The pioneer of directly tileable XPS construction elements wedi has been working on an entirely new concept for walk-in showers for quite some time now Addressing the challenges architects and installers regularly face the newest wedi innovation flexibly adapts to suit a wide range of project requirements The Fundo Flex itself is a channel drain solution for wet room floors It can be installed on its own in screed with membrane or liquid waterproofing applied over the surrounding areas or it can be installed on both in and on concrete as well as timber floors with complementary sloping boards the complementary sloping boards turn the Fundo Flex into a unique allowing for a bespoke design tailored to project requirements precision-engineered shower floor without compromise offering both design flexibility and ease of installation while maintaining high performance and reliability BONUS: it is entirely up to the client at which position to place the drainage whatever the angle the channel profile can be aligned perfectly parallel with the wall Hygiene is also ensured: thanks to its special contour without any edges inside the removable trap catches hair and other debris making the cleaning effortless wedi continues set the standard for waterproofing whilst providing flexibility in design www.wedi.net © Built Environment and Architecture Media Ltd 2025 We use cookies and other tracking technologies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website analyse your use of our products and services assist with our promotional and marketing efforts These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies but some parts of the site may not work then These cookies allow the provision of enhance functionality and personalisation They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages then some or all of these functionalities may not function properly These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site They help us know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site All information these cookies collect is anonymous we will not know when you have visited our site These cookies are set through our site by our advertising partners They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant ads on other sites you will not experience our targeted advertising across different websites These cookies are necessary to display content from social networks such as Facebook In such a way that you can share our content with your favourite social networks by 04/11/2025 Leave a Comment – The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) has published the results of its baseline survey, assessing the healthcare industry’s preparedness to meet the requirements of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Advancing Interoperability and Improving Prior Authorization Final Rule (CMS-0057-F).   – This rule introduces new provisions aimed at increasing data sharing and Prior Authorization Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) These provisions are intended to streamline prior authorization processes and improve patient data exchange – Impacted entities are required to implement the API requirements by January 1 and covered payers must publicly report designated prior authorization metrics by January 1 Tagged With: , Get in-depth healthcare technology analysis and commentary delivered straight to your email weekly Latest insightful articles delivered straight to your inbox weekly Submit a Tip or Pitch 2025 EMR Software Pricing Guide Copyright © 2025. HIT Consultant Media. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | More than half of providers and 43% of payers have yet to start work on the application programming interface requirements of the interoperability and prior authorization final rule according to a survey by the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange The WEDI baseline survey shows many providers and payers have yet to start implementing the requirements of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Advancing Interoperability and Improving Prior Authorization Final Rule that goes into effect in 2026 and 2027 One challenge for payers is sufficient funding An estimated 35% of payers surveyed approximate the API implementation cost at between $1 million and $5 million Providers are also listing funding as a concern with 44% saying they are unsure of the total cost for implementing the final rule and training their employees and 81% of vendors plan to assist payers and providers comply with the requirements of the rule "The survey results suggest that a substantial percentage of both payers and providers have not yet started to implement these API mandates or have only partially completed their implementation efforts," said WEDI Executive Director Robert Tennant When payers who are not required to implement the final rule were asked if they would be implementing the rule's requirements 50% indicated their organization is currently considering this and 50% responded "unsure," according to WEDI The rule, emphasizing the need to improve health information exchange and move the industry toward electronic prior authorization, was released in January 2024, but provisions take effect in 2026 and 2027 In response to stakeholder comments on the proposed rule CMS said that impacted payers have until at least Jan to meet the API development and enhancement requirements The majority of WEDI respondents were supportive of staggering implementation of the three prior authorization requirements: Coverage Requirements Discovery (CRD) Document Templates and Rules (DTR) and Prior Authorization Support (PAS) which are currently required to be implemented Jan they represent a completely new approach to data exchange It is not surprising that identifying funding modifying business workflows and determining a cohesive enterprise strategy for interoperability were cited by many as critical challenges," Tennant said "WEDI plans to repeat this survey on a regular cadence until the January 2027 compliance date to track the industry's progress in meeting these requirements," Tennant said developed by WEDI leadership and the WEDI Prior Authorization Subworkgroup was open to the industry this January and February 9% from clearinghouses and 25% from vendors Dates of implementation of the final rule are as follows, according to CMS: Patient Access API and prior authorization decision timeframes and denial reason requirements take effect in 2026 impacted payers will need to annually report metrics of aggregated de-identified data to CMS about patient use of the Patient Access API impacted payers are required to include certain information about patients' prior authorization requests and decisions Provider Access API and Payer-to-Payer API requirements take effect Jan payers must implement and maintain a Provider Access API to share patient data with in-network providers The API must make available individual claims and encounter data data classes and data elements in a content standard adopted by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) as well as specified prior authorization information impacted payers must develop an attribution process to ensure payers only send data to providers on patients with whom they have a treatment relationship Payers must maintain a process that gives patients the ability to opt out of having their health information available and shared Patient and provider educational resources on API go into effect Jan Prior authorization API goes into effect starting Jan Improving prior authorization processes begins Jan This includes sending prior authorization decisions within seven days and expedited decisions within 72 hours Impacted providers include hospitals and critical access hospitals participating in the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program; Clinicians participating in MIPS (Merit-based Incentive Program) Promoting Interoperability performance category Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org Become a Sponsor Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI) – operators of beloved West Side Bazaar – hosts WEDIfest: A fundraising event and celebration of all of the organizations achievements features incredible foods from around the world (of course) WEDIfest is an opportunity to learn all about WEDI’s newest initiatives WEDI’s Wonders is a new shop at The Bazaar that was created by students in WEDI’s Education Program The student-led initiative provides a brick and mortar outlet for young creative entrepreneurs to showcase their products (handmade tote bags etc.) while learning life’s valuable lessons pertaining to business 101 This is the next generation of artists and artisans that might one day have their own studios within the walls of The Bazaar WEDI’s Wonders is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4pm to 6:30 pm WEDI’s Wonders is just one of the newest initiatives that guests to WEDIfest will come across Other interesting happenings scheduled to take place at the event include: WEDIfest takes place at the West Side Bazaar Come show your support for one of Buffalo’s most successful non-profits that focuses on delivering educational and financial resources to a large number of immigrants and refugees as well as other entrepreneurs that might not otherwise have the economic opportunities to launch their dream businesses Get your tickets here As one of the region’s most read publications since its launch in 2004 Buffalo Rising’s diverse editorial team delivers a wide range of relevant content to our readers as it unfolds in real time An independently owned and operated digital publication Buffalo Rising provides editorial and critical reviews on all topics that relate to Buffalo Click Here to Share Your Story You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience The latest Weil European Distress Index (WEDI) indicates a rise in corporate distress across Europe as of February 2025 Germany and the UK have experienced particularly sharp increases Distress levels have now risen in four of the past five months driven by declining confidence and heightened volatility Whilst the markets component has provided some relief its impact has been outweighed by other factors Click here to read the full April 2025 report. Click here to read the April 2025 report. The latest views and developments from Weil (WKBW) — The Downtown Bazaar in Buffalo's Theater District is closing less than two years after it opened Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI) says it will not renew its lease for the bazaar at 617 Main Street in the former EXPO space Watch: West Side Bazaar tenants look back at devastating Grant Street fire and their progress since then the closure does not affect any businesses at the West Side Bazaar on Niagara Street the vendors plan to start a new chapter soon exotic food," regular customer Laura Hartman shared WEDI's Downtown Bazaar has been home to several international cuisines since April 2023 "The variety of places and some of the best food around in Buffalo The Main Street location offers like Burmese It brings folks like Don and Laura Hartman from Tonawanda who are excited to sink their teeth in injera a flatbread staple in Ethiopia and Eritrea these foodies will have to change dinner locations by the end of the month "We just told the owner we'll follow them wherever they go," Don Hartman said "We're looking forward to an individual restaurant I hope they can pull it off and we wish them the best of luck in doing that." The Downtown Bazaar was created as a temporary solution after business owners were displaced by a fire that happened in 2022 After being in this location for almost two years it was able to continue being a stepping-stone so that entrepreneurs could expand and relocate into their own spaces Announcements will be made here about the relocation of businesses WEDI says this decision is unrelated to the growth of the West Side Bazaar on Niagara Street Most of the restaurants at the Downtown Bazaar are choosing to open at a new location The West Side Bazaar and the Downtown Bazaar are both small incubators It's also a training facility for those business owners how to run their own business," WEDI Executive Director Carolynn Welch said I look at it as our mission coming to life who otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to be able to get out into the community to get their own restaurant or retail store One restaurant to look forward to is Malkia and Co. Gourmet restaurant where customers can find Congolese comfort food Owner Nathalie Zola Malu hopes to open her brick-and-mortar one day but enjoys her restaurant's home on the Niagara Street location "I try to mix a lot with European desserts because a part of my life was in France I'm trying to mix a lot of all the cultures together and revisit my African food," Malu said "My restaurant has a goal so people can eat without guilt because everything is homemade Watch: Ribbon cutting for new West Side Bazaar ushers in new chapter We want to hear what’s going on in your community Share your voice and hear from your neighbors Pinoy Boi announced on social media that it would be vacating the Downtown Bazaar at the end of the month The reason is that Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI) is pulling up stakes from the Bazaar which is located in the Market Arcade building Matt Connors – Vice President of Development for Sinatra & Co – owner of the building – confirmed that the Bazaar would be shuttered by the end of the year Are there affordable restaurant locations that can accommodate any of the downtown vendors the might be looking for new homes These answers are quickly falling into place Connors told me that while the upper floors will be transitioned into residential apartments has already had some solid interest in the restaurant/market location I spoke briefly with WEDI Executive Director Carolynn Welch earlier today who told me that there are really exciting things to come “The Downtown Bazaar was always meant to be temporary,” said Welch “Sinatra was very gracious to allow us to be there for about a year We actually stayed for another year on top of our original agreement Our goal is for our tenants to find their own brick and mortar spaces All of our tenants have been aware that they have needed to find new places to occupy I know it’s disappointing for downtown but it’s our mission coming into play I am confident that the majority of the businesses will find new locations This is not a negative story… it’s actually very positive so it will soon be 100% occupied again.” CauMae'r barnwr yn achos dyn o Geredigion sydd wedi cael ei garcharu am achosi anaf i berson arall drwy yrru yn beryglus yn dweud mai "lwc pur" oedd hi na chafodd neb ei ladd o ganlyniad i'w ymddygiad yrru rownd cornel ar ochr anghywir y ffordd gan daro gyrrwr arall ar y B4337 i gyfeiriad Llanbedr Pont Steffan Fe blediodd yn euog mewn gwrandawiad blaenorol i gyhuddiadau o achosi anaf difrifol drwy yrru'n beryglus a pheidio â rhoi sampl gwaed i'w ddadansoddi Yn Llys y Goron Abertawe ddydd Iau cafodd Gilmore ei ddedfrydu i ddwy flynedd a phedwar mis dan glo ac mae o wedi ei wahardd rhag gyrru am chwe blynedd a dau fis Mae lluniau dashcam yn dangos un achlysur lle daeth Gilmore yn agos at achosi gwrthdrawiad a'r foment darodd yn erbyn cerbyd arall RhannucauRhannu’r dudalenCopïo’r ddolenYnglŷn â rhannuDarllen disgrifiadPigion'Lwc pur' fod neb wedi ei ladd gan yrrwr peryglus yng Ngheredigion 00:00:26'Lwc pur' fod neb wedi ei ladd gan yrrwr peryglus yng Ngheredigion 0:26Nesaf 0:31'Rhywbeth yn well na dim': Arian i warchod twristiaid rhag y glaw 00:03:20'Rhywbeth yn well na dim': Arian i warchod twristiaid rhag y glaw 3:20Cofio gyrfa liwgar prif leisydd The Alarm 00:01:11Cofio gyrfa liwgar prif leisydd The Alarm 1:11Ymateb cefnogwyr Wrecsam i drydydd dyrchafiad yn olynol 00:01:33Ymateb cefnogwyr Wrecsam i drydydd dyrchafiad yn olynol 1:33Ryan Reynolds yn cwrdd â chefnogwyr Wrecsam 00:00:28Ryan Reynolds yn cwrdd â chefnogwyr Wrecsam 0:28Profiad 'anhygoel' cwpl ifanc o Sir Gâr yn ffilmio Race Across the World 00:01:36Profiad 'anhygoel' cwpl ifanc o Sir Gâr yn ffilmio Race Across the World 1:36Y Coridor Ansicrwydd: Pwy all achub Caerdydd 00:01:22Y Coridor Ansicrwydd: Pwy all achub Caerdydd 1:22Lluniau CCTV o brifathro yn ymosod ar ei ddirprwy gydag arf 00:00:14Lluniau CCTV o brifathro yn ymosod ar ei ddirprwy gydag arf 0:14Gwyliwch: Car ar dân wedi gwrthdrawiad difrifol 00:00:04Gwyliwch: Car ar dân wedi gwrthdrawiad difrifol 0:04Cymru am 'roi popeth mewn i'r perfformiad ddydd Sul' Fideo 00:00:31Cymru am 'roi popeth mewn i'r perfformiad ddydd Sul' 0:31'Fi dal i deimlo effaith stelcio saith mlynedd wedyn' Fideo 00:01:58'Fi dal i deimlo effaith stelcio saith mlynedd wedyn' 1:58'Rhaid cofio ei bod hi'n gynnar iawn yn y tymor' – Elfyn Evans 00:00:28'Rhaid cofio ei bod hi'n gynnar iawn yn y tymor' – Elfyn Evans 0:28Achos padlfyrddio: Fideo o Nerys Lloyd yn hysbysu'r heddlu 00:01:35Achos padlfyrddio: Fideo o Nerys Lloyd yn hysbysu'r heddlu 1:35'Grêt' gweld ffilm arswyd o Gymru ar gael yn fyd-eang 00:04:23'Grêt' gweld ffilm arswyd o Gymru ar gael yn fyd-eang 4:23Cofio'r Pab Ffransis yng Nghymru a thu hwnt 00:05:54Cofio'r Pab Ffransis yng Nghymru a thu hwnt 5:54Pam bod dyn o Fangor yn dringo'r Wyddfa fel Spiderman 100 gwaith 00:01:40Pam bod dyn o Fangor yn dringo'r Wyddfa fel Spiderman 100 gwaith 1:40Gofal plant: 'Da ni ar gyflog teg ond dydi o ddim yn ddigon' Fideo 00:01:27Gofal plant: 'Da ni ar gyflog teg ond dydi o ddim yn ddigon' 1:27Ymateb Tylluan Wen wedi 30 mlynedd yn fy 'llonni' - Siân James 00:00:50Ymateb Tylluan Wen wedi 30 mlynedd yn fy 'llonni' - Siân James As soon as Cameron Airhart noticed the panhandler hassling customers in the West Side Bazaar food court That was the security plan at 1432 Niagara St building managers did not staff the front desk Five months after the Westminster Economic Development Initiative debuted its flagship $11.5 million project tenants at the small business incubator had to fend for themselves the panhandler knocked down an elderly cleaner before Airhart and others got her to leave.  “there were still evenings and Saturdays when no staff was there at all,” said Airhart a retired Houghton College dean who was a WEDI board member for three years He said Executive Director Carolynn Welch agreed to talk about the assault … The security was fundamentally up to us,” Airhart recalled half of the dozen original businesses have left the West Side Bazaar is on the agenda for Friday’s WEDI board meeting as the organization faces a $400,000 deficit in its budget of about $3 million.  Tenants at both sites are wondering where WEDI’s priorities lie While monitoring the door was not on West Side Bazaar managers’ to-do lists issuing $100 fines for violations of kitchen rules instead of coaching fledgling restaurateurs.  Before the Downtown Bazaar opened last year WEDI promised tenants the walk-in freezer would be fixed for their use forcing some to buy and install their own equipment.  the other tenants saw WEDI spend thousands of dollars to fix the coolers Joy needed to keep his beer cold Since WEDI had already hired Welch’s nanny Maggie Rapp as a staffer some tenants started to wonder how serious WEDI was about its stated guiding values of equity and inclusion Welch said she had nothing to do with hiring Rapp WEDI couldn’t find one you didn’t date?  “We had four people who made the decision on who to choose,” said Welch They chose Joe because he was a small business owner.” Joy should not be punished by exclusion just because they had a past “He was the only qualified respondent,” Welch said Joy had never held a liquor license in New York State but the committee rejected several experienced bar operators who already had dealt with New York State’s strict licensure process and prepared extensive responses and we thought that the bazaar would be a really cool opportunity to get involved with a new community,” Domingue said “We spent a bunch of time putting together all this stuff for the RFP We proposed a whole menu with different beers from all over the world relating to the spaces that were filled in,” said Domingue “We designed cocktails tailored to different menu items and other concepts that were in the space.” Domingue and DiFranco have extensive event marketing experience “We thought it’d be really fun to activate the space in different ways “Then we just got an email that was essentially like We’re gonna go with somebody else.’” Hombre y Lobo asked for feedback to help improve their concept “It was just kind of radio silence after that,” Domingue said “We were bummed out when we kind of got stonewalled there But we figured there was probably someone better aligned with the diversity that they were hoping to have.” Another rejected applicant was Sam Marabella who has operated bars and booked musical groups in Buffalo since the late 1990s “I was really gung-ho to do it,” said Marabella and because I would actually promote the hell out of the place and put people in there and I gave them 24 years of experience in a bar.” Marabella has also run musical schools and wanted to fold that into his people-magnet offerings I wasn’t gonna go there and get rich but it made sense to me because I’m in the same neighborhood,” said Marabella It’s affordable for me to handle my ordering and to handle everything.” “I knew I could promote that space and pull people in,” Marabella said I figured it was a great idea because my daughter it would be good for her to be mixing it up with people from around the world After struggling to draw customers with a temporary beer and wine license it is not clear whether the Downtown Bazaar itself will follow suit tenants say WEDI hasn’t delivered promised support as they struggle to keep their businesses open without enough customers.  WEDI set its West Side Bazaar attendance goal at 250,000 visits per year Many days they see fewer than 100 visitors Welch said that her latest information on West Side Bazaar attendance was more like 400 visitors daily WEDI told tenants it would not market the facility after Jan Its marketing efforts were further hindered when WEDI fired its communications director without obtaining the passwords to WEDI social media accounts WEDI managers have rankled renters by issuing contradictory orders fining tenants $100 for sanitation errors instead of warning or counseling and not answering questions tenants want landlords to answer Welch said that no restaurant tenants were fined without first being counseled it was a free-for-all that’s now being railed in because Kat (Carter) is just a much more effective supervisor for the space,” Welch said “People are pissed because they were getting away with And there’s some people that are really pissed about it.” Following the rules at West Side Bazaar was often challenging because of frequent changes and WEDI staffers issuing contradictory directives “I feel gaslit all the time here,” said Kimberly Behzadi “I put a little sign on the front counter with the store’s hours to encourage people to come upstairs when I’m open because I’m not open 40 hours a week because I still have a full time job,” Behzadi said “And they often take that little sign down and bring it all the way back upstairs Behzadi got an email from WEDI staff ordering her to expand business hours one part of WEDI didn’t know what another part had already decided.  Kate Knowles brought her Manchester Place Baking Co to the West Side Bazaar at the suggestion of her father so my baked goods were melting,” Knowles said Echoing WEDI’s tenant cooling solution at the Downtown Bazaar WEDI staff told her to buy a refrigerated unit ran Houghton College’s associate’s degree programs for immigrants He flinched when he saw WEDI staffers talking to immigrants in a patronizing tone “They don’t understand things like English so you don’t talk at 50 miles an hour when you’re talking to them,” Airhart said “You don’t just give them pieces of paper and expect them to get through it and understand the reward of it “There’s lots of things you don’t do,” said the former dean “Not because they have any impediments in their intellectual capacities but because they are struggling with language These are people who don’t know exactly how society operates and they’re always nervous and worried They always have to be aware that they’re truly vulnerable.” There’s nobody sitting up front.” That did improve in April with staffers at the front desk more often and a staffer around until the building closed He also noticed more appropriate interactions with immigrant restaurateurs The reason Airhart dialed 911 without hesitating that March night was because he knew he needed to fill the void “I had deliberately put my desk in the middle of the action so I always knew what was going on around me,” he said “They didn’t care about what was going on So I found it all very strange from a management point of view my journalism class in the University of Buffalo’s English Department I tell students that when journalists do something that makes their audience say “What the heck?” they ought to explain what they’re doing I asked a West Side Bazaar tenant how things were going at the $11.5 million economic incubator and community space as The Buffalo News’ food editor and in my solo career at Four Bites I have done everything I could to help shine light on the West Side Bazaar What that tenant told me was so jarringly different from my mental picture of the West Side Bazaar that I did what journalists do in baffling times: find another source I was an investigative reporter for a decade If what that person told me was even half true So I picked another person and called them being careful to avoid any leading questions Asked “How’s it going?” and shut up to listen The second person had so much to say that tracked with the first account that I put on my investigative reporter hat I made a list of current and former tenants and contacts who had business with the Westminster Economic Development Initiative I called Carolynn Welch and asked her about specific things that three or four people told me She denied any responsibility for the matters I raised and WEDI board members as the responsible parties When Westminster Economic Development Initiative opened Downtown Bazaar after the original was closed by fire I felt a responsibility to let the community know about all the work happening and delicious food available down the street Every time I was contacted by a WEDI representative to add their information to my report When Carolynn Welch asked me to guest bartend at Lulu’s Pub run by her ex-boyfriend Joe Joy in the Downtown Bazaar Then I spent another night trying to help the Downtown Bazaar when Welch asked me if there was anything more I could do to draw attention to the Downtown Bazaar I developed the idea of a class-with-food event showcasing each of the Downtown Bazaar chefs and their cuisines It is not clear whether the South Sudanese 101 with Akec Aguer Tuesdays with Andrew event I agreed to a $5 per person share of the proceeds as my pay from WEDI That money hasn’t shown up in my bank account yet I will give it to the Downtown Bazaar restaurateurs who might be looking for new kitchens by then and producing this report is to give board members as much relevant information as possible so they can make responsible decisions for an organization that has done so much good for so many people I have done this work as part of my continuing support for WEDI and all the lives it touches Closing Downtown Bazaar might well be the responsible thing for WEDI to do Board members have access to detailed financial information and should have the ability to get detailed answers to specific questions This story is the first WEDI article since I revised my information gathering parameters There are many questions, and relatively few answers, yet, on how WEDI and its community got here. If you would like to add to my knowledge and tell me what your experience with WEDI has been – good, ill, or mixed – drop me a line at andrew@fourbites.net Ex-Buffalo News food editor gone digital after 35 years in papers offering audience concierge information hunting service and weekly interactive online talk show - plus reviews When Ajuawak Kapashesit ’13 learned he would be the voice of Han Solo for the Ojibwe dub of Star Wars: A New Hope “I want to say it was eleven at night; I’m doom-scrolling in bed,” the writer “And I get the email and just look at it like—oh did all of my childhood dreams just come true?” has been involved in Ojibwe and other endangered language revitalization movements since 2010 This summer’s history-making dub of A New Hope—the first Star Wars film released in 1977—is a collaboration between Lucasfilm It’s the first major Hollywood film to be dubbed into Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) and a milestone for efforts to spark interest in learning and preserving the language The dub was released in select theaters around the Great Lakes region and can be heard on Disney+ Ojibwe is classified as severely endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger list Language loss was one objective of federal Native American boarding schools in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries a key part of the cultural genocide enacted by the US against Indigenous peoples Canada perpetrated similar acts of violence against First Nations peoples The film aims to expose new audiences to the language in a more contemporary context especially to the younger generations crucial to its preservation “Because it’s Star Wars—which is infinitely quotable—you’ll already know what a character is saying in English and then get to learn it in Ojibwe too,” says Kapashesit he felt the palpable joy and excitement of cosplayers and traditional dancers—including a jingle dress dancer dressed as Princess Leia—who came out to celebrate the event “Everyone who hiked to see it on the big screen was so hyped to hear it in Ojibwe.” (Mac hosted a screening for students in November.) Kapashesit’s day job also focuses on language recovery He is the interim executive director at Boston-based nonprofit 7000 Languages which creates online language-learning materials in partnership with communities who speak endangered languages follows three Ojibwe residents of Minnesota as they use film and social media to inspire new generations to learn their heritage language “Language Keepers was a golden opportunity to merge my expertise in linguistics and a language that the majority of filmmakers I’m interacting with don’t have any experience in,” he says most linguists I know don’t have any film experience So I thought a lot about how to talk about language in a visual way that film people can understand but that is also accurate to concepts that linguists understand.” He says it also was crucial to center the film in positivity “So many stories about Indigenous people are often pessimistic—most documentaries focus on the history around why the language is in this situation,” he says but I wanted to create something different—I wanted to tell this story in a hopeful tone.” Kapashesit didn’t start as a linguistics major at Macalester but in his “Endangered Minority Languages” course he grew more and more compelled by the field as the class explored languages from communities he is a part of—Cree in northern Canada and Ojibwe in northern Minnesota He supplemented his linguistics studies with creative writing courses and a Hispanic studies minor he audited an acting course with Professor Emeritus Harry Waters Jr a dark comedy set prior to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978 produced as a traveling show in 2016 by Twin Cities-based New Native Theatre It’s about three Native brothers who conspire to steal their mother’s body to bury her in their cultural tradition “The play was talking about things that have been taken from us so it’s still a relevant story to Native people,” he says When the production traveled to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in 2016 during the large protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline “The entire encampment and community were there and we were able to perform this play for everyone standing in solidarity.” Kapashesit’s accolades include a 2018 Red Nation Film Award of Excellence—Outstanding Performance by an Actor in Leading Role; being chosen as an Indigenous Film Opportunity Fellow with the Sundance Film Institute; a Vision Maker Media Shorts Fellowship for his and co-writer/director Morningstar Angeline’s 2022 short film Seeds; and a 4th World Indigenous Media Fellowship trying out new genres like sci-fi and horror we can only hope we’ll catch him next in an Ojibwe dub of The Empire Strikes Back Gi-ga-miinigoowiz Mamaandaawiziwin: May the Force be with you Ashli Cean Landa is a writer and editor at Macalester Books recently published by Macalester faculty Catherine Kane ’26 shares stories of student engagement outside the classroom Ajuawak Kapashesit ’13 is this galaxy’s first Ojibwe-speaking Han Solo Macalester College ignited joy and launched a $250M campaign with ice rinks and bonfires community's spark can fuel a brighter future From champagne showers to draft day drills a Macalester grad's relentless data-driven vision fuels the Celtics' championship dynasty there's a front office mastermind already plotting the next victory Regina Rodman ’01 helps affirm her patients’ sense of self The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange shared recommendations with the HHS secretary regarding the inclusion of diagnosis codes in good faith estimates and advanced explanation of benefits for insured individuals WEDI concluded that a patient's high expectation of accuracy for an estimate of the cost of medical services is not well-suited to the GFE and AEOB model as it stands today and many other variables inform accurate pricing and this information may not always be known to the degree necessary by the provider to reliably produce an AEOB that is accurate enough to satisfy its purpose," the letter to HHS stated "We recommend that the federal government explore if current price transparency tools can be leveraged to meet this need WEDI encourages CMS and partner agencies to work closely with our organization and other industry stakeholders to find the best methods and tools to achieve accurate price estimation for shopping patients who request price estimates." WEDI provided several recommendations and stressed the importance of enabling patients to receive accurate pricing information while reducing the administrative burden on providers The No Surprises Act which was signed into law in December 2020 as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 requires providers to safeguard individuals from surprise medical bills The legislation included a provision requiring providers to provide a good faith estimate of charges for care to uninsured or self-pay individuals upon scheduling care For individuals with certain types of coverage the act also required providers to submit a good faith estimate to the individual's plan or issuer WEDI convened a task group to discuss the legislation educate the industry and develop best practices WEDI's latest letter to HHS focused on whether diagnosis codes should be required for GFEs sent to health plans by providers and facilities on behalf of insured patients When it comes to uninsured or self-pay individuals, CMS guidance states that a provider is only required to provide diagnosis codes when one is necessary for the calculation of the good faith estimate it is okay to omit the diagnosis code if the provider is simply providing an estimate for an initial screening or evaluation and there would be no relevant diagnosis code in the first place With this in mind, WEDI set out to evaluate if diagnosis codes should be required for GFEs sent to health plans by providers on behalf of insured patients The task group discussed the intricacies of the GRE and AEOB system and raised concerns about the prospect of creating GFEs and AEOBs with placeholder diagnosis codes that might not be accurate Multiple health plans that participated in the task group said they expected to implement the AEOB by updating their claims adjudication systems to create an AEOB that stops short of producing an actual payment and remittance advice will be needed to accurately develop the price estimation," WEDI noted it is anticipated that health plan adjudication systems will need significant modifications with some plans being required to implement entirely new systems to calculate the AEOB Health plans have consistently indicated that without the diagnosis codes AEOBs may be wildly inaccurate and mislead the patient." WEDI also raised concerns about a "shopping scenario" in which a patient requests an estimate from multiple providers without meeting with them first it would be difficult to produce a GFE without knowledge of the exact diagnosis WEDI recommended that diagnosis codes for the suspected or known diagnoses be included on GFEs for patients who are shopping around to ensure a higher chance of accuracy on the finalized AEOB WEDI acknowledged that it might be difficult to establish an accurate diagnosis before the patient's visit and within a tight timeframe WEDI concluded that diagnosis codes for shopping scenarios should be strongly encouraged but not mandatory For insured patients, WEDI recommended that providers include GFEs when services are scheduled, as it is reasonable to expect that providers know the diagnosis code by that point. However, if the provider cannot determine the diagnosis code they can still provide the GFE along with a note to the patient that the AEOB may not be entirely accurate without a diagnosis WEDI encouraged HHS to continue working with key stakeholders to establish a system that reduces administrative burden while still providing patients with the pricing information they deserve Jill McKeon has covered healthcare cybersecurity and privacy news since 2021 GenAI in healthcare offers promise for tasks such as clinical documentation but clearly defined regulations and standards are .. The Connecticut Poison Control Center uses the statewide HIE to access real-time clinical data A new HL7 FHIR accelerator aims to close medical device interoperability gaps by creating FHIR implementation guides and .. Patients aren't accessing preventive care and cancer screenings due to logistical barriers Nearly 350 hospitals got the new "Straight A" designation from Leapfrog signaling top patient safety performance for at least .. As patient trust in social connections and online experts fear a growing medical misinformation .. remote patient monitoring and AI tools to enhance clinician workflow A new study reveals that patients with multiple chronic conditions would need numerous digital health technologies Telehealth use was associated with a significant reduction in carbon emissions roughly equating to the monthly emissions of .. Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More The WEDI Downtown Bazaar will close in the coming weeks. Wedi said it will help the businesses at the location transition to new locations The lease at the former Expo location ends on Dec 31. Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI) says it will not renew its lease for the bazaar at 617 Main St This location was originally created as a temporary spot for business owners displaced by a 2022 fire The final day for the Bazaar on Main Street is Dec The West Side Bazaar on Niagara Street will stay open Challenging Inequality Our Grants Investing in Individuals Our work around the world Learning Overview Featured News and Stories About the Ford Foundation People Careers Governance and Financial Statements Events Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice “Creativity has the power to restore dignity and beauty to the lives of those who have been forgotten.” Okito Wedi is the founder and CEO of Crtve Development a pan-African organization that champions change across the continent through visual storytelling and advocacy campaigns and academic researcher with over 10 years of experience working across development issues Okito has worked on a wide range of critical issues—including health security and public policy—for numerous organizations and institutions the African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes Uniting to Combat Neglected Tropical Diseases Her work with global organizations has strengthened her belief that previously disenfranchised communities are an essential part of successful development especially as the world continues to rebuild from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic Okito believes strongly in the transformative power of creativity and in the ability of young people and Africans everywhere to imagine and shape the world they want to see and inhabit She is fueled by her love for the African continent and she strives to imbue a sense of optimism and gratitude to the work and people she has been called to serve Contact Press Room Privacy Policy Accessibility Policy Terms and Conditions ©2025 Ford Foundation,some rights reserved Volume 2 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/falgy.2021.660447 This article is part of the Research TopicHighlights in Skin Allergy 2021/22View all 5 articles The skin is our largest organ and plays a major role in many physiological functions No other organ demands so much attention and concern in both states of disease and health It represents the first barrier to our environment and has fundamental importance for human interactions and mental health In allergic skin diseases that affect a significant proportion of our population from childhood to advanced age It is easy to inspect the skin and to obtain biopsies The immune system of the skin represents a complex network of keratinocytes and immune cells including the skin-specific antigen presenting Langerhans cells Lessons learned from allergic skin can often be transferred to other target organs in the last decade skin allergy developed to a thriving field additional biologic and small molecule drugs dominate pharmaceutical pipelines Examples of skin allergy treatment approaches under investigation in clinical trials or with recent approval (in bold) This short summary aims to describe a selection of recent achievements in the field of skin allergies and to encourage scientists to perform and communicate innovative research It should be regarded as an invitation to all scientists and clinicians to participate open access Frontiers in Allergy by proposing research topics and by submitting exciting manuscripts in bradykinin-mediated Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE-)-inhibitor induced angioedema an underlying genetic predisposition has not been identified so far From the clinicians perspective other open questions of these new treatment approaches are long-term safety Another interesting question is the role of the skin microbiome, not only in relation to the body (20) but also related to the development of (skin) allergies (21) Finally, most drug hypersensitivity reactions manifest on the skin (22). The use of biologics, immune check point inhibitors and small molecule drugs constantly increases our understanding of the complex skin immune system. The border between adverse drug reactions and drug hypersensitivity is floating and for most reactions the pathomechanism has not been clarified so far (23) at the moment each milestone opens new questions therefore skin allergies are attractive for research purposes and hopefully young scientists and clinicians will be attracted to solve remaining and upcoming mysteries with the goal of prescribing the right medication Skin allergies result from a deregulated interplay between genetic predisposition In light of this complexity a wide range of therapeutic approaches from avoidance strategies to targeted therapies and immunotherapies has been developed The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work and has approved it for publication The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest The EAACI/GA2LEN/EDF/WAO guideline for the definition Urticaria: collegium internationale allergologicum (CIA) update 2020 Ligelizumab for chronic spontaneous urticaria CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Anti-IgE for the treatment of chronic urticaria CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor X2 and its activators in dermatologic allergies The international WAO/EAACI guideline for the management of hereditary angioedema-The 2017 revision and update Evidence for bradykinin release in chronic spontaneous urticaria Hereditary angioedema: examining the landscape of therapies and preclinical therapeutic targets clinical immunology atopic dermatitis guideline group systemic treatments in the management of atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis Confirmation of multiple endotypes in atopic dermatitis based on serum biomarkers Adult-onset mastocytosis in the skin is highly suggestive of systemic mastocytosis Network for Online Registration of Anaphylaxis (NORA) Secondary prevention measures in anaphylaxis patients: data from the anaphylaxis registry Hereditary α tryptasemia is a valid genetic biomarker for severe mediator-related symptoms in mastocytosis An allosteric anti-tryptase antibody for the treatment of mast cell-mediated severe asthma Itch: from mechanism to (novel) therapeutic approaches Current and emerging systemic treatments targeting the neural system for chronic pruritus CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Review of biologics in allergic contact dermatitis The skin microbiome and its relationship with the human body explained PubMed Abstract | CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar The clinical implications of the microbiome in the development of allergy diseases CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Hypersensitivity reactions to biologics (part I): allergy as an important differential diagnosis in complex immune-derived adverse events CrossRef Full Text | Google Scholar Citation: Wedi B (2021) Contemporary Grand Challenges and Opportunities in Skin Allergies Received: 10 February 2021; Accepted: 15 February 2021; Published: 05 March 2021 Edited and reviewed by: Nikolaos (Nikos) G. Papadopoulos National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Copyright © 2021 Wedi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Bettina Wedi, d2VkaS5iZXR0aW5hQG1oLWhhbm5vdmVyLmRl Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish These compact modular systems feature built-in drainage and are available in three adapt-to-fit options - ideal for projects with limited construction height Wedi's Fundo complete shower systems offer an ideal solution for bathroom projects in the commercial Wedi has developed three different Fundo shower elements with integrated drainage especially for projects where the available construction height is limited The surrounding walls and floor can be lined with Wedi building boards or with a Wedi Subliner membrane to ensure the proper tanking of splash areas the manufacturer not only offers 100 per cent waterproof and loadbearing XPS tilebacker boards and shower systems with all required certifications (VOC A+ but also compatible adhesives and grouts for direct tiling - for perfect compliance with sustainability requirements For more information and technical support visit wedi.net/uk updates and our weekly newsletter – all designed to bring you the best stories from RIBAJ.com Drain covers are now available in glamorous Black Gold and Rose Gold PVD finishes to match the latest brassware collections Wedi is known for its versatile 100 per cent waterproof XPS product range protecting the substrate against damp and mould in wet areas Apart from directly tileable secure foundations grout-free alternative to traditional tiling to specifiers and their clients Design surfaces of the Wedi Top Line provide durable and stylish Wedi is now utilising Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) - a technology typically associated with the aerospace and automotive industries - to upgrade its brushed stainless steel drain covers High-quality PVD coating has functional as well as decorative advantages such as enhanced wear resistance and corrosion protection Matched to the common fittings of leading brassware manufacturers Wedi has three new designs to choose from: Metallic Gold Metallic Black and Metallic Rose Gold They add instant warmth and visual interest to any bathroom 3 reasons to specify Wedi metallic drain covers: The new metallic drain covers combine high design standards and durability to bring a touch of glamour to bathrooms reclaimed materials such as stone and wood or Wedi Top Line design surfaces performance-led product innovations that go beyond 'just' being functional For more information and technical support visit wedi.net/uk wedi is well-known for its 100% waterproof XPS product range manufactured solely with green energy and at least 25% recycled extruded polystyrene foam material the manufacturer provides its clients with not only secure foundations for direct tiling but also durable Whether for the shower enclosure or for the whole bathroom - from preformed sleek surfaces perfectly matched to wedi’s XPS wet room trays benches or niches to large-format panel type surfaces - the wide selection of design elements of the wedi Top Line leaves nothing to be desired natural colours with an organic feel making them timeless and durable; due to the full-body colour 2023 marks wedi’s further advancement into surface design The new Sanwell Top LED niche with its factory integrated and fully sealed LED lighting makes storage in the shower or bathroom a real highlight provides a hygienic and easy to maintain stylish shelving for shower accessories and decorative elements Thanks to the degree of prefabrication during manufacturing sealing and other preliminary work is eliminated It is available as a mineral composite in pure white to match modern sanitaryware or as a mineral-vinyl composite with natural stone look in carbon black Main advantages of the Sanwell Top LED niche: Constantly thriving to offer more to its clients the company is taking its drain covers to the next level New covers are available for both point and linear drainage from June 2023 the brand is utilising a technology typically associated with the aerospace and automotive industries to upgrade its brushed stainless steel drain covers Individualisation is key to bathroom design and metallic-effect brassware fits into this trend perfectly High-quality PVD coating offers not only decorative but also functional advantages by enhancing wear resistance and protecting from corrosion There are three new designs to choose from - metallic black metallic gold and metallic rose gold - adding instant warmth and a touch of sophistication to any bathroom They are versatile enough to harmonise with both traditional and modern bathroom styles wood or wedi Top design surfaces) perfectly - offering a timeless cohesive look and longevity in bathroom design Main advantages of metallic wedi Fundo covers: A testament to how high design standards and durability can be combined the new metallic drain covers and the illuminated niche surface from wedi hint at glamour and luxe while remaining tasteful As a certified EcoProfit operation for over 15 years the leading manufacturer of innovative wet room solutions is paving the way for a sustainable future partners and suppliers in the responsible use of energy and environmental resources whilst inspiring creative clever product innovations that go beyond ‘just’ being functional – this is wedi For more information and technical support visit www.wedi.net/uk enquiries@wedi.co.uk In association with wedi Systems (UK) Ltd The leading manufacturer of XPS wet room solutions is paving the way for a.. Read More >> Complemented by its new product line of seamless surface finishes Read More >> BUILDING PRODUCT LIBRARY - LATEST BROCHURES wedi at a glance 20...By wedi Systems (UK) Lt... Download Now >> wedi Spa & WellnessBy wedi Systems (UK) Lt... Download Now >> Paths to sustainabil...By wedi Systems (UK) Lt... Download Now >> Fundo Complete Syste...By wedi Systems (UK) Lt... Download Now >> wedi Wellness OasesBy wedi Systems (UK) Lt... Download Now >> Watch Now >> Lets Talk Specification will be hosting a number of Workshops at Futurebuild on Tuesday 5th March 2019 Welsh Music Prize winners Adwaith have shared new cut "Wedi Blino" as the latest preview of their upcoming second album Bato Mato "Wedi Blino" is accompannied by a Eilir Pierce-directed video, and follows their February lead outing "ETO" "We wanted to create a big indie pop song that has a melancholy feel to it It's about being worried that life is going too fast or the worries of a relationship the overwhelming feeling that you're not good enough and that you are the reason things aren't working out." "The concept of the video is all about anxiety feeling like you're the problem always," Adwaith added "All these emotions that are very apparent in your early 20's We worked with Eilir Pierce to create this video as we wanted it to be more dramatic and heartfelt than our other videos." Bato Mato is inspired by the band's trip to Siberia, and shares its name with their guide Bato Mato. It'll follow their 2018 debut album Melyn, which won the 2019 Welsh Music Prize The album was largely recorded at Giant Wafer studios in Llandrindod Wells and saw them reunite with Melyn producer Steffan Pringle (Estrons Get the Best Fit take on the week in music direct to your inbox every Friday Food & Drink, Food & Drink News, Shopping At one point, before the pandemic, the West Side Bazaar on Grant Street in Buffalo and EXPO Market on Main Street were two food halls on different sides of the city each offering a different range of food options While the Bazaar had a lot of homestyle comfort food from Southeast Asia and Africa tailored to lunch-going office workers and the theatre crowd A conspiracy of circumstances closed both food halls, but the space that held EXPO recently reopened as the Downtown Bazaar it’s a food and retail operation from the Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI) The West Side Bazaar was born out of the immigrant community around Niagara Street Will that concept translate to the business casual crowd One of the most amazing things about the West Side Bazaar was seeing all the different kinds of people who enjoyed it downtown offices had been using delivery apps to order from West Side Bazaar for many years a Filipino food stall that built a following with Broadway Market pop-ups with strong representation from local producers Here’s a quick rundown of all the restaurants that are open The Philippines endured waves of occupations over the centuries Ethiopian food tends to incorporate a lot of spices and flavors from the nearby Mediterranean and MIddle East regions If you’re a fan of Greek food or Middle Eastern food Nile River serves up popular sub-Saharan classics that go hard on earthy to Buffalo — owner Elizabeth Sher has already had several lifetimes worth of experience Her street food stand focuses on spicy and deep-fried comfort foods Just as retail was a big part of the West Side Bazaar, it’s also a part of the Downtown Bazaar. Flavia’s Business offers traditional clothes from Africa, the Middle East and Asia. At The Asian Boutique Sri Lankan owner Romala Ranjendran offers South Asian fashion accessories So we should keep our eyes peeled for more bazaar graduates in the near future WEDI is also planning on opening another bazaar on Niagara Street this fall which will probably once again expand the number of different cuisines you can find in Buffalo.  Hours at time of publishing (Subject to change): Monday to Friday 11 a.m Want to share info or news with us? Send us a note Submit an Event List a Business Make a Deal List a Deal About Us Advertise With Us Contact Us Careers Privacy Policy List an Event List a Business List a Deal List a Community Update Advertise With Us Resources Press Coverage Events and festivals by the Step Out Buffalo Team Accessibility Statement It is an understatement that sector specific awards are even more emphasized in the midst of the global pandemic - products and services recognised for their excellence in delivering value to the industry during the past 12 months deserve a round of applause One such product is a long established medium from a reputable manufacturer that is well-known to the industry for over 3 decades The first of its kind in the whole of Europe the wedi building board is the base of all wedi’s tile backer product solutions and is a medium yet to be conquered for its reliability versatility and ease of use in bathroom design It is not only 100% waterproof to its core with the best thermal value of 0.036Wm2K amongst tile setting backgrounds on the UK market but its load-bearing capability of 133 kg/m2 is also second to none when it comes to tile backer boards Manufactured with 100% renewable energy and at least 25% recycled core material wedi products have their own Environmental Product Declarations and due to producing very little dust when worked on also contribute to a safe working environment tailored designs whilst keeping labour and installation time to a minimum the wedi building board was recognised as number one delivering on product and service through what has undoubtedly been a difficult and unstable year for all winning the Tomorrow’s Tile and Stone Awards 2021 wedi as the pioneer of the XPS industry has developed many.. 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You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports I will now update the House on the two rounds of negotiations with the EU which took place in July and August While at times these negotiations have been tough it is clear that we have made concrete progress on many important issues I would like thank all our officials who have been working hard both at home Colleagues will have received my letter following the July negotiating round dated 9 August I set out the dynamics of that round in some detail These rounds were not at this stage about establishing jointly agreed legal text They were about reaching a detailed understanding of each other’s position understanding where there might be room for compromise and beginning to drill down into technical detail on a number of issues During both rounds discussions took place on all four areas including the specific issues relating to the rights of citizens on both sides the question of a financial settlement and a number of technical separation issues Making progress on citizens’ rights has been an area of focus for both negotiation rounds and we took significant steps forward in both July and August We have published a joint technical paper which sets out our respective positions in more detail This underlines both the significant alignment between our positions and also provides clarity on areas where we have not as yet reached agreement In July we achieved a high degree of convergence on: They may sound technical but they matter enormously to individuals will mean that British pensioners living in the EU will continue to have their health care arrangements protected both where they live and when they travel to another Member State where they will still be able to use an EHIC card These areas of agreement help provide certainty and clarity for EU27 citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the EU27 They will make a tangible difference to these people’s lives I hope everyone recognises the importance of that The outcomes of these discussions demonstrate that we have delivered on our commitment to put citizens first and to give them as much certainty as early as possible in this process there remain areas of difference which we continue to work on we will need to have further discussions on the specified cut-off date future family reunion and the broader issue of compliance on enforcement Progress on these areas will require flexibility and pragmatism from both sides During the Summer negotiating rounds a number of issues emerged in the EU offer that will need further consideration the EU does not plan to maintain the existing voting rights for UK nationals living in the EU We have made it clear that we will protect the rights of EU nationals living in the UK to stand and vote in municipal elections the EU proposals would not allow UK citizens currently resident in the EU to retain their rights if they move within the EU Even in areas where there has been progress While the EU has agreed to recognise the qualifications of UK citizens resident in the EU This recognition must extend to students who are currently studying for a qualification it must apply to onward movement by UK citizens in the EU and it should extend more broadly to protect the livelihoods of thousands of people which depend on qualifications which will be gained before we exit the EU In these areas the EU’s proposals fall short of ensuring UK citizens in the EU and EU citizens in the UK can continue to live their lives broadly as they do now we have established a number of sub-groups They made progress in a number of specific areas and drew on papers the UK published ahead of both rounds I am pleased to say that we are close to agreement on our approach to post-exit privileges and immunities - on which we have published a position paper - which will benefit both the UK and EU to maintain after we leave We have agreed on our mutual approach to confidentiality requirements on shared information post-exit With respect to nuclear materials and safeguards we held discussions on the need to resolve issues around the ownership of special fissile material and the responsibility for radioactive waste and spent fuel held both here and there We reiterated a strong mutual interest in ensuring that the UK and Euratom Community continue to work closely together in the future as part of comprehensive new partnership With respect to legal cases pending before the Court of Justice the parties discussed and made progress on the cut-off points for cases being defined as ‘pending’ There was also progress in discussions concerning the UK’s role before the Court whilst these pending cases are being heard With respect to judicial cooperation in civil and commercial matters and ongoing judicial cooperation in criminal matters we made good progress on the principles of approach and the joint aim of providing legal certainty and avoiding unnecessary disruption to courts both parties reiterated the importance of providing legal certainty to businesses and consumers across the EU and UK at the point of departure we emphasised that the broader principles outlined in the UK’s position paper seek to minimise the type of uncertainty and disruption for business which we are all working to avoid We remain committed to making as much progress as possible on those issues which are solely related to our withdrawal but our discussions this week have exposed yet again that the UK’s approach is substantially more flexible and pragmatic than that of the EU as it avoids unnecessary disruption for British business and consumers I have urged the EU to be more imaginative and flexible in their approach to withdrawal on this point I’m pleased to report there has been significant The negotiation Coordinators explored a number of issues including both the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement and the Common Travel Area the group also had detailed discussions on the basis of the UK position paper As both Michel Barnier and I said at last week’s press conference there is a high degree of convergence on those key issues and we agreed to work up shared principles on the Common Travel Area We also agreed to carry out further technical work on cross-border co-operation under the Belfast Agreement the key issues in relation to cross-border economic co-operation and energy will need to form an integral part of discussions on the UK’s future relationship with the EU We have been clear that the UK and the EU will have financial obligations to each other that will survive our exit from the EU In July the Commission set out the European Union position We have a duty to our taxpayers to interrogate that position rigorously At the August round we set out our analysis of the EU’s position We also had in-depth discussions on the European Investment Bank and other off-budget issues It is clear that the two sides have very different legal stances the settlement should be in accordance with law and in the spirit of the UK’s continuing partnership with the EU Michel Barnier and I agreed that we do not anticipate making incremental progress on the final shape of a financial deal in every round Generally we should not underestimate the usefulness of the process so far But it is also clear that there are still significant differences to be bridged in this sector Initial discussions were also held on governance and dispute resolution These provided an opportunity to build a better shared understanding of the need for a reliable means of enforcing the Withdrawal Agreement and resolving any disputes that might arise under it we have also published a number of papers which set out our thinking regarding our future special partnership with the EU These future partnership papers are different from our papers that set out our position for the negotiations under our withdrawal agreement Our future partnership papers are part of a concerted effort to pragmatically drive the progress we all want to see we have argued that talks around our withdrawal cannot be treated in isolation from the future partnership that we want We can only resolve some of these issues with an eye on how the new partnership will work in the future on Northern Ireland it would be helpful to our shared objectives on avoiding a hard border to be able to begin discussions on how future customs arrangements will work if we agree the comprehensive free trade agreement we are seeking as part of our future partnership solutions in Northern Ireland are of course then easier to deliver the days of making vast yearly contributions to the EU budget will end when we leave But there may be programmes that the UK wants to consider participating in as part of the new partnership that we seek Naturally we need to work out which of those we want to pursue We need to discuss them as part of talks both on our withdrawal from the EU and our future as their long-standing friend and closest neighbour A third example is on wider separation issues While we are happy to negotiate and make progress on the separation issues it is our long-term aim that ultimately many of these arrangements will not be necessary it would not be in either of our interests to run aspects of the negotiations twice as we turned our heads to the next round of talks my message to the Commission was: Let us continue to work together constructively to put people above process To that end my team will publish further papers in the coming weeks - continuing to set out our ambition for these negotiations and a new deep and special partnership the UK wants to build with the EU businesses and citizens on both sides want us to move swiftly on to discussing the future partnership and we want that to happen after the European Council in October if possible both sides agreed that the aim was to make progress on four key areas: citizens’ rights No one has ever pretended this will be simple or easy I have always said this negotiation will be tough But we must not lose sight of our overarching aim — to build a deep and special new partnership with our closest neighbours and allies whilst also building a truly global Britain that can forge new relationships with the fastest growing economies around the world Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details The Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) recently recognized industry champions for their contributions to further the association and health IT industry initiatives The awards focus on using health IT to create efficiencies in healthcare information exchange Each award recipient was announced during WEDI-Con 2016 in Reston Melczer Award: Excellence in Volunteerism—Robert Tennant Director of Health Information Technology Policy at the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) is the 2016 recipient of the Melczer Award This award recognizes an individual who has provided exemplary service by giving their time to the association and healthcare IT industry activities on a national basis The award aims to recognize the person whose business philosophy is to make the world a better place by sharing one’s time and talents and is named in memory of Andrew H who exemplified these characteristics through his volunteerism with WEDI Chair’s Award—This award is presented at the discretion of WEDI’s Chair to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to the advancement of specific WEDI initiatives The 2016 recipients of this award include: Distinguished Service—This award recognizes individuals who have provided significant leadership to the fulfillment of the mission and overall volunteer activities of WEDI through participation in committees Excellence in Health IT Award—Recognizing an individual or organization’s contribution to the advancement of health information technology and eCommerce technology in healthcare the 2016 Excellence in Health IT Award recipient was Florida Blue HIT Government Champion Award—This award recognizes exceptional government personnel who have supported policy that advances the Health IT industry The 2016 HIT Government Champion Award was presented to Lorraine Doo Senior Policy Advisor at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Doo has been an active ally of WEDI and has helped build government support on many new initiatives Sullivan Award—Named in honor of WEDI founder and former HHS Secretary Sullivan in 2001 and recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves through their leadership and achievements in advancing the overall quality and efficiency of healthcare The 2016 Sullivan Award was presented to Shana Olshan Director of the National Standards Group for the Office of Enterprise Information at CMS Outstanding Corporate Leadership Award—This award is given to a company that has served as a strong champion of progress in the Health IT industry through its continued commitment to WEDI’s sponsorship programs throughout the year an information technology solutions firm providing an array of information technology consulting services and products exclusively to the healthcare industry Outstanding Leadership Award—This award recognizes Workgroup/Taskforce or Subworkgroup Co-Chairs who have consistently contributed toward the growth and impact that their group has made on the industry Volunteer Service—This certificate recognizes a leader in the making someone who is making a real contribution and a real difference within WEDI This award recognizes someone who has actively supported the efforts of their workgroup For more information on the 2016 awardees or on the WEDI-Con conference, please visit www.wedi.org Scottish and Welsh leaders say proposed bill undermines their powers and is ‘an attack on democracy’ The UK government’s internal market bill is “an abomination which would cripple devolution”, Nicola Sturgeon has said escalating already fierce criticism of the proposals from across the devolved administrations Earlier the Welsh government described Westminster’s plans for a post-Brexit UK-wide internal market as “an attack on democracy and an affront to the people of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland” said the bill signified “the destruction of two decades of devolution” while Scottish Labour’s Alex Rowley described it as “a farce that threatens the very foundations of the United Kingdom” Later in the day David Melding quit the Tory frontbench in the Senedd over the proposals and launched a withering attack on Boris Johnson Melding said: “The publication of the internal market bill had done nothing to lessen my anxieties about the dangers facing our 313-year-old union and indeed they have been gravely aggravated by the decisions made in the last few days by the prime minister “I feel it is necessary to speak out against what I consider to be a lack of statecraft at this crucial time for the UK’s very survival as a multi-national state.” The internal market bill, which sets out trading arrangements across the UK after the transition period, also includes clauses which negate key aspects of the EU withdrawal agreement – and which the UK government on Tuesday conceded breaks international law In a strongly worded statement following the publication of the draft bill at lunchtime Sturgeon said: “The UK government are not only set to break international law – it is clear they are now set to break devolution.” Sturgeon pledged that her government would “fight tooth and nail” against proposals that include a mutual recognition regime requiring regulatory standards in one part of the UK to be automatically accepted in others and which she argued would mean “a race to the bottom when it comes to things like food standards and environmental protections” She said plans would prevent the Holyrood parliament from effectively legislating in a whole range of areas and could lead to Scotland being forced to accept chlorinated chicken the Welsh counsel general and minister for European transition told the Guardian the bill in its current form had “no prospect” of getting Senedd consent “The question is if they don’t get that consent whether they will proceed regardless” Describing the proposals as “an outrageous power grab” he reiterated that the “cavalier” bill “seriously imperils the devolution settlement” In an indication of how the devolved administrations are cohering in opposition to the plans the SDLP deputy and minister for infrastructure tweeted that she was “extremely concerned at the actions of the British government” and had discussed attempts to undermine devolved power on infrastructure with Scottish government counterpart Michael Matheson The Welsh government also accused Westminster of failing to consult them adequately Miles said: “We didn’t have access to the bill until late last night if you’re going to put forward a bill which cuts into devolution then plainly anything that is encroaching on devolved territory needs to be discussed and agreed There are also profound concerns about a proposed oversight body that would hold any new devolved bills to a “market impact test” which the Scottish government believes would have jeopardised Scotland-only initiatives such as free university tuition the Scottish parliament would not have been able to pass its world-leading legislation on minimum unit pricing of alcohol – a fact which will deeply concern the broad coalition of Scottish civic society which backed this vital public health measure.” The Welsh and Scottish governments wrote to Michael Gove setting out their concerns in July, when the proposals first emerged, warning they would put Scotland and Wales on a collision course with Westminster Sources at the time reported a more aggressive approach towards devolution from a new generation of Conservative politicians But Downing Street denied the bill was a “power grab” insisting there would be no change to the powers already held by the devolved administrations and highlighting that additional powers would be returned post-Brexit in “at least 70” policy areas Johnson’s spokesman said: “What the devolved administrations will enjoy is a power surge when the transition period ends in December “There will be no change to the powers that the devolved administrations already have and the vast majority of powers with devolved competencies returning from Brussels will go straight to Holyrood First Minister Mark Drakeford visited the set of Netflix’s Sex Education series to meet apprentices and trainees and to announce Welsh Government backing for the fourth season of the successful show.  Sex Education is a comedy-drama series that follows the lives of the students staff and parents of the fictional Moordale Secondary School The Welsh Government has financially supported two of the last three series of the popular drama All three previous series were provided with logistical support through the Wales Screen service Since Creative Wales was established in January 2020 £12.8m of production funding has been successfully awarded to 19 projects generating over £139m of production spend into the Welsh Economy The show has had a significant positive impact on the Welsh economy and is providing valuable training opportunities for the next generation of talent This season will offer a further 11 trainee placements In addition some trainees from earlier series have also returned as full-time crew in subsequent series helping to further develop the crew base in Wales.  As part of its investment in television and film production the Welsh Government stipulates that all supported productions must commit to providing paid trainee placements for Wales based trainees.  The Young Person’s Guarantee provides everyone under 25 in Wales with support to gain a place in education or training or support to get into work or self-employment The Welsh Government is asking businesses across Wales to commit to the Young Person’s Guarantee by offering opportunities through work experience placements Speaking during his visit to the Sex Education set “I am pleased we have been able to back Sex Education one of the biggest success stories for the industry in Wales and one of Netflix’s biggest hits globally “The opportunities provided by the production shows the range of schemes and programmes available through the Young Person’s Guarantee “Young people hold the key to Wales’ future success and there will be no lost generation here as a result of the pandemic” Charles Strider from the CRIW Shared Apprenticeship Scheme said:  “This is an opportunity not only to learn on a production but will also open the door for me to develop my career over the years to come.  “I want to stay in Wales and continue being a part of this growing industry that I’m so excited to be involved in”.  Creative Director at Eleven and Executive Producer of Sex Education said:  “We are delighted that Sex Education is returning to Wales this year for its much-anticipated fourth series The country is home to some of the world’s most breath-taking landscapes which create a memorable and unique TV experience for viewers we’ll work alongside Netflix and the Welsh Government to support young creatives through apprenticeships and training we hope to drive growth across Wales’ creative industries and promote the country as a filming destination of choice.” were major Netflix hits contributing to increasing Wales' recognition as a major location for film production It has been one of the highest profile international series supported by the Welsh Government and Creative Wales to-date Creative Wales is the lead body for the creative industries in Wales leading on policy and delivery for the sector from within the Welsh Government It drives growth across the creative industries building on existing success and developing new talent and skills Creative Wales supports both indigenous and incoming productions helping to maximise a production’s impact on supply chain Cookie Settings Powered by Onclusive PR Manager™ Oralia traditional Mexican food has joined the eclectic culinary mix at the Downtown Bazaar previously embarked upon a number of pop-ups throughout the city before setting up shop at the 617 Main Street location with recipes from the northern region of Mexico According to Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI) “Oralia is named for Chef Jess’s main cooking influence — Oralia a mentor who specialized in the the food of Northern Mexico and the American Southwest Chef Jess is a Buffalo native with 24 years in the hospitality industry Chef Jess was fortunate to spend a number of years living in central Texas where her appreciation of Mexican food only grew When the decision was made to move back to Buffalo it became clear that she wanted to bring the flavors of northern Mexico serving up such meals as tofu scrambles and egg and chorizo in the mornings as well as picadillo burritos and carnitas in the afternoon And for anyone looking for a cold Mexican Coke and Pinoy Boy at WEDI’s new Downtown Bazaar (formerly EXPO) Lulu’s Pub is also in line to open… soon Click here to learn more about all of the culinary offerings available – including Ethiopian and Filipino cuisines – at this new collaborative venture in the heart of Downtown Buffalo You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image For too long we have had to move the family out to the aunt and uncle for weeks just to renovate an old and tired bathroom and waterproofing with one product – Wedi Waterproof Building Board That brings two to three days of preparation down to just two hours yet still incredibly strong and bond friendly The blue waterproof core is CFC and HBCD friendly made from waterproof extruded polystyrene foam reinforced with fibreglass mesh on both sides and coated with synthetic polmer resin motor which fully embeds the mesh layer resulting in the boards strength and the ability to develop the highest adhesion strength to virtually any type of thin bed motor Plus the embedded mesh eliminates the risk of delamination of installation layers The Wedi Sealant is an important part of the Wedi equation A versatile single-component adhesive sealant Wedi is especially suited to waterproof butt joints of building boards It has outstanding resistance to water and chemicals and is also free of solvents When used together the Wedi Sealant and wedi builders board require no further waterproofing meaning you can tile just 30 minutes after installation German engineered and proven for over 35 years with New Zealand codemark certification Wedi has the reliability and trust that you can rely on while also being one of the most innovative products on the market If you would like to know more about Wedi, contact Tile Centre Dunedin Cape Town — A Tigrayan general and former commander in the African Union mission in Somalia died in custody after he was arrested along with other senior officers in the early days of the war in 2020 The rebel authorities in Tigray are calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death was a dominant figure in the Ethiopian army the Tigrayan authorities' External Affairs Office called him a "martyr" follows the suspicious deaths of two other generals as well as "hundreds" of Tigrayan officers and soldiers he was the head of the Federal Troops Communications Department when the war broke out he had commanded Ethiopian troops in Liberia and then on the Badmé front during the war against Eritrea between 1999 and 2000 with 16 other senior officers from the start of operations in Tigray They were accused of having sabotaged communications between the federal command and the northern commander was accused of having sought to send explosives to the rebel authorities the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission met him in prison and declared that his conditions of detention was "acceptable" Translated from RFI by Allafrica's Michael Tantoh Congress for Somali Cause Condemns Military Operations in Oromia AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals representing a diversity of positions on every topic We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you There was a problem processing your submission Facebook Page Website Instagram A WEDI staff member will contact you to schedule an introductory call The new Downtown Bazaar features some classics from the old spot, including Abyssinia Ethiopian Cuisine, Nile River and Pattaya Street Food. ... Greenhouse Events Center • 700 East Robinson Street North Tonawanda THE GEORGE URBAN MANSION • 280 Pine Ridge Road Buffalo Highland Park • 1434-1478 South Ave Rochester Kleinhans Music Hall • 3 Symphony Circle Buffalo Roseland’s Atlas • 492 Rhode Island St Buffalo Elmwood Village Farmers Market • Elmwood Ave Buffalo The Buffalo History Museum • One Museum Court Buffalo El Punto Mexican Cantina • 58 Webster Street North Tonawanda Kleinhans Music Hall (Mary Seaton Room) • 3 Symphony Circle Buffalo Kevin Guest House • 766 Ellicott St Buffalo Shea’s Performing Arts Center • 646 Main Street Buffalo × /* a) Control the position of the close button*/ /* b) Size of the close button - Adjust if is necessary*/ /* c) Background and border of the close button*/ background: none repeat scroll 0 0 #ffffff !important; EDIWediWEDI names Charles Stellar as president CEOIndustry vet selected to lead the health information exchange group Sign up to get the latest stories sent to your inbox every week Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the re-opening of the popular West Side Bazaar at its new expanded location at 1432 Niagara Street in Buffalo The new and significantly expanded West Side Bazaar operated by the Westminster Economic Development Initiative the Bazaar has been a key source of employment and opportunity for dozens of local business owners and others who do not qualify for support from traditional banking and financial institutions.  A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held today and the Bazaar will open to the public with grand opening celebration from October 31 to November 4 “The West Side Bazaar has long been a testament to the diversity of this community and the wide variety of foods and products that make Buffalo so special,” Governor Hochul said “With this new location in a beautifully renovated historic building we are creating opportunities for even more budding entrepreneurs to turn the businesses of their dreams into a reality and I look forward to visiting and meeting the vendors who are helping to transform Niagara Street into a vibrant commercial district.” The Bazaar is a one-of-a-kind small business incubator supporting entrepreneurs on their path to becoming successful business owners with services like microloans and technical business assistance The renovation of a historic 16,000 square foot vacant building provides space for 24 restaurants retail and professional services businesses test and rental kitchens for independent chefs a stage and bar for events with seating for 200-plus patrons West Side Bazaar’s new location is expected to incubate approximately 20 small businesses initially the West Side Bazaar has incubated more than 45 small businesses The 18 new businesses located at the West Side Bazaar’s new location include: Four West Side Bazaar businesses from the former Bazaar on Grant Street and three new businesses will remain at the Downtown Bazaar WEDI Executive Director Carolynn Welch said five times larger space where more entrepreneurs can launch and build economic security for their families is the fulfillment of WEDI’s mission to eliminate barriers to systemic economic equity to create a Western New York where all may thrive campaign steering committee and its leadership and the WEDI staff are grateful for the tremendous show of support for our organization and our business incubators We are grateful for the banking and financial institutions foundations and philanthropic organizations both private and nonprofit and community-minded individuals who pledged and donated to the West Side Bazaar capital campaign.”  estimated at approximately $34 million over five years and may have as many as 250,000 visitors annually contribute to the vibrancy and walkability of the West Side community a firm well-known for its adaptive reuse projects designed the new home for the West Side Bazaar on Niagara Street The two-story brick building was constructed in 1910 and functioned as a gin mill during prohibition The transformation includes large-windowed garage-style doors preserved historic glass block windows on both floors and a two-story sky-lit atrium and a reclaimed gym floor wood center staircase.    Founded by the Westminster Economic Development Initiative (WEDI) on Grant Street in 2011 the West Side Bazaar small business incubator quickly became a popular shopping and dining destination for locals and tourists searching for unique food and retail opportunities. Its new location at 1432 Niagara Street accommodates more vendors and is expected to attract an increased number of residents and visitors to the recently revitalized Niagara Street commercial district.  WEDI received an anchor gift of $1.5 million from KeyBank in Partnership with the First Niagara Foundation $950,000 secured by Congressman Brian Higgins from the U.S and $925,000 from the Erie County Department of Environment & Planning Oishei Foundation and Bank of America have each awarded the project $500,000; M&T Charitable Foundation has pledged $350,000 and Bank of America has given $250,000 Empire State Development through the Western New York Regional Economic Development Council awarded capital grant funding totaling $539,187 The Bazaar also received a Round 5 Better Buffalo Fund Buffalo Main Streets Initiative award of $500,000 administered by NYS Homes and Community Renewal Many foundations and corporations have offered support including the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo provided tax credit equity from both Historic Tax Credits and a New Markets Tax Credit allocation provided by National Trust Community Investment Corporation Individual donations total a remarkable $1.2 million “ESD recognizes the vital importance of the West Side Bazaar supporting the community and enhancing urban opportunities for immigrants and refugees who are excited to grow their businesses We thank Governor Hochul and our many partners for helping this long-awaited project cross the finish line.” Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “Our $500,000 award to support the West Side Bazaar’s new location has created economic opportunity for dozens of local business owners and job seekers while making the area more walkable and attractive to visitors the Buffalo Main Streets Initiative has invested over $11.6 million to enliven commercial districts throughout the city while complementing larger scale initiatives that are making Buffalo an even better place to live WEDI’s West Side Bazaar is a true community anchor and HCR is thrilled to play a part in its expansion.” "WEDI's West Side Bazaar is an innovative launch pad for small business growth and opportunity.  In this new home on Niagara Street the Bazaar has the capacity to host more entrepreneurs and immerse a greater number of visitors in the culturally diverse tastes and treasures this destination has to offer.  We are pleased to support this project and see the West Side Bazaar doors open enriching the local community and economy.”    "The West Side Bazaar has long been a shining example of the many great contributions of our refugee neighbors here in Western New York It has been a thrill to see the transformation of Niagara Street in recent years and the Bazaar’s new location is going to quickly become part of the fabric of this revitalized corridor I have no doubt the new location will be as beloved by the community as the former Grant Street location I encourage everyone to visit the new West Side Bazaar and support these incredible entrepreneurs." “Since its inception in 2011 on Grant Street the West Side Bazaar has been more than an incubator within which enterprising immigrant business owners can turn their professional dreams into fruition The space quickly turned into a communal hub and its many locations now serve as a microcosm for Buffalo’s immigrant-fueled vibrancy and resurgence This historic expansion on Niagara Street will not only offer more space and resources for its entrepreneurs it will provide a significant economic boost to a rapidly growing Niagara Street corridor.” “Erie County is proud to support WEDI in their new and substantially larger home on Niagara Street WEDI has played a large role in reinvigorating neighborhoods and bringing people together and has had a significant economic impact as they’ve grown This exciting new chapter paves the way for more growth “It’s wonderful to see the West Side Bazaar continue to grow and flourish here in the city of Buffalo The variety of foods and wares offered at the Bazaar complements the cultures we have in our city My commitment to diversity and inclusion in our city remains steadfast I thank the businesses at the Bazaar for sharing their culture and products with us in the city of Buffalo.” About Empire State Development     To find out the true production cost of a garment is a tortuous process Here is what you need to know to buy clothes with a clear conscience The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. slowly getting limited information in return and interviewing dozens of sources on the ground in Izmir The researchers analysed financial results and trading data and consulted with experts in pricing and production Their research suggested that the biggest chunk of the hoodie’s retail price – an estimated €10.26 – went back into Zara Their research suggested that the textile factory in Izmir received just €1.53 for cutting the material with €1.10 of that being paid to the garment workers for the 30-minute job of putting the hoodie together The report concluded that workers could not have received anything like a living wage When the research was covered by the media at the time Zara said the report was “based on erroneous premises and inaccurate reporting” that the €7.76 sourcing price was wrong and that the workers were “paid more than the amounts mentioned in Public Eye’s report” But at the time and when I contacted Zara for this article the company declined to set out in greater detail where the research was inaccurate Workers in a small garment factory in Istanbul Photograph: NurPhoto/Getty ImagesWhat is clear is that trying to find out the true production cost of a garment is a tortuous and potentially fruitless process – even when assessing a major high street retailer’s flagship “sustainability” line Throughout fashion, the numbers just don’t add up. High-street clothing has been getting cheaper and cheaper for decades. A major reason why, according to Gordon Renouf, the CEO of the fashion ethics comparison app Good on You is that so many western brands have “moved from onshore production 40 years ago to larger offshore production” the countries they have chosen have “much lower wage costs weaker labour movements and laxer environmental regulations” but we have also become accustomed to reaping the benefits Our perception of what clothing should cost – and how much of it we need – has shifted the average British household spent 7% of its annual income on clothing Even though we are spending less proportionally the average consumer buys 60% more pieces of clothing – with half the lifespan – than they did 15 years ago fashion is getting cheaper: super-fast brands such as Shein (which sells tie-dye crop tops for £1.49) and Alibaba (vest tops for $2.20) making high-street brands look slow-moving and expensive by comparison But the correlation between price and ethics is knotty The conversation about sustainable fashion tends to be dominated by expensive designer brands: at Stella McCartney a wool-cotton jumper costs £925; at Another Tomorrow each $520 sustainable viscose carbon-offset scarf neck blouse features a QR code in the label that outlines every stage of its “provenance journey” many who proudly opt out of shopping at Primark or Boohoo for ethical reasons may be unaware that most reassuringly mid-priced brands don’t guarantee workers living wages or produce clothing without using environmentally harmful materials A garment’s price is often more about aspiration and customer expectation than the cost of production Hachfeld points out that the Zara hoodie was priced higher in Switzerland (CHF 45.90; €39.57) where Zara is positioned as a mid-range brand where it is perceived as more mainstream and affordable “Either the company or the garment worker is taking the hit because that wouldn’t be a profitable business model,” she says Barber has a personal threshold in mind when she buys an item you really need to break down the labour on it,” she says “Think about what you get paid hourly – think could a person make this dress in three hours?” She doesn’t base this calculation on local wages in the global south which are so much lower “because of years of colonialism and oppression” She buys new clothes infrequently and tries to avoid polyester which is made with fossil fuels and generally used in garments to make them cheaper Barber gets annoyed by the accusations of snobbery that ripple through social media when anyone criticises super-cheap brands these comments come from middle-class people “who want to participate in the system and not feel bad about it” fast fashion is propped up not by those with very low disposable incomes The only way to tell if a garment has been ethically produced is by combing through the details on the manufacturer’s website (although many brands give little or no information) and checking out its rating on Good on You which compares fashion brands on the basis of their impact on the planet Even among brands that have launched with sustainability as their USP Renouf warns against those that talk vaguely about being “natural” and “fair” the materials they use or whether they engage with unions in their factories For the fashion retailer Sam Mabley, the idea that fashion can be ethical only if it is expensive is a myth. Mabley runs a sustainable fashion store in Bristol; he thought it was a shame that he was selling so many ethical T-shirts at around the £30 price point such T-shirts are created in small batches by “cool indie brands who do printed designs – a lot of the work is in the design” ramping up the scale in order to get bigger discounts from suppliers and creating plain ethically produced Ts in black and white for £7.99 With just a month of social media promotion ‘Buying power’ .. a Yes Friends T-shirt by Sam Mabley.He believes it would be fairly easy for fast-fashion brands to use their buying power to “drive change for millions of workers around the world” and guarantee their factories paid living wages without drastically affecting their margins the head of buying at the sustainable fashion mainstay People Tree believes ethical production is necessary and possible in every part of the market it does reduce price – if a company really wants to improve The reality of high-street clothes shopping is still very far from this ideal Apart from a few “sustainable” lines produced by the big fast-fashion brands – which I am loath to recommend because of so many accusations of greenwashing – it is almost impossible to find new because the business models that have enabled clothing to get this cheap rely on inexpensive environmentally damaging fabrics and very low wages That may leave anyone wanting to dress ethically on a high-street purse feeling out of options although Renouf points out that buying better is possible at every budget Good on You aims to “provide ratings for as many brands as possible rather than simply promoting the most sustainable brands” move from an ultra-rapid fashion brand to a more engaged high-street fast-fashion brand items might save you money overall and is the most consistent advice you will hear from fashion campaigners perhaps in end-of-season sales or by buying a thick jumper in the middle of summer to wear the next winter,” says Hulme Stepping out of the trend cycle, and avoiding brands that trade on planned obsolescence, is another avenue to explore. For example, Patrick Grant, a judge on the BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee, explains that his Community Clothing brand aims to give shoppers more bang for their buck by stocking basics rather than continually designing new collections (it also does without retail space and marketing) Working to slimmer margins means he can invest in good fabric but keep prices fairly low: his £49 hoodies are made from 470g 100% loopback cotton more durable fabric than you might find for a similar price on the high street repairing and rethinking what you already have and occasionally renting for special occasions can all be cheaper – even free – alternatives Voting with your wallet will only go so far, however, and won’t be possible for many people who are struggling, as the number of people in poverty in the UK soars to 15 million Questioning the magical thinking of rock-bottom prices is not about blaming the consumer you could write to MPs and CEOs and demand that they do something about living wages and the environmental cost of fashion which should be held to account for a broken system An audio clip from what is said to be an intercepted radio communication between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) military commanders is trending in social media.  The senior commander who identified himself as code 37 during the communication is said to be Brigadier General Teklai Ashebir a senior TPLF commander who is also known as Wedi Ashebir.  He was giving orders to code 65 of the force commander.  Code 37 ordered code 65 to “shoot everyone who is a Tigrean and not prepared to die for Tigray He is running away from death but you need to show him that there is death even if he retreats ” They are pushing them from the top I am the one who is looking at them…the mission has failed I am telling you the mission has failed.”  Take a listen to the communication from the audio embedded below : The third round of TPLF war against Ethiopian troops started on August 24 when it launched offensive in Kobo area amid effort for peace talk There are now reports that the TPLF forces are surrounded from different directions and that the TPLF is not in a position to do anything about it The Ethiopian Defense Force did not confirm or dismiss the news at this writing Foreign pressure against Ethiopian government is increasing in what seems to be an effort to rescue the TPLF forces Telegram Channel : t.me/borkena Join the conversation. Follow us on twitter @zborkenato get the latest Ethiopian News updates regularly.Like borkena on Facebook as well Genocide of Amhara going on in Wellga Oromia Zone Ethiopia right now as we speak Many Amharas are massacred in the most gruesome disgusting ways The Oromia Zone administration is giving cover and support to Oromo Genocide Criminals The big and collaborated Genocide Crime is happening! Be humane and Be a Voice for Amharas Genocide! believe the TPLF must be eliminated if Ethiopia and Eritrea are to have peace to focus on fighting poverty and promoting economic development And the time for that appears to be right now No foreign powers should be allowed to interfere in the ongoing war to eliminate TPLF Every ‘liberation front’ had/has done that OLF and TPLF are on the record to have executed on the spot without due martial court those who suddenly retreated I remember reading an account by one of former rif rafts in the army of the TPLF after it was taken over by conniving smart alecks He told a horrific story of a young teenager who changed his mind and went AWOL One day his group took control of a village when they came across that young man They took him to their camp where he faced a commander with a raging blood-shot eyes Then suddenly that field commander pulled his pistol and shot that young man in the temple killing him instantly while the rest of fighter watching He told us how he brought up that extrajudicial killing with the late prime minister He was told field commanders are free to carry out instant justice on those who changed their minds and refused to fight I am sure that person is still alive and can tell us about that horrific incidence Please note I referred to the TPLF as ‘after it was taken over by conniving smart alecks’ It is in the working protocol of the current and previous leaders of the rif rafts OLF leaders had carried out similar extrajudicial killings of those who complained about the despotic leadership It was reported that it rounded up those who aired complaints under the guise of re-education and summarily executed about 132 of them to the horrors of our Eritrean brothers and sisters There were a few members of my Itu clan among those who were executed without trial This happened in 2014 or 2015 at their camp in the Sahel If you say something or show the slightest sign of reluctance These leaders of the so-called ‘liberation fronts’ have to be as such because that is the only that can remain riding on the backs of their gullible fighters and helpless citizens They know very well that democracy means their lights out in an instance Make that: These leaders of the so-called ‘liberation fronts’ have to be as such because that is the only they can remain riding on the backs of their gullible fighters and helpless citizens They know very well that democracy means their lights out in an instance Sirak Amare ( aka Wedi Shambel) was on Dagu show specially for those Ethiopians who are from the Tigray region of Ethiopia Talks about the moral vices of TPLF and how the people in the Tigray region are used “The Tigray People is under TPLF captivity,” he says Video : embedded from EBC Youtube channel Cover photo : screenshot from the video __ For more Ethiopian News Video, Check HERE Join the conversation. Follow us on Twitter @zborkenato get latest Ethiopian News updates regularly.Like borkena on Facebook as well unfortunately the philosophy of some people like tplf cadres is that livelihood is obtained by killing others – like animal predators THE Namibian registered Dried Fish Company (DFC) and Women’s Enterprise Development Initiative (WEDI) were selected the winners of the 2013 International SEED Awards The SEED Initiative supports entrepreneurial and innovative ideas that are locally-driven and have great potential to contribute to sustainable development Hilkka Ndjaula and Alushe Nditya are founding directors of the DFC a social entrepreneurship initiative that promotes food security and small enterprise development through the WEDI “Our organisation has honoured the Namibian fishing sector’s achievements over the years which is judged by the industry’s contribution to the country’s GDP Our efforts reflect that changing the status quo of our country and her people and our success depends on the commitment and participation of local drivers Our partnership with SEED will enable us to benefit from their knowledge and to develop and reach our country’s food security targets.” Alushe explained that theirs is a manufacturing enterprise that is built on a unique locally driven model empowers local women and creates employment we are constantly engaging in a process of creating changing and adapting new processes and products and finding ways to put them to good economic and social use The DFC’s strategy reflects local needs and characteristics since we aim to provide local solutions to local problems “We will do this through manufacturing and transforming local goods into end products that are consumed locally and are beneficial to Namibians The DFC unites and combines research with community targeted interventions that cost very little to implement adding that the aim is to enhance nutrition through the use of emerging technology and indigenous knowledge systems Both directors said they welcome challenges and find inspiration in discovering solutions that have a national footprint They also said they share the award with WEDI women whose names will be released at a strategic in the near future copyright in the content of this website vest in The Free Press of Namibia (Proprietary) Limited (Registration No 85/058) The unauthorized making of copies or use of this material constitutes a copyright infringment under the Namibian Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Protection Act Powered by PageSuite © 2025 The Namibian This site asks for consent to use your data We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns