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Horry County leaders give OK to controversial mental health site; targeted 2027 opening
CONWAY, S.C. (WBTW) — A former assisted living facility in Murrells Inlet is getting new life as a mental health hospital after protests from nearby residents who said it would drag down the …
APT28 Uses Microsoft Office CVE-2026-21509 in Espionage-Focused Malware Attacks
APT28 exploited a Microsoft Office flaw to deliver MiniDoor and Covenant Grunt malware in targeted attacks across Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
NASA Selects Axiom Space for Fifth Private Mission to Space Station
NASA and Axiom Space have signed an order for the fifth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, targeted to launch no earlier than
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
2 small business credit card perks to help you save money this year, and the cards that offer them
Look for statement credits and targeted rewards designed specifically for your business needs.
Minnesota targeted by federal government over trans girls in sports
The notice comes as the Trump administration faces a substantial backlash to its immigration enforcement in the state, which has led to the shooting deaths of two Minnesotans.
Google settles privacy lawsuit for $68m over voice assistant
Tech company denied illegally recording and circulating private conversations to send phone users targeted ads
Minnesota workers pressure employers to take action against ICE operations
Target, Delta and Hilton targeted with actions leading up to economic blackout of no work, shopping or school
Four Washington Post-affiliated journalists who have been targeted over their work
Ten years since his release from wrongful detention in Iran, Jason Rezaian highlights four other Washington Post-affiliated journalists who have been targeted over their work.
5 arrested in burglary ring that targeted area business owners, police say
Officers said that they gathered information that a home was a potential target.
D.H.S. Cited Foreign Students’ Writings and Protests Before Their Arrests
Documents unsealed by a federal judge on Thursday include dossiers that investigators prepared on pro-Palestinian student activists before they were targeted for deportation.
Duluth businesses to close Friday; events planned to protest ICE
Some local merchants say they are willing to sacrifice a day of sales to stand up for immigrants and other community members who have been targeted in Minnesota.
US politics live: immigration crackdown continues with Democrats set to reject ICE funding bill
Operations continue in Minnesota and Somali communities are being targeted in Maine
Politics Friday Special: Sen. Hoffman reflects on a long healing process after shooting
MPR News politics editor Brian Bakst talks with Sen. John Hoffman about the targeted attack on his life. And he reflects on his healing process and new sense of purpose.
In a State Notorious for Scandal, Corruption Fighters Are Targeted
An anonymous negative ad campaign has been aimed at New Jersey’s departing attorney general. “It’s a warning to others,” one political scientist said.
Surveillance captures thieves who targeted high-end sneaker business in Margate
Thieves smashed through the front door of a South Florida business, stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of clothes and sneakers.
Trump touts rural health fund as part of affordability push
President Trump on Friday touted a targeted $50 billion rural health fund as evidence of his administration’s commitment to helping rural communities improve health care costs and access, part of a…
7 businesses in multiple Chicago neighborhoods targeted by burglars
Federal funds for rural health on the way to Ohio, but not enough to offset cuts, advocates say
When the state applied for federal funds targeted at rural health, it acknowledged the tenuous state of health in rural Ohio, noting the danger of hospital closures and lack of access as part of the need for federal help.
Free program aims to help small business owners, entrepreneurs
Fresno Pacific University's Center for Community Transformation is gearing up to give small business owners expert training on a variety of targeted topics.
Rybak: Minnesota’s Business Community Targeted by ICE
A new year of hope turned dark in a matter of days.
Western Pacific Region achieves milestone: 19 countries complete comprehensive health information system assessments
The Health Information and Digital Health (HID) unit in the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific has successfully supported 19 countries, covering 99% of the Region’s population, to conduct comprehensive health information system (HIS) assessments, surpassing the regional target of 15 set for 2025 and advancing efforts toward universal health coverage. Using SCORE, a technical package of essential interventions, recommended actions, tool and resources developed by WHO and partners to address challenges in meeting HIS needs, these assessments systematically assess health data availability and quality, enabling countries to monitor trends, identify and respond to emerging health challenges, and improve policies and programmes for healthier families, communities and societies. The first round of SCORE assessments were conducted between 2019-2021 in 14 countries in the Region and over 130 countries globally. The second round of SCORE assessments were conducted between 2024-2025.SCORE assessments are a key priority identified by Member States and WHO at all levels, including within WHO-Country/Multi-Country Cooperation Strategies, the Regional Vision Weaving Health for Families, Communities and Societies in the Western Pacific Region (2025–2029), and the WHO Fourteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 14, 2025–2028). Within the Regional Vision, implementing SCORE assessments is a key action for technology and innovation to advance health equity (strand 5).The SCORE for Health Data technical package is based on five key interventions, represented by the acronym SCORE. Interventions S, C and O focus on strengthening core data sources. Survey (S) covers population-based health surveys, surveillance systems and censuses, including their capacity to monitor health-related SDGs. Count (C) focuses on birth, death and cause of death registration as parts of a functional CRVS system. Optimize (O) addresses routine health service data and key health service inputs such as health financing and health workforce.Interventions R and E focus on data use for action. Review (R) examines regular analytical reviews of health sector progress and performance, together with national analytical capacity. Enable (E) looks at the policy, governance, and digital foundations needed to support effective data use.The Western Pacific Region shows relatively strong performance in the Review (R) and Count (C) interventions. Most countries in the Region demonstrate good analytical reporting and institutional capacity for analysis and learning. More than two-thirds of countries show more mature CRVS systems, driven by improvements in birth and death registration. However, medical certification of cause-of-death remains a key gap, with limited or low coverage in over half of countries in the Region.Performance under the Survey (S) intervention is mixed. While surveillance systems are generally strong, several countries in the Region continue to face challenges in implementing their surveys and censuses. Monitoring health-related SDGs is still a challenge for more than a third of countries in the Region.The greatest challenges are observed in the Optimize (O) and Enable (E) interventions. More than half of countries have lower maturity levels in routine health service and resource systems. Two-thirds of countries also face challenges with effective use of data and evidence for policy and action, largely due to gaps in digital infrastructure, governance and legislation for health data systems, and especially in data and sharing.  As part of the SCORE methodology, multi-stakeholder consultations and validation workshops were conducted in many countries to review findings and plan strategies for HIS strengthening. The HID unit continues to provide targeted support to facilitate dialogue and assist countries in developing HIS improvement plans. These plans guide governments and partners to align investments and coordinate efforts for maximum impact.WHO also assists countries with tailored technical support to address key gaps as requested by countries/national health authorities. SCORE assessments should be conducted periodically to monitor progress in HIS strengthening, although progress across addressing gaps identified in SCORE should be continually tracked as countries implement improvements.Additional countries will be supported to implement SCORE in 2026. The Regional Vision delivery-for-impact target, endorsed by Member States, is for all countries and areas to have implemented SCORE assessments and have an increased SCORE index by 2029 while WHO is aiming for 80% of Member States in the Region to conduct round two assessments. Countries yet to complete assessments are therefore encouraged to contact the HID unit at the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific for tailored support.The implementation of SCORE HIS assessments in the Western Pacific Region was supported by The Gates Family Foundation.
Several small Catonsville businesses targeted in overnight burglary spree
While police haven't confirmed which places were targeted, neighbors took to social media posting pictures of some damage left behind.
Trump's attacks on business have one thing in common
Trump targeted two sectors in his latest attacks: single-family homes and defense contractors.
Politics of the personal
Once a high-flying financial trader, Gary Stevenson now leverages his platform and personal experience to advocate for targeted wealth tax on fortunes over £10m. This article explores his mission to shift public debate away from polarisation and toward social justice
Trump threatens Raytheon's business with the US government
President Donald Trump targeted Raytheon amid a broader stream of criticism of the entire industry.
Trump administration says it’s withholding social safety net money from 5 states
California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York are targeted.
Some voices conspicuously silent when it comes to Trump’s science ...
Research-intensive universities have been targeted in an unprecedented and unrelenting manner since Donald Trump retook the White House on 20 January. In April, nearly a third of the 6000-plus members of the US National Academies of Sciences, which is a nonpartisan organisation charged with providing evidence-based science and technology advice ...
North Liberty, Greater Iowa City, Inc. launch small business grant program
Small businesses in North Liberty can apply for grants up to $10,000 through a new economic development program that launched Monday. The North Liberty Targeted Economic Development Grant Program will distribute $85,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds on a rolling basis through July 1, or until funds are depleted. Greater Iowa City Inc. will […]
Venezuela says US carried out strikes on Caracas
In a statement, President Nicolás Maduro's government said the US had targeted both military and civilian areas.
After quiet off-year elections, Democrats renew worries about Trump interfering in the midterms
Trump has issued executive orders on voting and targeted groups that organize and fund Democratic campaigns.
Trump says contested allegation that Ukrainian drone targeted a Putin residence is ‘not good’
Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted U.S. political parties, memo says
The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of Jan. 6, 2021 told investigators someone needed to "speak up" for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen, prosecutors said Sunday.
Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted US political parties because they were 'in charge,' memo says
The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol told investigators after his arrest that he believed someone needed to “speak up” for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen. He also said he wanted to target the country’s p...
Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted US political parties because they were 'in charge,' memo says
The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol told investigators after his arrest that he believed someone needed to “speak up” for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen
Pipe bomb suspect told FBI he targeted US political parties because they were 'in charge,' memo says
The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S.
Mamdani needs rapport with Trump to continue as he seeks federal support for New York City
The administration has targeted Democrat-led cities with large-scale immigration raids and troop deployments.
Thieves hit multiple businesses in Clifton, targeting cash and cameras
Thieves targeted several businesses along Ludlow Avenue in Clifton.
US struck Islamic State targets in Nigeria after group targeted Christians, Trump says
A Defense Department official, who insisted on animosity to discuss details not made public, said the U.S. worked with Nigeria to carry out the strikes, and that they'd been approved by that country's government.
Judge blocks Trump effort to strip security clearance from attorney who represented whistleblowers
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a March presidential memorandum to revoke the security clearance of prominent Washington attorney Mark Zaid, ruling that the order — which also targeted 14 other individuals — could not be applied to him.
The US banned a former EU official's visa over Big Tech rules — and the fight is playing out on X
The Trump administration targeted EU figures over platform regulation, triggering backlash from Macron and digital regulators.
Why Sports Is The Fastest Way To Break CTV’s Programmatic Ceiling
Programmatic media buying is expected to account for the majority of growth in the CTV market in 2026. This year alone, over 90% of CTV ad dollars were transacted through programmatic pipes. That data isn’t surprising. Programmatic has solved a real problem by helping brands reach TV viewers with targeted precision at much lower costs. […]
Amazon's chief security officer says the tech giant blocked over 1,800 suspected North Korean agents from applying for jobs
Stephen Schmidt said AI and machine-learning roles have been increasingly targeted by fraudsters due to high demand.
Westwood business owner speaks out after thief targets shop in smash and grab
Small business owner Jaclyn Frondorf is speaking out after her store, Montclair Street, was broken into on Friday. Frondorf says that three other stores in Westwood were also targeted this week.
Trump alleges Ilhan Omar ‘hates Jewish people’ at Hanukkah event
Trump has repeatedly targeted Rep. Ilhan Omar, who is Muslim, since his first term as president.
The Guardian view on Trump’s BBC lawsuit: grievance politics with a purpose
Editorial: The US president has repeatedly targeted American media in an attempt to muzzle debate and scrutiny. His attempt to export the bullying must be resisted
What Is Renal Denervation?
Renal denervation uses targeted energy to reduce kidney nerve activity, helping lower blood pressure.
Tonko accuses ICE of targeting Afghans in Capital Region
He said a series of recent incidents have targeted Afghans in the area.
Apple Releases Emergency Patch For Two Zero-Day Flaws Used In Highly Targeted Attacks
Apple has issued urgent security updates to address two critical zero-day vulnerabilities that have been exploited in sophisticated real-world attacks targeting specific individuals, the company confirmed this week. The patches are part of a broader emergency update that spans iOS, iPadOS, macOS, wa
Trump attacks on political opponents spur a surge of threats, NBC News review finds
In recent weeks, nearly two dozen elected officials on both sides of the aisle said they were targeted after getting caught in the president's crosshairs.
Tunisia sentences opposition leader Abir Moussi to 12 years in jail
Dozens of opposition figures being targeted in nation once seen as beacon for democracy after sparking the Arab Spring.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk put science on the chopping block in 2025
The Trump administration has targeted everything from public health to space missions for funding cuts, bringing an end to the longstanding US policy of scientific pursuits as a path towards progress and economic prosperity
YouTube TV Is Adding 10 Genre-Specific Subscription Plans, Including A Sports Bundle
YouTube TV says it will begin offering cheaper, more targeted packages of programming like a sports bundle starting early next year.
Congressional Republicans face several divsive issues to end the year
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks Republican strategist Liam Donovan, head of the consulting and public affairs firm Targeted Victory, how deep current disagreements in the GOP Congressional caucus are.
Burglars break into recycling center business in downtown LA
A business owner is ringing the alarm Wednesday after he says burglars targeted his recycling center in downtown Los Angeles.
A Navy warship mistook US fighter jets for enemy missiles and opened fire. The targeted pilot saw his life flash before his eyes.
New documents reveal how the USS Gettysburg shot down an F/A-18 and nearly hit a second one above the Red Sea last year.
Trump pardons Democrat Henry Cuellar claiming Biden political attack
Trump claims Biden admin targeted Cuellar for his criticism of US border policy in latest pardon.
Schumer says three of his New York offices were targeted with bomb threats
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says three of his New York offices were targeted with emailed bomb threats from an email address alleging the “2020 election was rigged.”
At least 9 Indiana Republicans were targeted in swatting attacks amid redistricting pressure from Trump
The threats came after Trump publicly called on state lawmakers to pass new congressional maps that would benefit Republicans.
‘It was extremely pornographic’: Cara Hunter on the deepfake video that nearly ended her political career
The Irish politician was targeted in 2022, in the final weeks of her run for office. She has never found out who made the malicious deepfake, but knew immediately she had to try to stop this happening to other women
Popular singer, 22, was victim of ‘ruthless and targeted attack’ that took her life
Three arrests have been made.