Latest news with #ProtectionAct
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Government ‘dragging its feet' over harassment act, says MP
Tunbridge Wells MP Mike Martin has accused the government of "dragging its feet" over the implementation of a law to criminalise public sexual passed the Protection from Sex Based Harassment in Public Act in 2023, which was introduced by the previous Conservative Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark following a campaign from his the law is yet to come into force because the government is required to pass a "statutory instrument". The previous Conservative government's plans to do this last year were interrupted by the general Wednesday, MPs rejected an amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, proposed by Martin, which would have enforced the act. The act created a new specific offence for harassment in public on account of an individual's sex, including intrusive or persistent staring or questioning, following someone, sexual or obscene comments, propositions or gestures and non-consensual physical Liberal Democrat MP said he had met or received communication from the government five times over the last eight time they had "failed to say when the act will be implemented", he said: "This act is an extremely important building block in our campaign to reduce Violence Against Women and Girls in this Parliament – a goal I feel incredibly strongly about."I would have thought the Government – with its aim to halve Violence Against Women and Girls – would want to see this act enforced quickly."The Home Office has been approached for comment.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Noah Wyle Is Going to Washington to Fight for Healthcare Reform
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Noah Wyle may not hold a real medical degree, but the actor has heard story after story from fans and medical professionals who identified with The Pitt's celebrated portrayal of emergency work. As he told Esquire in April, 'it's people who are being strained to their breaking points day in and day out, unfairly in a job where we really need them to be healthy—because their health ultimately reflects on our health.' So, Wyle is partnering with FIGS, the medical clothing company, to use the HBO Max show's popularity as a platform to improve the lives of healthcare workers in this country. This week, Wyle will head to Washington D.C. with a group of eighteen medical professionals to propose meaningful healthcare reform for an underappreciated workforce that desperately needs help. 'As part of this grassroots effort, we're urging lawmakers to act on three urgent, bipartisan issues that are making health care workers' jobs, and their lives, harder than they need to be: lack of mental health support, crushing administrative burden and financial strain,' Wyle wrote in an op-ed for USA TODAY on Tuesday. 'Our message is simple: Without a supported, protected and fairly treated workforce, there is no patient care.' In the op-ed, Wyle shared stories he's heard from fans and medical professionals about 'staggering burnout,' a high risk of suicide, and the fear that seeking help from a mental health professional might jeopardize their medical license. As for the latter, comedian Nathan Fielder recently brought up a similar issue to Tennessee Congressman Steve Cohen on HBO's The Rehearsal, citing pilots who were fearful to seek professional help in fear of losing their pilot's license. 'That's why one of our priorities is reauthorization and funding of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, which includes federal mental health programs for health care workers as well as grants for peer support, training and institutional culture change, especially in rural and underserved areas,' Wyle wrote. Though the Protection Act was enacted in 2022 on a 'nearly unanimous bipartisan basis,' according to the actor, the bill lapsed in 2024 without congressional action to renew. Wyle also plans to advocate for fewer prior authorization delays—which add unnecessary paperwork from insurance companies for 'permission to treat their patients'—as well as fair compensation for the 80-hour weeks that some healthcare workers face. Kudos to Wyle for working so damn hard to make a difference. As comedian Nathan Fielder explored in The Rehearsal, it's difficult for actors and comedians to sit before Congress and advocate for issues they care about. Most of the time, their actions are dismissed—as if entertainers aren't also humans themselves. But as Esquire recently explored in our cover story with Bono, it's possible that former President George W. Bush would have never passed the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) without the U2 singer's continued advocacy. 'These aren't partisan issues,' Wyle wrote. 'They're practical ones. And they're urgent." You Might Also Like Kid Cudi Is All Right 16 Best Shoe Organizers For Storing and Displaying Your Kicks
