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The Art of the Steal
How election officials are thinking about Trump’s threat to the midterms.
It's business as usual as UConn freshman Braylon Mullins prepares to return home to Indiana
UConn freshman guard Braylon Mullins, the reigning Indiana Mr. Basketball, is trying not to overthink things as he prepares to play in his home state for the first time with the Huskies. The focus for...
The latest Brother Martin-Jesuit game has the winner thinking, ‘We can get to Lake Charles’
Brother Martin has experienced its share of close losses in district games this season.
What to watch in the Texas Senate race : The NPR Politics Podcast
Texas Sen. John Cornyn, running for his fifth term, is locked in a competitive Republican primary contest. Meanwhile, some Democrats think they can flip the seat, electing a Democrat to represent Texas in the Senate for the first time since 1988. We discuss what to watch in the heated primaries as voters begin casting their ballots next week.This episode: voting correspondent Miles Parks, political correspondent Ashley Lopez, and Houston Public Media senior reporter Andrew Schneider.This podcast was produced by Casey Morell and Bria Suggs, and edited by Rachel Baye.Our executive producer is Muthoni Muturi.Listen to every episode of the NPR Politics Podcast sponsor-free, unlock access to bonus episodes with more from the NPR Politics team, and support public media when you sign up for The NPR Politics Podcast+ at plus.npr.org/politics.
‘Consistency and balance’: Nutrition, food science students share why nutrition is key to mental health
When people think of nutrition, their first thought may not always be its relationship with emotional well-being. Mental health is often left out of the food equation because it is not as visible or easily measured as physical health, according to the Food Science Club’s president, Emma Whitney, a senior majoring in food science. “Nutrition...
One Big Beautiful Bill Delivers More Than Payments, It May Force Farmers to Rethink Farm Business Structures
The One Big Beautiful Bill brings higher farm payments and better crop insurance, but Paul Neiffer says its most overlooked impact could be how farmers structure their operations.
Are Leeds safe?
BBC Radio Leeds' Adam Pope thinks a tally in the "late 30s" will be enough for Premier League survival. Leeds sit on 29 points in 16th place, with West Ham in the relegation places in 18th on 23 points. "I still think something in the late 30s will do it," Pope told BBC Radio Leeds' Don't Go To Bed Just Yet podcast.
Soybeans Correct with Corn and Wheat Awaiting WASDE, More China Business
Risk off in the outside markets also played a role in the selling pressure according to Lane Akre, economist with Pro Farmer. However, he doesn't think all the China demand is priced into the soybean market.
Senate candidate Michele Morrow says NC is done electing ‘party power players’
Senate candidate Michele Morrow wants to see former Gov. Roy Cooper retire and thinks she’s the Republican to make that happen.
Science and religion are not ‘polar opposites,’ Ecklund argues on Nature’s podcast
Rice sociologist Elaine Howard Ecklund joined Nature’s career podcast “Working Scientist” to share her research on religion among scientists and discuss her book “Secularity and Science: What Scientists Around the World Really Think About Religion.”
Can this team actually win the AL Central?
I truly think they can, but they’ll need a lot to break their way.
Trump has a plan to steal the midterms. It will probably fail.
The nightmare scenario for American democracy is no longer unthinkable.
Making science more visible
As he enters a laboratory with saltwater pools full of fish, Luka Žuvić explains how climate change is affecting the feeding ecology and reproductive biology of Atlantic bluefin tuna, and how the species is adapting.It is a topic that may seem remote to many people. But in a country where fishing and aquaculture are important to the economy and national identity, Žuvić’s research is at the intersection of science and society. “In Croatia, marine and environmental science are closely connected to people’s lives because fisheries, aquaculture, tourism and coastal development are a big part of our lives,” explains Žuvić, a doctoral student working at the Croatian Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in the Adriatic coastal city of Split. He also serves as one of Croatia’s ambassadors to Science Comes to Town (SCTT), a European Commission-funded project that aims to make scientific research more accessible, while inspiring young people to study the sciences. The project kicked off in Spilt on 20 January with a conference attended by partner institutions, community representatives, policymakers and scientists. Along with Split, Brest (in France) and Kiel (in Germany) will host a year of activities connecting scientists with the public.Žuvić, 31, is part of the Young Researchers' Career Development Project, a doctoral programme funded by the Croatian Science Foundation. His research on Atlantic bluefin tuna builds on a foundation-backed project focusing on the reproductive potential of farmed tuna, including their sexual maturation and spontaneous spawning in captivity, which has implications for the restoration of the Adriatic Sea's natural tuna populations. He also studies the tuna's feeding ecology through stomach-content analysis, using DNA metabarcoding and morphological approaches, and employs geometric morphometrics to improve the identification of juvenile tuna and related species. The research aims to enhance understanding of the tuna farming ecology, improve fish farm management and contribute to sustainable aquaculture and fisheries research.Engaging with local communitiesConnecting with the community is crucial for Žuvić’s research. Conversations with fishermen help him better understand the bluefin tuna's habits and how marine pollution affects the fish. “They are also curious about the biology and ecology of bluefin tuna,” he says of local fishermen, adding that sharing research with non-scientists benefits everyone. “Sometimes scientific research is invisible,” he explains. “That's why we as researchers need to go out from our institutions and labs to the public so that we can show them what we are working on. This helps create more trust in the scientists and their research.”Engaging the public also raises awareness about the anthropogenic changes to the marine environment resulting from human activities and pollution. Žuvić helps remove plastic and other rubbish from the Adriatic Sea that pose a direct threat to marine species. Predators, such as bluefin tuna, are especially vulnerable to ingesting waste churned up by fishing trawlers. “They are very opportunistic fish that follow trawlers and ingest everything,” he notes. To illustrate the impact, he has shown students the contents of bluefin tuna stomachs. “Finding a plastic bottle cap in the stomach of a bluefin tuna is concerning,” he says. "Science can be a powerful way to turn curiosity into practical solutions,” Žuvić adds, and sharing research outcomes “helps increase public awareness and improve understanding of human impacts on the marine environment.”The research also has implications for Croatia's economy. The Atlantic bluefin tuna’s rich, flavourful meat is highly valued for sushi and other raw fish dishes. However, overfishing nearly brought its population to collapse by the early 2000s. Although the species has made a comeback in the Atlantic and Mediterranean regions, catches continue to be managed through agreements with the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. Croatia was a pioneer in developing commercial aquaculture as an alternative to open-sea fishing and accounts for about 10% of the EU’s farmed production of the bluefin tuna, with Japan being a key export market.A history of European collaborationCroatia has participated in Europe’s framework programmes for research and innovation since 2007, six years before officially joining the EU. Žuvić believes that EU funding and collaboration with other European researchers is vital for Croatian science. As part of the SCTT opening conference, the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries, the University of Split and other local institutions were part of a science fair to showcase research on topics, such as robotics and an EU LIFE project on the protection of sharks and rays in the Mediterranean. “I hope that Science Comes to Town will help increase scientific literacy and curiosity among citizens, particularly students, and show that science is not something that is distant or abstract, but something that directly affects everyday life,” Žuvić concludes. “Ultimately, I hope that projects like it contribute to building a society that values knowledge and critical thinking, and that we can think about long-term sustainability using knowledge from science.”Science|Business, which connects policymakers, academics and industry through its news reporting, analysis and events, is an SCTT partner.
Is Flutter Entertainment (NYSE:FLUT) Attractive After A 43% One Year Share Price Decline
If you are wondering whether Flutter Entertainment's recent share price puts it on sale or still prices in too much optimism, you are not alone. That is exactly what this article aims to unpack. The stock last closed at US$152.53, with returns of 7.6% decline over 7 days, 29.2% decline over 30 days, 30.1% decline year to date, 43.2% decline over 1 year, 5.2% over 3 years and 21.7% decline over 5 years. This may change how some investors think about both its growth potential and risk...
Thinking of trashing a small business on social media? Please, think again
Online pile-ons can destroy small businesses. Save the derision for big companies that can weather social media storms
Scientists may have found the brain network behind Parkinson’s
A new international study points to a specific brain network as the core driver of Parkinson’s disease. Scientists found that this network becomes overly connected, disrupting not just movement but also thinking and other bodily functions. When researchers targeted it with non-invasive brain stimulation, patients showed much stronger symptom improvement than with conventional stimulation. The discovery could reshape how Parkinson’s is diagnosed and treated.
Trump, California and the multi-front war over the next election
Local elections administrators across California say they have been preparing for once unthinkable threats to the midterms, from their own federal government.
Security threats have some boards rethinking security for top execs
Threats to executives are pushing companies like Starbucks and Disney to boost CEO security and mandate the use of corporate jets for personal travel.
JPS science fair highlights student creativity
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Students put their creativity and critical thinking on display at the Jackson Public Schools’ (JPS) Science Fair and S.T.E.A.M. Expo. The students gathered at the Mississippi T...
JPS science fair highlights student creativity
JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Students put their creativity and critical thinking on display at the Jackson Public Schools’ (JPS) Science Fair and S.T.E.A.M. Expo. The students gathered at th…
Something supercharged Uranus when Voyager 2 flew past
Voyager 2’s flyby of Uranus in 1986 recorded radiation levels so extreme they baffled scientists for nearly 40 years. New research suggests the spacecraft caught Uranus during a rare solar wind event that flooded the planet’s radiation belts with extra energy. Similar storms have been seen near Earth, where they dramatically boost radiation levels. The discovery reshapes how scientists think about Uranus—and why it deserves another visit.
George Orwell called for a new way of thinking about science
Orwell argued that you don’t have to be a scientist to think more scientifically.
Here’s Where AI Is Tearing Through Corporate America
The latest advances have companies—and the stock market—rethinking the software that handles jobs big and small.
Dan Marino on Tua Tagovailoa: ‘I think he was excellent’
Marino also states the Miami Dolphins need competition at the quarterback position.
Why Berkshire Hathaway Is a Better Business Than You Might Think
Some fundamental misunderstandings about the way Warren Buffett's pride and joy reports its financial results can be misleading.
‘I loved thinking about how to make science possible for America and for the world’
'I loved thinking about how to make science possible for America and for the world'
AG1 is a lot less science-y than it sounds
“Clinically backed” isn’t the endorsement you think it is.
Mewgenics Review
Mewgenics is a fantastic tactical RPG that's good for more than a hundred hours of roguelike runs. Just when you think you have it figured out it'll throw something completely unexpected and hilariously gross at you – and probably a catchy new original song, too.
Abbott endorsement against agriculture commissioner shakes up Republican primary
“The governor just doesn’t like me. I think it’s personal with him. I don’t think it’s the way my management is impeccable,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Miller.
So the Epstein scandal is about politics? Silly me for thinking it’s about the mass abuse of women and girls
Obsessing over individual players and political chaos leaves less time to focus on the misogyny. And that’s for the best, isn’t it guys, says Guardian columnist Marina Hyde
By the numbers: Amazon's rapid Louisiana expansion reaches 13 locations, over 10,000 employees
"It gives you confidence," one broker said, "'Hey look, if Jeff Bezos thinks I should build something right here, then why shouldn't I?"
The perilous age of quantum politics
Think of Donald Trump as an energised particle colliding with a sensitive geopolitical nucleus
Apple Is Scaling Back Plans for New AI-Based Health Coach Service
Apple Inc. is scaling back plans for a virtual health coach, according to people with knowledge of the matter, part of an effort to rethink how the company approaches the burgeoning market for wellness services.
Tim Cook Teases Plans for Apple's Upcoming 50th Anniversary
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026. "I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart sing. It really does. I promise some celebration".
Why The Tencent Music Entertainment Group (NYSE:TME) Story Is Shifting After Mixed Analyst Calls
Tencent Music Entertainment Group’s latest update keeps its fair value estimate broadly steady, shifting only slightly from US$26.92 to US$26.84 as the model digests mixed analyst reactions to recent earnings. With the discount rate adjusted marginally lower from 9.72% to 9.63% and revenue growth assumptions held effectively unchanged at about 15.19%, the price target move reflects a fine tuning of risk and growth expectations rather than a wholesale rethink of the story. Stay tuned as we...
Bolts Survey: Predict the Super Bowl LX winner
Chargers fans get a chance to vote for who they think will win Super Bowl LX between the Patriots and Seahawks
UW’s Seidel Named to DOE’s 21-Member Office of Science Advisory Commit
While a rancher may not be thinking about Einstein’s theory of relativity when using GPS to guide his tractor through a field or the proud owner of a new iPhone may not dwell over quantum mechanics, U
Stop Using Windows 11 Like a Beginner: 31 Hidden Tricks Microsoft Never Taught You
Windows 11 is more advanced than you might think. We show you how to take advantage of AI‑powered Copilot tricks, customization tips, hidden settings, multitasking tools, security tweaks, and more.
Eagle-eyed 'Bridgerton' viewers spot a tiny error in just released season 4
Eagle-eyed 'Bridgerton' viewers think they saw a 1900s product in the Netflix series, which is set in the 1800s.
‘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.
92-foot dinosaur found by accident is forcing scientists to rethink prehistoric giants - Futura-Sciences
The fossil surfaced in Chongqing’s Tongnan District, within the Suining Formation, a Late Jurassic geological layer. After its accidental exposure, a research team led by Xuefang Wei of the Chengdu Center of China Geological Survey carried out a formal excavation and analysis, ultimately identifying the remains as a previously unknown...
Vermont Conversation: How Sen. Bernie Sanders went from ‘political loser’ to progressive trailblazer
In a new book, author Dan Chaisson traces Sanders' political roots across the East Coast. "Moving to Vermont was a way of thinking, could we start society over?”
It's time to think about human reproduction in space, scientists urge
"If reproduction is ever to occur beyond Earth, it must do so with a clear commitment to safety, transparency and ethical integrity."
Jim Cramer on Sphere Entertainment: “It’s Really Pretty Amazing”
Sphere Entertainment Co. (NYSE:SPHR) is one of the stocks Jim Cramer shared his opinion on. During the lightning round, a caller asked about the stock, and Cramer replied: I think Sphere’s great. We did, you know, Ben and I did, we did a piece on Sphere, and we felt really, really good about it. We’re […]
AMD Says Valve Is 'On Track' to Ship Steam Machine Early This Year, but We Still Don't Know the Price
What’s going on with Steam Machine? Valve has been relatively quiet on the upcoming hardware since announcing it last year, and it remains without a release date or a price. But AMD, which powers Steam Machine itself so you’d like to think it’s in the know, has said Valve is “on track” to begin shipping early this year.
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.
Coach Mike Vrabel shows healthy optimism about Drake Maye’s status
"I know that practice [Monday] was good for [Maye] … So, I think we got the week off to a great start," said the Patriots coach.
Thinking About Marijuana After 65? Doctors Warn of Overlooked Health Risks
Many people are using marijuana for medical reasons, and it may provide benefits for some. However, Stanford Medicine experts warn that older adults, in particular, should be mindful of the potential health risks. Eloise Theisen had no plans to become a medical cannabis expert. Now a geriatric
Column | Stop taking the elevator. Your life depends on it.
After a half-century asking us to exercise more, doctors and physiologists say we have been thinking about it the wrong way.
Column | Stop taking the elevator. Your life depends on it.
After a half-century asking us to exercise more, doctors and physiologists say we have been thinking about it the wrong way.
Does Colorado have too high of a population?
I think I first fell in love with Colorado back in 1968, when we took a family vacation from Michigan out to Salt Lake City and back. My dad had been asked to speak at a genealogy event, and rather than him just flying to SLC and back, we loaded up the station wagon (one […]
Roger Goodell thinks longtime Patriots coach Bill Belichick will reach Hall of Fame eventually: 'We are not involved'
Streaking Kraken, Ducks face off in key divisional tilt
Just think where Jared McCann and the Seattle Kraken might be if the forward had been healthy all season.
Patriots’ Drake Maye Gives Answer To Famous Tom Brady Question
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was asked a familiar question during Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday. “Who is your hero?” If that sounds familiar, it’s probably because you remember when that same question was asked to Tom Brady prior to Super Bowl LI. “Who’s my hero? That’s a great question. Well, I think […]
Packers Discussion: Keep, cut or trade Nate Hobbs in 2026?
The path to a Nate Hobbs trade isn’t as far-out as you might think.
The Green River flows ‘uphill.’ Geologists think they finally know why.
The Colorado River tributary in northeastern Utah has baffled geologists for 150 years.
Exclusive: Anthropic partners with Allen Institute and Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Rather than chase the next AlphaFold-like breakthrough, Anthropic thinks AI agents can speed up the routine work of science
Stephen Ross and Ken Griffin Think Florida Is the Future for Business
Stephen Ross, the real estate developer, and Ken Griffin, the billionaire financier, are trying to attract businesses to their new base, South Florida.
Apple is already thinking about its second foldable iPhone, and it may be a clamshell
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that Apple is already looking into a clamshell-style foldable iPhone to follow up on its first.
The Science of “the Giggle”: Why Laboratory Rats Love Being Tickled
If you think laughter and comedy are reserved strictly for humans, you’d be wrong. A study in the late 1990s showed that creatures like rats emit ultrasonic vocalizations while playing with or anticipating the opportunity to play with other rats. To make matters sillier, rats emitted similar vocalizations when they were subjected to manual somatosensory
Fede Valverde: “I think we played a great match”
He spoke after the win over Rayo Vallecano.
February is Heart Health Awareness Month
When it comes to your child's health, do you think much about their risks for heart disease? Probably not, since so much of keeping kids healthy means dealing with the sore throats, scraped knees, and other ailments happening now.
“Existential risk” – Why scientists are racing to define consciousness
Scientists warn that rapid advances in AI and neurotechnology are outpacing our understanding of consciousness, creating serious ethical risks. New research argues that developing scientific tests for awareness could transform medicine, animal welfare, law, and AI development. But identifying consciousness in machines, brain organoids, or patients could also force society to rethink responsibility, rights, and moral boundaries. The question of what it means to be conscious has never been more urgent—or more unsettling.
Super Bowl 2026 picks: Who our sports department thinks will win - and by how much
Football's biggest day of the year is Sunday. Who do Cape Cod Times sports staff pick to win Super Bowl 60? New England Patriots or Seattle Seahawks?
Cardiologist: think of heart health as investing, start early
Lifestyle changes can make a big impact on your heart health. A cardiologist says we should start early.
Don’t Think You Have Time to Learn a New Language? This App Says You Do—Save 50% Off a Lifetime Subscription
Babbel forgoes flashcards and memorization in favor of real-world conversations.
When “The Cost Of Doing Business” Stops Making Sense In Healthcare
The healthcare industry has normalized a decadent sales culture. It’s time to rethink these industry normas.
Trump’s polls are tanking. What does his base think?
A MAGA diehard on ICE in Minneapolis, the Epstein files, and what Trump must do before the midterms.
How viewers around the world responded to Melania Trump’s documentary
Marla Ailor attended President Donald Trump’s inauguration last year with her family, and remembered thinking it was a long day.
Ancient tools in China are forcing scientists to rethink early humans
Archaeologists in central China have uncovered evidence that early humans were far more inventive than long assumed. Excavations at the Xigou site reveal advanced stone tools, including the earliest known examples of tools fitted with handles in East Asia, dating back as far as 160,000 years. These discoveries show that ancient populations in the region carefully planned, crafted, and adapted their tools to meet changing environments.
Business Insider's entertainment team predicts who will take home a Grammy
In this Saturday edition of Business Insider Today, our entertainment team discusses who they think will take home a golden statuette.
Response to Melania Trump documentary reflects America’s political division
CARMEL, Ind. — Marla Ailor attended President Donald Trump’s inauguration last year with her family, and remembered thinking it was a long day. So she ...
Mother sues Novant Health after death of daughter left her with haunting questions
LaChunda Hunter didn't think she could have kids. When she learned she was pregnant, she called it a miracle. That miracle quickly became a nightmare after birth.
Why doing household chores may be better for your health than you think
Those tedious household chores might be doing more than just keeping your home clean; they could be improving your health, according to medical experts.
Legendary Musician ‘Thinking Twice’ About Touring In Trump’s America: ‘Too Dangerous’
The guitarist expressed his concerns about performing on U.S. concert stages in a new interview.
Louisville Defeats Stanford 84-66
Louisville played a balanced game against Stanford and never trailed and racked up another 20-win season. They finished with five players in double figures with Mackenly Randolph and Laura Ziegler having career highs. However, Coach Jeff Walz was not impressed with his team’s outing. Coach Walz said, “Actually I don’t think we played well at […]
BBC Audio | BBC Inside Science | Should we rethink navigating by GPS?
GPS is vulnerable to interference, so how can we make navigating at sea safer?
Beyond Entertainment: When Theatre Makes You Think
Three plays performed as stage readings February 6-8, features an audience talk back afterwards, with complimentary desert and coffee. A fundraiser as well for the Bear Theatre ($25 tickets, $50 for all three shows), located inside Community High...
Polar bears getting "fatter and healthier" amid ice loss
Scientists think that Svalbard bears have adapted to recent ice loss by eating more land-based prey.
Should We Treat Political Violence as a Public Health Crisis?
Thinking of political violence solely as a safety issue is not enough to address the harm that follows. “The patient is the community.”
Why I decided to share all my health information with ChatGPT Health
“I don’t think people should have to go through 18 years of brain cancer to understand their own health records,” writes Liz Salmi.
Recognize Data Privacy Day by protecting your small business from cybercriminals
Your small business likely has had many milestones. Hiring your first employee. Opening your doors for the first time. Making your first sale. But some milestones you’d probably rather avoid — like experiencing your first cyberattack. Think you’re too small to target? Think again. Cybercriminals target companies big and small, so this Data Privacy Day keep your business’s data (and your customers’ data) safe by reviewing the FTC’s updated resources at ftc.gov/cybersecurity.
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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