European Council President-elect Charles Michel visited Warsaw this week to discuss climate policy and the EU budget with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
Morawiecki praised the visit of Charles Michel as representing an opportunity for “building trust” through “new openings and new approaches.” In addition to climate policy and the EU budget, Morawiecki and Michel discussed innovation, digital policy, defence, relations with China and Russia and the competitiveness of the single market.

Michel will take over the position of European Council President from Donald Tusk, who was recently elected chairman of the centre-right European People’s Party, the biggest voting bloc in the European Parliament.

After their meeting, Michel joined Morawiecki in lighting candles at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes and laying flowers at the Warsaw Uprising Monument.

Source: PAP

Life is set to get slightly easier for commuters and tourists using regional railway transit in and around the Tricity area, according to internal planning documents obtained by Radio Gdańsk.

Beginning next year, the creation of a uniform “Taryfa Pomorska” or “Pomeranian Tariff” will enable the same tickets to be honored by both the Przewozy Regionalne (PR) and Szybka Kolej Miejska (SKM) trains.

Currently, the PR and SKM trains have different tickets and pricing structures, with only the Pomorskiej Kolej Metropolitalnej (PKM) trains honoring valid SKM tickets. The proposed tariff changes incorporate elements of linear, regressive, and zoned tariff structures, with officials still debating which structure would prove the most beneficial. It is estimated the changes will initially require an additional 24 million PLN to implement, with the additional costs reflected in potentially higher ticket prices for consumers.

According to officials from the Marshal’s Office of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, work is currently underway to standardize tariff provisions, ticket prices, revenue distribution, and regulations among the various railway operators. The new tariff scheme is set to be unveiled sometime in 2020.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

For parents of schoolchildren, November 30th is the last day to apply for Poland’s “Good Start” program, which provides an annual grant of 300 PLN per child for expenses related to the start of the school year.

Students in primary and secondary school (excluding kindergarten and preschool students) up to the age of 20 may apply for the funds, with an estimated total of 4.6 million students across Poland eligible to participate in the program.

According to the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, over 3.2 million applications for the „Good Start” program have been submitted since July, with some 4.4 million PLN in benefits already paid out as of October 31st.

Applications may be submitted in person or by post, or electronically on the https://empatia.mrpips.gov.pl website, via online banking, or using PUE ZUS. The application deadline is November 30.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

US President Donald Trump was presented with two live turkeys yesterday – nicknamed “Bread” and “Butter” – in anticipation of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

In accordance with tradition, Trump used the official powers of his office to issue a mock “pardon” to one of the two lucky birds. “Butter,” who reportedly loves bagpipes, NASCAR, and sweet potato fries, was chosen for the honor by voters via a White House Twitter poll.

The two turkeys, who each weigh in at over 45 pounds or 20 kilos, originally hail from North Carolina, will now be sent to live out the rest of their days in Virginia. It’s estimated that Americans will consume over 46 million turkeys during the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow, spending nearly half a billion dollars on preparations for the traditional dish.

For more on American Thanksgiving traditions, tune in to Good Morning Gdańsk this Friday at 10am on DAB or 11am on FM or online at https://radiogdansk.pl/sluchaj-rg-kanaly.

Source: Twitter, whitehouse.gov, www.eatturkey.org

Weather

Today will be mostly cloudy and overcast with a chance of light rain showers throughout the day and again overnight. Temperatures will remain on the cool side with a high of 6 degrees Celsius or 43 degrees Fahrenheit and light winds coming in from the southeast. More clouds and rain are anticipated through tomorrow and into the weekend.

RGEN