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Tom Kean Jr.'s political roots date to 1776. Is that enough to protect the Republican's House seat?
Tom Kean Jr.'s bid for a third term representing New Jersey's 7th Congressional District offers a window into the larger battle for control of the narrowly divided House. Kean and other Republicans...
Vaz and Tsimikas to start vs Lecce
Good attacking depth and a knack for jostling opponents. Plus, an assist and a penalty won. It may not have been enough to eliminate Bologna from the Europa League, but it might have been enough to co...
The State That Decided to Topple a Political Giant
Phil Berger has been the most powerful person in North Carolina for 15 years. That wasn’t enough to save him from voters’ anger at incumbents and legalized gambling.
Rising toll: Are NC sports betting protections enough?
With two years of legalized sports betting in the books, public health advocates, researchers and counselors suggest changes.
Our Universe Has Hidden Dimensions, Scientist Claims—And They’re Close Enough to Touch
The true nature of reality might be lurking just beyond our senses, according to this theory.
'Apparently Not Good Enough for Investors' — Crimson Desert Publisher Stock Price Plunges Nearly 30% Amid 78 Metacritic Score
Pearl Abyss, publisher and developer of Crimson Desert, has seen its stock price plunge nearly 30% in what is seen as a reaction to review scores.
Exeter City 'will start next season solvent'
Exeter City will have enough money to see out this season and start the next campaign, says interim chairman Laurence Overend.
Cuban Americans Will Be Allowed to Own Businesses in Cuba, but Is That Enough?
The Cuban government announced that Cubans living abroad can own and invest in businesses, but experts said they were disappointed that the measures didn’t go further.
Miami Cubans Fear Trump Won’t Go Far Enough: ‘The Castros Have to Go’
Many Cubans in Florida have sought regime change for decades. They fear that President Trump’s talks with Cuba will not lead to wholesale political transformation.
We Saw Starfield's Big Overhaul and DLC - Is It Enough to Revive Bethesda's Space RPG?
Starfield is getting new DLC, Terran Armada, along with some major quality-of-life updates. And a PS5 version! We got an extended first look at everything on its way to Bethesda's big outer-space RPG.
Nvidia Wants to Slop-ify Your PC Games With Its New AI Upscaler
You'll love DLSS 5 if you can't get enough of ugly, uncanny, and overly textured AI slop.
Haims: Jujube(s) have health benefits for sleep, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
If you’re old enough to remember enjoying a box of Jujubes at the movie theater, you’re old enough to question this article’s title. If not, here’s the scoop. For decades, Jujubes candy was a movie theater staple. They look like very short rabbit pellets, similar in size and...
Minister plays down Trump’s Nato threat, arguing US alliance strong enough to ‘outlast’ current issues
Pat McFadden says Trump running a ‘transactional presidency’ and that ‘our job is to navigate this’
Reports: some 9/11 WTC health staffers reassigned to ICE, other roles
The Senate’s top Democrat joined a group of local Republican lawmakers seeking answers amid reports that 9/11 World Trade Center health fund program workers are being reassigned to other agencies, including U.S. Immigrations & Customs Enforcement. “It would be bad enough if they just reduced the number. That would be horrible enough,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) told…
The Saga Of This Cheap Bentley Flying Spur Shows Off Just How Tough Volkswagen's W12 Can Be
It withstood years of overheating, enough to stretch head bolts and damage a coolant tank, and is still running as smoothly as it did two decades ago.
Reign crumble against Firebirds in third straight overtime loss
Koehn Ziemmer's two-goal night wasn't enough as the Ontario Reign lose 4-3 in overtime to the Coachella Valley Firebirds Saturday night at Toyota Arena. This is the Reign's first time experiencing three losses in a row this season but they remain in first place in the AHL Pacific Division with 81 points and a record of 38-16-3-2.
Trump says Iran is ready to negotiate a ceasefire but he's not ready to make a deal
The president said the "terms aren't good enough yet" to make a deal with Iran amid a widening war in the Middle East.
Have the Giants Been Aggressive Enough in Free Agency?
Though they haven’t made any groundbreaking additions, the New York Giants have been quite active in free agency. The Giants have brought back players like Jermaine Eluemunor and Micah McFadden, while adding newcomers such as Isaiah Likely, Tremaine Edmunds, and Patrick Ricard. But after restructuring and cuts before free agency, there were hopes of retaining more […] The post Have the Giants Been Aggressive Enough in Free Agency? appeared first on The Lead.
Parallels Desktop creators say MacBook Neo does indeed have enough muscle to run Windows apps
The company’s virtualization software is functional on Apple’s cheapest laptop.
Brooklyn Nurses Lose Health Care For Weeks Despite $15M From State
The Brooklyn Hospital Center received a fraction of requested aid — and it’s not enough to reinstate more than 400 nurses’ health benefits.
Scientists built the hardest AI test ever and the results are surprising
As AI systems began acing traditional tests, researchers realized those benchmarks were no longer tough enough. In response, nearly 1,000 experts created Humanity’s Last Exam, a massive 2,500-question challenge covering highly specialized topics across many fields. The exam was engineered so that any question solvable by current AI models was removed. Early results show even the most advanced systems still struggle — revealing a surprisingly large gap between AI performance and true expert-level knowledge.
Nicole Kidman Names The Star Whose 'Bad Breath' Ruined Their Kissing Scene
“I have to recoil, yikes! I’m out. You could not offer me enough money,” the Oscar winner said.
MacBook Air With OLED Display is Still Years Away
Apple is planning to launch a MacBook Air with an OLED display, but it won't come for several years after the MacBook Pro is updated with OLED screen technology. We're not going to see an OLED MacBook Air until at least 2028, according to Bloomberg. Large, high-quality OLED displays are expensive, and it will take some time for the technology to come down in price enough that it can be used in Apple's midrange devices.
Scientists squished microbes into a steel 'sandwich' — and made a profound discovery about life in space
"Extremophile" bacteria could survive asteroid impacts that are strong enough to launch them into space, suggesting that life could travel between planetary bodies.
Why Subtitles Aren't Enough: The Growing Demand for ASL in Entertainment
HBO Max is adding more titles with sign language interpretation, while other tech platforms are also expanding access using readily available tools.
Mental health solutions for the digital age
Ask the digital natives of Gen Z about the source of their biggest mental health challenges, and most will say social media and AI.Several of the nearly 400 guests at the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit, presented by the Friends of Semel Teen Advisory Council at UCLA on March 8, explicitly named the endless stream of content on their phones as serious stressors. “Everybody is addicted to (Tik Tok) as if they were addicted to substances,” said Jantin Asmar, 17, a senior at Virtual Academy in Antelope Valley. “We’re always chasing that dopamine. We’re expecting that dopamine rush and it’s really decaying our interactions with others.” High school student Jantin Asmar was among nearly 400 people who attended the third annual Gen Z Wellness Summit. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) Even young teens feel pressure to be on social media constantly, both to consume content and collect “likes,” said 13-year-olds Chloe and Sophia, both students at Brentwood School. “Everyone’s always on, and you miss stuff if you’re not on it,” Chloe said, adding that social media’s emphasis on appearances is leading to eating disorders: “That’s a big thing for our generation.”The incessant influx of images and updates creates expectations that “weigh teenagers down,” said Linda Kou, 16, a junior at San Gabriel High School.Even though digital spaces allow people to connect with others beyond their immediate surroundings, it doesn’t always translate to real-life community, said Kelah Morgan, 17, a senior at Animo South Los Angeles Charter High School. High school students Kelah Morgan, left, and Linda Kou, shared about the challenges presented by social media. (Photo by Sandy Cohen) “Even if you see people saying that they relate to you online, it might be hard to find people in your personal life who you see every day who you feel comfortable enough to say, ‘You see me online, but this is me in real life and what I’m actually going through,’” she said.Solutions for our digital timesThe Gen Z Wellness Summit was intentionally designed as a free, in-person gathering where young people interested in mental health from across the southland could meet in person. “Peer support is the most important element of maintaining our mental health in community,” said Helena Hansen, MD, PhD, director of UCLA’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.Keynote speakers at the summit addressed AI, social connection and self-empowerment, while breakout sessions included discussions about eating disorders, dating, substance use, phone detox and breathwork. Here are some of the day’s top takeaways:Beware of FOPO: Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD, a psychology professor at Columbia University, said that rather than FOMO, or fear of missing out, we ought to be more aware of FOPO: fear of people’s opinions. “Just think about how much your FOPO might be holding you back in your life,” Dr. Kaufman said. “And just that inner contemplation should be enough for you to change your life, because there’s so many things we don’t go after because we have debilitating FOPO.”We don’t need to feel like we’re the best – or what he called “narcissistic self-esteem” – but it’s helpful to acknowledge our own worth, recognize our good qualities and develop self-belief in the skills and talents we’ve cultivated. When we have that – dignity and self-respect, without needing everyone to like us – FOPO is less of a concern.Self-reflection is most effective in community: “When we try to self-reflect alone, we sometimes ruminate,” said Ira Bedzow, PhD, executive director of the Emory University Purpose Project. “But when we self-reflect with people that we trust … (it) allows us to hold ourselves accountable to different ways of seeing and different ways of hearing and different ways of being.”Opening up about our experiences and listening to others are skills we can develop, Dr. Bedzow said.He invited students to participate in what he called a “fishbowl exercise,” where four students sat in a small circle, surrounded by a dozen or so students forming a larger circle. Those in the inner circle answered such questions as: “What stops you from being you today?” and “What helps you feel most like you?”Within minutes, the group in the small circle (the fishbowl), were sharing intimately about their life challenges as those in the outer circle nodded in understanding.After the exercise, one participant said, “I felt like I wasn’t alone, that it wasn’t just me who feels that way.”Another remarked on how “personal” it felt to share face-to-face with others, even strangers.Don’t let AI crush your creativity: Theoretical neuroscientist Vivienne Ming, PhD, has been studying artificial intelligence for more than 20 years. And while she said “it’s reasonable to be concerned” about the fast-growing technology, it can also help humans become better problem-solvers when used strategically.“The smartest thing on the planet today are humans and machines working together creatively,” Dr. Ming said. “What gets more valuable in humans as machines get smarter? Our ability to explore the unknown.“Your unique voice is literally your value to the world … but most of us for most of our lives have been taught to not be unique,” she continued. “Be your own person. Celebrate being different. It is genuinely, measurably, truly valuable.”In a breakout session called “Phone Detox? IYKYK: Living Your Story IRL” led by Don Grant, PhD, students shared their frustrations with AI compromising academic work, art and creativity.“Art is a translation of human experience,” one participant said. “When people use AI, they diminish their own human experience.”Dr. Grant urged them, as “the last generation to remember a world before AI,” to remember the power of imagination and creativity – and to act on it.Remember that social media distorts perceptions: Stuart B. Murray, PhD, PsyD, who directs the Eating Disorders Program and Translational Research in Eating Disorders Program at UCLA, asked the students in his breakout session to take a spontaneous selfie and edit it to conform with society’s beauty standards. All 20 girls in the room immediately got to work, thickening their hair, slimming their faces, plumping their lips.“The pressure to look like what we present on social media can be crippling,” Dr. Murray said. “We now know that social media use is part of a causal pathway into an eating disorder.”Adolescents and young adults are most at risk of developing an eating disorder, he said, with one in three students on college campuses exhibiting clinically meaningful eating-disorder symptoms. More than 4 million people in California will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.Even for those who don’t develop anorexia or bulimia, the ubiquity of modified images online distorts what we consider normal, making us feel worse about ourselves. Remembering that, he and other speakers said, might inspire us to log off occasionally and spend time in the real world with people who love us as we are.
Is O'Neill's points average enough to win title?
What do the points average of those in charge of the top four in the Scottish Premiership tell us about who may win the title?
Trump Seeks to Calm Oil and Gas Markets but Says Iran War Will Go On
The president said the U.S. could accompany tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary to keep oil flowing. “We’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough,” he said.
WATCH: Trump sidesteps responsibility for deadly strike on Iranian girls' school
President Donald Trump erroneously claimed Monday that Iran has access to the American Tomahawk cruise missile, the weapon likely used to strike a girls' school in Iran, killing 165 people. When asked why he was the only person in his administration making the claim, Trump replied: “Because I just don’t know enough about it.”
DHS leadership change is not enough to reopen government and start funding department, says Hakeem Jeffries
House minority leader says ‘we want ICE to conduct itself like other law enforcement agencies, not use tax dollars to kill American citizens’
Scientists say this simple diet change could transform your gut health
A growing trend called “fibermaxxing” is putting dietary fiber in the spotlight—and for good reason. Fiber plays a powerful role in keeping the body healthy, from supporting digestion and feeding beneficial gut microbes to helping regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Researchers say getting enough fiber may even lower the risk of conditions like obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Scientists say this simple diet change could transform your gut health
A growing trend called “fibermaxxing” is putting dietary fiber in the spotlight—and for good reason. Fiber plays a powerful role in keeping the body healthy, from supporting digestion and feeding beneficial gut microbes to helping regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Researchers say getting enough fiber may even lower the risk of conditions like obesity, diabetes, and certain cancers.
Committee advances Guthrie's internet safety bill
It did not have the support of Democrats, who argued the legislation does not go far enough.
NYC doesn't have enough hotel rooms for FIFA World Cup, must suspend Airbnb restrictions: business leaders
“There are not enough beds [for the World Cup]... and without additional capacity, hotel prices will surge….and spending will leak to New Jersey and the suburbs,” a coalition of business groups...
‘Firing her is not enough’: Democrats celebrate Kristi Noem departure but say she must be ‘held accountable’
Gavin Newsom among those celebrating Noem’s ousting, as Democrats warn pressure must be kept up against ICE
Kristi Noem's ouster isn't enough. Democrats say they want her to pay.
Even though Trump ousted Noem as homeland security secretary, Democrats say they plan to still push for investigations and possibly even impeachment.
VTA grants may not be enough to save businesses impacted by light-rail extension
VTA will provide $1 million in grants to support businesses impacted by a light-rail extension in San Jose.
Pittsburgh Steelers Considered Landing Spot for 4-Time Pro Bowler
You can never have enough talent in the NFL.
When kids don’t sleep, parents don’t either. Experts share tips for better family sleep
Nearly half of American kids may not get enough sleep, and parents often underestimate sleep needs. Experts share tips to build better sleep hygiene.
Huskies Dispatch Fading Trojans
The Washington Huskies have made a habit this year of coming up short against good opponents due to limited offensive options. Zoom Diallo and Hannes Steinbach have been excellent, but haven’t received enough support from the rest of the roster. On Wednesday night, Diallo and Steinbach were so good that they didn’t need much support. […]
‘Enough’ with blame and shame: The science behind obesity and GLP-1s
In a new book, Yale endocrinologist Ania Jastreboff teams up with Oprah Winfrey to transform how we think about health, weight, and obesity.
New NFL coaching hires ranked by win-loss record
The NFL coaching carousel stops for no one. Every January, the league hits the reset button, firing the coaches who could not win enough games and bringing in the next wave of offensive geniuses, defensive masterminds, and culture builders. It…
Highguard will shut down permanently next week because it doesn't have "enough revenue to keep anyone employed to work on it"
After less than six weeks, developer Wildlight has announced it is shutting down its free-to-play hero shooter Highguard.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra vs iPhone 17 Pro Max: Sample Photos Comparison
The Galaxy S26 Ultra brings faster apertures and better image processing. Is that enough to beat the iPhone?
Pete Buttigieg in the Wilderness
He has a beard, a splitting maul, and a house in Michigan. Is that enough to convince America that he’s a man of the people?
Trump pushes back on mounting criticism about his Iran war battle plan as conflict spreads
President Donald Trump is pushing back on criticism that he hasn’t done enough to explain why it was necessary to start a war with Iran now or to articulate his vision for an endgame to the escalating conflict
Hims expansion may not come in time for risky GLP-1 business
Telehealth company Hims & Hers Health , known for its weight-loss drug business, is promising it can diversify away from its reliance on compounded GLP-1 sales in the U.S., but that may not happen soon enough for investors who are growing impatient.
Washington state progressives strike big business tax break from ‘millionaire’s tax’
The Washington State House Finance Committee made revisions to a proposed income tax after a group of progressive lawmakers said the previous version gave away too much while not doing enough for working families.
Nebraska Baseball Upsets #7 Auburn 9-8 in Extra Innings
Late inning heroics by Carey and Jesske were enough to outlast the Huskers’ closing woes.
‘Trump’s not enough. And he knows he’s not enough’: California governor Gavin Newsom on populism, ‘purity tests’ and whether he’ll run for the presidency
He’s the Democratic politician with movie-star looks and a picture-perfect family, dogged by accusations of being a smooth‑talking elitist. Can he really unite the American left and win the most powerful office in the world?
Trump raises possibility of 'friendly takeover of Cuba' coming out of talks with Havana
Trump has previously suggested that U.S. military action in Cuba might not be necessary, arguing the island’s economy was weak enough to collapse on its own.
'Traitors' reunion melts down as Michael Rapaport explodes on Johnny Weir
Michael Rapaport had a major meltdown at the 'Traitors' season 4 reunion, exploding on Johnny Weir and Porsha Williams enough that other stars had to intervene.
Does the US have enough aircraft carriers for all Trump’s wars?
Want to threaten Iran? You’re going to need a bigger boat.
Charleston businesses say city is 'a little too late' addressing downtown development fallout
Charleston’s small business owners say the city isn’t doing enough to help mitigate the negative impact two major downtown developments have caused.
68% of Americans Say Trump Has the Wrong Priorities
As Mr. Trump prepares for his State of the Union address, polls show that most Americans say he isn’t paying enough attention to the country’s biggest problems.
Scientists engineer bacteria to eat cancer tumors from the inside out
Researchers are engineering bacteria to invade tumors and consume them from the inside. Because tumor cores lack oxygen, they’re the perfect breeding ground for these microbes. The team added a genetic tweak that helps the bacteria survive longer near oxygen-exposed edges — but only once enough of them are present to trigger the change. It’s a carefully programmed biological attack that could one day offer a new way to destroy cancer.
Entry-Level Ferrari Ready To Lose Its Head Soon Enough
Prices for the Ferrari Amalfi Spider will likely start at around $270,000, if not a little more
Feeling healthy, Carter determined to change the narrative
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- There are two things that Evan Carter would like to stop talking about soon enough: his ongoing health and his ability to hit left-handed pitching. He understands why the topics persist. But it’s up to him to change the narrative.
10 Must Try Strategy Games Demos For The Steam Next Fest 2026
The first major Steam Next Fest of 2026 has begun, and there are nearly 4000 games for you to try! Yes, you read that right, 4000 game demos available, which should be enough to keep oneself busy for an entire lifetime. Since there's no way one person can try all of them, I have curated a special list of 10 must-try strategy game demos that I personally think are worth your time and attention.
MLB Power Rankings: Picking the best rotations for the 2026 baseball season
An ace is the easy part but that's not enough to carry a pitching staff all the way to October
A Vikings Offseason Quarterback Strategy
The Minnesota Vikings are looking to bolster their quarterback room this offseason with at least one quarterback capable of competing for the starting job. There remain enough doubts about J.J. McCarthy’s durability and readiness to operate Kevin O’Connell’s offense that the Vikings are actively pursuing other options to compete for the starting job and possibly […]
I Found the Best Electric Toothbrush for My Sensitive Teeth
The best electric toothbrush reduces plaque and gingivitis, encourages you to brush long enough, and prevents overzealous scrubbing.
Not quite good enough right now? BVB legend criticises Adeyemi
While it feels like everyone at Borussia Dortmund is currently on a roll, one star is left out in the cold. Karim Adeyemi has recently had to settle more and more for a spot on the bench.According to ...
Titans' Peter Skoronski lands inside PFF top 101 players
Tennessee Titans guard Peter Skoronski had a breakthrough season, and one good enough to find his way into PFF's top 101 graded players.
Critical Curling in Cortina as Olympic Playoffs Loom
A 3-5 won/loss record is theoretically enough for a women’s DSC tiebreaker spot
Battlefield 6 Roadmap Has Devs 'Biting Their Nails'
Battlefield 6 developers are biting their nails on whether the new roadmap and trailer are enough to bring players back to the game.
On Writing a Queer Sports Romance
Professional women’s sports leagues aren’t perfect spaces, but players and fans have won enough battles and made enough strides that the sapphic WNBA romance novel I published last month, “Rooting Interest,” is more of a reflection than a fantasy.
12 Of The Best Record Players For Audiophiles
Some say nothing sounds like a vinyl. There's enough interest in that theory to support a wide market of modern record players suitable for every audiophile.
America still needs Elon Musk
Surely many believe that Musk has now done more than enough for humanity with his massive fortune and technological vision. I am not one of them — nor, I suspect, is Musk.
An Invisible World Is All Around You, Scientists Say—If You’re Lucky Enough to See It
On “The Astounding Pop Mech Show,” Andrew Daniels and John Gilpatrick discuss the genetic quirk that could open up a whole new reality for some people.
Why a $193M injection for rural health care in Pa. isn’t easing closure worries
The five-year Rural Health Transformation Program is meant to expand and strengthen access to care, but state officials and experts warn the money isn’t enough to fix every problem.
Google Shocks Pixel Owners With Android 17 Release Date
Google surprised the Android world this afternoon by announcing that Android 17 Beta 1 is arriving “soon.” Yeah, Android 17, at least as a beta release, will be here soon enough... #Android17 #Google
Are Leeds safe?
BBC Radio Leeds' Adam Pope thinks a tally in the "late 30s" will be enough for Premier League survival. Leeds sit on 29 points in 16th place, with West Ham in the relegation places in 18th on 23 points. "I still think something in the late 30s will do it," Pope told BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast.
Sen. John Cornyn battles for political life in GOP primary contest with AG Ken Paxton, U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt
Cornyn is seeking Texas Republicans’ nomination for a fifth term, in a contest that has seen bitter and expensive attacks on all sides. A new poll shows Paxton pulling away from Cornyn, but with no candidate leading by enough to avoid a runoff.
Why Your SEO KPIs Are Failing Your Business (And How To Fix Them)
Rankings and traffic aren’t enough anymore, yet replacing them feels risky. A practical look at how SEO KPIs need to evolve.
TechCrunch Mobility: Is $16B enough to build a profitable robotaxi business?
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation.
Apple's redesigned MacBook Pro can't come soon enough
It's what creatives have been waiting for.
What Does It Take To Prove You’re Sick Enough To Get Treatment?
Hawaiʻi must seriously consider a universal health care system that does not hinge on employment or the outcome of an adversarial hearing.
Kuzmenko's Birthday Goals Not Enough As Kings Drop Home Game
Kuzmenko celebrated his birthday with two goals, but the Kings still came up short at home against Seattle.
Can AI ‘vibe research’ replace social science?
AI tool improvement is compounding fast enough for researchers to start using tools like Claude Code for real social science tasks.
136 schools nationwide awarded grants to improve student, faculty health
DALLAS, Feb. 4, 2026 — Physical activity is vital to American students’ physical health and emotional well-being, helping them learn, concentrate and manage stress throughout the school day, yet most youth are not getting enough movement. According to...
Drake Maye's shoulder injury improves ahead of Super Bowl showdown
Drake Maye said the shoulder injury that limited him in practice last week has improved enough that he had a normal workout on his first full day in the Bay Area for the Super Bowl. Maye was unable to practice fully last week for the New England Patriots after injuring his throwing shoulder on a scramble in the AFC championship game win against the Denver Broncos.
State Department announces no citizen initiatives made 2026 ballot; pot campaign says that's premature
Smart & Safe Florida says enough signatures were submitted and verified in county offices before a Sunday deadline.
This tiny pocket-friendly e-reader is packed with frustration and potential
The Xteink X4 is small enough to slip into a shirt pocket.
The Science of the Modern Base Season: Why Zone 2 Isn’t Enough Anymore
It's important to keep working hard all through the year, avoiding a major reliance on Zone 2 training. This is why.
Cooper Flagg breaks NBA teen record with 49-point game
Cooper Flagg scored 49 points -- the most ever by a teenager in a single NBA game -- but it was not enough to save the Dallas Mavericks from a 123-121 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.It was a third consecutive loss for the Mavericks, but a fifth straight win for the lowly Hornets, who sit 11th in the Eastern Conference.
Should We Treat Political Violence as a Public Health Crisis?
Thinking of political violence solely as a safety issue is not enough to address the harm that follows. “The patient is the community.”
Xavier 68-86 Seton Hall: What was that?
My first job in high school was cleaning bathrooms at a state park campground. Camping is a foul enough activity, but what people did in those bathrooms defies explanation. I say this to let you know I have stared into the dark heart of a man experiencing a bowel emergency and apparently the desire to […]
North Allegheny defeated by Fox Chapel, 44-33
North Allegheny hosted the Fox Chapel Foxes at UPMC Court on Wednesday night in a Section 1-6A contest. Neither offense was very explosive but the Foxes did enough offensively to defeat the Tigers by a score of 44-33. NA got a three-pointer from Will Robertson in the opening frame but trailed 10-5 after a quarter of play. Cole… More »
Hochul downplays Mamdani's ask for tax hikes
She argued the state has enough cash to pay for current operations.
How Oprah Winfrey has turned her weight-loss journey into a business
Oprah Winfrey's newest book, "Enough," is about her relationship with weight-loss drugs. Since the '90s, she has been combining her health with business.
Is Wyoming hoops stuck in purgatory within modern college basketball?
Every season for a reasonably successful mid-major university begins in a similar fashion. They schedule a few in-state cupcakes as the season and home openers before, if they are lucky enough, participating in an ever-declining MTE tournament during the week of Thanksgiving. Throw in a dash of high-major money labeled as “buy games” to help […]
Investment and Statecraft: The International Politics of Sovereign Wealth Funds - Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
In 1953, Kuwait established the world’s first sovereign wealth fund to invest the country’s oil revenues and generate returns that would reduce its reliance on a single resource. Since then, over 100 separate funds have been created to preserve national wealth and ensure long-term fiscal sustainability. Today, they manage over $10 trillion in global assets. In this discussion with GJIA, political economist Kathryn Lavelle explains the increasingly novel dynamics that surround fund behavior and what the world can come to expect from their growing presence in international financial markets. GJIA: When it comes to the roles sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) play in global markets and politics, what would you say makes them unique? Kathryn Lavelle: Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) operate on behalf of governments as investors. That in itself is a strange relationship. Within them, a core contest takes place between the state’s interests (or sovereign) part of the dynamic, and the money interests (or wealth) part of it, and these two aspects are frequently in contradiction, serving fundamentally different goals. SWFs are also quite fascinating because when you talk to the people who manage these funds, they have an interest in convincing you that the decisions are made almost exclusively on a financial basis—they really will go to great lengths to differentiate their government owners and those who make the management decisions. At the same time, these people ultimately answer to someone in power. Therefore, for most SWFs, it remains deeply unclear who is actually making the investment decisions and for what purposes. Of course, it is not always clear how other vehicles, such as hedge funds and private equity make the decisions they do, but I think what a lot of people find particularly disconcerting about SWFs is that they seem to act on behalf of people who have a different identity from their own. People who could be trying to manipulate politics and markets in a way that would have a long-term effect on their own populations. Regular investors come and go at will, and they only share an interest in profit as far as most of us understand. However, SWFs have that extra “sovereign” part right behind them that obscures their true interest. GJIA: These funds can be found in countries all across the globe, in both authoritarian states and democracies. Would you say SWFs differ in their goals and structures between regime-type? KL: It is not necessarily regime type that makes the goals and structures of SWFs different. It has to do with their economies. Let’s look at a country like China. There’s going to be a debate about exactly how to characterize the regime, but it is a country with many different kinds of sovereign wealth funds, and a particularly opaque state connection to each. At one time, some of the state-owned Chinese oil companies created specialized investment vehicles listed outside Chinese markets that excluded parts of the firms that were more associated with human rights violations. At the same time, the China Investment Corporation (CIC)—China’s largest SWF—draws a lot of concern, not necessarily because of its investment activities, but because of the dynamics of global politics. So, I wouldn’t really tie differences to regime types themselves in a wholesale way, but rather to how such funds are perceived and how they are structured. Saudi Arabia’s SWF is getting all kinds of attention for its involvement in Hollywood, and this takes me right back to when I was a student in the 1980s, when people were concerned about Japanese investment entities buying assets in Hollywood. They aren’t quite the same in financial terms, but it’s the same kind of concern about foreign investment that drives people to be suspicious, and the whole idea that “foreigners are influencing Hollywood.” This holds true across industries, and it reflects where politics are in places like the United States right now. One metric we can try to look at is transparency, where all the funds will tell you, “we are transparent.” The problem you’ll keep running into with this approach is how you value things. When trying to do comparative studies of equity markets, you’ll find that every country doesn’t use Generally Accepted Accounting Principles like we do in the United States. A fund may appear opaque politically and not want people to show what they’re invested in or what their intent with that investment is, but they could also just not be able to report it because of the way it was purchased, or the kinds of shares they purchased. There are some assets out there that really are difficult to put a monetary value on. GJIA: To what extent do domestic politics shape SWF behavior in both the investing “home” country and the recipient “host” country? KL: This depends on the type of fund present and also on the extent to which voters’ political views are able to influence the fund. For example, in a democratic home state like Norway, the SWF doesn’t invest in nuclear weapons or tobacco because of social concerns, but there is a continuing debate over whether it should invest in oil, even though that’s where most of the money comes from. The degree to which Norway will continue to make those investments, and whether they contradict the government’s overall climate goals, is an open question in Norwegian politics. Because of the way the fund’s governance is structured, it may not be easy to resolve. On the other hand, some people consider pension funds, like the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) in Ohio, to be quasi-SWF. They have a very strict separation between the people who make up the management division and the fund owners. No teacher or professor would want to invest in things that may harm the future of their students. At the same time, a fund manager might see an opportunity in a diversified multinational corporation that offers a good return, despite it deriving part of its revenue from e-cigarettes. These contests are very apparent. Domestic politics can work in host countries too. A good example is Singapore’s SWF, Temasek, investing in Thailand’s telecommunications sector. If you study political economy, you already know that countries everywhere are uncomfortable with foreign ownership of their telecom sectors because a foreign entity could monitor or manipulate our communications with each other. In the case of Temasek, there was significant pushback from Thai citizens surrounding the deal, which went on to influence national political sentiment toward Singapore as a whole, underscoring the risks some SWFs may face with their investment choices. In this case, fund behavior led to the dissolution of the entire Thai government in 2006 and a subsequent coup d’état. GJIA: To address some of this unease, the Santiago Principles were established in 2009 to ostensibly promote trust and transparency. From your perspective, have these mechanisms actually changed fund behavior? KL: In international relations theory, we always like to have a clear set of norms and best practices—the orientation we want the proverbial ship to be going in. In that regard, the Santiago Principles at least got the discussion going about which direction SWFs should take at a time when people were very skittish about the growing size of these funds. Nobody wanted them to be out there and potentially destabilizing economies, so talks about disclosure, conditions for withdrawal, and the independence of managers were helpful when initiated. The biggest stumbling block was that there wasn’t exactly a good way to measure compliance with the Principles, let alone how to hold funds to them. If you read the Principles, they’re overall quite vague. In general, a fund doesn’t want to reveal how and why they make certain investment decisions because that information is proprietary—a fund makes money off of how and why it makes decisions—so how do you reconcile that with loosely-defined ideas of openness? Some decisions might have a political purpose. The bottom line is that trying to figure out and assign a score to compliance is not easy, and it is therefore the reason why the Santiago Principles never really got off the ground to the point where they could truly direct fund behavior. GJIA: Many emerging markets are looking to build their own SWFs from mineral and oil revenues. Historically, have funds shaped development trajectories in these countries? KL: I think the big story in international emerging markets investment is that the investment is increasingly no longer unidirectional. In the past multinational corporations of primarily Western background were the main form of foreign direct investment in a country. That has changed dramatically, to the point where you have companies from so-called “developing countries” taking over companies in the United States. Therefore, the landscape of international investment has changed, and I think SWFs are certainly a possibility to be the next step in the game. Historically, you didn’t need an entire financial vehicle to reinvest commodity revenues in your country, but as emerging markets get more financially sophisticated, their capacity to operate such funds has increased. SWFs would allow treasuries to move from relying on holding foreign exchange assets like cash or government bonds to having broader financial markets and targeted growth areas, while easing pressure on welfare expenditures. GJIA: With their increasing financial weight, do you see the presence of SWFs being a factor in the political choices leaders will have to make with regard to domestic and foreign policy? KL: It will depend on just how big the funds get. One of the reasons people are already apprehensive is because of their scale, and if certain SWFs in certain countries achieve a large-enough size, the presence will absolutely be cause for concern. The other factor political leaders will have to consider are their objectives. It’s not always clear how to define a SWF, or even where its activity is concentrated, but it is certainly a worry from the perspective of national security of opaque external investment. More than that, I think one of the most interesting questions going forward is whether the United States, the home to the world’s largest financial markets, will develop its own fund, for which the Trump administration announced a plan. There have also been several proposals in Congress. Were it to come into being, it would have tremendous weight. At the same time, one of the hallmarks of U.S. capitalism is a lack of government ownership of shares, so it would not be clear how such a fund would be received in domestic politics, or which direction it would take. Given how politically fragmented the country is, a Democratic administration would likely be concerned about different sectors of the economy, such as healthcare, and want investment there, rather than a Republican administration, which might prefer defense industries. No investment vehicle could thrive under conditions of such instability. Moreover, it remains unclear where the money to fund a theoretical U.S. SWF would come from. It would be a fundamentally different entity depending on whether it is financed with debt, economic surplus, commodities, or the sale of state companies, as in the case of Singapore. If it is debt, or government borrowing of some form, then the fund would have to outperform whatever the cost of that debt is, which is not an easy thing to do. I think our political leaders have enough on their plate. Our system has worked well keeping political and investment functions generally separate. We have seen different forms of business rise and fall, and even the perception of different countries, all of which funds are tied to. Unless a major SWF either starts—like in the case of the United States—or collapses—an issue that concerns the Saudis, I don’t see any political tsunamis on the horizon. . . . Kathryn Lavelle is the Ellen and Dixon Long Professor of World Affairs at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her research explores the exchange between domestic and international and political institutions with a particular emphasis on political economy and multilateralism. Dr. Lavelle’s first book, The Politics of Equity Finance in Emerging Markets, explored the political circumstances that surround large issues of stock in the developing world. After being granted tenure at Case Western, she was awarded an American Political Science Association Congressional Fellowship and named the William A. Steiger fellow, a designation given to the most promising political scientist in her class of fellows. While in Washington during 2006-2007, she worked on the staff of the House Committee on Financial Services on issues related to domestic and international monetary policy. Dr. Lavelle holds a PhD in political science from Northwestern University; an M.A. in government and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia; and a bachelor’s degree in international economics from Georgetown University. She is a permanent member of the New York Council on Foreign Relations. This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity and length. Interview conducted by Sid Mehrotra. Image Credit: Jason Leung, Unsplash Content Licenses, via Unsplash
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