US President-elect Donald Trump chose loyalists with little experience for several key cabinet positions on Wednesday (Nov 13), stunning some allies and making clear that he is serious about reshaping — and in some cases testing — America's institutions. Trump's choice of congressman Matt Gaetz, 42, for US attorney general, America's top law enforcement officer, was a surprising pick. The former attorney has never worked in the Justice Department, or as a prosecutor, and was investigated by the Justice Department over sex trafficking allegations. His office said in 2023 that he had been told by prosecutors he would not face criminal charges. Trump tapped Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. The former Democratic congresswoman-turned-Trump-ally has in the past spoken out against military intervention in the civil war in Syria under former President Barack Obama and implied that Russian President Vladimir Putin had valid grounds for invading Ukraine, America's ally.

Nowadays, one of the main issues discussed at the Community level is represented by the mobility of students and workers across Europe. During the last years, in order to deal with the above picture, several initiatives have been carried out: one of them is the definition of the European Qualification Framework (EQF), a common architecture for the description of qualifications. At the same time, several research activities were established with the aim of finding how semantic technologies could be exploited for qualifications comparison in the field of human resources acquisition. In this paper, the EQF specifications are taken into account and they are applied in a practical scenario to develop a ranking algorithm for the comparison of qualifications expressed in terms of knowledge, skill and competence concepts, potentially aimed at supporting European employers during the recruiting phase.

Fairfax, VA – OSHA’s forthcoming crane operator qualifications rule will be different from a draft previously issued, an agency official recently told stakeholders.

Continuing Ed allows a central Pennsylvania sports memorabilia appraiser to continue offering USPAP compliant appraisals that will stand up to scrutiny by insurance companies as well as hold up in a court of law.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) announced today the kickoff of a search for artists and/or artist teams interested in creating new, one-of-a-kind artwork for four locations throughout the system, as part of its continued expansion of public art to all CTA locations.

State schools should offer compulsory qualifications in good manners and self control according to Dr Anthony Seldon

Digital platform leads to 18,000 sports qualifications during lockdown.

Many countries have implemented reforms to develop and support doctoral studies and postdoctoral research, stressing the crucial role of doctorate students and degree holders in terms of economic growth, innovation and scientific research.

Qualifications are useful because they make skills visible. It is confidently assumed that the holder of a school-leaving certificate can read and understand instructions, and make calculations, and that those with university degrees can do much more.

NECA is pleased to report that the U.S. Treasury Department released new guidance on April 7, 2020, clarifying that companies with under 500 employees do qualify for loans under the new Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). This change comes after association staff raised concerns with Congressional leaders and officials at the Small Business Administration and the Department of Treasury.

1. Administration Calls for Additional Funding for PPP

One of the most popular programs created in the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), has released over $70 billion to small businesses to help them remain viable during this pandemic. Due to the large demand, the Administration has requested additional funding for that program in a letter to Congressional leaders.

NECA’s look Ahead: Senate Democrats requested an additional $250 billion for hospitals and local governments in addition to funding for the PPP while Republican leaders argued that funding for the PPP is the only account that requires additional immediate funding at this time. The Senate adjourned on April 9, 2020 unable to pass additional funding for the PPP under unanimous consent.

2. Treasury Guidance Clarifies Qualifications for PPP Borrowers

With the passage of the CARES Act, many agencies have been scrambling to enact the reforms and programs developed in rapid time. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program, which allows substantial loans to be granted under favorable terms by the Small Business Administration, came under scrutiny for potentially requiring businesses to meet both size and revenue requirements instead of just the size requirements (under 500 employees) originally required. While this scrutiny came from an over-cautious interpretation of an earlier guidance, the Treasury Department offered additional guidance to make it clear to borrowers that they may meet either the revenue standards listed under a given NAICS code or qualify by having less than 500 employees. 

NECA’s Look Ahead: NECA worked with key leaders once the CARES Act was signed into law to attain greater clarity on this issue for our contractors. This new change will give NECA contractors the predictability they need to move forward with the new SBA loan program. We will continue to monitor the implementation of the CARES Act and continue to maintain in constant conversation with Congressional staff and agency officials to communicate the needs of our members. 

3. DOD Releases Rule on Payment to Small Business Contractors

Earlier this week the Department of Defense (DOD) released a final rule on the defining and implementation of accelerated payments to classified small businesses under DOD contracts. The rule (DFARS Case 2018–D068) which finalizes the implementation of a section from 2019’s National Defense Authorization Act urges the federal government to pay small business contractors within 15 days of the receipt of a proper invoice. While this is only a goal for the federal government and not a direct mandate, which NECA advocated for in the past, we view this final rule and its upcoming full implementation as a positive step forward.

NECA’s Look Ahead: We encourage NECA contractors to read the final rule and monitor its implementation on DOD contracts. With your feedback and on-the-ground experiences, we will be better able to make lawmakers and agency officials aware of its progress.

Stricter requirements, including larger down payments and higher credit scores, will make it difficult for some folks to qualify for a mortgage, particularly first-time homebuyers.

New York City currently has fewer than 70 special education judges — called impartial hearing officers — to handle the thousands of complaints that special education students lodge every year against the city school system, resulting in more than 10,000 still-open cases.

Amid aging populations and the growth of chronic diseases, the demand for skilled health-care professionals is on the rise in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This report explores the policy implications, benefits, and challenges of harmonizing nursing qualifications in the region, suggesting that a more collaborative approach could result in greater supply and quality of nurses.

Oxford : J.H. Parker, 1849.

MSPs have penned a letter to the head of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) - highlighting “deep unease” by teachers at plans to overhaul exams amid the lockdown.

Tonicstar Limited v Allianz Insurance Plc [2017] EWHC 2753 (Comm) A contract of reinsurance, triggered by the 9/11 attacks, contained provisions requiring the respondent to appoint an arbitrator: "Unless the parties otherwise agree the arbitration t...

Labour market mobility in the European Union is increasing, but it remains too low to provide sufficient adjustment in the face of diverging labour market developments.

Savarkar defined his idea of a Hindu resurgence in political terms, not religious.

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