Archive for July 2024

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations said that, so far, it had not been invited to a meeting scheduled for Monday to discuss the bill – even though they were the ones to make a call for consultation. The federation includes the Maltese Association of Social Workers, Malta Chamber of Psychologists and Malta Association for the Counselling Profession.

Between 2005 and 2015 the Dutch prison population was indeed reduced by 44%. Much was to do with a drop in serious crime which led to fewer people going to court, and ending up in prison. But shorter sentences are also part of the picture, as are alternatives to prison, and more specifically tailored mental health support for those offenders who need it. Above: The Koepelgevangenis prison, which housed Nazi war criminals in Breda, Netherlands, is now used for events.

Part of the reason, says Jessy Levin, an attending psychologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, is because we’re much more open about talking about all our maladies, including cancer, these days. More openness means less stigma, which is good, but the frequent stories about prominent cases – among them King Charles, Princess Catherine and actress Olivia Munn – can up the fear factor.

CNA’s latest trilogy delves into the identities of elderly individuals in danger of suffering this fate, the factors contributing to their solitude and ongoing efforts to support them. *Note: What does this phrase mean in relation to this story – “This audio is generated by an AI tool.”

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM)’s special constables, safety ambassadors and special intervention social workers carry the drug naloxone, which helps reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Above: Philippe Gagnon, right, is one the six safety ambassadors that started working for the STM earlier this year. ‘We’re more boots on the ground, basically, for all the help people might need,’ he said.

A company has installed computerized vending machines to sell ammunition in grocery stores in Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas, allowing patrons to pick up bullets along with a gallon of milk.

Robert Riley Saunders, 54, was granted a change in his parole this week. The Parole Board of Canada said in a decision published on Thursday that its members are satisfied that Saunders demonstrated the ability to manage his risk to re-offend appropriately during the period he had on day parole. The decision is raising the ire of Indigenous community leaders who wrote to the parole board opposing Saunders’ release. They told the parole board they believe the harm Saunders caused has been profound and long-lasting and he hasn’t changed.

America’s so-called “left behind” counties — the once-great manufacturing centers and other distressed places that struggled mightily at the start of this century — have staged a remarkable comeback. In the last three years, they added jobs and new businesses at their fastest pace since Bill Clinton was president. The turnaround has shocked experts…. Whatever the explanation, though, Biden probably should not expect voters in those areas to reward him electorally. Many left-behind counties are solidly Republican, or have moved to the right since Trump first ran.

I teach a law school clinic where my students and I represent tenants who face eviction and live in horrible housing conditions. Too often, we see tenants getting railroaded by the fast, cheap, and easy eviction process in US courts. In many states, they can be forced out of their homes for no reason and with just a few days’ notice. We see tenants plunged into homelessness after their price-gouging landlords hike rent by 30 percent and more. We see tenants complaining in vain when their heat and water are not working, when mold builds up, and when rodents scuttle through their bedrooms. Then they are evicted as retaliation for making those complaints.

Keir Starmer’s Labour party has won the UK general election in a landslide. Its huge majority should, in theory, give Starmer the clout to see through most of his political agenda. But in reality, the victory celebrations might prove short-lived, given the size of the challenges in front of him.