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Hefty taxes kick back in for small Philly businesses
Many businesses are likely unprepared and unaware they need to start paying the city's Business Income and Receipts Tax.
Trump’s AI push exposes a divide in the MAGA movement
There is a growing fault line within Trump’s coalition over how aggressively to unleash a technology that is rapidly reshaping the economy and society.
Is Carb-Cutting Healthy?
Cutting carbohydrates can be a fast track to weight loss. But villainizing the nutrient completely is a mistake, experts say.
Synspective CEO on Business Outlook
Motoyuki Arai, Founder and CEO of Tokyo-based space technology firm Synspective, discusses his company's business and growth outlook, and addresses the global demand for satellite technology. He speaks exclusively with Avril Hong on the sidelines of the Singapore Space Summit on "Bloomberg: The Asia Trade". (Source: Bloomberg)
Windows 11 26H2 confirmed for later this year, as references spotted on Windows Update page
If you're on Windows 11 25H2 or 24H2, you'll be getting Windows 11 26H2 later this year, likely around October 2026.
Time.so Reports 300% Growth in Business Users
Time.so reports 300% growth in business users as global teams rely on its fast world clock, city times, time zones, and
President Trump endorses John E. Sununu in closely watched N.H. race for US Senate
John E. Sununu is competing with Scott Brown, a fellow former US senator, for the GOP nomination, while Chris Pappas leads in the Democratic primary to see who will succeed Jeanne Shaheen.
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier the big winner at Senior Bowl
Nussmeier likely entered Senior Bowl week with a day three grade, but he might have gotten himself into the day two discussion now.
Gavin Newsom opens the oppo book in his new memoir
“Young Man in a Hurry” focuses on the personal more than the political, but Newsom’s likely 2028 run is the undeniable subtext.
Fujifilm Fixed Its Biggest Pre-2024 Mistake: The Beauty of an Open X-Mount Lens Roundup
Full List of Third Party AF Fujifilm X mount lenses available on Amazon When I wrote the FujiRumors 14-year anniversary article, I mentioned that our journey wasn’t without difficult moments—and that Fujifilm, at times, made some serious mistakes. The biggest one in recent memory was the 2024 firmware debacle, which severely degraded autofocus performance. It…
Partial US government shutdown likely to continue amid funding standoff
Speaker Mike Johnson is ‘convinced’ the impasse over homeland security funding will be resolved by Tuesday
Snoop Dogg shares support for family after death of baby granddaughter
Snoop Dogg shared love for his daughter Cori Broadus, who recently announced the death of her 10-month old baby, born severely premature.
Meet Eric Vetro, the celebrity vocal coach for Ariana Grande and more A-listers
Eric Vetro is Hollywood's favorite vocal coach, working closely with stars like Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and Addison Rae.
Wes Moore confronts the limits of his own power in a fight with Maryland Democrats
Wes Moore can barely describe how he’d feel if he falls short in his push to gerrymander another Democratic seat in his state and the US House of Representatives ends up staying Republican.
750-year-old Indian poems reveal a landscape scientists got wrong
Old Indian poems and folk songs are revealing a surprising truth about the land. Scientists found that descriptions of thorny trees and open grasslands in texts written as far back as the 1200s closely match today’s savannas in western India. This suggests these landscapes are ancient and natural—not ruined forests. The discovery could reshape how conservation and tree-planting efforts are planned.
Galaxy S26 Ultra’s Marketing Material Leaks Out, Showing The Flagship In An Absolutely Stunning Cobalt Violet Paint Job
A reliable leaker has shared the marketing material of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, showing Samsung’s top-end flagship in a gorgeous Cobalt Violet color
BKB 50 results, video highlights from ‘Evolution’ in Miami
BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing celebrated its 50th event last night (Sat., Jan. 31, 2026) with BKB: “Evolution” from inside James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida. BKB 50 was headlined by the super featherweight title fight pitting undefeated 130-pound phenom Alberto “El Indio” Blas opposite five-fight BKB veteran Harold “Lightning” McQueen, widely-regarded as one of […]
Basil Talbott Jr., Chicago Sun-Times political editor and journalist, dies at 89
Basil Talbott spent more than 30 years at the Sun-Times and was widely respected by his colleagues as a truth-seeker who bluntly challenged obfuscation.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: First official promotional poster leaked
It is widely known how the camera of the Galaxy S26 Ultra will change, but now we can see it in large format in a first leaked official promotional poster, in the primary color option purple and without any distracting watermarks.
Takeaways From Gavin Newsom’s New Memoir, ‘Young Man in a Hurry’
His introspective memoir tries to challenge the conventional wisdom about his upbringing, explores his marriages and airs a little dirty laundry — but says relatively little about politics.
India hands Apple a win by letting foreign firms fund equipment for manufacturers
India's government on Sunday handed a major win to Apple by allowing foreign companies to freely provide machines to their contract manufacturers set up in certain areas for five years, without fearing any tax risk.
Macau Gaming Revenue Beats Estimate on Entertainment Offerings
Macau’s gaming revenue rose 24% in January, beating analyst estimates as casinos in the world’s biggest gambling hub continued to rely on perks like free concert tickets and entertainment offerings to lure high-spending travelers.
Saturday Night Open Thread: The change would do us good
Come and join this merry band of Steelers’ faithful for some lively debate about our Steelers, good food, music, and the merits of the odd cold beverage.
Black Business Expo creates welcoming environment for businesses to grow
At the Columbia College expo, many buisness owners noted the uniquely welcoming setting and collaborative opportunities.
Security Bite: X going open-source is bad news for anonymous alt accounts
9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is...
House minority leader says Republicans can’t rely on Democrats to pass funding bill, raising fears of longer shutdown
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told Speaker Mike Johnson on Saturday that Democrats won’t help Republicans pass a funding bill to reopen the government if they attempt to fast-track the measure Monday, according to two sources familiar with a call between the leaders.
Wellness Studio offers mental health support in welcoming environment
Baton Rouge clinic features uniquely designed therapy rooms and experienced staff.
This could legitimately have a significant impact on …
This could legitimately have a significant impact on …
Three new FSU pitchers to know
The 2026 FSU pitching staff will look completely different.
Apple Changes How You Order a Mac
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an iPad. This change was spotted by Macworld and the French blog Consomac, among others.
Cloud storage payment scam floods inboxes with fake renewals
Over the past few months, a large-scale cloud storage subscription scam campaign has been targeting users worldwide with repeated emails falsely warning recipients that their photos, files, and accounts are about to be blocked or deleted due to an alleged payment failure.
Albino or Leucistic? The Science Behind America’s “White Raccoons”
Imagine that you’re taking an evening stroll in the woods. All of a sudden, you spot a flash of color and two glowing eyes. The furry animal looks like a raccoon, but its all-white fur says otherwise. There’s no black fur and the bandit mask is missing entirely; only snow-white hair. What you’ve just observed
Lynchburg Falls To Randolph-Macon, 68-58
The University of Lynchburg women's basketball team battled back-and-forth against Randolph-Macon, but ultimately fell short, 68-58, on Saturday afternoon in Turner Gymnasium.
American's confidence in Trump continues to slide, survey finds
The president's dip in popularity is coming almost exclusively from discontent among Republicans, where there is a noticeable decline in support
Mental Health Distress in Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Largely Driven by Sociodemographic, Comorbid Factors
These findings suggest the mental health burden in nonmelanoma skin cancer reflects broader social and clinical factors rather than disease-specific effects.
This $80 HDMI Gadget From Costco Can Completely Change How You Work
Costco sells the Acer 15.6 Portable Monitor PM161Q for around $80, and it features a wide, lightweight screen, HDMI and USB-C cables, and a built-in stand.
'Tell Me Lies' and why Gen Z is obsessed with sexy TV
'Tell Me Lies' and 'Heated Rivalry' are insanely popular. These shows are also filled with sex scenes.
The U.S. will likely lose its measles elimination status. Here's what that means
The South Carolina measles outbreak is now bigger than last year's Texas outbreak and is happening as the U.S. is poised to lose its measles elimination status.
Google’s Project Genie Experiment Causes Video Game Stocks to Suddenly Crash as Investors Believe Games Will Be Made Solely with AI
The public release of Google's Project Genie experiment, capable of creating virtual worlds from a prompt, caused video game stocks to crash.
Tigers take care of business at Woodland Hills
North Allegheny traveled to Woodland Hills High School on Friday night to take on the Wolverines in a Section 1-6A battle. The Tigers took care of business defeating Woodland Hills, 44-11. NA jumped all over the Wolverines defensively only allowing one field goal in the opening frame to lead 15-3 after a quarter of play…. More »
Tigers take care of business at Woodland Hills
North Allegheny traveled to Woodland Hills High School on Friday night to take on the Wolverines in a Section 1-6A battle. The Tigers took care of business defeating Woodland Hills, 44-11. NA jumped all over the Wolverines defensively only allowing one field goal in the opening frame to lead 15-3 after a quarter of play…. More »
Pacers actively seeking starting-caliber center on trade market
Pacers actively seeking starting-caliber center on trade market
WMG’s Paul Robinson Accepts Entertainment Law Initiative Award: ‘Absolutely Thrilled’
WMG general counsel Paul Robinson received the Recording Academy’s 2026 Entertainment Law Initiative (ELI) Service Award. Here's a recap of the event.
Trump Is All over the Epstein Files. Except, Well, the DOJ Says It’s “Fake.”
So we’re just supposed to believe that millions of newly released documents are completely false?
Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold launches in the US, sells out in minutes
Again, extremely low stock is likely to blame. As promised Samsung brought its latest and greatest to the US today with its Galaxy Z TriFold. The handset...
Oops, Scientists May Have Severely Miscalculated How Many Humans Are on Earth
While most estimates place the current human population at around 8.2 billion, a new study suggests we might be vastly underrepresenting rural areas.
Apple just completely changed how you buy a new Mac
Each component is treated separately, as if you’re building a machine from scratch.
Local businesses join nationwide strike against immigration crackdown policies
Multiple businesses nationwide announced they would be closed during Friday's “blackout,” and some schools preemptively canceled classes in anticipation of mass absences.
The Next Crisis Won’t Wait: Why Pandemic Preparedness Is a Business Imperative
Global health security —the ability to protect against the negative impacts of disease outbreaks — is too important to be left solely to the public sector. Industry has a vital interest in helping countries better prepare for future epidemics and pandemics.
Women Are More Likely Than Men to Endorse Political Violence
A new survey finding points to the dangers of digital outrage culture.
Prison Stocks Tumble With ICE Backlash Stoking Business Angst
Wall Street investors who drove a massive surge in the shares of the two biggest private prison operators when President Donald Trump won the US election are seeing the trade fizzle out barely a year into his second term.
Delivra Health Brands Announces Appointment of New Director
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 30, 2026) - Delivra Health Brands Inc. (TSXV: DHB) (OTCQB: DHBUF) ("Delivra Health", "Delivra" or the "Company"), a consumer packaged goods company uniquely positioned in the health and wellness sector, is pleased to announce the appointment today of John Barrett as a director of the board of directors of the Company (the "Board"). Mr. Barrett was previously a senior executive with Frito Lay and PepsiCo, and served as Chief Commercial...
Here’s how Baton Rouge’s casinos fared in December
After two strong months in October and November, Baton Rouge’s casinos continued their upward trajectory in December. Collectively, the casinos posted $25.7 million in revenue for December, u… Already an INSIDER? Sign in. Already an INSIDER? Sign in
A breakthrough that could make ships nearly unsinkable
Researchers have found a way to make ordinary aluminum tubes float indefinitely, even when submerged for long periods or punched full of holes. By engineering the metal’s surface to repel water, the tubes trap air inside and refuse to sink, even in rough conditions. The technology could eventually be scaled up into floating platforms, ships, or even wave-powered energy systems.
Former State Sen. Brett Lindstrom out of Nebraska’s 2nd District GOP race
Omaha City Councilman Brinker Harding is now the likely GOP nominee to defend the seat Bacon holds in the 2nd District.
Sources: Main Street Sports facing real possibility of liquidation
Unless 11th-hour financing can coerce its nine MLB teams to stay put, Main Street Sports Group could have little choice but to file for Chapter 7 and immediately liquidate its business next week
How the Miami RedHawks became college basketball's most unlikely undefeated team
At 21-0, the Miami (Ohio) men's basketball team is one of just two remaining undefeated Division I men's teams. Here's how the RedHawks got here
Strand Larsen future to dominate talk again
Rob Edwards' news conference on Friday is likely to be the latest instalment of the mini Strand Larsen saga, with his move to Crystal Palace in serious doubt. Nothing was ever officially agreed for the Norwegian, even if a £50m deal was struck in principle, and there remains a chance he will stay beyond the deadline - something Wolves would still be happy and comfortable with. Wolves host Bournemouth on Saturday as Edwards tries to maintain momentum, despite last week's defeat by Manchester City, and he will be quizzed about Strand Larsen's future at Compton later.
Record $1.76B expected to be bet on Super Bowl
Approximately $1.76 billion is expected to be bet on Super Bowl LX with U.S. sportsbooks, a nearly 27% year-over-year increase, according to the AGA.
Minnesota shooting blurs political lines around guns : The NPR Politics Podcast
Alex Pretti was carrying a permitted gun when he had a confrontation with federal agents who ultimately shot and killed him. While the Trump administration pointed to his gun as a reason for agents to fear for their safety, pro-gun groups argued Pretti had a right to carry. We discuss the rhetoric around guns and how marginalized communities in Minneapolis have been increasingly turning toward gun ownership.This episode: senior White House correspondent Tamara Keith, domestic extremism correspondent Odette Yousef, and senior political editor and correspondent Mara Liasson.This podcast was produced and edited by Lexie Schapitl and Bria Suggs.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.
Cubs TV voice Jon 'Boog' Sciambi tops sixth annual Chicago sports media power rankings
I ranked the market’s talent exclusively on TV, radio and podcasts based on appeal, quality, longevity and personal preference. Well over 100 people were considered, and the top 20 follow, with last year’s rank in parentheses.
An AI Toy Exposed 50,000 Logs of Its Chats With Kids to Anyone With a Gmail Account
AI chat toy company Bondu left its web console almost entirely unprotected. Researchers who accessed it found nearly all the conversations children had had with the company's stuffed animals.
Fans excited for Nintendo's upcoming Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream left completely baffled by "wacky" image sharing restrictions
Nintendo has implemented restrictions to how you can share images in Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream.
Your Halo Story
I’m obsessed with stories. This comes as a shock to many of you, I know. These days when we hear the term, the immediate association is likely with penwoven narratives underpinning myriad entertainment properties and creative content. Or perhaps some variation of a bite-sized window of life viewed through the lens of a social platform. […]
Apple Stops Selling $200 'Pro Apps' Bundle With Final Cut Pro and More
Following the launch of Apple Creator Studio this week, Apple has quietly stopped selling its valuable "Pro Apps Bundle for Education" (archived link). "Pro Apps Bundle for Education" included one-time-purchase versions of Apple's Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Motion, Compressor, and MainStage apps at a steep discount, with U.S. pricing set at $199.99. Purchasing each of the included apps separately costs $629.95, so the bundle provided more than $400 in savings.
NVIDIA GeForce NOW Is Now Available Natively On Linux In Flatpak Form
Following NVIDIA's announcement back at CES of their GeForce NOW game streaming service coming to Linux as a native desktop application, today's the day.
Ascending Islanders seek season sweep of reeling Rangers
The New York Rangers rarely score against the New York Islanders and infrequently win on home ice.
This Week in Sports Trivia: January 29, 2026
How closely were you following the sports news this week? Find out and test your knowledge by taking The Athletic's weekly quiz.
Scientists use AI to crack the code of nature’s most complex patterns 1,000x faster
Order doesn’t always form perfectly—and those imperfections can be surprisingly powerful. In materials like liquid crystals, tiny “defects” emerge when symmetry breaks, shaping everything from cosmic structures to everyday technologies. Now, researchers have developed an AI-powered method that can predict how these defects will form and evolve in milliseconds instead of hours. By learning directly from data, the system accurately maps molecular alignments and complex defect behavior, even in situations where defects merge or split.
N-able Ushers in New Era of Business Resilience Fueled by AI
BURLINGTON, Mass., January 29, 2026--N-able, Inc. (NYSE: NABL), a global software company delivering an end-to-end cyber resilience platform, today announced enhanced AI capabilities across its platform to help organizations operate securely, efficiently, and resiliently as AI reshapes both cyberthreats and IT complexity.
Health Care Costs Tops the Public’s Economic Worries as the Runup to the Midterms Begins; Independent Voters Are More Likely to Trust Democrats than Republicans on the Issue
Heading into this midterm election year, the cost of health care tops the public’s economic anxieties and more than 4 in 10 voters say the issue will have a major impact on their vote, this KFF Health Tracking poll finds.
Donald Trump promised to make the US the world’s crypto capital. His businesses are seizing on it.
The president's business empire — once known for its hotels and golf courses — has aggressively expanded into the world of cryptocurrencies during his first year back in the White House.
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.”
Trump’s National Guard deployments have cost taxpayers nearly $500 million dollars
President Donald Trump’s sweeping deployment of National Guard troops to several major cities across the United States cost taxpayers approximately $496 million from June through December last year, according to an estimate from the Congressional Budget Office.
Alibaba to merge with China's Zelos on $2 billion robovan business, WSJ reports
Alibaba's logistics arm plans to merge its autonomous-driving unit Cainiao with China's Zelos Technology, forming a new entity valued at approximately $2 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
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 »
Avalanche Offense Goes Cold in 5-2 Loss to Senators
It wasn't a very pretty night for the Colorado Avalanche, as their offense completely dried up against the Ottawa Senators and end up losing 5-2
Alexander Volkanovski shuts down Jean Silva title talk
Not yet, “Lord.” Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Brazilian fan-favorite Jean Silva scored the biggest win of his career at UFC 324 last weekend (Sat., Jan. 24, 2026), outworking the ultra-durable Arnold Allen to a unanimous decision victory inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The win immediately launched Silva into the division’s elite and title […]
Dispatch Is Censored on Nintendo Switch Due to Platform 'Content Criteria', Developer Says
Dispatch, the superhero workplace comedy made by Telltale veterans at AdHoc Studio, is out now on Nintendo Switch. But a number of excited new and returning players aren't super happy about the release, as it turns out the game has been pretty aggressively censored on the system.
Roadkill is a surprising and untapped source for scientists
Millions of animals unfortunately die on roads each year, but the casualties hold important data.
Brillstein Entertainment Partners Signs Comedian, Actor & Writer Paul Chowdhry
Paul Chowdhry, the comedian, actor, and writer, has inked with Brillstein for global management in all areas, Deadline can report exclusively.
New Doc by Former Colleagues Explores Asian Americans' Growing Political Leadership
Two Asian American professors with ties to York College have collaborated on a timely and engaging new documentary examining the growing political influence of Asian Americans.
With AlphaGenome, Researchers Are Using A.I. to Decode the Human Blueprint
AlphaGenome is a leap forward in the ability to study the human blueprint. But the fine workings of our DNA are still largely a mystery.
Opinion | When Conservative Politics Hit Cash-Starved Universities
If college education is merely a transaction, educators — and facts — are vulnerable.
Trump’s Favorite Wedge Issue Has Finally Met Its Match
Riley Gaines definitely doesn’t want you reading this.
Recognize Data Privacy Day by protecting your small business from cybercriminals
Your small business likely has had many milestones. Hiring your first employee. Opening your doors for the first time. Making your first sale. But some milestones you’d probably rather avoid — like experiencing your first cyberattack. Think you’re too small to target? Think again. Cybercriminals target companies big and small, so this Data Privacy Day keep your business’s data (and your customers’ data) safe by reviewing the FTC’s updated resources at ftc.gov/cybersecurity.
Leaker makes unlikely claim about improved iPhone 18 telephoto lens
A leaker better known for posting about Android smartphones has made a claim potentially pointing to improved telephoto performance in...
I did the math: You absolutely should not buy the $2,900 Galaxy Z TriFold
The Galaxy Z TriFold costs $2,900 in the US. I ran the numbers and have four reasons why you absolutely shouldn't buy it.
Expiration of federal health insurance subsidies: What to know in California
Thousands in California who rely on the state-run health insurance marketplace face premiums that are thousands of dollars higher as federal subsidies expire.
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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