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Toxic? Britney tells of troubles in new memoir
Britney Spears, the dewy-eyed child star who became a global pop phenomenon and then melted down in full view of the world, tells her story Tuesday with the release of her already bestselling memoir. "The Woman In Me" is the pop princess in her own, unvarnished words, shot through with the anguish of a family she believes has failed her at every step of the way, in an industry that mercilessly devours its talent. From sharing daiquiris with her mother as a young teenager -- two years after she became a regular on "The Mickey Mouse Club" -- to the 13 years she spent as an adult in a conservatorship, the memoir details how she struggled to escape the influence of her controlling father. Until two years ago, when she got out from under the conservatorship legal relationship that she says dictated everything from her birth control choices to the set list at lucrative Las Vegas gigs. In the intervening months, Spears has married a former dancer, announced then lost a pregnancy, and is now on the road to her third divorce. The book, whose pre-orders catapulted it to the top of the Amazon best-seller list, was produced too early to include that coda with husband Sam Asghari. But readers will still have plenty to chew on. 'Harlot' Tidbits that have leaked ahead of publication include news of an abortion Spears says fellow Mickey Mouse Club alum Justin Timberlake urged her to have after she became pregnant while the couple was together. When the pair split, and his hit "Cry Me A River" appeared to be about the way he felt she had betrayed him, Spears was painted as the "harlot who'd broken the heart of America's golden boy," she writes. In reality, he was "happily running around Hollywood" while she was "comatose in Louisiana." Readers have also learned of a brief but intense affair with Irish actor and Oscar nominee Colin Farrell, what she calls "a two-week brawl." "Brawl is the only word for it -- we were all over each other, grappling so passionately it was like we were in a street fight." The noughties brought fame and notoriety to Spears in equal measure, with a passionate fan base eager for every last scrap of news about her. That collided with an aggressive paparazzi culture that delighted in capturing her partying alongside hell-raisers like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Spears insists there were never hard drugs and that she did not have a drinking problem, but admits that she was taking Adderall, the ADHD medication. A publicly played-out bust-up with second husband Kevin Federline, and an ensuing custody fight over their two children, presaged the emotional low watermark: shaving her head and attacking a photographer's car. "Flailing those weeks without my children, I lost it, over and over again," she writes. "I didn't even really know how to take care of myself. "I'd begin to think in some ways like a child." A year later, the courts appointed her father Jamie Spears to control her money and her personal life. Over the next 13 years, she was told who she could see, and how much she could spend, and even ordered not to have more children. Yet under Jamie Spears, she would still perform as a pop icon. "Too sick to choose my own boyfriend and yet somehow healthy enough to appear on sitcoms and morning shows, and to perform for thousands of people in a different part of the world every week." "From that point on, I began to think that (my father) saw me as put on the earth for no other reason than to help their cash flow." Jamie Spears has always insisted that he had the best interests of his daughter at heart and was seeking to protect her from exploitation. The conservatorship was dissolved in 2021, but -- aside from collaborations with Elton John and will.i.am -- it has not heralded a return to creativity for Spears. "Pushing forward in my music career is not my focus at the moment," the now-41-year-old Britney writes. "It's time for me not to be someone who other people want; it's time to actually find myself.".....»»
Former OTS chief lambasts cultural decay at airports
The former Office for Transportation Security chief lambasted the cultural decay in the airport security teams that allows negligent screeners to continue working there, this before he could begin an internal purge. Ma. O Ranada Aplasca, who resigned from his post over the airport screener caught on closed-circuit television swallowing $300 bills taken from an outbound Chinese national, said the problem with airport security is “more than systemic, it is cultural.” “There was the problem with ‘tanim-bala.’ Maybe the problems were not highlighted in the past because no one was caught. Based on our records, for the past several years, no one was dismissed in the OTS for violations of our disciplinary policies,” he said. Aplasca said when he was the director of the PNP Aviation Security Group, his initial task was to clear the country’s airports of the “tanim-bala” scheme, in which airport inspectors hid bullets in travelers’ luggage to extort money. “That tanim-bala was the first marching order to me by former President Duterte, and that’s where I felt his 100-percent support; that’s why, in less than one month, we were able to solve the problem,” he said. Aplasca said that before his resignation Tuesday, the OTS had initiated 68 cases against erring personnel, with at least 11 people dismissed. Found guilty Meanwhile, DoTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said the female Security Screening Officer and three other OTS screeners involved in the cash swallowing incident last 8 September were “found guilty of stealing.” Bautista said the guilty verdict was included in the investigation report handed to him by the OTS group of investigators, which included the CCTV footage that showed the lady scanner stuffing the money into her mouth at Terminal 1’s final security checkpoint at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The four SSO screeners face administrative and criminal cases. “The investigation showed that she was guilty and swallowed the money. However, what she said in an affidavit was that it was chocolates. But the investigators saw that she was guilty,” Bautista said in Filipino in an interview with the media after a Senate hearing on Tuesday. The CCTV footage showed that at around 8:20 p.m. on 8 September, a Chinese passenger, identified only as Mr. Cai, placed his shoulder bag on the inspection tray at the final security checkpoint. After trying to promote the gateway to potential foreign investors who may want to operate the NAIA, Bautista expressed frustration and dismay at the incident. He authorized the imposition of the maximum penalty on those found guilty to demonstrate the Department of Transportation’s determined push to rid the NAIA and attached agencies of scalawags. Aplasca submitted his courtesy resignation last Tuesday, 26 September, to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through DoTr Secretary Bautista after House Speaker Martin Romualdez told him to resign or the Speaker would personally block the budgets of the DoTr and OTS. Not enough Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe said Wednesday the resignation of Aplasca would not be enough to stop the criminal activities at the country’s airports. “A resignation at the top does not clean up the ranks,” said Poe, who chairs the Senate Committee on Public Services. “More than ever, the Office of Transportation Security needs steady leadership to implement much-needed reforms,” she said. “There should be zero tolerance for criminal acts and unprofessional behavior,” she added. “While a witch hunt might put a syndicate on pause, the OTS urgently needs to review and tighten its security program,” she said. She continued: “Our airports should improve the physical layout of the security screening stations and provide proactive measures to prevent further incidents.” She also noted that the challenge now is to appoint someone with “immense political will to overhaul the agency and stop these incidents once and for all.” The senator stressed that the OTS must improve its hiring system and enforce ethics training. “Employees must undergo extensive background checks,” she said. “In the long-term, we should also look into providing better compensation and benefits to these employees so they would not be enticed to do this nonsense,” she added. The post Former OTS chief lambasts cultural decay at airports appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DSWD kicks off SLP cash payout
The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Monday said that it is set to distribute the Sustainable Livelihood Program cash assistance to sari-sari store owners, who are experiencing losses due to the rice price ceiling, starting 26 September 2023. DSWD Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications Group Romel Lopez said that the agency will begin paying out qualified sari-sari store owners this week in response to the order of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to assist those affected by the imposed price cap on well-milled and regular-milled rice. A livelihood cash aid of P15,000 will be given to all qualified sari-sari stores who follow the price cap, in accordance with Department of Trade and Industry and DSWD regulations. “The one-time SLP-cash assistance program will continue to reach impacted rice retailers, including those small businesses and sari-sari stores,” Lopez said. He added that the agency will prioritize cash aid payout to sari-sari store owners who sell rice within the price cap and whose business is registered in the Business Permit and Licensing Office of their respective local government units. “The sari-sari store must also have a registration from its Barangay and participate in the nano-retailer program which is supported financially by their LGU in order to qualify for the program and be eligible to receive the cash aid,” Lopez said. The post DSWD kicks off SLP cash payout appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sari-sari store owners affected by rice price caps to receive cash aid
The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Monday said it is set to distribute the Sustainable Livelihood Program cash assistance to sari-sari store owners, who are experiencing losses due to the rice price ceiling, starting today, 26 September. DSWD Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications Romel Lopez said the Department will begin paying out qualified sari-sari store owners this week in response to the order of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to assist those affected by the imposed price cap on well-milled and regular-milled rice. A livelihood cash aid of P15,000 will be given to all qualified sari-sari stores who follow the price cap, in accordance with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and DSWD regulations. “The one-time SLP cash assistance program will continue to reach impacted rice retailers, including those small businesses and sari-sari stores,” Lopez said. The DSWD spokesperson noted that the Department will prioritize cash aid payout to sari-sari store owners who sell rice within the price cap and whose business is registered in the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) of their respective local government units LGUs). “The sari-sari store must also have a registration from its Barangay and participate in the nano-retailer program which is supported financially by their LGU in order to qualify for the program and be eligible to receive the cash aid,” Lopez pointed out. Under the SLP cash assistance program for micro rice retailers, qualified beneficiaries will receive Php15,000 cash aid from the DSWD. Lopez also emphasized that the DSWD, together with the DTI, will expedite the SLP cash aid payout within the month of September. To date, the DSWD has provided more than P92.3 million worth of cash aid to some 6,161 micro-rice retailers affected by the price ceiling on rice. Meanwhile, Lopez also said that the distribution of cash aid to micro rice retailers, who are unable to meet their scheduled payouts due to pending submission of pertinent documents, will still be held simultaneously by the DSWD and DTI. Under this initiative, the DSWD and DTI aim to assist small rice traders and retailers, or the vulnerable groups amid the price ceilings on rice imposed through Executive Order No. 39, series of 2023. The post Sari-sari store owners affected by rice price caps to receive cash aid appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DSWD can give small rice retailers up to P15K financial aid amid ceiling order
The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Tuesday said they are ready to provide cash assistance to small rice retailers who may incur losses due to the Malacanang-mandated price ceiling on rice which became effective yesterday 5 September. DSWD Secretary Gatchalian said he was directed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to use the department’s Sustainable Livelihood Program to help small rice retailers recover their would-be losses from the temporary price cap. "We discussed with the President that we will use the DSWD's Sustainable Livelihood Program once again so that our small retailers affected by this temporary price cap on rice can be assisted," Gatchalian said. Under Executive Order No. 39 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on 31 August, the mandated price ceiling for regular milled rice is P41 per kilo while the mandated price cap for well-milled rice is P45 per kilo. The DSWD chief said the SLP currently has a P5.5 billion budget which can be immediately used to help cushion the impact of the price cap on rice particularly among small rice retailers who have a very small inventory. The SLP is a capacity-building program that provides start-up capital for those who wish to start a small business, capital build for cases similar to the effects of the EO 39 to small businesses, and employment grants. Gatchalian said the Department is just waiting for the list of qualified small rice retailers, which will be provided by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Agriculture. “Hopefully, by next week, we can conduct a payout for the sustainable livelihood grant to our affected rice retailers," Gatchalian said. To date, the DTI and the DA are currently coming up with a list of affected rice traders and rice retailers who will receive the government’s assistance. Gatchalian pointed out that the DSWD is ready to begin the nationwide payout to the qualified recipients of financial aid amounting to a maximum of Php15,000. “Bagamat kino-compute pa ng DTI at DA ang dapat matanggap ng bawat tatamaang rice retailers, ang maximum na ibinibigay ng programang SLP ay P15,000. One time big time,” the DSWD chief pointed out. Last Monday, the DSWD chief said he had a meeting with Speaker Martin Romualdez who vowed to raise P2 billion to help augment the SLP budget for the benefit of more small rice traders and retailers. “I told Speaker Romualdez that the SLP’s P5.5 billion is enough to help the distressed small rice retailers. But I also welcome the additional budget as this would mean more Filipinos will be given assistance under the SLP,” Gatchalian said. The post DSWD can give small rice retailers up to P15K financial aid amid ceiling order appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
GCash to begin collecting P5 cash-in fee in Q4
E-wallet giant GCash will start charging a convenience fee of P5 for every time a user cashes in from its major partners Bank of the Philippine Islands and Union Bank of the Philippines in the fourth quarter......»»
DSWD’s reading program ‘Tara Basa!’ aids low income students and struggling readers
The Department of Social Welfare and Development on Monday announced that the student tutors in partnership with the Ateneo Center for Educational Development have started simultaneous reading sessions for the struggling and non-reader Grade 1 beneficiaries of the Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program. Under the program, each student-tutor will teach 10 elementary learners every session. The college students have undergone a series of orientations and training, which will comprise the Youth Development Workers after its pilot launch on 2 August. According to DSWD spokesperson Asst. Secretary Romel Lopez, said YDWs will receive cash assistance worth P570 per day for 20 days from the DSWD through a cash-for-work scheme, in exchange for their service. The Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program is the reformatted educational assistance program of the department that seeks to build an ecosystem of learning by training college students from low-income families who are in difficult situations to become YDWs. The Tara, Basa! pilot implementation targets 6,386 student tutors and 584 YDWs enrolled in 20 selected state or local colleges/universities in Metro Manila. The student-tutors were trained and given capability-building sessions on how to effectively teach reading to be conducted by the Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED). The college students were from Pasig City, Quezon City, Makati City, and Parañaque City while other pilot areas in the National Capital Region will conduct the training sessions in the coming days. To monitor the performance and progress of the learners, the Department of Education (DepEd), the DSWD’s partner agency in this project, will conduct Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA). As tutors, the participating college students will teach struggling or non-reader grade school learners who are vulnerable, at risk, or affected by the effects brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. YDWs, meanwhile, will help conduct parenting sessions to capacitate parents and guardians to become ‘Nanay-Tatay teachers’. “Young Filipinos are the pillars of our country’s future. Through Tara, Basa! Tutoring Program, we are encouraging their involvement in nation-building by helping them to become more involved in their communities and build the skills and confidence that they need to become future leaders,” the DSWD spokesperson said. A total of 63,877 Grade 1 learners currently enrolled in 490 public elementary schools are expected to participate in the program with their parents or guardians. The parents and guardians of struggling or non-reader grade school learners will also receive cash assistance worth P235 per day for 20 days for aiding their children in their learning and reading sessions, as well as other related activities. “The program will strengthen family and community support for elementary school children by capacitating parents and guardians on the care and protection of their children,” Lopez said. While the program would begin rolling out in Metro Manila, Lopez said the DSWD was planning to expand the program nationwide depending on its success in the NCR. "The inputs we would be getting from our pilot implementation will be included in our plans should we expand the program nationwide," he added. He noted that reading ability data for students in the NCR was more accessible than in the provinces, prompting DSWD to first launch the program in the capital. According to DepEd in NCR, more than 49,000 students in the region from Grades 1 to 3 have difficulty reading. The post DSWD’s reading program ‘Tara Basa!’ aids low income students and struggling readers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DSWD starts training student-tutors for ‘Tara, Basa!’ program
A Department of Social Welfare and Development official on Sunday said they have started the orientation and training of college students who will compose the army of tutors and will be called Youth Development Workers (YDWs) for the "Tara, Basa!" Tutoring Program. According to DSWD spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez, YDWs will receive cash assistance worth P500 per day for 20 days from the DSWD through a cash-for-work scheme, in exchange for their rendered service. The "Tara, Basa!" Tutoring Program, which was launched on 2 August this year, is a reformatted educational assistance program of the DSWD that seeks to build an ecosystem of learning by training college students from low-income families who are in difficult situations to become YDWs. Its pilot implementation targets to capacitate 6,386 student-tutors and 584 YDWs enrolled in 20 selected state or local colleges/universities in Metro Manila. The student-tutors will be trained and given capability-building sessions on how to effectively teach reading to be conducted by the Ateneo Center for Educational Development (ACED). Among the areas which started the training and orientation of student-tutors were Pasig City, Quezon City, Makati City, and Parañaque City. The other pilot areas in the National Capital Region will conduct the training sessions in the coming days. The training for the YDWs is scheduled for 10 to 12 August, while the official learning sessions with parents and Grade 1 students will begin on 14 August. To monitor the performance and progress of the learners, the Department of Education (DepEd), the DSWD’s partner agency in this project, will conduct the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA). As tutors, the participating college students will teach struggling or non-reader grade school learners who are vulnerable, at risk, or affected by the effects brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. YDWs, meanwhile, will help conduct parenting sessions to capacitate parents and guardians to become "Nanay-Tatay teachers". “Young Filipinos are the pillars of our country’s future. Through 'Tara, Basa!, Tutoring Program, we are encouraging their involvement in nation-building by helping them to become more involved in their communities and build the skills and confidence that they need to become future leaders,” the DSWD spokesperson said. A total of 63,877 Grade 1 learners currently enrolled in 490 public elementary schools are expected to participate in the program with their parents or guardians. The parents and guardians of struggling or non-reader grade school learners will also receive cash assistance worth P235 per day for 20 days for helping in the preparation of the needs of their children for their learning and reading sessions and other related activities. “The program will strengthen family and community support for elementary school children by capacitating parents and guardians on care and protection of their children,” Lopez said. While the program would begin rolling out in Metro Manila, Lopez said the DSWD was planning to expand the program nationwide depending on its success in the NCR. "The inputs we would be getting from our pilot implementation will be included in our plans should we expand the program nationwide," he added. He noted that reading ability data for students in the NCR was more accessible than in the provinces, prompting DSWD to first launch the program in the capital. According to the DepEd, in the NCR, more than 49,000 students in the region from Grades 1 to 3 have difficulty reading. The post DSWD starts training student-tutors for ‘Tara, Basa!’ program appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Good audit, good barangay governance
A local government public administration practitioner and a college professor are one in saying that a good audit could lead to good barangay governance. They said the country needs developmental auditors who could promote the general welfare of the public, especially at the grassroots level. A good auditor conducts financial audits and not fraud audits in the agency where he or she is assigned as a resident auditor. A financial audit is constructive, developmental and progressive. A fraud audit is negative in perspective. The financial audit enables. The fraud audit disables. Last week, I came across an audit report on the accounts and financial operations of a barangay in a city of Metro Manila. The audit report was prepared and submitted by a financial auditor with excellent expertise in both communication and local state audits. The audit found, among other things, deficiencies such as a violation of procurement law for resorting to a personal canvass instead of a public bidding; failure to plan and manage effectively the financial resources, as shown by the unreconciled discrepancy in bank reconciliation statements; non-registration with PhilGEPS despite a substantial procurement of goods; non-coordination with the office auditor when there were deliveries of procured items; non-implementation of laws, rules, and regulations governing cash advances; and failure to revert to the unappropriated surplus long outstanding accounts payable that had long remained unclaimed. To overcome the above deficiencies, the Audit Team recommended the following courses of action: Instead of resorting to a personal canvass in procuring goods, the Barangay should utilize the procedure provided under Republic Act 9184 and its implementing rules and regulations; The Punong Barangay should stop the practice of processing claims that are not supported by complete documentation; To avoid a cash deficit, the Barangay should use cash flow analysis in monitoring its cash inflows as against outflows; To resolve the unreconciled discrepancy in the bank reconciliation statement, the office of the city accountant should analyze the discrepancy between the books and bank balances of Cash in Bank-Local Currency Current Account or CIB-LCCA, and make the necessary adjustments in the books of accounts for presentation of account balance, and submit a bank reconciliation statement or BRS indicating the breakdown and nature of the reconciling items, together with the supporting documents; The Barangay should register with PhilGEPS and begin its utilization in accordance with the 2009 RIRR of RA 9184; The Punong Barangay should send written notices of delivery to the City Auditor’s Office within 24 hours of acceptance of deliveries by the Barangay; The Punong Barangay should see to it that the Barangay Treasurer remits the taxes withheld to the BIR in full; To resolve the issue of unliquidated cash advances, the Barangay Treasurer should be required to liquidate immediately long outstanding cash advances granted and implement available remedies under COA Circular 2012-004; and The Barangay Treasurer should revert the long outstanding accounts payable to the unappropriated surplus of the General Fund pursuant to Section 98 of PD 1445. In accordance with the request of the Audit Team for comments, we are respectfully submitting the following: We appreciate the meticulous care that the Audit Team exerted in going over the way the Barangay handled and managed its funds and resources, how things and people were administered within the village, and how fiscal discipline was observed in accordance with the law and rules that we can recall and within the confines of Section 16 and Section 17 of the Local Government Code regarding general welfare and self-reliance. We tried our best, but our best was not enough. We had shortcomings but rest assured such shortcomings were simply procedural. Indeed, your findings in this exercise will prove very useful in our sincere effort to correspond with equivalent zeal to fully comply with the requirements of the Office of the City Auditor. The recommendations are clear, precise, and simple. We shall observe them as required by the law, the rules, and regulations of the Commission on Audit. The post Good audit, good barangay governance appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bureaucratic (mal)practice
What welfare state model — replete with assumptions, measures, and calculations — allowed government to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, provide free healthcare to the sick, give cash subsidies to the jobless? This bureaucratic (mal)practice transfers the burden to the taxpayers-at-large if the pattern of government spending is to extend help to the needy. Seemingly a grand equalizer, privileges go to the poor like manna from heaven while obligations pass to the rich like punishment from above, effectively blurring the relationship between entitlements and contributions. Economists have done very little to incentivize interdependence rather than this vicious dependence by the least affluent class on the more affluent class of society. And what angelic genius of an idea have grandstanding politicians invented in the government’s strongest pretension as a welfare state — when navigating like a rudderless ship in fiscally constrained waters — they should not have dared to venture? Came the fire that ravaged the entire Central Post Office building from the basement to the roof of the iconic five-story structure, stripped of its “flesh” solely because water sprinklers had not been installed in the whole edifice that could have averted the tragic inferno. At no point had the government come to its senses on how to preserve a P1-million investment a hundred years ago — or to how much it would cost to build the same structure today. An editorial in a leading newspaper has profusely romanticized the role of the old post office with an unmuffled scream for restoration and reform toward modernity — one more superior than private courier services (i.e. FedEx, DHL, United Parcel Service). But the long prose hardly rolled out — in a manner clear as crystal and hard as diamond — what “structural weaknesses of the agency” ought to be re-engineered. Its nostalgia for the charred edifice as a Filipino heritage is vacuous or paying mere lip-service absent any well-defined reform parameters beyond its existing mandate. Instead, why doesn’t the government sponsor an international competition for the design of a new Central Post Office building by forming a judging committee as early as now? Thereafter, the winning entry will be commissioned to begin construction of what would later be a new heritage landmark. In short, let a new structure rise and supplant that which now lies in ruin – for want of water sprinklers. It will not strain logic that the charred remains of a once-proclaimed national treasure has fallen into an absolute case of “sunk cost,” which simply means that there is nothing more to retrieve. At this critical juncture, however, let it be a local concern rather than a national one given that as head of a local government unit, the city mayor of Manila is in the best position to determine its needs in accordance with existing comprehensive land use plans. Besides, LGU Manila is one of the highest revenue-generating local governments and therefore has the wherewithal to foot the construction of a new post office. What “outstanding universal value,” if any, is the old building known for to deserve classification as a cultural heritage or as a national treasure, as the case may be? What heritage — natural, cultural, historical — is there to really preserve other than the nightmare of the Battle of Manila in World War II? A single article in a referenced journal should be enough proof that it attained a level of recognition of unsurpassed value. When the National Museum of the Philippines declared it an important cultural property for “exceptional cultural, artistic, and historical significance to the Philippines,” it came so rather belatedly in 2018. From then on, it received public funds for its protection, conservation and restoration. If officialdom will download awesome sums of money to restore what was lost, methinks that in both economic and accounting costs, it will be foolhardy to do so. For now, blame not Congress or any board of inquiry for probing why it burned to the ground — beyond the worn-out narrative of faulty wiring. Let heads roll! The post Bureaucratic (mal)practice appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Biden cuts back Asia tour as hopes rise of debt deal
Joe Biden and opposition Republican leaders on Tuesday offered hope of a deal that could avoid a catastrophic US debt default, although the president was forced to shorten an upcoming Asia tour for further crisis talks. After the latest negotiations ended without a breakthrough, Republican House speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters there was still "a lot of work to do" to break the high-stakes standoff with Democrat Biden over the borrowing limit. But while stark differences remained, the White House said Biden was "optimistic that there is a path to a responsible, bipartisan budget agreement if both sides negotiate in good faith." And McCarthy likewise indicated he ultimately expected a deal, even if so far "nothing has been resolved." "America is the number one economy in the world. And when we get done with these negotiations, America's economy is going to be stronger," he said. The US president -- who flies to Japan on Wednesday for a G7 summit -- scrapped subsequent stops in Papua New Guinea and Australia, instead returning to Washington on Sunday. The Treasury has warned of grim consequences if the country runs out of cash to pay its bills, which would leave it unable to pay federal workers and trigger a likely surge in interest rates with knock-on effects for businesses, mortgages -- and global markets. The United States could begin defaulting on its debts "potentially as early as June 1," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday, while the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has forecast June 15. The White House said Biden had directed his staff "to continue to meet daily on outstanding issues," and that he would confer with Republican leaders on his return from the G7 meetings. Republicans have continued to insist Biden agree to significant spending cuts in exchange for their support to raise the debt ceiling, ignoring Democratic calls for a "clean" increase of the borrowing limit with no strings attached. Democrats have accused Republicans of using extreme tactics to push their agenda ahead of the so-called "X-date" at which the United States starts defaulting on its debts. In a sign of growing nervousness over what would be the first-ever US debt default, more than 140 top US chief executives sent a letter to Biden and congressional leaders stressing the need for an agreement. "We strongly urge that an accord be reached quickly so that the country can avert this potentially devastating scenario," the letter signed by the CEOs from Pfizer and Morgan Stanley, among others, said. Republicans, who regained control of the House in the 2022 midterm elections, are using their newfound clout to demand cuts of $130 billion from federal agencies and programs in exchange for support for lifting the debt ceiling. This would limit spending in the 2024 fiscal year to 2022 levels. They also want to expedite domestic energy production projects, simplify the process for obtaining permits for pipelines and refineries and claw back unspent Covid relief funding. There are now only three days remaining when the House and Senate are both in session before June 1 -- the day the Treasury predicts the United States could run out of money. Some senators have acknowledged that they may have to cancel the Memorial Day recess beginning Thursday to get a deal finalized. As the X-date draws closer, Democrats in Congress have begun considering a range of alternatives, including using an arcane congressional procedure to bypass McCarthy. They've also contemplated asking Biden to invoke the 14th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling unilaterally, which some legal scholars believe would allow the Treasury to simply ignore the debt limit. But Biden has cautioned that such a move could be challenged in court and has continued to call publicly for Republicans to support a clean increase to the debt ceiling. The post Biden cuts back Asia tour as hopes rise of debt deal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cash aid distribution in NCR to begin Wednesday
Cash aid distribution in NCR to begin Wednesday.....»»
LGUs set to give out cash aid this week
The distribution of P10.8 billion in cash assistance or ayuda among residents of Metro Manila will begin by the middle of this week, according to Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año......»»
After Covovax, Moderna next?
The Philippines has been assured of at least 30 million doses of the Indian version of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine with possibly no cash advance required, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said Monday, adding that negotiations with US-based Moderna may begin before the year ends......»»
Patriots owner s prostitution case heads to appellate court
By TERRY SPENCER Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Prosecutors charging New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft with twice buying sex from massage parlor prostitutes will attempt to save their case this week by arguing to an appeals court that his rights weren't violated when police secretly video-recorded him in the act. Prosecutors will tell the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal during an online hearing Tuesday that a county judge erred when he invalidated the January 2019 search warrant allowing police to install secret cameras at Orchids of Asia spa as part of an alleged sex trafficking investigation. The judge said the warrant didn’t sufficiently protect the privacy of innocent customers who received legal massages, and he barred the videos’ use at trial as well as testimony about what they showed. If the ruling stands, it will deal a fatal blow to the prosecution's case. “Mr. Kraft's guilt is a virtual certainty” and he has no right to benefit from any possible mistakes police made involving innocent customers, Deputy Solicitor General Jeffrey DeSousa wrote in court documents. Kraft's attorneys vehemently disagreed, arguing that if the three-justice panel allows the videos' use, “civil liberties cherished in Florida and beyond” will be endangered. “If the state wins this appeal, then everyone loses, not just the accused,” attorney Frank Shepherd wrote. “Government could run roughshod over privacy and constitutional rights while evading scrutiny.” The Jupiter police recordings led to misdemeanor charges against Kraft and two dozen other alleged Orchids of Asia customers. The spa owners and some employees are charged with prostitution-related felonies. Most cases are in limbo while the appeals are heard. If prosecutors can’t use the videos, they would almost certainly dismiss any misdemeanor charges awaiting trial. Some defendants took plea deals but Kraft refused. The felony cases could proceed, as those have other evidence besides the videos. Kraft, a 79-year-old widower and part-time Palm Beach resident, has pleaded not guilty but issued a public apology. He faces a possible one-year jail sentence if convicted, but would likely receive a fine, community service and other sanctions. Kraft, whom Forbes Magazine ranks as the 82nd richest American with a worth of almost $7 billion, is employing several high-priced attorneys to fight the charges. DeSousa submitted several arguments against Palm Beach County Judge Leonard Hanser's ruling. Among them: — The warrant is valid because police minimized any privacy invasion by having only three detectives monitor video. Any further minimization, such as recording only snippets of each massage, would have made the investigation impossible. — Kraft illegally paid for sex and is lawfully covered by the warrant, even if the justices determine police violated innocent customers' privacy rights. — If the warrant is invalid, the detectives relied on it “in good faith” and a sanction banning the video is too extreme. Shepherd submitted several counterarguments for Kraft. They include: — Detectives' privacy protection efforts were insufficient because they recorded seminude men and women receiving legal massages, making the Kraft recordings also illegal. — Police had enough evidence to charge the spa owners with felonies without recording, making the cameras “wholly gratuitous." — The evidence detectives presented to obtain the magistrate's warrant approval was “deliberately misleading,” negating any argument they acted in good faith. The justices won’t immediately rule after the hearing; decisions usually takes weeks. The losing side will likely appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, which could accept the case or let the justices’ ruling stand. Authorities say the Orchids of Asia investigation was part of a multicounty probe into possible sex trafficking by spa owners who they believe brought women from China and elsewhere to work as prostitutes. About 300 people were charged with various felonies and misdemeanors, but no trafficking charges were pursued — prosecutors say they received no cooperation from masseuses whom they suspect were trafficked. According to police, Kraft's chauffeur drove him to Orchids of Asia on the evening of Jan. 19, 2019, where detectives recorded him engaging in a sex act with two women and then paying an undetermined amount in cash. Investigators said Kraft returned the next morning and engaged in recorded sex acts with a woman before paying with a $100 bill and another bill. Hours later, Kraft was in Kansas City for the AFC Championship game, where his Patriots defeated the Chiefs. His team then won the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta, the Patriots’ sixth NFL championship under his ownership. Prosecutors offered to drop the charges if Kraft entered a diversion program for first-time offenders. That would include an admission he would be found guilty if the case went to trial, a $5,000 fine, 100 hours of community service and attending a class on the dangers of prostitution and its connection to human trafficking. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EDT Tuesday on the court's YouTube channel......»»
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Marcos, First Lady Liza have made full recovery from flu-like symptoms, says Palace
President Marcos 'has been in meetings today and will resume his public duties tomorrow,' Malacañang says on Monday, March 25.....»»