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French parliament votes to oust Michel Barnier’s government

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French parliament votes to oust Michel Barnier’s government

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The French parliament on Wednesday voted to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier over his proposed deficit-cutting budget, plunging the country into deeper political turmoil.

A motion of no confidence was approved by 331 votes in the 577 member national assembly, as Marine Le Pen’s far-right party teamed up with a leftist bloc to bring down Barnier’s minority government.

Barnier’s administration has collapsed without adopting his contentious 2025 budget that included €60bn in tax increases and spending cuts to reduce France’s deficit, which will reach 6 per cent of GDP this year.

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President Emmanuel Macron will now have to select another prime minister, a task made difficult by a raucous parliament divided into three blocs, none of which is close to having a governing majority.

Barnier’s three-month term as prime minister was the shortest of any premier since France’s Fifth Republic was founded in 1958. It is only the second time a government has been voted down since then. 

The political tumult gripping France comes just weeks after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition collapsed, leaving the EU’s two most powerful states in limbo.

Barnier defended his record as prime minister during a national assembly debate before the confidence vote, telling lawmakers: “I have been and am proud to act to build rather than to destroy.”

He said it was “not for pleasure” that he had presented a difficult budget. France’s fiscal “reality will not disappear by the enchantment of a motion of censure”, he added.

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Macron will have to contend with an emboldened Le Pen and her Rassemblement National party, which was decisive in removing Barnier after spurning his last-ditch attempts at a compromise on his budget.

Le Pen said her decision to censure Barnier was prompted by the “necessity to put an end to the chaos, to spare the French people from a dangerous, unfair and punitive budget”.

Macron “is largely responsible for the current situation”, Le Pen told TF1 television shortly after the vote.

When the president appoints a new prime minister, that person would work on a new budget which Rassemblement National “will construct with other forces in the national assembly”, she added.

Mathilde Panot, a leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, slammed Barnier for seeking deals with the Rassemblement National to try to stay in power.

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“Barnier tried to escape censure by choosing dishonour, he has gotten dishonour and censure,” she said.

Marie Lebec, a lawmaker from Macron’s centrist alliance and former minister, said her fellow parliamentarians should put aside party squabbling to find a way forward.

The political crisis risks further spooking financial markets. Barnier had previously warned of a financial and economic “storm” should his government fall without adopting the 2025 budget, saying borrowing costs were on track to exceed €60bn next year, more than the French defence budget.

French borrowing costs on its 10-year sovereign bond hit a 12-year high against Germany’s last week, as investors fretted about the likely failure of Barnier’s government.

After the confidence vote on Wednesday, the euro was flat against the dollar at $1.052, reflecting how the result was widely expected.

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Barnier may stay on as a caretaker premier for a short time, but it will fall to his successor to craft another 2025 budget, ahead of a year-end deadline.

In the meantime, Macron and parliament have several options to pass emergency measures that would avoid a government shutdown and keep public services funded temporarily.

But unlike previously when he procrastinated on picking premiers, Macron aimed to move quickly this time, said a person familiar with his thinking, and he has drawn up a list of potential candidates to succeed Barnier.

The Elysée said Macron would address the nation on Thursday evening in a televised speech.

Barnier was appointed by Macron in September after the president’s centrist alliance lost snap parliamentary elections, which increased the ranks of the far right and leftist parties.

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His departure is a sign of how gridlocked French institutions have become since the elections.

“It feels like a series of impasses in a parliament where no one has a workable majority,” said Bruno Cautrès, political scientist at Sciences Po. “There is a risk that a new government would fall quickly, just as Barnier has done.”

Additional reporting by Ian Smith in London

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Effort to cut federal workforce takes aim at key US jobs engine

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Effort to cut federal workforce takes aim at key US jobs engine

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Elon Musk’s plan to slash the federal workforce under Donald Trump is poised to upend one of the strongest engines of the US labour market: the government.

Government and healthcare jobs have been the biggest source of employment in the past year, particularly for knowledge workers, data shows. US job recruiters, economists and labour leaders fear the plan to cut the workforce could crimp the number of good available jobs at a time of declining private-sector employment, compounding already-stiff competition for white-collar jobs.

“We’re getting closer to where we are not creating as many jobs as we need to keep up with the population,” said Cory Stahle, an economist at jobs site Indeed. With fewer federal openings, “we start entering a territory where [the labour market] starts to get a little bit sketchier”.

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Excluding the Postal Service, the federal government created 2,100 jobs in October. Total payrolls grew by only 12,000 workers that month, according to the labour department, as private sector payrolls were damped by strikes and Hurricanes Helene and Milton. 

The federal government employs just 2 per cent of the US workforce but has been among the largest creators of white-collar jobs in recent years. The jobs of its 3mn civilian employees range from law enforcement officers at airports and prisons to medical providers to postal workers.

The popularity of government work has exploded as workers, particularly younger ones, seek out stability after headline-grabbing lay-offs in tech and on Wall Street. Handshake, a US jobs site targeting college students and recent graduates, reported applications to federal government jobs grew 55 per cent last year. Others are after robust healthcare and retirement benefits, said Andy Challenger of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. 

That all stands to change after Trump enters the White House next month. Reducing the size of the federal government was a cornerstone of the president-elect’s campaign, and he has appointed Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead an initiative called the Department of Government Efficiency to cut costs. The two pledged to encourage voluntary departures by eliminating remote work options and offering early retirement packages, they wrote in The Wall Street Journal last month. 

“Under President Trump’s leadership, the Government Efficiency effort led by Vivek and Elon will target waste and fraud throughout our massive federal bureaucracy,” Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the Trump transition team, said in an emailed statement.

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The US payroll costs taxpayers $271bn annually, or roughly 4 per cent of the $6.3tn in federal spending during fiscal year 2022, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The government spends far more on contractors at $750bn, a total union leaders say will rise after mass lay-offs.

Musk and Ramaswamy said they plan “mass headcount reductions” in order to eliminate more than $500bn in annual spending. Musk has already begun targeting climate-related jobs, calling out ordinary employees he hopes to fire by name in posts on X. All appeared to be in specialised fields such as clean energy and emerging markets. One, Missy Cummings, had criticised Tesla during her tenure at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Though experts are sceptical that Doge can spur mass lay-offs, job seekers are already moving towards the private sector.

Lesley Mitler, a career coach who specialises in college students, said: “If people come to me and say they want to work in Washington, DC, I would say, ‘Why don’t we see how things evolve, before making that kind of commitment?’”

Current government employees, however, are gearing up for a fight, said Jacqueline Simon, policy director of the American Federation of Government Employees, the largest union of federal government workers, who described the mood in her union as “defiant”.

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Government staff are aware that US-wide job openings have fallen 11 per cent, or by 1mn, over the past year and are “scared”, said Randy Erwin, the president of the National Federation of Federal Employees.

Asked where her members might look for jobs should Trump’s plans succeed, Simon said: “I have no idea.”

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How a staffing shortage can make special education jobs more dangerous

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How a staffing shortage can make special education jobs more dangerous

Margo Jimenez cries as she talks about the moment she realized her husband, Fred Jimenez, would never wake up. According to his death certificate, Fred died of “blunt force head injuries” on Feb. 17, 2024. His injuries were caused by a push from a student 10 days earlier. His death was ruled a homicide.

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Every so often, Margo Jimenez says, her husband would come home from work with injuries.

“One day, he came home with a black eye, his glasses were broken, and he had bites on his arm,” Margo recalled. “I said, ‘Well, did you report it?’ He said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Why not?’ He said, ‘Margo, because it happens all the time.’”

Fred Jimenez worked as a special education instructional assistant for the Northside Independent School District in San Antonio. He helped students with disabilities meet their learning and physical needs, and his job involved everything from diaper changes to helping students with hands-on instruction to managing violent outbursts.

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On Feb. 7, one of those violent outbursts sent Fred to the hospital.

Fred was pushed by a high school student who has a cognitive disability. He fell and hit his head, and it led to a brain bleed.

He died 10 days later without ever waking up.

Margo Jimenez points out a memorial to her late husband, Fred Jimenez, in her yard – a stone with his name engraved on it. Next to it stands another stone, in remembrance of her son who died in a car accident.

Margo Jimenez points out a memorial to her late husband, Fred Jimenez, in her yard – a stone with his name engraved on it. Next to it stands another stone, in remembrance of her son who died in a car accident.

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A workers compensation form describes Fred Jimenez’ injury. It reads, “Employee was pushed by a student and fell hitting his head.”

A workers compensation form describes Fred Jimenez’ injury. It reads, “Employee was pushed by a student and fell hitting his head.”

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“I literally have no one since Freddy passed away,” Margo said.

“Every day is a challenge for me, every day, every single day, all day. So I just do the best that I can with what God’s given to me.”

Fred’s story is an extreme case, but the situations he faced in the classroom are a common story.

Students receive special education services for a wide variety of disabilities. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most students with developmental disabilities aren’t any more aggressive than other students. But for some, their disability can lead to frustration and, in turn, aggression. Other students may have disabilities that include a tendency toward aggressive behavior.

“It’s not surprising,” said Susan Dvorak McMahon after hearing about the injuries Fred received before his death.

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McMahon, a psychology professor at DePaul University, studies violence against educators and has conducted national surveys of educator experiences. Among her findings, published last year: Special educators are more likely to experience violence or aggression from students.

A Northside special education teacher who spoke to NPR on the condition of anonymity said her leg was injured so badly while a student was in the middle of an aggressive outburst that she required surgery. She provided this photo of the bruising that developed after the injury. She asked not to be named out of fear of retribution.

A Northside special education teacher who spoke to NPR on the condition of anonymity said her leg was injured so badly while a student was in the middle of an aggressive outburst that she required surgery. She provided this photo of the bruising that developed after the injury. She asked not to be named out of fear of retribution.

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“These issues have been going on for a while, and because we asked teachers about their worst, those most upsetting experiences, we read a lot of responses that are really – they’re very difficult to read,” McMahon said.

There isn’t a lot of research into how often special educators are hurt at work, but a Pennsylvania study published in 2014 found special educators were nearly three times as likely as general educators to be physically assaulted by students.

That can make it harder for school districts to hire special education staff, at a time when schools across the country are struggling to fill these positions. A recent federal survey found, nationwide, special education vacancies are the most difficult for schools to fill. District officials told NPR that’s also been true in Northside.

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How staffing shortages can lead to unsafe conditions

After Fred’s death, his colleagues filed an internal complaint with the Northside Independent School District alleging that his death was part of a widespread pattern of student-caused injuries in special education classrooms.

Exhibits full of photos and email exchanges paint a picture of how the district’s staffing shortages can lead to unsafe conditions and serious injuries.

Special education teacher Sheree Kreusel signed the complaint.

Special education teacher Sheree Kreusel worked with Fred  Jimenez before he moved to his final job at a high school. “I've had so many injuries,” she said.

Special education teacher Sheree Kreusel worked with Fred Jimenez before he moved to his final job at a high school. “I’ve had so many injuries,” she said.

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“I’ve had so many injuries,” Kreusel said. “I’ve had three concussions, two broken noses, stabbed in the stomach, numerous bites, scars from bites. And that’s just kind of a normal thing, unfortunately.”

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Kreusel worked with Fred before he moved to his final job at a high school. She teaches middle schoolers with cognitive disabilities, and for the past 15 years she’s worked in a classroom that’s only for students with higher levels of need.

She said she loves her students, and doesn’t blame them for hurting her. Many of them have their own triggers, and Kreusel says she does her best to learn them. But she isn’t always able to avoid an outburst.

“The student may be aggressive, but it doesn’t mean they are targeting you because they hate you,” Kreusel said. “That’s usually not the case. It’s usually something that has happened, and they might be nonverbal. They can’t express it, and they just blow up.”

When that happens, the teachers’ complaint says, there isn’t enough staff to address it.

Kreusel has documented her injuries in photos. “I've had three concussions,” she told NPR. She said her last concussion caused permanent nerve damage on her forehead. Kreusel has also documented bite marks and scars after being bitten by students.

Kreusel has documented her injuries in photos. “I’ve had three concussions,” she told NPR. She said her last concussion caused permanent nerve damage on her forehead. Kreusel has also documented bite marks and scars after being bitten by students.

Sheree Kreusel

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Boston University researcher Elizabeth Bettini studies special education. She says when it comes to students who are prone to aggressive behavior, “You really need three people to be involved. You need two people to be part of keeping the students safe, and then you need a third one to collect data,” or document what’s happening.

But Kreusel said the district’s staffing shortages means educators are sometimes alone in the classroom. The district acknowledges this does happen.

Low pay makes it hard to hire and retain staff

Northside Independent School District officials said they can’t comment on the complaint while it is ongoing. However, Tracy Wernli, who oversees special education services for the district, agreed to answer more general questions.

She said Fred Jimenez was a “very well-loved instructional assistant in our district,” and described his death as a “horrible, horrible event” and “absolutely devastating.”

She also acknowledged the district has been struggling to hire the special education staff it needs, and a big reason for that is money. Wernli said the special education funding they get from the state and federal government isn’t enough to cover their costs.

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“That’s a big key part,” Wernli explained. “We spend a lot more than what we’re given.”

Northside’s starting pay is less than $16 an hour for instructional assistants. Wernli said they can’t afford to pay more. But for a lot of people, that’s not enough compensation for a job that can be physically and emotionally demanding.

Margo Jimenez’s home is full of mementos and memorials to her husband, Fred. He was known as “Mr. Fred” to students and colleagues at the school where he worked.

Margo Jimenez’s home is full of mementos and memorials to her husband, Fred. He was known as “Mr. Fred” to students and colleagues at the school where he worked.

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“There are people that do that and do it with passion and love it, and there are people that it’s just not for them,” Wernli said.

Kreusel, the teacher who worked with Fred, says she knows limited funding and staffing shortages are a challenge for many districts. But it doesn’t change her reality.

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“I’m afraid what happened with Fred – people hear about that, and they don’t want to do this job. I mean, they can get paid more working at Chick-fil-A than being an instructional assistant,” Kreusel said.

She thinks she and her colleagues will continue to get hurt until the district hires more instructional assistants and pays them well enough that they’re willing to stay.

Audio story produced by: Janet Woojeong Lee
Audio and digital stories edited by: Nicole Cohen

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Read the Justice Department’s Report

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Read the Justice Department’s Report

E. MPD Unnecessarily Escalates Encounters with Children.
We have serious concerns about MPD’s treatment of children and the lasting impact of
police encounters on their wellbeing and resilience. 42 During interactions with children
regarding minor issues, MPD officers escalate the encounters with aggressive and
demeaning language and, at times, needless force.
At times, MPD aggressively escalates encounters with children who have committed no
crime or where the child is a victim. In one incident, officers handcuffed and used force
against a 16-year-old Black girl who called MPD to report she had been assaulted.
Before arriving at the precinct to give a statement, officers handcuffed the girl after she
refused to give them her phone. When she became agitated and reactive, the officers
responded with insults and threats, telling her, “When [the handcuffs] do come off . . .
Ooh, I’m itching,” “I leave my gloves on when I fight,” and “If I gotta whip your ass, I will.”
After three hours, officers removed the handcuffs to reposition them. As she complained
that her hands were hurt and swollen and tried to move her wrists, the officers grabbed
her and pushed her face down onto the ground to handcuff her again. The girl was then
arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
MPD has escalated interactions when enforcing laws that are intended to keep children
safe. After two Black boys (ages 15 and 16) ran from an officer who was citing them for
a curfew violation, officers demeaned the boys and threatened violence. When one boy
asked if they were going to jail, the officer responded, “If it’s my decision, hell yeah . . .
I’d have so much damn fun rolling your ass down to jail. I’d love doing that shit.” Another
officer threatened to assault the boys when he worried that he may have lost his MPD
mobile device during the foot pursuit: “I am fucking these little kids up, man… I am
fucking you all up, I just wanted to let y’all know that.”
MPD officers have mistreated children in crisis, even when it is clear the child has
significant disabilities. In one incident, a CIT officer threatened to take a 14-year-old
Black boy to adult jail because the boy ran away from home. The boy was diagnosed
with autism, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and developmental delays and had the intellectual
functioning of a four-year-old. The boy’s mother had called the police after the boy, who
had been released from a mental health facility that day, got upset at bedtime, threw a
garbage can and a chair, and ran from home. After the boy was found, a CIT officer
raised his Taser toward the boy, who was calm and compliant, and told him, “I don’t
want to use it on you, but if you don’t listen to me, I can.” Officers planned to take the
boy to the hospital for psychiatric treatment. But the CIT officer continued to threaten
him, saying that he would take the child to jail “with the big boys,” and “If I have to come
42 Interactions with the police can lead to damaging and lasting outcomes for children, especially Black
and Latinx teens, including post-traumatic stress, increased levels of depression, diminished academic
performance, and increased chances that a child will engage in delinquent behavior in the future.
56

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