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Construction work can be brutal at times. Shake hands with a contractor if you ever need proof of that, but prepare for the possibility of damaged fingers. Tough work produces tough people, and its easy to tell when a person has worked a lifetime of hard work by the force of their grip. But out of all the different types of occupations in construction, which ones stand out as the hardest contractor jobs?

Not all construction jobs are equal in terms of the effort they require, that much is for sure. Some are much, much harder than others. We took a look at several data sources to pin down some third-party perspectives about which jobs stand out among the hardest.

In this review, were not necessarily looking at the riskiest jobs or ones most likely to encounter an injury, but rather which ones are the most physically demanding on employees every day. With that in mind, the following are several examples of what experts consider to be the hardest construction jobs out there.

Sweat Index

Its tricky to find any actual metrics regarding how difficult a particular job can be, because levels of difficulty are often subjective. But earlier this year, editors with Business Insider put together a pretty cool resource using data from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), which is a database of occupational information developed for the public and for the U.S. Department of Labor.

O*NET provides a lot of data on physical activities and strength requirements that people need in certain occupations, such as dynamic strength, explosive strength, time spent walking or running, stamina, and trunk strength. These are given a score between 1 (low) and 100 and those numbers were then averaged into an overall activeness score.

Jobs mentioned in the report came from an array of industries, most of which were construction-related but several were not. For example, the most physically demanding job out of any category was dancers, which were ranked as requiring the greatest amounts of stamina, flexibility, and coordination. Athletes/Sports Competitors and Fitness Trainers/Aerobics Instructors came in at numbers two and three, respectively.

Most of the list pertained directly to construction and maintenance jobs. The following were among the most physically demanding and are listed with their overall activeness scores:

Perceptions Vs. Reality

In another report from late last year, an interesting survey was published by an online construction industry lead-generation resource called CraftJack. The organization reached out to more than 1,600 contractors and more than 650 consumers to gain their perspectives on what they felt were the hardest jobs in construction. There was a bit over overlap between the two points of view, and some big differences.

According to the survey results, Consumers and contractors agreed roofing and demolition are the most physically demanding trades. And while contractors voted carpentry as the third-most physically demanding trade, it barely cracked the top ten for consumers.

This indicates there is a lot more exertion happening in construction than most consumers realize, which is likely attributable to average people having limited knowledge of what actually takes place on jobsites.

As far as an informed audience goes, contractors themselves ranked the most physically demanding jobs as:

Its worth noting that construction professionals had varying views of difficulty regarding jobs beyond their own specialties, but they share a mutual respect for some roles. For example, the authors pointed out that Contractors dont believe [jobs like] painting, carpet cleaning, and electrical work to be very physically demanding unless its their specialty. On the other hand, carpentry was equally saluted by both carpenters and non-carpenters.

The survey also included some details about which construction jobs were the most difficult to master, when it comes to skill levels and training. In this subject area, the surveys responders had a much tighter consensus. They ranked Electrical, Carpentry, HVAC, and cabinets and countertops as the jobs that were the most difficult to master, generally uniformly across respondents.

Sore Workers are Vital Workers

It probably goes without saying that although many of the jobs listed in this article are really hard jobs, theyre also vital to our economy. After all, construction is an investment-driven industry. And as such, it contributes greatly to the overall growth of the country. If it werent for the tough men and women who were willing to endure difficult physical jobs, its likely that our whole way of life would be totally different.

Although this article likely wont settle the debate among professionals about who works the hardest, it does provide a few baselines of comparison. At the very least, we hope it will add to the mutual respect shared by members of various trades, because they all work so incredibly hard.

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Examining the Hardest Contractor JobsExamining the Hardest Contractor Jobs - Building Indiana

Datacolor, a global leader in colour management solutions, announces the launch of ColorReader EZ, the latest addition to the companys ColorReader family of products that includes ColorReader and ColorReader Pro for professional markets. The recommended retail price is 65 including VAT.

The affordable new device incorporates the companys advanced colour technology in an easy-to-use tool designed for the consumer audience of home decor DIY enthusiasts. It simplifies the often challenging and time-consuming process of paint colour selection, such as finding wall and trim colours that coordinate, as well as selecting wall paint colours that complement existing dcor elements, tying the look of a room together.

The portable, Bluetooth connected ColorReader EZ device works in conjunction with the ColorReader mobile app (available for both iPhone and Android). The ColorReader app displays the exact measurement data in CIELAB, Hex and RGB as well as the three closest paint colour matches from the most popular paint brands.

In addition to the RAL and NCS colour standards, the app includes paint colour fan decks from Farrow & Ball or Sikkens and more for convenient access to up to 20,000 colours. ColorReader EZ also provides coordinating colours and suggested colour schemes, answering the question of What colour goes with this? immediately.

Along with their matched colours, users can create colour palettes and effortlessly share these with paint retailers that offer online ordering and curbside pickup, as well as with paint contractors, architects, interior designers, family and friends. The greater level of colour confidence afforded by ColorReader EZ saves consumers time and money on reworks for colour errors. Whether its quickly finding a paint colour for a room refresh or finding the right shade to repaint an old dresser to match a childs room dcor, ColorReader EZ is a must-have tool for every project that includes colour decisions.

The paint colour selection process can be a challenge for all of us, since so many factors can affect how we view colour. We wanted to bring a level of ease and colour-confidence to consumers with an affordable product that they would use whenever they needed to make a decision about colour. ColorReader EZ takes the guesswork out of selecting and coordinating paint colours. It lets you capture colour inspiration where you find it, with an accuracy you cant get from a smartphone image. Its easy to then bring that colour inspiration into your home dcor whether thats painting a wall or room to match your favourite sports teams jersey or finding which shades complement your prized plant collection, said Stefan Zrenner, Director of Sales & Marketing, Consumer Solutions, for Datacolor.

To learn more about ColorReader EZ, visit ColorReader.Datacolor.com

Disclaimer: The use of third-party trademarks is for identification purposes only and does not connote any affiliation with, or sponsorship or endorsement by, the respective trademark holders.

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New! Datacolor ColorReader EZ The Portable Tool that Simplifies Matching, Selecting and Coordinating Colours - Property Community

WASHINGTON During Small Business Week, Sept. 22-24, the Internal Revenue Service wants individuals to consider taking the home office deduction if they qualify. The benefit may allow taxpayers working from home to deduct certain expenses on their tax return.

The home office deduction is available to qualifying self-employed taxpayers, independent contractors and those working in the gig economy. However, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act suspended the business use of home deduction from 2018 through 2025 for employees. Employees who receive a paycheck or a W-2 exclusively from an employer are not eligible for the deduction, even if they are currently working from home.

Qualifying for a deduction

There are two basic requirements to qualify for the deduction. The taxpayer needs to use a portion of the home exclusively for conducting business on a regular basis and the home must be the taxpayers principal place of business.

To claim the deduction, a taxpayer must use part of their home for one of the following:

Exclusively and regularly as a principal place of business for a trade or business

Exclusively and regularly as a place where patients, clients or customers are met in the normal course of a trade or business

As a separate structure that's not attached to a home that is used exclusively and regularly in connection with a trade or business

On a regular basis for storage of inventory or product samples used in a trade or business of selling products at retail or wholesale

The term "home" for purposes of this deduction:

Includes a house, apartment, condominium, mobile home, boat or similar property

Includes structures on the property, like an unattached garage, studio, barn or greenhouse

Doesnt include any part of the taxpayers property used exclusively as a hotel, motel, inn or similar business

Qualified expenses

Deductible expenses for business use of home normally include the business portion of real estate taxes, mortgage interest, rent, casualty losses, utilities, insurance, depreciation, maintenance, and repairs. In general, a taxpayer may not deduct expenses for the parts of their home not used for business; for example, expenses for lawn care or painting a room not used for business.

Claiming the deduction

A taxpayer can use either the regular or simplified method to figure the home office deduction.

Using the regular method, qualifying taxpayers compute the business use of home deduction by dividing expenses of operating the home between personal and business use. Self-employed taxpayers filing IRS Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship) first figure this deduction on Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home.

Using the Simplified Option, qualifying taxpayers use a prescribed rate of $5 per square foot of the portion of the home used for business (up to a maximum of 300 square feet) to figure the business use of home deduction. A taxpayer claims the deduction directly on IRS Schedule C. Revenue Procedure 2013-13 (PDF) provides complete details of this safe harbor method.

Daycare facilities

Taxpayers who use their home on a regular basis for providing daycare may be able to claim a deduction for part of the home even if it is used as the same space for nonbusiness purposes. To qualify, both of the following requirements must be met:

The business must provide daycare for children, people age 65 or older, or people who are physically or mentally unable to care for themselves.

The business must have applied for, been granted, or be exempt from having a license, certification, registration, or approval as a daycare center or as a family or group daycare home under state law.

Additional resources

IRS Publication 587, Business Use of Home (Including Use by Daycare Providers)

Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home

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IRS reminds taxpayers of the home office deduction rules during Small Business Week - Williston Daily Herald

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., unveiled a billOct. 9 to establish a commission that could be tasked with determining if a president is no longer fit for office.

The bill from Raskin, a former constitutional scholar, comes on the heels of President Donald Trumps Oct. 2 announcement of his positive COVID-19 test. The bill would create what would be known as the Commission on Presidential Capacity to Discharge the Powers and Duties of the Office" in accordance with the 25th Amendment to the Constitution.

The commission would not have the unilateral power to invoke the 25th Amendment and kick Trump or any future president out of the White House. Pelosi and Raskin insisted in a press conference that the move was unrelated to the election less than a month away.

"This is not about President Trump," said Pelosi. "He will face the judgment of the voters. But he shows the need for us to create a process for future presidents."

Trump responded to the news by tweeting that Pelosi is angling to one day replace Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden with his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris. There is no factual basis to support that claim, and Pelosi would not sit on the commission the bill would create.

The Constitution allows for such a commission

The 25th Amendment, established in 1967 after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, spelled out general procedures to guide the replacement of a president or vice president in the event of death, incapacitation, resignation or removal from office.

RELATED: What happens if a president or nominee dies or is incapacitated? Around elections, it gets thorny

The first three sections of the amendment lay out the succession plan for when these top two positions go vacant. They also allow the president to declare himself unable to carry out his duties and temporarily transfer the powers of the presidency to the vice president.

The fourth and final section is whats relevant to Raskins bill. The section authorizes the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet, or "of such other body as Congress may by law provide," to declare a president "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office."

"Legislation like this is provided for in 4," tweeted Brian Kalt, a law professor at Michigan State University and the author of a book on the provision. "It says that the VP and Cabinet invoke 4, but that Congress can legislate a different body to substitute for the Cabinet in that process."

"It gave Congress the power to replace the Cabinet with such other body as it might create by law," added Joel K. Goldstein, a professor of law emeritus at St. Louis University and the author of two books on the vice presidency, in an email. "If such a body was created, a majority of it would act with the vice president under section 4 of the amendment instead of the Cabinet."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., gestures to a board displaying the fourth section of the 25th Amendment during a press conference at the Capitol in Washington on Oct. 9, 2020. (AP)

The bipartisan commission outlined in Raskins bill would consist of 17 members, a mix of medical experts and former high-ranking officials selected by House and Senate leadership.

The body would include eight physicians with each member of House and Senate leadership appointing two plus four former high-ranking executive branch officials selected by the Republican leaders and four former high-ranking officials chosen by the Democratic leaders.

The final member, the chair, would be appointed separately by those 16 members.

Currently, the congressional leadership is made up of Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer from the Democratic Party, along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy from the Republican Party.

What happens under the status quo

The 25th Amendment says that a declaration that the president can no longer carry out his duties made by the vice president and a majority of either the Cabinet or another body determined by lawmakers would elevate the vice president to the position of acting president.

The president could then restore his powers by declaring that no inability exists, but the same entity that initially transferred power to the vice president would be able to respond by doubling down on their declaration that the president is unable to discharge his duties.

At that point, the vice president would continue to act as president if Congress, by a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, agreed that the president remained unable to serve.

The new panel would not cut the vice president out of the process. "It can act only in concert with the vice president, who is the key actor under the 25th Amendment," Raskin said.

The process under current law would leave the Cabinet in the mix. "The situation without (Raskins bill) is the situation we have now," Kalt told PolitiFact in an email.

"The Cabinet has a role in section 4 that this body would take over if the bill passed. Raskin and others feel that the Cabinet is too much under the presidents thumb to take a robust role under section 4," Kalt said. "A more independent group like this would not feel so constrained."

Leaving the decision to the Cabinet does run the risk that loyalty to the president could override necessary action, Goldstein said. But a commission brimming with doctors carries its own risks, even if mental illness or physical incapacitation were front of mind for the amendments writers.

RELATED: When can the 25th Amendment be used against a president?

If, for example, the president were kidnapped, on a plane that went missing, or out of reliable communication, "medical expertise would not be called for," Goldstein said.

Many in Congress at the time of the amendments writing had misgivings about the idea of a medical commission, Goldstein said. They thought a decision involving the Cabinet would carry more legitimacy, and they worried an independent body could be used to harass the president.

They also left the language intentionally vague to account for scenarios they couldnt predict.

"The framers knew that they were not addressing all problems," Goldstein said. "But they realized that if they tried to address everything, they would probably get nothing through."

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House Democrats' new bill on the 25th Amendment, explained - PolitiFact

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Oct. 8 that shes preparing an announcement about the 25th Amendment exciting Democrats who consider the measure a way to depose President Trump.

The less than 400-word constitutional amendment was ratified in 1967 after numerous concealed White House health issues, especially the heart ailments suffered by President Dwight Eisenhower.

The amendment says a president can be involuntarily stripped of his powers if hes unable to fulfill his duties.

Trump is back at the White House after three nights of hospitalization over the weekend for COVID-19 treatment.

The president said Oct. 6 and Oct. 7 that he has no symptoms, but Pelosi on Oct. 7 said on The View that Trumps use of the steroid dexamethasone to combat the virus may impede his judgment.

She raised the specter again the next day over Trumps comment to Fox Business, Im back because I am a perfect physical specimen and Im extremely young.

There are four sections to the 25th Amendment, each dealing with a different aspect of presidential or vice presidential succession.

Section 1 says the president is replaced by the vice president if he dies or resigns. Section 2 says replacement vice presidents must be confirmed by a majority of both chambers of Congress. Section 3 allows the president to voluntarily and temporarily transfer duties to the vice president.

And Section 4 allows the vice president and cabinet or another entity chosen by Congress to take power from the president without the chief executives consent.

There are two ways a president can be forcibly and temporarily stripped of power under Section 4 of the amendment.

The amendment says the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide must make a written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.

Spokespeople for Vice President Mike Pence did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but its unlikely that Pence and a majority of Trumps cabinet would strip him of power as they campaign together ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

Congress has not passed a law describing an alternate entity authorized to make that decision, though the amendment allows lawmakers to do so.

Michigan State University law professor Brian Kalt wrote in a Lawfare blog analysis in 2019 that Section 4 does empower Congress to replace the Cabinet by designating an alternative group through legislation, but Congress has never done so and the president would presumably veto any such attempt in the middle of an actual struggle.

Its unclear if Pelosi intends to push for a new legislative procedure to oust a president. But even if such a bill passed the House, it would fail in the Republican-held Senate.

Impeachment provides Congress a process to remove a president for undefined high crimes and misdemeanors, whereas Section 4 of the 25th Amendment allows only temporary removal of a president if they are unable to perform their duties.

Under Section 4, a vice president would become Acting President if theres a declaration that the president cannot serve. Congress must review the finding of presidential incapacitation within 25 days and vote by two-thirds in each chamber that the president is indeed temporarily unable to serve.

Theres legal debate about whether the amendment covers mental illness of a president.

Saint Louis University law professor Joel K. Goldstein writes in a recent analysis, however, that [t]he legislative history confirms that mental incapacity was a primary concern of the Amendment, citing debate in Congress from the 1960s.

House Democrats already impeached Trump in December, but the Republican-held Senate acquitted him of charges that he abused his power and obstructed Congress.

Democrats impeached Trump on the non-criminal charges for encouraging Ukraine to investigate Democrats, including presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who earned a reported $83,000 a month on the board of energy company Burisma while his father led the Obama administrations Ukraine policy.

Section 3 of the 25th Amendment was invoked several times, including in 2002 and 2007 when President George W. Bush underwent general anesthesia for colonoscopies. In 1985, President Ronald Reagan transferred his powers to Vice President George H.W. Bush for about eight hours when he had a precancerous lesion removed from his colon.

In 1974, Gerald Ford became president pursuant to Section 1 when President Richard Nixon, facing impeachment, resigned. Four months later, Congress voted to approve, pursuant to Section 2, Fords nomination of former New York Gov. Nelson Rockefeller to be vice president.

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How the 25th Amendment to the Constitution works: A simplified look - New York Post

If you struggle with chronic health issues like type 2 diabetes, you know how challenging it can be to just live a normal day-to-day life. Meds can help in a big way, and untold millions rely on medications to help them manage their conditions. However, drugs are only helpful if theyre both effective and safe, and a newly-expanded recall of a popular diabetes medication shows that the safe part can be somewhat hit-or-miss.

In a new company announcement posted by the FDA, a company called Marksans Pharma Limited announces the expanded recall of its metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablets. The drugs are prescribed for the management of diabetes, but these tablets may be tainted with unacceptably high levels of NDMA, or N-Nitrosodimethylamine, a likely human carcinogen.

The initial recall of the drug was announced way back in early June of this year, but after additional investigation, it became clear that more lots of the drug may have been contaminated with high levels of NDMA. The companys statement reads in part as follows:

Marksans Pharma Limited, India is voluntarily expanding its earlier initiated recall on June 05, 2020 to include an additional 76 unexpired lots of Metformin Hydrochloride Extended-Release Tablets, USP 500mg, & 750mg to the consumer level. Marksans performed N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) testing of unexpired identified marketed lots and observed that NDMA content in some lots is exceeding the acceptable Daily Intake Limit (ADI) of 96ng/day, therefore, out of an abundance of caution, an additional 76 lots are being recalled.

NDMA is a contaminant that is found in many foods and even water. Its considered a probably human carcinogen, which means it likely promotes the odds of cancer development. However, its considered to be relatively safe in light concentrations. The issue for Marksans Pharma Limited is that its pills were shown to have an elevated level of the carcinogen, which is unacceptable for sale based on U.S. regulations.

The FDAs official bulletin includes a full list of the products and lot numbers, ranging from 1,000-count packs of 500 mg tablets to 100-count packs of 750mg tablets. The lot numbers and product codes are also included. The pills were sold under the brand name Time-Cap Labs Inc., so if that sounds familiar and you have some of these pills sitting in your medicine cabinet, you should contact your doctor immediately to see how to proceed.

Its unsafe to simply stop taking this medication without having an alternative lined up, so make sure you speak to your doctor and get another prescription before tossing these potentially tainted pills in the trash.

Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering breaking news and trends in VR, wearables, smartphones, and future tech. Most recently, Mike served as Tech Editor at The Daily Dot, and has been featured in USA Today, Time.com, and countless other web and print outlets. His love ofreporting is second only to his gaming addiction.

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If you take this common medication, call your doctor and throw it out - BGR

GRAYSON

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will temporarily close KY 773 near Grayson on Monday for road work at the Little Sandy River bridges.

Beginning at 7 a.m. Monday, and continuing until about 7 p.m., crews will close Ky. 773 at Bucksaw Junction south of the bridges while contractors work to connect the new road on the bridge replacement project. From the Ky. 7 intersection, Ky. 773 will be open to local traffic access up to Bucksaw Junction. Motorists traveling to or from locations on Ky. 773 south of Bucksaw should detour using Ky. 1.

Following the one-day closure, Ky. 773 will reopen with one-lane traffic controlled by temporary signal lights south of the bridges. Work in that area will continue over the next couple of weeks to complete the south tie in and the intersection with Bucksaw Junction. Traffic should expect delays and watch for changing traffic patterns.

Road work schedules are subject to change depending on weather conditions. Motorists are asked to heed all warning signs, slow down in work zones and remain aware of workers and construction equipment when traveling.

BCC bridge winners named

ASHLAND

Bellefonte Country Club bridge winners for Oct. 7 are: first Betty Cooper; second Norma Meek; third Juanita Ditty; fourth Clara Marcum.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

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Local News In Brief: One-day closure of Ky. 773 - The Independent

ISLAMABAD:

The government has decided to remove the federal member of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) after an inquiry held all the members responsible for sabotaging the telemetry system, aimed at fair distribution of water among provinces, with collaboration of other members.

The report of the inquiry committee, headed by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan, has been submitted to the cabinet. It has pointed out that Irsa had not been able to put in place a system for monitoring the process of river flows.

Following the report, the government decided to conduct forensic audit of Irsa through independent management consultancy firm. It also decided to introduce reforms through restructuring of Irsa and allow necessary amendments to the Irsa Act, 1992, in consultation with the provinces.

The inquiry report pointed out that the PC-1 prepared by Irsa for installation of telemetry system was deficient in defining various hydraulic conditions experienced at the barrages. It further said that IRSA did not build its capacity for observations and measurements (O&M) of the telemetry system and despite experts warnings of short comings of the system installed in 2002, it did not take any action.

International experts appointed by the World Bank for the assessment of the telemetry system had concluded that despite its faults, the telemetry system was capable of solving the problems if rectification was carried out.

As the National Engineering Services Pakistan (Nespak) also concluded that the system had outlived its utility due to lack of maintenance, the World Bank arranged $2.5 million for seven pilot sites through the Water Sector Capacity Building and Advisory Services Project (WCAP) to equip Irsa with a modern telemetry system.

The report raised serious questions about evaluation methodology. It said that the consultant selection committee, comprising four Irsa members and the WCAP team leader, did not exercise due diligence. It pointed out that an international firm was top-ranked at the expression of interest (EOI) stage but was disqualified at the bid evaluation stage.

The report said that Irsa, as an organisation, lacked expertise in the fields of hydraulics, electronics, software engineering, procurement and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacities. Its management structure needs to be realigned to ensure efficient performance of the obligatory functions.

The report stressed the need for performance audit of Irsa through a reputed management consultancy firm and called for review of the criteria for appointment of the Irsa members. Maximum age limit for the members also needed to be revisited, in terms of their credentials, competence, it recommended.

The committee held flawed approach of the Irsa members, Sher Zaman Khan of Balochistan, Raqib Khan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Rao Irshad All Khan of Punjab and Mazhar Ali Shah of Sindh, responsible for aborting the project because of their incompetence, lack of knowledge and shyness from technology. However, the committee could not find any evidence that it was done through any systematic scheme.

Suitability of current nominees to Irsa may be reassessed by the provincial and federal governments and, if found necessary, make appropriate replacements. It must be ensured that they have the leadership and competence to not only install the telemetry system but steer Irsa through much-needed reforms and restructuring, the report recommended.

The Water Resources Division had sought approval of committees recommendations from the cabinet. On May 19, 2020, the Cabinet had accorded the approval, in principle, to initiate the process of removal of Irsa members in accordance with Section 6 of Irsa, Act 1992.

Though, Irsa members from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh have since retired after completing their terms, the competence of the incumbent member from Punjab needed to be reassessed for which the government of Punjab might be requested.

The water resources division is of the view that the federal member of Irsa collaborated with other members in the cancellation of the procurement process. He lacked necessary technical knowledge to undertake the assignment and failed in discharging his duties in terms of Section 6(a) of Irsa Act 1992.

Therefore, the water resources division said that federal government might serve a notice to the federal member in order to take further action for his replacement with a suitably-qualified and experienced engineer.

The cabinet considered the water resources divisions summary titled Inquiry into Sabotaging the Installation of Telemetry System by IRSA dated 17th September,2020, and approved the proposal. Accordingly, the performance audit of the Irsa might be allowed through an independent management consultancy firm.

During discussions, it was pointed out that the role of the federal Irsa member in sabotaging the activity was not clearly mentioned in the inquiry report, whereas the proposal suggested action against him. The water resources minister explained that he was also indirectly involved in slowing down the entire process.

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Govt to go for restructure, reform in IRSA - The Express Tribune

Examination Yuan can be abolished during current legislative session. Examination Yuan can be abolished during current legislative session. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) As Taiwanese lawmakers explore replacement options for the Examination Yuan, which will likely be abolished during the current legislative session, the Cabinet said Monday (Oct. 5) that it can take over its responsibility and oversee all examination-related matters in the country.

In September, the Legislative Yuan's Constitutional Amendment Committee was established to push for legal changes, including lowering the voting age from 20 to 18 and abolishing both the Control Yuan and Examination Yuan. The committee is bipartisan and consists of 22 lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), 14 from the Kuomintang (KMT), two from the Taiwan People's Party (TPP), and one from the New Power Party (NPP).

The lawmakers have pointed out that abolishing the two agencies could save more than NT$1.3 billion (US$44.6 million) annually. They have also stated that the responsibilities of the two Yuans would remain but be transferred to existing or new government organs.

During a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan on Monday, the Cabinet's personnel office head, Jay Shih (), emphasized that the decision to abolish the Examination Yuan should not be considered solely from an economic viewpoint. He said the discussions should focus on how the constitutional separation of powers can better apply to Taiwan.

Shih said he will respect any decisions made by the Constitutional Amendment Committee, promising that the Cabinet will have no trouble handling examination-related matters if the proposed abolition passes a public referendum. He added that the Cabinet can set up a special unit to take over previous tasks controlled by the Examination Yuan and that he is confident there will be a smooth transition, reported CNA.

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Taiwan explores options in case of Examination Yuan abolition - Taiwan News

In the early days of the Trump administration, when things were much simpler, there was so much turmoil surrounding Donald Trumps erratic behavior and repeated interference with the Russia investigation that Rod Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, briefly floated the idea of secretly recording the president and invoking the 25th Amendment to the United States Constitution. That suggestion, which never went anywhere and which Rosenstein has played down, was made in the chaotic days after Trump fired James Comey; triggering the amendment wouldve allowed the Cabinet and the vice president to declare him unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.

That was then. Now, with Trump spending a few days at Walter Reed Medical Center as he is observed and treated for the coronavirus, the section of the Constitution allowing for the temporary or permanent replacement of the president is fully on the table, at least in principle. The presidents vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning, and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care, Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, said on Saturday in a candid assessment. Were still not on a clear path to a full recovery. Of course, Trump doesnt like candor, and he immediately scrambled to paint a rosier picture of his current condition. As of late Saturday, he was not yet out of the woods. And on Sunday, it became clear that the presidents doctors arent telling us the full picture of his true prognosis.

Because, in fairness, the Trump administration cannot be trusted to be forthright with the American public, not even on matters of life and death, wed be all the wiser to understand how the 25th Amendment works, how the prospect of presidential incapacity could trigger the legal line of succession, and how the election and transfer of power themselves can go into unchartered territory if not complete chaos.

Get ready for some game theory.

First off, the United States has been through drills like this before. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot at close range while in office, and his aides considered the 25th Amendment as a possibility. Cass Sunstein, a Harvard Law School professor who was a young lawyer in the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel at the time, wrote recently in Bloomberg about how he became the offices resident 25th Amendment expert and, when Reagan was shot, was asked to draft two declarations under it: One involving section 3 of the amendment, which allows the president to voluntarily and temporarily declare himself unable to perform the duties of his office, thus transferring those responsibilities to the vice president, who then becomes acting president; and another involving section 4 of the amendment, where a majority of the Cabinet plus the vice president declare the presidents inability.

In the latter scenario, the president may regain power by declaring in writing that hes recovered and ready to regain power. That would be the end of it, unless the Cabinet and vice president disagree with the presidents assessment in which case the disagreement would be kicked over to Congress, which would render its verdict on the presidents capacity to hold office on a two-thirds, supermajority vote.

Far more straightforward is what would happen in the event Trump were to die from Covid-19. Thats governed by section 1 of the 25th Amendment. Under the clear and simple terms of that section, the Vice President shall become President upon creation of a vacancy in the office of President, states a memorandum prepared by the Reagan administration in 1985. No ambiguity there. That means Vice President Mike Pence would succeed Trump as president, and the office of vice president would become vacant, triggering section two of the amendment, under which Pence could nominate a new vice president subject to a majority vote in both houses of Congress.

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What Trumps Covid Diagnosis Means for the Election - GQ