The Slovak Republic is one of the most dynamic economies in the euro area. The country has continued to converge rapidly towards the living standards of advanced OECD economies. However, the Slovak Republic should continue on its path of reform to achieve balanced, fair and sustainable growth, according to a new OECD report.

Malaysia has followed a comparatively equitable development path, largely eliminating absolute poverty and greatly reduced ethnic inequality.

This seminar focused on the main challenges in Trentino (Italy) concerning the necessary actions to overcome existing burdens – administrative firstly but also financial and concerning business service available at local level - and to ease the start-up of new and innovative business as well as attract FDI and international business.

This report assesses progress in the implementation of regulatory policy within the MENA region and highlights good practices from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority and Tunisia.

The informal meeting of OECD Education Ministers will be held in Istanbul, Turkey on 2-3 October 2013. The theme of the meeting is “Fostering Skills and Employability through Education”.

Traditional economics measure the benefits of education and skills in its economic gains in employment or earnings.

Malaysia has followed a comparatively equitable development path, largely eliminating absolute poverty and greatly reduced ethnic inequality.

Investing in skills is crucial for fostering inclusive economic growth and creating strong societies. In an increasingly connected world, skills are particularly important for citizens to get the most out of new forms of capital, such as big data and robotics.

Mayors from cities across the United States, Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America gathered in New York to launch a global campaign to address rising inequalities and foster inclusive growth in their cities, in their countries and worldwide.

This seminar focused on the main challenges in Trentino (Italy) concerning the necessary actions to overcome existing burdens – administrative firstly but also financial and concerning business service available at local level - and to ease the start-up of new and innovative business as well as attract FDI and international business.

The contamination of Foster Farms chickens has provided insight into food regulation.

Steve Julian: Business analyst Mark Lacter, had we been paying attention before this happened?

Mark Lacter: You know, Steve, we often have an out of sight, out of mind attitude when it comes to food safety, and - as we're seeing with this episode - the government has a way of enabling that attitude.  What stands out, first of all, is that people started getting sick from salmonella-contaminated chicken back in March, and yet, it wasn't until the past few weeks that news stories began appearing about the seriousness of the problems.

Julian: At last check, more than 400 people have been infected, with most of them in California...

Lacter: Right, and Foster Farms, which is based in Merced County, controls two-thirds of the poultry market along the West Coast.  No fatalities so far, but many of the people who became sick had to be hospitalized - and that leads to still more concerns that the salmonella strains were resistant to antibiotics.  Now, why it took this long for consumers to be made aware that there was a problem tells you something about the way the federal government regulates poultry plants.  It was only last Friday, after the company had seen a 25 percent drop in sales, when the president of Foster Farms decided to go public.  He said he was embarrassed by the outbreak, and promised to change the company's processing facilities so that salmonella can be better identified.

Julian: Where was the US government in this?

Lacter: Apparently, the Department of Agriculture only requires testing for levels of salmonella at the time of slaughter - not later on, after the poultry is cut into parts.  Foster Farms now says it will do retesting at that later stage.  What's also interesting is that Foster Farms was not asked to recall any of its products because the chicken is considered safe as long as it's handled properly and then cooked to the right temperature, which is at least 165 degrees.  That's why some supermarkets have kept carrying the brand.

Julian: Can the government even order a recall?

Lacter: Not in a case like this - and that's because of a court case in the 1990s involving a Texas meat producer that federal inspectors were ready to shut down due to a salmonella outbreak involving ground beef.  The company sued the government, arguing that salmonella is naturally occurring, and therefore, not an adulterant subject to government regulation.  And the courts agreed.  Foster Farms has been using much the same argument.

Julian: Why isn't there more public outrage over this?

Lacter: Well, again, we go back to out of sight, out of mind.  Slaughterhouses are not exactly fun places, and they're usually not well covered by the news media until something bad happens, like the Foster Farms situation.

Julian: Chino comes to mind - a story we covered.

Lacter: That's when an animal rights group used a hidden camera to record inhumane treatment of cattle at a meat processing plant.  That company was forced into bankruptcy.  Another reason coverage is spotty is because it's not always easy to trace someone's illness to a contaminated piece of meat or chicken.  And, that leads to lots of misinformation.  The broader issue is figuring out a way to monitor these facilities without the process becoming cost prohibitive.  The Agriculture Department has been pushing a pilot program that would allow plants to speed up processing lines, and replace government inspectors with employees from the poultry companies themselves.

Julian: The idea being?

Lacter: The idea being to establish safeguards that can prevent problems before they get out of hand.  But, this is pretty controversial stuff, and advocacy groups representing poultry workers say that processing lines need to be slowed down, not speeded up.  So, you have this ongoing back and forth involving industry, government, consumer groups, and labor organizations.  And unfortunately, most of us tend to move on after one of these outbreaks gets cleared up.

Mark Lacter writes for Los Angeles Magazine and pens the business blog at LA Observed.com.

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

Citizen science is not only a tool for collecting valuable scientific data, it can also enable participants to reconnect with nature and encourage pro-conservation behaviour, new research has shown. Participants in a French butterfly monitoring programme reported making wildlife-friendly changes to their gardens as a result of taking part in the initiative.

Citizen science is not only a tool for collecting valuable scientific data, it can also enable participants to reconnect with nature and encourage pro-conservation behaviour, new research has shown. Participants in a French butterfly monitoring programme reported making wildlife-friendly changes to their gardens as a result of taking part in the initiative.

Ben Foster produced one of the saves of the season as Watford's recent revival continued with a draw against Sheffield United.

The 'Star Trek' and 'X-Men' actor teamed up with Wags and Walks and ASPCA to foster Ginger, a rescue pit bull.

Stephen C. Foster State Park gives access to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, likely the wildest 402,000 acres in the Southeast.

Ms. Foster has been endorsed by Marquis Who's Who as a leader in accounting

Ms. Foster has been endorsed by Marquis Who's Who as a leader in the education and counseling industries

A tool to help children find comfort in welcoming foster siblings into their home

Social distancing could only last so long when Chester Thomas' By My Standards won Saturday's $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap by 1 3/4 lengths over Warrior's Charge. Thomas, the Madisonville, Ky., entrepreneur who races in the named of Allied Racing, and wife Jennifer had one of their sons and daughter in law and another couple over to […]

The post ‘Filled Out,’ ‘Stronger’ By My Standards Will Target Stephen Foster On June 27 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

No announcement on lockdown relaxation

Staffers at Isothermal Community College, in Spindale NC - home to WNCW, were honored to welcome guest speaker, Jeffrey Blount, retired veteran director of NBC News programs like the Today Show and Meet The Press. Blount worked with the network for more than 30 years and is also an author, an award winning documentary script writer, and winner of an Emmy. Blount is traveling across the country to talk about his latest book, The Emancipation of Evan Walls, and to share thoughts on issues involving race and social justice. During his visit here, he spoke to local high school students, ICC staff, and community members about his early years, his career, mentoring and the power of education. Blount kicked off the college's celebration of Black History Month with his riveting speech at the college's Foundation for Performing Arts Center. The interview first aired on Feb. 7, 2020. Posted by Host and Producer of WNCW's The Friday Feature, Paul Foster- Senior Producer, News Director, and

Live performances by The Steel Wheels, Radney Foster, Kieran Kane and Rayna Gellert, and Eilen Jewell, recorded in Charleston, WV Sunday Sept. 29, 2019. Support provided by Adventures on the Gorge. https://adventuresonthegorge.com/

Copyright 2020 West Virginia Public Broadcasting. To see more, visit West Virginia Public Broadcasting . ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: The coronavirus shutdown is a major challenge for the nation's child welfare system. Reports of suspected abuse have actually fallen, but care providers say that social distancing restrictions mean even more stress for at-risk kids and families. Emily Corio with West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports. EMILY CORIO, BYLINE: The coronavirus pandemic comes at a time when West Virginia's child welfare system already faces devastating effects from the opioid epidemic. The number of children in state care has swelled in recent years, and the need for foster families has grown. Delvin Johnson is managing as best he can at the Davis Child Emergency Shelter. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) DELVIN JOHNSON: Do we have any beds for a 13-year-old male? UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: I'm not sure, DJ. Let me go check. CORIO: But the beds have been full since the governor closed

Animal shelters across Australia have to keep going although the volunteers they rely on have been ordered to stay home. How do they cope now? What can the wider community do to help? And do you have a care plan for your pet in case you get sick?

Foster children get the chance to play and connect with working dogs on a farm for one memorable and "rewarding" day.

Indigenous children are about 10 times more likely to be in foster care than non-Indigenous children, so how can they stay connected to culture and country?

He's been a popular artist on the local Gippsland scene for a number of years and has received a number of awards from regional art shows, but admirers might be surprised to know Jason Foster never officially trained as an artist. Jason taught himself how to depict Gippsland's rolling hills after falling in love with them and making South Gippsland his home five years ago.

Many Australians look at the gun culture in America in disbelief. But examining our shared histories with guns, it was only a few sliding doors moments that stopped us going down that path.

An Adelaide paedophile will spend at least two years behind bars for masturbating in a store window and for using the social media site Pinterest to view images of young boys.

Foster carers have historically been able to apply for house and car upgrades to enable them to care for extra children, but the ABC can reveal the category of support was suspended in September 2018.

Robert Glen Sirl was caught having sex with a 15-year-old girl in foster care when police visited to talk to him about a separate rape. He has now been found guilty of both crimes. WARNING: This story contains graphic content.

Two Oregon teenagers placed in a Michigan facility where at least 37 youth tested positive for COVID-19 will soon be moved to quarantine in Oregon. 

"The Hot Zone" author Richard Preston gets candid about a failed 1990s movie adaptation that was once set to star A-listers Robert Redford and Jodie Foster before falling apart.

(Supreme Court of California) - Affirmed. A mentally disordered offender’s commitment may continue after the offender’s term has expired if their condition is not in remission and they represent a substantial danger of physical harm.

(United States Fifth Circuit) - Held that an insurance company did not abuse its discretion in denying disability benefits to an attorney who stopped working due to intractable migraines. Affirmed the judgment below in this ERISA case.

(California Court of Appeal) - Held that an attorney was not entitled to a new trial after a jury found him liable to a client for intentional torts. The attorney argued that the client failed to prove causation. Disagreeing, the Fourth Appellate District concluded that claims of fraudulent concealment and intentional breach of fiduciary duty brought against an attorney are subject to the substantial-factor causation standard, not the trial-within-a-trial or but-for standard employed in cases of legal malpractice based on negligence. The panel also held that the testimony of the client alone sufficed here to support her emotional distress damages.

(Supreme Court of California) - Affirmed. A mentally disordered offender’s commitment may continue after the offender’s term has expired if their condition is not in remission and they represent a substantial danger of physical harm.

The Big Questions series features perspectives from the five recipients of the Department of Energy Office of Science's 2019 Distinguished Scientists Fellows Award describing their research and what they plan to do with the award. Ian Foster is the director of Argonne National Laboratory's Data Science and Learning Division.