The Special Educational Needs scandal: How 'sharp-elbowed' parents who insist their badly behaved children suffer from ADHD are ruining the lives of blind youngsters like this with real special needs
Eight-year-old Bryn was a disruptive pupil. He roamed the classroom as if he owned it, asked silly questions and, given the chance, was prone to demolishing things.
More Than Half of Carbon Credit Auditors Have Signed Off on 'Overclaimed' Benefits
Can carbon-reducing projects "offset" a company's emissions? "The reality has been less encouraging," according to a Science magazine editorial by Cary Coglianese, a law/political science professor at University of Pennsylvania, and Cynthia Giles, a former senior advisor at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In a new paper published Wednesday, they found that more than half of all currently-certified carbon auditors signed off on projects later found to be "overclaiming" carbon benefits.
Their conclusion? "Criticism should be directed not at individual auditors as much as the structure of the system that fosters these outcomes."
Most carbon offset projects that have been closely scrutinized — including projects for forest protection, renewable energy, and methane-reducing methods of rice cultivation — have greatly exaggerated their climate benefits. More than 80% of issued credits might not reflect real emission reductions. This has alarmed potential offset purchasers and stalled carbon offset markets.
Efforts to resuscitate the beleaguered offset market tout third-party auditing as "essential" to ensuring credit integrity. That reliance is misplaced... [E]xtensive research from many contexts shows that auditors selected and paid by audited organizations often produce results skewed toward those entities' interests. A field experiment in India, for example, found that air and water pollution auditors who were randomly assigned and paid from a central fund reported emissions at levels 50 to 70% higher than auditors selected and paid by audited firms. Auditors — like all people — are subject to a well-established and largely unconscious cognitive phenomenon of self-serving bias, causing them to interpret evidence in favor of their clients...
[A]uditors have been required all along and have failed to prevent substantial credit overclaiming. It is rarely acknowledged that all of the credit overclaiming projects that have stirred so much controversy were ratified by third-party auditors under the same auditor selection and payment system that offset advocates rely on today... Auditors are unlikely to stay in business if they disapprove credits at the high rates that research suggests would be appropriate today...
Given the high planetary stakes in carbon policy choices being made now, it is past time to recognize that third-party auditors selected and paid by the audited organizations are not the bulwark for credit integrity they are claimed to be.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
SAS veteran disgusted at Labour's betrayal of his comrades breaks 44-year silence to reveal his regiment saved the life of Irish Republican Bernadette Devlin following a horrific murder attempt
'It was a nightmare inside there,' recalls a soldier whom we will call Andrew. 'There was the husband on the kitchen floor with blood spurting out of an arterial wound.'
NHS patients sent new skin patches to attach themselves at home which can detect common heart problems
The small patches represent a huge leap forward from traditional devices, which require set-up by a trained physiologist and involve numerous wires and monitors.
Bob Geldof, Midge Ure and Brian May join other A-listers at star-studded Live Aid 40th Anniversary Gala
The Live Aid 40th Anniversary Gala took place this weekend - with the likes of Midge Ure, Bob Geldof , Brian May in attendance.
Christine McGuinness 'had fun fling with leading soap actress after meeting at awards ceremony' following split from Paddy
Christine McGuinness reportedly had a 'fun fling' with a leading soap actress at an awards ceremony back in 2023, following her split from ex-husband Paddy.
STEPHEN GLOVER: Rather than sending flunkies to make peace, Harry should say sorry in person to his father for what he's done
Why don't the two men meet together, and have a heart-to-heart talk? There is a danger in relying on flunkies, who are likely to have their own agendas.
Teenagers increasingly see AI chatbots as people, share intimate details and ask them for sensitive advice
Internet Matters warned that youngsters and parents are 'flying blind', lacking 'information or protective tools' to manage the technology, in research published yesterday.
DR MAX PEMBERTON: We're becoming a nation of can-oholics: This is why our love of summer tinned cocktails could spiral into a drinking problem
No matter where you go everyone seems to be consuming ready-mixed drinks. Their appeal is pretty obvious. They've been cleverly rebranded to appear classy, sophisticated and fun.
Balloon Boy family to reveal what really happened in the hoax that rocked America and who lied
The Colorado family behind the infamous 'Balloon Boy' incident is finally revealing what really happened during the 2009 saga that captivated millions of Americans.
Tori Spelling writes heartbreaking tribute to 90210 co-star Shannen Doherty on first anniversary of her death
Tori Spelling shared her heartbreak at the loss of her friend Shannen Doherty on the one year anniversary of her former co-star's death on Sunday.
Could newbuild tower blocks put YOU in line for a huge payout over 'right to light'? Legal experts say couple's £500k payout will encourage others to make compensation claims
Stephen and Jennifer Powell complained that the Arbor tower, part of the £2billion Bankside Yards development, 'substantially' reduced the natural light getting into their 6th floor apartment.
Joe Rogan escapes America on $600,000-a-week mega-yacht with rarely-seen wife and kids, as his split with President Trump hits fever pitch
While Rogan continues to be sharply critical of Democrats and liberals in general, but has also broken with Trump on several issues in recent weeks.
Taylor Swift's pal supports husband Miles Teller at star-studded golf tournament... but there's no sign of singer with Travis Kelce
The Swifties gathered along the shores of Lake Tahoe were forced to shake off their disappointment for a third day as Taylor Swift was a no-show at Travis Kelce's golf tournament yet again.
KATIE HIND: Tony Blair grasped that working class families like mine want to work hard and get on. After Starmer's attacks on aspiration, I'll NEVER vote Labour again
My dad would ridicule Blair for being 'almost a Tory', but I quickly realised that Blair and his party were willing to allow - even push - people like me to find a way to do well.
CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews last night's TV: Hollywood starlet's legacy of sadness, regret... and one final shocking twist
Jayne Mansfield was born into the wrong era. She wanted to be another Marilyn Monroe, when really she was a smarter, more talented prototype of Katie Price.
Ncuti Gatwa, 32, reveals he quit Doctor Who because he feels he is getting 'too old' and his 'body feels tired'
Ncuti became the first black actor to lead the BBC show and was hailed for bringing fresh energy to the Time Lord - but after two series he has called time on the role.
Labour accused of 'crocodile tears' over junior doctors strike as ministers criticise medical union for low turnout in ballot - but Rayner's flagship Bill will make walkouts even EASIER
Angela Rayner 's radical workers' rights Bill will soon scrap the 50 per cent turnout threshold which unions must meet to hold legal strike action.
Olivia Rodrigo calls Israel-Gaza conflict 'horrific and completely unacceptable' in pro-Palestine message
Olivia Rodrigo took to her Instagram Stories to share a message of support for the people of Palestine this weekend.
Some Amazon Warehouses are Losing Hundreds of Workers After Changes in Legal Status
At an Amazon warehouse that employs 3,700 people, hundreds of workers recently lost their job, reports the New York Times.
"They are among thousands of foreign workers across the country who have been swept up in a quiet purge, pushed out of jobs in places where their labor was in high demand and at times won high praise."
While raids to nab workers in the country without legal permission in fields and Home Depot parking lots have grabbed attention, the job dismissals at the Amazon warehouse are part of the Trump administration's effort to thin the ranks of immigrants who had legal authorization to work... Such dismissals are happening at many of Amazon's more than 1,000 facilities around the country, including in Massachusetts and the warehouse in Staten Island that fills orders for millions of New Yorkers. At one fulfillment center in Florida, hundreds were let go, a person familiar with the site said... "We're supporting employees impacted by the government's recent changes in immigration policy," Richard Rocha, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement. The company has pointed workers to various resources, including outside free or low-cost legal services...
The dismissals came with remarkable speed. On May 30, the Supreme Court granted temporary approval for the Trump administration to revoke a program known as "humanitarian parole," which had allowed more than 500,000 migrants feeling political turmoil in Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to quickly get work permits if they had a fiscal sponsor... On June 12, the Department of Homeland Security said it had begun notifying enrollees that the program was ending, saying the immigrants had been poorly vetted and undercut American workers...
On June 22, Amazon told managers around the country in an email, which was obtained by The New York Times, that it had "received the first list from D.H.S. identifying impacted Amazon employees" from the parole program, as well as "some employees outside of this specific program whose work authorization is similarly affected." Amazon let the managers know that the next day, the affected workers would receive push notifications in the employee app about the change. Unless the workers could provide alternate work authorization documents in the next five days, they would be suspended without pay and ultimately dismissed.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.