SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " almost " 1,330 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Colorado business works to clean up after losing almost 150 cars in grass fire: "It looks like a bomb went off"
Retired Binghamton firefighter Mike Bolles to run for Senate District 52
Bolles spent almost 22 years with the Binghamton Fire Department and served in the U.S. Army for 22 years.
How financial and practical stressors can affect emotional health during cancer care
A cancer diagnosis changes almost everything—but it doesn't stop life's other responsibilities. Bills still arrive. Work still needs attention. Family routines keep going. Trying to keep up with it ...
Research roundup: Six cool science stories we almost missed
Smart underwear measures farts, brain cells play Doom, and AI discovers rules of an ancient game.
How South Asians are growing political power in Central Texas
As of 2021, the U.S. Census estimated more than 450,000 Indian Americans in Texas — almost double from 2010.
Buffettology Without Buffett in Abel’s First Shareholder Letter
Greg Abel has passed his first test since taking over from Warren Buffett as Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s new chief executive officer. In his introductory shareholder letter, he emphasizes that Berkshire’s culture runs far deeper than a single man. Yet, almost in the same breath, he tells us not to worry — after all, Buffett is still lurking around the office.
What the science says about social media addiction in minors
About 95% of teens and almost 40% of children ages 8 to 12 use social media, the director of Johns Hopkins' Center for Adolescent Health said
What the science says about social media addiction in minors
About 95% of teens and almost 40% of children ages 8 to 12 use social media, the director of Johns Hopkins' Center for Adolescent Health said
Laid-off Block workers detail AI push, Jack Dorsey's 'gratitude' call
Laid-off Block employees say they were embracing AI tools in what one called an almost "celebratory" way. Then it replaced them.
No Offense: Devils Drop 5th Straight
There was a point, about midway through Thursday’s 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh, where it kind of, sort of felt as if the Devils might manage to salvage a point, maybe even steal two from the Penguins. Paul Cotter had scored, an almost water-to-wine level miracle. Jacob Markstrom was playing as well as he has at […]
Sunway Healthcare launches prospectus for up to $736 million IPO
Sunway Healthcare Holding on Friday launched the prospectus for its initial public offering that is expected to raise up to 2.86 billion ringgit ($735.98 million) in what could be Malaysia's largest listing in almost a decade.
Scientists compared dinosaurs to mammals for decades but missed this key difference
Baby dinosaurs weren’t coddled like lion cubs or elephant calves—they were more like prehistoric latchkey kids. New research suggests that young dinosaurs quickly struck out on their own, forming kid-only groups and surviving without much parental help, while their massive parents lived entirely different lives. Because juveniles and adults ate different foods, faced different predators, and moved through different parts of the landscape, they may have functioned almost like separate species within the same ecosystem.
EGLE says pellet spill poses no public health risk as Kalamazoo River cleanup continues
Thousands of pounds of plastic pellets, known as nurdles, spilled along I-196 and into the Kalamazoo River near Saugatuck almost a month ago.
Tales of Berseria Remastered Review
In Tales of Berseria, the story and the characters do almost all the lifting. It's a good thing it's so amazing, because there sure is a lot of weight on its
I Just Realized Why I Recognize 'Paradise' Star Sarah Shahi and I Can’t Believe I Almost Missed It
If you’ve been watching 'Paradise' and wondering why one cast member looks so familiar, you’re not alone. Here’s where you’ve definitely seen the actress before.
Trump’s Favorite Voter-ID Bill Would Probably Backfire
Congressional Republicans are trying to pass a strict “election integrity” law that seems almost custom-designed to disenfranchise their own supporters.
Eli Lilly's orforglipron beats Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 pill in tests
Eli Lilly released new data on its oral pill, orforglipron, Thursday, showing it's almost as good as Ozempic. The pill may be available this spring.
Eccles Health Sciences Library gets an upgrade
After almost three years of construction, the retrofit was finally completed on Feb. 10, allowing visitors to see the updated library for themselves.
Noah Donohoe: Mental health considered in investigation
The body of the Belfast schoolboy was found in a water tunnel almost a week after he went missing in June 2020.
Zach Harber is balancing a growing business with his MBA studies - Notre Dame Business Mendoza College of Business
A new year is a new beginning, and Australia welcomes each new year before almost anywhere on Earth. Zach Harber (MBA ’27) had long dreamed of taking in the spectacle […]
Major Galaxy Buds 4 Pro leak reveals almost all the new features
Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Buds 4 series this week, and a new leak has revealed plenty of Galaxy Buds 4 Pro features.
I played with Steve Kerr in college. This is how he changed my life
This story is part of Peak, The Athletic’s desk covering the mental side of sports. Sign up for Peak’s newsletter here. Harvey Mason Jr. played at the University of Arizona from 1986 to 1990, including two years with Steve Kerr, the current coach of the Golden State Warriors. Mason is now the CEO of the Recording Academy, the organization that awards the Grammys. In 1986, I arrived at the University of Arizona campus convinced I was destined to be the best player the school had ever had. Coming out of high school in California, I’d been recruited by almost every school in the...
Full Court Press (2/20/26)
NORTHEAST KANSAS (KSNT) – The postseason is almost here. A thrilling Friday night across Northeast Kansas as many area teams prepare for Sub-State. Girls Topeka 58, Emporia 40 Silver Lake 68, St. Marys 31 Washburn Rural 40, Hayden 38 Highland Park 62, Sumner 11 Shawnee Heights 65, Turner 14 Holton 47, Sabetha 33 Perry-Lecompton 46, […]
Meta's metaverse leaves virtual reality
Meta said it's shifting focus for Horizons Worlds to be "almost exclusively mobile" and that it will separate its Quest VR platform from the virtual world.
Apple’s redesigned MacBook Air almost came in fun colors, per leaker
Apple last redesigned the MacBook Air with the M2 model, and per a supply chain leaker, that new Air design almost came in fun colors.
Venezuelan opposition politician released after amnesty law passed
Juan Pablo Guanipa announces that he has been freed after "almost nine months" of imprisonment.
When It Comes to Health Insurance, Federal Dollars Support More Than ACA Plans
Questions of fairness came up in last year’s congressional debate about extending Obamacare’s enhanced subsidies. Critics wondered why the federal government should underwrite coverage costs for people with ACA coverage. In truth, though, almost all health insurance in the U.S. comes with some federal help.
Key piece of Sports Center funding comes through; officials wait on mall outcome
Almost two years after a demolition crew tore down the former Macy’s department store at the Charleston Town Center Mall to make room for the Capital Sports Center Complex, the project has received a key portion of the funding plan: $7 million of Congressionally Directed Spending funds. Officials say they are waiting to see what happens to the Charleston Town Center Mall to move forward.
'Absolute surprise': Homo erectus skulls found in China are almost 1.8 million years old — the oldest evidence of the ancient human relatives in East Asia
A new date for Homo erectus skulls found in central China provides new insight into how and when ancient human relatives reached eastern Asia.
She built a career in Japan and says one thing is non-negotiable
Lauren Rose Kocher never worked full-time in the US, so her understanding of corporate culture was formed almost entirely in Japan.
Rick Perry says his political group will spend “whatever we need” to support John Cornyn in Senate primary
The former Texas governor chairs the Lone Star Freedom Project, a group that has already spent almost $18 million boosting Cornyn against Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt.
Rick Perry says his political group will spend “whatever we need” to support John Cornyn in Senate primary
The former Texas governor chairs the Lone Star Freedom Project, a group that has already spent almost $18 million boosting Cornyn against Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt.
Ukraine's small businesses struggle as Russian strikes turn off power
Nataliia Bilostotska poured her heart and soul into her three-year-old beauty salon in a commuter town just outside Kyiv. But when the temperature inside plunged to almost freezing, she realised she had to shut up shop.
More leaked Galaxy Buds 4 images show Samsung is going back to basics
It’s a tale as old as time. Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Buds 4 have leaked, almost a full week before the...
Dell XPS 14 (2026) Review: Congratulations, You (Almost) Made a MacBook
The return of the Dell XPS offers us a great PC—with an odd keyboard and a depressing price.
Lufthansa Unblocks New Business-Class Seats on Boeing 787 Model
Deutsche Lufthansa AG said most of the Allegris business-class seats on its new Boeing Co. 787 aircraft are now available for booking, ending months of having to cordon off almost the entire premium section because of delayed certification.
Oregon business bankruptcies hit a 12-year high
Bankruptcies rose almost four times faster here than they did nationwide.
‘We almost lost you in the night’ - the life-threatening rise of measles in the UK
It is one of the most infectious diseases around, and can cause blindness and hearing loss – and can also be fatal. Why are cases now soaring and what can be done about it?
Psychedelics may work by shutting down reality and unlocking memory
Psychedelics can quiet the brain’s visual input system, pushing it to replace missing details with vivid fragments from memory. Scientists found that slow, rhythmic brain waves help shift perception away from the outside world and toward internal recall — almost like dreaming while awake. By imaging glowing brain cells in mice, researchers watched this process unfold in real time.
Healthcare costs are eating into Social Security checks
Out-of-pocket healthcare costs eat up roughly a third of a typical retiree’s Social Security income and almost a quarter of total income, according to a new report from the Center for Retirement at Boston College.
How the Epstein files ended up on the internet
When Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in 2019, the DOJ seized more than 70 electronic devices. Last month, they put almost all of it on the internet.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra Is Almost Here: Samsung Confirms Unpacked Date And Pre-Order Perks
The date and time of the next Galaxy Unpacked have been confirmed by Samsung with details of how to watch and early pre-order discounts.
Nebraska’s Young Players Waiting in the Wings
Nebraska, like almost every program outside of Dabo Swinney’s portal-resistant Clemson, is leaning heavily on the transfer portal to plug roster gaps. That’s the modern reality of college football, and it isn’t changing anytime soon. But even in the portal era, sustained success still depends on developing young talent into dependable contributors. Under Matt Rhule, […]
GM of Palm Springs’ Plaza Theatre honored for four-decade career
John Bolton, who manages The Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs, has spent almost 40 years in the entertainment business. But he didn't plan it that way.
Senior U.S. health official Oz invited Epstein to Valentine's Day party, documents show
Oz, formerly a celebrity physician on TV, sent the invite almost a decade after Epstein's first sex crime charges became public in July 2006.
Gallup Will No Longer Track Presidential Approval Ratings
The monthly poll has been used to measure presidential performance for almost nine decades.
Trump's revenge tour falls flat in the courts
Federal grand juries almost always return indictments, underscoring the gap between Trump's political threats and the legal system.
Advancing Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health: Key Advocacy Messages for the 39th African Union Summit
At the 39th African Union Summit, PMNCH underscores urgent priorities to advance women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health across Africa, where preventable deaths remain disproportionately high despite longstanding commitments. In 2023, more than 70% of global maternal deaths occurred on the continent, with an estimated 182,000 women dying from pregnancy-related causes, alongside nearly 58% of global under-five deaths, almost half of newborn deaths and a stillbirth rate of 21.7 per 1,000 total births. PMNCH’s key messages call for accelerated implementation of existing commitments, stronger financing for sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, prioritization of fragile settings, and reinforced partnerships to translate political will into measurable progress.
Romeo Is a Dead Man Dev 'Almost 100% Certain' It'll Release Another Game in 2026
Wherefore art thou Romeo?
An American cross-country skier charms the world at a tense political moment
Silver medalist Ben Ogden has drawn almost unanimous approval from teammates and opponents on both sides of the pond.
New Gallup poll reveals depth of Americans' gloom about the future
In 2025, only about 59% of Americans gave high ratings when asked to evaluate how good their life will be in about five years, the lowest annual measure since Gallup began asking this question almost 20 years ago.
A simple discovery is shaking the foundations of spintronics
A long-standing mystery in spintronics has just been shaken up. A strange electrical effect called unusual magnetoresistance shows up almost everywhere scientists look—even in systems where the leading explanation, spin Hall magnetoresistance, shouldn’t work at all. Now, new experiments reveal a far simpler origin: the way electrons scatter at material interfaces under the combined influence of magnetization and an electric field.
Samsung almost confirms when it's unveiling the Galaxy S26 family
February 25 seems like a given at this point. Samsung has long been rumored to be unveiling the Galaxy S26, Galaxy S26+, and Galaxy S26 Ultra on February...
I've been using Android for a decade, and I just found its best productivity feature
It'a available on almost all Android phones
Politicians ‘don’t live how we live’, voters tell me. The Mandelson scandal won’t change their minds
Whoever succeeds Keir Starmer will have an almost impossible task: convincing voters that politicians will serve the people, not themselves, says Guardian columnist John Harris
Scientists finally solve a 100-year-old mystery in the air we breathe
Scientists at the University of Warwick have cracked a long-standing problem in air pollution science: how to predict the movement of irregularly shaped nanoparticles as they drift through the air we breathe. These tiny particles — from soot and microplastics to viruses — are linked to serious health risks, yet most models still treat them as perfect spheres for simplicity. By reworking a century-old formula, researchers have created the first simple, accurate way to predict how particles of almost any shape behave.
Winter Olympics: Lindsey Vonn airlifted off mountain after crashing out hard in women's downhill
Vonn crashed almost immediately after the start.
‘It’s almost like a family reunion’ - Alaska Black Business Expo celebrates eleven years of showcasing Black entrepreneurs
With Black History Month in full swing, the Anchorage Museum played host to the 11th annual Alaska Black Business Expo, Summit and Fashion Show, which began Saturday.
Former Cowboys star reveals he was almost traded to Eagles
Cowboys fans wouldn't have been happy about this.
Packers Star Micah Parsons: Cowboys 'Almost' Traded Me to Eagles
Green Bay Packers star Micah Parsons revealed that the Dallas Cowboys nearly traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles last year.
This tiny molecular trick makes spider silk almost unbreakable
Scientists have cracked a key mystery behind spider silk’s legendary strength and flexibility. They discovered that tiny molecular interactions act like natural glue, holding silk proteins together as they transform from liquid into incredibly tough fibers. This same process helps create silk that’s stronger than steel by weight and tougher than Kevlar.
After Almost a Century, Readers Close Mass Market Paperbacks
E-books and pricier formats push cheap pocket novels toward extinction
Free PS5 Demo Out Now for Long-Awaited Capcom Action Game
A long-awaited Capcom action game is finally almost ready to come out, and is putting out a demo on the PlayStation 5 for fans to check out.
‘Everything is quagga mussel now’: can invasive species be stopped?
While ecologists believe invasive species play a major role in more than 60% of plant and animal extinctions, stopping them in their tracks is almost impossible. Biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston tells Madeleine Finlay how invasive species spread, how conservationists are trying combat them and why some think a radical new approach is needed.
Connecticut business owner admits to defrauding 2 companies of more than $2.5 million
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) — A former business owner who was arrested almost five years after being indicted for wire fraud admitted to defrauding two companies he was doing business with of mo…
Sony is working on its next Xperia phones, and they’re all but confirmed to go almost global
We are getting a flagship and a mid-range Xperia model this year.
Jim Cramer on Sysco: “The Business Is Clearly Doing Better Than People Thought”
Sysco Corporation (NYSE:SYY) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shed light on recently. Cramer called the stock “cheap,” as he said: Next, how about this rally in Sysco, and that’s the SYY kind, the food distributor, not the networking giant. Sysco shot up almost 11% on Tuesday in response to the company’s earnings report […]
The next Xbox is a Windows PC — ... pros AND cons?
I've been using Windows almost daily for 30 years. I know my way around its weirdness ... But is that what the average Xbox gamer wants to have to deal with?
At a ‘Melania’ screening, cheers for Trump, snickers at Obama — and a reminder of our nation’s political divide
Having read a biography of her and learned almost nothing from it, I was looking forward to gaining insights about our First Lady. But nothing in the documentary has a true “behind the scenes” feel.
Norfolk eyes Harbor Park entertainment district
An entertainment and nightlife district could be in the cards for the area surrounding Norfolk‘s upcoming $750 million waterfront resort casino near Harbor Park. The city owns most of the property around the casino site and the ballpark, controlling almost seven acres in an area bordered by the Elizabeth River, railroad tracks and Interstate 264. […]
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
What We Expect Athletes to Say Now
Not long ago, taking political stands almost seemed to become part of the job. These days, in another moment of social crisis, expectations have shifted.
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
The people’s choice against West Ham: Almost unchanged
Chelsea vs. West Ham, Premier League: Preferred lineup
A 65km hike into Norway's vanishing rural past
The Stølstruta offers hikers a responsible, respectful way to witness a pastoral tradition that has disappeared almost everywhere else in Europe.
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
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.
Speedskater Jordan Stolz conquered World Cups. Olympic history is next
Speedskater Jordan Stolz has an almost unbreakable hold on the men's side of the sport. He could leave the 2026 Winter Olympics with four gold medals.
Survey of over-50s women finds almost two in three struggle with mental health
Of those affected by midlife challenges such as menopause, nine in 10 do not seek help, therapists’ organisation says
Tiny mammals are sending warning signs scientists can finally read
Small mammals are early warning systems for environmental damage, but many species look almost identical, making them hard to track. Scientists have developed a new footprint-based method that can tell apart nearly indistinguishable species with remarkable accuracy. Tested on two types of sengi, the system correctly identified them up to 96% of the time. It offers a simple, ethical way to monitor ecosystems before they quietly unravel.
Analysis: Trump’s team almost never backs down from its false claims. This past week has been different
From the start, this has been a say-anything presidential administration.
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
Ray J Shares His Heart Is "Only Beating 25 Percent" After Near-Fatal Hospitalization
Ray J said his heart is "only beating 25 percent" after he "almost died" while hospitalized for a severe case of pneumonia earlier in January.
Exclusive: VC firm Rock Health considering biotech investments
The San Francisco firm has invested almost exclusively in digital health for 15 years.
2026 Super Bowl bold predictions for Patriots vs. Seahawks; Top UFC 325 storylines
The Super Bowl is almost here with prop bets and bold predictions. And UFC 325 is Saturday to get the action going
Code Vein 2 review: "This vampire take on Elden Ring almost works, but the dungeons themselves lack bite"
Code Vein 2 feels like the first post-Elden Ring Soulslike to try something of a similar scale, and has inventive combat moves - but it's made too many compromises to get there.
Trump appears to forget word for Alzheimer’s during stunning interview on his health
Trump explained that his father had almost no medical conditions throughout his life, except for one.
Astronomers unveil map of dark matter's distribution in universe
Using observations from the James Webb Space Telescope in a patch of the sky covering almost three times the area of the full moon, scientists have created the most detailed cosmic map to date of the mysterious substance called dark matter that accounts for most of the stuff that populates the universe.
The Man Who Almost Replaced Warren Buffett
David Sokol was seen as the next likely CEO of Berkshire Hathaway—until a controversy arose over his personal trades.
'We never used to have this many bad teams': WPIAL girls basketball has turned into the sport of many routs
Thursday was a night for shellackings in WPIAL girls basketball. Almost 40% of the games were decided by 30 points or more, including eight that were decided...
My porta-potty business brings in $4.3 million a year
Daniel Tom, 31, owns and operates Bay Area Sanitation, overseeing a fleet of almost 2,000 portable toilets servicing construction sites and events across the San Francisco Bay Area. The company brought in $4.3 million in total income in 2025, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
Forza Horizon 6's $60 Premium Upgrade Gives You Early Access, But Costs Almost as Much as The Game Itself
Forza Horizon 6 will launch with a $59.99 Premium Upgrade Bundle that unlocks four days of early access — albeit at almost the same cost as buying the game again.
‘Almost Like a Religion’: Pfizer CEO Slams RFK Jr.’s 'Anti-Science' Vaccine Policies
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said that the main thing getting in the way of changing vaccine discussions in the U.S. is “the Secretary of Health,” Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
The NYXI Hyperion 3 beats the official Switch 2 Joy-Con in almost every way — except for one thing
This could be the ultimate Switch 2 controller for handheld play
Sports-Betting Scandals Are Ubiquitous. Whether Fans Will Care Is an Open Question.
Breaches of ethics in sports are almost as old as professional competitions. Here’s when they have affected the business — and when they haven’t.
How Snow Creek relies on science to create its winter wonderland
The ski resort relies almost entirely on snowmaking to open every year.
Trump's tariffs are paid almost entirely by Americans: German study
US tariffs under Donald Trump have been paid almost entirely by Americans, with foreign exporters paying for only 4%, a German study found.