Latest news with #B.
Chicago Tribune
7 hours ago
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Libertyville group racing to save piece of pre-Civil War history; ‘Something from … an organization that made a difference'
Hanging in a shaded hallway of the Ansel B. Cook Home in Libertyville is a six-foot-tall artifact from the prelude to one of America's darkest chapters. It's a dark silk banner, hand-painted in 1860, emblazoned in gold with the name of a group that is only just being recognized again — The Wide Awakes, a national grassroots organization known for their strong support of the Republican Party and opposition to slavery during the election that would put Abraham Lincoln into the White House. The Libertyville Historical Society is racing to save the rapidly deteriorating 165-year-old banner by fundraising $30,000 to have it expertly restored and placed in a museum-grade display case, with $24,000 in funding already secured. Jenny Barry, president of the historical society, said the banner's painted image of a torchlight parade, an iconic sight for the Wide Awakes, is dried and cracked, and there is some paint loss. Seams are coming apart and the silk, known to be delicate, will need to be stabilized, she said. Restoration will also reveal the banner's long-unseen reverse side, solving a century-old mystery about the possibility of a 'Liberty and Union' inscription on the back, a release said. The banner offers a peek into a relatively obscure group during a critical moment in American history. Barry said it's also one of the few pieces of evidence of the Libertyville community's participation in the Wide Awakes movement, and an example of the level of activism in a community much smaller than it is today. 'We know very little about Libertyville Wide Awakes. There's not a roster or anything that exists,' Barry said. Only a handful of members have been identified through newspaper references, and historical society members have been conducting long-term research to discover others. The Wide Awakes were known for their marches and torchlight parades, Barry said, where they would move in different formations wearing oilcloth capes and carrying torches. A reproduction of the outfit and a pair of original torches sit by the banner. 'It was quite a spectacle, as we understand it,' she said. The banner was awarded to the Libertyville branch during a grand rally in conjunction with a stump speech for Lincoln's campaign, according to Barry. The winning team was whichever brought the most marchers compared to the number of Republican voters in the town in the prior election. Libertyville, which had 63 Republican votes in 1858, brought 73 people, she said, and won the banner. It was of some importance to the community, Barry said, appearing on display several times decades later. It's been in its current case since around 1927, she said, and while she wasn't certain how long it's been displayed at the house, it's been decades. With restoration, the unique banner can be saved for another 165 years, and continue to offer a window into a 'divisive' time in the nation's history, Barry said. 'I think history is often difficult, especially national events,' she said. 'It's very hard to feel a connection to. This is actually a physical representation of something from that time and an organization that made a difference.' She expects the banner will be moved in the fall, and restoration is anticipated to take six to seven months before it's returned home. She encourages people to see it before it's restored, as well as look at their exhibit of Civil War-era ladies' attire displayed on the house's first floor.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
If people taking care of our elders get deported, will anyone take their place?
She rides three buses from her Panorama City home to her job as a caregiver for an 83-year-old Sherman Oaks woman with dementia, and lately she's been worrying about getting nabbed by federal agents. When I asked what she'll do if she gets deported, B., who's 60 and asked me to withhold her name, paused to compose herself. 'I don't want to cry,' she said, but losing her $19 hourly job would be devastating, because she sends money to the Philippines to support her family. The world is getting grayer each day thanks to an epic demographic wave. In California, 22% of the state's residents will be 65 and older by 2040, up by 14% from 2020. 'At a time where it seems fewer and fewer of us want to work in long-term care, the need has never been greater,' Harvard healthcare policy analyst David C. Grabowski told The Times' Emily Alpert Reyes in January. So how will millions of aging Americans be able to afford care for physical and cognitive decline, especially given President Trump's big beautiful proposed cuts to Medicaid, which covers about two-thirds of nursing home residents? And who will take care of those who don't have family members who can step up? There are no good answers at the moment. Deporting care providers might make sense if there were a plan to make the jobs more attractive to homegrown replacements, but none of us would bet a day-old doughnut on that happening. Nationally and in California, the vast majority of workers in care facilities and private settings are citizens. But employers were already having trouble recruiting and keeping staff to do jobs that are low-paying and difficult, and now Trump administration policies could further shrink the workforce. Earlier this year, the administration ordered an end to programs offering temporary protected status and work authorization, and the latest goal in Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration is to make 3,000 arrests daily. 'People are worried about the threat of deportation … but also about losing whatever job they have and being unable to secure other work,' said Aquilina Soriano Versoza, director of the Pilipino Workers Center, who estimated that roughly half of her advocacy group's members are undocumented. In the past, she said, employers didn't necessarily ask for work authorization documents, but that's changing. And she fears that given the political climate, some employers will 'feel like they have impunity to exploit workers,' many of whom are women from Southeast Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America. That may already be happening. 'We've seen a lot of fear, and we've seen workers who no longer want to pursue their cases' when it comes to fighting wage theft, said Yvonne Medrano, an employment rights lawyer with Bet Tzedek, a legal services nonprofit. Medrano said the workers are worried that pursuing justice in the courts will expose them to greater risk of getting booted out of the country. In one case, she said, a worker was owed a final paycheck for a discontinued job, but the employer made a veiled threat, warning that showing up to retrieve it could be costly. Given the hostile environment, some workers are giving up and going home. 'We've seen an increase in workers self-deporting,' Medrano said. Conditions for elder care workers were bleak enough before Trump took office. Two years ago, I met with documented and undocumented caregivers and although they're in the healthcare business, some of them didn't have health insurance for themselves. I met with a cancer survivor and caregiver who was renting a converted garage without a kitchen. And I visited an apartment in Panorama City where Josephine Biclar, in her early 70s, was struggling with knee and shoulder injuries while still working as a caregiver. Biclar was sharing a cramped studio with two other caregivers. They used room dividers to carve their space into sleeping quarters. When I checked with Biclar this week, she said four women now share the same space. All of them have legal status, but because of low wages and the high cost of housing, along with the burden of supporting families abroad, they can't afford better living arrangements. B. and another care provider share a single room, at a cost of $400 apiece, from a homeowner in Panorama City. B. said her commute takes more than an hour each way, and during her nine-hour shift, her duties for her 83-year-old client include cooking, feeding and bathing. She's only working three days a week at the moment and said additional jobs are hard to come by given her status and the immigration crackdown. She was upset that for the last two months, she couldn't afford to send any money home. Retired UCLA scholar Fernando Torres-Gil, who served as President Clinton's assistant secretary on aging, said 'fear and chaos' in the elder care industry are not likely to end during this presidential administration. And given budget constraints, California will be hard-pressed to do more for caregivers and those who need care. But he thinks the growing crisis could eventually lead to an awakening. 'We're going to see more and more older folks without long-term care,' Torres-Gil said. 'Hopefully, Democrats and Republicans will get away from talking about open borders and talk about selective immigration' that serves the country's economic and social needs. The U.S. is not aging alone, Torres-Gil pointed out. The same demographic shifts and healthcare needs are hitting the rest of the world, and other countries may open their doors to workers the U.S. sends packing. 'As more baby boomers' join the ranks of those who need help, he said, 'we might finally understand we need some kind of leadership.' It's hard not to be cynical these days, but I'd like to think he's onto something. Meanwhile, I'm following leads and working different angles on this topic. If you're having trouble finding or paying for care, or if you're on the front lines as a provider, I'm hoping you will drop me a line.
Politico
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Missouri voters will again vote on abortion
TOP LINE In 2024, Missouri voters approved a ballot measure to enshrine abortion rights into the state's constitution by three percentage points, being one of seven states to do so that year following the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Now, the state is set to vote on the issue again, after Republican lawmakers put an abortion ban referendum that includes exceptions for rape and incest up for a vote. The lawmakers' measure would in effect repeal Amendment 3, the current state constitutional amendment which protects the right to an abortion in the state. Voters are likely to see the issue on the 2026 general election ballot, but Missouri's Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe could call a special election sooner. Kehoe's office did not respond to a request for comment. Abortion rights groups cast the lawmaker-driven measure as an attack on the democratic process, while anti-abortion groups commend Republicans for giving voters another chance to decide the issue. 'Over 1.5 million Missourians voted to enshrine access to abortion in the Missouri State Constitution, and politicians are trying to change the rules of the game midstream to try to stop all that from happening,' said Rianne Hawkins, vice president of external affairs for Planned Parenthood Great Rivers Action. Anti-abortion groups are calling on Missouri Republicans to be more vocal in advocating for the measure after abortion rights advocates vastly outspent their anti-abortion counterparts last year. 'We call on Missouri GOP leaders in Washington and across the state to offer their strong, vocal support of this measure. When GOP leaders engage, we win on abortion ballot measures,' said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, in a statement. Missouri's referendum will be the first where voters will have the choice to repeal a post-Dobbs abortion-rights measure that has already passed. And this isn't the first time the Missouri legislature has sought to undo policies that were created via ballot measure. Lawmakers are also seeking to limit the effect of a ballot measure that increased minimum wage and mandated paid sick leave, and in past years they tried to block voter-approved Medicaid expansions. The measure will not specifically mention repealing Amendment 3. Instead, it will ask voters if they want to 'ensure women's safety during abortions', 'ensure parental consent for minors' and 'allow abortions for medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, and incest.' The measure also asks if voters want to 'protect children from gender transition,' because it would prohibit gender transition surgeries and hormone treatments for minors, which is already illegal in the state. For now, abortion remains legal in the state, although actually getting one has proven challenging due to providers in the state being tied up with court battles. Happy Tuesday, I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. Reach me: @andrewjfhoward or ahoward@ Days until the New Jersey primary: 14 Days until the Virginia primary: 21 Days until the New York City primary: 28 Days until the 2025 election: 161 Days until the midterms: 525 Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. CAMPAIGN INTEL ENDORSEMENT CORNER — FIRST IN SCORE: The Working Families Party is making its first endorsement of the midterms, backing Adelita Grijalva in the Tucson district formerly held by her father. 'Adelita Grijalva has a proven track record of fighting for working families in Arizona,' said Matthew Marquez, Southwest campaigns director for the WFP. 2028 WATCH — 'The Democrats' 2028 podcast primary is well underway,' AP's Meg Kinnard and Adriana Gomez Licon note. 'From Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan to former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, potential presidential contenders are following the lead of President Donald Trump, who frequently went on podcasts appealing to younger men during his 2024 campaign.' … 'Rahm Emanuel, Teasing a White House Bid, Says Democratic Brand Is Weak,' by The Wall Street Journal's John McCormick. 'While Emanuel is coy about what he wants next for his political career, he appears to be laying the groundwork for a presidential bid. He will be the headliner at a September fish fry for Democrats in Iowa, where the party's nomination process traditionally started until 2024.' DEMOCRATIC MESSAGING — 'Six months after President Trump swept the battleground states, the Democratic Party is still sifting through the wreckage,' The New York Times' Shane Goldmacher writes. 'The Democratic base is aghast at the speed with which Mr. Trump is undermining institutions and reversing progressive accomplishments — and at the lack of resistance from congressional leaders. Primary challenges are on the rise headed into 2026, often along generational and ideological lines.' … 'Democratic troubles revive debate over left-wing buzzwords,' by The Washington Post's Naftali Bendavid. … Democrats are working to mend their relationships with rural voters, AP's Bill Barrow writes in a dispatch from Paintsville, Kentucky, where he attended 'Rural Listening Tour,' hosted by the state's Democratic Party. HARRIS' NEXT MOVE — California Republicans want Kamala Harris to run for governor, POLITICO's Jeremy B. White reports. Her potential bid 'is already bringing GOP candidates tactical benefits, allowing them to run against a high-profile adversary who's likely to energize donors and the conservative rank-and-file.' ON THE AIRWAVES — Democrats are preparing to launch an ad war against Republicans over Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' POLITICO's Elena Schneider reported Friday. MEGABILL POLITICS — 'RNC chair pressures Senate GOP 'to deliver' on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,'' by The Hill's Ashleigh Fields. NYC MAYOR — 'What It Looks Like As Andrew Cuomo Closes In on Mayoralty,' by my colleagues Jeff Coltin and Mark Ostow. VOTING — 'Prove citizenship to vote? For some married women, it might not be so easy,' Patrick Marley and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez report for The Washington Post. ELECTION CALENDAR — 'Rep. Derrick Van Orden pitches ending spring elections after series of Republican losses,' by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Molly Beck and Lawrence Andrea. 'Republicans don't vote. Period. Like, we just don't vote in spring elections,' Van Orden told reporters in Rothschild, Wisconsin, on May 17, according to Beck and Andrea. CODA — QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'In some ways I'm glad I missed that second term,' President Donald Trump said during his Memorial Day speech.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Rep. Charlie Rangel dies at 94
Charles B. Rangel, the former New York lawmaker whose trailblazing career saw the high school dropout represent Harlem for four decades in Congress, died on Monday. He was 94. Rangel's death was announced by the City College of New York, where after retiring from Congress in 2017 he served as Statesman-in-Residence and launched the Charles B. Rangel Infrastructure Workforce Initiative to boost infrastructure jobs in areas of Manhattan and the Bronx that he called home. First elected to Congress in 1970, Rangel would eventually serve 23 terms in the body, where he co-founded the Congressional Black Caucus and became the first Black chairman of the influential Ways and Means Committee.
Time Business News
24-05-2025
- General
- Time Business News
The Complete Guide to Fire Door Regulations and Standards in London
Fire doors play a crucial role in protecting lives and property during a fire. These specialized doors are designed to contain fire and smoke, preventing them from spreading throughout a building. In London, fire door regulations and standards are taken very seriously to ensure the safety of all occupants. Whether you're a property owner, landlord, or tenant, it's essential to understand the importance of fire doors and the legal requirements surrounding them. Additionally, if you're looking to ensure the safety of your building, consider professional services like Fire Alarm Installation London to further enhance fire prevention measures. Fire doors are specially constructed doors that can resist the spread of fire for a specific period. Made with fire-resistant materials and a solid core, they are designed to withstand high temperatures, preventing smoke and flames from spreading. Fire doors are a critical component in any fire protection system. In commercial and residential buildings, they are strategically placed in hallways, stairwells, and other key areas to create fire-resistant compartments. In London, fire door regulations are governed by a combination of local building codes, national standards, and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. These rules aim to ensure that buildings are equipped with fire doors that are capable of preventing the spread of fire and protecting escape routes. Both residential and commercial properties are subject to these regulations, although the specifics may vary depending on the type of building. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 is one of the key pieces of legislation that governs fire safety in non-domestic buildings. It requires employers and those responsible for the building to ensure that fire doors meet the necessary fire resistance standards. These standards help ensure that fire doors can provide adequate protection in the event of a fire, allowing occupants to safely exit the building while containing the fire within its designated area. For residential properties, particularly those in high-rise buildings, the requirements for fire doors are similarly strict. Fire doors are essential in these settings to protect residents and allow for the safe evacuation of the building. Another important set of regulations in London is the Building Regulations 2010, which includes Approved Document B. This document outlines the fire safety requirements for buildings in England and Wales. Fire doors are part of the passive fire protection measures outlined in this document, and they must meet specific fire resistance ratings. According to the regulations, fire doors should be able to withstand fire for a minimum of 30 minutes, although higher ratings may be required in certain cases. The fire rating of a door depends on the materials used, its design, and its installation. The standards governing fire doors in London are set out by the British Standards Institution (BSI) and other organizations. These standards ensure that fire doors meet the necessary criteria to provide effective fire protection. BS 476-22 is one of the most important standards that apply to fire doors. It specifies the test methods for measuring the fire resistance of building materials and components, including fire doors. A fire door must pass these tests to ensure it can withstand fire for the specified duration, typically 30, 60, or 90 minutes. The door's frame, glazing, and hardware must all be tested to meet these standards. BS EN 1634-1 is a European standard that applies to fire resistance and smoke control doors. This standard is crucial in ensuring that fire doors in London comply with internationally recognized fire safety measures. It outlines how fire doors should be tested to ensure their resistance to fire and smoke and their effectiveness in preventing the spread of flames. In addition to the fire resistance requirements, the standard also addresses the door's ability to contain smoke. Smoke can be just as dangerous as fire, and a properly tested fire door must prevent the passage of smoke into escape routes. One of the key elements in fire door compliance is certification. Fire doors must be clearly marked with appropriate labels and certification stamps that indicate their fire resistance rating. These markings often include details such as the manufacturer, the door's fire rating, and its certification number. This ensures that property owners, managers, and inspectors can quickly verify whether a fire door meets the required standards. It's essential to ensure that only certified fire doors are installed in your property. A non-compliant fire door can undermine the safety of the entire building and may be in violation of local regulations. Installing fire doors is only one part of the equation; proper maintenance and regular inspections are equally important. Over time, wear and tear can affect the door's ability to function correctly. A fire door that is improperly maintained or damaged may not provide the necessary protection in the event of a fire. Fire doors must be inspected regularly to ensure they remain in good condition. This includes checking the door's frame, seals, hinges, and locks. Ensuring the door closes properly and is free from obstructions is crucial for its functionality. If any part of the door is damaged, it should be repaired or replaced immediately. Maintenance for fire doors typically involves checking and testing various components, including the fire seals. Fire seals are designed to expand when exposed to heat, preventing smoke and flames from passing through the gaps around the door. If these seals are damaged or missing, the door's fire resistance could be compromised. Proper maintenance is not just about physical repairs; it also includes keeping fire doors free from unnecessary obstruction. Fire doors should not be propped open, as this can render them ineffective. In addition, doors should never be painted over in a way that could affect their fire-resistant properties. For landlords and employers in London, ensuring fire doors meet the required regulations is not just a legal obligation but also a moral responsibility. Failure to comply with fire door regulations can result in serious legal and financial consequences. In the event of a fire, property owners may be held liable for damages or injuries if their fire doors do not meet safety standards. Landlords are required to ensure that fire doors are installed and maintained in common areas of residential buildings, particularly those with multiple dwellings. Employers must also make sure that fire doors in commercial and industrial buildings are properly maintained and accessible for emergency evacuations. Fire doors are an essential component of building safety, helping to protect lives and property in the event of a fire. In London, strict regulations and standards govern the installation, maintenance, and inspection of fire doors to ensure they provide effective protection. Whether you are a property owner, landlord, or employer, understanding the legal requirements and ensuring your fire doors comply with the necessary standards is crucial for safety and peace of mind. Regular inspections, maintenance, and adherence to certification requirements are all part of ensuring that fire doors continue to offer the highest level of protection when it matters most, If you want to stay updated with posts like this, please follow us on Time Business News. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
