Massachusetts

Let the market, not government, determine leave policies

Let the market, not government, determine leave policies

Hadley Heath Manning

Feminists are celebrating New York State's recent move to establish a government-run paid family leave program for all workers, and they are fighting for a similar law in Massachusetts and at the national level. But those who value workplace flexibility and economic liberty shouldn't cheer; this one-size-fits-all "solution" will come with serious consequences for women both as workers and as taxpayers.

Advocates of government-mandated family leave like to portray the United States as backward and grim, noting that in international comparisons of government-guaranteed paid-leave benefits, the U.S. often ranks last, behind much less-developed countries. But these comparisons overlook the fact that most full-time American workers today enjoy paid-leave benefits at work without government mandates, and they are free to work out the details of their leave directly with their employer in a way that satisfies all parties.

As attacks subside, Jerusalem tries to return to normal
muslim

As attacks subside, Jerusalem tries to return to normal

Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — One of Jerusalem's most popular Palestinian hummus joints, Lina, used to serve about 100 Israeli diners a day — the majority of its clientele. But after the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian violence last fall, the place saw business drop to about three or four Israeli diners a day, and even many Palestinians abandoned the landmark Old City establishment.

"It's been hard," said Ghaleb Zahadeh, Lina's manager. "It's getting better a little bit." But not by much — over the last two weeks, he said he served about 10 Israeli customers a day, all of them longtime regulars.

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