Energy 400

Joe Biden won the US presidential election – with running mate Kamala Harris – after receiving  the most votes of any US candidate in history. It is widely expected that Biden will roll the clock back as much as possible to January 2017, when he and Barack Obama left office. Biden wasted no time signing executive orders , with his official schedule for January 20 showing he set aside 30 minutes in the afternoon to begin that process. Biden signed 17 orders and actions just hours after being sworn in as US leader to break from policies of departing President Donald Trump and set new paths on immigration, the environment, fighting Covid-19 and the economy. In first-day moves, he ended Trump’s much-assailed ban on visitors from several majority-Muslim countries and halted construction of the wall that Trump ordered on the US-Mexico border to stem illegal immigration. He also set a mask mandate on federal properties to stem the spread of Covid-19; restored protections of … [Read more...] about Joe Biden’s policies: The President’s views on Covid-19, immigration and the environment

Announcement of the results from BT Group strike ballots Sign up for FREE for the biggest new releases, reviews and tech hacks SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info According to reports, around 25,000 members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) at BT and Openreach and 9,000 BT call centre workers were balloted and overwhelmingly backed industrial action, the (CWU) recently said. BT employees have voted overwhelmingly in favour of holding a national strike for the first time in 35 years, sparking the latest industrial action dispute over wages. Related articles Where is the safest place in the UK during nuclear war? Top 20 areas Trade unions and Labour could split as 'summer of discontent' looms … [Read more...] about BT national strike threatens to severely hamper broadband as employees set to walk out

Britain’s competition regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has not had a good 2020. The Government ignored its recommendations made last year for a new regulator for the audit industry , and has not acted on the agency’s calls for stronger consumer protection powers. Its warnings to businesses against raising prices during Covid were criticised by economists for potentially leading to shortages of things like food and PPE . And the CMA’s chairman, ex-MP Andrew Tyrie, was ousted last month in a coup by board members unhappy with Tyrie’s political, attention-seeking style. This week it released the final report in its study of the digital advertising market . In it, the CMA concluded that the digital advertising market was uncompetitively dominated by Google and Facebook – Facebook via its social media apps, and Google via the popularity of Youtube, Google Search, and the company’s network of advertising on third party websites. The report is … [Read more...] about The UK has badly missed the mark on how to regulate Big Tech

Has Kwasi Kwarteng gone too far already? The new Business Secretary has spent the first few days in the job busily playing down the widely-held perception that he is a Right-winger. He has distanced himself from the more extreme free-marketeer views he espoused in the 2012 pamphlet entitled Britannia Unchained, which outlined his vision for the country. As a newly elected MP, Kwarteng – along with Liz Truss, Dominic Raab, Priti Patel and Chris Skidmore – denounced the UK’s “bloated state, high taxes and excessive regulation”, and described British workers as “among the worst idlers in the world”. And, despite being appointed less than a month ago, he has already executed his first U-turn, abandoning a post-Brexit review of workers’ rights after he was attacked for wanting to water down protections. When we meet (virtually, of course), he is adamant that much of the criticism was baseless: “People say we want to abolish workers’ rights; nothing could be further from the … [Read more...] about Kwasi Kwarteng: Brexit is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity we must take advantage of

Damascene conversions happen all the time in politics. Winston Churchill was once a high-flying Liberal, but ended up as the mightiest Conservative Prime Minister. The Gang of Four split with the Labour party to form the SDP in the early 1980s. But sometimes strategic or ideological u-turns can happen almost by accident. The current Government, for example, is packed with free marketeers boasting impeccable libertarian credentials that are heading the most interventionist, high-spending administration since the Second World War. How did this happen? Partly it is the understandable result of  Covid emergency measures. But it also appears to be influencing longer-term strategy. One of the most dramatic conversions may well be that of Kwasi Kwarteng, who was appointed as Business Secretary last month . Once known for his trenchant economic liberalism, as a co-author of the 2012 book Britannia Unchained , the newly-elevated cabinet minister's short tenure has been marked by a … [Read more...] about Kwasi Kwarteng: from ‘Britannia Unchained’ to shackling business

Britain cannot spend its way to prosperity, the Business Secretary has warned amid a growing Tory debate over state spending in the run-up to the Budget in March. Kwasi Kwarteng, promoted to the Cabinet earlier this month, signalled that a squeeze on public spending is coming with the Government deficit, fuelled by Covid handouts, forecast to exceed £400 billion this month. Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, is keen to rein in public spending and start setting out future tax rises in the Budget. But Tory backbenchers and several senior Government ministers are pushing for further public spending increases and believe this is the way to boost the economy in the wake of the pandemic. Speaking to The Telegraph , Mr Kwarteng insisted that a booming private sector was the way in which Britain will recover after the virus crisis. He said: "Let me be very clear – without a thriving private sector, we will not be able to afford good public services. Great public services rely on a … [Read more...] about Britain can’t spend way to prosperity after Covid, Kwasi Kwarteng warns

Scottish firms put up their prices at a record rate last month amid “unprecedented inflationary pressures”, new analysis has shown, as rising costs continue to bite. Business activity north of the boarder rose at the fastest pace for three months in February, according to the Royal Bank of Scotland’s latest Business Activity Index, but continued to lag the UK trend. The index, where anything above 50 shows growth, saw the measure of combined manufacturing and service sector output climbing to 55.5 last month, up from 53.7 in January. Malcolm Buchanan, chairman of the Scotland Board at the Edinburgh-based bank, said business activity rose as demand strengthened and Covid-19 rules were scaled back. Recommended Over £130m handed to housing providers named and shamed by regulator “That said, the stronger performance was dampened slightly by unprecedented inflationary pressures in February,” he said. “Firms continued to face surging energy, fuel, … [Read more...] about Scottish firms put prices at record rates as rising costs bite

Gardening: Monty Don on how best to grow sweetcorn This article contains affiliate links, we may receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more How to keep your lawn lush, borders beautiful and more with our FREE email SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Summer is a time when many flowers and plants flourish. However, to keep them looking their best, they need regular maintenance. This includes watering, feeding and deadheading. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said: “Deadheading is the term used for the removal of flowers from plants when they are fading or dead. Related articles 'Bizarre': Prince Andrew still lives with Sarah in £30m home ‘Don’t bleach it!’ ‘Quick’ hack to … [Read more...] about Flowers: ‘Easy’ job to help ‘encourage’ more blooms this summer – job to do now

Below are top high school track and field performances for the 2022 season from the Acadiana area. BOYS RUNNING EVENTS 100 – 1. Jacquet Livings, North Vermilion, 10.51; 2. Gabe Clement, Kaplan, 10.53; 3. Parker Janes, Westminster, 10.59. 200 – 1. Devin Walton, Lafayette Christian, 21.14; 2. Camron Spencer, Westgate 21.17; 3. Mekhi Boutte, Westgate, 21.6. 400 – 1. Gabe Clement, Kaplan, 47.81. 2, Tray’quan Francis, Westgate, 49.81. 3. Brylen Tyler, J.S. Clark, 50.51. 800 – 1. Tray’quan Francis, Westgate, 1:57.26; 2. Cameron Kelly, Teurlings, 1:57.82; 3, Bryce Campbell, Carencro, 2:00.76. 1600 – 1. Tray’quan Francis, Westgate, 4:35.18; 2. Bryce Campbell, Carencro, 4:36.18; 3, Dax Boudreaux, Erath, 4:29.15. 3200 - 1, Tyler Blissett, Highland Baptist, 9:59.41; 2, Bryce Campbell, Carencro, 10:03.31; 3, Cameron Kelly, Teurlings, 10:05.62. 110H – 1. Jayden Singleton, Cecilia, 14.34; 2, Camron Spencer, Westgate, 14.86; 3. Amari Ledet, New Iberia, 14.07. 300H – 1. Jayden … [Read more...] about 2022 Acadiana Advocate’s All-Metro Track and Field team

CASES of monkeypox are rising across the globe, but medics have warned there are 'unusual symptoms' people might be missing. The World Health Organization (WHO) says there are now more than 3,400 infections that have been detected. Data from the UK states that there are currently 1,076 cases across the country, a jump of 32 per cent on last week. The NHS says the main signs of the illness include a high temperature, head, muscle aches and back ache. Others may also experience swollen glands, shivering and exhaustion before developing a rash . However, medics in the US , where there are currently 351 cases of the bug, say doctors need to be on the look out for less typical signs of the illness. Read more on monkeypox RISK FACTOR Warning as monkeypox is starting to infect kids the 7 signs you mustn't ignore VIRAL SPREAD NYC monkeypox cases jump by 60% in 4 DAYS after US infections climb to 244 The … [Read more...] about The 5 unusual monkeypox symptoms you must know as virus spreads