Latest news with #Stettner
Axios
28-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
White House cuts aid for state unemployment systems
The White House is terminating $400 million in funds for states meant to modernize their unemployment insurance systems. Why it matters: These systems fell apart when unemployment soared in the pandemic, leading to rampant fraud and delays for beneficiaries. Without updates, similar problems could be on tap for the next recession. Zoom out: Congress authorized the money in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed in 2021. Congress allocated $2 billion for the efforts, later cutting that funding in half. Those funds were wasted on equity projects, but only a fraction of the money appears to have been devoted to such measures, according to the Labor Department, which sent a notification letter to Congress last week to let lawmakers know "these grants are being terminated." About 28% of the funds granted to states, $219 million, were used specifically for equity, as outlined in a Labor Department report. In this case, "equity" is a term meant to describe efforts to make the unemployment insurance system easier for people to use and access, perhaps not what is typically considered DEI. Efforts to promote equitable access to unemployment insurance "include eliminating administrative barriers to benefit applications, reducing state workload backlogs, improving the timeliness of UC payments to eligible individuals, and ensuring equity in fraud prevention, detection, and recovery activities," according to the report. Follow the money: $204 million was awarded for IT modernization, $134 million for fraud detection, and $93 million for system integrity, such as combating fraud and strengthening ID verification. The IT funds have been spent more slowly while states get projects underway, says Andrew Stettner, who led the modernization efforts during the Biden administration. "When I left in December, states had spent about $100 million of the $219 million specifically for equity but only $2 million of the $204 million for IT," says Stettner, who is now director of economy and jobs at the Century Foundation. 18 states are working on updates to their systems, he says. Pulling this aid will be devastating for the states just getting started on these projects. "States were in the middle of all the planning and procurement. Now they're really holding the bag for finishing," Stettner says. The other side: The grants were "squandered" on "bureaucratic and wasteful projects that focused on equitable access rather than advancing access for all Americans in need," the Labor Department says in an emailed statement to Axios. "We're committed to ensuring our unemployment system is free from fraud and abuse, and we look forward to partnering with state workforce agencies on real solutions that meet the needs of American workers."
Local Germany
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Local Germany
Berlin to return to 50km per hour speed limit on major roads
In an exclusive interview with the regional Berliner Morgenpost , CDU fraction leader Dirk Stettner said at least 24 main roads would see their speed limits lifted from 30km to 50km per hour. "That will be implemented this year," he said. The speed limit changes will affect multiple major thoroughfares in districts around the city, including Hauptstraße in Schöneberg, Elsenstraße in Treptow, Friedrichstraße and Postdamer Straße in Mitte, Hermannstraße in Neukölln, Tempelhofer Damm in Tempelhof and Joachimsthaler Straße in Charlottenburg. It will give drivers the chance to really step down on their accelerators in these streets for the first time since the 30km per hour speed limit was introduced seven years ago by the former Greens-led Transport Ministry. At the time, the SPD, Left Party and Green Party coalition had decided to lower the speed limit to improve air quality and road safety. READ ALSO: What drivers in Germany should know about government's plans According to Stettner, the 30km per hour speed limit will still be in place during evening hours. "We want to ensure that Berliners can sleep well and will therefore go to 30 km per hour at night and 50 km per hour during the day," he explained. Advertisement The 30km per hour limit will also be kept in place on side streets and on ten of the 34 main streets where the red-red-green coalition originally lowered the limit in 2018. This will apply to roads "where the health-threatening limit values for noise and nitrogen oxides are exceeded and where road safety requires it, such as in front of daycare centres, schools, senior citizens' or childcare facilities", Stettner said. The move is one of a number of changes in transport policy that have been introduced by the capital's first conservative-led government in decades. Since entering office, CDU Transport Senator Manja Schreiner has pushed through a number of car-friendly policies, halting the construction of cycle lanes that would result in fewer parking spaces for drivers and reopening Friedrichstraße to motor traffic. A cyclist rides down the car-free section of Friedrichstraße in 2022. The busy central street was reopened to cars in 2023. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Paul Zinken Environmental activists from BUND Berlin and Umwelthilfe and politicians from the Green Party have slammed the plans to once again raise the speed limit. Speaking to Morgenpost , BUND Berlin emphasised that the lower speed limit was not just about air quality, but also about fighting "noise and accidents in the growing city", which have continued to increase in recent years. READ ALSO: The German cities where drivers spend the most time stuck in traffic However, Stettner brushed off the criticism, arguing that the policy was in line with Germany's traffic laws. "According to road traffic regulations, 50 km per hour is the standard speed in city centres - period," he said. "The Greens' transport senator had her own reasons for introducing a lower limit," he added. "These reasons no longer apply."
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Player Championship weather: First three days of competition will be in near-perfect conditions
The first three days of competition in The Players Championship look as if they will be the First Coast's reward for a cold winter. The operative number for the weather forecast at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is 0. As in, 0 percent chance of rain the first three days. None. Nada. And moderate temperatures. The Thursday, Friday, and Saturday rounds will be straight from the Chamber of Commerce wish list for any outdoor event. Sunday will get a bit iffy, but according to PGA Tour meteorologist Wade Stettner, there's a good chance rain might hold off until very late into the final round or even after play concludes. Thursday: Sunny, high 73, low 55. Wind calm in the morning, increasing to 8-15 mph in the afternoon from the South and Southeast. Rain chance 0 percent. Friday: Sunny, high 72, low 58. Wind calm in the morning, increasing to 8-15 mph in the afternoon from the East. Rain chance 0 percent. Saturday: Partly cloudy, high 76, low 63. Wind increasing throughout the day to 15-25 mph out of the SE, gusting to 30. Rain chance 0 percent. Sunday: Partly cloudy early, high 78, low 68. Wind 14-22 mph from the South, gusting to 28 mph. Rain chance 50 percent late in the day. Stettner's note: "Winds will follow a sea breeze pattern the next couple of days. Winds will build throughout the day on Saturday and could gust to 30 mph by later afternoon. A strong cold front is forecast to arrive late Sunday with breezy conditions and a chance of thunderstorms. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Player Championship weather: First three days sunny, zero chance of rain
