#Community Eligibility Provision

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

By Prem Thakker

States across the country are moving to provide universal free school meals to all our children. Meanwhile, Republicans are trying to stop them from doing just that.

The Republican Study Committee (of which some three-quarters of House Republicans are members) on Wednesday released its desired 2024 budget, in which the party boldly declares its priority to eliminate the Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, from the School Lunch Program. Why? Because “CEP allows certain schools to provide free school lunches regardless of the individual eligibility of each student.”

The horror.

Of note is that the CEP is not even something every school participates in; it is a meal service program reserved for qualifying schools and districts in low-income areas. The program enables schools that predominantly serve children from low-income backgrounds to offer all students free breakfast and lunch, instead of means-testing them and having to manage collecting applications on an individual basis. As with many universal-oriented programs, it is more practically efficient and, as a bonus, lifts all boats. This is what Republicans are looking to eliminate.

It’s the kind of provision that many would want every school to participate in. Why not guarantee all our children are well fed as they learn and think about our world and their place in it, after all?

But indeed, as California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, New Mexico, and as of this week, Vermont, all move to provide universal free school meals in one form or another—and at least another 21 states consider similar moves—Republicans are trying to whittle down avenues to accomplish that goal.

Along with trying to stop schools from giving all their students free meals, the proposed 2024 Republican budget includes efforts to:

• cut Social Security and Medicare • make Trump’s tax cuts for the top 1% permanent • impose work requirements on “all federal benefit programs,” like food stamps and Medicare • extend work requirements on those aged 55–64 • bring back all of twice-impeached and twice-arrested former President Donald Trump’s deregulations, including the weakening of environmental protection.

And that’s just a taste of their hopes and dreams. But don’t mistake it all as just wish-casting: “The RSC Budget is more than just a financial statement. It is a statement of priorities,” the party assures in the document.

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week

🦾 - High-Five for Bionic Hand

1. Houston-area school district announces free breakfast and lunch for students

Pasadena ISD students will be getting free breakfast and lunch for the 2023-24 school year, per an announcement on the district's social media pages.

The 2023-24 free lunch program is thanks to a Community Eligibility Provision grant the district applied for last year. The CEP, which is distributed by the Department of Agriculture, is specially geared toward providing free meals for low-income students.

2. Dolphin and her baby rescued after being trapped in pond for 2 years

A pair of dolphins that spent nearly two years stuck in a Louisiana pond system are back at sea thanks to the help of several agencies and volunteers.

According to the Audubon Nature Institute, wildlife observers believe the mother dolphin and her baby were pushed into the pond system near Grand Isle, Louisiana, during Hurricane Ida in late August 2021.

3. Studies show that putting solar panels over waterways could boost clean energy and conserve water. The first U.S. pilot project is getting underway in California.

Some 8,000 miles of federally owned canals snake across the United States, channeling water to replenish crops, fuel hydropower plants and supply drinking water to rural communities. In the future, these narrow waterways could serve an additional role: as hubs of solar energy generation.

4. Gene therapy eyedrops restored a boy's sight. Similar treatments could help millions

Antonio was born with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic condition that causes blisters all over his body and in his eyes. But his skin improved when he joined a clinical trial to test the world’s first topical gene therapy.

The same therapy was applied to his eyes. Antonio, who’s been legally blind for much of his 14 years, can see again.

5. Scientists develop game-changing vaccine against Lyme disease ticks!

A major step in battling Lyme disease and other dangerous tick-borne viruses may have been taken as researchers announced they have developed a vaccine against the ticks themselves.

Rather than combatting the effects of the bacteria or microbe that causes Lyme disease, the vaccine targets the microbiota of the tick, according to a paper published in the journal Microbiota on Monday.

6. HIV Transmission Virtually Eliminated in Inner Sydney, Australia

Sydney may be the first city in the world to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. Inner Sydney has reduced new HIV acquisitions by 88%, meaning it may be the first locality in the world to reach the UN target to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030

7. New bionic hand allows amputees to control each finger with unprecedented accuracy

In a world first, surgeons and engineers have developed a new bionic hand that allows users with arm amputations to effortlessly control each finger as though it was their own body.

Successful testing of the bionic hand has already been conducted on a patient who lost his arm above the elbow.

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That's it for this week :)

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[mariacallous]

The humble school meal is having a moment. With the nomination of Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, as Kamala Harris’s running mate, many voters and pundits are suddenly talking about school meals. And that’s good, because the stakes are high for the national school lunch and school breakfast programs since the campaigns and their parties have very different records and plans.

Since Walz became the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, an image of him has frequently circulated. In the photograph, he’s surrounded by smiling children hugging him after he signed a 2023 bill making school meals universally free for all Minnesota children. His was the fourth state to commit to feeding all children at school; now nine states have done so, and more are considering similar measures. No more forms to fill out to prove your income, which busy parents can forget or that get crumpled in a backpack. No more penalizing children when their parents fall behind on lunch accounts. Every kid gets fed, powering them up for their day’s work learning and growing.

By most measures, the Minnesota program has been successful and popular. Participation in the meals program soared, increasing 15% at lunch and 37% at breakfast compared with the previous year. Due to those increases, the economies of scale improved, and some districts have been able to invest more in scratch cooking with ingredients from local farmers. It turns out that relieving cafeteria staff of the duty to go after parents who fall behind on lunch payments leaves them more time to focus on food quality.

Minnesota’s registered voters are overwhelmingly happy with the program, too. A KSTP/SurveyUSA poll showed that 72% agreed with the legislation, including 90% of liberals and 57% of conservatives. Even 59% of Trump voters in 2020 agreed. In online forums, Minnesota commenters tend to be remarkably supportive of feeding all children, even if they don’t have any themselves or if they think the food could be better. Parents rave about the convenience and savings.

Minnesota’s success isn’t an outlier, but a consistent feature of free meals for all. A 2022 study of the national Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which provides universally free meals nationwide in districts that have a poverty rate of 25% or more, found that more kids eat when the meal is free. That’s true even among kids who were already eligible for free or reduced-price meals, suggesting that stigma is keeping many from accepting assistance. Even more helpful, families with children in schools that provide meals tend to spend less at the grocery store while still improving the quality of their diets. And, perhaps most important, research consistently shows that school meals improve students’ academic performance, behavior and health outcomes.

It’s not assured that a Harris-Walz administration would push such legislation nationally. Harris has mentioned school meal programs at least twice, once in a 2017 Facebook post deploring lunch shaming and recently on X, when she touted Walz’s school lunch program as a sign of support for the middle class. But if the Democratic ticket does put the issue on its platform or list of priorities, school meals would at least have a knowledgable champion in Walz. He has seen it work on the ground, and he knows the benefits that it brings to the vast majority of families with children in his state.

Meanwhile, Minnesota Republican lawmakers have criticized the free meals program. State representative Kristin Robbins’s complaint is typical: “All the low-income students who need – and we want to provide, make sure no one goes hungry – they were getting [meals] through the free and reduced lunch program. This [new legislation] gave free lunch to all the wealthy families … Is that really a priority?” Walz’s reply to this argument dripped with irony: “Isn’t that rich? Our Republican colleagues were concerned this would be a tax cut for the wealthiest.” The year before, the Minnesota GOP proposed a $3.5bn tax cut that largely would have benefited the wealthiest 20%. Feeding all the state’s schoolchildren, even after going over budget because it was so popular, costs only about one-seventh of that.

Republicans at the national level, too, disdain expanding access to free meals and improving nutrition standards. In March, the Republican Study Committee, a caucus to which roughly three-quarters of all Republican House members belong, released its 2025 budget proposal. It called for ending the CEP for high-poverty districts. Doing so would snatch school meals from millions of children currently receiving them, shifting that cost back to their families. It would also probably increase the bureaucracy for schools, though Republicans claim that this administrative system is rife with “fraud and abuse”. While there have been high-profile cases of fraud in the school meals programs (for instance, a Chicago area nutrition director was recently convicted of stealing $1.5m, largely in chicken wings), most identified “abuse” entails clerical errors like giving wrongly categorized meals (free or reduced-price) to kids very near the income cutoffs or ringing up a meal without one of the required components on the tray, like enough vegetables. I would also point out that, if all children got the meals free, there would be no “fraud” in giving a hungry child a school meal, and we could save the labor and cost of all that paperwork.

Reducing access to free school meals is also a priority of the now-infamous Project 2025, the conservative Heritage Foundation’s blueprint for the next administration. Trump has tried to distance himself from Project 2025, but his ties to it are indisputable and a second Trump White House would probably be well populated with its adherents.

Regarding school meals, Project 2025 repeats the willful deception that the federal lunch and breakfast programs are “specifically for children in poverty”. In truth, from their beginnings, these programs were meant for all children. But they always made allowances for impoverished children’s access – not only poor children, but inclusive of poor children. The authors of Project 2025 argue that any expansion of free meals is against the “original intent” and creates “an entitlement for students from middle- and upper-income homes”. (I wonder what they think of all those wealthy children getting free textbooks?) Their stated policy goals are to “work with lawmakers to eliminate CEP” and to “reject efforts to create universal free school meals”.

While Trump himself may know little about school meals policy (I have never found an instance of him directly talking about it), his first administration set out immediately to relax nutrition standards set under President Obama. The very first policy announcement from Sonny Perdue, Trump’s secretary of agriculture, was that his department would seek to bring back higher-fat chocolate milk, reduce whole grain requirements and stop sodium reductions. And despite the US Department of Agriculture’s own research findings that Obama-era rules had made school meals significantly healthier and debunking claims that plate waste was increasing, one of the last acts of the Trump USDA was to propose a further weakening of nutrition standards to require fewer fruits and allow yet more usually high-salt items such as pizza and hash browns. But the clock ran out on that proposal, and the Biden-Harris administration then increased school meals’ nutrition standards.

Given the Republicans’ legislative goals and the direction of one of the GOP’s leading thinktanks, a second Trump administration would almost surely unravel access to school meals and gut hard-won, incremental gains that have made them healthier. All this despite nationwide polls that indicate a majority of US voters agree that all kids should get universally free school meals.

[autisticadvocacy]

On May 11th, 2023, the Biden administration will end the national emergency and public health emergency (PHE) related to COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic is not over. Ending the public health emergency will harm many people. Over a million people have died. The number of COVID cases are at record highs, and over 3,000 people in the United States are still dying of COVID every week. Less than 20% of the US has the bivalent booster. This is especially true for marginalized people. For all of these reasons, COVID is continuing to harm our communities.

Ending the public health emergency gives the dangerous impression that the COVID-19 pandemic is over. People need to continue to think about risk and community transmission. People need to continue to mask, people need to ensure that they are up to date with all boosters. People with developmental disabilities are especially vulnerable to COVID-19. Many in our community have additional risk factors, like heart or lung issues. COVID-19 is especially dangerous in congregate settings such as nursing homes, and it will continue to spread. COVID-19 was the leading cause of death for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in 2020. People with disabilities, low income people, and people of color are more likely to have bad outcomes from COVID-19, including death.

Ending the PHE will negatively impact health care and health care coverage, especially for marginalized people who had difficulty accessing care even before the pandemic. During the public health emergency, Medicaid coverage has been more open and flexible than usual in many states. Medicaid has had enhanced federal funding. States could also not take people off of Medicaid. Over 19 million people enrolled in Medicaid since February 2020, whether due to this expansion or people who newly qualified due to changes in disability status, financial status, or age. On April 1, states will be able to reduce coverage and will no longer have the enhanced federal funding for Medicaid. Millions of people will no longer qualify and lose Medicaid coverage. Even more will lose coverage even though they still qualify, because the requirements to keep this coverage will be more demanding. The groups who will lose the most coverage despite qualifying will disproportionately be children and people of color. This is expected to be the biggest increase in uninsured children in the history of the United States.

Hospitals that relied on pandemic-response higher reimbursement rates for Medicare and flexible waivers and eligibility requirements for certain classes of health care will no longer receive these payments. This will result in decreased access to care. Ending these reimbursements will leave hospitals worse-equipped to handle future Covid cases. This is especially bad because COVID-19 is a mass disabling event. Health systems serving hard-hit communities will struggle to meet the additional medical need COVID has brought about. This will mean that many people who need health care because they became disabled from COVID will not have access to it.

Cost sharing provisions for COVID-19 tests for people on private insurance, Medicaid, and Medicare are ending. People on these plans will have to pay more for COVID tests. Tests will become less available as a result, leading to more spread and less-accurate information about COVID risk in communities. Uninsured people used to be covered for COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines, but without additional federal funding for these programs, people without insurance have been left vulnerable since last spring.

Ending the public health emergency also means there will be fewer tools to help people make informed decisions about COVID. States will stop having to report COVID-19 data to the government. ASAN had to end our COVID-19 case tracker for congregate settings in January of this year due to lack of data. This lack of information will make it hard for people to find out how much COVID is circulating in their communities. It also makes it more difficult to see the impact specifically on marginalized communities.

The public health emergency status provided care to many people who need care to survive the pandemic. Ending it harms our communities. COVID-19 is not over.

[maidenson88-two]

THE GYN WORLD

Far away from the Milky Way there is a mysterious World, a World where Women rule and are first class citizens; While their males remain being a second class citizens.

According to the legend at beginning on this World Women and males were equal in almost everything, however in an uncertain point the World became Gynarchic more and more, until they finally reached the Gynarchic Illumination.

Female Supremacy along with some of the Gynarchy Protocols and Values are the fundamental pillars of the Femocracy, a place where Women rule over males.

Here, it'll be explain how this unpopular and unique Femocratic World works on its daily basis; The Gyn World it's supposed to be hundred of thousands of light years away so don't afraid to read.

Gynarchal & Matriarchal Government

The Gyn World is no longer divided by countries, all of Gyn World is under the jurisdiction of the Wise Women's Council, and the Empress. The Wise Women's Council is composed of 42 councilWomen, each with a province that they represent. Every 5 years, all 21+ Women are eligible to vote for a councilWoman in their province; The Matriarch enjoys terms of 10 years, both councilWomen and the Empress are determined by instant-runoff voting (where voters rank their preference). The Wise Women's High Court has 42 Female judges, one appointed by each councilWoman, and an arbiter appointed by the Empress who settles decisions in the event of a tie. Female judges and arbiters come and go with the Woman who appointed them. The Empress holds executive power, the Wise Women's Council holds legislative, and the Wise Women's High Court judicial. Politics at the global scale is concerned primarily with space exploration, education standards, and intelligence and security of the Gyn World. Establishment of extraterrestrial colonies operates at the global level for obvious reasons. Female Supremacy education is standardized across the Gyn World so that there is no discrepancy in the quality of Female Supremacy education between provinces. And while it is the duty of every Female citizen and male slave, upholding the power and stability of the Matriarchy is centralized to ensure efficient communication and information exchange at the global level.  A province’s councilWoman appoints Her cabinet, delegating important tasks to ministers. The provincial government generally focuses on infrastructure projects, healthcare provision, industry regulation, establishment of Feminist police, and funding/creating town hall centers. Provinces can have no town halls or upwards of a few hundred, it depends on how the councilWoman and Her cabinet want to run their province. 

Gynarchal & Matriarchal Economy

Industry is primarily powered by male slave labor. Women are guaranteed “comfortable living conditions and at least two male slaves,” by the constitution of the Matriarchy; provinces often provide further benefits for Women but this is the global minimum standard. This is made possible by the advancements in genetic engineering, and the mass industrial production of male babies. Entrepreneurial Women who build up corporations enjoy the monetary benefits, as well as Women in administrative positions, or those who occupy the academic/scientific sector, etc. These Women make a sizable surplus on top of the state provided benefits. Other Women will often send their male slaves off to work for the corporations as laborers, or workers in the service industry, and are paid a wage depending on how many males they contribute. Wealth is redistributed by a needs basis. The amount of money needed to “live comfortably” is re-calculated annually, and any Woman earning less than that threshold, or if She has less than two slaves, will be provided with what She is missing. This guarantee is mostly just a formality, and acts as a safety net for abnormal circumstance, as the earnings that two male laborers generate is usually enough to meet that standard without intervention. 

Gynarchal & Matriarchal Society, Family & Education

Far away from prying eyes… Working males are on the underground trains (maletoriums) from the moment they wake up (generally 6-7 in the morning) until they come home (5-6 in the evening), so they are by and large not seen by the general populace out on the city town. A strict expectation of obedience, diligence, and humility is both formally and informally enforced on every male creature. On these places males are seen as silent, expendable, but useful worker drones that are naturally predisposed to follow a regimen set by their Female superiors. However, there is a small but noteworthy population of males that are personal servants for higher status Women on the Gyn World, the Women who can afford to buy and maintain a large collection of males harem. These so called “muses” are good looking, white, blue eyes, blonde, affectionate, and no less obedient or devoted than their worker counterparts. They are at the feet of their Mistress owner most of the time, dedicating their lives to a more personal form of servitude, they cook, clean, and submit to the sexual wills of their Mistress owner, marriage doesn't exist on the Gyn World, while also acting as a confidant and occasionally earn some affection from their Mistress owner (but once these males reach 30-35 years old, they are put to work without exemptions). A member of the Female political class, an industrial tycoon, leading scientist, etc usually take on one bright “protege” that they guide and groom to take their place, and they will often own anywhere from 40 - 300 male drones, and 2 - 4 personal servants. While the typical household consists of one Woman, 1 - 2 Daughters, and 2 - 5 male slaves who are workers but also perform tasks such as cooking and cleaning.

Since males are factory created by advanced genetic engineering and considered property, their familial ties are of little concern. Male slaves are referred to in a context similar to household appliances. Due to the roughly 10:1 ratio of male to Female, men are generally not given names, often recognized using their owner’s name (e.g: “the black haired one in the middle is Lina’s third slave”). This contributes further to the devaluing and dehumanization of male slaves. Once a male is produced at the factory of male babies, he is taken to a male training institution. These complexes operate underground and far away from preying eyes, and all Female administrators are highly specialized. These Women nurse the boys to live off of small portions, along with genetic engineering, the cost of male maintenance is being brought down steadily with time. They train these young males to immediately recognize Female authority, and instill an ethic of hard work, and complete devotion to their Female superiors. The young males are isolated from their peers socially, and are exposed in early life to the constant reality of a sea of males performing menial tasks while a few authoritative Women oversee them. 99.9% of males are trained sufficiently and at minuscule to zero risk of defection, the 0.1% that show signs of rebellion are written up and later on executed by hanging by the Female executrixes. Very few male rebels against and they usually make it through the system, and the ones that do are always eventually apprehended by the authorities and hanged. The training period of a male’s life is 12 years, average years of productivity is currently around 50, the period where males produce profit 1.5 times or more the amount of their cost. Beyond that, the males are generally placed in a male retirement program by their owners, and euthanized humanely by their Female Guardians with the help of some Female program administrators.

Girls are usually conceived by artificial insemination means, but nursed and brought up by a biological Mother. Girls attend Female Supremacy schools, where they are taught a wide variety of subjects. Feminism, math, science, Female supremacy, Female superiority, Female history, Female Supremacy literature, politics, are all taught there. A general sense of innate superiority is both implicitly and explicitly taught to the young Girls. Girls finish “basic schooling” by age of 14 where they dabble superficially in a broad range of academic subjects. The important thing to leave basic schooling with is an understanding that Women are in their rights to subjugate males even their own daddies, and that their fellow Women are important and valuable to society. Beyond this point, Women enter a six year period where they are given increasingly longer, and more specific courses in Female Supremacy and beyond so that they will have to choose what areas they would like to specialize in. Once a Woman is 20 and has completed Her “higher schooling,” She is no longer the responsibility of Her Mother. She can choose to pursue university and specialize, enter the entrepreneurial world, or postpone/forgo a career and live off from the male labor She can sell, or even focus on raising Daughters of Her own.

[meret118]

It allows a Florida court to take jurisdiction over child custody disputes when an out-of-state parent is pursuing gender-affirming care for their child and the child is present in Florida, even if only temporarily. It’s the only provision of its kind in the country, said Shannon Minter, legal director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights and also a member of that team.

“I have had to spend an inordinate amount of time dispelling misinformation about the custody provisions specifically,” Chriss said. “The misinformation alleging that the state can take children away from their parents — which is just completely untrue and wildly unfounded — [has caused] fear and, honestly, trauma among so many folks in this community.”

The law doesn’t apply to children who aren’t the subject of a custody battle in another state. And it wouldn’t allow the state to take custody of children who are provided with gender-affirming care in Florida.

. . .

Texas:

The exception for children already on hormonal treatments, which was added as an amendment, requires them to get off those treatments over the course of an unspecified period with the help of their doctor. Only those who started receiving those treatments before June 1 and also had at least 12 mental health counseling sessions or six months of psychotherapy are eligible to continue taking the treatments temporarily under that provision.

But the provision is based on the false notion that children can safely “wean” themselves off the treatments. “That is medical malpractice,” Minter said. “It’s like weaning a child who’s diabetic off insulin. There is no medical reason to discontinue the care, and doing so will be harmful to those kids.”

There’s also a question as to whether those children will even be able to access care. Many clinics in Texas that offered gender-affirming care have already closed or stopped offering those services on account of political pressure, including most recently a clinic at Austin’s Dell Children’s Medical Center. The hospital announced last week that all the physicians working in that clinic would be departing, and it’s unclear whether they were fired or left of their own accord.

“I don’t think there’s any mystery about why it’s happened,” Minter said. “The state of Texas has made it very clear that they are punishing doctors who try to continue to provide” gender-affirming care.

Another provision in the Texas bill that prohibits public money from being used to provide or facilitate the provision of gender-affirming care to a minor has raised alarm bells for Oakley. While other states with gender-affirming care bans have adopted similar provisions, the language of the Texas bill is much broader and could have more far-reaching consequences.

A “plausible reading” of the language suggests that any entity that does business with the state, even on just a one-time basis, could be held liable by Texas if they provide employee benefits that cover gender-affirming care for minors, Oakley said. “It’s possible that the state of Texas would have a claim against that company for providing those benefits to employees far outside the state of Texas,” she said.

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I'm confused since I've seen so many articles say FL can take your kids with no mention of custody.

ETA:

The Texas legislature passed a ban Wednesday on gender-affirming care for kids under 18, which includes hormone treatments and gender-affirming surgeries, though such surgeries are rarely performed on children. The ban allows trans teens already receiving hormone treatments to temporarily continue them. Still, it requires that they “wean” themselves off the treatments. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign the bill.

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is reportedly gearing up to announce his 2024 presidential bid next week, also signed a similar ban in his state Wednesday, one that imposes felony penalties on health care providers who administer gender-affirming care to kids under 18. 

[anarchywoofwoof]

Arkansas education department won’t allow credit for AP African American Studies course

The AP African American Studies course won’t be eligible for early college credit in the upcoming school year, according to TV news station KHBS, based in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Teachers may offer the curriculum, but the class will not be weighted the same on students’ grade point averages as other AP courses offered in the state, the Arkansas Times reported.  Kimberly Mundell, director of communications for the department, told KHBS that the class was being piloted at some Arkansas schools and is still undergoing revisions.  “Arkansas law contains provisions regarding prohibited topics,” she told KHBS, alluding to state education restrictions. “Without clarity, we cannot approve a pilot that may unintentionally put a teacher at risk of violating Arkansas law.”

[cartermagazine]

How Tennessee Disenfranchised 21% Of Its Black Citizens Leola Scott recently decided to become a more active citizen. The 55-year-old resident of Dyersburg, Tennessee, was driven to action after her son was stabbed to death and nobody was charged. In August, Scott tried to register to vote. That’s when she learned she’s not allowed to cast a ballot because she was convicted of nonviolent felonies nearly 20 years ago. One in five Black Tennesseans are like Scott: barred from voting because of a prior felony conviction. Indeed, Tennessee appears to disenfranchise a far higher proportion of its Black residents — 21% — than any other state. The figure comes from a new analysis by the nonprofit advocacy group The Sentencing Project, which found that Mississippi ranks a distant second, just under 16% of its Black voting-eligible population. Tennessee also has the highest rate of disenfranchisement among its Latino community — just over 8%. Black Tennesseans, even those who were not enslaved, have been disenfranchised for centuries. In 1835, the new state constitution took away the right to vote from free Black men, who had been able to vote under the previous constitution. It also stipulated that anyone convicted of an “infamous” crime — a list that included robbery, bigamy and horse stealing — would lose their voting rights, often permanently. The civil rights laws of the 1960s opened up voting again for Tennesseans. But soon lawmakers began adding back in provisions that disenfranchised people convicted of felonies. Legislators updated the statute every few years, adding to the list of crimes that permanently disqualify someone from voting. The result is a convoluted list of eligibility criteria for voting rights restoration that depend on what a person was convicted of and when the conviction took place. -(source: propublica) DNA America “it’s what we know, not what you want us to believe.” #dna #dnaamerica #news #politics https://www.instagram.com/p/CkvE7jkOv90/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

A top House Democrat has reintroduced a bill to federally legalize, tax and regulate marijuana, with provisions to expunge prior cannabis convictions.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, refiled the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act on Wednesday. There are 33 initial cosponsors—all Democrats.

The comprehensive legalization legislation has passed the House twice in recent sessions—but this marks the first time it’s being introduced with Republicans in control of the chamber, raising serious questions about whether it will move. The Judiciary Committee, which is the primary panel of jurisdiction, is chaired by anti-cannabis Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).

Even the prospects of a modest marijuana banking bill that’s set for committee action in the Senate next week are uncertain in the House under the GOP majority. That said, a GOP-led House panel did advance legislation on Wednesday to prevent the denial of federal employment or security clearances based on a candidate’s past cannabis use.

In any case, advocates have long touted the MORE Act as an example of the type of wide-ranging cannabis reform legislation that would not only end prohibition but take steps to right the wrongs of prohibition and promote social equity.

Here are details about the key provisions of the MORE Act:

“Nadler’s MORE Act would deschedule marijuana by removing it from the list of federally banned drugs under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). However, it would not require states to legalize cannabis and would maintain a level of regulatory discretion up to states.

Marijuana products would be subject to a federal excise tax, starting at 5% for the first two years after enactment and rising to 8% by the fifth year of implementation.

Nobody could be denied federal public benefits based solely on the use or possession of marijuana or past juvenile conviction for a cannabis offense. Federal agencies couldn’t use 'past or present cannabis or marijuana use as criteria for granting, denying, or rescinding a security clearance.'

People could not be penalized under federal immigration laws for any cannabis related activity or conviction, whether it occurred before or after the enactment of the legalization legislation.

The bill creates a process for expungements of non-violent federal marijuana convictions.

Tax revenue from cannabis sales would be placed in a new 'Opportunity Trust Fund.' Half of those tax dollars would support a 'Community Reinvestment Grant Program' under the Justice Department, 10% would support substance misuse treatment programs, 40% would go to the federal Small Business Administration (SBA) to support implementation and a newly created equitable licensing grant program.

The Community Reinvestment Grant Program would 'fund eligible non-profit community organizations to provide a variety of services for individuals adversely impacted by the War on Drugs…to include job training, reentry services, legal aid for civil and criminal cases (including for expungement of cannabis convictions), among others.'

The program would further support funding for substance misuse treatment for people from communities disproportionately impacted by drug criminalization. Those funds would be available for programs offering services to people with substance misuse disorders for any drug, not just cannabis.

While the bill wouldn’t force states to adopt legalization, it would create incentives to promote equity. For example, SBA would facilitate a program to providing licensing grants to states and localities that have moved to expunge records for people with prior marijuana convictions or 'taken steps to eliminate violations or other penalties for persons still under State or local criminal supervision for a cannabis-related offense or violation for conduct now lawful under State or local law.'

The bill’s proposed Cannabis Restorative Opportunity Program would provide funds 'for loans to assist small business concerns that are owned and controlled by individuals adversely impacted by the War on Drugs in eligible States and localities.'

The comptroller general, in consultation with the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), would be required to carry out a study on the demographics of people who have faced federal marijuana convictions, 'including information about the age, race, ethnicity, sex, and gender identity.'

The Departments of Treasury, Justice and the SBA would need to 'issue or amend any rules, standard operating procedures, and other legal or policy guidance necessary to carry out implementation of the MORE Act' within one year of its enactment.

Marijuana producers and importers would also need to obtain a federal permit. And they would be subject to a $1,000 per year federal tax as well for each premise they operate.

The bill would impose certain packaging and labeling requirements.

It also prescribes penalties for unlawful conduct such as illegal, unlicensed production or importation of cannabis products.

The Treasury Secretary would be required to carry out a study 'on the characteristics of the cannabis industry, with recommendations to improve the regulation of the industry and related taxes.'

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) would be required to 'regularly compile, maintain, and make public data on the demographics' of marijuana business owners and workers.

Workers in 'safety sensitive' positions, such as those regulated by the Department of Transportation, could continue to be drug tested for THC and face penalties for unauthorized use. Federal workers would also continue to be subject to existing drug testing policies.

References to 'marijuana' or 'marihuana' under federal statute would be changed to 'cannabis.' It’s unclear if that would also apply to the title of the bill itself.”

Some advocates say that the MORE Act’s time has passed, however, and that it doesn’t realistically grapple with the need to enact truly justice-focused legalization through a fair and equitable market.

“The MORE Act was never meant to be a bill to address the real needs of federal regulations,” Shaleen Title, founder and director, Parabola Center for Law and Policy, told Marijuana Moment. “It was a historic bill when it was first introduced to address systemic racial disparities and demonstrate that social justice must be addressed in federal reform, but has never fully addressed the economic justice side of the equation.”

“We’re in a period of rapid corporate consolidation, with a real possibility that big pharmaceutical corporations will be entering the industry in the near future,” she said. “Outdated legalization bills like this would quickly allow for monopolization, putting small farmers and mom-and-pop shops out of business and undermining the public health and racial equity goals of most state cannabis programs. They should all be updated with an intentional regulatory structure and a thoughtful plan to transition to a national market.”

[miggylol]

I'm dropping this link for people who haven't seen it. Anyone who meets income qualifications, participates in a variety of federal programs, or meets the qualifications for a particular provider's low-income program can get

$30 off their monthly broadband internet service

$100 off a purchase of a computer or tablet

The page further says: "To deliver maximum cost savings to families, the Biden-Harris Administration has secured commitments from 20 leading internet providers to offer ACP-eligible households a high-speed internet plan for no more than $30 per month. Eligible families who pair their ACP benefit with one of these plans can receive high-speed internet at no cost."

Here are the income guidelines:

Here is the list of qualifying programs. If any one person in the household participates in any of these programs, the household qualifies for the internet discount:

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps

Medicaid

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)

Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit

Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, including at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools

Federal Pell Grant (received in the current award year)

Lifeline

Certain Tribal assistance programs, including Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start (only households meeting the income qualifying standard), Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF), and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

Further relevant information and the sign-up directions are available on the page.

[thenuclearmallard]

Violations of Indigenous Peoples’ Rights in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) During Partial Military Mobilization

 

By Anonymous 

On September 21, 2022, the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, announced the partial mobilization of the 18-49-year-old male population in Russia to participate in the war with Ukraine. On the same day, an order of the military commissar No. 182, "On the Announcement of Mobilization," was issued in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Unfortunately, partial mobilization activities in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) involve numerous human and Indigenous rights violations and violations of the provisions of federal Russian legislation on deferral and exemption from military service.

 

For example, as the Russian Ministry of Defense argues, there are no set quotas for mobilization. Instead, each region and ethnic republic have a separate mobilization task, which depends on the number of citizens registered in the military. However, in reality, mobilization is carried out indiscriminately in both large and small rural villages, without regard to the size of the ethnic and male population, and without considering the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Thus, in addition to the people eligible for military service, many people who are not eligible for military service were mobilized in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) – those, who did not serve before, students, elders, people with disabilities, and heads of families with many children (Source: Open letter to Putin from the chairman of the Sakha Shamaev Congress). Summonses were handed out late at night (1:00 - 2:00 am) with a minimum time for gathering of their belongings (2-3 hours) and with the threat of imprisonment for five years in case of refusal to mobilize. In the early morning (5:00 - 6:00 am), the mobilized men were taken by bus or planes to the assembly point in the city of Yakutsk, where there were sometimes not enough places for accommodation. There were not enough blankets, linen, or basic shelter. At temperatures below 0°C (less than 32°F), mobilized people from uluses (districts) were forced to spend the night in tents without heating, covered with mattresses.

There are cases when subpoenas were served during calls to the enlistment office for reasons not related to mobilization. Some men were taken from their working places even without returning to their homes first. 

 

While the official Russian authorities conceal the real statistics, an analysis of the first days of mobilization in the Russian Federation from September 22 to September 25, 2022, conducted by anti-war activists in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Republic of Buryatia, the Republic of Tyva, and the Republic of Kalmykia, as well as independent Russian media shows ethnic selectivity and a blatantly disproportionate number mobilized from ethnic regions compared to the central regions and cities of the Russian Federation. Thus, from the small settlements of the Far North, almost the entire able-bodied young male population has been mobilized. In the Olenek Evenki national region, where the total number of people is 4,324 people, and the number of young men aged 18-35 is only 128 people, 50 people are subject to mobilization. This is 39.07% of all young Evenk men in the region. In the Kobyaysky ulus (district), where Evenk Peoples (a small numbered Indigenous Peoples with a population around 22,000 people) live, men have been taken from their reindeer herds by helicopters.

 

 

At the same time, according to eyewitnesses, there was practically no mobilization among the Moscow and St. Petersburg residents. This mobilization is taking place just ahead of the cold Arctic winter, which requires serious preparation and efforts. Despite this, men working as stokers, electricians, drivers, as well as men engaged in traditional economic activities - horse breeders and reindeer herders - are taken away from communities that need them. Who will complete tasks that require physical strength - heat and repair houses, take care of horses and reindeer during long and cold Arctic winter? (Source: A post from Vinokurova, U.A., a member of the Supreme Council of Elders of the Republic of Sakha). Hunters and fishermen have also been mobilized. Who will provide food for people in the Far North? 

 

The Arctic regions, comprising two-thirds of the territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) are already suffering from the harsh effects of climate change. Devastating tundra and forest fires over the last few years and extensive floods, the consequences of which people are still coping with, have shaken the foundations of the traditional economy of the Indigenous Peoples. The current situation, in which the most vital men are drafted into hostilities, undermines the very possibility of normal life in these regions.

 

In Yakutsk, the capital of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), several hundred women protested against the mobilization on September 25, 2022. Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, which took the form of a ritual dance and prayer of the Sakha people, the police arrested 24 women.

 

Arrest of Sakha woman in Yakutsk.

 

Under pressure from the public, Il Darkhan of the Republic of Sakha, Aisen Nikolaev finally admitted violations in the process of mobilization and said that work was underway to return back to the republic some men mobilized by mistake. However, identification of violations requires a personal approach and a great deal of time. This may not be possible due to the hasty dispatch of those mobilized to the West. According to eyewitnesses, the training of the newly recruited in Khabarovsk lasts only a few days, after which they are sent to the Ukrainian border. Even if all the men who were mistakenly mobilized return home, there are thousands of Indigenous men who will be sent to war with Ukraine. How many of them will die and never return?

 

Also, in order to avoid mobilization, some men are fleeing the country hastily. Mobilization and this situation are real tragedies that will entail irreparable losses for the Peoples of Sakha, whose total number does not exceed 500,000. It is also true for other Indigenous Peoples of Siberia whose populations are even smaller. 

 

The long history of discriminatory policies in Russia, starting from the time of early colonization, has already led to the loss, partial and sometimes complete, of the traditions and languages of the Siberian Indigenous Peoples. The loss of such a huge number of men in the current conflict with Ukraine will lead to even greater negative and irreversible consequences for the ethnic minorities of Russia. The Peoples of Siberia are under a real threat of losing their genetic heritage, numbers, integrity, languages, culture and traditions.

 

Military mobilization grossly violates not only human rights, but also the rights of Indigenous Peoples - Articles 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 11, 21, 22, 24 and other articles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. However, the problems of Indigenous Peoples of Siberia - large and small numbered, still remain invisible to the world community. We strongly urge the attention of the world community to the gross violations of the international rights of Indigenous Peoples in the Russian North.

[shamandrummer]

Court Case Threatens Native Sovereignty

A serious threat to Native American tribes across the United states looms large. A decision on the Supreme Court case Brackeen v. Haaland -- a direct assault on the constitutionality of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), and by extension, the very right of tribes to be classified as sovereign nations -- is expected later this year.

Enacted in 1978, ICWA was part of the federal government's efforts to rectify the incomprehensible harm it caused to Native families through the forcible removal of Native children from their communities into boarding schools or non-Native foster and adoptive homes. Between 1819 and 1969, hundreds of thousands of children were taken from their families and homes.

ICWA establishes minimum standards for a Native child to be removed from their home and empowers tribes to be more involved in adoption and custody procedures for kids enrolled or eligible to enroll in tribal nations. The law gives tribal courts exclusive jurisdiction over members who live on tribal land, in the hopes of keeping families together, and creates a process whereby they're noticed and involved in cases outside of these boundaries.

For years, people and organizations hostile to ICWA have tried to erode the legislation through the court system. Should ICWA fall, it's not only adoption and foster cases that will be gravely impacted; the basic foundations of tribal sovereignty could be unwound. Observers in Indian Country have long believed that attacks on the legislation have broader aims in mind than the well-being of children, and many anti-ICWA proponents are also perceived as gunning for access to natural resources, mineral rights and more.

Calling into question the authority of Congress to deal with tribal nations as distinct sovereigns would have ​major reverberations throughout the field of Indian law. These attacks on sovereignty can be traced back to the Trail of Tears, the deadly westward displacement of five tribes between 1830 and 1850 initiated by then-President Andrew Jackson. The argument made at the time was that the tribes were being overwhelmed by European settlers, and they would be annihilated if the government didn't take them into custody and move them. ​In truth, those tribes controlled the waterways, and Andrew Jackson said, "​We want it, and we are going to take it."

Tribal sovereignty predates the coming of the colonial powers. From 1778 to 1871, the United States federal government signed 370 treaties with tribal nations. Many were used as tools to forcibly remove Indigenous people from their native lands and relocate them to reservations. In exchange for the land they had lived on for generations, tribes were offered many now-broken promises from the government: of peace, the provision of health and education, hunting and fishing rights and protection against enemies.

According to the Constitution, treaties can only be enacted between two sovereign nations. That status and the right of tribes to self-govern was affirmed in the 1832 Worcester v. Georgia Supreme Court case. It's also grounded in the Constitution through not one, but two clauses, and was reiterated yet again in the 1990s by a Department of Justice memorandum that tribal nations have the unique status of ​"domestic dependent nations." You can help protect tribal sovereignty by supporting the Native American Rights Fund.

[nwbeerguide]

Maui Brewing Company and Patagonia Provisions collaborate to release a unique beer made with a perennial grain. Introducing Kernza Pils.

Press Release

Kihei, Hawaii (August 8, 2023) – Maui Brewing Company is introducing a Kernza® Pilsner in partnership with Patagonia Provisions, the food and beverage business of outdoor apparel company Patagonia. The Kernza Pils is brewed with Organic Vienna and Organic Pilsner malts with Organic Talus and Organic Wakatu hops and Regenerative Organic Certified® Kernza®. The light-bodied beer is moderately bitter with 40 IBUs and balanced with sweetness that finishes dry. It is clear with pale straw to gold appearance and offers an elegant, floral hop aroma. Its ABV is 4.6%.

Kernza®, a deeply-rooted regenerative perennial grain, has the potential to transform the brewing industry. Kernza® stabilizes soil, requires minimal tilling, increases soil organic matter, and improves soil structure and water-holding capacity. Patagonia is confident that ongoing research will also confirm that Kernza® draws down and stores more carbon in the soil than annual grains. When used in beer, it adds a deliciously rich but subtle nutty flavor. The Regenerative Organic Certified® Kernza® used in the Kernza Pils is sourced from A-Frame Farm, a 1,200-acre Regenerative Organic Certified® farm in Madison, Minnesota.

Participating breweries and Patagonia will each contribute 1% of Patagonia beer sales to a local non-profit that supports environmental initiatives and meets 1% for the Planet eligibility criteria. 

“At Maui Brewing Co, we are passionate about sustainability and environmental stewardship, and we believe in Patagonia's commitment to those values. Collaborating with a brand that shares our vision allows us to amplify our impact and reach a broader audience,” stated Kim Brisson Lutz, VP of Operations for Maui Brewing Co. “The use of Kernza® Malt in our beer collaboration is significant. By incorporating Kernza® Malt into our beer, we are promoting sustainable farming practices and contributing to the development of a more resilient and ecologically sound food system. It also offers a distinct flavor profile and a story worth sharing with beer enthusiasts who are interested in supporting environmentally friendly options. It's an opportunity to showcase how the choices we make as a brewery can have a positive impact on the environment.”

“Patagonia is thrilled to partner with Maui Brewing Company, the first off-grid brewery in the US that reuses almost everything while brewing their craft beers,” says Paul Lightfoot, Patagonia Provision’s General Manager. “Craft beer drinkers want delicious high-quality beer made with clean ingredients that are better for the planet, and we look forward to bringing that beer to Patagonia customers with Maui Brewing Company in Hawaii.”  

Maui Brewing restaurant locations in Kihei, Kahana, and Ka'anapali (Maui) currently have this beer on draft, while its Kailua and Waikiki (Oahu) locations will be pouring the Kernza Pilsen the upcoming weeks.

The MBC team are stewards of their communities and the ‘aina, and curators of the craft beer way of life. Their beers have been recognized worldwide for quality and innovation. 

For more information, visit MauiBrewing.com or follow @MauiBrewingCo on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

###

About Patagonia Provisions

Patagonia Provisions is the food and beverage business of Patagonia, bringing delicious and nutritious Patagonia-branded products to customers across the United States that help fight the climate crisis. Patagonia Provisions is committed to supporting farming and fishing practices that restore and regenerate the environment, rather than extract or deplete it. A certified B-Corporation, Patagonia is in business to save our home planet.

About Maui Brewing Company

Founded in 2005, Maui Brewing Company is Hawai'i’s largest craft brewery. MBC is based on Maui, with its grid-independent production brewery, full-service restaurant and tasting room in Kihei, as well as restaurants in Lahaina (Maui), Kailua (Oahu), and Waikiki (Oahu). Maui Brewing Company is available in 26 states, 1 district, and 3 international countries with more areas to follow.

[mcalign]

Track and structure sales commissions effectively: Boosting performance and motivation

For businesses, tracking sales commissions effectively is crucial to motivating sales teams, driving performance, and making sure commissions are paid on time. Here are some tips to streamline the process:

1. Implement a Robust Commission Management System: Invest in a reliable commission management software or system that automates the commission tracking process. Based on predefined rates, sales data, and individual performance metrics, these tools can calculate commissions accurately. Additionally, they keep a transparent record of transactions, making it easier to resolve disputes.

2. Define Clear and Transparent Commission Structures: Establish transparent commission structures that sales representatives can understand. Clearly explain how commissions are calculated, the applicable rates, and any thresholds or bonus structures. Clarity helps salespeople track their progress and motivates them to succeed.

3. Communicate sales performance regularly: Keep the sales team informed about their performance regularly. Get real-time updates on commission earnings, sales targets, and goals. A sense of competition and urgency is fostered by this open communication.

4. Set Realistic and Attainable Targets: Ensure that commission eligibility sales targets are realistic and achievable. Having unrealistic goals can demotivate the team. Setting attainable goals keeps your sales environment positive and encourages steady progress.

5. Monitor and Analyze Sales Data: Analyze sales data and commission reports to identify trends, opportunities, and potential issues. Analyzing this data regularly helps optimize commission structures, adjust to changing market conditions, and identify areas where training or support is needed.

6. Include Clawback Provisions: Implement clawback provisions in your commission policy to safeguard against potential fraud or sales cancellations. This allows the company to reclaim commissions paid for fraudulent or reversed transactions.

7. Provide Timely and Accurate Commission Payouts: Ensure commission payouts are processed promptly and accurately. Delayed or incorrect payments can lead to dissatisfaction and reduced motivation among the sales team. A reliable commission management system avoids such issues.

8. Offer Performance-Based Incentives: Consider introducing performance-based incentives alongside regular commissions. These can include bonuses, rewards, or recognition for exceptional achievements, motivating top performers.

9. Seek Feedback from the Sales Team: Regularly seek feedback from the sales team regarding the commission structure and process. Understanding their perspectives can help you refine the system and address any concerns, leading to improved satisfaction and performance.

10. Stay Compliant with Legal Regulations: Ensure that your commission structure complies with all relevant legal regulations and employment laws. Failure to do so can lead to legal issues and damage to the company's reputation.

References:

Zoho Sales Commission tracking

McAlign: Increase sales with a commission plan that works for your business

Salesforce Sales Incentive

HubSpot on Sales Commission

Using these strategies and commission tracking tools, businesses can optimize their sales commissions, boost team performance, and foster a competitive and motivated sales culture. A well-designed commission structure aligns incentives with company goals, helping you hit short- and long-term sales goals.

[disputeattorneysinhanoi]

How to Protect Copyright in Vietnam?

How to Protect Copyright in Vietnam?

Copyright refers to an individual or organization's rights to a work that they created or own, as defined by Vietnam's Intellectual Property Law. Additionally, works of literature, art, and science shall constitute the subject matter of copyright; Performances, audio and visual fixation, broadcasts, and satellite signals carrying coded programs are all eligible subjects for copyright-related rights.

However, if there is no prior prepared evidence, it is difficult to demonstrate the owner's copyright. In the event of a dispute or violation, the most crucial piece of evidence is a copyright registration. When the owner can demonstrate that the Work is covered by copyright law, the registration of the copyright will prevent infringement.

ANT Lawyers – A registering copyright services in Vietnam would like to assist you in registering and safeguarding your copyright and related rights in Vietnam in the following ways with their highly skilled staff and extensive knowledge of the intellectual property landscape in Vietnam:

Our services in copyright registration

-Provision of professional opinions and advice in relation to registration of copyright and related copyright;

-Advising, preparation, drafting, filing and prosecution of registration of copyright and related copyright;

-Provision of professional opinions and advice in relation to license and assignment of copyright and related copyright;

-Appeal and cancellation;

-Proceedings before the judicial authorities.

How to register a copyright or related rights in Vietnam?

Condition of copyright registration

If a work meets the following requirements, its owner's copyright will be registered:

-The ideas of the Work shall be presented particularly in a visible material

-The Work shall be original (Be made directly by the author without copying from any other works or people).

Required information and document

-Original Power of Attorney (POA) from the Applicant;

-Information of the author such as: Full name, Identify Card Number, Current address, permanent address; …

-Information of the Works such as: Name, the date of publication (if any), the place of Publication (if any); …

–Business registration certificate or establishment certificate (if applicant is association or organization);

-Written promise of being ownership of the work of the applicant;

-Some other specialized document with each specified aspect.

Note: The POA must be signed by the applicant or a duly authorized representative on behalf of the Applicant and no further notarization or legalization is required.

Duration of copyright protection

-The following rights are protected forever:

-Right to give titles to their works.

-Right to attach their real names or pseudonyms to their works; to have their real names or pseudonyms acknowledged when their works are published or used.

-Right to protect the integrity of their works; and to forbid other persons to modify, edit or distort their works in whatever form, causing harm to the honor and reputation of the author.

The following rights are protected within the stipulated duration in law

-Right to make derivative works;

-Right to display their works to the public;

-Right to reproduce their works;

-Right to distribute or import the original or copies of their works;

-Right to communicate their works to the public by wireless or landline means, electronic information networks or other technical means;

-Right to lease the original or copies of cinematographic works and computer programs;

-Right to reproduce their works.

The duration of each type of work protected by the aforementioned rights will vary. The term of protection for cinematographic, photographic, stage, applied, and anonymous works, in particular, shall be fifty (50) years from the date of first publication. Other works are protected throughout the author's lifetime and for fifty (50) years after their death.

[my-cpe]

👉Hey, Posted a New Blog on SECURE 2.0 AND ITS FUTURE IMPACT hope the Tumblr community like the same.

➡️SECURE 2.0 is a new provision signed by President Joseph R. Biden on December 29, 2022, to improve Americans' financial security. The legislation builds on the SECURE Act 2019 and includes recommendations from the BPC's Commission on Retirement Security and Personal Savings.

➡️Key highlights of SECURE Act 2.0 include raising the starting age for required minimum distributions (RMDs) to 73 in 2023 and 75 in 2033, increasing catch-up contributions for individuals aged 60-63, allowing employer-matching for Roth accounts, expanding the types of charities eligible for qualified charitable distributions, and increasing the popularity of qualified longevity annuity contracts.

➡️Additionally, the legislation requires employers to automatically enroll eligible employees in new 401(k) and 403(b) plans with a minimum contribution rate of 3% in 2025 and allows for automatic plan portability for employees who change jobs 2.0 & its future impacts do check our full blog at: https://my-cpe.com/blogs/secure-2-0-and-its-future-impact