donovan Edwards added a storybook ending to his Big House career with a 20-yard touchdown run, finishing with 82 yards on 14 touches. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.Falcons drafting Penix no longer a head-scratcher with rookie QB shining in place of benched CousinsWest Ham's Antonio in hospital after road traffic incident

Make food not war: Ukrainian chefs train in FranceCSR News: Pharma Company Marks 20th Anniversary with ₹25 Crore CSR Commitment