The Social Security Fairness Act, designed to expand benefits for millions of beneficiaries by repealing certain provisions that curtail their monthly checks, was passed by the House last week as efforts intensify to get it passed by the Senate before the December 31 deadline. “Workers should be able to count on the retirement benefits they’ve … Read more
The defeat of Denver’s ambitious affordable housing sales tax by voters has generated plenty of reflection in the week since Mayor Mike Johnston and other supporters’ hopes for a narrow passage flickered out. Political activists, observers and even supporters say the proposal suffered from the lack of a clear spending plan that could be explained … Read more
Stilfontein, located in the North West province, has become a hotspot for illegal mining. The government’s crackdown on unauthorized mining has trapped thousands of zama zamas (illegal miners) underground. This situation has sparked nationwide debates about the rise in illegal mining and the government’s responsibility in addressing the issue. Government Intensifies Crackdown on Illegal Mining … Read more
Former Vice President Mike Pence warned against “populists” seeking sway over conservative politics during a Friday speech at Colorado Christian University, and he called for a defense of “traditional” conservative values on foreign policy, abortion and marriage. Pence’s speech at CCU, a small conservative school in Lakewood, came 10 days after his former running mate, … Read more
Want to apply for a job at the new Department of Government Efficiency headed by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy? The process is selective and the pay is nonexistent, but the big-picture payoff could make getting involved worth it. President-elect Donald Trump created the new Department of Government Efficiency earlier this week and placed Musk … Read more
Colorado ranchers are renewing their demand for state wildlife officials to delay the release of more wolves until they finalize more programs to prevent attacks on livestock. Ranchers on Thursday formally asked Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners to delay the releases — expected in early January — to prevent communication issues and depredations similar to … Read more
China’s southern tech hub Shenzhen spent a record amount on research and development (R&D) last year, rivalling Beijing’s level and vastly exceeding that of neighbouring Hong Kong to cement its position as a national research mecca. Shenzhen’s R&D expenditure jumped to 223.66 billion yuan (US$30.93 billion) in 2023, surpassing the 200-billion-yuan mark for the first … Read more
In a bold move to safeguard children online, Australia is poised to introduce unprecedented legislation that will ban social media use for children under the age of 16. Platforms such as Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram), TikTok, and X will be given a year to implement these restrictions, a measure aimed at reducing exposure … Read more
Israel’s governing coalition may not have a majority for a preliminary vote for a controversial bill aimed at relieving haredi military-age men from a significant financial sanction if they continue evading IDF service. The sanction in question is the removal of subsidies for daycare payments, and the bill, authored by United Torah Judaism MK … Read more
Watergate is the gold standard of scandals. What began with a bungled burglary at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, DC, in June 1972 ended with the unraveling of Richard Nixon’s presidency and his ignominious resignation just 26 months later. Since then, anytime a scandal breaks anywhere in … Read more
