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Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Wales Online
Welsh Language Commissioner sets out five priorities in manifesto ahead of Senedd election
Welsh Language Commissioner sets out five priorities in manifesto ahead of Senedd election Efa Gruffudd Jones is calling on all political parties to adopt the proposals Efa Gruffudd Jones believes the forthcoming Senedd term will be pivotal for the language (Image: Welsh Language Commissioner ) The Welsh Language Commissioner has unveiled a manifesto, setting out key priorities she hopes all political parties will commit to ahead of the 2026 Senedd Cymru election. In the manifesto, unveiled on Friday, June 20, Efa Gruffudd Jones said she wanted to see an increase in the number of Welsh language services available to the public and establish a specialist unit to increase the use of the language in workplaces. Despite acknowledging the financial pressures organisations are under, Jones said she had identified five areas of focus that could make a "real difference to strengthening the position of the Welsh language". The proposals come as the current Welsh Labour Government have set out a target to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050. However, according to the last census (2021), the number of people in Wales aged three and above who consider themselves to be Welsh speakers stands at 538,000 - 17.8% of the population, which is actually down 24,000 since the previous census (2011). Read more in our report on Welsh beyond the numbers However, the Welsh Language Commissioner believes the forthcoming Senedd term will be pivotal for the language. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here . Efa Gruffudd Jones said: "My ambition as Commissioner goes beyond a narrow interpretation of what is expected of me and set out in the Welsh Language Measure, and I am keen to lead a body that does more and contributes more significantly to wider language planning work. Article continues below "As a result this manifesto calls for action and guidance from the Welsh Government, whatever its political makeup, and support to facilitate the work of other key partners, including the Welsh Language Commissioner. "The next few years are extremely important for the Welsh language as the Welsh Language and Education Bill is delivered and as the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities are implemented. "I am fully aware of the pressures on our public bodies and that is the reason for setting out five specific priorities in this manifesto. "They follow the path outlined in our strategic plan and I am convinced that these are areas where difference can be made in the use of the language. "We will now look to have discussions with the parties in order to present our manifesto and our rationale for setting out our priorities. "The hope is that the parties will be ready to adopt our proposals and for those to be adopted before the election next year." Article continues below The five priorities outlined in the manifesto are as follows: Language duties - increase the number of Welsh language services available to the public by extending Welsh language standards to priority areas. Community language planning – extend the Commissioner's influence by strengthening the promotion standards as a framework for the co-ordination of intensive community language planning. Workplaces - establish a specialist unit in the Welsh Language Commissioner's office to increase the use of Welsh in workplaces. Health and clinical care service - transform clinical care in Welsh through intensive investment and action in priority areas. The education workforce - establish a five-year Welsh language training framework as a mandatory element of training as a teacher in Wales.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Sen. Emil Jones III to face retrial on bribery charges in 2026 — when he'll also be up for reelection
State Sen. Emil Jones III will face retrial on bribery charges in January 2026, a year when he'll also be up for reelection to a seat bequeathed in classic Illinois fashion by his well-known father. U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood on Friday set a trial date of Jan. 12, which will be nine months after his first trial ended in a mistrial when a jury deadlocked on all counts. If he chooses to run, Jones will have to submit signatures to get on the ballot by late November, a little over a month before his trial. The case, which is expected to last three or four weeks, would be long over before the Democratic primary in March, and a conviction would almost certainly force him from the ballot. The timing of the retrial also means Jones, the son of former state Senate President Emil Jones Jr., will have served out almost an entire four-year term in the General Assembly while the charges were pending. After he was charged in October 2022, Jones resigned from his leadership post and position as chairman of the Senate Licensed Activities Committee, and some Democratic leaders, including Gov. JB Pritzker, called on him to resign from his $72,906-per-year Senate seat entirely. Instead, Jones remained on the ballot in the November 2022 election, where he was running unopposed, and was reelected to a fourth term that expires in January 2027. Jones' 14th District covers parts of the city's South Side as well as near south suburbs such as Riverdale, Calumet Park, Blue Island and Robbins. Jones, 46, a Chicago Democrat, is accused of agreeing to take bribes from an executive of a red-light camera company in exchange for Jones' protection in Springfield against legislation that would hurt the company's bottom line. Wood declared a mistrial April 24 after the jury at least twice reported they could not reach a verdict. The jury of seven women and five men had deliberated for about 24 hours over four days before announcing they were deadlocked. During Friday's hearing, prosecutors said they expect to call up to five additional witnesses the second time around, including former state legislators who will testify about the process of legislation and other nuts-and-bolts of the General Assembly in Springfield. Jones' retrial will come more than six years after FBI agents confronted Jones at his Roseland neighborhood home as part of a sweeping investigation into bribery schemes involving red-light cameras, liquor licenses and other graft across the west and southwest suburbs. At the heart of the probe was Omar Maani, co-founder of SafeSpeed LLC, who agreed to work undercover for federal investigators after being confronted with evidence he was paying off officials in Oak Lawn in exchange for political support to add SafeSpeed cameras at additional intersections. According to the charges, Jones agreed to accept $5,000 in campaign funding from Maani in exchange for Jones agreeing not to file a bill calling for a statewide study of red-light cameras, which SafeSpeed considered potentially damaging to its bottom line. Jones also offered to 'protect' the company from his friend, then-state Rep. David McSweeney, who had filed bills of his own calling for an all-out ban of red-light cameras, according to prosecutors. The charges allege Jones also asked Maani to give his former office intern a part-time job, which led to $1,800 being paid to the intern in exchange for no work. At his first trial, Jones made the risky decision to testify in his own defense, telling the jury his namesake father, who spent nearly 40 years in the General Assembly before retiring in 2008, inspired him to go into politics. 'Ever since I was a child, I always wanted to be a state senator like my father and I decided to run,' Jones testified in April, leaving out that his father had retired abruptly after winning the primary and pitched his son as his replacement to favorable Democratic committeemen. Jones told the jury he's run unopposed ever since winning that first election. Asked by his attorney, Victor Henderson, if he still had to raise money, Jones said, 'I never had an election. I never had an opponent to run against. So … no.' But he still had a fund, Friends of Emil Jones, 'to raise funds for my campaign if I ever had one,' Jones said. State campaign records show that campaign fund had about $148,000 in its coffers as of the last filing in mid-April. jmeisner@
Chicago Tribune
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
State Sen. Emil Jones III to face retrial on bribery charges in 2026 — when he'll also be up for reelection
State Sen. Emil Jones III will face retrial on bribery charges in January 2026, a year when he'll also be up for reelection to a seat bequeathed in classic Illinois fashion by his well-known father. U.S. District Judge Andrea Wood on Friday set a trial date of Jan. 12, which will be nine months after his first trial ended in a mistrial when a jury deadlocked on all counts. If he chooses to run, Jones will have to submit signatures to get on the ballot by late November, a little over a month before his trial. The case, which is expected to last three or four weeks, would be long over before the Democratic primary in March 2026, and a conviction would almost certainly force him from the ballot. The timing of the retrial also means Jones, the son of former state Senate President Emil Jones Jr., will have served out almost an entire four-year term in the General Assembly while the charges were pending. After he was charged in October 2022, Jones resigned from his leadership post and position as chairman of the Senate Licensed Activities Committee, and some Democratic leaders, including Gov. JB Pritzker, called on him to resign from his $72,906-per-year Senate seat entirely. Instead, Jones remained on the ballot in the November 2022 election, where he was running unopposed, and was reelected to a fourth term that expires in January 2027. Jones' 14th District covers parts of the city's South Side as well as near south suburbs such as Riverdale, Calumet Park, Blue Island and Robbins. Jones, 46, a Chicago Democrat, is accused of agreeing to take bribes from an executive of a red-light camera company in exchange for Jones' protection in Springfield against legislation that would hurt the company's bottom line. Wood declared a mistrial on April 24 after the jury at least twice reported they could not reach a verdict. The jury of seven women and five men had deliberated for about 24 hours over four days before announcing they were deadlocked. During Friday's hearing, prosecutors said they expect to call up to five additional witnesses the second time around, including former state legislators who will testify about the process of legislation and other nuts-and-bolts of the General Assembly in Springfield. Jones' retrial will come more than six years after FBI agents confronted Jones at his Roseland neighborhood home as part of a sweeping investigation into bribery schemes involving red-light cameras, liquor licenses and other graft across the west and southwest suburbs. At the heart of the probe was Omar Maani, co-founder of SafeSpeed LLC who agreed to work undercover for federal investigators after being confronted with evidence he was paying off officials in Oak Lawn in exchange for political support to add SafeSpeed cameras at additional intersections. According to the charges, Jones agreed to accept $5,000 in campaign funding from Maani in exchange for Jones agreeing not to file a bill calling for a statewide study of red-light cameras, which SafeSpeed considered potentially damaging to its bottom line. Jones also offered to 'protect' the company from his friend, then-state Rep. David McSweeney, who had filed bills of his own calling for an all-out ban of red-light cameras, according to prosecutors. The charges allege Jones also asked Maani to give his former office intern a part-time job, which led to $1,800 being paid to the intern in exchange for no work. At his first trial, Jones made the risky decision to testify in his own defense, telling the jury his namesake father, who spent nearly 40 years in the General Assembly before retiring in 2008, inspired him to go into politics. 'Ever since I was a child, I always wanted to be a state senator like my father and I decided to run,' Jones testified in April, leaving out that his father had retired abruptly after winning the primary and pitched his son as his replacement to favorable Democratic committeemen. Jones told the jury he's run unopposed ever since winning that first election. Asked by his attorney, Victor Henderson, if he still had to raise money, Jones said, 'I never had an election. I never had an opponent to run against. So … no.' But he still had a fund, Friends of Emil Jones, 'to raise funds for my campaign if I ever had one,' Jones said. State campaign records show that campaign fund had about $148,000 in its coffers as of the last filing in mid-April.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Teen goes viral after bringing 200 tortillas on Texas flight
When H-E-B heard about the teen's TikTok, the company chimed in: 'Gotta keep those in the carry on. Don't want to chance them getting misplaced." A TikTok user has gone viral and sent thousands of people into laughter after sharing a video of herself bringing 200 tortillas onto a plane in Texas. TikToker Anna Jones recorded the video in the early morning hours of June 14. As she stood in line at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, she captured footage of her fellow unsuspecting travelers. "All these people and no one knows I have 200 HEB tortillas in my backpack," Jones wrote, referring to the grocery supermarket chain H-E-B. Once she made it onto the plane, the bag of tortillas was quite the heavy lift. 'I struggled to get that in the overhead carrier, but it went OK,' she said. USA TODAY contacted H-E-B and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport about tortillagate. Here is the story on tortillagate and the laughter that ensued once social media users got wind of it. What's with all the tortillas? Jones is 17 and lives in Nashville, Tennessee, she told USA TODAY on June 20. She had previously flown to Texas to visit her father and the University of Texas at Austin campus, she said. Because there is no H-E-B near her in Tennessee, Jones makes sure she stocks up when she visits Texas, she said, adding that she and her father have done this at least three times. Jones is part of a family of six, and they go through tortillas quickly, she said. Last time, her dad got her about 200 to 300 tortillas, and they lasted a few months, she added. 'We bring them home, and we can freeze them, and we just use them until they run out,' Jones said. 'They normally last about two months.' Jones said she usually always gets flagged by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for carrying tubes of toothpaste that are too big, but she wasn't stopped for her tortillas. 'I just went on through,' she said. 'Nothing happened. It was pretty obvious that it was tortillas. This is kind of normal for them, I guess.' Southwest Airlines, which Jones flew with, states that TSA has a list of approved items travelers can put in checked or carry-on bags. Bread and other solid food items are permitted, per the database. 'TSA officers may instruct travelers to separate items from carry-on bags such as foods, powders, and any materials that can clutter bags and obstruct clear images on the X-ray machine,' TSA said on its website. 'Travelers are encouraged to organize their carry-on bags and keep them uncluttered to ease the screening process and keep the lines moving.' H-E-B: 'Gotta keep those in the carry on' Jones said once she makes it home to Tennessee with her H-E-B tortillas, she likes to make them with pork, lime crema, and also quesadillas with beans, cheese and chicken. When H-E-B heard about the post, the company chimed in: 'Gotta keep those in the carry on. Don't want to chance them getting misplaced.' Jones replied and let the company know she could always use more tortillas. As of June 20, she hasn't heard back. The social media response her post garnered has been fun to be part of, Jones said. 'I immediately texted my dad because he grew up in Austin, so he loves H-E-B,' she said. 'He texted all of his friends from high school. I thought that was pretty funny.' She also said it has been funny seeing folks debate about the quality of tortillas and what makes them tasty. Some TikTokers shared their own stories about traveling with food. 'I had 75 pounds of food in a suitcase to NYC,' wrote one user. 'I need yall to restock the cold/hot bags please. Going on a run again this month.' Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kalen DeBoer Plays the Nick Saban Trump Card To Land Elite 5-Star Edge
Kalen DeBoer Plays the Nick Saban Trump Card To Land Elite 5-Star Edge originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Kalen DeBoer have already assembled an impressive 2026 recruiting class, which features a total of seven commitments and ranks No. 10 in the nation, per On3. Advertisement They continue to make strong pushes as well, and on Friday, are hosting EDGE Anthony Jones out of Mobile, Alabama, for an official visit. It's his 10th total (nine unofficial) with the program. It's clear that DeBoer is pulling out all the stops, too, because while on his visit, Jones posted a photo featuring legendary Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban while also writing "The next recruit." It's no surprise to see this kind of tactic being used, though, as On3 Industry Rankings places Jones as a five-star recruit, the No. 3 EDGE, the No. 2 player in Alabama and the No. 19 player in the nation. Advertisement Last year for St. Paul's Episcopal, he proved to be extremely dominant and worthy of that rating, as he was named a MaxPreps Junior All-American after finishing the season with 84 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 16 sacks. However, it also means that Alabama will have to fight with several other big programs for his commitment. Jones has also taken official visits with Auburn (May 16), Miami (May 30), Texas A&M (June 6) and Oregon (June 13). Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoerMatt Pendleton-Imagn Images Bringing in someone like Saban, who, in his 17 years with the Crimson Tide, helped achieve a 206-29 record and helped win six national championships, is a good way to show serious interest. Advertisement Now, it remains to be seen if things pay off, as the On3 recruiting prediction machine currently gives Alabama and DeBoer the best chances (31.1%) at landing Jones, while Auburn is second (25%) and Texas A&M is in third (9.8%). Related: Big Ten Football 2025 Predictions This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
