India's economic growth in the second half of this financial year will be driven by rural demand and government spending. The rural economy is gaining momentum. Consumer durables and non-durables are showing strong performance. The manufacturing sector is also exhibiting growth. However, there are signs of a slowdown in industrial growth.

By Don Thompson, KFF

California public health officials are dipping into state and federal stockpiles to equip up to 10,000 farmworkers with masks, gloves, goggles, and other safety gear as the state confirms at least 21 human cases of bird flu as of early November. It’s the latest reminder of the state’s struggle to remain prepared amid multibillion-dollar deficits.

Officials said they began distributing more than 2 million pieces of personal protective equipment in late May, four months before the first human case was confirmed in the state. They said they began ramping up coordination with local health officials in April after bird flu was first detected in cattle in the U.S. Bird flu has now been confirmed at more than 270 dairies in central California, and traces were recently detected at a wastewater sampling site in Los Angeles County. Bird flu was also recently detected in a flock of commercial turkeys in Sacramento County.

California is putting a number of lessons from the covid-19 pandemic to use, such as coordinating emergency response with local health officials and tracking infectious diseases through wastewater surveillance, as the state tries to limit the spread of bird flu to humans. It’s striving to maintain an adequate emergency stockpile to withstand the first wave of any new public health disaster without hemorrhaging the state budget.

“We are far better prepared to respond to a pandemic than we were in 2020,” said Amy Palmer, a spokesperson for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

For instance, before the coronavirus struck in 2020, the state’s emergency supplies stockpile was barely big enough to crowd two basketball courts.

By the time California ramped up its pandemic response, it had enough personal protective equipment and other disaster supplies to fill 52 football fields. California spent $15.6 billion on direct pandemic response during the covid crisis years, much of it provided by the federal government.

Today, the stockpile fits into about 12½ football fields, though it can seesaw from month to month.

According to the state, the current stockpile includes 101 million face masks, 26 million more than the 90-day supply recommended by the state’s pandemic preparedness guideline.

That includes 88 million N95 masks, more than the emergency services agency said was needed last year. The high-efficiency masks are considered crucial to protect against airborne viruses such as covid-19.

Although the state is building up its stockpile, Palmer could not say if the additional masks are related to fears of bird flu, only that planners are always working “to keep pace with the current risk environment.”

The state’s goal, Palmer said, is to have “an initial supply during emergencies to allow us the time to secure resources,” whether through the federal government or by buying more.

There is no indication of spread between humans in the recent California bird flu cases, and health officials say public risk remains low. Human transmission of bird flu is among several worst-case scenarios for a new pandemic, alongside the possibility of a resurgent mutant coronavirus; wider international spread of mpox, Marburg virus, or Ebola; or an entirely new virus for which there initially is no immunity or vaccine.

Yet, health officials nationwide have struggled to track bird flu transmission. And California has a history of swinging back and forth on preparedness.

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered an increase in California’s pandemic preparedness in 2006 in response to an earlier threat from bird flu. That included three mobile hospitals that could immediately be deployed during disasters.

Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, ended the program in 2011 as state finances went bust. By the time covid struck, the state released 21 million N95 masks, some so old they were past their expiration date.

Now hospitals are required to maintain their own three-month supply of masks, gowns, and other personal protective equipment under a state law passed in 2020. California’s aerosol transmissible disease standard also uniquely requires hospitals and other high-risk workplaces to follow precautions such as using negative pressure isolation rooms and the highest level of protective equipment until more is known about a new pathogen.

“It is difficult to overstate the level of unpreparedness exhibited by hospitals both in and outside of California in dealing with the 2020 outbreak of COVID-19,” according to a legislative analysis. “Harrowing images of nurses walking the corridors of hospitals in makeshift masks and garbage bags became commonplace.”

California Hospital Association spokesperson Jan Emerson-Shea said hospitals “continuously prepare to respond to all types of disasters, including outbreaks of transmissible viruses.”

In addition, Palmer said California has five mobile hospitals acquired from the federal government, though they got little use during the pandemic. She said they have to be maintained, such as making sure pulse oximeters have working batteries.

But, once again, the current deficit has the state trying to strike a balance.

While lawmakers rejected most of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $300 million proposed cut to public health funding, the state slashed funding for its stockpile of personal protective equipment by one-third a year ago after it determined that no additional covid-related purchases were necessary, according to the Department of Finance. California eliminated funding this year for eight 53-foot-long trailers that would have moved stockpiled items between warehouses. It’s also cutting nearly $40 million over the next four years from its $175 million disaster stockpile budget.

The state’s preparedness wasn’t good enough for Californians Against Pandemics, which gathered more than 1 million signatures to put a ballot measure before voters in November. The measure would have increased taxes on people with incomes over $5 million and used that money for pandemic prevention and response.

But that effort collapsed after one of its key financial supporters, former cryptocurrency executive Sam Bankman-Fried, was convicted of defrauding customers and investors. In exchange for initiative backers dropping the measure, state officials agreed to broaden the scope of the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine, which was created in 2015 to focus on developing new medicines and therapies, to include technologies for preventing another pandemic.

“By harnessing the power of precision medicine, California is moving to the forefront of pandemic preparedness and prevention,” Newsom said at the time.

Rodger Butler, a spokesperson for the state Health and Human Services Agency, said it’s unclear if the precision medicine initiative will receive additional funding.

Saudi Arabia’s wealth fund sold part of its stake in the kingdom’s main mobile-phone operator for about $1 billion, the latest step in its efforts to raise cash for the government’s economic transformation plan. Most Read from Bloomberg The Public Investment Fund sold 100 million shares in Saudi…

"The entertainment value will be epic," the billionaire said.

Borrell cited "serious concerns about possible breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza" in a Wednesday letter.

A superintendent with the Halton Catholic District School Board travelled to conferences around the world to attract international students, but the board won't say how many were directly recruited.

The Tesla CEO claimed he could slash US spending by eradicating “waste”.

Gartner has also predicted that by next year more than 50% of GenAI-powered application offerings will have an associated price premium

Government today made public CSR spending of more than 7,300 companies in 2014-15, totalling Rs 8,803 crore, but the amount spent by over 60 per cent of the entities was shown as zero.

The survey, conducted in mid-April by Leger on behalf of RATESDOTCA in conjunction with the brand's 10th annual Best of Finance report, finds Canadians are especially eager to resume spending on restaurants and travel once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, though still shy of pre-pandemic levels.

Affordable ways to staying fit, fitting fitness into your monthly financial budget.

Podcast listenership in the US has been soaring in recent years and advertising dollars are following. Podcast ad spending is a bright spot amid lackluster digital radio spending. According to eMarketers latest forecast, US podcast ad spending will surpass 20% of digital radio ad spending this year and cross the $1 billion mark next year.

By the end of 2020, podcast ad spending in the US will reach $782.0 million, up 10.4% from last year, giving it a 21.0% share of the US digital radio ad market. And in 2021, spending will jump nearly 45% to $1.13 billion.    

Digital radio spending has declined during the pandemic, which is in line with reduced advertiser demand. We do, however, expect growth to rebound by 26.8% next year.

But podcast advertising remains a bright spot of growth within digital radio. Spending on all types of podcast ads, including host-read sponsorships, will rise by 10.4% this year to more than $780 million. Next year, podcast ad spending will surpass $1 billion in the US for the first time as growth rebounds to 44.9%. That will boost podcast advertising to almost one-quarter of the digital radio ad market.

Discussing the Parable of the Talents, Fr. Andrew speaks on what it means for us to have spiritual currency and how we ought to spend it.

Cotswold District Council says the new roles were to make sure residents were aware of the "vital services" it provided.

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines sustained a 55-percent drop in its profit in the nine months to September, dragged by declining passenger revenues and spiking aviation costs.

Are credit cards the right path for subcontractors to buy materials for a project? Here’s a breakdown.

Construction official says “desperate” proposal won’t address root causes of higher fuel prices but will blow a huge hole in the federal highway trust fund and undermine efforts to fix infrastructure.

In the security systems integration business, fewer than 20 firms operate globally or nationally. The majority of integrators are regional and local businesses, which depend on construction and spending

Robust investment growth in target building segments is expected to drive increased spending through 2023, according to the NSCA’s Electronic Systems Outlook report for Summer 2023.  

Around half of adults – and 58% of parents – visit local parks or spend time in nature to help relieve stress, results of a recent survey show.

Consumers continue to say their primary store for purchasing food does an excellent job of meeting their needs, with 79% of shoppers reporting that getting a “good value” when grocery shopping is their top priority. 

The Dodge Construction Network reports that nonresidential building projects decreased 4.2% in September.

An Ohio woman who was wrongfully charged and convicted in 1994 of physical and sexual abuse against children in a Head Start program and then spent more than 15 years in prison before she was exonerated said she sometimes felt God wasn't with her as she waited for her redemption.

Lose weight without spending a cent The story of how I lost 20 kilogrammes (44 lb) in less than three months without going hungry or getting bored and without spending one cent What? Timothy Bancroft-Hinchey writing a non-political article, without bashing someone on the head and claiming about human rights, indigenous rights, women’s rights, without haranging the war lobby, the pharma lobby, the military-industrial complex?

Off-Ramp's Rosalie Atkinson, her dad, and her dad's mustache circa quite a few facial hair fads ago. (Credit: Rosalie Atkinson); Credit:

These cool tips would have landed in your in-box with no extra effort on your part IF you'd subscribed to Off-Ramp's weekly e-newsletter. We send out a recommendation every week, along with all the latest Off-Ramp news. Sign up now!

Father's Day is coming quick! But before you run to Walgreen's Sunday morning to find they are sold out of touching cards for the father figure in your life, let us help you curate a fun day out with dad.

Thinking about significant-figure holidays, there seems to be more of a method for planning Mother's Day surprises. You get the breakfast-in-bed together quietly for mom or grandma or aunt, etc., wake her up early on a Sunday, she quickly scrambles to hide the fact that she decided to sleep pantsless, then you present her with some poorly made waffles and juice which she will inevitably spill on her white sheets.

But what about your father-figure? A card? Yes. Maybe a golf ball? Okay. A mug you Amazon Prime'd to him in a last-ditch effort that says "Captain Dad?" Don't do that. It might be weird to ask the men in our life, "What the hell do you want?" under the veil of Father's Day, so to spare you we've compiled some ideas.

Idea #1: Take your father to get pampered! Spa days are are not gender-specific and when was the last time someone even looked at your dad's feet? Hollywood salon Hammer & Nails focuses on men's cuticle care. Treat your dad to a MANi-pedi, and he'll also enjoy a glass of bourbon, a personal flatscreen TV with noise-cancelling headphones, all while relaxing in an over-sized leather chair. Although Hammer & Nails targets men, women are also welcome. 8257 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046.

Idea #2: Take in a tasting. Greenbar Distillery is LA's first spirit distillery since the Prohibition was repealed in 1933. They boast the "World's largest portfolio of organic spirits." Take a tour, pose with their gigantic copper stills and whiskey barrels, sign up for a class, or just taste some of their 16 spirits and five bitters. Their tours are reserved for Saturday so consider this a pregame to your other Father's Day plans. 2459 E 8th St, Los Angeles, California, 90021.

Idea #3: Younger kids? Let's play! Sunday, the Autry Museum of the American West is opening a new exhibit about the history of play. Experience the next generation of toys and games, but also see how they differ across generations and cultures. The exhibit is very interactive and the museum is in beautiful Griffith Park, so there are plenty of hiking trails, picnic spots, or viewpoints to snap some pictures with your man/men.  234 Museum Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90065 .

Idea #4: The Abbey's annual Father's Day Brunch. For the past six years, The Abbey in West Hollywood has hosted a brunch in celebration of LGBT families or those considering starting one. There will be a breakfast buffet from 9am-1pm and attendees can get more info about fostering opportunities. $18 per person. 692 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 .

Much love to all the dads, uncles, grandpas, friends, and men nurturing other people!

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Noam Shazeer, an AI pioneer who left Google in 2021, has returned to the company after Google paid $2.7 billion to acquire his startup, Character.AI. Shazeer is now a vice president at Google and will lead the development of their next-generation AI project, Gemini. This move highlights the intense competition for top AI talent in Silicon Valley.

India-centric IT firms saw signs of recovery in the first half of the fiscal year, driven by growing tech spends in North America's BFSI sector, increased hiring, and improved revenue guidance. Experts foresee further tech spending bolstered by Donald Trump's US election win, which may lead to lower business taxes and favor skilled immigration, setting the stage for Indian IT firms to expand and innovate.

"In 2025, Indian chief information officers (CIOs) will start allocating budgets for generative AI (GenAI) beyond initial proof-of-concept projects," said Naveen Mishra, VP Analyst at Gartner.

Driven by the increased use of consulting services and infrastructure as a service (IaaS), IT services will be the largest spending category, forecast to reach almost $270 billion in 2023.

The open internet — comprising news and general websites, over-the-top (OTT) and connected TV (CTV), music streaming and online gaming — reaches almost 600 million consumers, which equates to nearly every internet user in India.

Amazon is doing well, though a volatile political climate threatens small businesses’ growth.

Spending on building, running and maintaining private mobile networks will grow at a compound annual rate of 62% from US$1.2 billion in 2024 to US$21 billion in 2030 worldwide, according to a recent forecast by telecoms research agency STL Partners.

TGM Research Offers a Deep Dive Into American Consumer Behavior During One of the Nation's Biggest Sporting Events with TGM The Big Game Survey In The US 2024.

Spending Bill Contained At Least Two Anti-Second Amendment Provisions

A decade ago, the U.S. Supreme Court changed the rules on how businesses could donate to political campaigns. Since then, hundreds of millions of corporate dollars have been spent on local, state, and federal elections, often without transparency. Many CEOs and boards feel this is the only way they can curry favor with policymakers. Dorothy Lund, an associate professor of law at the University of Southern California, and Leo Strine Jr., counsel at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen, and Katz and a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Delaware, say this isn't just bad for democracy. It's bad for business because it distracts companies from innovation and growth and risks serious backlash from consumers, employees, and shareholders. They suggest ways to dial back corporate political spending and improve the economy for all. They are the authors of the HBR article "Corporate Political Spending is Bad Business: How to Minimize the Risks and Focus on What Counts.”

In October, the US consumer price index for garments rose by 1.1 per cent month-over-month, reversing prior declines in 2023. Current clothing prices are 7.6 per cent higher than 2019 averages. Import prices for cotton-heavy apparel stabilised at $3.70/SME, still above pre-pandemic levels. Consumer confidence rose to its highest since January 2024, with spending on apparel up 1.7 per cent YoY.

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 8, 2024 — The American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary organization focused on heart and brain health that is celebrating its centennial birthday this year, issued the following statement in response to Congress’...

Even if you don't own stocks, there are a lot of reasons to care about investing. We meet some of the folks left out of the stock market who deploy sophisticated economic thinking, even creating their own alternate financial systems. Our professors help us understand how consumption smoothing and life-cycle hypothesis apply to personal finance. And we meet the creator of the 401(k). | Watch this Tik Tok to learn more and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

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"Save aggressively for retirement when you're young." "The stock market is a sure-fire long-term bet." "Fixed-rate mortgages are better than adjustable-rate mortgages." Popular financial advice like this appears in all kinds of books by financial thinkfluencers. But how does that advice stack up against more traditional economic thinking?

That's the question Yale economist James Choi set out to answer in a paper called Popular Personal Financial Advice Versus The Professors. In this interview, he tells Greg Rosalsky what he found. Their talk marks another edition of Behind The Newsletter, in which Greg shares conversations with policy makers and economists who appear in the Planet Money newsletter.

Subscribe to the newsletter at https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money.

Read more about James Choi's paper here: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/09/06/1120583353/money-management-budgeting-tips

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TORONTO, ON– Despite the political challenges regarding Ontario’s publicly funded education system, there remains general satisfaction among the public as a whole, and parents more specifically. This is according to the 19th OISE Survey of Educational Issues, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education’s bi-annual survey of public attitudes towards education, released today. “A majority […]

In our 21st Annual Spending Survey, we’ve looked into who will be buying what and when. Despite the economic upset resulting from COVID-19, equipment budgets look to be steady, if not growing, for the next fiscal year.

Would it shock you to learn that spending on artificial intelligence is on the rise? According to respondents of our Annual Quality Spending Survey, 55% of companies expect to increase their spending on AI for 2024.

Author Scott Fulford explores the impact that pandemic-related government social spending had on American families.

On Tuesday, 9 July the full House Appropriations Committee marked up their Commerce-Justice-Science, Interior and Environment, and Energy and Water spending bills for fiscal year (FY) 2025. These bills collectively set the spending amounts for U.S. federal science agencies, including NASA, NOAA, NSF, USGS, EPA, the Department of Energy. Under the Fiscal Responsibility Act, Congress established spending caps for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The Act allows only a 1% …

The post FY25 Appropriations overview part 1: House spending numbers mark weak support for science appeared first on The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy.

In this Bridge post, continued from our FY25 Appropriations Overview Part 1 blog, we’ll cover the House’s Interior-Environment, Energy-Water, and Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS) spending bills for fiscal year (FY) 2025—detailing relevant funding levels and sharing committee report highlights that impact the Earth and space sciences.   House Interior-Environment Appropriations bill and accompanying report.   United States Geological Survey (USGS) FY2024 President’s Budget Request FY2025 AGU Request FY2025 House …

The post FY25 Appropriations overview part 2: House spending numbers mark weak support for science appeared first on The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy.

On Thursday, 25 July, the full Senate Appropriations Committee began marking up their spending bills for fiscal year (FY) 2025, starting with the Commerce-Justice-Science and Interior-Environment bills, which will be followed by the Energy-Water and Labor-HHS bills later this week. These bills collectively set the spending amounts for U.S. federal science agencies, including NASA, NOAA, NSF, USGS, EPA, the Department of Energy, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. …

The post Senate Aims to Preserve Scientific Progress in FY25 Spending Bills: Part 1 appeared first on The Bridge: Connecting Science and Policy.