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Grupo de 43 militantes brasileiros visitou cerca de 150 comunas socialistas em 19 estados venezuelanos Fonte

(The Center Square) - Washington’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families has agreed to a permanent injunction that will bar state officials from forcing foster families to embrace gender ideology for children in their care. Wednesday's injunction from District Court Judge David Estudillo said that the agency was not allowed to impose restrictions on foster family licenses based on religious beliefs. "DCYF is prohibited from denying foster family home license applicants, or licensed foster parents seeking renewal of their license, a full license consistent with the requests of the applicant/licensee or attaching any conditions or restrictions to the license solely because of their religious beliefs, including speech and actions pertaining to marriage, gender, or sexual relationships," reads the injunction. As previously reported by The Center Square, DCYF lost a bid to have a lawsuit against the agency dismissed, with a federal district court ruling in late April that a rule requiring foster parents to socially “transition” foster children plausibly violates the First Amendment. The lawsuit was filed in March of 2024 by Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys on behalf of Shane and Jennifer DeGross. The couple cared for many foster children in their home over a nine-year period, but in 2022 were told their foster license would not be renewed unless they agreed to embrace gender transition language and policies for any children in their care. The DeGrosses lawsuit centered on religious discrimination. The state allowed them to re-apply, but after a prolonged renewal process, officials still refused to issue a standard license, restricting them such that they could not care for a child over five years old unless they abandoned their religious convictions about biological sex. Estudillo ruled the policy requiring foster parents to socially “transition” children plausibly violated the First Amendment. "DCYF is prohibited from requiring foster parents to agree to use prescribed words or language, including chosen pronouns, to express views about sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression inconsistent with their sincerely held religious beliefs as a condition of licensure," the injunction states. DCYF will now revise its licensing policies to stop attaching conditions or restrictions to a license based on religious beliefs, and the state will also remove its regulation requiring foster parents to use chosen pronouns entirely. ADF Senior Counsel Johannes Widmalm-Delphonse told The Center Square on Friday, the DeGrosses merely asked to be treated the same as any other family, without having to compromise their core beliefs. “They don’t have to agree with the DeGross’s religious beliefs to see the benefit of including them in the foster care system and inviting them in to help care for children in need,” said Widmalm-Delphonse. “We’re going to have disagreements about gender ideology and the truth about how God created us male and female. That wasn’t the purpose of this lawsuit. The purpose was, despite these differences, can DCYF pursue a big tent strategy that’s both in line with the First Amendment of the Constitution and that will promote children’s best interest to make sure every child has a loving home?" Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, has been sharply critical of DCYF, especially when it comes to the Keeping Families Together Act, which critics blame for a sharp increase in numbers of children suffering when they are left in homes with biological parents living with drug addiction or mental health issues. He told The Center Square in a Friday interview that DCYF forcing foster parents to promote radical gender ideology is “insane and unconstitutional.” “They’re not even asking them, but actually they are by the force of government, like a gun to your head, telling you that you will affirm the pronouns, or you can't be a foster parent,” Couture said. “I'm glad they lost, but sad that it ever occurred. DCYF responded to a request for comment about the settlement, and questions about amending the WAC related to requiring foster parents to embrace gender ideology. The current WAC reads: “You must support a foster child's SOGIE by using their pronouns and chosen name and respecting the child's right to privacy concerning their SOGIE.” SOGIE is an acronym for Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression. DCYF is now in the process of amending the code based on the settlement. “This settlement agreement respects the religious beliefs of foster parents, while ensuring LGBTQIA+ youth are placed in an environment that is safe and supports their well-being,” said DCYF Secretary Tana Senn. Some of the key points of the settlement: To ensure youth are protected, DCYF will make individual placement decisions based on a child’s needs, including needs pertaining to sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE). When a foster parent, for whatever reason, cannot meet a child’s needs, including SOGIE, DCYF can decide not to place with that foster parent.DCYF retains full and sole authority over where children are placed. No foster family has a right to have any particular child placed in their home. And DCYF can decline placement, or remove a child from a home, whenever a placement would harm a child for any reason.DCYF is updating its foster care licensing rules. Foster parents will not be required to use words that conflict with their sincerely held religious beliefs as a condition of being licensed.DCYF cannot deny or restrict a foster care license solely because of an applicant’s religious beliefs about marriage, gender, or sexual relationships. However, if an applicant does not meet other licensing requirements, DCYF may still deny the applicant a license. Widmalm-Delphonse with ADF told The Center Square, DCYF will also pay legal fees as part of the settlement. “They will pay $250,000 in attorney fees to ADF,” he said noting that in cases where state actors are not upholding Constitutional protections, plaintiffs are entitled to legal fees. DCYF lawsuit payouts and tort claims have skyrocketed, primarily driven by allegations of historical abuse in the foster care system, putting significant strain on the Washington state budget. Total state tort claims reached an all-time high of $499 million in 2025, with DCYF-related cases accounting for the bulk of these payments.

بر اساس تصاویر تازه‌منتشرشده، نیروی هوایی آمریکا هواپیماهای تهاجمی «ای-۱۰ تاندر بولت ۲» را با یک سامانه جدید سوخت‌گیری هوایی که پیشتر آزمایش‌شده است به خاورمیانه اعزام کرده است.

Muitas comemorações vão assinalar os 400 anos das reduções jesuíticas neste 2026. Os festejos na região das Missões do Rio Grande do Sul incluem cavalgadas, feiras, peregrinações e outros acontecimentos. Mas e o povo Guarani onde está nisso tudo? Para o cacique Guarani Eloir Oliveira, da aldeia Nhe’engatu, de Viamão (RS), o mundo oficial esqueceu […] Fonte

The activist and former county supervisor candidate wrote about the shooting suspect's DEI concerns a year before the mosque attack.

Cláudio Couto considera Flávio cada vez mais desgastado, mas não o suficiente para se retirar da disputa Fonte

El Consejo de Defensa del Estado (CDE) se querelló contra un ex funcionario del Gobierno Regional (GORE), su pareja...

Esta tarde de viernes, la Tesorería General de la República aclaró que un reciente dictamen de la...

Saying "the rules have changed" since the U.S. Supreme Court "gutted the Voting Rights Act," Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson said Friday he's talking with Democratic senators about calling a special session to address the state's congressional district map.

Le président sénégalais, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a mis fin aux fonctions de son Premier ministre, Ousmane Sonko, dans la nuit du 22 au 23 mai 2026. L'annonce a été faite à la chaîne de télévision RTS.

အရပ်သား သေဆုံးထိခိုက်မှုတွေအပြင် နေအိမ် ၂၀ ခန့်လည်း ထိခိုက်ပျက်စီးခဲ့။

Delaney Hall detainees launched a hunger strike Friday after nearly 300 of them signed a letter calling attention to the conditions inside.

Introdução Cúpula Xi-Putin em Pequim; Força da Sibéria 2 avança; ensaio de interface cérebro-computador de 128 canais; legado de Yuan Longping na segurança alimentar; aumento da água reciclada Geopolítica Xi e Putin assinam mais de 40 acordos e declaração por um mundo multipolar em cúpula de Pequim Realizadas dias após a visita do presidente Donald […] Fonte

2026年5月23日《VOA今日焦点》重点新闻内容包括：特朗普总统称伊朗非常渴望达成协议 重申伊朗绝对不能拥有核武器；美国国务卿卢比奥在瑞典出席北约外长会议 磋商欧洲防务问题；五角大楼称对台军售细节还在“决策前的审议中”，并强调美国对台湾政策不变；五角大楼公布第二批解密UFO档案。

El historietista indaga sobre el amor y la pareja en su nueva novela gráfica, 'El viaje': "Las relaciones estables son un invento humano porque es más práctico vivir en pareja que solo"Javier Calvo y Javier Ambrossi, el fenómeno de Cannes: “Hay gente intentando poner de moda el fascismo y nuestro trabajo es que no suceda” Paco Roca ha decidido dar un paso más en su indagación en la memoria dedicando su nuevo cómic a la que generamos de nuestras relaciones sentimentales. El viaje (Astiberri) es una historia sobre el final del amor, una reflexión profunda sobre la vida en pareja, lo que buscamos en ellas y si son posibles, a largo plazo, en el mundo actual. El punto de partida fue la separación a la que él mismo se enfrentó hace unos años, a la que fue sumando capas que en sus viñetas aportan más preguntas que respuestas. El autor de Arrugas y El abismo del olvido, despliega en esta novela gráfica la honestidad, ternura y humildad que hacen falta para reconocerse lo que en el pasado pudo gestionarse mejor en busca de mejorar el presente; sin obviar los errores, contradicciones ni ejercicios de cobardía. Pero tampoco recreándose en ellos. Aquí el pasado no ata, anula ni genera una nostalgia ciega; es la puerta a otras puertas abiertas que merece la pena abrir. Lo hace a través de Fran, un exitoso escritor que, atrapado en un pequeño pueblo de la Patagonia argentina tras la cancelación de su vuelo de regreso a casa, lidia con la ruptura con la que ha sido su pareja durante casi veinte años. El viaje llega a las librerías al tiempo que ya se está preparando su adaptación al cine. ¿Están las relaciones duraderas en peligro en estos tiempos de inmediatez y múltiples estímulos? En estos momentos hay más separaciones que bodas, y es curioso si te planteas para qué sirven las relaciones de pareja estables. Son un invento humano que hicimos en su momento porque es más práctico vivir en pareja que vivir solo económicamente, a la hora de los esfuerzos. Eso en cierta manera es antinatural. La monogamia en sí ya es un reto importante tan a largo plazo porque entran en conflicto muchas cosas. Por un lado, buscamos seguridad, pero al mismo tiempo queremos que todo cambie. No queremos monotonía, pero sí la seguridad que conlleva esa estabilidad. Queremos un deseo que a su vez se pierde cuando tienes a esa persona todos los días. Hay mil cosas que hacen que aquello sea difícil de mantener y más en una sociedad como la actual, que cada vez valoramos más el individualismo y el proyecto personal que el común. Pensamos que nuestra vida está continuamente carente de algo, que nos estamos perdiendo algo importante, que hemos visto en redes algo que no tenemos. Acabamos echando de menos algo que creemos que está ahí fuera a nuestro alcance, pero que la vida en pareja impide o dificulta en muchos casos. Fran, el protagonista del viaje, descubre que su vuelo se ha cancelado En El viaje hace alusión a las parejas que siguen porque ninguna de las dos tiene el valor de separarse. Problemas actuales como la precariedad y la crisis de vivienda, ¿están afectando también a las relaciones? Sí. El 50% de las parejas se separan, pero eso no quiere decir que el otro 50% sean parejas perfectas que están juntas porque quieren estar juntas, sino que en muchos casos es imposible separarse porque no puedes pagar dos pisos o duplicar la cantidad de gastos que eso supone. O simplemente por miedo. No deseas la vida que tienes, pero te da miedo perder eso porque no estás seguro de encontrar lo que quieres encontrar. La pareja es muy complicada, pero la parte positiva de todo esto es que existe el amor. Es lo que hace que nos olvidemos de todos estos factores, porque si no sería imposible emprender una relación, sabiendo que tienes una gran posibilidad de fracaso. El amor es lo que nos hace olvidar todo eso y pensar que la nuestra es diferente a cualquier otra y que tendrá éxito. ¿Quería que, pese a que la historia girara en torno a una ruptura, fuera realista y esperanzadora? De todos los cómics que he hecho, este es del que menos respuestas he obtenido porque entran en juego muchos factores que son incontrolables, desde emociones a cadencias de la infancia que proyectas en tus relaciones futuras. Todo complejísimo y cada pareja es un mundo. El viaje no es un libro de autoayuda, es un libro en el que mucha gente se va a sentir identificada. Simplemente trata de contar los asuntos a los que todos nos enfrentamos. Desde cómo gestionar la vida con unos hijos después de una ruptura, qué hacemos con la memoria, qué guardamos en un cajón para no verlo a diario y nos permita avanzar, qué dejamos fuera para recordar que lo que hemos vivido no ha sido un tiempo perdido. El historietista Paco Roca, publica 'El viaje' En El viaje hay una mirada al pasado esperanzadora en cuanto a que permite tener un presente y futuro mejores. Una idea completamente alejada de quienes defienden que “cualquier tiempo pasado fue mejor”. Me interesa el tema de la memoria y creo que es un error pensar que la memoria es el pasado. La memoria es el presente. Lo que continuamente estamos haciendo es un relato del pasado desde el presente. Y de todo lo que hay en el pasado, en cada presente encontramos lo que queremos encontrar. Esto nos pasa como sociedad, que miramos determinados aspectos del pasado y a partir de ahí hacemos una reconstrucción. Los muy nacionalistas españoles, solamente cogen una parte de la historia. Se van a los Reyes Católicos, a Hernán Cortés y a los rojos que acabaron con todas las tradiciones y demás; y son capaces de crear un relato del pasado a partir de esos puntos. Y pensar que eso es la historia de España que nos lleva hasta ahora. Un musulmán español hará un recorrido muy diferente. Lo hacemos como sociedad e individualmente constantemente, y siempre desde un presente. Si nuestro nacionalismo está atacado, busco en el pasado ese recorrido. Si mi identidad está atacada, buscaré en ese pasado. Con las relaciones ocurre lo mismo, que acabamos buscando en ese pasado todo lo que nos ha llevado a ello, lo malo que ha sido todo; y posiblemente después de unos años busquemos otras cosas porque estemos en otra situación, porque queramos sentirnos bien con aquello que fuimos en pareja y buscamos otras cosas. La historia todavía está buscando cuál va a ser el relato del pasado por lo menos en ese momento de su vida. No quiere decir que ese relato quede para siempre, es cambiante y va dejando fuera a determinadas cosas que nunca olvidará, pero que seguramente mantendrá en un cajón. Al igual que con la memoria histórica. No se trata de estar todos los días hablando y teniendo presente determinadas cosas, pero sí de analizarlas y de que nos sirvan para seguir avanzando. En las relaciones es igual. El pensamiento en bucle que tenemos muchas veces al final de una relación es simplemente nuestro cerebro que está intentando digerir todo, encontrar unas razones, unos motivos y errores que nos permitan en un futuro mejorar y comprender lo que ha ocurrido. Fran, tratando de localizar el hotel donde se quedará hasta que le reasignen de vuelo Con la memoria histórica sucede esto, quienes miran hacia atrás buscando un futuro mejor, y quienes tienen apego a la nostalgia para no avanzar. Claro, ese es el equilibrio y lo complicado. Al trabajar en este cómic, una de las cosas sobre las que tenía convencimiento respecto a la memoria histórica es que no hay que olvidar, mientras que con otros asuntos más personales, sí. Pero claro, acabas encontrando esa teoría que lo unifica un poco todo: hay que cerrar heridas. Cuando algo está tan presente en tu vida, ya sea una ruptura sentimental o una sociedad, la anormalidad está en no cerrar las heridas. Como sociedad necesitas cerrar heridas, ya sea en reparación y justicia, en escuchar a las víctimas o exhumar los cuerpos de las fosas comunes. Antes de olvidar hay que cerrar para poder reemprender tu vida y seguir avanzando. En las relaciones de pareja también. No se trata de olvidar tu pasado, sino ser capaz de asimilar que aquello terminó, que nunca volverá, que los recuerdos son vivencias que han quedado; pero todo esto que ya lo tengo gestionado, lo guardo en un cajón porque si no, sería incapaz de rehacer mi vida. Tanto como sociedad como en persona, te das cuenta de que se trata de cerrar heridas. Hasta que no cierras heridas no puedes avanzar, y para cerrar heridas requieres de una mirada atrás, de una reflexión y de intentar estar en paz como sociedad y persona contigo mismo. Cuando algo está tan presente en tu vida, ya sea una ruptura sentimental o de una sociedad, la anormalidad está en no cerrar las heridas. Como sociedad lo necesitas, ya sea en reparación y justicia, en escuchar a las víctimas o exhumar los cuerpos de las fosas comunes Paco Roca — Historietista De cara a lo que tiene que ver con los ritmos y el que ahora tengamos que estar continuamente en todo, ¿siente que este contexto le ha podido afectar al crear sus historias? No sabría qué decirte. Tengo muchísima suerte porque puedo elegir los temas que quiero tratar y, en principio, yo marco mis ritmos; pero es verdad que a veces te ves metido en una dinámica que no puedes controlar. A partir del éxito de Arrugas he tenido otra vida, en lo laboral y personal. Elvira Lindo decía que cuando las cosas te van bien, todo se une para evitar que puedas seguir trabajando. Es un gran problema porque hasta ese momento tu tiempo es para lo que tú quieres, pero cuando te empieza a ir bien, tienes mil cosas que hacer. Dentro de tu país, ir a todas las ferias que te van invitando, charlas, premios. También empiezas a ser traducido a infinidad de países a los que tienes que viajar; y al mismo tiempo lo que quieres es seguir creando porque sabes que si dejas de crear todo se hunde. No es de una forma directa de una editorial que te marque los tiempos, pero sí que es verdad que es un mogollón de cosas difíciles de gestionar, sobre todo porque te quedas en un limbo intermedio en el que no controlas tu tiempo.

今天的重点新闻内容包括：1)特朗普总统表示，伊朗非常渴望达成协议，他还重申伊朗绝对不能拥有核武器 2)美国国务卿卢比奥说，全世界所有的人、北约以及北约之外的国家都清楚，我们今天根本无法以满足未来需求所需的速度来生产弹药 3)世界卫生组织警告说，刚果的埃博拉疫情正在“迅速蔓延”，世卫组织总干事谭德塞说，这场疫情处于“高度不安全”的状态 4)美国战争部公布了第二批此前列为机密的关于“不明异常现象”的档案。其中包括一份来自美国高级情报官员的详细第一人称记述。

Editor's note: This is part of a series of stories on the June 2 primary election in California. The stories include comments from candidates who agreed to interviews with The Center Square. (The Center Square) – Affordability has become a top household term this year for voters concerned about California as the June 2 gubernatorial primary nears. Sixty-one candidates are on the ballot, but the seven with the highest poll numbers are Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, followed by Democrats Xavier Becerra, Tom Steyer, Katie Porter, Matt Mahan and Antonio Villaraigosa, although not necessarily in that order. In fact, new polling this week shows this November's race for governor of California may come down to Republican Steve Hilton vs. Democrat Xavier Becerra. Hilton is a former television news personality and political adviser in the United Kingdom. Bianco is the sheriff of Riverside County. Becerra is a former congressman, a former U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services and a former California attorney general. Steyer is a billionaire philanthropist. Porter is a former U.S. congresswoman representing Orange County. Mahan is the mayor of San Jose, and Villaraigosa is a former Los Angeles mayor and a former speaker of the California Assembly. Hilton said he's running to save California. “I think we're the greatest, most beautiful state in the greatest nation on earth, and everyone can see that we've gone badly off track,” Hilton told The Center Square. “We have the highest poverty rate in the country, tied with Louisiana, actually, the highest unemployment rate of all 50 states, and the highest cost of living.” This, said Hilton, is one reason why thousands of people are leaving California. Another reason? Democrats and their policies, Hilton said. “The Democrats who've been in charge have just made it so expensive to live here, such a hassle to do anything here, to run a business, to build anything, because of the insane burden of taxation and regulation,” said Hilton. “I'm running to bring back some common sense and restore California to its glory.” Hilton’s plan includes lowering gas prices to $3 a gallon in California. Right now, people in the Golden State are seeing gas prices as high as $7 and $8 in some places. The average price on Friday was $6.13 a gallon, well above the national average of $4.56, according to AAA. Mono County, which is on California's border with Nevada, had the state's most expensive average at $7.07 a gallon. “Obviously, there's a temporary spike everywhere because of the war with Iran," Hilton said. "But even now, gas prices are at least $2 higher in California than they are in the rest of the country, and that's entirely as a result of Democrat policies." To turn things around, Hilton wants to tap into California’s oil reserves and use domestic supplies as opposed to importing energy from other states. “Beyond that, we've got a whole set of regulations that just make it much more expensive to refine and produce oil and gas in California, which adds to the cost,” said Hilton. “I've laid out how we're going to reduce and simplify those regulations on the refineries and so on, to get back to a more reasonable level.” Hilton has also shared plans to build more houses and engage in tax reform that helps people making $100,000 or less. Bianco also promises to help make things more affordable, but he said that none of that matters if people are not safe. “Public safety has been destroyed in California,” Bianco told The Center Square. “We have to make crime a crime again.” The Riverside County sheriff said crime has been a problem for years, and he puts most of the blame on Propositions 47 and 57. Prop. 47 reclassified some property and drug crimes from potential felonies to misdemeanors. Prop. 57 altered how prisons and parole systems handle felonies. “There has to be accountability for bad behavior, for your actions,” said Bianco, who's been in law enforcement for 32 years. “You have to be held accountable for committing crimes.” Some of Hilton’s and Bianco’s policies are similar. For example, both candidates recommend better terrain management and deregulation as a way to prevent wildfires. They also want to move away from policies meant to combat man-made climate change. “All of the regulations and rules for the climate are what are forcing everyone out of California and making it impossible to live here because of cost,” said Bianco. The five leading Democratic candidates for governor - Becerra, Steyer, Porter, Mahan and Villaraigosa - did not respond to The Center Square's request for an interview. However, Steyer has promised on debate stages that he will take on special interest groups and lower costs. “I’ll build homes, and I’ll get single-payer healthcare,” said Steyer. “I’ll reduce electricity costs by 25%.” Becerra’s priorities include housing, energy and utilities, healthcare and fighting Republican President Donald Trump. “As Governor, I’ll work every day to show Californians their trust was well placed,” Becerra posted May 19 on X. Villaraigosa is on record as saying the next governor will have to do more than take on Trump. “We need someone with the courage to take on Donald Trump but also take on our friends when they're wrong,” said Villaraigosa. “I’ve had a record of doing that, as mayor and speaker.” Mahan said Steyer’s policies of higher taxes and bigger government will not help Californians. He also criticized Hilton for being a Fox News personality and said Hilton's policies will lead to “fear, division and more Donald Trump." Mahan also went after Becerra. “Let’s be honest. Becerra is not offering change,” said Mahan during the May 14 debate. “He’s the embodiment of the status quo.” Someone who feels none of these men have what it takes is Porter. She has often mentioned that she’s a single mom who pays the bills, does the shopping, and buys gasoline for her well-traveled minivan. To address high prices, Porter has proposed several solutions, including reforms for the permitting process. “We can bring down housing costs by 10 or 20%, and that is not a few extra dollars,” said Porter. “That's hundreds or thousands of dollars back in the pockets of families, and it’s opening up home ownership to the next generation of Californians.” That includes Porter’s three teenagers, who “believe they will not be able to buy houses in California” if this problem is not solved, Porter said. According to the California Secretary of State’s website, Steyer has raised the most money of any campaign: $197,085,105.25 from 373 contributions. Much of this is self-funded, although there are individual donations from people and organizations such as the United Domestic Workers of America Action Fund at $8,935.89. Mahan for Governor 2026 has raised $15,420,362.45 in 2,970 contributions. Silicon Valley Auto Dealers Association donated $39,200. Steve Hilton has raised $11,408,079.87 in 34,712 contributions. This includes a $39,200 donation from Pacific Coast Companies Inc. Porter has $9,878,805.04 in 75,395 contributions. California Association of Professional Scientists, Consumer Attorneys of California Political Action Committee and United Nurses Association of California/Union of Health Care Professionals PAC are among her biggest contributors. Becerra has $7,420,877.50 in 7,388 contributions. The largest amounts include a $39,2000 donation from California Real Estate PAC and a $15,000 donation from California Academy of Family Physicians PAC. Villaraigosa has raised $7,267,035.94 in 1,950 contributions. This includes $39,200 donations from Chevron and the California State Association of Electrical Workers. Bianco has raised $6,144,571.87 in 16,298 contributions. His biggest donors include construction and development firms in amounts of $39,200. Voting centers will be open from May 23 to June 1 in Voter's Choice Act counties and from May 30 to June 1 elsewhere. Voters should check with their counties for further details. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on June 2, Election Day. For more information, go to the Secretary of State's website, sos.ca.gov. Early election results will be published on the evening of June 2 at www.thecentersquare.com/california.

(The Center Square) - Seattle’s new Economic Development Director Beto Yarce says he plans to ease city regulations to make it easier for retail establishments and other small businesses to open up in Seattle. “We want a more streamlined process,” said Yarce in an interview with The Center Square. “We want to remove the barriers for small businesses.” Seattle’s difficult process for opening a business has been an issue for years. Last year, under the administration of former Mayor Bruce Harrell, changes were made to rules that often triggered expensive building upgrades when a new tenant moved into an older storefront that had been vacant for more than 24 months. Buildings and tenant spaces with a gross area of 7,000 square feet or less became exempt from onerous "substantial alteration" requirements. Those spared tenants and landlords the cost of expensive, building-wide safety and structural upgrades. Yarce said those changes were positive, but he has begun analyzing city rules and regulations with the intent of easing additional regulations. ”It's going to be a full review," he said. However, he did not name any specific changes he wanted to implement. Yarce's background Yarce originally came to the United States from Mexico as an undocumented immigrant in 2003. He ran his own craft business at the Pike Place Market, became a citizen, and ultimately served as a regional Small Business administrator under the Biden Administration. He is also no stranger to politics, having unsuccessfully run for Seattle City Council in 2019. He was named to his new city position by Mayor Katie Wilson on March 4. He has served in an interim capacity until the city council’s expected approval of his nomination on June 2. The Council’s Human Services, Labor, and Economic Development Committee cleared his appointment as permanent director on May 15. Downtown Seattle Association President and CEO Jon Scholes said he welcomes Yarce’s aim to cut red tape for small businesses. “The city took meaningful steps last year to ease regulatory burdens on new businesses, and that progress is real — but permitting timelines, licensing complexity and the cost of navigating city processes remain barriers, especially for small business owners,” he said in a statement to The Center Square. Yarce’s plans come as downtown Seattle still suffers from post-pandemic ills. The downtown core maintains a 22% retail store vacancy rate due to reduced foot traffic, as many workers still haven’t returned to the office or jobs have moved to other cities. Scholes said he hopes to work with Yarce to build momentum for downtown. “A thriving downtown depends on a city that makes it easier to open your doors and keep them open,” he said. In his role as the city’s top economic development director, Yarce said he will also aim to retain jobs in Seattle as he builds positive relationships with large, Seattle-based companies like Starbucks and Amazon. He said he has yet to talk to Starbucks, though he will have a roundtable discussion with company officials in early June. Yarce said he did not know if Starbucks CEO Brian Nicoll would be part of the discussion. Starbucks announced last month that it is opening a regional headquarters in Nashville, where it will move several hundred employees from Seattle. Yarce said he plans to tell Starbucks officials: “We want you here.” He said it is imperative that the city develop a plan to keep Starbucks jobs in Seattle. While he didn’t offer specific ideas on how to convince Starbucks to keep jobs here, he said he would be working with the mayor’s office to develop a plan. He said it has also not been determined whether new business tax increases will be sought under Wilson's administration. Both Seattle and the state of Washington have implemented a variety of new business taxes on companies in recent years, which business groups have criticized for causing job losses. Yarce said he has also been talking with Amazon officials but declined to provide specifics. Amazon has moved at least 10,000 jobs from Seattle to Bellevue in the last several years amid concerns about Seattle increasing business taxes.

به گزارش «واشنگتن فری‌بیکن»، سناتور جمهوری‌خواه، تام کاتن، به دنبال تهیه طرحی قانونی است که هر کشوری را که به اقدام جمهوری اسلامی برای ایجاد سازوکار گرفتن عوارض در تنگه هرمز کمک کند، به‌سرعت تحریم شود.

Native voters went to the polls while Native candidates stood by for results to see who made it to November The post May 19 primary election results for Native candidates appeared first on ICT.