Latest news with #states
CBC
2 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Midwest state and provincial legislators meeting this week in Saskatoon
Legislatures from 11 states and four provinces are in Saskatoon this week for the Midwestern Legislative Conference. Elgie Sims joined Saskatoon Morning to discuss the four-day conference.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Jason Clare vows to use new childcare centre powers as soon as possible with list already in sights
The use of CCTV in childcare centres, a national register of teachers and mandatory child safety training are top of the agenda for a meeting of state and federal education ministers, as governments race to respond to abuse in the early childhood sector. The Albanese government will seek to rush its bill through parliament this week to strip funding from below-standard childcare centres, with the education minister, Jason Clare, promising to use his new powers as soon as he is legally able to – with some centres already in his sights. 'My department is working right now with states and territories on a priority list of providers to bring action against,' Clare told Guardian Australia. 'We are determined to do what needs to be done to rebuild confidence in a system that parents need to have confidence in.' He confirmed a special meeting of state and territory education ministers would be held on 22 August to focus on child safety in early education. Sign up: AU Breaking News email There were three main topics for the meeting, dealing with key areas identified by providers: efforts to accelerate a national register of early education and care workers, discussing mandatory child safety training for early education and care workers, and investigating the role of CCTV in responding to safety concerns. Large providers spoken to by Guardian Australia said they were strongly supportive of a national register and more funding for training, but some have reservations about CCTV, with concerns about cost, resources to operate and monitor feeds, and the potential for footage to fall into the wrong hands. A separate meeting of the standing council of attorneys general , also to be held in August, would discuss reforming the working with children check system. The federal attorney general, Michelle Rowland, told parliament on Monday that the system needed 'long overdue improvements'. 'Different states and territories have inconsistent schemes covering eligibility and reportable conduct. They do not talk to each other and there is no system of national oversight or real-time monitoring,' she said. 'We need meaningful change and we need it urgently. It's time to stop predators exploiting cracks in the hodgepodge of separate systems around the country.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The education ministers and AGs meetings would advance reforms which must be agreed to by states and territories, in a bid to unify systems run by separate governments. They come in addition to the federal government's early childhood education and care (strengthening regulation of early education) bill 2025, introduced by Clare into parliament last week, which gives the education department the power to take action against providers not meeting national quality standards on safety. The department would be empowered to undertake unannounced raids, publish the findings of its inspections, and potentially suspend or cancel a provider's ability to access the childcare subsidy. This legislation would give the commonwealth government power to cut off funding to childcare centres that do not meet the national quality standard when it comes to safety and quality, where there is a breach of the law, or where centres are acting in a way that puts the safety of children at risk. Labor hopes to pass the bill this week. Once the legislation is in force, approximately two weeks after it passes parliament, Clare said the federal education department would begin preparing to issue the first 'show cause' notices to underperforming providers – the first step toward potentially cancelling or suspending funding. 'As soon as these new powers come into force, we will use them to strengthen safety in childcare,' Clare said, noting state regulators already have such powers to respond to imminent safety threats. 'This legislation gives the federal government additional powers to lift safety in childcare. This is about making sure the safety and quality in childcare centres is what parents expect and children deserve.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Japan Times
U.S. alcohol sector prepares to fight back against buzzy cannabis drinks
Top alcohol makers have been sitting on the sidelines of a cannabis beverage boom, watching brands in the fast-growing category like Cann and Wynk make deals with beer and booze distributors and gain valuable space on liquor store shelves. Now some alcohol companies, seeing their sales falter, are laying the groundwork to potentially enter the lucrative but risky market, a dozen founders of cannabis brands, ingredients suppliers and drinks manufacturers said. Drinks containing THC, the mood-altering ingredient in marijuana, are restricted to licensed dispensaries in 24 U.S. states where recreational use of pot is legal. But small amounts of THC can also be extracted from hemp, a crop that's related to marijuana but is legal federally. Beverages containing THC derived from hemp can be sold in many liquor shops, convenience stores and supermarkets. That's where Big Alcohol sees opportunity, despite some companies having been burned by past cannabis investments. Corona brewer Constellation Brands has been internally researching hemp-based cannabis drinks to weigh its next steps, a source familiar with the company's thinking said. Absolut Vodka distiller Pernod Ricard has met with Brez, maker of drinks with THC derived from hemp, as recently as last month to discuss a possible investment, Brez's founder Aaron Nosbisch said. "They did not invest now but are circling," Nosbisch said. Corona brewer Constellation Brands has been internally researching hemp-based cannabis drinks to weigh its next steps. | Reuters Pernod declined to comment on the meeting. Constellation Brands said it does not comment on rumors and speculation. Alcohol makers are still suffering a hangover following America's pandemic drinking binge, when sales spiked as cash-flush consumers splurged on pricey bottles of liquor for their homes, and then rushed back to bars when lockdown restrictions lifted. Alcohol sales have been falling ever since as inflation and interest rates rose and wallets became stretched. The companies also now face growing warnings from public health authorities who say drinking even small amounts of alcohol is associated with at least seven types of cancer. Overall U.S. beer volumes fell nearly 6% through May of this year, according to the Beer Institute. Volumes of spirits and wine sold in the same time period have declined by 5.6% and 9%, respectively, according to the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America. In a sign of tumult in the industry, the CEO of the world's biggest alcohol maker, Diageo, stepped down last week as the company struggles to revive growth. But hemp-based drinks are expanding fast. The market for drinks infused with THC from hemp is projected to top $1 billion in sales this year, according to market research firm Euromonitor, and climb past $4 billion in 2028. Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley said in January he'd be naive to say THC beverages aren't having an effect "at least in a small way." Tilray Brands, the fourth-largest U.S. craft brewer with brands including Montauk and Shock Top, is selling its new hemp-derived THC seltzers through its beer distributors such as United Distributors in Georgia, executives said in an interview. The company's THC drinks are for sale in 13 states. "There's not a real leader that's taken a hold of the (market) so far, and that's what we look to do," Tilray's CEO Irwin Simon said earlier this year. Others, including Heineken's Lagunitas brand and Pabst Blue Ribbon, the fifth-largest U.S. brewer, have lent their names to THC seltzers for sale in dispensaries in California. Lagunitas is looking to grow distribution of its THC seltzer, potentially using hemp, to other states, a representative from Cannacraft, its ingredient supplier, said. A spokesperson for Lagunitas said it has no immediate plans to expand, but monitors market development and looks for opportunities as consumer tastes and regulations change. Boston Beer, the maker of Samuel Adams, is one of the brewers with the clearest path to eventually enter the U.S. cannabis drinks market, although it has not provided a time frame for doing so. The company is already selling its Teapot brand of THC-infused tea in Canada where weed is legal, and in the last year tested a potential U.S. version made from THC derived from hemp. To test the reformulated product, a panel of trained sensory experts sampled Teapot with both THC from hemp and marijuana, and could not taste a difference, said the company's head of cannabis, Paul Weaver. "This is a source of growth for our organization, flat out," Weaver said. Big Alcohol is treading carefully in cannabis drinks because state and federal regulations have shifted, and could change again, said five executives at ingredients suppliers and THC beverage brands. California, which has legal weed, banned hemp-based drinks last year to try to prevent children from consuming them. Other states have introduced special taxes or restricted sales, ambiguity that has held alcohol companies back from entering the market. Sen. Mitch McConnell, who helped first legalize hemp in 2018 to support farmers in his home state of Kentucky, in July introduced a provision in a government spending bill that could ban intoxicating products using the plant. McConnell wrote in an op-ed published in the Louisville Courier Journal on July 17 that his efforts are aimed at keeping THC gummies that look like familiar candies out of the hands of children. He did not provide comment beyond the op-ed. Big brewers have been burned by past cannabis investments. In 2022, the biggest U.S. brewer Anheuser-Busch inBev exited a deal with Tilray to research cannabis drinks in Canada. The same year, Molson Coors shuttered its U.S. business selling beverages infused with CBD, a compound in marijuana and hemp that does not have psychoactive effects, citing an uncertain regulatory environment. Constellation Brands restructured its investment in Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth last year after poor sales. Now, however, hemp-based THC drinks are sold widely. Beyond beer's declining sales, brewers face an additional squeeze from tariffs, which threaten to push up prices for imported drinks, and Hispanic consumers, who are staying home due to fears of U.S. immigration enforcement. Liquor stores are embracing the buzzy beverages to boost their margins as the drinks, typically more expensive than a six-pack of beer, start to outsell other types of alcohol. Jon Halper, CEO of Minnesota liquor store chain Top Ten Liquors, said in June that THC beverages now make up 15% of his business after the company introduced them two years ago. By next year, they could grow to rival wine, currently in the mid-20% of his sales, he said. The drinks take shelf space mostly from beer because they are in coolers, Halper said. The margins on cannabis beverages are higher than those for beer and spirits, helping his firm offset softening alcohol sales. Charleston, South Carolina-based Southern Horizon Logistics, a sister company of Budweiser distributor Southern Crown Partners, is now selling more hemp-based drinks than wine and spirits, said Justin Ashby, the company's chief administrative officer. Ryan Moses, CEO of Nashville, Tennessee-based beer, wine and spirits distributor Best Brands, said that growth from THC-infused drinks has helped offset flat and declining alcohol sales. Instead of possible layoffs, Moses has been able to re-allocate employees to the new category. "It could be as big as the other categories five to 10 years from now," Moses said. Consumers like Josh Goldberg, 39, of Lindenhurst, New York, are also trading out beer and tequila for THC seltzers. Goldberg made the switch almost two years ago, and hasn't had a drink since. "It replaces the physical act of drinking with drinking something else," Goldberg said. Halper, the owner of Minnesota liquor stores, said the customers buying THC-infused drinks tend to skew female and over the age of 35. "The soccer mom has really embraced the category in a big way," Halper said.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- News.com.au
Every adult in Australia must sign this petition right now
Right now, thousands of families are reeling in horror following media report after report of sexual abuse and molestation allegations coming out of daycare centres across our early childcare industry. There isn't an Australian state or territory which has not been impacted by this issue and in some cases we are reading reports of single offenders being accused of abusing over 50 children, all while masquerading as well-meaning early childcare professionals. As a parent of a four-year-old in childcare, it chills me to the bone. But there is one voice, which – until today – has been virtually absent from this public conversation: the voice of children themselves. It will be years before we ever hear from the children who are alleged to have been victimised by men who were supposed to be caring for them, like Ashley Paul Griffith. It will be years before they are old enough to waive their right to anonymity. Years before they can make sense of what has happened to them. And years before we will ever learn their perspectives and valuable insights into how predators might operate, and what we can do to both spot them and stop them. And we don't have years. This is a problem we needed to fix yesterday. Which is why today's reporting featuring Laura-Jane Singh (LJ) and Hailey* is so important. Both of these incredible women have endured unspeakable evil. And both have courageously waived their right to anonymity to speak out and provide us with those critical insights and lessons – at tremendous personal cost – because they don't want to waste another day. Both women are mothers too. And they have each spent more than 25 years being silenced. But no more. Hailey and LJ want change and now they are calling on you – on every adult in Australia – to sign the petition demanding an overhaul to safety standards in our early child care industry. After all, as a community we cannot put it on the shoulders of children who are too young to even tie their own shoelaces to lead this change. As adults it is our responsibility to speak up, and sign on behalf of those who cannot. As a parent myself, I'll never forget the first day I dropped my young son off at daycare and left him. He was less than two years old, and as I heard the gate shut and him wailing for me, my heart broke. It's an act of trust parents and carers make every day when we drop our kids off, and while it does get easier, the blind leap of faith involved is always tremendous. What made that first day of childcare so much more difficult – and memorable – for me is that it was also my first day back at work following an extended maternity leave. And on that first day back I happened to be interviewing parents of two girls who had been sexually abused in a family day care setting. I've never forgotten a moment of how that day unfolded. Nor the advice the father gave me, parent-to-parent, during the breaks. He said: 'As a parent always be unpredictable, turn up at times they are not expecting you. Change your routine. Don't become set in your pattern.' He also told me that listening to my child means more than just listening to my child's words. One thing I've learnt having spent almost two decades reporting sexual abuse is that abused children will often tell us, but they wont necessarily tell us in ways which adults automatically recognise as a disclosure. After all, as adults we understand the gravity and seriousness of sexual assault and we have the language to discuss it. But as survivor Hailey asks us today: 'How are children supposed to report sexual abuse if they don't yet speak, or if no one has offered them the language to describe what's going on?' Another thing I've noted across my career is that because adults have strategies for discussing very serious concerns, we often make the mistake of subconsciously assuming that children will mirror those same strategies if they have something serious to say to us. So for example, a parent might subconsciously assume that a child would wait for a calm quiet moment after dinner, when no other distractions were present, to sit the parent down and methodically lay out the problem using specific examples and detail. But that is often not the case. As Hailey explains: 'I remember being pulled from the car screaming to go there, and I think that's what people need to understand: children might tell you but they're going to tell you the only way they know how. 'When the abuse first started I didn't even have a word for abuse or sex. I didn't have those words, but … there were other signs, bed wetting at ages where it's beyond a regular occurrence and withdrawal from school, withdrawal from friends.' Hailey also says that children pick their moment to disclose based on factors like when they feel bold enough to speak – which may or may not happen to coincide with a calm, quiet moment in their parent's life. I've heard many stories where a child attempts to disclose but is tragically shut down: one child chose the moment her mum was straining boiling pasta to try to disclose. Another found that spark of courage during the stress and chaos of the morning rush out the front door. Another child, who was nine, thought she had disclosed about the sexual abuse she was experiencing from her male babysitter, when she told her parents: 'I don't like him and I don't ever want him to come over again.' For her, that was the strongest language in her vocabulary. And many of us will remember the heartbreaking story of five-year-old Rose Milthorpe who was being sexually abused by an adult family friend. One day, after returning from a playdate at her abuser's home, Rose pulled off her superhero cape, threw it on the ground and stomped on it. When her parents asked her what was wrong, she revealed she was angry because her superhero cape was meant to keep her invisible, but that 'it didn't work'. This is how children tell us. And it is our job to listen. And more than that, it is our job to act. Because it is not appropriate to put it on children to have to advocate for change. It's not acceptable for us to put it on their tiny shoulders to push for the safety that should have been theirs to begin with. It is our responsibility to stand up, and stand with Hailey, LJ, Rose and every child who has ever been sexually abused. It is our job to make the next generation safe.
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Trump's imaginary numbers, from $1.99 gas to 1,500 percent price cuts
President Donald Trump made a promise at a reception last week for Republican lawmakers that was as impossible as it was specific: He would drive down drug prices by as much as 1,500 percent — 'numbers that are not even thought to be achievable,' he said. A price cannot drop by more than 100 percent, but Trump went on to make several other precise but clearly false numerical claims. The cost of gasoline had fallen to $1.99 a gallon in five states, he said; according to AAA, it was over $3 in every state. Businesses had invested $16 trillion in America in the past four months, he added; the entire U.S. economy last year was worth less than $30 trillion.
