List of All Articles with Tag 'am'

If you were hoping more Microsoft games might come to the aging Xbox One, there’s

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has directed the withdrawal of frozen foods of an animal nature.

A new report has found that the price of childcare is still rising in the United States and has gone up by 220 per cent since 1990. In the annual report from Annie E. Casey Foundation, the charitable organisation examined the importance of childcare across the country, with data from each state about the overall well-being of children. With an analysis from Child Care Aware, an advocacy organisation, the report found that “child care costs have risen 220 per cent since” 1990, “significantly outpacing inflation”. As noted by the US Inflation Calculator, the cumulative rate of inflation, from January 1990 to May 2023, is approximately 138 per cent . The Annie E. Casey Foundation also looked at the annual cost of childcare and how it can impact parents’ income. More specifically, the average yearly cost for care for one child in America was $10,600 in 2021, which is “more than a third of a single parent’s income”. The report looked at the annual cost for a centre-based childcare for a toddler, based on each state. Results showed that prices are the highest in Washington DC, with a cost of $24,396 per year. Centre-based childcare in Connecticut is also expensive, with an annual price of $18,156 per year. The report said over 2 million children in the US had family members who experienced job changes due to childcare prices from 2020 to 2021. The organisation examined the ethnicity of these 2 million children: 17 per cent of them were Black, 16 per cent Latino, and 14 per cent Asian and Pacific Islanders. The organisation also looked at the analysis of 2017 data, which showed how the childcare system disproportionately impacted families of colour. For example, centre-based childcare for two children absorbed 26 per cent of a working mother’s median household income. Meanwhile, 42 per cent of a Latino working mother’s median household income paid for two children’s childcare, while 56 per cent of a Black working mother’s income covered this childcare cost. On the economic well-being of children around the country, findings showed that over 12 million were in poverty in 2021. That same year, there were over 21 million children whose parents lacked secure employment, and nearly 22 million children living in a household with high housing cost burden. Earlier this year, a report by the US Department of Labor also found that families with younger children in the country pay a significant amount on childcare. After looking at data from 2018, which was adjusted based on the inflation rate in 2022, the report noted that “childcare prices range from $4,810 for school-age home-based care in small counties to $15,417 for infant centre-based care in very large counties”. Read More Thirty, flirty and declining: How 30 became a terrifying milestone for an anxious generation More help with childcare costs for families on Universal Credit from end of June Government’s childcare reforms ‘risk worsening outcomes’ for poorer children

Consumer spending at restaurants in the US may finally be starting to level off following the pandemic-reopening boom,

Kroger and other chains say customers on food assistance programs like SNAP are struggling as aid shrinks.

After nearly a decade of construction, Los Angeles transit riders will have a direct route to Long Beach

The small fishing village of Iseltwald, Switzerland, is home to just about 400 people. Located on the southern

Delta Air Lines Inc.’s board voted to restart the company’s quarterly dividend, which was suspended in March 2020

Major ticketing websites including Ticketmaster and SeatGeek Inc. will announce transparency initiatives designed to make it easier for

Struggling to sleep? You’re not alone. As conversations with friends, family and colleagues seem to be dominated by tiredness, middle-of-the-night wake-ups and vivid dreams, the TikTok tag ‘can’t sleep’ has currently racked up 1.2 billion views. It seems we’re all finding it difficult to get enough zeds. But is there a reason why it’s suddenly happening right now? Changing seasons “We all have an internal circadian clock, which is synchronised to the solar time with sunrise and sunset, and regulates our daily physiology and metabolism,” says Dr Laura Roden, associate professor and chronobiology specialist at Coventry University. “Day length changes with seasons, which impacts our circadian timing, and having a circadian clock allows us to respond by adjusting our physiology to these seasonal changes. Animals and plants are affected too – think bird migration, bears hibernating, spring flowers and autumn leaves. We are naturally diurnal, so should be sleeping at night when it is dark. Light acts on our circadian clock to stimulate wakefulness.” Differing lifestyles Our lifestyles also change in the summer. “Many of us are more physically active in summer than winter, and usually spend more time outdoors exposed to bright light during the day,” Roden explains. “That combination of physical activity during the day, and daytime bright light exposure, gives our circadian clock strong synchronising cues and reinforces our diurnal behavioural rhythms. This means that even though we have shorter nights, we are stimulating the feelings of sleepiness at night and wakefulness during the day. Engaging in physical activity during the day usually promotes better sleep – but we must be mindful of not exercising too late at night, as this can have the opposite effect,” she says. The Moon You may have thought the moon’s impact on our bodies is a myth, but Roden says that there is research that backs up these theories. “Some studies have found that this can affect both sleep timing and duration. Women who menstruate may notice that the phase of the moon interrupts their sleep more than biological males. Charlotte Förster from the University of Würzburg carried out a truly remarkable study in terms of data collection and analyses, that showed that women’s menstrual cycles were recurrently synchronous with the moon’s phase, and affected by brightness and gravitational pull. “As body core temperature is affected during menstruation, this would mean that at certain phases of the moon, it can be harder to fall asleep than others, and sleep duration may thus be affected,” Roden says. Sleep hygiene Brighter mornings and lighter evenings may be making your room too light or hot. “Keeping the bedroom slightly cooler than the rest of the house is ideal, but not always achievable. Cooler rooms promote sleep. Using curtains or blinds and sleep masks can help to keep bedrooms dark. But using electronic devices – such as mobile phones – that emit bright light, can cause a suppression of melatonin that we need, to indicate ‘night’ to the circadian clock,” Roden explains. Drinking more We all tend to take on more liquids when it’s hot. And you may find yourself drinking more when socialising in the sun, too. But, Roden suggests avoiding alcohol before bed. According to the Sleep Foundation, it’s best to leave at least four hours between stopping drinking alcohol and going to bed. It’s also a good idea to avoid drinking anything around two hours before sleep, and Roden recommends avoiding caffeine after midday, so you might want to skip those mid-afternoon iced lattes. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 11 ways to dip into Mediterranean inspired decor Whiten up your wardrobe with summer’s hottest trends Paternity leave should be paid for six weeks, campaigners tell Government

Campaigners are calling on the Government to extend paid paternity leave from two to six weeks in the UK after research found it could reduce the gender pay gap. A report from the Centre for Progressive Policy think tank (CPP) and charity Pregnant Then Screwed (PTS) analysed Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data to explore the economic and health impacts of extending the statutory entitlement to paternity leave and pay. It shows that countries with more than six weeks of paid paternity leave have a 4.0% smaller gender wage gap and 3.7% smaller labour force participation gap – the proportion of men and women in the workforce. The analysis also suggests that closing gender employment gaps in all UK authorities would increase economic output by £23 billion. We have the worst paternity benefit in Europe which is negatively impacting children, gender equality and the economy Joeli Brearley, Pregnant Then Screwed It comes as the UK has the least generous paternity leave entitlement in Europe with a statutory entitlement of two weeks and pay of £172 a week, which is 44% of the national living wage. The researchers also looked at PTS data from 1,735 mothers and 1,805 fathers, finding that just 18% of prospective parents say they or their partner could afford to take six weeks of paternity leave at the current statutory rate of pay. However, this changed to 57% if the leave was paid at 90% of their income, as statutory maternity pay is for women. The analysis also suggests that for 20% of fathers, no parental leave options were available to them following the birth or adoption of their child. The organisations further commissioned a YouGov pool, which found that 65% of mothers with children under the age of 12 thought increasing paid paternity leave would have a positive impact on mothers’ readiness to return to work while 83% thought it would have a positive impact on mothers’ mental health. Campaigners from CPP and PTS are now urging ministers to extend the statutory leave entitlement, to pay it at 90% of income in line with currently statutory maternity pay and to ensure paternity leave is available to all working fathers and partners. They are also calling for the Government to enhance existing maternity rights to reduce financial hardship, the gender employment gap, and the gender pay gap. Joeli Brearley, chief executive and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, said: “We finally have evidence that boosting paternity leave will reduce the gender pay gap, improve the health of both parents and it will benefit the economy. “Paternity leave is not a luxury but a necessity.” Rosie Fogden, head of research and analysis at CPP said: “While long-held societal norms about gendered parenting roles are shifting, the UK’s parental leave system has not kept pace. “As our findings show, it is still very difficult for many fathers and second parents to be able to afford to take leave when their children are born, and this has serious consequences for both parents’ mental health.” Ms Brearley added: “If our next Government wants to set out a positive vision for the future, then thriving families must be central to their campaign. “We have the worst paternity benefit in Europe which is negatively impacting children, gender equality and the economy. “We are calling on the government to increase the length of non-transferrable paternity leave to a minimum of six weeks at 90% of income, in line with current statutory maternity pay.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live My teenager gets all their news from TikTok – should I worry? How to take care of pets in the heat Struggling with menopause symptoms in the heat? An expert shares tips

Jonnie Irwin has revealed that he sometimes “removes himself” from his family home to go to a hospice while he continues to live with terminal cancer. The A Place in the Sun presenter, 49, first went public with his diagnosis of lung cancer last year after discovering the disease had spread to his brain. He currently lives with his wife, Jessica Holmes, and their three children, Rex, three, and twins Rafa and Cormac, two. However, Irwin admitted that sometimes the pain he experiences makes him “not good to be around”. Speaking to Hello! magazine, the TV host said: “I remove myself on a number of occasions because I’m not good to be around when I’m in pain. “I’m like a bear with a sore head and I don’t want [my family] to be around that.” Irwin has previously spoken candidly about how the pain his illness causes affects his moods. Speaking on the podcast OneChat last month, he said: “I have been close to death’s door, twice at least. “You lose your memory, you lose your patience. I have got a very short temper. It’s not made me a better person, that’s for sure.” This week, Irwin also opened up about why he hasn’t yet told his sons about his terminal cancer. He said it would be difficult for them to understand the situation due to their young age. “I keep being asked, ‘Are you going to tell them?’ but tell them what?” he said. “It would be horrible news that they’d have to get their heads around. And it would confuse the hell out of Rex – he’s got a shocking enough day coming. Let’s bury our heads in the sand for as long as possible.” After publicly revealing his condition, the Escape to the Country host said he was worried that his children will not remember him if he died last year because they’re “too young”. He told The Sun: “Every time something really nice happens with them, I have this thing knocking at my door, saying, ‘Don’t get too happy because you’re not going to be around much longer’. “Then I think, they’re not going to remember me, they’re really not. They’re too young and if I die this year, there’s no chance they will have memories.” In early June, Irwin was admitted to hospital to be “monitored” due to a “changeover in my pain management regime”. Read More Thirty, flirty and declining: How 30 became a terrifying milestone for an anxious generation Woman who went from size 18 to size six shares surprising things ‘no one tells you’ about weight loss Vegan family writes letter to neighbours requesting they close their windows when cooking meat Jonnie Irwin ‘removes himself’ from family home amid terminal cancer battle Jonnie Irwin explains why he hasn’t told his sons about his terminal cancer A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin admitted to hospital amid terminal diagnosis