Daily Archives: April 23, 2021

Earlier this month, the Biden administration released a draft of its $1.5 trillion budget, which asks for significant increases in education spending that could potentially add to a mountain of federal funds proposed to cover virtual learning options and close the digital divide.

Among the drafts proposals, the administration has asked for a 40.8 percent increase in Department of Education funding, which would increase funding to nearly $103 billion. Of that, about $36 billion would go toward Title I grants for low-income school districts, representing an increase of about $20 billion from the current fiscal year.

Title I is the most flexible federal fund that is geared toward low-income schools, so that is a proposal that could steer a huge increase for low-income schools that can be used for technology, he pointed out.

Bailey said the budget outlines additional investments in mental health services, including $1 billion for counselors and school mental health programs, which could be useful for district efforts aimed at supporting students and teachers struggling during the pandemic.

School closures have had a pretty dire effect on students both academically as well as their mental health, and thats going to take years to address, he said. One of the innovations I think weve seen coming out of COVID is the use of telemedicine [or teletherapy] to help complement nurses and counselors. I think you could see part of that billion dollars used to help accelerate different types of telemedicine programs to help provide services for kids and teachers.

Consortium for School Networking policy analyst Reg Leichty said the full scope of the final budget remains to be seen. As of Wednesday, the Biden administration had not yet released the unabridged version of its budget.

Presidential budget requests are value statements. Through that lens, the White Houses decision to request a more than 40 percent increase for education for FY22 an unprecedented boost for education represents a win. Ultimately, however, Congress will decide whether the education community should celebrate, he said in an emailed statement to Government Technology.

Well have to wait for the publication of the unabridged version of the presidents budget request before we can say anything accurate about what it may mean for state and local digital learning initiatives, Leichty said. For example, the White House has not yet released the presidents request for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant program, which is the primary source of dedicated education technology funding in the Department of Educations budget.

Bailey and Leichty said many school districts have already met the bulk of their immediate ed-tech needs via $193 billion in federal relief funds awarded through three relief bills. Much of this went toward devices and Internet connectivity to facilitate remote and hybrid learning.

Youre almost looking at $200 billion passed within a year targeted toward low-income schools who are probably struggling with the digital divide the most, Bailey said. There really isnt a parallel to this surge in investment that comes with so little strings attached to schools in such a short period.

While much remains pending about these White House proposals, Bailey believes lawmakers are rethinking the importance of federal funding for ed tech, which could bode well for Bidens budget and for his infrastructure plan geared toward expanding broadband access.

Infrastructure has been an issue that has had some pretty broad bipartisan support, he said. I think that the pandemic and economic recovery are going to help create the moment and chance to do infrastructure ... Whether its bipartisan or not is a separate question.

In the context of higher education, policy analyst Jarret Cummings of the IT-focused nonprofit Educause noted that universities used much of their relief funds to offset the expenses associated with low enrollment and COVID-19 emergency response plans, rather than ed tech. He said the new budget includes a proposal to increase Pell Grant funding by 10 percent, but broad-based funding for technology in higher education has not yet been proposed.

The pandemic has exposed clearly and dramatically the importance of affordable broadband access to ensuring access to higher education, he said, noting that broadband proposals raised by the administration and Congress would help post-secondary students during online learning.

Of course, there are many reasons why we need to close the digital divide, but making sure that higher education is available to students when and where they are certainly has a prominent place on that list.

Continued here:

Biden's Budget Could Give Schools Freedom to Invest in Tech - Government Technology

The EU is navigating its third crisis in the space of a single decade, following the euro area financial crisis and the migration crisis. In some respects, the potential systemic implications of the Covid-19 pandemic are even more pervasive than those of the previous crises (Baldwin and Weder di Mauro 2020, Fuentes and Moder 2021). Jean Monnet famously stated that Europe will be forged in crises and it will be the sum of solutions adopted for those crises. But every crisis has its own characteristics, and prompts its own response. In certain cases, the response pushes forward the frontier of European integration that was the case of the completion of the Single Market after the Eurosclerosis of the 1970s or the creation of the euro after German reunification. In other cases, the response is only partially transformative, as was the case during the financial crisis that started in 2008.

Therefore, not all the responses to crises pass what, in a new CEPR Policy Insight (Buti and Papaconstantinou 2021), we call the triple Monnet Compatibility Test of economic coherence (effective policy action), institutional coherence (leveraging common governance mechanisms at the right level of government), and political coherence (maintaining citizens support).

This crisis is different, and the policy response, with the Next Generation EU initiative at its heart, is breaking new ground (Verwey et al. 2020) and leading to governance changes at national level (Buti and Polli 2021). This is true in terms of instruments (use of grants, new own resources, issuance of common debt); institutional mechanics (the return of the so-called Community method); as well as in terms of the sheer magnitude of the underlying fiscal effort and liquidity provision at both national and EU levels.1

The decisions taken by the EU do represent a significant stepping up and a break with past policy. What has underpinned this shift? We believe three broad factors have driven what we are observing.

The first is the evolution in our understanding of macroeconomic policy the new macro paradigm that has emerged since the global financial crisis, with a revised consensus on the appropriate overall macro policy stance, a new understanding on debt sustainability, the right mix of fiscal and monetary policy, and the role of central banks (Fornaro and Wolf 2020). With monetary policy at the effective lower bound, fiscal policy at national and EU level has to play a more important role in propping up the economy. This is key for domestic reasons, but also to make the European economy less dependent on external demand and hence able to play a more assertive role in global governance.

The second factor is the different nature of the current crisis exogenous, not policy induced, hence giving less rise to a moral hazard narrative. As a consequence, the focus of the policy response has been on a common threat requiring a common response. The asymmetric impact of the crisis has come to be seen as a threat to the whole EU. Hence, solidarity, or enlightened self-interest, has underpinned the policy decisions. Opinion polls show a large support for Next Generation EU not only in countries that are net beneficiaries, but also in Germany and the so-called frugal countries that only reluctantly contributed to the rescue programmes during the financial crisis.

The third factor is policy learning from the euro area financial crisis among others, the need for monetary policy to be forceful to stop self-fulfilling dynamics or the realisation of negative equilibria, the dangers of early withdrawal of fiscal stimulus, and the difficulty of achieving an appropriate euro area fiscal stance only via horizontal coordination of national policies (Buti 2020, Bartsch et al. 2021).

In sum, if properly implemented, the economic policy response to the pandemic has a chance to meet the three criteria of the Monnet Compatibility Test. Will it also represent a paradigm shift in European integration?

Looking forward, Covid-19 is forcing us to rethink attitudes and policies across a number of areas that will shape the legacy of the pandemic for European integration. As we argue in Buti and Papacostantinou (2021), some of the main issues standing out could be grouped under four headings: the new emerging boundaries between state and market; the notion of subsidiarity in the new environment; reconnecting the EU/domestic with the international/global agenda; and the need for EU economies and policymaking to deal with longer-term structural shifts taking place.

As the pandemic ripped through European societies, it brought with it a new realisation of the importance of well-functioning health systems as well as of the ability of national governments and the EU collective to protect Europeans. This simple realisation is concretely translated in policy shifts or ongoing discussions which may break new ground: a new emerging paradigm for fiscal balances and policy mix, a new social compact (with higher minimum wages, a universal basic income, more progressive tax systems), the debate on strategic autonomy in key sectors/products that would increase resilience at national and EU level (encapsulated in the shift from just in time to just in case). In these areas, what is underlying is a rethink of the balance between what is provided by states and what is determined mainly by market forces. This policy shift is evident across most EU nations, as well as in the UK and the US. Medium term, it will be crucial that the renewed emphasis on strong social protection does not hamper but actually enhances the reallocation of factors of production. Shifting from on-the-job protection to in-the-market protection will be a key challenge.

A related issue concerns the balance of what belongs to the domain of national policy in member states and what is a matter for the EU collective. This gives a new twist to the discussion on subsidiarity, as can already be seen by the decisions around the EU Recovery Plan or the proposals on a European health union. The pandemic revealed the need for coordination at EU level and forced cooperation in a number of areas, from travel rules to vaccine procurement. Post-crisis, there will be a review of what has worked and what not: on certain issues, coordination of national policies will suffice; on others, direct supply at EU level will be needed. As health is a global public good, there will be a need to elevate a number of issues surrounding the prevention and management of future pandemics to the to EU level. The same would apply also for pan-European infrastructure investment projects (Beetsma et al. 2020). At the same time, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of rebuilding a more dense society, achieving solidarity through a sense of belonging, and not just from the services delivered by the national welfare state. This would suggest moving policy delivery in the opposite direction, to the local level, closer to citizens. In Einaudis tradition of marrying economic freedom and social cohesion, in the post-Covid world, the role of communities and intermediate bodies will be enhanced (Einaudi 1949, Gigliobianco 2010).2

Covid-19 is also pushing the EU to reconnect the domestic with the global agenda. This is where the other dimension of strategic autonomy belongs the one dealing not with global supply chains but instead with new geo-economic relations. In a situation of geopolitical re-ordering, upgrading the global role of the EU will be essential in order to be able to influence the discussion on European and global public goods (not just health and pandemics, but also climate and digital governance), as well as avoid beggar-thy-neighbour policies in areas such as trade or finance. The domestic ramifications of a more assertive global role of the Union are substantial: the Single Market will need to provide more indigenous sources of growth and enhance the robustness of Europes value chains; macroeconomic policies will have to reduce the dependency from external demand, acknowledging that persistent current account surpluses are a source of vulnerability.

It is also in this context that one should reflect on the need to complete the EMU; while bringing to a conclusion the reforms that started with the euro crisis is important in and of itself in terms of better functioning of the EU and increasing its resilience to shocks, it is also essential for bolstering the international role of the euro, thereby increasing the weight of the European Union on the global economy. The issuance of common EU debt under Next Generation EU will also help increase the attractiveness of the euro.3

The final Covid policy legacy concerns the need to respond to longer term structural shifts (Terzi 2021). In the pandemic, everything digital thrived. At a first level, this clearly requires a European push to digital and indeed the EU Recovery Plan is supposed to help the EU "recover and transform" with the twin digital and green transitions. Indeed, as far as the latter is concerned, the pandemic may have demonstrated the devastating dangers of ignoring a slow burn crisis such as that of climate change. At the same time, the dominance of digital raises new policy issues regarding regulation and competition in digital platforms, as well as issues of protection of workers in a new online environment. The changes brought by Covid also force more broadly a rethink of the role and nature of work, the role and rights of remote workers and even the new meaning of essential workers.

The policy response to the current crisis has broken new ground. At the same time, the difficulties on vaccines delivery and uncertainties on the follow up at national level on Next Generation EU have shown that the latest advances will need to be consolidated. Whether the response to the pandemic marks a fundamental shift in the paradigm of European integration and hence or it remains an exceptional one-off under extreme duress will depend on addressing the four shaping factors highlighted above.

Authors note: Marco Buti writes in his personal capacity.

Andersson, M, C Checherita-Westphal, R Gomez-Salvador, L Henkel and M Mohr (2021), Economic developments in the euro area and the United States in 2020, ECB Economic Bulletin Issue 2/2021.

Baldwin, R and B Weder di Mauro (2020), Economics in the time of COVID-19, CEPR Press.

Bartsch, E, A Bnassy-Qur, G Corsetti, and X Debrun (2021), Its All in the Mix: How Monetary and Fiscal Policies Can Work or Fail Together, Geneva Report on the World Economy No. 23, ICMB and CEPR.

Beetsma, R, L Codogno, and P van den Noord (2020), Next Generation EU: Europe needs pan-European investment, VoxEU.org, 9 November.

Buti, M (2020), Economic Policy in the Rough: A European Journey, CEPR Policy Insight No. 98.

Buti, M and G Papacostantinou (2021), Reshaping economic policy in the EU in the post-Covid world, CEPR Policy Insight No. 109.

Buti, M and O Polli (2021), Veto Player Theory and the Governance of the Recovery and Resilience Facility", VoxEU.org, 11 February.

Collier, P (2018), The Future of Capitalism: Facing the New Anxieties, HaperCollins.

Einaudi, L (1949), Lezioni di politica sociale, Einaudi, 1977.

Fornaro, L and M Wolf (2020), Coronavirus and macroeconomic policy, VoxEU.org, 10 March.

Fuentes, N M and I Moder (2021), The scarring effects of COVID-19 on the global economy, VoxEU.org, 5 February.

Gigliobianco, A (2010), Luigi Einaudi: Economic Freedom and Social Cohesion, Serie Saggi e Ricerche Volume VI, Editori Laterza.

Rajan, R (2019), The Third Pillar: How Markets and the State Leave the Community Behind, Penguin Press.

Terzi, A (2021), The Roaring Twenties: Revisiting the evidence for Europe, VoxEU.org, 2 April.

Verwey, M, S Langedijk, and R Kuenzel (2020), Next Generation EU: A Recovery Plan for Europe, VoxEU.org, 9 June.

1 In terms of the magnitude of the effort and its adequacy to the task at hand, the recent debate has focused on comparing the EU response with that of the US. There are a number of elements to this: whether the US policy response is economically appropriate, its multipliers in the short and longer run, its external spillovers, and its implications for the fiscal-monetary policy mix (e.g. Andersson et al. 2021, ECB 2021). On all these issues, the jury is still out. What is quite certain is that doing too little is certainly more costly than doing too much; and that given its institutional setting, an incongruent policy mix would be much more costly for the EU than for the US.

2 The role of communities in breaking the rural-urban divide and the third pillar in finding a new balance between the market and the state are explored by Collier (2018) and Rajan (2019).

3The huge success of EU debt issuance under the programme SURE shows the large appetite in financial markets for common euro-denominated bonds.

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Reshaping European economic integration in the post-Covid world | VOX, CEPR Policy Portal - voxeu.org

(UPDATED, 9:02 p.m. Wednesday, with the bill number).

Amid a turbulent Statehouse debate over social justice in education, Idaho lawmakers have introduced a new proposal dealing with nondiscrimination in public schools.

The legislation, House Bill 377, would bar public schools from spending money for certain purposes it deems discriminatory. Those purposes include compelling students to adhere to any of three tenants the bill argues are often found in critical race theory.'

They are:

The legislation is an apparent rewrite of House Bill 375, a bill targeting sectarianism and critical race theory that was abruptly yanked from consideration Tuesday just a day after it was introduced. Unlike the original, HB 377 makes no mention of sectarianism.

This bill establishes education and fiscal policy for the state regarding dignity and nondiscrimination in public education, said Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, as she presented the proposal. It includes also fiscal policy prohibiting the use of monies for prohibited purposes as described in the bill.

Horman is one of a group of conservative legislators who has voiced concerns over public schools spreading social justice activism and critical race theory to students.

Assistant Minority Leader Illana Rubel said, I feel that theres just an imaginary problem to some extent being addressed here. I really dont think we have a problem in our education system such that we need to be putting conditions on funding, etc. But given that this will have a full hearing in committee. I will reluctantly vote to introduce. But again, I dont understand the basis for why were going down this path at all.

The House Ways and Means Committee, comprised mostly of House leadership, voted to introduce the bill, with Rubels fellow Democrats on the committee, Lauren Necochea of Boise and Sally Toone of Gooding, dissenting. The House Education Committee will take up the new bill Thursday morning, according to Horman.

Rubel questioned a piece of the proposal that would prohibit schools from directing or compelling students to personally affirm, adopt, or adhere to the three tenants it decries.

Im wondering what problems debate teachers might have or really in any class where they try to encourage that classroom discussion by assigning students to one side or another, said Rubel, D-Boise.

Said Rep. Julianne Young, R-Blackfoot, Youll notice the word personally adopt or adhere to. So, this is not just a role play. This is not just a debate where were obviously taking turns taking different sides.

The proposal comes out of a House thats killed three major education budgets this session over social justice concerns. In killing the states K-12 teacher salaries budget, discontented representatives vowed not to pass the $1.1 billion bill until intent language restricting social justice education is added to law.

Since then, no such intent language has been codified, and no other education budget bills have seen a vote.

Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachins new indoctrination task force is ramping up its search for communist, socialist and social justice-slanted teachings in Idaho public schools, her office announced Wednesday.

One of our primary goals with this task force is to give concerned citizens a voice regarding education in Idaho, McGeachin said in a press release. If you, your child, or someone close to you has information regarding problematic teachings on social justice, critical race theory, socialism, communism, or Marxism, please provide us with as much information as you are comfortable sharing.

She began forming the Task Force to Examine Indoctrination in Idaho Education earlier this month, echoing concerns about social justice education pronounced by fellow hardline conservatives in the Legislature and by the Idaho Freedom Foundation, a conservative libertarian group.

One of those lawmakers, Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, will co-chair the task force, saying she intends to root out critical race theory and bolster Americas core values in the position.

McGeachin announced the task forces founding a day after Giddings and Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg, made a failing attempt in the Joint-Finance Appropriations Committee to insert $4,000 into her office budget to support the indoctrination group. That budget has since been sent back to the drawing board after both complained to the House of a separate cut to McGeachins budget, which trimmed her staff funding from three employees to two and a half.

Meanwhile, McGeachin is conducting interviews as she recruits more members. She plans to hold meetings monthly in May, June, July and August and announce the forces full membership in the coming weeks.

The big education budgets are going nowhere fast, but on Wednesday, Idaho schools received a payday approaching $9 million.

Thats because the Idaho Lottery will continue to offer the Powerball game until 2022.

It had looked like the Idaho Lottery would need to drop Powerball in August, after lawmakers balked at allowing the state to take part in an international lottery including the United Kingdom and Australia.

The international lottery is now on hold, which means Idahoans will be able to continue to play Powerball.

We believe that international sales of Powerball are inevitable and Idaho law will have to be changed in 2022 for players to remain able to enjoy the worlds most popular lottery game, state lottery Director Jeff Anderson said Wednesday. We will continue to responsibly work with the Idaho Legislature, our players, and our retailers to ensure Idahoans have the freedom to enjoy Powerball in Idaho.

Powerball delivers about $14 million in annual dividends to public schools and the state Permanent Building Fund; the schools share comes to $8.75 million.

Idaho has been part of a multistate Powerball compact since 1992.

This story is developing and will be updated throughout the day. Idaho Education News reporter Kevin Richert contributed.

Reporter Blake Jones covers the politics and policy of Idaho's K-12 public school system. He's a lifelong Idahoan, and holds degrees in Creative Writing and Political Economy from the College of Idaho. Follow Blake on Twitter @jonesblakej. He can be reached by email at [emailprotected]

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Legislative roundup, 4.21.21: Anti-sectarianism bill gets a rewrite; McGeachin's indoctrination task force takes shape - Idaho EdNews

Mister President,

Members of the Security Council,

Allow me to begin by wishing all Muslims of the world a blessed Ramadan.

I brief you today as Palestinians and Israelis are immersed in consequential political and electoral processes. Preparations continue for the Palestinian Legislative Council elections, scheduled for 22 May, while Israelis are engaged in efforts to form a governing coalition after the elections held on 23 March.

These developments may have significant implications for the prospects for advancing peace in the months ahead.

The holding of credible elections in Palestine is a crucial step towards renewing the legitimacy of national institutions and reestablishing Palestinian national unity. I encourage international support to these efforts.

The UN has engaged regularly with the Palestinian parties and the Central Elections Commission (CEC) to facilitate preparations for the elections and will continue its support for the election process. To date, the CEC has performed its duties with professionalism and integrity, enhancing trust in the electoral process. In particular, I welcome the CECs efforts to plan for and implement special measures to ensure safe voting in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. I also underscore the critical role of election observers to ensure respect for the results of a credible and transparent process.

Mister President,

The candidate registration period concluded on 31 March. On 6 April, the CEC announced that all 36 registered electoral lists were approved. On 11 April, the CEC announced that of the 231 objections submitted to the CEC against registered candidates, 226 had been rejected, four withdrawn and one accepted. The Electoral Court upheld CEC decisions on 18 appeals brought before the Court. This concludes the legal process to challenge electoral lists. Final lists are expected to be published on 30 April, the start of the official campaign period.

I emphasize that any disputes should be resolved in a peaceful manner and through official legal mechanisms.

All sides must provide for and protect the right of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza to participate in credible and inclusive Palestinian elections, as well as to stand for elections, free from intimidation. In particular, I urge all parties to refrain from any arrest, detention or interrogation based on freedom of opinion, freedom of expression or freedom of association.

Mister President,

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a formidable threat throughout the OPT. I am seriously concerned by the significant rise in active cases in Gaza where the daily infection rate is reaching its highest level since the onset of the pandemic. In the West Bank, many hospitals remain at or near full capacity. My colleague from OCHA will brief after me and will provide greater detail on this situation.

As the socio-economic impact of the pandemic has significantly exacerbated a seemingly never-ending fiscal and economic crisis in both the West Bank and Gaza, support for the Palestinian Governments response must continue to be a priority.

The Palestinian Government vaccination campaign, which officially began in the West Bank and Gaza last month, continued throughout the reporting period. The Palestinian Ministry of Health has received over 300,000 vaccine doses to date. Israel has continued its efforts to vaccinate segments of the Palestinian population in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, as well as over 100,000 Palestinians holding permits to enter Israel.

I welcome all efforts carried out thus far to vaccinate the Palestinian population, but the process needs to be accelerated and more vaccines are needed.

Mister President,

In a positive development, on 7 April, the United States announced plans to restart its economic, humanitarian, development and security assistance to Palestinians, including some USD 150 million in funding for UNRWA.

I welcome the resumption of US support, including to UNRWA. I appeal to all Member States to remobilize support to UNWRA, whose services are not only a lifeline for millions of Palestine refugees but are also critical for stability throughout the region. Funding the UN response is the fastest and most efficient way to address urgent needs in the OPT.

Mister President,

On 5 April, the Palestinian Government adopted the second National Action Plan on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1325. I welcome the efforts of the Government to translate international frameworks into commitments and actions. I reiterate UN support for the implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Palestine.

Mister President,

The demolition and seizure of Palestinian property throughout the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem continued during the reporting period. OCHA will provide details on relevant developments shortly. But allow me to reiterate my call upon Israel to cease this practice, in line with its obligations under international law, and to allow Palestinians to develop their communities.

Mister President,

On the basis of an Israeli law, passed in 1994, which bars activity in Jerusalem by the Palestinian Authority without prior approval, on 6 April, ISF shut down a meeting related to Palestinian elections at the Ambassador Hotel in East Jerusalem, calling in for questioning the hotel manager as well as the director of the Fatah office in Jerusalem.

Mister President,

Daily violence also continued throughout the OPT.

In Gaza, on 24 March, Israel Defense Forces fired some ten missiles at what it said were Hamas targets, in retaliation for a rocket fired towards Israel the previous day. On 15 and 16 April militants in Gaza fired two rockets towards Israel. The rockets landed in open fields, causing no damage or injury. In retaliation for each incident, IDF fired at what it said were Hamas-linked targets in the Strip. No injuries were reported.

In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, clashes, attacks, search and arrest operations, and other incidents resulted in the death of one Palestinian, and injuries to 29 Palestinians, including five children and one woman. Eight Israelis, including one woman, were injured in the course of these events.

Since the beginning of Ramadan, there have been repeated clashes between Palestinians and ISF and Israeli civilians in and around Jerusalems Old City, leading to injuries and arrests. I call on all sides to take steps to de-escalate tensions and maintain calm.

On 6 April, Israeli security forces (ISF) shot and killed a 45-year old Palestinian man at a checkpoint set up during an ISF operation in Bir Nabala village, north of Jerusalem. The man died of his injuries and his 35-year old wife, also in the vehicle, was injured. ISF initially said that the man had attempted a ramming attack, an account disputed by the mans wife and eyewitnesses. ISF opened an investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, settlers and other Israeli civilians perpetrated some 20 attacks against Palestinians, resulting in eight injuries and damage to property. Palestinians perpetrated some 20 attacks against Israeli settlers and other civilians in the West Bank, resulting in seven injuries and damage to property.

I underscore that all perpetrators of violence must be held accountable and swiftly brought to justice. I reiterate that Israeli security forces must exercise maximum restraint and may use lethal force only when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life. Particular care should be taken to protect children from any form of violence. In addition, the indiscriminate launching of rockets towards Israeli population centers violates international law and must stop immediately.

Mister President,

Turning to the region, on the Golan, the ceasefire between Israel and Syria has been generally maintained despite the continued violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement by the parties, leading to increasing tensions. UNDOF continues to liaise with both parties to remind them of their obligation to respect the terms of the Disengagement Agreement and prevent escalation of the situation across the ceasefire line.

In Lebanon, a new government has still not been formed, delaying implementation of crucial reforms and related international support, which are urgently needed to address the ever-worsening socio-economic situation and growing humanitarian needs.

In the UNIFIL area of operations the situation remained tense, including due to incidents of weapons pointing between the Israel Defense Forces and Lebanese Armed Forces across the Blue Line. UNIFIL remains engaged with the parties to contain incidents and defuse tensions, including through its liaison and coordination efforts and robust presence on the ground.

Mr. President,

In closing, I wish to emphasize that expectations for the holding of elections in Palestine are high and come after a long wait of almost fifteen years. Since my last briefing, a growing number of young people are expected to participate in shaping their political future and having the opportunity to vote for the first time.

In recent interviews conducted by UN Women with youth in Gaza and the West Bank, one young woman, whose view was not unique, said the following: Although I am not into politics, I am a member of this society and want to have a voice. Even if those I vote for do not win, at least I will have exercised my right to vote.

The successful completion of inclusive Palestinian elections is a critical step toward renewing democratic legitimacy of the Palestinian Government. These elections should also pave the way to uniting Gaza and the West Bank under a single, legitimate national authority, which would be an important step towards reconciliation and could advance Middle East peace.

The path forward will not be easy and will require political courage from all sides. Despite the myriad challenges, we remain focused on the goal of advancing a two-State solution an independent, viable and sovereign Palestinian State living side-by-side with Israel in peace and security in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements.

It is crucial that the international community, and particularly the Middle East Quartet, signal a way forward towards an end to occupation and the achievement of a sustainable peace. This includes creating a clear political horizon and encouraging practical steps by all sides to set the stage for a successful return to negotiations.

The United Nations remains committed to working, through the Quartet and with other regional and international partners, to support Israelis and Palestinians in these efforts.

I thank you.

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Security Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question (as delivered by UN Special Coordinator Wennesland),...

ARLINGTON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--D.R. Horton, Inc. (NYSE:DHI), Americas Builder, announced today that its Board of Directors (the Board) has appointed Dr. Benjamin (Ben) S. Carson, Sr. as an independent director effective April 20, 2021. Dr. Carson was also named as a member of the Nominating and Governance, Audit and Compensation Committees. The appointment of Dr. Carson expands the size of the Companys Board from six to seven directors, six of whom are independent directors.

Most recently, Dr. Carson served as the 17th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from 2017 to 2021. At HUD, he led the agency in many innovative programs focused on advancing economic opportunity; providing safe, fair and affordable housing; spurring reinvestment in communities; reducing homelessness; assisting and promoting self-sufficiency to underserved and vulnerable populations; and helping disaster victims, while emphasizing fiscal responsibility and reductions of regulatory barriers. During his tenure as HUD Secretary, Dr. Carson also led the collaboration of eight federal agencies to establish the White House Council on Eliminating Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing.

Dr. Carson is a world-renowned neurosurgeon who prior to serving as HUD Secretary was involved with more than 15,000 surgical procedures and was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, more than 70 honorary doctorate degrees and the Spingarn Medal, the NAACPs highest honor. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Carson contributed to the field of medicine through the thousands of surgeries he performed and the many leadership positions he held, including serving as Director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions from 1984 to 2013 as well a Professor of Neurological Surgery, Oncology, Plastic Surgery and Pediatrics at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions from 1999 to 2013. Dr. Carson also previously served terms on the Boards of Directors of both the Kellogg Company and Costco Wholesale Corporation. He received his B.A. from Yale University and his M.D. from the University of Michigan School of Medicine.

Donald R. Horton, Chairman of the Board, said, I am pleased to welcome Dr. Ben Carson to our Board. The Company will benefit greatly from Bens intellect, life experiences and leadership skills, including his recent experience as HUD Secretary. Ben has been actively involved in programs directly related to U.S. housing, including homebuyer education and the need for affordable housing to improve the quality of life for families in America. We expect Ben to bring new perspectives that will enhance the effectiveness and composition of our Board.

About D.R. Horton, Inc.

D.R. Horton, Inc., Americas Builder, has been the largest homebuilder by volume in the United States since 2002. Founded in 1978 in Fort Worth, Texas, D.R. Horton has operations in 90 markets in 29 states across the United States and closed 71,168 homes in the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2020. The Company is engaged in the construction and sale of high-quality homes through its diverse brand portfolio that includes D.R. Horton, Emerald Homes, Express Homes and Freedom Homes ranging from $150,000 to over $1,000,000. D.R. Horton also provides mortgage financing, title services and insurance agency services for homebuyers through its mortgage, title and insurance subsidiaries.

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D.R. Horton, Inc. Appoints Benjamin S. Carson, Sr. as New Independent Director - Business Wire

D.R. Horton, the largest homebuilder in the U.S., appointed former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson to its board of directors.

D.R. Horton appointed Carson as an independent director effective Apr. 20, 2021. Carson was also named as a member of the Nominating and Governance, Audit and Compensation Committees. The appointment of Carson expands the size of the companys board from six to seven directors, six of whom are independent directors.

Donald Horton

The company will benefit greatly from Bens intellect, life experiences and leadership skills, including his recent experience as HUD secretary, said Donald Horton, D.R. Horton chairman of the board. Ben has been actively involved in programs directly related to U.S. housing, including homebuyer education and the need for affordable housing to improve the quality of life for families in America. We expect Ben to bring new perspectives that will enhance the effectiveness and composition of our Board.

Carson was an award-winning former neurosurgeon, who entered the political realm as former president Donald Trumps opponent in the primary race for the Republican presidential nomination in 2015. However, some parts of the housing industry expressed concern when Carson was nominated for HUD secretary due to his lack of experience in housing.

But in its announcement, D.R. Horton applauded Carsons achievements in housing when he served as HUD secretary.

At HUD, he led the agency in many innovative programs focused on advancing economic opportunity; providing safe, fair and affordable housing; spurring reinvestment in communities; reducing homelessness; assisting and promoting self-sufficiency to underserved and vulnerable populations; and helping disaster victims, while emphasizing fiscal responsibility and reductions of regulatory barriers, the company stated. During his tenure as HUD secretary, Dr. Carson also led the collaboration of eight federal agencies to establish the White House Council on Eliminating Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing.

Prior to serving as HUD secretary, Carson was involved with more than 15,000 surgical procedures and was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, more than 70 honorary doctorate degrees and the Spingarn Medal, the NAACPs highest honor.

Throughout his career, Carson served as director of the division of pediatric neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions from 1984 to 2013, as well a professor of neurological surgery, oncology, plastic surgery and pediatrics at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions from 1999 to 2013. Carson also previously served terms on the boards of directors of the Kellogg Company and Costco Wholesale Corp.

Email Kelsey Ramrez

Excerpt from:

Ben Carson joins board of directors of largest homebuilder in US - Inman

Sandeep Dikshit

Deputy Editor

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar may have been expressing the anxiety being felt by the South Block over the zigzag course taken in foreign policy by the Biden administration when, in a span of one week, he twice declared that the Quad will never become an Asian NATO.

It now emerges that when the first-ever Quad summit convened by US President Joe Biden on March 12 was waxing eloquent on the launch of a landmark partnership with India to further accelerate the end of the Covid pandemic, the White House was doing the exact opposite.

A fact sheet after the Quad summit spoke of undertaking shared action necessary to expand safe and effective Covid vaccine manufacturing in 2021. But the on-ground situation in Washington was vastly different. Indian Ambassador to the US

Taranjit Singh Sandhu was at the same time telling the Biden administration that its invoking of the Defence Production Act has affected vaccine production in India due to a shortage of cell culture media,

single-use tubing assemblies and certain chemicals.

The end-game of enticing India into a Quad grouping with military teeth had already been jolted when the US Navys USS John Paul Jones sailed unannounced into the Indian exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on April 7. The freedom of navigation sail could have been brushed under the carpet like the US Navys many such earlier forays.

But for those who might have missed out on this brief India-US scrimmage-that-wasnt, the US Seventh Fleet helpfully put out a press release that declared its warship sailed inside Indias EEZ, without requesting Indias prior consent.

The US Navy did clarify that its Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) are not about one country, nor are they about making political statements. But if the US

professes to place India in the

top drawer of its allies, why was there no prior word to the Indian Navy or its liaison officers posted in several of the US Navys Asian outposts? Otherwise, the Indian Navy would not have reacted with a counter-press release that stated the US warship was tracked as soon as it entered the EEZ, about 130 nautical miles west of the Lakshadweep Islands.

On March 18 and 19, in stark contrast to its public image of going for an all-out war against Beijing in supply chains, defence build-up and high technology, Bidens two top foreign policy czars, Tony Blinken and Jake Sullivan were closeted with their Chinese counterparts for two days in Alaska.

The opening lived up to the public billing of an extremely upset US trying to pressure China on all its vulnerabilities Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, South China Sea et al. In fact, it was an unprecedented diplomatic dust-up. But the opening exchange did not appear to materially affect the rest of the meeting. A senior administration official told me that the moment the cameras left, the Chinese side went back to business as usual, working through the list of issues on the agenda, including non-proliferation and Iran, said an Atlantic article.

As is well known, China already has a substantial handle on the US economy which has kept its

citizens satiated with debt. The fiscal dependence the US owes over $1 trillion to China can shake the economy if it is suddenly dumped. The trend to lean on China had spiralled during the Obama years when Biden was his second-in-command.

The US presidential elections, during which candidates are closely scanned for character flaws, saw the peddling of Hunter Bidens business deals with China (besides Ukraine) by the pro-Trump media. The Biden team dismissed most of it as Russian disinformation but it is incontrovertible that Hunter flew with his then Vice President father to Beijing in 2013. While there, he also shared a cup of coffee with an investment banker and was on his companys board 12 days later.

There is no evidence that the US foreign policy was influenced by the deal, but the charges cut to the bone. Joe Biden had to promise during the Presidential stumping that no one in his family will hold a job with a foreign corporation or government.

This incident, however, leads to the assumption that the US under Biden might not be thinking of a zero-sum game against China, as is being fondly imagined in many quarters in India. The vaccine dust-up apart, the Quad merely renewed the long-pending promise of meeting acute Indian strategic interest in critical and emerging technology by setting up a working group. This leads to the apprehension whether the current contradictions between the US and China have a temporary character? The Donald Trump-Mike Pompeo duo, which put the Quad in high gear, in contrast had an existentialist fear of China putting an end to the American exceptionalism that has ruled the world after World War II.

There is certainly a vacuum as multilateralism has fallen short. This has led the trend to move towards groups of countries that can work together. But Bidens national security policies premised on a growing rivalry with China are grating with the on-ground situation. This may have led Jaishankar to issue two clarifications within a week about India seeing no dividend in forming a military block with the Quad in the Indo-Pacific.

Originally posted here:

The unpredictable course of US policy in Asia - The Tribune

The European Parliament is expected to call on the Maltese government to continue deploying all the necessary resources to bring to justice all those implicated in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, but also those linked to all other cases she brought to light before her assassination.

In a draft resolution seen by Times of Malta and which is expected to be put to the vote on Wednesday, European parliamentarians are due to express their deep concern about the latest revelations in the investigations into the assassination, particularly the possible involvement of government ministers and political appointees.

While acknowledging the progress made in the murder investigations, despite the delay, MEPs denounced the repeated offer and use of presidential pardons in the context of the murder trial. They stressed that testimonies offered for other crimes should be very carefully assessed and should not be used to evade full justice for murder.

The resolution notes, however, that a presidential pardon and plea bargain were two of the elements that led to the arrest in November 2019 of one of the individuals suspected of commissioning the assassination.

The resolution was drafted following the debate held last month at the request of the European Peoples Party.

Co-signed by all seven European Parliament groupings, including the Social and Democrats which Labour MEPs form part of, the resolution outlines a series of concerns EU parliamentarians have about Malta and calls on the Commission, among other things, to investigate whether Malta is compliant with EU anti-money laundering laws.

It reiterates that the Maltese government must consider the fight against organised crime, corruption and the intimidation of journalists as of the utmost priority.

Protect the media, judicial independence

MEPs particularly refer to serious and persistent threats to the rule of law, democracy and fundamental rights, including questions on the freedom of the media, the independence of law enforcement and the judiciary from political interference and the freedom of peaceful assembly.

While praising the governments progress in relation to the rule of law through the implementation of some of the recommendations of the European Commission, the Council of Europe and the Venice Commission, they are expected to encourage the government to continue to pursue endeavours to strengthen its institutions.

The MEPs will also welcome structural reforms proposed by the government following the Commissions findings in its 2020 Rule of Law Report on Malta, notably deep corruption patterns, noting that the Commission should use all the tools and procedures at its disposal to ensure full compliance with EU law on the efficient functioning of judicial systems, the fight against money laundering, banking supervision, public procurement and urban planning and development.

They reiterate their call for the full and continuous involvement of Europol in all aspects of the murder investigation and all related investigations and welcomed the continuation of the public independent inquiry into the Caruana Galizia murder. They said all recommendations stemming from the inquiry ought to be fully implemented.

In their resolution, the MEPs stress that all allegations of corruption and fraud, especially at a high political level, should be investigated and prosecuted with the appropriate rigour, including in relation to the possible involvement of foreign actors.

On media freedom, the MEPs stress that the government should take further action, including through long-term legislative and policy measures, to address existing concerns related to media freedom and the independence of public media from political interference as well as the increasing use of hate speech on social media.

They call for the protection of investigative journalists and whistleblowers and for the protection of the personal safety, livelihoods and independence of journalists and whistleblowers to be ensured at all costs and at all times.

They will also urge the commission to propose EU anti-SLAPP legislation to protect journalists from vexatious lawsuits since investigative journalism should receive particular consideration and financial or fiscal support as a tool serving the public good.

Independent journalism costs money. Support Times of Malta for the price of a coffee.

See the original post:

EP resolution to urge government to continue to seek justice - Times of Malta

On 19 April, the Union government liberalised its vaccination policy which would come into force from 1 May. In the third phase, vaccine manufacturers are given more flexibility in deciding price of their doses, half of the supplies will go to the Centre while other half to states and open market and everyone above 18 years of age will now be eligible to get a jab.

The Modi government has faced a three-pronged attack on the new vaccine policy so far:

First, the centre is being accused of being unfair to poor by not giving vaccine to everyone for free and allowing vaccines to be sold at Rs 600 in the open market.

Of course, those who are making these allegations are forgetting the fact that 50 per cent supply is going to the Centre and the rest will be divided up between States and the private hospitals.

It means very little quantity will go to open market and at least 50 per cent of the available vaccines from the Centre will continue to be available for free.

If the States also decide to subsidise, then 70-80 per cent of the total vaccine supply will be given for free in India. The rest of the people are middle class and rich folks who can easily afford to pay for it. One wonders if the Opposition wants to also champion subsidising the rich just to follow the opposition dharma of criticising anything the government does.

Second, the freedom given to vaccine manufacturers to decide prices for vaccines is being criticised.

Its not difficult to understand the rationale behind the move. The current price of Rs 150 per dose that the Centre was paying to Serum wasnt sustainable for it had to give half of the money as royalty to AstraZeneca.

Still, Adar Poonawalla must be lauded for taking a huge risk in stocking up tens of millions of doses before they were approved and then selling more than 12 crore doses at such cheap rates.

But now, the need is to rapidly ramp up production to meet the huge upcoming demand for vaccines in the 18-45 age group.

Its unwise to expect manufacturers to scale up production while making losses. The only way was to provide financial support and have a liberalised pricing in place.

Thanks to the efforts of the Centre in the past week, SII should be able to increase its production from 6.5-7 crore doses per month to 10 crore doses in May and then to 12 crore doses from June. Similarly, Bharat Biotech will increase its production from 1 crore doses per month currently to 6-7 crore doses by July and to 10 crore doses per month by September.

This wouldnt have been possible without the change in pricing policy by the government.

Third, the governments opposition in every sphere (politics, media, academia, cinema, etc) spread misinformation that Serum will charge state governments Rs 400 per dose and Rs 150 from the Centre. The propaganda around this continued until Poonawalla himself clarified that Rs 150 price tag was only for initial supplies and both the Centre and States would be charged Rs 400 from 1 May.

Even if we take the scenario where Serum charged the Centre a lower price of Rs 150, who wouldve benefited? The vaccines being procured by Centre are going to the States anyway. This is a classic case of mindless opposition which does more harm than good.

The fourth charge against the Centre is that it has left States to their own devices in procuring vaccines and paying for them. With other criticisms falling flat, the opposition-ruled States are doubling down on this aspect.

Ironically, when the Centre was controlling all the vaccine supplies, they were complaining about lack of freedom. Now, they are cribbing about the freedom granted by the Centre.

Central government has abdicated its responsibility of ensuring universal vaccination. The new policy will create serious strain on state finances, chaos in vaccine procurement, escalation of prices, and exclusion of the poor. Net result would be prolongation of the calamity, Keralas Finance Minister Thomas Issac tweeted.

The crux of the matter is that while they want the freedom to procure vaccines, they want the Centre to pick up the tab. Basically, all the rights but none of the responsibility. Many are complaining about their inability to pay. Lets see if this criticism is justified.

Total India population above 18 years of age is 80 crore as per 2011 census. To achieve herd immunity, lets say we need to vaccinate 65 crore people which translates to over 80 per cent of the eligible population.

That means, we will need 130 crore doses. The supply wont be a problem as we estimated here and India should be able to administer 130 crore doses by end of this year.

Before 1 May, India is positioned to reach 16 crore vaccinations. That was all taken care by the Centre. It means that now, 114 crore more jabs are needed to be given.

Coming to cost, for the sake of simplicity, lets say every dose is priced at Rs 400. The total budget would come around to Rs 45,600 crore. Given that half the supply is being procured and paid for by the Centre, it means States would need to pay Rs 22,800 crore.

Of course, this assumes an ideal scenario where the States would procure the whole 50 percent supply meant for them and the private sector. That wont be the case.

If private sector takes 10 per cent share, cost for states would fall to Rs 20,520 crore. At 30 per cent share, it would come down to 15,960 crore and at 50-50 per cent division, their budget will fall to just Rs 11,400 crore.

Lets take examples of some individual states now for more clarity.

Maharashtra is the worst hit. One can assume that it will keep getting more vaccines from the Centre. Around nine crore of the states population is above 18.

To achieve herd immunity (at 80 per cent coverage), it will need around 14.2 crore doses. 1.3 crore doses have been provided so far and at current pace of vaccination of 2.5-3 lakh doses, this is set to reach 1.7 crore by end of this month.

That leaves us with a target of getting 12.5 crore more jabs. If Maharashtra procures half i.e. 6.25 crore (worst case) doses, it will have to pay Rs 2,500 crore only at Rs 400 per dose.

To put this in perspective, total budgeted expenditure for the current fiscal in the state is Rs 4,84,091 crore. The budget for vaccine is thus merely 0.51 per cent of the total budget. With private sector pitching in, it would be much lower.

Lets take an example of a small state like Haryana. To give jabs to 80 per cent of its 18+ population, it will need additional 2.2 crore doses from 1 May onwards. At Rs 400 per dose, total expenditure is Rs 900. With half coming from the Centre, it wont have to spend even Rs 500 crore which is similar to its budget of age old pension.

The same is true for all states in the country. In fact, rich states like Maharashtra and Gujarat which are most hit by Covid-19 can even partner with foreign manufacturers and afford to get millions of vaccines in short time without putting a strain on the local supplies.

This would still be a fraction of their total annual expenditure. The economic fruits of opening up fully post vaccination are too big to be ignored for lack of funds.

The total expenditure all the states are looking would be somewhere between Rs 10-20,000 crore. Even Goas annual budget is higher than that.

See the rest here:

Vaccine Spending Wont Put Strain On States Finances; They May Have To Spend Only Rs 20k Cr In All (Less Than Goas Budget) - Swarajya