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A film set location, a big budget production, an audience bussed in - the prime minister's Plan for Change speech had all the hallmarks of big campaign moments past when Sir Keir Starmer used the event to launch his "first steps' set of promises - from cutting NHS waiting lists and setting up a new border command to tackle small boats - and his election-winning manifesto. Five months into government, on Thursday, he gathered his cabinet and crowd in Pinewood Studios to launch this six milestones for government . But if it was meant to be a box office moment, it all felt a bit flat. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player What's in a Labour government? Over the past 18 months, we've had three foundations, five missions, six first steps and now, on Thursday, six milestones, with a 42-page plan. Speak to the prime minister at the edges of these events, and he can make a compelling case for his missions and the clarity he has for government. But somehow it is getting lost in translation as the missions become the first steps, become milestones with three foundations to boot. More on Labour Missions, first steps and milestones: How Sir Keir Starmer's priorities have changed since last year Sir Keir Starmer's milestones: What are they, what's missing and how easy are they to achieve? Labour blind spot for scandal on show as Tories exploit murky Haigh affair Related Topics: Labour Sir Keir Starmer It can be hard to find a narrative in what this government is trying to do. Read more: PM vows to take on 'alliance of naysayers' Driving test bosses 'bullying examiners to be lenient' Thursday was an attempt to change that with six measurable milestones now set up so you, Whitehall and the cabinet, are all crystal clear about where they are heading. Some of them are a departure from manifesto pledges, others are not. Some of them are genuinely ambitious, others less so. The manifesto promise to have the fastest growing economy in the G7 is now an "aim" while the new milestone is to "raise living standards in every part of the United Kingdom, so working people have more money in their pockets" is a new target. The idea is to make the pledge more "human" but the PM wouldn't say how much he wanted to raise living standards - and household disposable income is already set to rise by the end of this parliament. Then on opportunity for all, in the run-up to the election the government promised to recruit 6,500 more teachers to improve teaching in state secondaries. Now the milestone they are asking to be measured on is a promise that 75% of five-year-olds are ready to learn in England when they start school against 67% today. There is a new milestone to fast-track planning decisions on at least 150 major economic infrastructure projects. There is a milestone to put a named bobby back on the beat in every neighbourhood, while the pledge to halve violence against women and girls has not been marked up as a milestone. 'Hold the government's feet to the fire' Why are they doing it now and to what end? At its heart this is an attempt to give voters clear targets on which they can, to quote Starmer himself, "hold the government's feet to the fire". But it felt a bit like a rag bag of measures in which some past promises were pushed aside and others pumped up. The 1.5 million housing target, the pledge to return to the NHS standard of 92% of patients being seen for elective treatment in 18 weeks, the commitment to green power by 2030 are all ambitious. But things that are perhaps too risky or hard to meet have been dropped. The migration question One of the biggest omissions in the milestones was migration. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player This surprised me, not least because the prime minister had said clearly that the economy and borders were his two main priorities in government and a clear concern for voters. But instead of making it one of his milestone measures, for which the public can hold him accountable, the PM said securing borders was one of the "foundations" of his government. There is no metric on which to measure him beyond net migration coming down from record levels of 800,000 plus in the past couple of years. Perhaps he could have been more ambitious in setting a target to hit in terms of cutting legal migration or small boat crossings. Perhaps he could have committed to a deportation figure - something that Harriet Harman suggested he might have done on our episode of Electoral Dysfunction this week. But I suspect, in the end, Number 10 decided it was too risky to try to set targets. 'The tepid bath of managed decline' But with a disaffected electorate, high levels of scepticism, and a Reform party playing into that anti-politics sentiment, Starmer knows he must galvanise his government to try to deliver tangibles before the next election, and this speech will perhaps be looked back on as one aimed as much at Whitehall as it was you, the voter. He explicitly challenged the British state to deliver in this speech saying his Plan for Change was "the most ambitious plan for government in a generation" and would require a "change to the nature of governing itself" as he called on the state to become more dynamic, decisive, innovate, embracing of technology and artificial intelligence. "Make no mistake, this plan will land on desks across Whitehall with the heavy thud of a gauntlet being thrown down, a demand given the urgency of our times," he told his audience as he fired a warning shot to Whitehall. "I do think there are too many people in Whitehall who are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline. Had forgotten, to paraphrase JFK, that you choose change not because it's easy, but because it's hard." 👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈 Starmer and his team know that without galvanising Whitehall and setting clear navigation through this mission and now measurable milestones, delivery will be hard. The plan is for stock takes on the missions and milestones in order to hold mandarins accountable. On the back of Starmer's milestones speech will come another from cabinet minister Pat McFadden on civil service reform. At the election, Starmer ran on a platform of promising change. Follow our channel and never miss an update Five months later, eyeing a sharp fall in opinion poll ratings, he is offering a concrete plan for change. For now voters seemed tuned out, with the pledges and targets being thrown at them failing to stick. I don't think Starmer or his team expect those polls to turn around any time soon. But they are adamant that if they can fulfil promises to build more homes and better infrastructure, cut NHS waiting lists, lift living standards, and give people a sense of greater security on their streets, they can turn the tide on the tsunami of cynicism they face. Be the first to get Breaking News Install the Sky News app for free Starmer might not be the best storyteller, but in the end he'll likely be judged not on the flourish or rhetoric, but on whether he can actually deliver.ROSEN, A LEADING LAW FIRM, Encourages ASP Isotopes Inc. Investors to Secure Counsel Before ...
VICTORIA — British Columbia Premier David Eby says his fellow premiers and the federal government have hatched a game plan to fight U.S. tariffs, with conservative premiers lobbying Republican counterparts, left-leaning provincial leaders courting the Democrats, and Ottawa focusing on president-elect Donald Trump. The premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talked about using their political diversity and connections to thwart the prospect of Trump's proposed 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, Eby said Thursday in a year-end interview. He said it was discussed that conservative premiers Danielle Smith in Alberta, Doug Ford in Ontario and Nova Scotia's Tim Houston are well-placed to lobby Republican governors and business leaders. Eby said as a New Democrat he will likely have more in common with Democrat governors and business leaders from the West Coast states. "I can easily have conversations with governors and businesses down the West Coast of the U.S., where we have close relationships and our politics are very similar," he said. "Premier Smith can have conversations with Republican governors. That would be more challenging for me, and (she) would have more connections potentially with the Trump administration than an NDP administration in B.C. would." He said a meeting last week between the premiers and Trudeau discussed Canada's diversity of representation, and how it could bring leverage and advantages in tariff talks. "It's interesting, there was a lot of talk about what unity means in terms of Canada's response to the tariffs," he said. "There's obviously a diversity of views around the Council of the Federation table of all the premiers. Certainly, mine is not the same as Premier Smith's or Premier Ford's or Premier Houston's, and that diversity of views is actually potentially a significant strength for us as we enter into these discussions." Eby also said he was prepared to appear on American's right-leaning Fox News TV network, as did premiers Ford and Smith. "Anything that I can do to support the national effort to protect the families in Canada from the impact of tariffs and also families in the U.S. from those unjustified tariffs," he said. "Absolutely, if I thought it was helpful." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press
Ohio politician proposes make flag planting a felony after fight in Michigan rivalry gameFAA Bans Drones Over ‘Critical Infrastructure’ in New York, Governor Announces
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Potential TikTok bidder seeks a CEO, prepares business overhaulA former special agent who claims he received financial backing from a foundation associated with Kash Patel, the man nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the FBI’s next director, has called for the agency to shut down its Intelligence Branch, which plays a strategic role in domestic violent extremism investigations. Steve Friend, an ex-agent who was suspended in 2022 after complaining about the agency’s use of a SWAT team to arrest a Jan. 6 offender, made the comment on Monday during an interview with podcaster Carl Jackson. He also called on Patel to “get rid of” the agency’s Integrated Program Management system which he claimed “perversely incentivizes the FBI to go after people” to inflate case numbers. “And that’s also tied to the intelligence collection apparatus because there’s a quota for the number of intelligence products that they have to create,” Friend continued. “So, if you eliminate the Intelligence Branch, if you eliminate the quota system, that takes a huge chunk away.” Patel has indicated that he is also considering changes to the Intelligence Branch, although he has not called for its elimination. “And the biggest problem the FBI has had has come out of its intel shop,” he told podcaster Shawn Ryan earlier this year. “I’d break that component out of it.” Patel did not directly respond to a request to explain his comment about the FBI’s intelligence functions or to say whether he agrees with Friend, but Alex Pfeifer, a spokesperson for the Trump transition, told Raw Story that Patel is committed to maintaining the agency’s mission of combating terrorism. “Kash Patel will restore integrity to the FBI and protect Americans from terrorism as the agency’s director,” Pfeiffer said. “Kash Patel has a lengthy career fighting terrorism stretching from working as a terrorism prosecutor for the Obama Justice Department to serving as the chief of staff at the Department of Defense. Patel’s financial support was recounted by Friend when he spoke under oath to the Republican members of the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government in early 2023. He repeated the claim in an interview on Wednesday with pro-Trump podcaster Benny Johnson that he received a call from an unfamiliar phone number during Thanksgiving two years ago and that it was Patel. “Hey, this is Kash Patel, and I have a foundation that supports whistleblowers,” Patel said, according to Friend. “I would like to give you — because you’re unpaid, indefinitely suspended forever by the FBI — $5,000. My foundation is going to give you that donation to get you through Christmas.” Patel also arranged for Friend to take a job as a senior fellow at the Center for Renewing America, a conservative nonprofit headed by Russell Vought, whom Trump recently named to lead the Office of Management and Budget during the incoming administration, Friend said. Vought announced Friend’s position in an X post in January 2023, saying that he would “help uncover the full extent of the FBI’s weaponization against the American public” and predicting that he would “play a huge role in maximizing the potential” of the Weaponization subcommittee. Friend’s criticism of the FBI — voiced in testimony before the Weaponization subcommittee, on podcasts, and in policy papers for the Center for Renewing America — has consistently homed in on the FBI’s intelligence function and supposed exaggeration of the domestic violent extremism threat. “The Integrated Program Management system incentivizes the use of inappropriate investigatory processes and tools to achieve arbitrary statistical accomplishments,” Friend testified to Congress in May 2023. “Mission creep within the National Security Branch has refocused counterterrorism from legitimate foreign actors to political opponents within our borders. “Your own intelligence analysis capability increasingly dictates operations,” he added, “turning the FBI into an intelligence agency with law enforcement capability.” In his 2023 book, Government Gangsters: The Deep State, The Truth, and the Battle for Our Democracy , Patel made a similar argument. A chapter titled “Made-Up Domestic Terrorism” includes this statement: “To pump up public support for their attacks on conservative Americans, the FBI leadership has been reportedly pushing agents to artificially inflate data about domestic terrorism to make the problem seem much worse than it is.” A footnote reveals that the claim is sourced from a story in the Tennessee Star online news outlet, which is in turn based on a letter from Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), then the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, to FBI Director Christopher Wray. Citing unnamed “whistleblowers,” Jordan’s letter — sent in July 2022, prior to the Republicans retaking control of the House — asserts in language strikingly similar to what Friend would later use to assail the agency “that FBI officials are pressuring agents to reclassify cases as ‘domestic violent extremism’ even if the cases do not meet the criteria for such a classification.” Staff for the Democratic members of the Weaponization subcommittee who interviewed Friend and Garret O’Boyle — another former FBI agent who reportedly received a $5,000 donation from Patel's foundation — contend the two men could not provide any evidence to substantiate Jordan’s claim. “While both Friend and O’Boyle testified they had concerns about the reclassification of cases to ‘pad’ DVE numbers, and O’Boyle suggested that such case numbers might play a role in FBI budgeting decisions, both also admitted that they were not involved in decision-making regarding performance metric or manner in which resources were allocated, including whether case numbers played a role in such allocations,” the Democratic minority wrote in a report released in March 2023. The Democratic members, led by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), also expressed concern that their Republican counterparts were downplaying the threat of extremism. “Committee Democrats find it both disingenuous and alarming that Committee Republicans are suggesting that domestic violent extremism does not present an increasing threat, particularly since data from nonpartisan DVE trackers provides evidence to the contrary.” The Democrats cited research by the Center for Strategic and International Studies that recorded 1,040 terrorist attacks and plots in the United States from 1994 through 2021, while tracking “a shift in motivation for domestic terrorism away from the kind of extremism inspired by the Islamic State and al-Qaeda and towards white nationalism and anti-government sentiments.” Racially motivated mass shootings have spanned the first Trump and Biden administrations — including attacks in El Paso, Texas, in 2019 and Buffalo, N.Y. in 2022, with death tolls of 23 and 10, respectively. Raw Story has tracked at least a dozen terror plots disrupted by the FBI since 2019, including plans to carry out mass shootings, ambush law enforcement or attack the power grid that were motivated by hatred of people of color, Jews and LGBTQ + people. Friend has expanded on the criticism that he leveled against the FBI’s intelligence capabilities during his congressional testimony in his writings and comments for podcasts over the past two years. While claiming that the FBI’s abuse of intelligence led to the investigation and prosecution of Trump’s former national security advisor Michael Flynn — a central preoccupation of the president-elect and his allies — Friend has acknowledged that the agency’s intelligence functions are also integral to its investigation of domestic violent extremists. In a policy paper published by the Center for Renewing America in December 2023, Friend wrote that “the FBI established the National Security Branch, the original home of the Intelligence Branch division, in September 2005, as part of its mission to detect, deter, and disrupt national security threats in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.” The paper goes on to argue that “to justify its outsized budget and power, the FBI has increased its focus on ‘homegrown violent extremists.’ Over time, Friend wrote that “the FBI’s counterterrorism mission shifted from homegrown violent extremism to ‘domestic violent extremists.’” Friend admitted during his testimony before Congress that he has put out a tweet advocating to “defund, disband, dismantle and abolish the FBI.” Celebrating Patel’s appointment to lead the FBI on a podcast he co-hosts with O’Boyle on Tuesday, Friend indicated he might be willing to change position. “I’d prefer disillusion, but if we can make the renovation look more like a demolition, then I guess we’ll take what we can,” he said. Both Friend and O’Boyle hinted that they were contemplating whether they might be summoned to return to the FBI to serve under Patel. The Trump transition team did not respond to a question about whether Patel is considering bringing Friend back to the FBI. During the podcast, Friend said he would only agree to return to the FBI on condition that he receive a preemptive pardon. “I want everything pardoned for what I’m going to do,” Friend said. “Because I’m going to hurt lots of feelings. And I’m sure that they’ve demonstrated — the communist has — that they will contrive whatever I say or do as a conspiracy against rights, and put me in prison if they ever re-attain power.” Friend framed preemptive pardons as a hedge against future accountability measures that he claimed could lead to a “civil war” between MAGA forces and a Democratic opposition he describes as “communist” and “terrorists.” He said he was glad that President Joe Biden issued a pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, because now it gives Trump “cover” to do the same thing for his henchmen. “They’ve done it to their side,” Friend said. “You do it for yours. And if you’re unwilling to do that, then you’re just going to continue to see this asymmetrical civil war spiral out of control. It’s cold right now. But it’s not very long until it goes hot.
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Daily Post Nigeria 16 Days of Activism: Ogun commits to safety for women, girls Home News Politics Metro Entertainment Sport News 16 Days of Activism: Ogun commits to safety for women, girls Published on December 4, 2024 By Timi Owolabi To reduce the menace of Gender-Based Violence, GBV, the Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, has called for action to raise voices for and make commitments to the safety of women and girls. Adeleye made this call at a town hall meeting in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, community and other opinion leaders on prevention and response to GBV held in Abeokuta on Wednesday. She said the meeting was in commemoration of the 16 Days Activism on the elimination of all forms of violence against the female gender, stating that community leaders comprising Baales, religious leaders, and Community Development Association leaders, among others, were gatekeepers of the community. The commissioner emphasised that they exhibit a significant role in shaping minds, influencing behaviours and building trust, charging them to look beyond ongoing campaigns to make a lasting impact in the fight against GBV in their respective communities. “We need to implement these plans; action they say is key. This is not a checklist we can tick and move on. It’s a breathing process and it starts with you. You have to walk the talk. So, when we create action plans, ensure they don’t collect dust on some shelf. Make sure they are enforced; talk about it in your communities, churches, mosques, garages and parks, and share from one leader to another,” she said. While reeling out the strides of the Abiodun-led administration in ridding the state of GBV, the commissioner stated that the government had established Sexual Assault Referral Centres, SARC, in zones of the state in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, and Ogun State Transformation Projects, OGSTEP. The centres, she added, were equipped to provide immediate care, support and counselling for survivors of GBV. She added that this intervention aimed to facilitate the commencement of the healing process for survivors, revealing that toll-free lines had equally been provided for a quick response from the government-trained responders and service providers. In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Adejumoke Adewole, underscored the importance of a collective mission to raise awareness of GBV and advocate for the rights and dignity of women and girls in communities. She implored the stakeholders to use their positions to speak on behalf of the voiceless, particularly women and girls, calling on them to work together with the state government and UNFPA to curb structures perpetuating violence in society. Earlier in her lecture titled “Roles of Community Leaders in Responding and Preventing GBV,” UNFPA’s gender analyst, Dr Esther Somefun, highlighted some of the key roles of community leaders as embracing and encouraging survivors of GBV, avoiding discrimination towards them, reporting acts of violence against women and girls at all times and publicising the toll-free lines for reporting GBV. While delivering another lecture, a representative of APIN Public Health Initiatives, Favour Ojo-Omoniyi, noted that opinion leaders needed to equip themselves with necessary education about GBV and prepare to offer support to survivors. Representative of the Forum of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria, FOMWAN, Zainab Jinadu and her counterpart from the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Osioyemi Olasunkanmi, commended the state government and UNFPA for coming up with the idea of involving them as gatekeepers of the community in eliminating GBV cases. Related Topics: 16 Days of Activism ogun Don't Miss Tax reforms crucial for national growth — NOA You may like Abiodun presents N1.055tn 2025 budget to Ogun Assembly Ogun pledges to break down societal stereotypes, provide job opportunities for PWDs Police confirm suspected assassination of hotel guest in Ogun Teacher attempts suicide as Ogun pupil loses eye to classroom accident Man slumps, dies while walking on Ogun road Why I consistently focus on development of Ogun West – Gov. Abiodun Advertise About Us Contact Us Privacy-Policy Terms Copyright © Daily Post Media LtdDETROIT (AP) — In the waning days of President Joe Biden’s administration, the government’s highway safety agency is proposing voluntary safety guidelines for self-driving vehicles. But a rule from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration putting the plan in place won’t be approved before the end of Biden’s term in January and likely will be left to whoever runs the agency under Republican Donald Trump. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whom Trump has named to co-lead a “Department of Government Efficiency” to cut costs and regulations, has floated the idea of him helping to develop safety standards for self-driving vehicles — even though the standards would affect Tesla’s automated driving systems. At present there are no federal regulations that specifically govern autonomous vehicles, and any regulation is left to states. However, self-driving vehicles must meet broad federal safety standards that cover all passenger vehicles. Under the agency’s proposal, released on Friday, automakers and autonomous vehicle companies could enroll in a program that would require safety plans and some data reporting for autonomous vehicles operating on public roads. To apply companies would have to have independent assessments of their automated vehicle safety processes, and there would be requirements to report crashes and other problems with the vehicles. Companies would have to give NHTSA information and data on the safety of the design, development and operations of the vehicles. The agency would decide whether to accept companies into the program. But auto safety advocates say the plan falls short of needed regulation for self-driving vehicles. For instance, it doesn’t set specific performance standards set for the vehicles such as numbers and types of of sensors or whether the vehicles can see objects in low-visibility conditions, they said. “This is a big bunch of nothing,” said Missy Cummings, director of the autonomy and robotics center at George Mason University and a former safety adviser to NHTSA. “It’ll be more of a completely useless paperwork drill where the companies swear they’re doing the right thing.” Michael Brooks, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Auto Safety, said one of the few good things about the plan is that companies will have to report data on crashes and other problems. There have been reports that the Trump administration may want to scrap a NHTSA order that now requires autonomous vehicle companies to report crashes to the agency so it can collect data. A message was left Friday seeking comment from the Trump transition team on crash reporting requirements. Brooks said the incoming administration probably will want to put out its own version of the guidelines. NHTSA will seek public comment on the plan for about 60 days, then the plan would have to wind its way through the federal regulatory process, which can take months or even years. “It is important that ADS (Automated Driving System) technology be deployed in a manner that protects the public from unreasonable safety risk while at the same time allowing for responsible development of this technology, which has the potential to advance safety,” the proposed rule says. The agency concedes that in the future, there may be a need for NHTSA to set minimum standards for self driving vehicle performance that are similar to mandatory safety standards that govern human-driven cars. But the agency says it now doesn’t have data and metrics to support those standards. The voluntary plan would help gather those, the proposal said. Tom Krisher, The Associated PressJuniper investment company sells $2.5 million in Lincoln Educational stock
It’s not hard to understand the value tight end Josh Oliver brings to the Vikings. ADVERTISEMENT Just listen to the way people talk about him. “He’s an animal,” tight end T.J. Hockenson said. “Once he gets his hands on somebody, it’s kind of like, ‘Good luck.'” It was similar sentiment from offensive coordinator Wes Phillips. “He’s the best blocking tight end in the league, and that’s no disrespect to anybody else,” Phillips said. “We will take Josh over anybody in this league in the role that he’s in. It’s not only that he’s physically imposing as a 270-pound man. It’s the attitude that he plays with out there.” ADVERTISEMENT What are the Vikings losing now that Oliver has been ruled out with an ankle injury? His absence will be felt most when the Vikings try to run the ball against the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field. Though he has proved he can contribute in the passing game, Oliver has been a force in the running game since signing with the Vikings. There have been multiple times this season that Oliver had singlehandedly carved out space for running back Aaron Jones to go to work. That’s partially why Hockenson has played only about 50% of the offensive snaps since returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament a few weeks ago. Even if the Vikings are often telegraphing a run when Oliver is on the field, they don’t care because they feel that strongly about his ability as a blocker. “You see it every single week,” Phillips said. “He’s moving large men and putting them on the ground.” ADVERTISEMENT It’s safe to assume Oliver would suit up for the Vikings if he were able to do so. He’s been playing through a wrist injury for the past few weeks, for example, and has still been extremely effective at the point of attack. How tough is it to replace Oliver in a vacuum? “It’s a big challenge because of all the things he does on a snap in and snap out basis,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We will see some guys make some impacts on some different downs and distances than we have maybe seen up to this point.” ADVERTISEMENT The only other players on the injury report for the Vikings are tight end Nick Muse (hand) and edge rusher Gabe Murphy (knee). Both players were officially listed as questionable and being full participants in the walkthrough on Friday afternoon at TCO Performance Center. ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .NoneSCOTTISH DAILY MAIL COMMENT: A basket case of tax and spend profligacy, this woeful SNP Budget is a sure-fire blueprint for failure
Workers at Starbucks stores began a five-day strike Friday to protest lack of progress in contract negotiations with the company. The strikes by baristas and other workers were scheduled to take place in Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle and could spread to hundreds of stores across the country by Christmas Eve. Starbucks Workers United, the union organizing Starbucks' baristas, said at least 10 locations were closed down as of midday Friday. The walkouts came a day after the Teamsters union announced strikes at seven Amazon delivery hubs . Starbucks said early Friday there was “no significant impact” to its store operations. “We are aware of disruption at a small handful of stores, but the overwhelming majority of our U.S. stores remain open and serving customers as normal,” the Seattle-based coffee giant said in a statement. Workers at 535 company-owned U.S. stores have voted to unionize, but Starbucks has nearly 10,000 company-owned U.S. stores Starbucks Workers United, which began the unionization effort in 2021, said Starbucks has failed to honor a commitment made in February to reach a labor agreement this year. The union also wants the company to resolve outstanding legal issues, including hundreds of unfair labor practice charges that workers have filed with the National Labor Relations Board . The union noted that Starbucks Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol , who started in September, could make more than $100 million in his first year on the job. But it said the company recently proposed an economic package with no new wage increases for unionized baristas now and a 1.5% increase in future years. “Union baristas know their value, and they’re not going to accept a proposal that doesn’t treat them as true partners," Starbucks Workers United President Lynne Fox said. Starbucks said Workers United prematurely ended a bargaining session this week. “We are ready to continue negotiations to reach agreements. We need the union to return to the table,” the company said in a statement. Starbucks said it proposed an annual pay increase of at least 1.5% that could be higher in some years. If the company said if it offered a lower increase to non-union stores in any given year, it still would give union workers a 1.5% increase. Starbucks said the union wants to increase the minimum wage for hourly workers by 64% immediately and 77% over the life of a three-year contract. Starbucks said it already pays an average of $18 per hour. With benefits — including health care, free college tuition and paid family leave — Starbucks' pay package is worth an average of $30 per hour for baristas who work at least 20 hours per week. The strikes won't be the first for Starbucks during the busy holiday season. In November 2023, thousands of workers at more than 200 stores walked out on Red Cup Day , when the company usually gives away thousands of reusable cups. Hundreds of workers also went on strike in June 2023 to protest after the union said Starbucks banned Pride displays at some stores. The union and the company struck a different tone early this year, when they returned to the bargaining table and pledged to reach an agreement. Starbucks said it has held nine bargaining sessions with the union since April, and has reached more than 30 agreements with the union. But Starbucks has struggled with falling sales and lower customer traffic in the U.S. and abroad this year, and the CEO who promised to work for a labor agreement, Laxman Narasimhan , was forced out this summer. Niccol quashed a unionization campaign at Chipotle when he was the CEO there, but he pledged to work constructively with the union in a September letter. Now, Starbucks and the union appear to be at an impasse. “In a year when Starbucks invested so many millions in top executive talent, it has failed to present the baristas who make its company run with a viable economic proposal,” Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a Starbucks barista from Texas and bargaining delegate, said in a statement.Musselman High School Choral Department raises support through its Snow Globe Festival
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A fter a sprawling hacking campaign exposed the communications of an unknown number of Americans, U.S. cybersecurity officials are advising people to use encryption in their communications. To safeguard against the risks highlighted by the campaign, which originated in China, federal cybersecurity authorities released an extensive list of security recommendations for U.S. telecom companies — such as Verizon and AT&T — that were targeted. The advice includes one tip we can all put into practice with our phones: “Ensure that traffic is end-to-end encrypted to the maximum extent possible.” End-to-end encryption, also known as E2EE, means that messages are scrambled so that only the sender and recipient can see them. If anyone else intercepts the message, all they will see is garble that can’t be unscrambled without the key. Law enforcement officials until now resisted this type of encryption because it means the technology companies themselves won’t be able to look at the messages, nor respond to law enforcement requests to turn the data over. Here’s a look at various ways ordinary consumers can use end-to-end encryption: Officials said the hackers targeted the metadata of a large number of customers, including information on the dates, times and recipients of calls and texts. They also managed to see the content from texts from a much smaller number of victims. If you’re an iPhone user, information in text messages that you send to someone else who also has an iPhone will be encrypted end-to-end. Just look for the blue text bubbles, which indicate that they are encrypted iMessages. The same goes for Android users sending texts through Google Messages. There will be a lock next to the timestamp on each message to indicate the encryption is on. But there’s a weakness. When iPhone and Android users text each other, the messages are encrypted only using Rich Communication Services, an industry standard for instant messaging that replaces the older SMS and MMS standards. Apple has noted that RCS messages “aren’t end-to-end encrypted, which means they’re not protected from a third party reading them while they’re sent between devices.” Samsung, which sells Android smartphones, also hinted at the issue in a footnote at the bottom of a press release last month on RCS, saying, “Encryption only available for Android to Android communication.” To avoid getting caught out when trading texts, experts recommend using encrypted messaging apps. Privacy advocates are big fans of Signal, which applies end-to-end encryption to all messages and voice calls. The independent nonprofit group behind the app promises never to sell, rent or lease customer data and made its source code publicly available so that it can be audited by anyone to examine it “for security and correctness.” Signal’s encryption protocol is so reputable that it has been integrated into rival WhatsApp, so users will enjoy the same level of security protection as Signal, which has a much smaller user base. End-to-end encryption is also the default mode for Facebook Messenger, which like WhatsApp is owned by Meta Platforms. Telegram is an app that can be used for one-on-one conversations, group chats and broadcast “channels” but contrary to popular perception, it doesn’t turn on end-to-end encryption by default. Users have to switch on the option. And it doesn’t work with group chats. Cybersecurity experts warned people against using Telegram for private communications and pointed out that only its opt-in ‘secret chat’ feature is encrypted from end-to-end. The app also has a reputation for being a haven for scammers and criminal activity, highlighted by founder and CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest in France. Instead of using your phone to make calls through a wireless cellular network, you can make voice calls with Signal and WhatsApp. Both apps encrypt calls with the same technology that they use to encrypt messages. There are other options. If you have an iPhone you can use Facetime for calls, while Android owners can use the Google Fi service, which are both end-to-end encrypted. The only catch with all these options is that, as with using the chat services to send messages, the person on the other end will also have to have the app installed. WhatsApp and Signal users can customize their privacy preferences in the settings, including hiding an IP address during calls to prevent your general location from being guessed. Get local news delivered to your inbox!