Latest news with #Lang
Spectator
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Why shouldn't vegans be catered for in an apocalypse?
You know you've arrived when professors start thinking about how to look after you during a major emergency. As a vegan, I was thrilled to read in the Times this week that Professor Tim Lang, a professor of food policy, has told the government that us meat-dodgers must be catered for in any 'food apocalypse'. Speaking at the Hay Festival, Lang said that if a cyber attack or military strike from Russia destroyed Britain's 'vulnerable' food chain, the contents of ration packs would need to bring comfort to a shaken public. We'd all be 'in psychological shock', he explained, so we'd need to have food that we're 'familiar and comfortable with'. In the face of 'explosions' and 'energy outages' he wouldn't want vegans to 'have to eat meat'. Well, if mushroom burgers are on the menu as the mushroom cloud goes up, then I'm feeling better about Armageddon already. Lang's remarks are just the latest step in veganism's move to the mainstream.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate budget brings back state support for arts
Bowing to public and political pressure, Senate budget writers approved a spending and tax credit proposal to leverage up to $3.7 million in support for the arts. In another major decision, the Senate Finance Committee more than doubled the amount of state aid to the University System of New Hampshire that had been included in the House-approved spending plan. The House budget would eliminate all funding for the Council on the Arts, essentially eliminating the council.. Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Tim Lang, R-Sanbornton, had convinced his budget colleagues earlier this month to set aside only $1 for the state Council on the Arts and to seek private donations and federal grants to pick up the slack. 'My email inbox was filled when I allocated $1,' Lang said. 'This creative solution leverages scarce state resources with matching private sector donations and federal grants to generate more than $3.7 million for the Arts Council.' Gov. Ayotte had been pushing senators to reconsider their position after she had proposed $2 million in state and federal grants for the arts — about half of what the council currently receives. Senate President Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, authored the new proposal with Lang. Senate budget revives state support for arts Senate President Sharon Carson, R-Londonderry, co-authored with Sen. Tim Lang, R-Sanbornton, a proposal that took a step forward to provide up to $3.7 million in support for the arts. 'We all wanted to find a way to keep the Arts Council alive,' Carson said. The proposal creates a Granite Patron of the Arts program that would provide donors with a 50% state tax credit. The program would have a total donation limit of $700,000 a year, which would cost the state $350,000 in tax credits. The plan also sets aside $150,000 each year that should cover overhead costs for the arts council, and allows the council to seek federal grants that could amount to up to $1 million a year. Sen. Daniel Innis, R-Webster, who had been urging his GOP colleagues to support the arts, said, 'I think we are in a good spot with this change." Reversing the House The move is the latest of many the Senate committee has made to undo actions taken by House budget writers. The Senate Finance Committee's action on funding for the university system would bring annual state aid to the system's three fpur-year colleges up to $85 million annually. Gov. Kelly Ayotte had proposed state aid each year of $91.2 million. Carson noted the first decisions Senate budget writers made were to reverse House-approved cuts to Medicaid providers and programs for mental health and individuals with developmental disabilities. The House spending plan also eliminated funding for the Office of the Child Advocate, the Commission on Aging, the Human Rights Commission, the Housing Appeals Board and the Board of Land and Tax Appeals. The Senate restored all of those programs in some form, reducing the Housing Appeals Board by one member, giving the Commission on Aging a significant budget cut, and requiring the Human Rights Commission's annual report to address a critical performance audit that came out late last year. The Senate budget would also create a one-year advisory council in the judicial branch to monitor how well the Human Rights Commission is addressing its case backlog and other administrative shortcomings that auditors found. More action The Senate spending plan would also use an estimated $10 million from the sale of the former Laconia State School to a private developer to purchase 1 Granite Place in Concord, an office building that houses the Department of Justice. Concord developer and former state Republican Party Chairman Steve Duprey owns the office complex. Also winning approval was $3.8 million in state dollars to maintain a call center that is used to help the Department of Health and Human Services make timely decisions on Medicaid eligibility for nursing home placements. The call center opened a few years ago with the support of federal American Rescue Plan Act grant money that is no longer available, state officials said. Brendan Williams, chief executive officer of the New Hampshire Health Care Association, said nearly all private nursing homes are facing critical cash shortages as they wait months for potential residents to be approved for admission. Nursing home executives have agreed to a state fee increase to help support the effort. 'We think this is the means to give the department the resources to timely make these critical decisions for our industry,' Williams said. The Senate budget would also provide $500,000 in state grants for family planning programs that generate roughly double that amount in federal support. Finance Committee Chairman James Gray, R-Rochester, said his panel will make final votes on its budget proposal next Tuesday. A key decision still to be made is whether to grant $28 million each year in pension benefit enhancements for first responders with government jobs who had their retirements cut by a 2011 reform law. klandrigan@
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. tariffs and a growing population to blame for lack of summer jobs for youth, expert says
Summer is here, and for many high school students that means it's time to lock down a summer job. DiMarco Brown is a Grade 11 student from Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate. He's eager to work but that attitude hasn't yet landed him a job. "It's really hard to be honest. I applied to like 20 jobs over the last year and ... I only got one reply... and it was a rejection," he said, adding that he wishes he had more family connections. "It's hard unless you know someone that works in the business. I think it would be easy if you know someone that works at the place, but other than that, you just have to keep on calling back and having to beg for the attention." Timothy Lang is the president and CEO of the job placement agency, Youth Employment Services. He says high school students are facing a tough job market this summer. "Where they might have typically had to approach 20 or 30 opportunities to get an interview, now they're having to talk to hundreds," Lang said. "It's more difficult this year than last year... we're hopeful that with the seasonal jobs coming on like landscaping and tourism, parks and rec and hospitality with patios and so on, that more jobs will open up." Lang says one of the reasons there's more competition for summer jobs this year is the record number of new Canadians that moved to Canada. "Long term it's good for the economy, creates even more jobs, but short term it puts more pressure [on the job market]," he said. The impact of U.S. tariffs, or even the threat of them have also caused employers to hold back on the number of people they're hiring. "Tariffs have put some uncertainty into businesses. They're uncertain of what's going to happen down the road," Lang said. "Small business who might hire two people in the summer if they decide, 'OK, I'm going to hire just one.' And you expand that by thousands of small businesses, suddenly that's a 50 per cent drop in the number of hirings." Achilles Goldaev, a Grade 12 student from Cameron Heights Collegiate, already has a head start. She's nabbed a co-op opportunity to help build her resume. "Hopefully I'll be able to get a job," Goldaev said. "[I'm open to] pretty much anything outside of food service ... I know that a lot of the time it's not always like the most hygienic. And I'd like to keep being able to buy fast food without knowing about all that." Grade 12 Cameron Heights student Shreya Sooraj says she found part-time work as a cashier at a retail store in Conestoga Mall. "I applied to five jobs a week and then I finally heard back in November from them," she said, adding that one of the big barriers is a lack of experience. "I have some friends who have two or three jobs and other people just don't have any jobs." Kareem El-Khatib, a Grade 9 student from Cameron Heights, finds inspiration at home. This year marks the first time he's ever applied for a job. "My dad always goes to work and it's good that he makes money and I feel like I wanna make my own money," El-Khatib said, adding that he's open to any kind of job but is most interested in working as a cashier. His classmate and friend Mustafa Abdaroa says he wants to become a family physician one day. He's already trying to build a resume with that goal in mind. "I would like something like a part-time job, something a bit more interactive. I would like to work around people because it's very important to be able to work with different people [for a physician]." Abdaroa says he's already typed up a resume and asked his older sisters to take a look at it to help him improve. Fellow Grade 9 student Samuel Wu is one of the few students in his class to already have a job. It took him multiple years to get here. "I'm an assistant lifeguard in the city of Cambridge right now," Wu said, adding that he had to first take a couple of courses before working his way up the ladder. "Some courses are 20 hours, some are 40 hours. You have to be at least 13 to take all of them... I've been working since August."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate budget writers boost revenues with 'big ticket' items still left to decide
Senate budget writers began making a few big-ticket decisions Wednesday, raising revenue estimates by nearly $108 million and sweetening profits for charity casino owners to generate more net gambling revenue for the state's bottom line. They endorsed designating an estimated $80 million profit from the private sale of the Sununu Youth Services Center (SYSC) property in Manchester to the settlement fund that pays victims of sexual and physical abuse who lived at the SYSC or its predecessor Youth Development Center. The Senate budget would also spend $20 million for YDC victims in the first year, bringing the potential total to $100 million if the SYSC sale brings in its expected market value. The House-approved budget (HB 2) set aside $20 million for the YDC fund over its two-year cycle. YDC Settlement Fund Administrator John Broderick asked the Legislature to approve $75 million a year for damage awards. Senate Deputy Democratic Leader Cindy Rosenwald of Nashua said she was concerned the lead lawyer for most of the alleged victims might advise clients to go back tto court and not go through this administrative settlement process if there isn't $150 million set aside. A preliminary audit of the program confirmed all damage claims from more than 1,300 alleged victims will total more than $1.1 billion; the state has thus far committed to spend $165 million. 'I think we have a responsibility to them,' said Sen. David Watters, D-Dover. "It's difficult for us financially but morally I think it's the right thing to do." The committee voted 5-2 for the $100 million amount. Big issues, higher revenues The panel still has decide many major issues, including whether to restore $50 million in House budget cuts to the University System of New Hampshire and if it will grant $28 million-a-year in higher pension benefits for a select group of first responders holding government jobs who had their retirement payouts cut in 2011. Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Tim Lang, R-Sanbornton, said after huddling with Revenue Commissioner Lindsey Stepp, he recommended bumping up the revenue forecast for three tax groups: • Business taxes: $75 million more than its earlier estimate ($25 million next year and $50 million in the second year of the budget cycle). • Room and Meals Tax: $27.8 million more ($11.5 million next year and $16 million in the second year). • Real Estate Transfer Tax: $5 million more ($2.3 million more in the first year and $2.7 million in the second). 'I feel good raising the revenue to these totals,' Lang said. This brings the Senate's estimate for the first budget year, which begins July 1, close to what Gov. Kelly Ayotte had proposed in her budget. Ayotte's second-year revenue forecast, however, remains much more bullish than the Senate's number, higher by more than $150 million. Rosenwald said her private discussions with Stepp didn't yield the same optimism that Lang heard. 'I am not comfortable with increasing the business tax rates," she said. "I have lived through a budget when we had to make cuts in the middle of the biennium; it's awful." Sen. Dan Innis, R-Bradford, a University of New Hampshire business professor, said there's good reason to think positively. 'If anything, I think Senator Lang's numbers are too low. I see a robust economy during the second half of the year, we could have 4% growth during that period,' Innis said. 'I think we are being very conservative even with Senator Lang's numbers.' All Senate Republicans agreed with Lang's revenue boost. Gambling matters On gambling, the House, Senate and Ayotte budgets would allow charity casinos to convert to slot machines from slower historic horse racing machines in order to attract more betting and profit for charities and state government. At Lang's urging, the committee lowered the tax rate charity casino owners would pay on slots from 32.5% to 31.25%; the House budget calls for a 30% tax rate. They also voted to reject a proposed maximum bet of $50. Massachusetts has a $50 limit on slot and table game betting, and not having a limit here will attract high rollers to New Hampshire, Lang said. 'We don't want to limit the high-stakes gamblers; we want them coming here,' Lang said. Lang's slot machine bill (SB 83) would reimburse cities and towns $20 million a year, equal to the cost of property tax exemptions granted to residents who are elderly, disabled or blind. On Wednesday, the committee agreed to Lang's request to put that property tax relief off until the next budget in 2028, which means $20 million more in each year would flow to the state treasury in the meantime. Vehicle fees Truckers got a big gift in these latest talks. The Senate plan proposed a 10% increase in annual truck registration fees. The House budget had a 100% increase. Lang said the House version "will be devastating to our business interests in our state for all the material that's brought in by truck for our residents to consume." The Senate's change means the state's highway fund will get $13.5 million less and cities and towns would receive $540,000 less in local aid than proposed in the House budget. Both the House and Senate budget plans would raise registration fees for passenger vehicles by nearly 35%, for example from $31.20 to $42 a year for the smallest cars. +++ What's Next: Senate budget writers will complete their recommendations early next week and the full Senate could vote on them June 5. Prospects: Some political observers are skeptical whether enough House Republicans will agree to all this higher spending winning support in the Senate to get a final deal through the lower chamber. klandrigan@
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Some states seek to bar Jan. 6 rioters seeking office after pardons
May 28 (UPI) -- It has been four months since President Donald Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people who were involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Some of those pardoned have found opportunity in the political realm while states and local jurisdictions are considering whether to ban them from working in the government. In Florida, Jake Lang is running for the Senate seat vacated by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Lang was charged for assaulting officers, among other charges related to entering the Capitol and interfering with the certification of the election. According to the Federal Elections Commission, Lang's campaign has raised more than $28,000. Ryan Kelley, a former Michigan gubernatorial candidate, ran for the office after participating in the Capitol riot. In 2023, Kelley pleaded guilty after being charged for entering a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building, knowingly engaging in an act of physical violence against a person or property in a restricted building and willfully injuring or committing any depredation against any property of the United States. Kelley has not ruled out another run for office. His campaign website is active and was updated on Jan. 22. It outlines his "Blueprint for Michigan" plan that proposes deregulation, energy plans and a program to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion in government. Jacob Neiheisel, associate professor of political science at the University of Buffalo, told UPI he is not surprised that people involved in the riot have been embraced politically or found their background to be potentially politically advantageous. "Some people have a very different vision of America and the country has a very complicated history," Neiheisel said. "The country has always had this kind of uneasy relationship with something like political violence because it is a nation that was born from a violent act, a revolution." Some state and local governments have taken steps to reckon with the aftermath of Jan. 6 and Trump's pardons. Days after the pardons were announced, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered that no one involved in the attack on the U.S. Capitol is to be hired by the state. Last month, the Chicago City Council followed suit, voting 44-3 on a resolution to reject applicants who were convicted of crimes related to the riot "regardless of clemency or pardon status." Three states have mulled similar measures. New York Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal introduced the Restrict Insurrectionists from Office Taking Act in the state senate to bar participants in the riot from serving in civil office. The legislation was introduced on the two-year anniversary of the riot. "Up to 47 New Yorkers were arrested and charged with their roles in the January 6 U.S. Capitol riots that left five people dead in the immediate aftermath, four subsequent deaths from suicide, and dozens of police officers injured," Hoylman-Sigal said in a statement. "Our RIOT Act will bar anyone who's acted against the sanctity of our democracy from holding elected office and sends a strong message that violence is incompatible with government service. We must continue to safeguard our democracy from the extremists attempting to destroy it. " The bill passed the state senate nearly a year ago but has not been passed by the other chamber. Connecticut took up a similar bill during its 2023 session, barring those who were involved in the riot from being elected to office or from being employed by the state or any municipality. It has not been passed and no action has been taken since April 2023. A bill was filed in Virginia in 2023 but was never brought to a vote. It has been left in committee and is not expected to move forward. "It's still going to be a flashpoint," Neiheisel said of Jan. 6. "You're still going to have Democrats talking about how, 'Look, here's evidence that the Republican Party is anti-democratic.' You're still going to have Republicans saying that it was necessary. There are still Republicans who believe the 2020 election was stolen." "It's not always clear, of course, what that tipping point is where you have a legitimate claim to political violence versus you're just doing it for your own, narrow, personal end," he continued. "That's a legacy that's with us to this day and there are probably more people now than there have been in some time who want to embrace parts of that legacy." Pardoned rioters are being tapped to appear at political events tied to Republican organizations. Special appearances and speaking engagements emphasize the political capital that Jan. 6 has generated among the Republican Party. Jeffrey Scott Brown of Laguna Woods, Calif., was among the first convicted for attacking police officers. In 2022, he was convicted of felony assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officers with a dangerous weapon and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder. In March, Brown was invited to speak at an event hosted by a local Republican club. James Grant of Cary, N.C., was sentenced to 36 months under supervised release after being convicted of civil disorder. He was also invited to speak at a Republican event in March. "The whole event [Jan. 6] was a strange happening in the sense that there were just so many different ideological persuasions there," Neiheisel said. "If you look at the flags, you look at the symbols, you've got people from all kinds of backgrounds coming together, thinking that is a good idea. They all kind of came together on this course of action from very different places. Some are QAnon conspiracists -- others were some kind of more religiously motivated. There was the presence of some charismatics. It's a hodgepodge of a lot of different things on the American right that came together at one point."
