#social-security
#social-security

www.theguardian.com

1 month ago

What's the point of Starmer's Labour if it won't stand up for poor, sick or disabled people? | Frances Ryan

Labour party and Tories sound similar in recent speeches

Labour leaders' statements reminiscent of Conservative ministers' words [ more ]

www.theguardian.com

1 month ago

After 14 years of Tory cruelty, here are three ways Labour could use the benefits system to bring about good | Frances Ryan

Britain's safety net has been shredded, leading to poverty and sickness.

Utilizing the benefits system can bring about positive change by addressing poverty and hardship. [ more ]

www.theguardian.com

The Guardian view on the welfare safety net: failing to catch people | Editorial

When rough sleeping in England has risen by over a quarter, and schoolchildren are turning up with empty lunchboxes, ministers ought to be in emergency mode.Destitution, a word with Victorian associations, is increasingly common in Britain.Yet, aside from a patchwork of temporary support, the government's solutions have been grimly predictable.

BBC News

Tory think tank Bright Blue calls for 'minimum income'

A Conservative think tank has said the welfare system is not providing enough support for people, and has called for the introduction of a "minimum income".Bright Blue, backed by some senior Tory MPs, says households need a minimum income to meet the cost of living.Former Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb said the welfare system has "significant gaps and weaknesses".

Truthout

Critics Say GOP's Budget Blueprint Is a Thinly Veiled Ploy to Slash Key Programs

The GOP budget proposal includes potential cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

House Republicans are focusing on Medicaid work requirements and a fiscal commission for key programs. [ more ]

Truthout

McCarthy Warns That Social Security and Medicare Are the GOP's Next Target

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the debt ceiling agreement is just "the first step" of the GOP's broader agenda.House Speaker Kevin McCarthy holds a news conference in the Rayburn Room at the U.S. Capitol on May 31, 2023, in Washington, D.C., after the House passed The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images After securing a debt ceiling agreement that caps federal spending and threatens food aid for hundreds of thousands of poor adults, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy made clear Wednesday that Republicans are not finished targeting the nation's safety net programs - and signaled a coming effort by the GOP to slash Social Security and Medicare.

Truthout

Report Reveals Top CEOs Dodge Taxes on Nearly $9 Billion in Retirement Funds

Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon speaks at the Walmart annual formal business and shareholders meeting on May 30, 2018 in Rogers, Arkansas.Rick T. Wilking / Getty Images Adouble standard in our tax code for government retirement subsidies gives preferential treatment to those who need it least - wealthy corporate executives.

www.kvue.com

Marjorie Taylor Greene shouts 'Liar!' during Biden State of the Union address

WASHINGTON President Joe Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday night was briefly interrupted by shouts from Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and a few other Republicans, who accused him of lying while discussing the debt crisis facing the nation.The Republican outbursts came as Biden addressed the ongoing conflict in Congress over raising the debt limit.

Truthout

Arkansas Governor Signs Bill Making It Easier to Violate Child Labor Laws

The bill comes as child labor violations are on the rise across the U.S.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders waits to deliver the Republican response to the State of the Union address by President Joe Biden on February 7, 2023, in Little Rock, Arkansas.Al Drago-Pool / Getty Images Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed a bill into law on Tuesday that would roll back child labor protections in the state as Republicans across the country wage a campaign to make it easier for employers to violate child labor laws.

www.nytimes.com

Opinion | Scranton Joe Is Ready to Go

WASHINGTON Everyone is frantically hunting for clues about whether Joe Biden will run again.His State of the Union speech was dissected for intimations.When he kept using the phrase finish the job, was that a hint?Where is Daniel Craig's Knives Out detective when we need him?Asked about his decision in a Telemundo interview on Thursday, the 80-year-old president replied, I'm just not ready to make it.

moreLeft-wing politics

legislation

Truthout

3 months ago

House GOP Committee Advances Bill Targeting Social Security and Medicare

The GOP-controlled House Budget Committee advanced legislation that the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden, referred to as a 'backroom scheme' to cut Social Security and Medicare outside of the regular political process.

Wyden argued against the Fiscal Commission Act, claiming that it involves trading away Americans' earned benefits in a secretive process, and instead called for Republicans to work with Democrats to ensure the wealthy pay their fair share. [ more ]

www.cnn.com

Here's why retirement age matters for Social Security and Medicare

62, 65, 67, 70.All these ages are important when it comes to Social Security and Medicare.And these ages are also targets in the contentious debate over how to shore up the shaky finances of the massive entitlement programs.Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley recently zeroed in on raising the retirement age for Americans in their 20s as a way to reform Social Security, saying it should match their life expectancy.

Portland Mercury

Portland

Good Afternoon, News: OLCC Booze Smugglers, Syria/Turkey Death Toll Rises, and Twitter Poops the Bed

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day-but your help is essential.If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us.Thanks for your support!GOOD AFTERNOON, PORTLAND!Hey lovers!

Truthout

White House Warns GOP Not to Tie Debt Ceiling to Social Security Cuts

"In exchange for not crashing the United States economy, you get nothing," one Democrat said."You don't get a cookie."White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily press briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on December 19, 2022.

Truthout

As Income Inequality Skyrockets, the Rich Are Paying Less Into Social Security

Wages captured by Social Security taxes hit a record low in 2021 due to increasing inequality, a new analysis finds.Tetra Images / Getty Images New research shows that the proportion of wages that were subject to Social Security taxes hit a record low in 2021, as income inequality has skyrocketed and those receiving the highest incomes are paying proportionally even less into Social Security funds.

www.cbc.ca

Canada news

U.S. government will hit debt ceiling next week, Treasury Secretary says | CBC News

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congress on Friday that the U.S. is projected to reach its debt limit on Thursday and will then resort to "extraordinary measures" to avoid default.In a letter to House and Senate leaders, Yellen said her actions will buy time until Congress can pass legislation that will either raise the debt limit from its current level of just over $31 trillion US or suspend it again for a period of time.

www.cnn.com

Final sprint to the Iowa caucuses

Former President Trump is trying to undermine Nikki Haley's stance on Social Security reform.

Social Security has become a contentious issue in the GOP primary with candidates debating how to address its solvency crisis. [ more ]

www.cnn.com

Debt ceiling package does little to address America's major fiscal problems

Although it's named the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the compromise debt ceiling package that President Joe Biden signed into law this past weekend doesn't do much to fix the nation's enormous financial challenges.The deal, which prevented the US from defaulting on its obligations and unleashing economic upheaval, holds non-defense discretionary spending relatively flat for the coming fiscal year after agreed-upon appropriations adjustments and allows an increase of only 1% the following fiscal year.

www.cnn.com

Congress must address debt ceiling by June 5, Yellen warns

If Congress does not address the debt ceiling by June 5, the US Treasury Department will not have enough funds to pay all of the nation's obligations in full and on time, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Friday.Based on the most recent available data, we now estimate that Treasury will have insufficient resources to satisfy the government's obligations if Congress has not raised or suspended the debt limit by June 5, she wrote in a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders.

www.cnn.com

Social Security payments could be delayed due to debt ceiling impasse

If the US is not able to pay all its bills for the first time ever, senior citizens could quickly feel the pain.Unless President Joe Biden and House Republicans hammer out a deal to address the debt ceiling soon, the Treasury Department may not have enough funds to fully satisfy all of the nation's obligations as soon as June 1.

www.cnn.com

GOP lawmaker says US should consider raising retirement age for future Social Security beneficiaries

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina said Sunday that raising the retirement age for future Social Security beneficiaries should be on the table as long as it doesn't affect anybody that's heading into retirement right now.I think that's something that has to be on the table, we have to look at, Mace told CNN's Kaitlan Collins on State of the Union when asked about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley's call for a higher retirement age for Americans who are now in their 20s.

time.com

14 Years After You Lie' Shocked Congress, Yelling at the President Becomes a New Norm

When South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson yelled You lie! during a 2009 speech President Barack Obama delivered to Congress, the breach of decorum quickly became the evening's most notable moment.Members of both parties condemned the outburst, which was a response to the President's claim that his health care plan would not apply to undocumented immigrants.

www.nytimes.com

Challenged on Policy Views in Town-Hall Event, Haley Doesn't Budge

Nikki Haley challenges her conservative rivals on policy views during a town-hall event on Fox News.

Haley criticizes Trump and DeSantis, calling Trump an agent of chaos and accusing DeSantis of lying. [ more ]

Chicago Tribune

Mike Pence launches 2024 presidential campaign

Former Vice President Mike Pence promised "the best days of the greatest nation on earth are yet to come" in a video released Wednesday formally launching his campaign for the Republican nomination for president."Different times call for different leadership," Pence, who served four years alongside then-President Donald Trump, says in the video, released hours ahead of a kickoff event in Des Moines.

www.cnn.com

Nikki Haley calls for changing retirement age

Council Bluffs, Iowa CNN Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Wednesday called for changing the retirement age and limiting Social Security and Medicare benefits for wealthier Americans, staking out a position on the politically controversial issue of entitlement reform that's already been the subject of attacks from former President Donald Trump.

www.cnn.com

Ron DeSantis once expressed support for privatizing Social Security and Medicare giving his rivals an opening

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed support for privatizing Medicare and Social Security during his first campaign for Congress in 2012, giving political rivals who have pledged to protect the programs an opening to attack him ahead of DeSantis' expected run for president in 2024.Former President Donald Trump and Democrats have already signaled plans to weaponize DeSantis' comments against him, should he announce for president, and subsequent votes in Congress for non-binding budget resolutions that privatized Medicare and raised the retirement age to 70.

moreron-desantis

Slate Magazine

5 months ago

Social justice

Social Security Doesn't Make Sense Anymore

Congress approved temporary government funding and averted a shutdown.

Social Security is a lifeline for retirees, but the program is heading towards insolvency by 2033.

Ida May Fuller, the first person to receive Social Security benefits, received over 900 times her investment. [ more ]

Chicago Tribune

Jesus 'Chuy' Garcia: The debt ceiling deal hurts working people

I was one of 46 Democrats in Congress to vote against the Fiscal Responsibility Act.I voted "no" on the bill because of the impact the spending cuts would have on my constituents.I also worry about rewarding Republicans for threatening a default as leverage to impose these cuts.The concessions Republicans won in the Fiscal Responsibility Act lay bare their cruel priorities.

Chicago Tribune

Ex-Outfit enforcer in 'golden years' loses bid to end court supervision after prosecutors say he went back to old Cicero haunt

After spending the last 32 years either in prison or under government supervision, longtime Chicago Outfit enforcer Mario Rainone just wants to do a little traveling and live out his "golden years" in peace, his attorney says."He's about ready for the rocking chair at Shady Acres," attorney Joseph Lopez said Tuesday in arguing for early termination of Rainone's supervised release for a gun conviction.

Chicago Tribune

Clarence Page: How a GOP tax cut plan became a gift to Democrats

Remember how cameras followed Rep. Kevin McCarthy up and down the aisles of the Houseas he tried to string together enough deals during 15 rounds of voting to be elected House speaker?The California Republican gathered enough votes to win the post - and now he seems to be running almost as fast to back away from some of those deals.

www.mercurynews.com

East Bay (California)

Is California facing a home insurance crisis like hurricane-ravaged Florida?

Farmers Insurance had covered Don Baker's light-gray house with powder-blue trim since he and his family moved to Boulder Creek 13 years ago.A few weeks ago, he got notice his policy won't be renewed after it expires in August.Baker looked around and got an offer from State Farm to cover his home nestled among redwood trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

www.cnn.com

Biden signs debt ceiling deal into law, averting historic default

President Joe Biden signed into law Saturday a bill to suspend the nation's debt limit through January 1, 2025, to avert a first-ever US default.I just signed into law a bipartisan budget agreement that prevents a first-ever default while reducing the deficit, safeguarding Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and fulfilling our scared obligation to our veterans, Biden said in a tweet, which was accompanied by a short video of him signing the bill.

www.nytimes.com

How to Enforce a Debt Deal: Through Meat-Ax' Cuts Nobody Wants

The bipartisan legislation the House passed on Wednesday to suspend the debt ceiling and impose spending caps contains an arcane but important provision aimed at forcing both sides to follow through on the deal struck by President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy.The 99-page measure would suspend the $31.4 trillion borrowing limit until January 2025.

www.cnn.com

Trump previously backed policies on Social Security for which he's now attacking DeSantis, calling the program a Ponzi scheme'

Former President Donald Trump once backed raising the retirement age to 70 and called for privatizing Social Security which he called a Ponzi scheme two positions he has hammered Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for supporting as a former member of Congress and congressional candidate.Trump made the comments in 2000 in a book he authored called The America We Deserve, when he was considering a third-party run for president as a member of the Reform Party.

Truthout

Biden Proposes Tax Hike on the Rich to Strengthen Medicare

The plan comes as Republicans attempt to exploit a debt ceiling standoff to secure long-sought cuts to federal programs.President Joe Biden discusses his plan to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare and lower healthcare costs at the University of Florida on February 9, 2023, in Tampa, Florida.

www.cnn.com

Biden to propose cutting the deficits by nearly $3 trillion

President Joe Biden will propose cutting the deficits by nearly $3 trillion over the next decade in his budget blueprint, the White House announced on Wednesday.The president's budget, which we will release tomorrow, will cut the deficit by nearly $3 trillion over the next 10 years.That's nearly a $6 trillion difference between the president's budget and congressional Republicans' agenda, which would add $3 trillion to the debt, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at Wednesday's briefing.

www.npr.org

Biden says his budget plan would extend Medicare to 2050 without adding to the deficit

President Biden speaks to the International Association of Fire Fighters at a conference in Washington on March 6, 2023.Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images President Biden is proposing a tax increase for people who make more than $400,000 to extend the life of Medicare for another 25 years, highlighting a major element of his budget proposal which the White House will release in full on Thursday.

www.theguardian.com

Pets

A new start after 60: I embraced being single and became an international pet-sitter

When Bernadine Swale's marriage ended after 36 years, when she was 57, her first instinct once she had recovered from the shock was that she couldn't manage alone.The standard, cookie-cutter way you have to be in your 60s is man and woman, and you travel together, she says.It took her a few years to realise: Actually, no.

Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly

Non-profit sector

A Care Economy is a Strong Economy - Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly

The following is a transcript of the video above, from our webinar on "Remaking the Economy: Caring for the Care Economy."View the full webinar Jenn Stowe: The domestic worker workforce has had a history of exclusion and sexism and racism surrounding it because farm workers and domestic workers were left out of the New Deal in the 1930s.

Fatherly

Fathers

How to Pay A Nanny The Right Way

So, you've hired a nanny.Unlike your 15-year-old niece who charges you $10 an hour and as much of the ice cream in the fridge as she wants to watch your kid for an evening, your nanny is a professional and should be paid as such.That means accounting for payroll items such as taxes and benefits.This provides long-term protections and bonuses for both you and the person you're employing.

www.independent.co.uk

Yousaf defends need for independence minister in Scottish Government

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf has defended his decision to include a minister for independence in his Government team as he came under fire for having a taxpayer-funded nationalist campaigner in the new ministerial role.Jamie Hepburn was appointed to the new position on Wednesday, as Mr Yousaf revealed his Cabinet and junior ministers.

www.independent.co.uk

Going ahead with tougher sanctions for benefit claimants foolish and unfair'

Benefit claimants in the north east of England are almost a third more likely to be sanctioned than someone in the South West, a report has said.The variation indicates there is a postcode lottery shaping the likelihood of someone having their benefit payments stopped or cut in different parts of the country, the IPPR think tank said.

www.independent.co.uk

Humza Yousaf: I would shift independence campaign into fifth gear'

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Humza Yousaf has said he would shift the campaign for independence into fifth gear if he wins the SNP leadership, following a suggestion from a colleague that it should go down a gear.

www.independent.co.uk

Would-be first ministers urged to do more to tackle child poverty in Scotland

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Union leaders have joined with medics, faith groups and charities to challenge the three candidates vying to become Scotland's next first minister to do more to tackle child poverty.

www.independent.co.uk

UK urged to do more to help women facing abuse in cost-of-living crisis'

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email More than half of people believe the government should be doing more to support services for women and children affected by abuse amid the cost-of-living crisis, a survey suggests.

www.independent.co.uk

Swinney: Scottish budget uses limited resources' where they are needed most

Scotland's Deputy First Minister has urged MSPs to approve tax and spending plans for the coming year which will see the limited resources of the Scottish Government focused on where they are needed most.John Swinney made the appeal ahead of the final vote on the Scottish Budget for 2023-24.As part of that, Holyrood ministers are seeking to put up charges for middle and higher earners, with all Scots earning more than 43,662 facing a rise in income tax.

Theregister

Privacy professionals

New York law firm coughs up $200k after hospital data stolen

New York law firm Heidell, Pittoni, Murphy and Bach (HPMB) has agreed to pay $200,000 to settle a data-breach lawsuit related to the now-notorious Hafnium Microsoft Exchange attacks that siphoned sensitive data from victims around the world.In 2021, months after Redmond had fixed the security flaws in servers running its code, criminals exploited these vulnerabilities to gain access to HPMB's unpatched systems (and many others) before deploying ransomware and stealing sensitive data belonging to the firm's clients, including hospitals.

www.mediaite.com

Biden Straight-Up Argues With Heckling Republicans Screaming 'LIAR!' During SOTU

President Joe Biden found himself flat-out arguing with Republicans screaming LIAR! in the middle of his State of the Union speech when he accused them of attacking Social Security.Biden delivered his first State of the Union address under the new GOP House majority Tuesday night, and a raucous majority it turned out to be.

www.mediaite.com

WATCH: CNN Fact-Checker Daniel Dale Says Biden Did NOT Lie' About Plan Republicans Screamed LIAR!' About

CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale said President Joe Biden is not lying about the plan that Florida Sen. Rick Scott and other Republicans keep insisting he's lying about including the ones who shouted LIAR! at the State of the Union speech.On Friday morning's edition of CNN Newsroom, co-anchors Erica Hill and Jim Sciutto hosted Dale to fact-check Scott, who authored the proposal at the heart of the explosive moment Republicans heckled Biden at the State of the Union, and others who claim the president lied when he said some Republicans, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset.

www.npr.org

Arts

Robert Blake, the actor acquitted in wife's killing, dies at 89

Actor Robert Blake is shown leaving court on Oct. 3, 2005, after his second day of testimony in a wrongful death lawsuit, brought by the family of Bonny Lee Bakley, in Burbank, Calif.Nick Ut/AP LOS ANGELES Robert Blake, the Emmy award-winning performer who went from acclaim for his acting to notoriety when he was tried and acquitted in the killing of his wife, died Thursday at age 89.

www.cnn.com

US news

Republican senator warns Congress must take action now to protect Medicare and Social Security

(CNN)Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota offered Sunday a stark warning about the future of Social Security and Medicare if Congress fails to take action now."In the next 11 years, we have to have a better plan in place than what we do today.Or we're going to see -- under existing circumstances -- some reductions of as much as 24% in some sort of a benefit.

www.npr.org

Health

Millions who get SNAP food assistance are about to see a reduction in their benefits

Millions of Americans next month will see a decrease in federal food assistance.The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that were boosted during the pandemic are going away.A MARTINEZ, HOST: Most federal pandemic assistance is coming to an end.That means millions who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, will be losing benefits.

www.npr.org

Health

If Medicare or Social Security won't see cuts, what does that mean Medicaid?

Health Biden said he and Republicans in Congress are in agreement there will be no cuts to Medicare or Social Security related to the the debt ceiling.Experts wonder if that means Medicaid might be cut.Copyright 2023 NPR.All rights reserved.Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

www.thelocal.fr

Health

Pharmacists in France can now deliver all types of vaccines and boosters

A medical desert is a geographical zone where healthcare providers and general practitioners are severely lacking compared to the rest of the country it generally refers to healthcare in the community such as GPs or family doctors, dentists or community nurses, rather than hospitals.Medical desertification mainly affects rural areas with an ageing population though they're also developing in some towns and cities (including some Paris suburbs) as retiring doctors are not replaced and younger medics establish themselves in more dynamic zones, both in terms of economy and activities.

www.independent.co.uk

Children slipping into poverty' due to cost-of-living crisis, warns charity

Almost a third of parents have fears about being made homeless and nearly half worry about keeping their house warm for their children, charity research has suggested.Barnardo's said it is supporting children who are slipping into poverty as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.The children's charity polled 1,010 parents, 49% of whom said they are concerned about their offspring missing out on a normal childhood due to the need to make cutbacks amid price rises.

POLITICO

US Elections

House GOP grits its teeth for the 'big lift': A budget battle

At the same time, party leadership will have to ensure steep domestic cuts won't hurt moderates back home, bruising members in vulnerable districts and threatening an already slim House majority.And in the center of what seems like a near-impossible effort - to draft a budget plan with broad GOP support - sits newly installed House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas).

Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News

Design

Interstellar-inspired futuristic 'cylindrical' city concept combines farmland with urban dwelling - Yanko Design

The 'Urban Condenser' was proposed as a concept to help cities become more cohesive units of society, allowing for farming as well as urban living to be done on the same plot of land in a way that allows both to coexist and benefit from each other.Although an entirely wild concept, it finds its roots and inspiration in 'Cooper Station' from the popular sci-fi movie Interstellar.

BBC News

London

Quarter of Londoners living in poverty, charity says

By Tarah Welsh & Liz Jackson

A quarter of Londoners are living in poverty, according to a report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.The charity used government data from 2018 to 2021 to compile its annual report.It found London has the second-highest rate of poverty in England, with almost 2.3m people going without basics like food and toiletries.

www.standard.co.uk

London

Cost of living crisis: Sadiq Khan never known it so bad' in London as food poverty soars in the UK

S adiq Khan has said he has never known it so bad in London after new figures revealed that the cost of living crisis is pushing food banks to breaking point.The figures from anti-poverty charity The Trussell Trust revealed that more than 1.3 million emergency food parcels had been delivered across the UK to those facing hardship between April 1 and September 30, 2022 an increase of more than 50 per cent compared to the same period in 2019.

SFGATE

SF real estate

What Is a Loan Modification? Can It Help Homeowners in Trouble?

Kirby Hamilton/iStock Consider a loan modification a lifeline for homeowners in trouble.If you've been hit with financial hardships that hamper your ability to pay the mortgage, there are options other than foreclosure or selling your home.One is to get a loan modification, which is basically an agreement with your lender to change the terms of your loan.

Washington Post

Advice | Michelle Singletary's Money Milestones: Trusted financial advice for any age

Select a decade below for our personal finance columnist's take on some of the biggest financial considerations for that age group.20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Because some financial deliberations are ongoing, certain topics appear in multiple decades.Jump to advice Warning: This graphic requires JavaScript.

Washington Post

Analysis | Unmarried Women No Longer Pay a Financial Penalty in Retirement

On the retirement front, a new study has some good news for unmarried women: They're no longer falling behind their married peers.Still, it's tough to celebrate equality when it seems to be driven mostly by the falling fortunes of men.Studies about how prepared US workers overall are for retirement tend to be incredibly depressing - and even more so when they focus on women, who say in staggering percentages that they're worried about running out of money.

Washington Post

Analysis | The Case for Putting Your Bonus Into a 401(k)

Making the most of a bonus is always important, but 2022's payout feels even more precious.Many workers, especially in finance and technology, are likely to see slimmed-down bonuses.Amid economic uncertainty, maximizing those dollars is crucial.But should you sock away as much as you can in a tax-deferred retirement account to minimize the tax liability?

Washington Post

Analysis | 500 Reasons to Eliminate the Income Cap for Social Security Taxes

Who's going to pay? (Photographer: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images North America)In the first few days of 2023, at least 500 US workers will likely have already paid their Social Security taxes for the year.That's because in just a day they earn the maximum amount of income subject to Social Security tax, or $160,200.

Washington Post

Analysis | Why Do We Make It So Easy to Steal Seniors' Money?

Regulators trying to crack down on financial fraud have certainly had their hands full lately.They notched a rare win on Dec. 20, when Wells Fargo & Co. announced it would pay $3.7 billion to settle a consumer fraud allegation by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - $1.7 billion as a civil penalty and $2 billion for restitution to consumers.

www.thelocal.fr

France politics

Reader Question: How long do I have to work to qualify for a French pension?

Many foreigners living in France have had blended careers meaning they have worked in both France and at least one other country.This can make it complicated for navigating where you fit into the French state pension system, as well as the one for your home country.The key question most foreigners who have worked in France tend to ask is How long do I have to work to qualify for a French state pension?

POLITICO

US Elections

Manchin: It's a mistake to 'not negotiate' with Republicans on debt ceiling

No date has been set for the Biden-McCarthy meeting."I'm optimistic they will sit down, as this White House always has, and that's why we were able to accomplish so much in a bipartisan way last Congress.It takes constructive conversation," Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) said on "Fox News Sunday."

ESPN.com

Paris Saint-Germain

Ex-Lyon player wins landmark maternity pay case

FIFPRO, the global football players' union, on Tuesday issued a reminder to all football clubs about women's rights after helping former Olympique Lyonnais player Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir win a landmark maternity pay case against the club."[The] ruling against former club Olympique Lyonnais sends a clear message to clubs and footballers worldwide: The strict application of maternity rights is enforceable," FIFPRO said.

www.nytimes.com

Television

In a New Night Court,' John Larroquette Plays Defense

In 1985, John Larroquette won the Emmy for best supporting actor for his work in Night Court.Larroquette, a New Orleans native with a double bass voice and a 6-foot-4 frame, played Dan Fielding, the smarmy prosecutor assigned to the graveyard shift at a Manhattan municipal court.(Here is Entertainment Weekly's appreciation: Rarely has horny smugness been so convincingly portrayed.)

www.verifythis.com

Parenting

Yes, some children can receive Social Security benefits based on their parents' earnings

VERIFY often receives questions from our readers about Social Security benefits, which provide people with an income when they retire or can't work due to disability.One of the most recent questions was whether divorced spouses can collect Social Security benefits based on their living ex's earnings.

www.independent.co.uk

Labour pledge on repeat work assessments for ill or disabled

Labour has vowed to make better use of existing resources as the party pledged to end repeat work capability assessments for those who are disabled or ill.Shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth also insisted that conditionality would continue to be part of the benefits and social welfare system under a Labour Government, as he delivered a speech that set out measures aimed at making it easier for people out of work on sickness benefits to return to the workplace.

Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles

Hackers target L.A.'s Housing Authority in a suspected ransomware attack

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles was assessing the damage Tuesday from an apparent attack by hackers who are threatening to publish a vast store of the agency's data they claim to have seized.The breach surfaced Saturday when individuals who deploy the malware known as LockBit published screenshots representing what they claimed were 15 terabytes of data they have seized.

www.independent.co.uk

Scottish budget was bleak' and public service reform required, says Swinney

The budget he laid out to Parliament on Thursday was bleak and the delivery of public services will likely require reform, Scotland's Deputy First Minster has said.John Swinney, who is also the country's acting Finance Secretary, laid out the Government's tax and spending plans this week, with a focus on the NHS and social security.

www.independent.co.uk

Key points from Scottish Government budget

Deputy First Minister John Swinney has delivered the Scottish Government's annual budget statement at Holyrood, with changes to tax and public spending.Details were leaked to the BBC ahead of the scheduled statement, leading to Parliament being suspended for just over half-an-hour before the speech.

Boston.com

Boston

Not long ago, the GOP controlled most of Cape Cod. A blue wave is changing the region.

The Boston Globe Julian Cyr woke up the day after the 2016 election as Cape Cod's new state senator-elect.But his cellphone was not buzzing with Democratic well-wishers."No one called me," Cyr said."Everyone was so depressed."Not only hadDonald Trump's unexpected presidential victory sent shock waves across the country, but on the Cape, Democrats suddenly found themselves in the minority.Republicans won five of the region's eight state legislative seats and held the local sheriff's office.

Boston.com

Boston

Democrat Seth Magaziner wins US House seat in Rhode Island

Politics National Republican leaders had hoped to flip the state's 2nd Congressional District to GOP control for the first time since 1991.PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - State Treasurer Seth Magaziner has won the congressional seat in Rhode Island being vacated by longtime U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, keeping it in Democratic control.

www.independent.co.uk

Palestinian refugee ready for new chapter' as she graduates with distinction

A refugee has told how she will start a new chapter in her life as she graduates from university.Nahed Mansour is one of hundreds of students graduating from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh on Saturday.But the 34-year-old Palestinian is unable to accept her scroll in person as she lives in the Beddawi refugee camp in Tripoli, north Lebanon, with her parents and seven sisters.

Truthout

Poor People's Campaign Mobilizing Low-Income Voters Ahead of Georgia Runoff

Economic justice advocates in Georgia are mobilizing ahead of next month's runoff U.S. Senate election in the state, working to convince low-income residents who lack access to healthcare and living wages to back Democratic Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock.The Georgia Poor People's Campaign announced late Wednesday that it is launching a statewide canvassing, text-banking, and social media campaign to reach out to millions of Georgia voters who are low-income, calling the push their "If We Ever Needed To Vote, We Sure Do Need To Vote Now Tour."
"It ain't over yet, and every vote must be cast to count," said the group.

www.independent.co.uk

Mental health has failed to rebound' after Covid amid financial worries

The nation's mental health has failed to rebound after the pandemic, a charity has warned with research suggesting around three in 10 adults' mental health has deteriorated since the start of the year.More adults said their mental health has worsened since the beginning of 2022, according to a YouGov survey for Rethink Mental Illness.

time.com