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YouTube TV Gets Cheaper Sports, News, and Entertainment Bundles
YouTube is splitting YouTube TV into a selection of tailored YouTube TV Plans, allowing subscribers to pay less for a smaller selection of channels. "TV should be easy," reads the blog post announcing the change. There are 10+ new plans across Sports, News, Entertainment, and Family, at prices that are $11 to $28 below the $82.99 per month cost for a full YouTube TV subscription.
Walmart boosts pay potential for some pharmacy staff, college degree not required
Walmart is expanding higher-paying pharmacy roles and creating new leadership opportunities that allow workers to advance through training rather than a college degree.
Is the PPPLF Still Encouraging Small Business Lending?
The Federal Reserve designed its Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility to ease liquidity issues and support small business lending during the pandemic. The liquidity facility allowed banks to pledge Paycheck Protection Program loans as risk-free collateral during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis shows that, although the program has essentially ended, the positive effects on small business lending have persisted, particularly among small banks with lower liquidity, in keeping with the intent of the program.
Buckner moves forward with food truck ordinance changes after business owner push
Buckner's Board of Aldermen agrees to draft new food truck ordinance allowing monthly vendors on Hudson Street after local business owners pushed for changes.
Leak suggests Apple's M5 Pro and M5 Max may be the same chip
It’s previously been suggested that the upcoming M5 Pro and M5 Max MacBook Pro models will allow you to make...
May Seahawks vs. Patriots in Super Bowl LX give us heroes, not goats
Sports columnists are allowed to want things, even if they can’t root for a team. Here’s Scott Ostler’s hope: that Super Bowl LX between the Seahawks and Patriots gives us a great game.
Apple Tweaks Ecosystem Strategy Across Payments Car AI And Health
Apple (NasdaqGS:AAPL) is shifting the Apple Card issuing partnership from Goldman Sachs to JPMorgan Chase, affecting more than 12 million existing cardholders. The company is opening CarPlay to third party AI chatbots, allowing outside developers to integrate conversational tools into the in car experience. Apple is scaling back its standalone AI powered health coach project, instead choosing to roll selected features into current health and fitness apps. For you as an investor, these moves...
Do teams keep the Super Bowl trophy?
BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team explains who the Super Bowl trophy is named after and if the winner is allowed to keep the prize.
Physicists solve a quantum mystery that stumped scientists for decades
Physicists at Heidelberg University have developed a new theory that finally unites two long-standing and seemingly incompatible views of how exotic particles behave inside quantum matter. In some cases, an impurity moves through a sea of particles and forms a quasiparticle known as a Fermi polaron; in others, an extremely heavy impurity freezes in place and disrupts the entire system, destroying quasiparticles altogether. The new framework shows these are not opposing realities after all, revealing how even very heavy particles can make tiny movements that allow quasiparticles to emerge.
Record-Breaking One-Off Bugatti Brouillard Could Become the Most Expensive Bugatti Ever
A one-off aimed at a historic record Bugatti’s latest one-off, the Brouillard, steps onto the hypercar stage with the quiet confidence of a record-breaker. The brand’s tradition of bespoke excellence meets a bold new aesthetic, positioning this unique commission to potentially become the marque’s most expensive creation. Built on the proven underpinnings of the Chiron/Mistral architecture, yet transformed by distinctive craft, the Brouillard is both homage and innovation. A name born from equestrian legend More than a century ago, a striking white horse captivated Ettore Bugatti in Molsheim. That equine myth now informs the car’s name and its sensory identity. The result is an automotive portrait of athletic grace—surfaces that read like muscle, curves that suggest motion, and details that quietly speak of discipline and heritage. Embroidered horse motifs on door panels and seat backs echo the story, while a miniature glass sculpture of the steed crowns the shifter. Sculptural design with purpose The Brouillard’s silhouette favors sinuous surfaces over hard creases, allowing light to glide over its form like a tendon under skin. Aerodynamics inform elegance: an integrated ducktail replaces a deployable wing, cleansing the airflow and boosting stability at speed. Its stance is athletic, its volumes taut, and its visual language unmistakably Bugatti. “Sculptural, organic forms—like a tendon beneath the skin—hide immense power behind noble simplicity,” said design chief Frank Heyl, capturing the car’s philosophy in a single stroke. Craft elevated to an art The cabin embraces craftsmanship at an uncommon level. Custom-woven textiles from Paris introduce a discreet tartan pattern, while green-tinted carbon fiber nods to the exterior’s hue. A glazed roof creates a cathedral atmosphere, bathing the cockpit in natural light. A central spine appears to flow from exterior to interior, emphasizing continuity and structure. Highlights include: Custom textiles with subtle tartan motifs Green-tinted carbon fiber matched to the exterior finish A “cathedral” glass roof that elevates cabin ambience A sculptural centerline linking outside to inside Bespoke embroidery and glass equine detail W16 power at its absolute apex Under the sculpted skin, the final evolution of Bugatti’s 8.0‑liter, quad‑turbo W16 delivers a thunderous 1,600 hp at 7,050 rpm and 1,600 Nm of torque. This represents the pinnacle of nearly two decades of Bugatti engineering, honed to an ultimate state. The lightweight monocoque blends carbon fiber with aluminum, holding mass to around 1,900 kg for poise and control. Experts suggest the Brouillard could surpass the 282 mph (454 km/h) achieved by the Mistral, aided by more aerodynamic bodywork and the fixed ducktail. Whether or not it sets a new benchmark, its intent is clear: relentless speed paired with refinement. Exclusivity with an exacting timeline The commissioning process is intensive, with roughly 18 months of development leading to a 2027 delivery. Bugatti’s program limits itself to no more than two creations per year, ensuring focus and rarity. Each example leaves the atelier as a singular vision, shaped to the client’s collection and the brand’s ethos. An unveiling is planned for Monterey Car Week 2025, placing the Brouillard amid the world’s most discerning enthusiasts. Its patron is a European collector deeply invested in the Bugatti universe, from historic and modern cars to Carlo Bugatti furniture and Rembrandt Bugatti bronzes. A valuation poised to make history While Bugatti has not disclosed an official price, informed estimates place the Brouillard between €10 million and €30 million. Context matters: a series Mistral begins near €5 million, while the Brouillard adds profound personalization, sculptural changes, and a pace of production that keeps scarcity front and center. In an arena where uniqueness drives value, the path to a brand record is unmistakably open. What it signals for the marque The Brouillard crystallizes Bugatti’s dual identity: traditional savoir‑faire intertwined with boundary-pushing performance. It exhibits a narrative soul—the white horse of Molsheim—woven into modern materials and world-class aerodynamics. As a rolling statement, it reaffirms that the Bugatti idea is larger than speed alone; it is about story, craft, and the courage to pursue an ideal to its logical limit.
Boston takes on New York, aims for 6th straight win
New York averages 117.5 points while outscoring opponents by 5.2 points per game. The Celtics score 115.6 points per game, 3.3 more points than the 112.3 the Knicks allow. The Knicks average 15.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 more made shot on average than the 14.0 per game the Celtics give up.
“I’d be able to be a better father”: Quincy business owners push for bill ending work restrictions on their children
A new proposal, House Bill 4161, would amend the Child Labor Law of 2024 by allowing small business owners to employ their children outside of school hours.
Judge orders Trump administration to unfreeze more than $16 billion for NY tunnel project
A federal judge in New York ruled Friday that the Trump administration must unfreeze more than $16 billion earmarked for a major New York infrastructure project and allow construction to continue, saying that public interest would be “harmed by a delay.”
South Dakota sports betting bill moves to Senate floor
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — A resolution that would allow South Dakotans to vote on whether they want mobile sports betting in the state passed out of committee and is now headed to the Senate floor…
Business Lookahead: Near, far, wherever markets are
STORY: From Japan's snap election to key U.S. data, these are the stories to watch in business and finance in the coming week. :: Japan votesJapan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is hoping for a stronger mandate as voters head to the polls on Sunday.The closely-watched lower house election is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable in years.A strong showing by Takaichi's Liberal Democratic Party would allow her to expand stimulus.That could heighten concerns about Japan's finances and push up government bond yields further in a selloff that could ripple out overseas.:: AI winners and losersCisco Systems and Germany's Siemens Energy report earnings on Wednesday.They've benefited from the AI boom in different ways, but now Barclays says that trade is "seeing extreme dispersion."That’s been evident in sliding software and data analytics stocks, which have plunged as traders focus on the existential threat posed by increasingly powerful AI models.AI enablers, companies contributing to the global AI data center build-out, meanwhile, have fared better. :: Delayed data dumpA double dose of major U.S. economic reports should give investors a critical view of the economy, following a delay by the recently ended three-day government shutdown.The January non-farm payrolls report, now due on Wednesday, is expected to show an increase of 70,000 jobs, according to a Reuters poll. Then, on Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics is set to release the January consumer price index, one of the most closely watched measures of inflation.
Apple to Allow ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini in CarPlay
Apple is planning to bring new AI features to CarPlay, reports Bloomberg. Apple will allow third-party chatbot apps to integrate with CarPlay, so AI services like Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT will be accessible in the car for the first time. CarPlay already supports third-party apps, but the types of apps that are supported are limited. Companies like Anthropic and OpenAI aren't currently able to create CarPlay apps, so users are limited to using Siri voice controls in the vehicle.
Apple Plans to Allow Outside Voice-Controlled AI Chatbots in CarPlay
Apple Inc. is preparing to allow voice-controlled artificial intelligence apps from other companies in CarPlay, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that will let users query AI chatbots through its vehicle interface for the first time.
USF Health launches nation’s first fully integrated institute for voice, hearing and swallowing care and research
The USF Health Institute for Voice and Hearing Innovation is the first in the nation to bring together multidisciplinary patient care and clinical research for disorders of communication and swallowing in a single, fully integrated space.
Gus Bilirakis, Jimmy Patronis push to allow first-time homebuyers to tap 529 college funds
'Saving for a first home feels further out of reach every year.'
2 Broncos players snubbed for NFL's newest award
Broncos LT Garett Bolles did not allow a single sack in 2025 and he received the best pass-blocking grade (90.8) from PFF.
SEC commissioner warns Bediako case threatens college sports ahead of Friday hearing
Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey warned that allowing former professional athletes to return to college competition would threaten the foundation of college sports, as a judge prepares to hear arguments Friday in the NCAA eligibility case involving Alabama basketball player Charles Bediako.
SBA to bar green card holders from applying for small business loans
The Small Business Administration said in a policy note that green card holders won't be allowed to apply for SBA loans, effective March 1.
NASA will finally allow astronauts to bring their iPhones to space
We are giving our crews the tools to capture special moments."
Game Over: How NIL could reshape Mississippi high school sports
Some coaches and the MHSAA raise their concerns regarding an introduced bill allowing NIL in Mississippi high schools.
Volcano Watch — New Hawaii citizen science tool: Is Tephra Falling?
During Kīlauea summit lava fountaining episode 41, residents and visitors shared their observations of tephra falling via email, phone calls, and on social media. A new online tool, “Is Tephra Falling?” will allow people to share their observations in a more systematic way.
International science cooperation must go on, say research leaders
Science leaders in Europe and Canada say international cooperation must go on amid geopolitical turmoil. At the same time, Europe and like-minded countries should continue to enhance and diversify international partnerships, a Science|Business conference hears. Hugh Brady, president of Imperial College London, told delegates that Europe’s response to the current geopolitical climate should be to “diversify in terms of research partnerships and build resilience and scale into our own system.”A first priority should be for the EU to sort out the scope of the upcoming European Competitiveness Fund and ensure that, together with the next iteration of Horizon Europe, it can drive the development and scale up of new technologies. The EU and the countries associated to the Horizon Europe programme represent “the world's most successful research innovation ecosystem,” Brady said. In order to mitigate the negative effects of shifting geopolitics, the EU together with the UK, Switzerland, Canada, South Korea and others should talk about “building resilience” and address their own “regional needs,” he added. Responding to TrumpUnder Donald Trump’s leadership, the US government has slashed science budgets and shut down international research programmes. Nearly 8,000 grants at the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation have been frozen or terminated. Courts have overturned most of these cancellations, but the disruption caused remains significant. While Europe may persuade a few thousand disgruntled scientists to move across the ocean to work on topics that have been de-funded in the US, it’s unclear what should happen next with transatlantic scientific cooperation more broadly.“Now is the time for us to show [US researchers] our support as much as we can,” Brady said.The European Research Council (ERC), the EU’s basic science funder, has seen a surge in applicants from the US. According its latest data, US-based researchers submitted 347 proposals to the last three big funding rounds, up from 158 in the previous set of calls. The European Commission has also launched a €22.5 million pilot call in 2025 for the Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions, the EU’s researcher training scheme. It plans to extend this support with a €51.25 million call in 2027 as part of the Choose Europe initiative, which is intended to make the continent a more attractive place to pursue a career in research. Related articlesData corner: US researchers are choosing EuropeEU-India deal highlights growing alignment on technology policyMeanwhile, in the private non-profit sector, the Volkswagen Foundation is experimenting with a new type of grant that would allow US researchers to split their time between the US and Germany. While these schemes are useful, Europe should not bet on an exodus of scientists from the US. “The idea that we might all see them flocking over to Europe is naïve and counterproductive,” said Maria Leptin, president of the ERC, also speaking at the Science|Business conference on February 5. “We need research in the US to be as healthy as possible. I really admire those who are staying there with a will to fight and an optimism that the world will turn into a better place again,” Leptin said. Preserving dataDespite political disruption, academics have found ways to continue cooperating and sharing research data. Leslie Weir, president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and Canada’s national librarian, said the US cuts have raised concerns about research data security, after ideologically sensitive databases were limited or deleted by the Trump administration. But international organisations teamed up to ensure that the data is not lost. “It's interesting to see that researchers and libraries across North America are collaborating to make sure that data at risk is duplicated elsewhere outside [the US],” Weir said.
Oklahoma Supreme Court clears Rock Creek Entertainment District in Cleveland County
The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Rock Creek Entertainment District, allowing the $1.1 billion project in Cleveland County to proceed.
Supreme Court allows California to use congressional districts that favor Democrats
No justices dissented from the brief order denying the appeal without explanation, as is common on the court's emergency docket.
Supreme Court lets California use new Democrat-friendly congressional map
The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed California to use a new congressional map that will undermine President Donald Trump’s effort to keep control of the House of Representatives, marking a defeat for Republicans who claimed one of the new districts was redesigned based on race rather than politics.
Supreme Court allows new California congressional districts that favor Democrats
The Supreme Court has allowed California to use a new voter-approved congressional map that is favorable to Democrats in this year’s elections, rejecting a last-ditch plea from state Republicans and the Trump administration
United Rentals Empowers Frontline Decision-Making with Business Intelligence Agent Built on Snowflake
No-Headquarters/BOZEMAN, Mont. & STAMFORD, Conn., February 04, 2026--Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW), the AI Data Cloud company, today announced that United Rentals, widely recognized as the world’s largest equipment rental provider, has rolled out a new AI agent built on Snowflake Intelligence to operational teams working across 1,600+ branches. The Business Intelligence Agent allows branch managers, sales leaders, and regional teams to ask questions of their company data in plain language, drill down,
Supreme Court allows California to use new congressional map, giving Democrats a boost
The map, which voters approved last year, could allow Democrats to gain up to five House seats in this year’s midterm elections.
How the Trump Administration’s Embrace of Oil, Gas, and Chemical Industry Interests Will Endanger Children’s Health
The Trump administration’s actions to eliminate lifesaving environmental protections would allow corporate polluters to emit more toxins and chemicals, exposing more than 2 million kids to pollutants that increase the likelihood of lifelong health concerns—such as asthma, autism, ADHD, and cancer—while undercutting the administration’s own “Make America Healthy Again” agenda.
DBR Podcast #793: Cruise Control As Blue Devils Cages Eagles
A great first half allows Duke to play the second half in a trance.
Bussi Does it Again – Hurricanes 4, Senators 3
The Carolina Hurricanes won a tight battle with the Ottawa Senators, 4-3 on Tuesday night at the Lenovo Center. Goaltender, Brandon Bussi earned the win and continued with his magical season by improving his overall record this season to 22-3-1. While Bussi allowed three goals on the 25 shots he faced, many of his saves […]
Lewes still working toward home-based business regs
Lewes Mayor and City Council put the ingredients of a proposed reconstituted home-based business ordinance through a new blender Jan. 28. The ordinance was the main topic of the first working session, a new format designed to allow council members...
Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump’s termination of protections for Haitians
A federal judge has paused for now the Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status for more than 350,000 Haitians. The status, known as TPS, allows holders to live and work in the US and was set to expire after Tuesday.
New bill would allow bets on entertainment and award shows in Illinois
ILLINOIS (WCIA) — An Illinois lawmaker wants to make sure the state and businesses aren’t missing out on extra revenue from a growing entertainment betting industry. A new bill, SB 2667, intr…
High school sports bills would allow middle schoolers to compete; regulate name, image and likeness
On Monday, members of the public shared their thoughts on two bills that would change high school sports rules in Nebraska. The Unicameral’s Education Committee heard testimony on LB742, which would allow seventh and eighth grade students to compete on high school sports teams.
A record breaking gravitational wave is helping test Einstein’s theory of general relativity
A newly detected gravitational wave, GW250114, is giving scientists their clearest look yet at a black hole collision—and a powerful way to test Einstein’s theory of gravity. Its clarity allowed scientists to measure multiple “tones” from the collision, all matching Einstein’s predictions. That confirmation is exciting—but so is the possibility that future signals won’t behave so neatly. Any deviation could point to new physics beyond our current understanding of gravity.
Google's Genie 3 is 'the end of gaming studios' as 'GTA 6 Greenland edition' stuns fans
The new AI feature allows users to create their own gameplay 'in minutes' using text and image prompts
Alabama House votes to amend contract language for math, science teacher incentives
The amendment would allow veteran educators who have been teaching in for over 20 years to sign contracts up to three years in length.
Hain Celestial sells North American snacks business for $115M
The sale of Garden Veggie Snacks,Terra chips and Garden of Eatin' will allow the company to pay down debt and sharpen its focus on tea, yogurt and home meals.
Swedetown Trails Day lets people try winter sports for free
On Swedetown Trails Day, trail passes are waived, allowing people to ski for free.
Trump says Kennedy Center will close in July for two years for renovations
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington will close for roughly two years to allow for extensive renovations, President Donald Trump said Sunday.
A tiny light trap could unlock million qubit quantum computers
A new light-based breakthrough could help quantum computers finally scale up. Stanford researchers created miniature optical cavities that efficiently collect light from individual atoms, allowing many qubits to be read at once. The team has already demonstrated working arrays with dozens and even hundreds of cavities. The approach could eventually support massive quantum networks with millions of qubits.
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.
Scott Galloway urges Big Tech boycott to influence Trump ICE policies
Small businesses struggled to observe the national shutdown to protest ICE. Here's why a boycott of companies like OpenAI and Amazon could be easier and more effective.
Why The Challenger Disaster Still Matters To Business Leaders Today
Forty years on, the Challenger disaster remains a case study in what happens when organizations fail to allow for dissent and systematically challenge their assumptions.
30% More Efficient? The Math Behind Aero vs. Steel
The data is clear: Aerodynamics provided a massive efficiency gain, allowing me to match a significantly stronger rider on the flats. Here is the math, plus the latest on the Vingegaard fan crash.
Paul Joyce: Liverpool Won’t Allow Jones Departure
Liverpool stance firm as Curtis Jones interest surfacesLiverpool’s January posture has been defined by restraint, and the reporting from Paul Joyce of The Times sharpens that picture. With days left...
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 »
Senate passes government funding deal despite GOP backlash
President Donald Trump made a deal with Democrats to carve out Homeland Security funding and allow Congress to debate new restrictions on federal immigration raids across the country.
Video game stocks nosedive as Google's 'Project Genie' allows virtual world creation
Video game stocks plunge after Google’s Project Genie reveal.
Jaguars’ 2025 Positional Review: Offensive Tackle
Jacksonville’s offensive line had a three week stretch where the unit allowed 17 sacks and 36 QB hits.
I built marshmallow castles in Google’s new AI world generator
Starting Thursday, Google AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. can play around with Project Genie, which is powered by a combination of Google’s latest world model Genie 3, its image generation model Nano Banana Pro, and Gemini.
Galaxy Z TriFold seemingly won’t allow trade-ins, as it briefly went up for sale early
Samsung announced earlier this week that the Galaxy Z TriFold would be available for purchase in the United States on...
Santa Rosa council endorses downtown zone that would permit to-go alcohol consumption
Consuming a beer or wine bought from a nearby establishment would be allowed in two public areas Friday through Sunday, with details still to be worked out.
Introducing Moltworker: a self-hosted personal AI agent, minus the minis
Moltworker is a middleware Worker and adapted scripts that allows running Moltbot (formerly Clawdbot) on Cloudflare's Sandbox SDK and our Developer Platform APIs. So you can self-host an AI personal assistant — without any new hardware.
DeWine defends hemp beverage ban: Businesses knew the risks
A veto by Gov. Mike DeWine eliminated a provision that would have allowed popular THC drinks to remain on sale through the end of 2026. The governor said Wednesday businesses knew the risks when they got started.
Here's the Secret Galaxy S26 Ultra Display Security Feature You'll...
You guys know what a privacy screen is, right? A privacy screen allows someone viewing a display straight-on to be able to view content, while any off angle brings a tint... #GalaxyS26Ultra #Samsung
California mental health hospitals warn over cuts after state hands down staffing rules
Psychiatric hospitals could close beds under proposed state rules if regulators don’t allow implementation time, facilities warn.
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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