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Top 10 Bundesliga Deadline Day Deals
After a hectic Deadline Day for several Bundesliga clubs, the winter transfer window has now officially closed.While you can find a full list of confirmed Bundesliga transfers here, we’ve highlighte...
Galaxy Buds 4 may not have Galaxy Buds 3 like quality and reliability issues
Samsung has reportedly prioritized quality and reliability in the Galaxy Buds 4 and Galaxy Buds 4 Pro over simply offering more features.
Jeffrey Epstein's ties to politicians, business titans and other figures
The U.S. Justice Department's release of millions of internal documents related to Jeffrey Epstein has revealed the late financier and sex offender's ties to many prominent people in politics, finance, academia and business - both before and after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges, including soliciting an underage girl. Evidence in multiple legal and criminal cases has also shed light on these connections.
Chiefs Drive Momentum for Girls Flag Football During Week of National Girls & Women in Sports Day
Wichita Sports Commission Panel, Super Bowl Week Participation, and Upcoming Kansas Sanctioning Vote Highlight Pivotal Support for the Sport
Cheifs Drive Momentum for Girls Flag Football During Week of National Girls & Women in Sports Day
Wichita Sports Commission Panel, Super Bowl Week Participation, and Upcoming Kansas Sanctioning Vote Highlight Pivotal Support for the Sport
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.
The Value of the Mays MBA is Higher Than Ever - Mays Business School News
As Mays Full-Time MBA students graduated in December, each one walked the stage with confidence, pride, and a job offer in hand. While recent reporting from The Wall Street Journal and The Economist highlights decreasing
Here's what Cities: Skylines 2’s new developer is updating first
Visual upgrades include new UI, realistic snow cover, better lighting.
Legion Y700: Lenovo officially confirms next-gen compact Android gaming tablet
Lenovo has officially confirmed the next-generation Legion Y700, with promotional images showing the tablet's rear design in two color options and an RGB ring light. A leak has separately revealed the device's key specifications and launch month.
Are these the 6 most iconic Super Bowl halftime shows?
PrizePicks reports on six iconic Super Bowl halftime shows, highlighting memorable performances by Prince, Lady Gaga, and more.
Reader's Choice Highlights
Click here to view this image from malvern-online.com.
Mays Honors Outstanding Doctoral Alumni in Award Ceremony - Mays Business School News
Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School recognized Dr. Michael Drake as the recipient of the Mays Outstanding Doctoral Alumni Award during a special event on January 30 that included a reception and a research discussion highlighting Drake’s scholarly contributions and career impact. The Mays
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
The Supper Club turns Tuesday into an interactive night of dining and entertainment
The Supper Club is transforming Tuesdays into an intimate, after-dark experience where chef-driven cuisine meets live music, illusion and interactive performance – designed to surprise and delight.
Vatican Sports Cross Arrives in Milan Ahead of 2026 Olympics
The Vatican’s Sports Cross arrived in Milan ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, highlighting faith, sport, peace, and fraternity.
Hopkinton Today for Monday, Feb. 2: HHS students gear up for Science and Engineering Fair on Wednesday
Good morning, Hopkinton! Welcome to the daily update we call Hopkinton Today — a quick recap of yesterday’s news, highlights of what’s on tap, and a photo
'They've probably been untouched for 49 million years': The New Mexico cave expanding our search for alien life
In one of the most baffling discoveries of the last decade, scientists have found a clue in a cave to how life might survive in deep space without light.
Help scientists document Midwest light pollution by looking at Orion
More people participating in the citizen science project Globe At Night could help fill gaps in what astronomers know about the extent of skyglow.
UFC 325 Highlights: Mauricio Ruffy Knocks Out Rafael Fiziev
Lightweights Mauricio Ruffy and Rafael Fiziev collided on Saturday's UFC 325 main card in Sydney, Australia and the bout didn't disappoint. Fiziev took the fight to Ruffy, pressuring the Brazilian and saw success in the opening round. Late in the second frame, Ruffy connected with a right hand that ...
Goalie Fight! Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman Drops Gloves In Stadium Series
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman has been looking for a fight… for years. If you thought he was going to pass up an opportunity to finally drop the gloves on a national stage during the Stadium Series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, you’re even crazier than he is. Swayman, who kickstarted the tension by leaping […]
A tiny light trap could unlock million qubit quantum computers
A new light-based breakthrough could help quantum computers finally scale up. Stanford researchers created miniature optical cavities that efficiently collect light from individual atoms, allowing many qubits to be read at once. The team has already demonstrated working arrays with dozens and even hundreds of cavities. The approach could eventually support massive quantum networks with millions of qubits.
Yankees Social Media Spotlight: Honoring the Captain
Aaron Judge honored with AL MVP, MLB The Show cover this week
Cervical health awareness month emphasizes HPV vaccine benefits
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, with doctors highlighting the importance of HPV vaccination and regular pap smear screenings to prevent cervical cancer.
Pixel 10 and Pixel Watch 4 discounts return to the Google Store
After the inaugural 2026 deal, the US Google Store has brought back the same discounts on the Pixel 10 series and Pixel Watch 4.
Pokémon GO Events This Week: February 2 to February 8, 2026
Pokémon GO’s February 2 to February 8 week has us entering the final month of Precious Paths! Get ready for carnival with the debut of Flamigo, and show off your catching skills with Oricorio. Plus the weekly rotating Spotlight and Raid Hours, Dynamax Battles and Mega Raids. ⭐Highlights Raid Boss Change (February 4): Dialga, Palkia and […]
UFC 325 Bonuses! Ruffy Banks $100K For Nasty TKO
Alexander Volkanovski added another UFC featherweight title defense to his record last night (Sat., Jan. 31, 2026) at UFC 325 LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, outworking Diego Lopes in a rematch from their first meeting back in April 2025. In co-main event action, lightweight contender Benoit Saint Denis put […]
'Bridgerton' Is Finally Back — And It Surprises In All The Right Ways
Season 4 of the Netflix series puts the spotlight on a cross-class love story.
“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.
BKB 50 results, video highlights from ‘Evolution’ in Miami
BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing celebrated its 50th event last night (Sat., Jan. 31, 2026) with BKB: “Evolution” from inside James L. Knight Center in Miami, Florida. BKB 50 was headlined by the super featherweight title fight pitting undefeated 130-pound phenom Alberto “El Indio” Blas opposite five-fight BKB veteran Harold “Lightning” McQueen, widely-regarded as one of […]
Who is singing at the Super Bowl 2026? What to know about halftime show, anthem
Bad Bunny is set to highlight the musical entertainment at Super Bowl 60. Here's who will join him throughout the evening.
Q&A: Commissioner Justin Rodriguez explains why county government is becoming a political battleground
Texas' largest counties have frequently run up against the state's GOP in its quest to innovate, putting a bigger spotlight on their leaders.
Hims and Hers Super Bowl ad highlights 'uncomfortable truth' about elite healthcare for the rich and 'broken' system for the rest
The company is putting wealth inequality center stage as millions are expected to drop their Obamacare plans.
Teofimo Lopez vs. Shakur Stevenson full fight video highlights
Shakur Stevenson remains unbeaten with win over Teofimo Lopez
Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2 full fight video highlights
Alexander Volkanovski defended his UFC title against Diego Lopes
UFC 325 live blog: Rafael Fiziev vs. Mauricio Ruffy
Lightweight strikers clash at UFC 325
UFC 325 Highlights! Salkilld Shines Again With Dominant Submission Win
Quillan Salkilld kept the hype train rolling earlier tonight (Sat., Jan. 31, 2026) at UFC 325 LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, pushing his UFC record to 4-0 with a first-round submission (rear-naked choke) over battle-tested lightweight veteran Jamie Mullarkey. As expected, Salkilld was a large favorite heading into this […]
Air India Upgrades Dreamliner Cabins and In-flight Entertainment
Thales and JPA Design contributed to the new 787 interiors
UFC 325 Highlights! Micallef Sleeps Elliott With Comeback Choke
Jonathan Micallef pushed his Octagon record to 2-0 earlier tonight (Sat., Jan. 31, 2026) at UFC 325 LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, stopping welterweight Oban Elliott with a comeback second-round submission (rear-naked choke). Elliott, who came into Saturday as a betting underdog, was out for blood from the opening […]
Scientists discover hidden geometry that bends electrons like gravity
Researchers have discovered a hidden quantum geometry inside materials that subtly steers electrons, echoing how gravity warps light in space. Once thought to exist only on paper, this effect has now been observed experimentally in a popular quantum material. The finding reveals a new way to understand and control how materials conduct electricity and interact with light. It could help power future ultra-fast electronics and quantum technologies.
Researchers pinpoint source of black hole's 3,000-light-year-long jet stream using enhanced telescope network
A new study has connected the famous m87 black hole, the first ever imaged, to its powerful cosmic jet, revealing how it launches particles at near light speed.
Local Business Spotlight: Borderland Lodge
When guests arrive at Borderland Lodge, owners Dave and Stephanie Shea say they want visitors to experience what many find along the Gunflint Trail, a “sense of magic and wonder.” For the past five years, they have been doing just that. When guests call to book a room or cabin, Dave, Stephanie, and their staff...
Jeannot ‘all business’ facing Lightning at Stadium Series with Bruins
Forward played parts of 2 seasons for Tampa Bay, also went up against former team outdoors with Predators
How Blazers can shake up Giannis trade sweepstakes, much to the delight of Bucks
Portland is the single team in basketball best equipped to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo... if it can convince him to stay
Astronomers spot 'time-warped' supernovas whose light both has and hasn't reached Earth
Will two rare supernovas finally tell us how fast the universe is expanding? Perhaps, but we'll have to wait for it for them to 'reappear'.
February stargazing: A planet parade comes to town
And why 2026 could be a big year for spotting auroras.
This $80 HDMI Gadget From Costco Can Completely Change How You Work
Costco sells the Acer 15.6 Portable Monitor PM161Q for around $80, and it features a wide, lightweight screen, HDMI and USB-C cables, and a built-in stand.
One game idea per day: the true story behind Highguard's 'wild' four-year development
Wildlight Entertainment reveals how it built its debut, one pitch at a time
January 30, 2026
A flu variant called subclade K emerged too late to be fully covered by this year’s vaccine. But the flu shot can still help protect you. Plus, a new study suggests dogs began to diversify about 11,000 years earlier than we thought. And, in turbulent times, it helps to hear stories of resilience. What can we learn from 3.5 billion-year-old bacteria that eat light?
Amendment 42: Several Changes to F.10 PRISM
F.10 Payloads and Research Investigations on the Surface of the Moon (PRISM) solicits development and flight of a science-driven suite of instruments and
Deadline Hollywood
'The Entertainment System Is Down' is a social satire set on a long-haul flight where the entertainment systems fail. Read more below.
Eggs, hats and unfettered political ambition: what we learned about Melania Trump from her documentary
The first lady’s political goals, high-stakes clothes fittings and hints that she and Donald still have sex are just some of the highlights from Brett Ratner’s documentary
Hubble Sees Galaxy with Dark Rings in New Light
This Hubble image is of NGC 7722, a striking galaxy with an uncommon appearance located about 187 million light-years away.
Groundhog Day: Light on science, heavy on fun
If ever central Pennsylvania desired an early spring, it might be this year. Learn about the history and science behind Groundhog Day.
Katharine Burr Blodgett’s legacy comes to light
The Lost Women of Science team uncovers Katharine Burr Blodgett’s overlooked brilliance
Livingston v Motherwell: Pick of the stats
Tawanda Maswanhise has scored in his past three league appearances, while a goal here would make him the youngest player (23 years 72 days) to net in four successive Scottish Premiership outings since Malik Tillman for Rangers in April 2023 (20y 308d), and youngest for Motherwell in the top flight since Nick Blackman in November 2010 (21y 9d). Motherwell have only lost one of their past 15 league games (W9 D5), a 1-0 defeat at Rangers in December.
Ruben Östlund Says He Is Eyeing A Third Palme D’Or, But May Hold ‘The Entertainment System Is Down’ Until 2027 To Complete Editing
'The Entertainment System Is Down' is a social satire set on a long-haul flight where the entertainment systems fail.
Science Fair spotlights student talent in STEM
The Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance Science Fair, returning Feb. 12, is an annual event that not only inspires young minds in Green Country but also showcases the potential of Oklahoma’s
How Red Light Therapy Became Big Business for Beauty Brands
Glowing masks make for social-media friendly selfies, but red light therapy has potential beyond content fodder. Brands and specialists weigh in.
UPS pilots union supports 'Fatigued Pilot Protection Act'
Lawmakers have introduced a bill to ensure commercial pilots follow the same rules for flight time and rest, whether they fly passengers or cargo.
Face Off! Lopez Stares Down Shakur In New York!
Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson came face-to-face earlier today (Thurs., Jan 29, 2026) at the conclusion of the pre-fight press conference ahead of their light welterweight title fight this Saturday (Jan. 31) inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, streaming live on DAZN PPV. Watch the press conference video replay here. Stevenson is out […]
The Observatory and WHO Ukraine reflect on productive partnership and continued collaboration
Why have some health systems coped better than others during the COVID-19 pandemic? Some answers might become clear if we could assess how resilient health systems are in response to crises or shocks, such as the current pandemic and other emergencies, including financial ones, or how well health systems were prepared for such events in the first place. The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies has just published a new policy brief, “Strengthening health systems resilience”, which includes a framework to help policy-makers understand health system resilience and how to strengthen it. This policy brief highlights the key features of resilience and provides examples of strategies which have been applied in different countries.
Windows 11 has hit 1 billion users just a hair faster than Windows 10 did
Windows 11 clears a milestone as Windows 10 continues its slow fade.
Pitt launches $25M biomedical institute to bring space science from orbit to the operating room
The University of Pittsburgh officially launched a $25 million biomedical institute Thursday aimed at bridging human health on Earth and in space. The Trivedi Institute for Space and Global Biomedicine is one of the first dedicated institutes focused on applying insights from spaceflight to improve human health on Earth, according to Pitt.
CBIA spotlights affordability, workforce ahead of legislative session
Connecticut’s largest business association laid out a policy agenda Thursday that addresses the needs of the state’s small businesses.
Two New Pixel Buds 2a Colors Reportedly Leak Online
Two fresh color options for Google’s budget earbuds appear to be on the way, with leaked renders pointing to a lighter gray tone and a vivid pink or red
I flew in United business class using points; worth it for long flight
I used points to upgrade to United Polaris business class on an eight-hour flight. From the lounge access to the amenities, the upgrade was worth it.
Hims & Hers Super Bowl Ad To Spotlight The Health-Wealth Gap
Narrated by Common, HIms and Hers' 2026 Super Bowl ad highlights how income disparities shape health outcomes—and position affordability as part of the solution.
Meta Overshadows Microsoft by Showing AI Payoff in Ad Business
The Facebook parent’s results highlight the advantages of its simpler, ad-focused business model.
International Business Machines Corp (IBM) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Record Revenue ...
IBM reports its highest revenue growth in years, driven by software and infrastructure performance, while setting ambitious goals for AI and hybrid cloud advancements.
Behavioral Health as Economic Infrastructure
As behavioral health shapes productivity and inclusion, Catalight is building sustainable care models fit for the global economy
A potentially habitable new planet has been discovered 146 light-years away – but it may be -70C
The Earth-size planet HD 137010 b has a ‘50% chance of residing in the habitable zone’ of its sun-like star, scientists say
International Business Machines Q4 Earnings Call Highlights
International Business Machines (NYSE:IBM) executives highlighted a year of accelerating growth and record cash generation during the company’s fourth-quarter 2025 earnings call, pointing to strong performance across Software and Infrastructure and outlining expectations to sustain momentum into 202
Josh Shapiro accuses JD Vance of giving 'comfort' to right-wing antisemitism
The Democratic governor of Pennsylvania, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, is on a book tour promoting his memoir, which highlights his Jewish faith.
Older adults’ driving habits offer window into brain health, cognitive decline
Research Highlights: A study of over 200 adults followed for five years found that greater white matter damage in the brain was linked to decreased driving, fewer trips, repetitive routes and having more driving errors, especially in those who later ...
Rick Scott launches video series spotlighting Florida entrepreneurs
'Everything is possible when you work hard.'
Can We Protect Science?
Can We Protect Science? It was a burning question at the World Economic Forum last week.
Leadership turmoil returns to Hispanic Silicon Valley business group
For the second time in seven years, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Silicon Valley has found itself embroiled in a leadership dispute that has led to the sudden ouster and replacement of multiple board members.
Women's College Hoops Spotlight: Georgetown Coach Praises 'Best' UConn Team
FOX Sports' Laken Litman breaks down Georgetown coach Darnell Haney's eyebrow-raising comments after UConn throttled his team.
Artemis II and III: The science that brings us back to the Moon
This week on Planetary Radio, Sarah Al-Ahmed is joined by Kelsey Young, Artemis Science Flight Operations Lead and lead of the Artemis II Lunar…
HIV and Heart Health: What You Need to Know
In our latest blog post, we re highlighting the link between HIV and heart health. Explore why people living with HIV face a higher risk of heart disease and...
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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