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Ten teams of student innovators awarded impact funding
The program provides an opportunity for students to advance community health while building skills in social entrepreneurship and community partnership.
McNeese Transitioning to Online Classes and Remote Business at Noon
Due to ongoing electrical issues in several academic buildings, McNeese will transition to online course delivery and remote business operations beginning at 12 noon today, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026.
East Tennessee business to lay off more than 100 workers
The notice, posted on the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s website, showed Premiere Building Maintenance Corporation filed the notice Tuesday.
Bedrock, an A.I. Start-Up for Construction, Raises $270 Million
The year-old company, founded by veterans of the autonomous vehicle business Waymo, is seeking to automate excavators and other building equipment.
The Collectiv launches AI native, dual-use sports, health, wellness & accelerator in Rice’s Ion District
The Collectiv Foundation, in collaboration with Rice, today announced the creation of the AI Native Dual-Use Sports, Health & Wellness Accelerator powered by The Collectiv in Houston’s Ion District, a 16-acre innovation hub in Houston’s Midtown developed by Rice. The accelerator platform is designed to support early-stage founders building artificial intelligence technologies validated in sports and scaled across health, enterprise and consumer markets.
Claude is a space to think
Anthropic explains why Claude will remain ad-free—how advertising incentives conflict with building a genuinely helpful AI assistant users can trust.
From cosmetics to the classroom: A Bronx teacher’s journey to bringing earth science to life
She traded the glamorous world of cosmetics for a classroom in the Bronx. Now she’s helping write New York state Regents exams and building ‘living labs’ for her students.
With Grizzlies pivoting toward a full rebuild, Ja Morant expected to be moved next
BuDhaGirl CEO Jessica Jesse: Building business resilience
BuDhaGirl Founder, CEO and Creative Director Jessica Jesse shares her strategies for building a business that can thrive through uncertainty.
Asteroid 2024 YR4's collision with the moon could create a flash visible from Earth, study finds
If the building-size asteroid 2024 YR4 crashes into the moon in December 2032, the impact will produce a bright flash that may be visible to the naked eye, a new study finds.
I created a Black-owned business directory — ICE forced me to remove it
Rose Barboza explains why ICE activity in Maine forced her to take down a directory of Black-owned businesses she spent years building.
Roanoke Mayor Cobb pitches entertainment district as next chapter for Berglund Center
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) –Roanoke Mayor Joe Cobb says an entertainment district could represent a bold step for Roanoke’s future, building on the city’s history of economic development through public-private partnerships and long-term investment. Cobb says Roanoke has often advanced by exploring new ideas, weighing multiple options and working collaboratively to strengthen the city and the […]
Becoming a parent pushed me to leave corporate life
Shawn Asselin explains how frustration with men's underwear led him to quit corporate life and build a fast-growing brand.
Business of aging certificate offers resume-building credentials for senior living
The certificate has recently been refreshed with new training modules benefiting anyone connected to or aspiring to work in the senior living industry.
Unsinkable metal discovery could build safer ships and harvest wave energy
Researchers mimicked the air-trapping tricks of diving bell spiders to create aluminum that stays afloat—even when punctured
Scenario Planning’s Role in Business Strategy
Scenario planning helps businesses navigate uncertainty by exploring potential futures and build resilience by preparing to respond effectively.
American high school student stuns scientists by mapping 1.5 million previously unknown space objects - Futura-Sciences
A young mind builds an AI breakthrough Matteo Paz, a student at Pasadena High School, joined the Planet Finder Academy in the summer of 2022. The program immerses students in real world astronomy challenges. Under the mentorship of Caltech scientist Davy Kirkpatrick at the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC),...
How GoCab Built A Business With Purpose In Africa And Beyond
GoCab enables drivers in Africa and other emerging markets to purchase their own vehicles so they can build sustainable businesses such as taxi and courier services
UCLA faces Rutgers after disappointing home loss
After a heartbreaking loss in the middle of what was thought to be a momentum-building stretch, UCLA will try to pick up the pieces Tuesday in Los Angeles with a Big Ten Conference visit from Rutgers.
Xcode 26.3 unlocks the power of agentic coding
Xcode 26.3 introduces support for agentic coding, a new way in Xcode for developers to build apps, powered by coding agents from Anthropic and OpenAI.
Maryland Companies Celebrate Global Collaborations, Industry Honors and Local Partnerships
The Maryland Marketing Partnership, which helps drive Maryland's branding and marketing efforts to attract businesses, create jobs, and grow the state's economy, today shared a summary of the latest news from companies and organizations that invest in the partnership. "Maryland's marketing partners are starting the year with major investments in our state's workforce and economy," said Harry Coker Jr., Secretary for the Maryland Department of Commerce. "From clean energy to biopharma to higher education to commercial real estate, these investments are helping us build a stronger and more competitive Maryland economy." BGE , Maryland's largest natural gas and electric utility, along with the Exelon Foundation , announced a $250,000 grant for Civic Works' Baltimore Shines solar initiative to support solar installations for 30 homes in Baltimore. According to Civic Works, homeowners will receive free rooftop solar installations, adding clean energy to the grid and generating more than
Old Post Office owner buys massive Loop office building
The deal kicks off a new chapter for a massive distressed Loop building and completes one of the most staggering losses of value ever for a Chicago office property.
Jocelyn Benson leads governor's race in fundraising in new reports
The new reports showed an evolving race for Michigan's top political office with some candidates building financial stockpiles, a sign of strength.
Gas explosion in New Hampshire sparks a fire at a mental health facility
A natural gas explosion ripped through a building for mental health services in Nashua, New Hampshire, and sparked a fire
WATCH: RFK Jr. and others launch new addiction and homelessness initiative
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday announced that his department will devote $100 million toward a pilot program addressing homelessness and substance abuse in eight cities, building on an executive order President Donald Trump signed last week related to addiction.
Rep. James Talarico mixes faith, family story and Senate pitch in national TV appearance
The Democratic lawmaker defended his record and argued he can flip Texas Senate seat by building a broad coalition.
Make 2026 the year veterans have more control of their health care
The Veterans’ ACCESS Act would build off the success of the VA MISSION Act, add transparency, put more control in veterans’ hands, and provide accountability for VA staff to ensure vete…
Building Systems That Survive Real Life
Sara Nobrega on the transition from data science to AI engineering, using LLMs as a bridge to DevOps, and the one engineering skill junior data scientists need to stay competitive.
Bob Iger, as He Readies Exit as Disney CEO, Says There’s ‘Healthy Competition’ Between Parks and Entertainment Divisions to Be No. 1 Profit Center
Disney CEO Bob Iger hasn't left the building yet, but said there's a 'healthy competition' now between its parks and entertainment divisions.
PLAC Announces Entertainment Line Up
(Okoboji)– The Pearson Lakes Art Center has released their 2026 season lineup. Bob Kirschbaum, Executive Director of the Pearson Lakes Art Center, says they are looking forward to the upcoming season… “We are really excited again about a fabulous summer coming up. Last summer we sold out every show and can’t believe we won’t do […]
Spots still available for University of Lynchburg business expo on Feb. 27
Locally-owned businesses and organizations can still register for the University of Lynchburg’s third annual business expo, Building Communities Through Partnerships, to be held on Friday, Feb. 27.
The Ideal Post-Workout Snack to Recover and Build Muscle, According to a Dietitian
In TODAY.com's Expert Tip of the Day, a dietitian reveals her favorite snack to eat post-workout to aid with recovery and muscle growth.
Vanderbilt Health acquires Tennova’s Clarksville hospital and related physician clinics from Community Health Systems
Leaders with Vanderbilt Health announced today completion of the acquisition of Tennova Healthcare-Clarksville Hospital and freestanding emergency room Tennova ER-Sango, along with the hospital’s related businesses, including physician clinics and outpatient services, from Community Health Systems Inc. (CHS). Vanderbilt Health has held a 20% minority interest in these operations since 2021. Under Vanderbilt Health’s ownership, the 270-bed hospital will be named Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital (VCH) while the freestanding Sango ER will be named Vanderbilt Emergency Sango. Also joining the Vanderbilt Health system through the acquisition are physician practice locations in Clarksville, Dover, Pleasant View and Tiny Town offering, depending on location, orthopaedics, primary care, wound care, digestive health, urology and surgical services. Acquisition of the hospital and its related physician practices expands Vanderbilt Health’s ability to serve patients across the region, supporting its ability to provide high-quality care in more convenient, community settings that are also more cost-effective. “We are thrilled to welcome Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital into our health system. Providing exceptional care close to home is invaluable, and we are eager to serve the citizens of Clarksville and Montgomery County by expanding the hospital’s programs and services,” said Jeff Balser, MD, PhD, President and CEO of Vanderbilt Health and Dean of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. This acquisition marks Vanderbilt Health’s fourth regional hospital expansion, further strengthening its presence across Middle Tennessee beyond its already extensive inpatient and ambulatory services in Nashville. VCH joins Vanderbilt Health’s network of regional medical centers that now include Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital in Lebanon, Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital in Coffee County, and Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital in Shelbyville. With a strong record of growth and investment in people, programs and services for its regional hospitals, residents of Clarksville, Montgomery County and the surrounding region can expect that Vanderbilt Health will bring a host of adult and pediatric services to the area. Initial plans for VCH over the upcoming year include increased staffing for the hospital’s emergency services, including the addition of pediatric emergency medicine specialists with Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, along with increased surgical specialty offerings. Longer term, physicians and staff will be recruited to bring a broader array of adult and pediatric specialty services to the community. “I am delighted to welcome the physicians, nurses and staff of Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital into the Vanderbilt Health family and look forward to working closely with the hospital’s medical staff and members of the local health care community to ensure we excel at meeting their needs as caregivers as we pursue the goal of improving the health and wellbeing of the patients we serve,” said Jane Freedman, MD, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Health System Officer for Vanderbilt Health. Currently, VCH employs approximately 1,100 staff and more than 30 physicians. Through this acquisition Vanderbilt Health has committed to hire substantially all current employees who are in good standing. Services already established by Vanderbilt Health at VCH include an OB-GYN hospitalist program, an array of oncology services provided by a multidisciplinary team with Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and neonatal care in the hospital’s Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit provided by specialists with Monroe Carell. VCH has been designated as an Accredited Chest Pain Center and a Wound Care Center of Distinction and has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission. More information about Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital is available at: vanderbilthealth.com/hospital/vanderbilt-clarksville-hospital
From Katrina to robotics: Mindy Núñez Airhart’s path in steel
SSE Steel Fabrication owner Mindy Núñez Airhart on growing a second-generation steel business in St. Bernard Parish — from post-Katrina rebuilding to robotics, AI and humanoid welding technology shaping the industry’s future.
Why investing in youth agency is now a business imperative
Reverse mentoring, youth advisory boards and corporate innovation labs are tools businesses can use to empower young people and build a strategic edge.
Geneva campus moves ahead with major science center buildout
A major new science complex is taking shape in Geneva as Hobart and William Smith Colleges finalize plans for the Fish Center for the Sciences, a four-story facility designed to bring multiple STEM disciplines under one roof. With design work nearly complete, the $25 million project marks one of the largest academic investments in the… MoreGeneva campus moves ahead with major science center buildout
The 2026 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards
From rebuilding communities in the post–Jim Crow era to leading Fortune 500 companies and public institutions today, Black business leaders have played a central role in shaping Virginia’s modern economy. Today, they are driving growth, innovation and opportunity across the commonwealth — leading major corporations, expanding small businesses, strengthening public institutions and driving progress across […]
Apple's online store now lets you build a new Mac exactly the way you want
You can now choose each spec for your new Mac purchase when buying on Apple's website.
Browns DC Jim Schwartz should be given an ultimatum
The Cleveland Browns need a decision on Jim Schwartz and very soon. Todd Monken must build his staff.
Building Hope Summit County launches behavioral health survey
The nonprofit Building Hope Summit County, in partnership with the Katz Amsterdam Foundation and Professional Research Consultants, is launching its behavioral health survey, inviting Summit County adults to share their experiences and perspectives on mental...
GNU Hurd Is "Almost There" With x86_64, SMP & ~75% Of Debian Packages Building
Samuel Thibault offered up a status update on the current state of GNU/Hurd from a presentation in Brussels at FOSDEM 2026
QB competition imminent says Florida football OC Buster Faulkner
Buster Faulkner opens Florida’s QB battle, vowing to build the offense around whoever wins the job this spring.
Dodgers will play baseball this month
It’s February now, which means the Dodgers will play baseball games this very month. Sure, those games won’t count, but they will be televised nonetheless, and we will get to watch as the team gradually builds up toward the season. This will be more of a normal spring training for the Dodgers, at least in […]
Connecticut Science Center temporarily closed due to burst pipe
The Connecticut Science Center is closed on Sunday due to a pipe burst in the building, the science center announced. “Our team has been working tirelessly to clean and restore the affected a…
Browns set to interview yet another Ravens assistant
Todd Monken continues to build his staff with the Browns and it's another Ravens assistant.
Is this the rebuild year for the Brewers?
Is this the year the “bites of the apple” approach finally turns rotten?
Fairfield woman turns her Etsy business into a brick-and-mortar store
The building, painted blue with bright pink doors, reflects Ashby’s goal of creating a cheerful, welcoming space.
Starbucks' first investor day in years was a sneak peek of its future
Two Business Insider reporters attended Starbucks' Investor Day and got a firsthand look at how the brand plans to build momentum with its turnaround.
Mike Borgonzi breaks down his strategy to rebuild Titans
Tennessee Titans general manager MIke Borgonzi sat down with Taylor Zarzour and broke down how he intends to get the Titans back on track.
Trent Seaborn Is Exactly What Alabama Football Needs Right Now
Trent Seaborn embodies the loyalty, commitment, and grit Alabama football demands. He's the leader building the next championship foundation.
FSU wins second straight ACC matchup, takes down Stanford
Florida State (9-12, 2-6) played host to the Stanford Cardinals (14-7, 3-5) in Tallahassee on Saturday, looking to string together its first win streak in ACC play under Luke Loucks. The two teams went back and forth early in the first period, with FSU eventually pulling away to build an eight-point halftime lead. FSU then […]
Connecticut Science Center temporarily closed for burst pipe
The Connecticut Science Center is temporarily closed for a burst pipe in the building.
BREAKING: Police pursuit ends in arrest near Health, Science and Technology Building
An out-of-jurisdiction police pursuit ended in an arrest near the Health, Science and Technology Building, with officials saying there was no threat to the campus community.
Living in the US for decades changed me more than I realized
After living in the US for decades, returning to Australia brought unexpected culture shock and forced me to rebuild a sense of home.
SoxFest 2026 Friday night takeaway: Setting the foundation for success
Chris Getz and Will Venable stress youth and culture as White Sox rebuild takes shape
'Shark Tank' star worked at Red Lobster while building his business: Your 9-to-5 can be 'your first investor'
'Shark Tank' star Daymond John says he kept his waiter job at Red Lobster while building his brand, FUBU, which made him a millionaire years later.
How Inforum's new leader sees future of women's business organization
CEO Donna Murray-Brown looks to build on work the statewide women's business organization has done since its beginning in 1961.
How gene loss and monogamy built termite mega societies
Termites did not evolve complex societies by adding new genetic features. Instead, scientists found that they became more social by shedding genes tied to competition and independence. A shift to monogamy removed the need for sperm competition, while food sharing shaped who became workers or future kings and queens. Together, these changes helped termites build colonies that can number in the millions.
San Francisco businesses prepare for influx of customers in Super Bowl week
The excitement is building across the Bay Area as Super Bowl week gets ready to kickoff in a matter of days.
News | Mixed-use tower proposed as 'catalyst' to revive Vancouver's Granville entertainment district
Bonnis Properties looks to build 35-story hotel and apartment project
Former Steelers Wide Receiver Eyeing NFL Comeback In 2026
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had their hands full so far this offseason when it comes to sorting through their coaching mayhem. After Mike Tomlin’s stunning resignation, the team moved quickly to hire former Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy as his replacement. Since then, McCarthy has begun building out his coaching […]
New OU athletics director committed to pursuing entertainment district in Norman
Incoming University of Oklahoma Athletic Director Roger Denny reaffirmed the university’s commitment to building an entertainment district in University North Park during an introductory press conference Wednesday.
Apple just completely changed how you buy a new Mac
Each component is treated separately, as if you’re building a machine from scratch.
Ice and snow bring down downtown Benton business, CJ'z Downtown Billiards
A longtime downtown Benton business was destroyed after its building collapsed under the weight of ice and snow from last week’s winter storm, county officials
A ‘top priority in this building’: Senate health committee seeks to broaden access to primary care
An expansive bill seeks to change the way patients access primary care by changing the ways the state pays for it.
Minter: Ravens’ next OC must build around Lamar Jackson
New Ravens coach Jesse Minter says his next offensive coordinator must build an offense around Lamar Jackson’s unique talents.
Driver seriously injured after crashing into KCK business
One man was taken to the hospital after crashing into a Kansas City, Kansas, building Thursday morning.
A Business Owner Is Getting Divorced, Asks Dave Ramsey If He'll Lose The Business. 'She's Actually 98% Owner Of The Business And I'm 2% Owner'
A Texas business owner is facing a painful split, not just from his wife, but potentially from the company he helped build. He says he’s done almost all the work since 2021, but legally owns just 2% of the business. His wife holds the other 98%, a structure their accountant recommended for tax reasons. Divorce And Ownership Don't Match Up Manny, who shared his story on the “EntreLeadership” podcast recently with personal finance expert Dave Ramsey, said, “She’s actually 98% owner of the business
Driver crashes into upholstery business in Kansas City, Kansas; one seriously hurt
A car crashed into Ramos Upholstery in Kansas City, Kansas, on Central Avenue and N Tremont Street in Strawberry Hill Thursday morning
Michigan State business school to host ‘Rails to the Future' conference
TROY, Mich. — Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business will host “Rails to the Future: 200 Year of Progress, Building What’s Next,” a conference featuring key rail industry officials May 11-13 at the MSU Management Education Center in Troy. Keynote speakers will include Federal Railroad Adminstration Administrator David Fink; Surface Transportation Board [...] Read More...
Scientists found a way to cool quantum computers using noise
Quantum computers need extreme cold to work, but the very systems that keep them cold also create noise that can destroy fragile quantum information. Scientists in Sweden have now flipped that problem on its head by building a tiny quantum refrigerator that actually uses noise to drive cooling instead of fighting it. By carefully steering heat at unimaginably small scales, the device can act as a refrigerator, heat engine, or energy amplifier inside quantum circuits.
Bank of America supporting weVENTURE Women’s Business Center
As a Neighborhood Builder, the Florida Tech-based weVENTURE Women’s Business Center is awarded a $50,000 grant over two years.
China, U.K. vow to build long-term strategic partnership in bid to reset strained ties
U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he hopes to build "more sophisticated" ties with China as the two nations look to revive the bilateral relationships.
Behavioral Health as Economic Infrastructure
As behavioral health shapes productivity and inclusion, Catalight is building sustainable care models fit for the global economy
Business Coach Arnaud CZ Releases Free Course to Help Corporate Fathers Build Side Income Amid Rising Job Uncertainty
PRAGUE, CZECHIA, Jan. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arnaud CZ, founder of the $100k Dad system, specializing in corporate-to-entrepreneur transit...
’Canes Science Bowl brings STEM education to more students
University of Miami student Sabrina Cuba and graduate Alberti Regalado started the ’Canes Science Bowl to build an interest in STEM education in current ’Canes and pre-college education students. Adriana Gonzalez and Aaliyah Davis, the new ’Cane Science Bowl presidents, are keeping the dream alive. They will host the annual spring ’Canes Science Bowl with
Snap is Spinning Out Its Specs AR Glasses Business
The subsidiary, Specs Inc., will keep focusing on products that build on the company's Spectacles, which create mixed-reality experiences for wearers.
With Apple’s new Creator Studio Pro, AI is a tool to aid creation, not replace it
Apple’s Creator Studio Pro leverages AI to help creators with tedious tasks—like finding clips or building slides—without trying to do the work for them
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PE-backed CT masonry business acquires New England manufacturer
US Masonry and Building Products said it purchased York Flashings LLC, which manufactures products designed to seal joints and channel moisture out of building walls to help prevent water damage.
Manu Ginobili among backers of new planned sports performance project in South Florida
Manu Ginobili is investing in South Florida’s potential with a new venture. The former San Antonio Spurs star is part of a group building the Sports Performance Hub in Homestead, Florida. It’ll be a next-generation sports, education and community development project. It will feature a 10,000-seat stadium for Miami FC, sports training facilities, a basketball facility, a boarding school and more. Groundbreaking is set for March, with plans to open in 2028. Ginobili, along with partners like Riccardo Silva and Juan Sebastian Veron, aims to connect sports training with academics. They believe Miami’s multicultural environment makes it an ideal location.
Florida Sheriffs swing behind Byron Donalds in Governor’s race
Law enforcement support builds as Donalds consolidates Republican primary momentum statewide
Google Pixel’s Tensor chip said to help weather a rocky smartphone market in 2026
A new report forecasts the smartphone chipset market through 2026, and claims that Google’s efforts in building Tensor for Pixel...
AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D Review - The Best Just Got Better
The AMD Ryzen 9850X3D builds on the already excellent 9800X3D without trying to shake up the market. Instead, it focuses on refining what already works. AMD delivers modest improvements with smarter tuning, and the same cache magic that gamers love. Thanks to a reasonable price increase, this processor will be a no-brainer pick for future high-end gaming rigs.
As More Founders Aim To Build Billion-Dollar, One-Person Businesses, New Research Points To High-Potential Niches
A new report points to areas where it is possible for solo founders to grow to $1 billion in revenue using AI, blockchain and a global team of freelancers.
OpenAI digs in on a fundamental disconnect in new research: AI is ready for primetime, many businesses aren't
The real challenge isn't building better AI—it's actually using it.
Firefighters respond to business fire in West Jordan
In and out of the buildling.Fans and a hose going into the building.Several firefighters and engines responded to the scene.Rocky Mountain Power responded
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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