Latest news with #HeatherSmith
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio near the top in April unemployment
Stock photo from Getty Images. Ohio had the sixth-highest unemployment of any state in April. The news comes after years of state officials spending billions on economic growth programs tilted heavily toward the wealthy. It might seem ironic, but Ohio's economy added jobs in April even as unemployment continued to grow. That's because job growth isn't keeping up with the numbers joining the workforce. And there are reasons to believe that things will get worse, according to the think tank Policy Matters Ohio. Data released last week by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services estimated that the state added 22,200 jobs in April. But statewide unemployment rose for the fifth consecutive month, to 4.9%. That's the sixth-highest of any state, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Heather Smith, a researcher at Policy Matters Ohio, said the new state data raise some questions. 'The civilian labor force has increased at about the same rate as the number of unemployed workers, suggesting that while more Ohioans are entering the job market, they are not all securing employment,' she said in a written statement. 'This raises questions around the reported increases in jobs across service-providing industries – why aren't Ohioans getting hired?' The Department of Job and Family Services conducts a monthly survey, releases its estimate of the number of new jobs, and then often revises it downward. For example, it initially estimated that 7,500 jobs were created in March, and then cut that number to 5,200. Of the jobs thought to be created in April, the great majority were in the service sector, 18,800. More than 6,500 of those were in hospitality as those businesses staff up for summer. Construction and manufacturing added 1,200 and 1,100 jobs, respectively, while the number of government jobs increased by 1,300. A separate household survey indicated that 15,000 joined the Ohio job market in April. But only 6,000 found jobs while the rest were unemployed. 'Legislators ought to pay attention to the growing unemployment rate, given its steady increase over the last five months,' Smith said. 'The last time we saw the unemployment rate in Ohio decrease was between September and October – prior to the November election.' Ohio's economy has lagged for more than a decade after the creation of billion-dollar programs mostly benefitting the well off on the promise that they would create jobs for average Ohioans. Created in 2013 under the auspices of then-Gov. John Kasich, the LLC tax loophole costs about $1 billion a year. It was sold as a way to boost small business. But an analysis showed that hiring in that sector has fallen relative to other states, while the wealthiest 7% are claiming nearly 40% of the benefit. Started around the same time, JobsOhio is funded through a state liquor franchise that used to flow into state coffers. Its well-paid staff has grown rapidly as it has doled out more than $1 billion in incentives to businesses. But it hasn't proven that those incentives have created any jobs. Controversial 'private corporation' JobsOhio gets billions more without paying more to state Even so, the Ohio Controlling Board in February extended JobsOhio's control of the state liquor franchise to 2053. The 'private' corporation paid the state $1.41 billion for its initial lease of the franchise. But the state didn't require an additional penny to extend it another 15 years. Meanwhile, Smith of Policy Matters Ohio warned that several developments at the federal level could further drag down the Ohio job market. 'A recent survey of Fourth District businesses by the Federal Reserve of Cleveland found that 22% of respondents anticipated the tariffs would force them to decrease their staff,' she wrote. 'This is already underway: Several large employers across the state have submitted mass layoff notices, including 744 manufacturing jobs in Fremont. A Chillicothe paper plant, which was set to layoff 826 union workers by the end of June, agreed to remain open until December. While this buys impacted Ohioans a bit more time, the plant closing will be a devastating hit to workers in the area.' In addition to potential harm from tariffs, the Trump administration is trying to cut hundreds of thousands of federal jobs and to slash services as it tries to fund further tax cuts. 'Ohio policymakers need to hold their federal counterparts accountable for the impact of funding cuts on the state and stop preemptively cutting critical public services with trigger language in the state budget,' Smith said. 'If federal budget hawks get their way and force the state to pick up a greater share of the Medicaid budget, proposed trigger language could cut off the health insurance of 770,000 Ohioans.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
The Sun
25-05-2025
- The Sun
Brit woman, 21, rotting in hellhole Dubai jail after being arrested on drug charge ‘had fallen in with wrong people'
A BRIT woman rotting inside Dubai's hellhole prison on alleged drug charges fell in with "wrong people at the wrong time", her family has said. Isabella Daggett, 21, was arrested just five weeks after she relocated to Dubai from Yorkshire after landing a new job. 7 7 The Briton was working for a businessman doing internet recruiting for construction sites in the UK, who offered to send her to the Middle East for a similar role. But she was sent to a Dubai prison soon after she set foot in the desert city. It is understood that Ms Daggett was arrested alongside another man, with whom she was living at the time. Her family claims that she has done nothing wrong, has never used narcotics and was rather lured to move to Dubai. Grandmother Heather Smith told the DailyMail: "Bella has been locked up because she was in the wrong company. Wrong place, wrong time. Wrong boyfriend. "She is innocent because they have done all the tests and there was nothing in her system." The grandma said her family had warned Ms Daggett about the potential dangers of the Middle Eastern city with tough prison laws. She added: "She was arrested with a lad, who was not her boyfriend, with whom she was staying because things had fallen through with another house. "She didn't really like him that much. He may be guilty of something, but she isn't." "We told Bella before she went to Dubai, 'you know the rules in Dubai, play by the rules, don't flaunt this, don't do that'." She added said she was going to move back to Leeds just before being arrested. Dubai authorities have not yet revealed under what charges Ms Daggett was arrested. Ms Daggett has not taken a shower or even changed her clothes in months after being banged up in a prison in March, her family claims. The gran described how the Brit woman was being treated harshly inside the prison. She added: "She hasn't had a shower for a month, she hasn't had a change of clothes for three months. She has had nothing. "Women get treated far worse than male prisoners, who get to go outside, they get sports, a PlayStation and a television - Bella has nothing. "She can speak to me and her mum every day though, which is good. But we have been in bits." Ms Daggett's mum Lucinda Smith, with whom she ran a Leeds-based modelling agency, posted a GoFundMe page to help her daughter. The fundraiser read: "My daughter Isabella has been wrongfully detained in Dubai, and we are doing everything we can to prove her innocence and bring her back home. "We have proof she was not involved in these charges and are determined to fight for her freedom. The hideous conditions she is living in are enough to break any mother's heart. "The legal and travel expenses are overwhelming, and we need your support. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us cover the costs of legal fees, travel, and other necessary expenses." 7 7 In the last couple of weeks, two other Brit women were arrested abroad for alleged drug smuggling. Glam tourist Bella Culley allegedly tried to smuggle a suitcase of weed into Georgia and was locked away in a brutal ex-Soviet prison despite claiming to be pregnant. The 18-year-old was sent to the brutal Women's Penitentiary No. 5 in the town of Rustavi - a slammer notorious for its hellish conditions just outside Tbilisi. She had originally jetted to the Philippines to meet an old friend, but reportedly changed her plans last minute to go to Thailand with a gang of British lads unknown to her. A sentence ranging from 20 years to life could be a possibility for teen Bella from County Durham, according to prosecutors. Meanwhile, former air stewardess Charlotte May Lee was then caught allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth £1.2million into Sri Lanka. Her two suitcases were said to have been stuffed with 46kg of a synthetic cannabis strain known as kush — which is 25 times more potent than opioid fentanyl. If found guilty, South Londoner Charlotte could face a 25-year sentence. Experts told The Sun how wannabe Brit Insta stars are being lured by cruel gangs into carting drugs across the world. 7
The Sun
24-05-2025
- The Sun
Brit woman, 21, rotting in Dubai hellhole jail without a shower for a month after being arrested on drugs charges
A BRIT woman has been rotting inside a Dubai hellhole prison without a shower for a month after being arrested on alleged drug charges. Cops arrested Isabella Daggett, 21, just five weeks after she relocated to Dubai from Yorkshire after landing a new job. 7 7 7 And she has not taken a shower or even changed her clothes in months after being banged up in a prison in March, her family claims. It all happened when Ms Daggett was offered to work in Dubai earlier this year. The Britton was working for a businessman doing internet recruiting for construction sites in the UK, who offered to send her to the Middle East for a similar role. But she was arrested by Dubai police - along with another man - soon after she set foot in the desert city. Ms Daggett's family claims that she has done nothing wrong, has never used narcotics and was rather lured to move to Dubai. Her grandmother Heather Smith told the DailyMail: "Bella has been locked up because she was in the wrong company. Wrong place, wrong time. Wrong boyfriend. "The bloke she was working for said for her to come to Dubai, you'll love it there, the lifestyle is wonderful. Now she is locked up. "But she is innocent because they have done all the tests and there was nothing in her system." Mrs Smith described how the woman was being treated harshly inside the prison. She added: "She hasn't had a shower for a month, she hasn't had a change of clothes for three months. She has had nothing. Charlotte May Lee fears being locked away for 20yrs over £1.2m Sri Lanka drugs bust – & is 'aware' of Bella Culley case "Women get treated far worse than male prisoners, who get to go outside, they get sports, a PlayStation and a television - Bella has nothing. "She can speak to me and her mum every day though, which is good. But we have been in bits." It is understood that Ms Dagget was arrested alongside another man, with whom she was living at the time. The grandma said her family had warned Ms Dagget about the potential dangers of the Middle Eastern city with tough prison laws. She added: "She was arrested with a lad, who was not her boyfriend, with whom she was staying because things had fallen through with another house. "She didn't really like him that much.'He may be guilty of something, but she isn't." "We told Bella before she went to Dubai, 'you know the rules in Dubai, play by the rules, don't flaunt this, don't do that'." She added said she was going to move back to Leeds just before being arrested. It is not clear under what charges Ms Dagget was arrested. Ms Daggett's mum Lucinda Smith, with whom she ran a Leeds-based modelling agency, posted a GoFundMe page to help her daughter. The fundraiser read: "My daughter Isabella has been wrongfully detained in Dubai, and we are doing everything we can to prove her innocence and bring her back home. "We have proof she was not involved in these charges and are determined to fight for her freedom. The hideous conditions she is living in are enough to break any mother's heart. "The legal and travel expenses are overwhelming, and we need your support. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us cover the costs of legal fees, travel, and other necessary expenses." 7 7 In the last couple of weeks, two other Brit women were arrested abroad for alleged drug smuggling. Glam tourist Bella Culley allegedly tried to smuggle a suitcase of weed into Georgia and was locked away in a brutal ex-Soviet prison despite claiming to be pregnant. The 18-year-old was sent to the brutal Women's Penitentiary No. 5 in the town of Rustavi - a slammer notorious for its hellish conditions just outside Tbilisi. She had originally jetted to the Philippines to meet an old friend, but reportedly changed her plans last minute to go to Thailand with a gang of British lads unknown to her. A sentence ranging from 20 years to life could be a possibility for teen Bella from County Durham, according to prosecutors. Meanwhile, former air stewardess Charlotte May Lee was then caught allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth £1.2million into Sri Lanka. Her two suitcases were said to have been stuffed with 46kg of a synthetic cannabis strain known as kush — which is 25 times more potent than opioid fentanyl. If found guilty, South Londoner Charlotte could face a 25-year sentence. There are also fears that both the "smuggling cases" could be linked. Experts told The Sun how wannabe Brit Insta stars are being lured by cruel gangs into carting drugs across the world. 7
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Brit woman, 21, rotting in Dubai hell hole jail without 'a shower for a month' after being arrested for drugs charges just weeks after arriving for new job
A recruitment consultant from Leeds has been locked up in a hell hole prison in Dubai for three months on drugs charges, MailOnline can reveal. Isabella Daggett, 21, was arrested just weeks after relocating from Yorkshire to the puritanical desert city state after landing a new job. But her desperate family insist she was seized by cops simply for being 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' and has never used narcotics. Ms Daggett, who also jointly ran a small family-owned modelling agency, had been offered the chance to work in Dubai in early spring but was caught up in a drugs raid soon after arrival. Her grandmother Heather Smith said: 'Bella has been locked up because she was in the wrong company. Wrong place, wrong time. Wrong boyfriend. 'She has been in prison since March but we have finally got a court date for next month. 'She was arrested with a lad, that was not her boyfriend, who she was staying with because things had fallen through with another house.' Exactly what charges Ms Daggett faces have not been made public. Ms Daggett, who also jointly ran a small family-owned modelling agency, had been offered the chance to work in Dubai (pictured) in early spring but was caught up in a drugs raid soon after arrival Mrs Smith continued: 'All I know is that she rang me a week before all this happened and said that she wasn't happy and she knew something wasn't right. 'She was going to move out and come home to Leeds. And then this happened. 'I don't know the whole thing. I'm not sure what charges she has been arrested for, only possession of something - probably drugs, but I don't know for certain. 'But she is innocent because they have done all the tests and there was nothing in her system.' Mrs Smith said her granddaughter had been working for a businessman doing internet recruiting for construction sites in the UK, before her boss offered her the chance to work in Dubai in a similar role. 'The bloke she was working for said for her to come to Dubai, you'll love it there, the lifestyle is wonderful…blah, blah, blah,' said Mrs Smith. 'Now she is locked up. 'And women get treated far worse than male prisoners, who get to go outside, they get sports, a PlayStation and a television - Bella has nothing. 'She hasn't had a shower for a month, she hasn't had a change of clothes for three months. She has had nothing. 'She can speak to me and her mum every day though, which is good. But we have been in bits.' Mrs Smith said the family had given the young women a stern warning about the pitfalls of life behind Dubai's glamorous façade. 'We told Bella before she went to Dubai 'you know the rules in Dubai, play by the rules, don't flaunt this, don't do that' 'But there was a whole sequence of events that led up to her, inadvertently, being in this bloke's house, where she didn't want to be. She didn't really like him that much. 'He may be guilty of something, but she isn't.' Isabella and her mother, Lucinda Smith, 44, are co-directors of Leeds-based firm the Global Model Agency Ltd and Lucinda posted a GoFundMe page for her daughter this week, under the headline 'Help Get Bella Home' with a £5,500 target. She wrote: 'To our dear friends and family. I am reaching out to you in a time of great need. 'My daughter Isabella has been wrongfully detained in Dubai, and we are doing everything we can to prove her innocence and bring her back home. 'We have proof she was not involved in these charges and are determined to fight for her freedom. The hideous conditions she is living in is enough to break any mother's heart. 'The legal and travel expenses are overwhelming, and we need your support. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help us cover the costs of legal fees, travel, and other necessary expenses.'
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Private businesses can fire you for petitioning the government, Tennessee Supreme Court rules
The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a private employer may fire an employee for exercising their right to petition the government. Citizens are protected from such government actions by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. But justices said private employers are not subject to the same restraints under state law. The ruling comes out of a case that started in 2021, after Hamilton County resident Heather Smith was fired from her job at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. Smith was accused of 'violating company policy' after she emailed her state House representative in the Tennessee legislature, detailing her opposition to her employer's vaccine mandate. More: Can you be fired in Tennessee for petitioning your state lawmaker? Appeals court weighs in Her email, which Rep. John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, read aloud during a special session at the Tennessee General Assembly, asked for 'legislative protection for … individual liberties and rights relating to vaccine mandates.' Smith filed a lawsuit against BlueCross in December 2021, alleging that the company violated Tennessee law by firing her for exercising her 'right to petition' the government — a right granted within the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and under the Tennessee Constitution. The Hamilton County trial court dismissed her lawsuit, but the state Court of Appeals reversed the decision. The Tennessee Supreme Court then granted BlueCross permission to appeal, where it ruled against Smith. There are very limited circumstances, the court explained, where employers may violate Tennessee law by firing an employee for exercising a constitutional right. This is called 'retaliatory discharge.' However, the court found that employees cannot claim a 'retaliatory discharge' against a private employer for violating their right to petition, as the right to petition is only enforceable against the government. 'For hundreds of years, the constitutional right to petition has been considered a bulwark against government oppression, not a constraint on private parties,' said Chief Justice Holly Kirby, who wrote the ruling. "As outlined above, the majority of states that have considered whether their constitutional right to petition is enforceable against private entities have concluded that it is not.' Justice Sarah Campbell concurred with the decision, but wrote a separate opinion, arguing that the legislature is better suited than the Court to create public-policy exceptions to this situation. 'There are undoubtedly situations in which the termination of an employee would violate public policy,' she wrote. 'But courts are not well-equipped to determine which public policies are sufficiently clear and important to warrant the strong remedy of a retaliatory discharge claim.' The USA TODAY Network - Tennessee's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Have a story to tell? Reach Angele Latham by email at alatham@ by phone at 931-623-9485, or follow her on Twitter at @angele_latham This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Supreme Court: Companies can fire you for petitioning gov't
