[
  {
    "topic_id": 1,
    "topic": "UK holds Brexit referendum, decides to leave EU",
    "docs": [
      {
        "title": "What next for EU-Poland ties after Nawrocki's election win?",
        "id": "d-1",
        "link": "https://www.dw.com/en/what-next-for-eu-poland-ties-after-nawrockis-election-win/a-72778503",
        "snippet": "Newly elected Polish President Karol Nawrocki is known as an EU skeptic. How can he sway Poland's EU policy, and how is he viewed in...",
        "source": "DW",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Newly elected Polish President Karol Nawrocki is known as an EU skeptic. How can he sway Poland's EU policy, and how is he viewed in Brussels?\n\nRight-wing conservative Karol Nawrocki has won the race for the Polish presidency. During the election campaign, Nawrocki touted his affinity with US President Donald Trump and pledged a \"Poland first\" approach. He opposes Ukraine's accession to NATO and is perceived as an EU skeptic. Polish voters elected Nawrocki with the slimmest of margins on Monday morning, prompting reactions across all of Europe.\n\nMany heads of state and government congratulated the future Polish president. Among those belonging to the right-wing political spectrum were Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The latter enthused about a \"fantastic victory\" and strengthening the work of the Visegrad Group, a political alliance consisting of Poland, Hungary, The Czech Republic and Slovakia. Other heads of state and government, including Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, emphasized common values. French President Emmanuel Macron called on Poland to champion a Europe that's \"strong, independent, competitive\" and \"respects the rule of law.\"\n\nEU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sent congratulations as well. On X, she wrote: \"I'm confident that the EU will continue its very good cooperation with Poland. We are all stronger together in our community of peace, democracy, and values.\"\n\nNawrocki ideologically close to PiS party\n\nNawrocki is officially non-partisan, but entered the campaign for presidency as a candidate backed by the right-wing conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party that ruled Poland between 2015 and 2023. During its term of office, the party reformed the Polish judicial system, sparking an ongoing dispute with Brussels over accusations of dismantling the rule of law. This eventually led to a so-called Article 7 procedure. The European Union's Article 7 allows for the suspension of member state rights if that state seriously and repeatedly violates the EU core values.\n\nDespite new government, Poland remains polarized To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video\n\nThe procedure was closed last year when the country announced it would implement the required changes. As a result, billions of euros were disbursed to Poland, funds that had previously been frozen by the EU due to concerns about the rule of law. Many Polish government proposals were vetoed by sitting President Andrzej Duda, who also has PiS leanings. Observers expect this obstructive stance to continue under the new president. The EU Commission declined to speculate on possible repercussions. In its daily press briefing, it emphasized its confidence in Poland's further implementation of reforms and its support for the country's efforts.\n\nAre new tensions with the EU over the rule of law imminent?\n\nDaniel Freund, a member of the European Parliament, fears that Poland's political deadlock will continue. He calls on the EU commission to correct its \"mistake\" — prematurely releasing frozen EU funds — and to continue putting pressure on Poland.\n\nPiotr Buras, Warsaw bureau head of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), told DW that the EU Commission would have to take into consideration what actually happened in Poland. For example, the government under Donald Tusk had seen to it that illegal laws are no longer applied, thus removing the grounds for Article 7 proceedings. Buras believes that a renewed clash with the EU over the rule of law is out of the question with the Tusk government in power.\n\nNawrocki is expected to obstruct the agenda of Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk (pictured above) Image: Frederic GARRIDO-RAMIREZ/European Union\n\nHow will the ballot impact Poland's EU policy?\n\nAccording to Buras, the newly elected president does not have the chance to exert direct influence on Poland's EU policy, because according to the Polish constitution this is solely down to the government, the political scientist said.\n\nAs commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the president of Poland appoints the government, signs international treaties, and has the power to veto laws. This is precisely how Nawrocki could interfere with the government's EU policy, said Buras. As soon as EU policy had to be implemented in national legislation, he could block it, thereby reducing the Tusk government's room for maneuver, he added. Buras expects such blockades in issues like the rule of law, abortion, migration and climate policy. He simultaneously pointed out that the Tusk government was itself far from progressive in the areas of migration and climate policy.\n\nEU Parliament torn between joy and skepticism\n\nWhereas Manfred Weber, chairman of the conservative European People's Party (EPP) group in the European Parliament, hoped that Nawrocki would work \"constructively” with Poland's government for the country's benefit, MEP Rene Repasi believed that the Polish government was caught up in a \"mess.\" For the social democrat, new parliamentary elections are not unlikely, because the right-wing conservative Nawrocki and the \"Tusk government's progressive agenda\" would get in each other's way.\n\nHowever, the right-wing conservative European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, which also includes Poland's PiS party, welcomed Nawrocki's election victory. Europe must remain a \"community of free nations,\" not a \"machine\" that ignores \"the will of the people,\" said the group's co-chairman, Nicola Procaccini.\n\nPolitical scientist Buras, however, believes that Nawrocki's election victory was not tantamount to voting against the EU. Neither PiS nor Nawrocki had ever called for Poland's exit from the bloc. At the same time, Buras added that skepticism regarding a loss of sovereignty and interference in the country's internal affairs was widespread in Poland, and Nawrocki had taken advantage of that prevailing mood.\n\nThis article was originally written in German.\n\nEdited by: Jess Smee"
      },
      {
        "title": "Pro-Trump candidate wins Poland’s presidential election – a bad omen for the EU, Ukraine and women",
        "id": "d-2",
        "link": "https://theconversation.com/pro-trump-candidate-wins-polands-presidential-election-a-bad-omen-for-the-eu-ukraine-and-women-257617",
        "snippet": "Poland's presidential election runoff will be a bitter pill for pro-European Union democrats to swallow. The nationalist, Trumpian...",
        "source": "The Conversation",
        "imageUrl": 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        "content": "Poland’s presidential election runoff will be a bitter pill for pro-European Union democrats to swallow.\n\nThe nationalist, Trumpian, historian Karol Nawrocki has narrowly defeated the liberal, pro-EU mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, 50.89 to 49.11%.\n\nThe Polish president has few executive powers, though the office holder is able to veto legislation. This means the consequences of a Nawrocki victory will be felt keenly, both in Poland and across Europe.\n\nWith this power, Nawrocki, backed by the conservative Law and Justice party, will no doubt stymie the ability of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Civic Platform-led coalition to enact democratic political reforms.\n\nThis legislative gridlock could well see Law and Justice return to government in the 2027 general elections, which would lock in the anti-democratic changes the party made during their last term in office from 2015–2023. This included eroding Poland’s judicial independence by effectively taking control of judicial appointments and the supreme court.\n\nNawrocki’s win has given pro-Donald Trump, anti-liberal, anti-EU forces across the continent a shot in the arm. It’s bad news for the EU, Ukraine and women.\n\nA rising Poland\n\nFor much of the post-second world war era, Poland has had limited European influence.\n\nThis is no longer the case. Poland’s economy has boomed since it joined the EU in 2004. It spends almost 5% of its gross domestic product on defence, almost double what it spent in 2022 at the time of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.\n\nPoland now has a bigger army than the United Kingdom, France and Germany. And living standards, adjusted for purchasing power, are about to eclipse Japan’s.\n\nAlong with Brexit, these changes have resulted in the EU’s centre of gravity shifting eastwards towards Poland. As a rising military and economic power of 37 million people, what happens in Poland will help shape Europe’s future.\n\nImpacts on Ukraine\n\nPoland’s new position in Europe is most clearly demonstrated by its central role in the fight to defend Ukraine against Russia.\n\nThis centrality was clearly demonstrated during the recent “Coalition of the Willing” summit in Kyiv, where Tusk joined the leaders of Europe’s major powers – France, Germany and the UK – to bolster support for Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky.\n\nHowever, Poland’s unqualified support for Ukraine will now be at risk because Nawrocki has demonised Ukrainian refugees in his country and opposed Ukrainian integration into European-oriented bodies, such as the EU and NATO.\n\nNawrocki was also backed during his campaign by the Trump administration. Kristi Noem, the US secretary of homeland security, said at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference in Poland:\n\nDonald Trump is a strong leader for us, but you have an opportunity to have just as strong of a leader in Karol if you make him the leader of this country.\n\nTrump also hosted Nawrocki in the Oval Office when he was merely a candidate for office. This was a significant deviation from standard US diplomatic protocol to stay out of foreign elections.\n\nNawrocki has not been as pro-Russia as some other global, MAGA-style politicians, but this is largely due to Poland’s geography and its difficult history with Russia. It has been repeatedly invaded across its eastern plains by Russian or Soviet troops. And along with Ukraine, Poland shares borders with the Russian client state of Belarus and Russia itself in Kaliningrad, the heavily militarised enclave on the Baltic Sea.\n\nI experienced the proximity of these borders during fieldwork in Poland in 2023 when I travelled by car from Warsaw to Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, via the Suwalki Gap.\n\nThis is the strategically important, 100-kilometre-long border between Poland and Lithuania, which connects the Baltic states to the rest of NATO and the EU to the south. It’s seen as a potential flashpoint if Russia were ever to close the gap and isolate the Baltic states.\n\nPoland’s conservative nationalist politicians are therefore less Russia-friendly than those in Hungary or Slovakia. Nawrocki, for instance, does not support cutting off weapons to Ukraine.\n\nHowever, a Nawrocki presidency will still be more hostile to Ukraine and its interests. During the campaign, Nawrocki said Zelensky “treats Poland badly”, echoing the type of language used by Trump himself.\n\nJarek Praszkiewicz/PAP/EPA\n\nPoland divided\n\nThe high stakes in the election resulted in a record turnout of almost 73%.\n\nThere was a stark choice in the election between Nawrocki and Trzaskowski.\n\nTrzaskowski supported the liberalisation of Poland’s harsh abortion laws – abortion was effectively banned in Poland under the Law and Justice government – and the introduction of civil partnerships for LGBTQ+ couples.\n\nAndrzej Jackowski/PAP/EPA\n\nNawrocki opposed these changes and will likely veto any attempt to implement them.\n\nWhile the polls for the presidential runoff election had consistently shown a tight race, an Ipsos exit poll published during the vote count demonstrated the social divisions now facing the country.\n\nAs in other recent global elections, women and those with higher formal education voted for the progressive candidate (Trzaskowski), while men and those with less formal education voted for the conservative (Nawrocki).\n\nAfter the surprise success of the liberal, pro-EU presidential candidate in the Romanian elections a fortnight ago, pro-EU forces were hoping for a similar result in Poland, as well.\n\nThat, for now, is a pipe dream and liberals across the continent will now need to negotiate a difficult relationship with a right-wing, Trumpian leader in the new beating heart of Europe."
      },
      {
        "title": "Experts react: Conservative Karol Nawrocki is Poland’s next president. What does it mean for Poland, Europe, and the world?",
        "id": "d-3",
        "link": "https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/experts-react/conservative-karol-nawrocki-is-polands-next-president-what-does-it-mean-for-poland-europe-and-the-world/",
        "snippet": "On June 1, the historian and former boxer won Poland's presidential election. Atlantic Council experts share their insights on the race,...",
        "source": "Atlantic Council",
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        "content": "The polls have spoken. Karol Nawrocki, a historian and former boxer backed by Poland’s conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, narrowly triumphed over Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski in Sunday’s presidential election. Nawrocki, whose candidacy was embraced by the Trump administration, will be the head of state opposite the centrist, pro-European head of government, Prime Minister Donald Tusk. With war still raging in next-door Ukraine and US-European relations under strain, what should the world expect from Nawrocki? We turned to our Poland experts for answers.\n\nClick to jump to an expert analysis:\n\nDaniel Fried: Nawrocki is well placed to encourage Trump to back Ukraine and European security\n\nAaron Korewa: Poland’s conservative nationalism is pro-American and pro-NATO\n\nMarek Magierowski: Nawrocki’s politics defy hysterical labels\n\nDanuta Hübner: Will the new president overcome Poland’s polarization?\n\nMark Scott: Social media was rampant in this election. But how much impact it had is unclear.\n\nNawrocki is well placed to encourage Trump to back Ukraine and European security\n\nSome initial analysis may depict the Polish presidential election as a fight between democracy and autocracy, or between a pro-Trump and pro-European candidate. This seems exaggerated. The real challenge for Nawrocki will be deciding whether to find common ground with the Tusk government in the face of the threat from Russia and the need to work with the Trump administration on behalf of European and Ukrainian security.\n\nThere are substantive grounds for at least some cooperation across partisan lines in Poland to help Ukraine resist Russian aggression and, to this end, to work with key European allies, such as Britain, France, and Germany, as well as with the United States. Unlike the Hungarian nationalist leader Viktor Orbán, Polish nationalists and outgoing President Andrzej Duda generally support Ukraine and resolutely oppose Russian aggression. In early 2022, for example, PiS party leader Jarosław Kaczyński publicly broke with Orbán over the latter’s lack of support for Ukraine at the time. Poland’s current rapid military buildup began during the previous PiS government and continued under the Tusk coalition. Both political camps support NATO and strong relations with the United States.\n\nThe Trump administration backed Nawrocki during the election campaign. However unwise US official partisanship during an election might have been, this will give Nawrocki advantages as a perceived ideological ally making the case in Washington for continued US military presence in Poland and US support for NATO and Ukraine. Nawrocki may face challenges working with the European Union (EU), which is still a source of significant funding for Polish development and is trying to support military buildup in Europe, an objective Poles across the political spectrum tend to support. He will also have to contain the anti-German rhetoric common to much of the Polish nationalist right. Poland has had legitimate complaints about German policy toward Russia. But it has won those arguments, as many Germans themselves recognize; Nawrocki would do well to take the win and work with Germany to counter the Russian threat both countries face.\n\nMany Poles were supportive of Ukraine in the initial phases of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, providing extensive benefits to Ukrainian refugees and taking hundreds of thousands of them into their homes. While the presence of so many Ukrainian refugees has grown less popular over time, Polish support for Ukraine has remained steady. Still, influential Polish constituencies, such as farmers and some groups concerned with the difficult historical issues between Poles and Ukrainians, have been skeptical about the extent of Polish support for Ukraine. During the campaign, Nawrocki declared that he does not currently support Ukraine’s NATO accession. Now, Nawrocki will have to find a way to balance strategic and political imperatives on support for Ukraine.\n\nAs president, Nawrocki will have to balance his campaign rhetoric and partisan interests with broader national interests. He’s hardly the first winning candidate to have to do so.\n\n—Daniel Fried is the Weiser Family distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former US ambassador to Poland.\n\nPoland’s conservative nationalism is pro-American and pro-NATO\n\nThe Poles showed their dissatisfaction with the current government and the political establishment. Nawrocki was an outsider and that paid off. He managed to attract the voters who chose far-right candidates in the first round, while Trzaskowski did not manage to mobilize enough of the voters who supported Tusk’s coalition in October 2023.\n\nFor Europe, this could mean that Poland will become more inwardly focused. At the same time, Tusk has previously signaled that he believes beating populism requires addressing some of the issues that drive it. Expect Poland to take a turn for the right on matters such as migration and the European Green Deal.\n\nNawrocki was the only candidate who visited US President Donald Trump in the White House and received his endorsement. In late May, the Conservative Political Action Conference, known as CPAC, also held a rally in the southeastern town of Rzeszów that featured US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Nawrocki’s people made conscious outreach to the US administration. In Poland, the movement that backs Nawrocki is very pro-American and pro-NATO, unlike several other parties in Europe that stand for conservative nationalism. The optimistic scenario is that as president, Nawrocki will establish a connection with Trump that will prevent any plans to withdraw US troops from Poland. At the same time, Tusk’s government will continue forging partnerships with other relevant European states, such as France and the Nordic and Baltic countries.\n\n—Aaron Korewa is the director of the Atlantic Council’s Warsaw Office which is part of the Europe Center.\n\nNawrocki’s politics defy hysterical labels\n\nFirst and foremost, branding Nawrocki as “populist,” “hard-core Euroskeptic,” “far right,” “pro-Putin,” or “Trumpian” is preposterous. Polish politics is too complex to indulge in such simplistic terms.\n\nPoland’s president-elect is probably as “pro-Kremlin” as his entire political camp, which, while in power, provided Ukraine with hundreds of tanks, aircraft, howitzers, and communication gear, while pressuring all European partners to ramp up sanctions against Russia.\n\nNawrocki is also as “Euroskeptic” as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, given the attitude of both politicians toward migration policies and EU climate regulations. And he is as “Trumpian” as his Finnish soon-to-be counterpart Alexander Stubb, who charmingly played a spot of golf with the US president a few weeks ago.\n\nNawrocki is doubtless a staunch conservative who adroitly capitalized on the nature of wide swaths of the Polish electorate, which, contrary to European trends, has remained—politically, socially, and emotionally—attached to the notion of freedom, sovereignty, tradition, and Christian values. The PiS-backed candidate has also largely banked on the rising unpopularity of Tusk’s government, especially among young voters (Nawrocki won the eighteen-to-twenty-nine-year-old cohort).\n\nAnother major factor in Nawrocki’s win was the aristocratic style and aloofness of his rival, Trzaskowski, who was unable to connect with the working class and Poland’s rural constituency. This stood in contrast to Nawrocki, the former boxer and son of a toolmaker and a bookbinder.\n\n—Marek Magierowski is a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and the director of strategy for the Poland program at the Freedom Institute in Warsaw. He previously served as Poland’s ambassador to the United States and to Israel.\n\nWill the new president overcome Poland’s polarization?\n\nPoles know that their vote can change the course of the history of their country. And they have known from day one of this presidential campaign that this election matters deeply for our future. However, as, sadly, the campaign was about preventing the other side from coming to power, it is an open question whether the president we have just elected will understand what is good for Poles in these times of uncertainty.\n\nWill our new president spare no effort to overcome the deep polarization of the Polish people? A polarized society is easy to manipulate and an easy target for Russian disinformation. This is the biggest challenge for the new president—understanding the importance of building bridges between Poles. It is an extremely difficult task, especially in times when many political careers have been built for decades on societal divisions. And I worry that this president-elect comes from a political tradition with little propensity to seek compromise. The presidency is an important part of the Polish system of checks and balances, and the new president will need to support the government in building a democratic Poland where everyone can live.\n\nPoles need a president who will understand that isolation has never done Poland any good, that the European Union is our place, and that it is crucial that Poland takes its share of responsibility for Europe. Will the new president support European efforts to build its defense capabilities and its security-based economic competitiveness? Will he work for peace on our continent?\n\nIn addition, my hope is that the new president will work to keep the United States and Europe together. They need each other.\n\n—Danuta Hübner is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center. She was Poland’s first-ever European commissioner, responsible first for trade, then with regional policy. She also established and oversaw the institutional structure to deliver Poland’s accession to the EU.\n\nSocial media was rampant in this election. But what impact did it have?\n\nThe narrow victory for Nawrocki in Poland’s presidential election is the latest example of why it’s hard to directly link any country’s electoral outcome with how voters engage with candidates, political operatives, and others across social media. There was a significant amount of hyper-partisan attacks across social media, from both sides, ahead of Sunday’s vote in the Central European country. There was also evidence—including via research from the Atlantic Council—that foreign governments attempted to sway voter outcomes.\n\nBut how successful these efforts were, as well as the ongoing interventions from social media companies to possibly reduce such content’s impact, are almost impossible to quantify. Given the tightly run race, small shifts in voters’ behavior—potentially spurred on by what people may have seen in their online feeds—could have played a role. But, at this stage, that is more a theory than confirmed reality.\n\nThe most recent Polish presidential election joins a growing list of both European and non-European elections in which social media and its impact on how people voted remain a black box. As much as EU policymakers have centered their attention on how the likes of TikTok and YouTube may have amplified anti-EU voices ahead of national elections, there has been a growing offline shift in public opinion across the bloc away from greater EU alignment that has nothing to do with the digital world.\n\nAt best, this weekend’s vote is another example of how, in the middle of 2025, these digital platforms are now part of every country’s election cycle. But social media’s impact on such a closely fought election is mostly unknown.\n\n—Mark Scott is a senior resident fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab’s (DFRLab) Democracy + Tech Initiative within the Atlantic Council Technology Programs.\n\nFurther reading\n\nRelated Experts: Daniel Fried, Aaron Korewa, Marek Magierowski, Danuta Hübner, and Mark Scott\n\nImage: Law and Justice party supported candidate for the President of Poland Karol Nawrocki during the election evening after the seond round of presidential election in Warsaw, Poland on June 1, 2025. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto)NO USE FRANCE"
      },
      {
        "title": "Poland’s Election Is A Wake-Up Call to Europe’s Centrists",
        "id": "d-4",
        "link": "https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/06/03/poland-election-results-europe-far-right-centrists/",
        "snippet": "Until Poland's second-round presidential election results June 1, a particular dynamic was evident in Europe around elections.",
        "source": "Foreign Policy",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "In Poland, though, far-right Law and Justice party-backed candidate Karol Nawrocki won the election by a fraction of the vote over Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s preferred candidate, Rafal Trzaskowski. Domestically, this will have significant implications for Tusk’s judicial reform agenda, much needed to reverse the damage done by eight years of Law and Justice rule and set the country back onto a democratic path.\n\nUntil Poland’s second-round presidential election results June 1, a particular dynamic was evident in Europe around elections. Far-right parties would surge in the polls ahead of elections, and centrist parties and policymakers across the continent would hold their breath until they had the results, which typically involved centrist parties coming out on top, or the far right not doing quite as well as the polls had suggested. See the sense of palpable relief when now-President Nicusor Dan won in Romania last month , or when Chancellor Friederich Merz triumphed in Germany .\n\nUntil Poland’s second-round presidential election results June 1, a particular dynamic was evident in Europe around elections. Far-right parties would surge in the polls ahead of elections, and centrist parties and policymakers across the continent would hold their breath until they had the results, which typically involved centrist parties coming out on top, or the far right not doing quite as well as the polls had suggested. See the sense of palpable relief when now-President Nicusor Dan won in Romania last month, or when Chancellor Friederich Merz triumphed in Germany.\n\nIn Poland, though, far-right Law and Justice party-backed candidate Karol Nawrocki won the election by a fraction of the vote over Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s preferred candidate, Rafal Trzaskowski. Domestically, this will have significant implications for Tusk’s judicial reform agenda, much needed to reverse the damage done by eight years of Law and Justice rule and set the country back onto a democratic path.\n\nInternationally, Narwrocki’s victory will also have important implications. He believes that good relations with Brussels, Berlin, and Paris are against Polish interests, and he opposes NATO or European Union membership for Ukraine as long as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. Given that Russia’s initial invasion started in 2014, this does not bode well for Ukraine’s future.\n\nThe global security environment and the continent’s struggles mean that the stakes are high. The EU is wrestling with economic sluggishness and a lack of competitiveness, as well as how to respond adequately to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war. The bloc is also divided over how to deal with China during a second Trump term. Various EU countries have unsustainable levels of public debt. This has implications for further borrowing for much-needed joint defense procurement and repayment of NextGenerationEU loans—the European Commission’s economic recovery loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, climate change is accelerating and has recently devastated communities in Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.\n\nThe increased support for far-right populism adds an additional layer of complexity. Populism’s simplified response to complex challenges may appeal to voters who have faced crisis after crisis with COVID-19 lockdowns, increased energy prices, and high levels of inflation, but it rarely solves the issues. And yet centrist politicians continue to fail to present a viable alternative.\n\nSimply hoping that centrists will do well in an election is kicking the can down the road. It was never a deliberate strategy, of course. But in today’s climate, the absence of a viable plan is dangerous. In Germany, for example, the dangerous moment was not the federal elections held in February. The real danger is what will happen in the next federal elections—due to be held by March 2029—and all the policy decisions made between now and then.\n\nIf centrists are serious about keeping the far right out of power, then they need to get much better at actually addressing voters’ concerns. The key issues will differ by country, of course, but there are shared themes across Europe: the cost of living, the economy, and the security situation tend to be among top voter concerns.\n\nOne of the biggest challenges for centrist politicians is to make the case for potentially unpopular policies—a difficult thing to do in an increasingly polarized environment. Yet achieving the energy transition and increasing spending for defense are not optional. The real question, then, is how to gain support for policies that may hurt voters’ personal finances. This has to involve a public debate about the trade-offs.\n\nCurrently, centrist politicians Europe-wide do the exact opposite. Rather than make the case for ambitious policies, they cherry-pick far-right policy positions in an attempt to tempt voters away from the extremes. Lessons from elections in the United Kingdom—and also Poland—show that this creates more momentum for the far right while centrist parties lose their traditional bases to parties that are further left.\n\nThis is how Reform U.K. was galvanized in recent local elections in Britain, and how the far-right Alternative for Germany surged in Germany’s election. It is also an important reminder as the Netherlands likely heads towards a new snap election. (Dutch media is reporting that following the defection of far-right leader Geert Wilders from the ruling coalition, new elections could be held in the fall.) After the conservative-liberal Party for Freedom and Democracy tried to adopt a hard-line anti-immigration rhetoric in the run-up to the last parliamentary election in 2023, it lost voters to far-right Wilders’s Freedom Party.\n\nBeyond specific policy issues, the future of liberal democracy is increasingly being determined at the ballot box. The recent elections in Poland and Romania have presented voters with a stark choice: a vote for rules-based liberalism or a possible descent into MAGA-like quasi-authoritarianism. This has mobilized voters. In both instances, turnout was record high or close to it.\n\nThe Trump administration’s interference—U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem made the trans-Atlantic journey to Poland a few days before the second round to stump for Nawrocki—may have had an impact too. While most Polish diaspora voters voted for Trzaskowski, Poles in the United States voted overwhelmingly for Nawrocki.\n\nElsewhere in Europe, voters are demanding change from their governments, which are seen by many as corrupt and stuck. In Hungary, former Fidesz insider Peter Magyar’s support keeps increasing in polls ahead of the parliamentary election that is scheduled for spring 2026. Magyar is running on a platform to address corruption at a time when inflation remains high and voters feel worse off economically.\n\nIn Serbia, protests have been ongoing for months: What started as a student-led movement demanding answers regarding a collapsed train station canopy roof that killed 16 people has turned into a nationwide anti-corruption and rule of law movement against populist nationalist President Aleksandar Vucic’s government; the head of his prime minister has already rolled.\n\nIn Slovakia, thousands have protested a so-called foreign agents law, which opponents say is copied straight from the Kremlin and makes it harder for nongovernmental organizations and civil society to operate in the country.\n\nWhat this suggests is that ultimately, across the spectrum, voters want accountability. There will always be an election somewhere, but currently, too many pressing policy issues hinge on an election going “the right way.” Centrists need to get active and come up with a better plan."
      },
      {
        "title": "The election of a Trump ally in Poland could alter EU and Ukraine policies",
        "id": "d-5",
        "link": "https://apnews.com/article/poland-president-karol-nawocki-b6b38c1282d5fa1d45a71b07a4be7f64",
        "snippet": "Poland has elected Karol Nawrocki, a nationalist conservative, as its next president — a win that signals a turn to the right in one of the...",
        "source": "AP News",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland has elected Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian and staunch nationalist, as its next president in a closely watched vote that signals a resurgence of right-wing populism in the heart of Europe.\n\nNawrocki, who is set to take office on Aug. 6, is expected to shape the country’s domestic and foreign policy in ways that could strain ties with Brussels while aligning the Central European nation of nearly 38 million people more closely with the administration of President Donald Trump in the United States.\n\nHere are some key takeaways:\n\nConservative populism on the rise\n\nNawrocki’s victory underscores the enduring appeal of nationalist rhetoric among about half of the country along the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union, and its deep social divisions.\n\nThe 42-year-old historian who had no previous political experience built his campaign on patriotic themes, traditional Catholic values, and a vow to defend Poland’s sovereignty against the EU and larger European nations like Germany.\n\nHis win also reflects the appeal of right-wing nationalism across Europe, where concerns about migration, national sovereignty, and cultural identity have led to surging support for parties on the right — even the far right in recent times.\n\nFar-right candidates did very well in Poland’s first round of voting two weeks earlier, underlining the appeal of the nationalist and conservative views. Nawrocki picked up many of those votes.\n\nAs his supporters celebrate his win, those who voted for the defeated liberal candidate, Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, worry that it will hasten the erosion of liberal democratic norms.\n\n“Poland remains a deeply divided country,” said Jacek Kucharczyk, the president of the Polish Institute of Public Affairs.\n\n“Although the electoral turnout was highest ever in history of presidential elections, Mr. Nawrocki’s margin of victory is very small, which means that half of Poland will be cheering his presidency, whereas half of Poland, the other half, remains deeply worried or even disturbed,” he added.\n\nPrime Minister Donald Tusk’s troubles\n\nNawrocki’s presidency presents a direct challenge to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who returned to power in late 2023 pledging to mend relations with the EU and restore judicial independence which Brussels said was eroded by Law and Justice, the party that backed Nawrocki.\n\nBut Tusk’s coalition — a fragile alliance of centrists, leftists, and agrarian conservatives — has struggled to push through key promises including a civil union law for same-sex couples and a less restrictive abortion law.\n\nNawrocki, who opposes such measures, will have the power to veto legislation, complicating Tusk’s agenda and potentially triggering political gridlock.\n\nTies with the Trump administration\n\nNawrocki’s election could signal a stronger relationship between Poland and the Trump administration.\n\nPoland and the U.S. are close allies, and there are 10,000 U.S. troops stationed in Poland, but Tusk and his partners in the past have been critical of Trump. Nawrocki, however, has a worldview closely aligned with Trump and his Make America Great Again ethos.\n\nTrump welcomed Nawrocki to the White House a month ago and his administration made clear in other ways that he was its preferred candidate.\n\nA shifting focus on Ukraine\n\nWhile Nawrocki has voiced support for Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression, he does not back Ukrainian membership in NATO and has questioned the long-term costs of aid — particularly support for refugees.\n\nHis rhetoric has at times echoed that of Trump, for instance by accusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of what he said was insufficient gratitude for Poland’s assistance. With growing public fatigue over helping Ukrainian refugees, Nawrocki’s approach could shift Poland’s posture from strong ally to conditional partner if the war drags on much longer.\n\nTies with the EU\n\nThe election result is a setback for the EU, which had welcomed Tusk’s return in 2023 as a signal of renewed pro-European engagement.\n\n“This is very bad news for the European Union as well as Poland’s key European partners, both Germany and France as well as Ukraine,” said Kucharczyk, the analyst.\n\n“Mr. Nawrocki is well known for his Eurosceptic stand. He’s opposed to deepening European integration and European cooperation. He is also opposed to Ukraine’s NATO membership,” he added.\n\nNawrocki and the Law and Justice party have criticized what nationalists view as EU overreach into Poland’s national affairs, especially regarding judicial reforms and migration policy.\n\nWhile the president does not control day-to-day diplomacy, Nawrocki’s symbolic and veto powers could frustrate Brussels’ efforts to bring Poland back into alignment with bloc standards, particularly on rule-of-law issues.\n\nMarket jitters\n\nThough an EU member, Poland has its own currency, the zloty, which weakened slightly on Monday morning, reflecting investor concerns over potential policy instability and renewed tensions with EU institutions.\n\nBillions of euros in EU funding has been linked to judicial reforms which Tusk’s government will now be unlikely to enact without presidential cooperation.\n\n___\n\nAP’s video journalist Rafal Niedzielski in Warsaw, Poland, contributed to this report."
      },
      {
        "title": "Chairman Mast, Republicans Blast EU Inaction as Polish Globalists Undermine Free Election",
        "id": "d-6",
        "link": "https://gop-foreignaffairs.house.gov/press-release/chairman-mast-blasts-eu-inaction-as-polish-globalists-undermine-free-election/",
        "snippet": "WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast led fellow members of the panel in a letter to European...",
        "source": "Committee on Foreign Affairs (.gov)",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/png;base64,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",
        "content": "Media Contact 202-226-8467\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast led fellow members of the panel in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen raising serious concerns over the European Union’s role in ensuring fair elections as Poland approaches the second round of its presidential elections on June 1, 2025.\n\nChairman Mast and his fellow Republicans cite recent reports that a Polish NGO with ties to U.S. Democrat Party megadonor George Soros facilitated a social media campaign featuring $105,000 worth of allegedly illegal political ads promoting Civic Coalition candidate Rafal Trzaskowski and discrediting his rivals.\n\nThe new developments follow a monthslong refusal by Poland’s current government to release tens of millions of dollars in public campaign funds to the opposition Law and Justice party.\n\n“Reports of foreign-funded political advertisements favoring Rafał Trzaskowski, the Civic Coalition (KO) candidate backed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, that may have occurred in contravention of Polish law, combined with the Tusk government’s reported monthslong refusal to comply with court orders to release public funding to the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, suggest a deliberate effort to tilt the electoral playing field,” the lawmakers wrote. “These actions, occurring under the European Commission’s watch, expose a troubling double-standard in the EU’s approach to Poland’s rule of law, which demands your urgent attention.”\n\nIn addition to Chairman Mast, the letter was co-signed by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Keith Self (R-TX), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), and Andy Harris (R-MD).\n\nRead the full letter here and below.\n\nDear President von der Leyen:\n\nWe write to express profound alarm over reported developments in Poland that may undermine the integrity of its democratic processes, particularly as the country approaches the second round of its presidential election on June 1, 2025. Reports of foreign-funded political advertisements favoring Rafał Trzaskowski, the Civic Coalition (KO) candidate backed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, that may have occurred in contravention of Polish law, combined with the Tusk government’s reported monthslong refusal to comply with court orders to release public funding to the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, suggest a deliberate effort to tilt the electoral playing field. These actions, occurring under the European Commission’s watch, expose a troubling double-standard in the EU’s approach to Poland’s rule of law, which demands your urgent attention.\n\nOn May 15, an investigation by a leading Polish publication reported that a Polish NGO, which received funding from organizations funded by U.S. Democratic Party megadonor George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, facilitated the production of social media advertisements promoting Trzaskowski and discrediting his rivals, PiS-backed Karol Nawrocki and Confederation-backed Sławomir Mentzen. Several sources also reported that Estratos Digital GmbH—a Vienna-based firm majority-owned by Higher Ground Labs, a U.S. fund operated by major Democratic Party operatives who helped run the U.S. presidential campaigns of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Kamala Harris—was behind the approximately 420,000 PLN ($105,000 USD) in allegedly “illegal political ads” posted by the Polish NGO on Facebook since April 10, 2025 in support of Trzaskowski. Estratos is the same organization that reportedly played a key role backing the anti-Viktor Orban opposition in Hungary’s 2022 elections, allegedly “concealing campaign financing sources, raising additional red flags about their operations in Poland.”\n\nEqually disturbing are reports of the Tusk government’s monthslong refusal to release tens of millions of dollars in public campaign funding that PiS is legally entitled to receive, defying a ruling by the Supervisory Chamber of Poland’s Supreme Court, a payment demand from Poland’s National Electoral Commission, and an opinion by Poland’s Ombudsman (Human Rights Commissioner) Marcin Wiące to release the money. Further, by withholding these funds, the Tusk administration appears to be attempting to cripple PiS’s ability to compete fairly in the presidential election and violating the rule of law.\n\nThe European Union, as a guarantor of democratic standards and human rights under the Treaty on European Union, has a responsibility to ensure that member states uphold the rule of law. Yet, despite the European Commission’s vocal criticism and decision to withhold over $150 billion from Poland for alleged rule of law violations under the previous PiS government, it has remained conspicuously silent despite clear evidence of rule of law violations under Tusk’s administration. In fact, in February 2024—after the Tusk government ousted and installed a new National Prosecutor without President Duda’s approval in reported violation of Polish law—the European Commission, under your direction, released $7.1 billion (€6.3 billion) of the funds it had been withholding from the PiS government despite the fact that the Tusk government had not yet implemented any of the “milestones” the EU had demanded the previous PiS government complete for their release. This selective enforcement—condemning and sanctioning PiS while ignoring Tusk’s actions—suggests a double standard that could undermine the EU’s credibility as a guardian of democratic principles.\n\nThese developments also raise critical questions about the integrity of Poland’s democratic institutions and the EU’s role in ensuring fair elections. To address these concerns, we respectfully request that your staff arrange a briefing to answer the following questions:\n\n1. What entities provided the $105,000 (420,000 PLN) used for the Facebook advertisements promoting Rafał Trzaskowski, and did any of these funds originate from foreign sources in violation of Polish electoral law?\n\n2. What role, if any, did Estratos Digital GmbH and its U.S.-based owner, Higher Ground Labs, play in coordinating or financing these advertisements, and to what extent were U.S. Democratic Party operatives directly involved?\n\n3. How does the Commission justify its failure to address the Tusk government’s refusal to release millions of dollars in court-ordered funding to PiS, given its prior sanctions against the prior PiS government for rule-of-law violations?\n\n4. Why has the Commission remained silent on Finance Minister Andrzej Domański’s defiance of Poland’s Supreme Court, National Electoral Commission, and Ombudsman rulings, given its previous vocal criticism and aggressive actions against the PiS government?\n\n5. What oversight mechanisms, if any, has the Commission implemented to prevent foreign-funded NGOs, such as those linked to George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, from influencing Poland’s 2025 presidential election?\n\n###"
      },
      {
        "title": "Nationalist Nawrocki wins Polish presidential election",
        "id": "d-7",
        "link": "https://www.politico.eu/article/liberal-rafal-trzaskowski-presidential-election-poland-donald-tusk-pis/",
        "snippet": "Populist Karol Nawrocki, backed by the Law and Justice party and U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, beat liberal Warsaw Mayor...",
        "source": "POLITICO.eu",
        "imageUrl": 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998IISzrNhjd/wBy0bbm3dgnN+emJLdIKrzRF1FPMMx4lfoPzHFa7Hm6zTadF8MbS/p2qqSLGolIt0LnBamPrB6qqvl8on//2Q==",
        "content": "Centrist Rafał Trzaskowski was narrowly ahead of his populist rival Karol Nawrocki in Poland’s presidential election. | Jarek Praszkiewicz/EPA\n\nNawrocki, backed by the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party and also by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, aims to pull Poland away from the European mainstream in a more populist direction.\n\nA Nawrocki victory deals a significant blow to the Tusk government. Many of its legislative efforts had been blocked by PiS-aligned incumbent President Andrzej Duda and that is likely to continue under Nawrocki.\n\nIn his speech immediately after the polls closed, when the result was still in doubt, Nawrocki said: “We will save Poland, we will not allow the power of Donald Tusk to be complete.”\n\n“Nawrocki’s presidency means a high-level conflict between the president and Tusk,” said Joanna Sawicka, a political analyst with Polityka Insight, a Warsaw-based think tank. “But it’s clear that it will be difficult for the government to implement key reforms because the president can veto most of them.”\n\nThe Polish presidency is a largely ceremonial function, and the government is in charge of foreign policy, but the president can veto legislation or send it off for judicial review. The Tusk-led coalition doesn’t have the votes in parliament to override that, so a President Nawrocki will make it very difficult for the prime minister to govern.\n\n“The opposition camp, now led by Nawrocki, may also strive for early parliamentary elections, although it is not clear if this strategy could succeed. If not, a change in power is likely in 2027 anyway,” Sawicka added."
      },
      {
        "title": "What does Karol Nawrocki’s presidential election victory mean for Poland and Europe?",
        "id": "d-8",
        "link": "https://ukandeu.ac.uk/what-does-karol-nawrocki-presidential-election-victory-mean-for-poland-and-europe/",
        "snippet": "Aleks Szczerbiak analyses the results of the recent Polish presidential election which saw right-wing candidate Karol Nawrocki narrowly beat...",
        "source": "UK in a changing Europe",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Aleks Szczerbiak analyses the results of the recent Polish presidential election which saw right-wing candidate Karol Nawrocki narrowly beat centrist Rafał Trzaskowski with 50.89 percent and 49.11 percent of the vote respectively. He argues Karol Nawrocki’s election will have significant implications on the ability of the ruling coalition to govern effectively until its term ends in 2027.\n\nAlthough the Polish President is not involved in day-to-day governance and has no formal foreign policy competencies, Mr Nawrocki’s victory will de-stabilise the government, severely complicate its institutional reform and legislative agenda, and limit its room for manoeuvre on the international stage, especially when it comes to relations with the EU.\n\nHistorian Karol Nawrocki – supported by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) grouping, won a narrow victory in the country’s presidential election. He defeated Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski – candidate of the liberal-centrist Civic Platform (PO), currently the main governing party led by prime minister Donald Tusk – by a margin of 50.9% to 49.1%.\n\nThe narrowness of Mr Nawrocki’s victory on a record 71.6% turnout, reflects deep divisions within Polish society. Mr Nawrocki’s voters, generally based in smaller towns and rural areas, tend to be less well-off, less well-educated, more culturally conservative, Eurosceptic, and often deeply suspicious of the elites and institutions that have emerged in Poland since the collapse of communism.\n\nMr Nawrocki’s victory will have huge implications for the ability of the ruling coalition to govern effectively during the remainder of its term, which runs until autumn 2027. Since it took office in December 2023, Mr Tusk’s government has had to ‘cohabit’ with Law and Justice-aligned President Andrzej Duda and lacks the three-fifths parliamentary majority required to over-turn a presidential legislative veto.\n\nThe President can also delay legislation by referring it to the constitutional tribunal, a powerful body which rules on the constitutionality of Polish laws. All its members were appointed by previous Law and Justice-dominated parliaments. The Tusk government does not recognise the tribunal’s legitimacy and is refusing to implement its rulings, but if the presidential referral is made under the so-called ‘preventative control’ mode, legislation only comes into effect after the tribunal’s ruling, providing it with a de facto veto.\n\nThis will continue to function as a major obstacle to the Tusk government’s efforts to unravel its predecessor’s legacy, particularly attempts to roll back judicial reforms. Around 2,500 judges appointed by Mr Duda, including the majority of the country’s supreme court, were nominated by the national judicial council (KRS), which was overhauled by Law and Justice in 2018. Most of its members are now chosen by elected bodies such as parliament rather than the legal profession, as was the case previously.\n\nThe Tusk government does not recognise these appointments, referring to them disparagingly as ‘neo-judges’, but, like Mr Duda, Mr Nawrocki will block any reforms that he feels undermine their legitimacy. The European Commission had stipulated that the introduction of legislative changes to unravel Law and Justice’s judicial reforms were a strict condition for unblocking Poland’s access to EU coronavirus recovery funds. Brussels unfroze these funds when Mr Tusk returned to office on the basis of an action plan rather than actual changes to the legal system. Mr Nawrocki’s election means that such legislation is very unlikely to be approved leaving Brussels vulnerable to charges of continuing to apply double standards if still allows the Tusk government access to these funds.\n\nMr Nawrocki’s huge electoral mandate, in a contest framed as a referendum on the Tusk government, will also create political momentum that Law and Justice hopes will carry it through to victory in the next parliamentary poll. However, an early election is unlikely. Dissolving parliament is virtually impossible without the consent of the governing parties , and all of them want to maintain their access to state appointments and patronage for as long as possible. The Tusk administration will be increasingly weak and divided but is likely to hold together.\n\nPolish foreign policy is determined by the government, so Mr Nawrocki’s impact here is likely to be limited and largely symbolic. But symbolism matters in international politics, and the President does have some foreign affairs-related competencies. Most importantly, he is commander-in-chief of the armed forces so can influence security policy debates. Ambassadorial appointments also must be approved by the President. Poland does not currently have a full Ambassador to Washington because Mr Duda refused to accept the government’s nominee.\n\nMr Nawrocki supports continued Polish EU membership but is an anti-federalist and argues that Poland’s interests often clash with the major European powers, especially Germany, with whom Mr Tusk has been trying to build closer ties. Due to public hostility, the Tusk government has had to put support for deeper European integration in areas such as migration and climate policy on the back-burner. Mr Nawrocki’s victory could further limit its room for manoeuvre on these issues if, for example, he proposes legislation rejecting the EU’s Green Deal.\n\nMr Nawrocki will also prioritise maintaining close ties with the USA, which he argues is Poland’s only credible security guarantor, and oppose the development of a European defence capability outside of NATO structures. The Trump administration openly supported Mr Nawrocki, including a headline-grabbing Oval Office meeting with US President himself.\n\nMr Nawrocki’s critics argue that, by expressing scepticism about Ukrainian NATO accession, he is legitimising the Russian war narrative. In fact, Mr Nawrocki supports the broad consensus within Poland on the need to continue providing diplomatic and military aid to Ukraine; Moscow has even issued an arrest warrant against him. However, Mr Nawrocki has criticised Ukraine’s lack of co-operation with exhumations of the remains of Poles killed by Ukrainian nationalists during the Second World War, and pledged to protect Polish farmers from what he argues is unfair competition from Ukrainian agricultural goods. He clearly favours a more transactional approach to relations with Ukraine and feels that Poland needs to be more assertive in promoting its interests when these clash with its Eastern neighbours.\n\nThe Polish President is a largely ceremonial figure not involved in the day-to-day governance of the country in either domestic or foreign policy. But his ability to block legislation, together with the political authority that comes from a huge electoral mandate and political dynamics that this can unleash, mean that Mr Nawrocki’s election will be extremely significant in terms of shaping how Poland is governed in the coming years.\n\nBy Professor Aleks Szczerbiak, Professor of Politics & Head of Department, University of Sussex"
      },
      {
        "title": "Election of Trump admirer Nawrocki is blow to Poland's pro-EU government",
        "id": "d-9",
        "link": "https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250601-poland-holds-knife-edge-vote-with-eu-role-at-stake",
        "snippet": "The victory on Monday of the nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki in Poland's presidential election is a major blow to the pro-EU government...",
        "source": "France 24",
        "imageUrl": 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        "content": "Presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian backed by the right-wing Law and Justice party, second right, greets supporters at his headquarters after the presidential election runoff in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday, June 1, 2025.\n\nNationalist historian Karol Nawrocki won Poland's presidential election, official results showed on Monday, in a major blow for the country's pro-EU government.\n\nThe 42-year-old, an admirer of US President Donald Trump, scored 50.9 percent of the vote in Sunday's runoff.\n\nHis 53-year-old rival Rafal Trzaskowski, Warsaw's pro-EU mayor and an ally of the country's centrist government, won 49.1 percent in the highly polarised NATO and EU nation.\n\nNawrocki's win will block the government's progressive agenda for abortion and LGBTQ rights and could revive tensions with Brussels over rule-of-law issues.\n\nHis victory could also undermine strong ties with neighbouring Ukraine, as he is critical of Kyiv's EU and NATO accession plans and wants to cut benefits for Ukrainian refugees.\n\nPopulist backlash in central Europe To display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices One of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Try again 12:27 TALKING EUROPE © FRANCE 24\n\nPolish presidents have some influence over foreign and defence policy and wield veto power over legislation, which can only be overturned by a three-fifths majority in parliament – which Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government does not have.\n\nReforms planned by Tusk, a former European Council president who came to power in 2023, have been held up by a deadlock with the current president – who endorsed Nawrocki.\n\nMany Nawrocki supporters say they want stricter curbs on immigration and advocate conservative social values and more sovereignty for the country within the European Union.\n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Nawrocki, saying she was \"confident\" that \"very good cooperation\" would continue with Warsaw.\n\nNATO chief Mark Rutte also sent congratulations.\n\nNawrocki promised a 'strong' Poland. © Sergei Gapon, AFP\n\nHungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban hailed his fellow nationalist's \"fantastic victory\", writing on X: \"We are looking forward to working with you.\"\n\nTo display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. Accept Manage my choices\n\nFrench far-right leader Marine Le Pen also welcomed the \"good news\".\n\nNawrocki visited the White House during his campaign and said he had been told by Trump: \"You will win.\"\n\nUS Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem also endorsed Nawrocki in Poland last week, saying: \"He needs to be the next president.\"\n\n'Patriot'\n\nNawrocki thanked his backers for their \"daily support\" in a Facebook post on Monday.\n\nTrzaskowski has yet to publicly react to the official results.\n\nOutgoing President Andrzej Duda, a conservative who has served the two-term limit, congratulated Nawrocki and thanked Poles for the turnout, which was 72 percent.\n\nPolish far-right leader Slawomir Mentzen also sent his congratulations, telling Nawrocki his Confederation party's voters expected him to \"not put Ukraine's interests on par with ours\".\n\nThe results followed a tense evening, as both candidates had claimed victory when an exit poll indicated they were neck and neck.\n\nTrzaskowski narrowly finished second © Sergei Gapon, AFP\n\n\"We will win and we will save Poland,\" Nawrocki told supporters after voting finished.\n\nNawrocki's victory is likely to embolden the populist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which ruled Poland between 2015 and 2023.\n\nSome analysts have predicted it could lead to fresh parliamentary elections if political deadlock with the government persists.\n\n\"I'm glad Nawrocki won... It was a really close race, but I think it'll all be good, things will get better,\" 58-year-old security guard Waldemar told AFP in Warsaw.\n\nAccountant and history buff Anna Maria Ziolkiewicz said \"the brightest Poland\" won.\n\nThe 61-year-old religious conservative from Lodz, central Poland told AFP she voted for Nawrocki \"because he is a patriot\".\n\n'They'll block everything'\n\nBut Trzaskowski voter Zdzislaw Brojek said he expected \"chaos\" under the new president, who he claimed would do the PiS party's bidding.\n\n\"They will block laws, they'll block everything,\" the 65-year-old gardener told AFP in Warsaw.\n\nTrzaskowski voters tend to back greater integration within the EU and an acceleration of social reforms.\n\nNawrocki's campaign was overshadowed at times by controversies over a murky apartment purchase and his football hooligan past.\n\nNawrocki used his last campaign hours on Friday to leave flowers at a monument to Poles killed by Ukrainian nationalists during World War II.\n\n\"It was a genocide against the Polish people,\" he said.\n\nPoland is a fast-growing economy of 38 million people with a leading role in international diplomacy surrounding Ukraine.\n\nIt is also a key supply route for Western arms and aid going into Ukraine.\n\n(FRANCE 24 with AFP)"
      },
      {
        "title": "A Secure Brexit? UK Security and Defense and the Decision to Leave the European Union",
        "id": "d-10",
        "link": "https://www.marshallcenter.org/en/publications/security-insights/secure-brexit-uk-security-and-defense-and-decision-leave-european-union-0",
        "snippet": "This article outlines the defense and security context for Brexit before, during and after the referendum in June 2016 and analyzes the claims made by the...",
        "source": "George C. Marshall European Center For Security Studies",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS2FsTV8mwSRtD8Ap8JhddBC_JxxHTvOC6ivpnzSJrZqAp3z11BlVh2NqwoNA&s",
        "content": "Intelligence and Counterterrorism Cooperation\n\nCore intelligence exchanges remain the preserve of individual nation states in Europe. They are outside of the EU and therefore also outside the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Thus these exchanges should not be affected by Brexit. The UK government is proud of what Theresa May has referred to as its “unique intelligence capabilities.” These stem from its traditional, close partnership with the U.S. and its membership in the so-called “Five Eyes” intelligence alliance of Anglosphere nations. No other European countries, including France and Germany, have the capability and reach of the UK, especially in the field of digital intelligence.28\n\nBritain also has a prime role in counter terrorism policy in Europe. The UK drafted the EU Counter Terrorism Strategy in 2005, which is modeled on the British national strategy. At the legislative level, the UK has strongly influenced some important EU initiatives such as the Europol Counter Terrorism Centre (CTC) and the PNRD.29 The UK has also taken the lead with its intelligence-led counter terrorism policing concept. This integrates the intelligence agencies with the police in order to start investigations into terrorist plots as early as possible in the attack cycle.30 The intelligence and police functions are normally kept separate in continental Europe, which can limit the timely exchange of vital information and slow down the investigation process. However, the UK has definitely benefitted from EU counter terrorism activities and agencies. The EAW, for instance, has greatly increased the speed of extraditions between EU states. Cases that previously took months or years are now resolved in weeks. Europol is valuable for police liaison and cooperation and Eurojust plays the same role for judicial cooperation. Britain has also joined the Schengen Information System, which allows police to share information on suspects and provides a network for sharing DNA, fingerprints, and vehicle registration documentation.31\n\nThere is no evidence that the referendum decision has had a negative impact on the UK’s counter-terrorism activities, at least so far. It is assumed that EU states will wish to continue close counter terrorism cooperation with the UK after Brexit, while Britain will also want to retain access to EU law enforcement databases and data-sharing platforms. The UK will presumably remain a member of the Counter Terrorist Group (CTG). CTG is a non-EU body where the heads of intelligence agencies of EU countries plus Norway and Switzerland meet to encourage members to share intelligence and facilitate operational cooperation. But this informal group is not yet a substitute for direct cooperation through the EU agencies identified above.\n\nAfter Brexit, the UK will have to negotiate new arrangements for all of these, possibly through a series of bilateral sharing agreements with individual states. Australia and the U.S., for example, have association agreements that allow them to have liaison officers at Europol. Nevertheless, officials acknowledge that there will be some practical limits on what can be achieved in comparison to the pre-Brexit situation. At the moment, there is no precedent for a non-EU country to plug directly into the Europol information system and the legislative framework for the EAW exists under ECJ jurisdiction that the UK will leave.32 The negotiation process, even if conducted with a mind to mutual security benefits, will at the very least hinder Britain and Europe’s efforts to create more powerful and mutually beneficial networks to fight terrorism. Sir Julian King, the EU Commissioner for Security Union, put the issue succinctly: “Because everybody agrees that you should do something does not mean that it is necessarily straightforward and easy to do…”33\n\nBritish government negotiators will be focused on trying to retain all the benefits of close counter terrorism cooperation with continental Europe. Meanwhile the government may face a renewed terrorism threat on another flank as the Brexit decision could exacerbate tensions in Northern Ireland. The UK government assesses the threat of terrorism in Northern Ireland as “severe” and low level attacks by republican fringe groups have continued unabated despite the peace agreement signed in 2007. Up to 80% of the republican Sinn Fein supporters and other nationalists are believed to have voted for Remain.34 The potential renegotiation of the Common Travel Area Agreement, which could affect the current open border with the Republic of Ireland, and the loss of EU funding for Northern Ireland infrastructure projects, may increase nationalist sentiment. These developments may encourage violent republican dissidents to step up their campaign if they can build the necessary grassroots support. This was evidently lacking when such groups tried to exploit the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising, but the complexities and uncertainties associated with Brexit in Northern Ireland may yet provide the support for renewed violence that has hitherto been absent."
      },
      {
        "title": "Britain Votes to Leave E.U.; Cameron Plans to Step Down (Published 2016)",
        "id": "d-11",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/world/europe/britain-brexit-european-union-referendum.html",
        "snippet": "Britain has voted to leave the European Union, a historic decision sure to reshape the nation's place in the world.",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTBiodw81CtN6H0dIn_JYBuhwBierKnHwhWbASJ3fY9Ty5T4FqFScEpY9Q8Ew&s",
        "content": "RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY UK POOL - AP CLIENTS ONLY London - 24 June 2016 1. British Prime Minister David Cameron approaching the lectern to give a statement 2. SOUNDBITE (English) David Cameron, British Prime Minister: “Good morning everyone. The country has just taken part in a giant democratic exercise, perhaps the biggest in our history. Over 33 million people, from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar, have all had their say. We should be proud of the fact that in these islands, we trust the people with these big decisions. We not only have a parliamentary democracy, but on questions about the arrangements for how we are governed there are times when it is right to ask the people themselves and that is what we have done. The British people have voted to leave the European Union and their will must be respected. I want to thank everyone who took part in the campaign on my side of the argument, including all those who put aside party differences to speak in what they believe was the national interest and let me congratulate all those who took part in the Leave campaign for the spirited and passionate case that they made. The will of the British people is an instruction that must be delivered. It was not a decision that was taken lightly, not least because so many things were said by so many different organisations about the significance of this decision.” ++FRAMES OF BLACK++ 3. SOUNDBITE (English) David Cameron, British Prime Minister: “I fought his campaign in the only way I know how: which is to say directly and passionately what I think and feel, head, heart and soul. I held nothing back, I was absolutely clear about my belief that Britain is stronger, safer and better off inside the European Union. And I made clear the Referendum was about this and this alone - not the future of any single politician including myself. But the British people have made a very clear decision to take a different path and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction. I will do everything I can as Prime Minister to steady the ship over the coming weeks and months but I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination. This is not a decision I’ve taken lightly but I do believe it’s in the national interest to have a period of stability and then the new leadership required. There is no need for a precise timetable today but in my view we should aim to have a new prime minister in place by the start of the Conservative Party conference in October. Delivering stability will be important and I will continue in post as Prime Minister with my Cabinet for the next three months. The Cabinet will meet on Monday, the Governor of the Bank of England is making a statement about the steps that the Bank and the Treasury are taking to reassure financial markets.” 4. Cameron at lectern AND RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY UK POOL - AP CLIENTS ONLY London - 24 June 2016 1. SOUNDBITE (English) David Cameron, British Prime Minister: “A negotiation with the European Union will need to begin under a new Prime Minister. And I think it’s right that this new Prime Minister takes the decision about when to trigger Article 50 and start the formal and legal process of leaving the EU. I will attend the European Council next week to explain the decision the British people have taken, and my own decision.” ++FRAMES OF BLACK++ 2. SOUNDBITE (English) David Cameron, British Prime Minister: “Although leaving Europe was not the path I recommended, I am the first to praise our incredible strengths. I said before that Britain can survive outside the European Union and indeed that we could find a way. Now the decision has been made to leave, we need to find the best way. And I will do everything I can to help. I love this country and I feel honoured to have served it. And I will do everything I can in the future to help this great country succeed. Thank you very much.” 3. Various of Cameron walking back to Number 10 with his wife Samantha"
      },
      {
        "title": "U.K. Votes To Leave EU; Prime Minister Cameron To Step Down",
        "id": "d-12",
        "link": "https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/06/24/483327087/bbc-projects-united-kingdom-votes-to-leave-the-european-union",
        "snippet": "Voters in the UK have decided to leave the European Union, a decision that has shocked Europe, shaken global markets and pushed Prime Minister David Cameron to...",
        "source": "NPR",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSciCKeC9dOrUuxykRJNgZ2HF2Hr_Vz9Y_M9WLDHNhbk38tggPyBHIboZfCvQ&s",
        "content": "U.K. Votes To Leave EU; Prime Minister Cameron To Step Down\n\nEnlarge this image toggle caption Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images Geoff Caddick/AFP/Getty Images\n\nUpdated 9:42 a.m. ET\n\nVoters in the U.K. have decided to leave the European Union, a decision that has shocked Europe, shaken global markets and pushed Prime Minister David Cameron to announce his upcoming resignation.\n\nThe EU referendum vote was decisive — 52 percent to 48 percent in favor of dissolving the United Kingdom's 43-year membership in the European community. But Northern Ireland and Scotland voted in favor of remaining, raising the specter that the United Kingdom itself may break apart.\n\nCameron announced he will resign before his Conservative Party conference in October.\n\nSponsor Message\n\n\"I was absolutely clear about my belief that Britain is stronger, safer and better off inside the European Union,\" Cameron said Friday. \"But the British people have made a very clear decision to take a different path, and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction.\"\n\nThe process of leaving the EU will likely take many years of negotiations.\n\nEnlarge this image toggle caption Matt Dunham/AP Matt Dunham/AP\n\nIn the meantime, it's a period of \"tremendous uncertainty\" for the U.K. and Europe, NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from London. And the fiery rhetoric that marked the debate over the referendum hasn't ended now that the results are in.\n\n\"The EU's failing, the EU's dying,\" said Leave campaigner Nigel Farage, the head of the U.K. Independence Party, after the official results were announced. Farage said he anticipates the Netherlands and Denmark will follow Great Britain out of the European Union.\n\nThe value of the British pound plunged; at one point Friday it was lower against the U.S. dollar than it has been at any point since 1985.\n\nGlobal stock markets also plummeted as the vote counts trickled in Thursday night and Friday morning. NPR's John Ydstie notes, however, that markets had been up based on the erroneous belief that the U.K. would opt for \"remain\" — so the sharp decline actually returns markets to approximately where they were a week ago. Gold, meanwhile, went up.\n\nSponsor Message\n\nIn U.K., Elation, Surprise And Uncertainty\n\nOpinion polls showed a tight race, with the final poll — as well as the betting markets and the financial world — anticipating the U.K. would vote \"Remain.\" That meant for many in the U.K. and around the world, the referendum's outcome came as a shock.\n\nThe results showed sharp regional divisions in the United Kingdom. London, Scotland and Northern Ireland had strong pro-EU results, while rural and economically depressed areas backed the so-called Brexit in large numbers.\n\ntoggle caption Rob Stothard/Getty Images\n\nNPR's Frank Langfitt says that in London today, people who wanted to remain in the EU are both disappointed and \"very surprised.\"\n\n\"People who wanted out are elated,\" he said. \"There's one woman I talked to who actually screamed.\"\n\nJeremy Corbyn, leader of the opposition Labour Party, said voters were reacting to decades of mistreatment by successive governments.\n\n\"Many communities are fed up with cuts, fed up with economic dislocation and feel very angry at the way they've been betrayed and marginalized,\" Corbyn said.\n\nAnger over immigration was a potent force among the \"Leave\" camp, Frank says.\n\nMany voters who opted out of the EU \"felt that the price of immigration was just too high, that it was driving down wages, costing people jobs,\" he says. \"With some white Britons, there was a feeling also that the immigration was changing the nature of communities here.\"\n\ntoggle caption Niklas Halle'n/AFP/Getty Images\n\nMany voters also distrusted the experts and powerful leaders urging voters against the Brexit, Frank says:\n\n\"The rest of the world, for what it's worth, was telling the Brits not to do this. Economists almost uniformly were against this; they said it would damage the British economy and the global economy. Political leaders from Xi Jinping in China to Barack Obama said this would make Britain less relevant. But the voters — to some degree, I think, tired of being told what to do by the elites — made up their minds.\"\n\nSponsor Message\n\nAs U.K. Breaks Off, Might It Break Apart?\n\nNorthern Ireland's strong Remain vote led Sinn Fein chairman Declan Kearney to call for a referendum on unification with Ireland, an EU member country. Sinn Fein is the largest Irish nationalist party in Northern Ireland.\n\nNorthern Ireland's deputy first minister, nationalist Martin McGuinness, said holding such a vote is \"a democratic imperative.\"\n\nPro-British First Minister Arlene Foster, meanwhile, said there was \"no way\" such a vote would result in a united Ireland.\n\nScotland, too, may be eyeing a split with the U.K. — again. A 2014 referendum on Scottish independence resulted in the country remaining within the United Kingdom.\n\nBut now that the U.K. will be leaving the EU, a second referendum may be in the works. Scotland's voters preferred \"Remain\" over \"Leave,\" by 62 percent to 38 percent.\n\nEnlarge this image toggle caption Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images\n\nScottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the result is Scotland being pulled out of Europe against its will.\n\n\"I regard that as being democratically unacceptable,\" she said Friday. \"It's a statement of the obvious that a second referendum [on independence] is on the table.\"\n\nIn Europe, 'Complete Shock'\n\nThe United Kingdom is (or was, until the pound crashed) the second-largest economy in the EU, and the referendum comes as a blow to the continent.\n\n\"I think there was complete shock this morning when people woke up,\" says NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, reporting from Berlin. \"Like most Europeans, everybody here thought they would wake up to the U.K. still being in the EU.\n\n\"It's unusual here to have a quick reaction from officialdom, but there actually was some reaction,\" she says. \"The vice chancellor I think summed it up for all when he tweeted, 'Damn, a bad day for Europe.' \"\n\nCurrent EU president Donald Tusk said the group is \"determined to keep our unity at 27,\" referring to the number of member nations minus Great Britain. He went on to say, quoting his father, \"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.\"\n\nThe EU assembly will hold an emergency session next week in the wake of the news, The Associated Press reports. The referendum's results will also be the top item on the agenda for an upcoming summit of EU leaders in Brussels.\n\nSponsor Message\n\nGermany's foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, tweeted the vote was \"a sad day for Europe and Britain.\" France's foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, said he was \"sad for the United Kingdom.\"\n\nEnlarge this image toggle caption Rob Stothard/AFP/Getty Images Rob Stothard/AFP/Getty Images\n\nPoland's foreign ministry, meanwhile, called it a \"warning signal\" of \"disillusionment with European integration,\" the AP reports. Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, said the vote pivoted on the question of immigration and signaled the importance of Brussels listening to the \"voice of the people\" in member states. Anti-immigration sentiment has been playing a central role in politics within both countries.\n\nEuroskeptic parties in Sweden and Denmark called for EU membership referenda in their own nations, the AP writes, as did far-right leader Marine Le Pen in France.\n\nAs for what happens next: NPR's Peter Kenyon explains there is a two-year window for the U.K. and the EU to come to an agreement over the terms of its departure from Europe.\n\nAs Peter noted earlier, some members of the \"Remain\" camp have worried that a Brexit would give the EU an incentive to keep other member states from fleeing: \"Therefore, the argument goes, they would offer the U.K. very poor exit terms — such as drastically limiting the U.K.'s access to the EU single market — as a warning to other states.\"\n\ntoggle caption Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images\n\nIn U.S., Economic Effects And Political Echoes\n\nWhile laws and policies in the U.K. aren't changing immediately, the impact of the Brexit on the rest of the world, including the U.S., has already begun.\n\nThe British pound is one of the world's stable \"reserve\" currencies, and it's fallen precipitously in value. Markets, too, have contracted. On Friday morning, the Dow opened and immediately dropped approximately 500 points.\n\n\"I think over the long term for the United States, it's going to mean a little bit slower economy,\" reports NPR's John Ydstie. \"It means a stronger dollar, which is going to hurt exports. It also means that our trading partners, like the EU and the U.K., are going to go through a period of uncertainty and their growth could be hampered — so, again, exports to those countries could be hurt.\"\n\nSponsor Message\n\nAs NPR's Marilyn Geewax has previously reported, there's also the risk of a domino effect of exits — whether Scotland leaving the U.K. or more countries leaving the EU. Either would cause political instability, \"as well as disruptions in flows of labor, capital and commerce,\" Marilyn writes, \"harming U.S. business dealings.\"\n\n\"But some conservatives say Brexit would spur growth by freeing the U.K. from regulatory overreach by EU bureaucrats,\" Marilyn notes.\n\nAnd, John says, \"I guess the silver lining to this cloud is that if you're taking a trip to the U.K. this summer for a vacation, your dollar is going to go a little bit further.\"\n\ntoggle caption Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images\n\nMeanwhile, many observers are noting the similarities between the politics over the referendum and the U.S. presidential election.\n\nTony Travers, a professor at the London School of Economics, spoke with NPR's Frank Langfitt after the referendum results were announced.\n\n\"I think the lesson is, in part, a traditional one: a disconnect between political elites as they're called — people who run the government and the financial system and so on — and most other people,\" Travers said. \"And, you know, in the United States the rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders, I think, is evidence of a similar phenomenon.\"\n\nTrump, the presumptive Republican nominee, is currently in the U.K. visiting the Trump Turnberry golf course.\n\nAlthough he was in Scotland — which, again, overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU — Trump tweeted that the \"place is going wild over the vote. They took their country back, just like we will take America back.\"\n\nSpeaking at his golf course in Scotland, he said people are angry, which fueled the Brexit vote. He also said the weaker pound will help business at the golf course.\n\nIn a statement, Trump said Americans, too, will have an opportunity to \"re-declare their independence\" and \"reject today's rule by the global elite,\" and said he hoped America is watching.\n\nSponsor Message\n\nPresident Obama issued a statement Friday morning, saying \"the people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and we respect their decision.\"\n\n\"The special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is enduring,\" he said. \"So too is our relationship with the European Union.\""
      },
      {
        "title": "Brexit vote highlighted UK’s discontent with EU, but other European countries are grumbling too",
        "id": "d-13",
        "link": "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/06/24/brexit-vote-highlighted-uks-discontent-with-eu-but-other-european-countries-are-grumbling-too/",
        "snippet": "The decision by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union – known as Brexit – shines a spotlight on the divisions in public opinion between the UK and the...",
        "source": "Pew Research Center",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTWm79Cm394ip84rMSDmsHHOCJ5WYQdOLpMGdF7-TGrfmHUtoXWUjQsOlfH3A&s",
        "content": "The decision by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union – known as Brexit – shines a spotlight on the divisions in public opinion between the UK and the continental members of the EU, and within the UK on a range of issues relating to the future of Europe.\n\nThe June 23 referendum – in which the public voted 52% to 48% to leave – is a reminder that the British have never been as enamored with the EU as most of their continental counterparts. Britons have criticized the EU for its handling of a range of issues, resent the loss of power to the Brussels-based institution and are divided among themselves about the institution they first joined in 1973.\n\nMore broadly, a Pew Research Center survey conducted this spring found that publics in a number of other EU countries share the British desire for a less, not more, centralized Europe, and that the debate about the future of the EU will not subside just because the UK has now voted.\n\nThe EU has never been as popular in the UK as it has been among other EU members. Just 44% of the public in the UK has a favorable view of the EU, compared with a median of 50% who hold a favorable opinion in five other EU nations surveyed by Pew Research Center. Support for the EU is down in the UK from a high of 52% in 2014. British views of the EU have consistently been lower than those on the continent for nearly a decade.\n\nThe British have long thought that the EU was inefficient and intrusive and has mishandled the challenges facing Europe. In a 2014 Pew Research Center survey, 64% of the British thought the EU was inefficient and does not understand the needs of its citizens. Six-in-ten said it was intrusive. In this year’s survey, 70% in the UK disapprove of the EU’s handling of the refugee issue and 55% said the same about the EU’s dealing with economic issues.\n\nThe vote to leave reflects the desire of nearly two-thirds of the UK public to bring back some EU powers from Brussels to London. Fully 65% of the British said before the referendum that they wanted some EU powers to be returned to their national government. This included 73% of those ages 50 and older, 70% of men, 68% of those with a secondary education or less, 93% of UK Independence Party supporters, 77% of Conservative Party adherents and 49% of Labour Party backers.\n\nThe Brexit vote exposes a rift in public opinion between the Scottish and people in the rest of the United Kingdom. The Scottish voted to stay in the EU by an overwhelming margin of 62% to 38%, putting a new Scottish independence referendum on the table. Pew Research Center data show that the Scottish are more likely than those in England, Northern Ireland and Wales to have a favorable opinion of the EU (53% versus 43% respectively).\n\nScotland also disagrees with the rest of the UK on two issues central to the Brexit debate: the economy and immigration. The Scottish feel more threatened by the prospect of global economic instability than their counterparts in the rest of the UK. Roughly six-in-ten say it is a major threat to their country, while only 48% say the same in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Meanwhile, the rest of the UK feels more threatened by the large number of refugees leaving countries such as Iraq and Syria (54% major threat). Just 41% of Scottish people agree.\n\nThe rest of Europe sees Brexit as pivotal for the well-being of the EU. Before the referendum, a median of 70% said that they thought it would be a bad thing for the EU if the UK were to leave. This included 89% of the Swedes, 75% of the Dutch and 74% of the Germans.\n\nThe debate in other EU member states about the future of the institution may just be getting started. A majority of the Greeks (68%) and pluralities of the Dutch (44%), Germans (43%), Italians (39%) and French (39%) all want some EU power returned to their national governments. Both the Dutch and the French have a history of holding referendums on major and not-so-major issues, and Euroskeptic parties in both countries have already voiced support for a public vote on their relationship with the EU.\n\nNOTE (April 2017): After publication, the weight for the Netherlands data was revised to correct percentages for two regions. The impact of this revision on the Netherlands data included in this blog post is very minor and does not materially change the analysis. For a summary of changes, see here. For updated demographic figures for the Netherlands, please contact info@pewresearch.org."
      },
      {
        "title": "EU referendum results: David Cameron to resign, markets tumble",
        "id": "d-14",
        "link": "https://www.cnn.com/2016/06/24/europe/uk-eu-referendum-results",
        "snippet": "The United Kingdom's vote to leave the EU in a historic “Brexit” triggered British Prime Minister David Cameron's resignation and wreaked...",
        "source": "CNN",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRR1NScIdkOFPFQxrUpT_8Bq0WWhG1aTEZd4y4-3Y6gN8aUW7gR_K-XioiTcg&s",
        "content": "Go here to follow CNN’s coverage of the UK referendum live.\n\nStory highlights Markets plunged at the news Scotland may hold an independence referendum Some parties in other countries call for an EU vote\n\nLondon CNN —\n\nThe United Kingdom’s historic Brexit vote to leave the European Union triggered the resignation Friday of British Prime Minister David Cameron and wreaked havoc on global markets.\n\nThere was a mixture of jubilation and tearful disbelief in the UK as people awoke to the final result from Thursday’s extremely close vote, which deeply divided the nation.\n\nThe result plunged Europe into uncertainty, with calls for further referendums from emboldened far-right groups who see it as a boost for their anti-EU, anti-immigration policies.\n\nIt also reverberated across financial markets, causing huge losses in Asia, Europe and the United States as traders weighed the consequences for the world’s biggest economic zone.\n\nA map of the United Kingdom, which shows the areas that voted to remain in blue, and those which voted to leave in red.\n\nWithin hours of Thursday’s ballot outcome – 51.89% in favor of leaving the EU and 48.11% against – Cameron delivered an emotionally charged statement outside the Prime Minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street, announcing his intention to stand down.\n\nMORE: What happens now?\n\nCameron’s possible successor\n\n“The British people have voted to leave the EU and their will must be respected,” he said. “The will of the British people is an instruction which must be delivered. … There can be no doubt about the result.”\n\nCameron gave no timetable for his departure but said he wanted a new leader to be in place by October, when his Conservative Party holds its annual conference.\n\nHe said the country needed a pro-exit leader to steer it out of the EU, an organization it has been a part of since 1973. That process could take at least two years.\n\nBoris Johnson, the former mayor of London who campaigned for the UK’s departure from the EU, is tipped by bookmakers as Cameron’s likely successor.\n\nJohnson, who was greeted by a booing crowd when he left his home on Friday morning, thanked voters for their decision, pledged that the UK would remain committed to Europe and urged unity.\n\n“I think the electorate have searched in their hearts and answered as honestly as they can,” he said. “They have decided to vote to take back control from a European Union that has become too remote.”\n\nFormer PM: There will be costs\n\nFormer British Prime Minister Tony Blair told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that UK voters would learn over the next 24 months that leaving Europe will not solve their economic troubles, ease their apprehensions or make Britain more independent in a meaningful way.\n\n“I literally cannot think of a big decision that I was not able to take because of Europe,” Blair said. “There is so much anger at the moment that the anger replaces the more rational answers.”\n\nBlair noted that the United States was facing the same type of political fracturing, brought on by economic turmoil, globalization and anger at immigration.\n\n“Getting out of Europe is not the answer,” he said, noting the UK sells half of its goods and services to the EU. “We are going to have to negotiate ourselves back into that market and it will be much more difficult than these people understand.”\n\nPossible Scottish independence vote\n\nIn Scotland, where support was overwhelmingly in favor of remaining in the EU, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister and leader of the dominant Scottish National Party, said the outcome threw into doubt the future of her country’s place in the UK.\n\nShe said the Scottish government will begin preparing legislation for a new independence referendum if the Scottish Parliament decides it wants to hold one. Scots voted down a bid for independence from the UK in 2014.\n\n“Democratically unacceptable,” said Sturgeon in describing the fact that Scotland would be pulled out of the European Union despite the majority of the Scottish people voting to stay in.\n\nMORE: What does Brexit mean for you?\n\nSinn Fein calls for Irish unity\n\nThe Sinn Féin party in Northern Ireland called for a referendum on Irish unity, which could take Northern Ireland out of the UK and join it with the Republic of Ireland, an EU member.\n\nVoters in Northern Ireland voted for the UK to remain in the EU.\n\nSinn Féin President Gerry Adams said the Brexit result could portend tougher border rules – with barriers and custom posts – between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, because it will be the only land border between the EU and the UK.\n\nAdams said such a result would be unacceptable given the vote result in Northern Ireland and could undermine the cooperative relationships and that have developed between the two Irelands since the Good Friday agreement.\n\n“My issue is the north of Ireland is going to be dragged out of the EU on the decision made by people on another island,” said Adams, whose political party is dedicated to the reunification of Ireland.\n\n“We’re calling for a poll, a referendum, on Irish unity, on the border. This (the Brexit vote) has the potential to set back the good work that’s been done in terms of the peace process, building harmony, building infrastructure.”\n\n‘Dying’ institution\n\nAs European leaders faced their own crises, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the “need to make sure that European people feel that the EU wants to improve all our lives.”\n\nShe said she greatly regretted the UK’s decision, but added, “The EU is strong enough to find the right answers today.”\n\nFrench President Francois Hollande called it a “painful choice which I deeply regret for the UK and Europe.”\n\nItaly’s finance minister, Pier Carlo Padoan, warned of a domino effect amid calls for further exit votes.\n\nFar-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders congratulated the UK on its decision and called for a Dutch referendum on EU membership.\n\n“We want to be in charge of our own country, our own money, our own borders and our own immigration policy,” he was quoted as saying in a statement on his website.\n\nMarine Le Pen, the leader of France’s National Front party who plans to run for the French presidency next year, also congratulated the Brexit side.\n\nHer party has suggested the French will also hold an “out” referendum if she assumes the presidency.\n\nPassions continued to run high in the UK in the hours after the vote, with UK Independence Party (UKIP) leader and Leave campaigner Nigel Farage declaring the EU a “dying” institution.\n\n“We’ve given ourselves the chance to rejoin the world,” he told journalists. “June 23rd needs to become a national bank holiday and we will call it Independence Day.”\n\nU.S. President Barack Obama said that while the UK’s relationship with Europe was changing, the ties that bound the UK to the United States and the United States to Europe would remain.\n\n“I do think yesterday’s vote speaks to ongoing changes and challenges that are raised by globalization, but the UK’s relationship with the EU will change. What will not change is the special relationship that exists between our two nations,” Obama said. “That will endure. And the EU will remain one of our indispensable partners.”\n\nMORE: Full coverage of the UK referendum\n\nNATO: UK will stay a strong ally\n\nNATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg voiced reassurances that the United Kingdom will remain a strong and committed NATO ally despite the vote.\n\n“Today, as we face more instability and uncertainty, NATO is more important than ever as a platform for cooperation among European allies and between Europe and North America,” said Stoltenberg. “A strong, united and determined NATO remains an essential pillar of stability in a turbulent world and a key contributor to international peace and security.”\n\nVoters react\n\nThe referendum followed one of the most divisive political campaigns in recent memory. Polls consistently showed voters split down the middle, with the outcome too close to call ahead of the vote.\n\nNews of the decision sparked strong emotions, with those in favor and those against reflecting on a campaign marred by allegations of lies, distrust and hate.\n\n“This is so sad,” said Daniel Trilling on Twitter. “Millions of people aren’t going to feel any more in control of their lives or their country because of this vote.”\n\n“People vote on emotion,” Twitter user @cemanthe posted. “This was won on false promises and emotive texts about immigration. Not on facts.”\n\n“I am SO happy this morning,” wrote another, Gemma.\n\nAn online petition calling for a second referendum gathered more than 120,000 signatures within hours of being posted.\n\nLeading political figures gave mixed reactions.\n\nTony Blair, the former UK prime minister, called the decision a divided result.\n\n“It’s going to be a complicated process but it’s important to bring our country together and stabilize our country,” he told CNN’s Becky Anderson. “It’s still a resilient country and it’s a strong country.”\n\nSadiq Khan, the mayor of largely pro-EU London, said the decision was a “clear message” and urged calm.\n\n‘Taking back control’\n\nEuropean Council President Donald Tusk said the decision was “historic, but not a moment for hysterical reactions.”\n\nDonald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee in the U.S. presidential election, hailed the UK’s decision to “reassert control over their own politics, borders and economy.”\n\nIn a news conference Friday as he attended the official opening of a remodeled golf resort bearing his name in Turnberry, Scotland, Trump called the decision of the voters “a great thing.”\n\n“They’re angry over borders, they’re angry over people coming into the country and taking over. Nobody even knows who they are,” he said. “They’re angry about many, many things. They took back control of their country.”\n\nUKIP’s Farage told CNN’s Nima Elbagir that the economic fears in the wake of the EU departure were overstated, and that he expected an even better relationship with the United States. He said the vote was a repudiation of bullying tactics by corporate and political powers to keep the UK in the EU.\n\n“(We were) threatened by everybody that if we didn’t stay part of this political union, dreadful things would happen to us, and what happened were the little people, the regular people, the ordinary people said, ‘No, this is wrong,’” Farage said.\n\n“When you really think about it, what we’ve done isn’t actually that radical. … We want to be a democratic nation. We want to make our own laws in our own parliament, have our own supreme court, and control our own border. If you think about, there’s now 183 countries around the world that have independence days. What we did yesterday was become 184th.”\n\nOpinion: Why Brexit vote should worry Trump\n\nMarkets plunge\n\nThe effects of the vote outcome were immediately felt in markets and economies around the world.\n\nIn New York, the Dow ended the day down more than 611 points, to close at 17,399. London’s FTSE index shed $164 billion of its value in the first 10 minutes of trading, but regained ground later in the day.\n\nThe NASDAQ index fell more than 4% and into a correction, or down 10% from recent highs.\n\nThe British pound at one point plunged more than 12% to below $1.34, its lowest level since 1985. Japan’s Nikkei tanked 6.7% and Hong Kong’s main index dropped 3.7%.\n\nBank of England Governor Mark Carney said the body is “well prepared” and “won’t hesitate” to take additional measures as markets adjust.\n\nThe “UK financial system is resilient,” he added."
      },
      {
        "title": "What Is Brexit?",
        "id": "d-15",
        "link": "https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2016-06-22/what-is-brexit",
        "snippet": "U.K. citizens may vote to leave the EU. Here's a breakdown of the nation's relationship with the region.",
        "source": "U.S. News & World Report",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQPCTmCfdbHOTRRze7brBgPLaeuqjHA6B8PrexfhipqVi8Qg7-n9VsPLf8BWQ&s",
        "content": "On June 23, U.K. citizens will head to the polls to answer one question: \"Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?\"\n\nThe decision to leave would rattle an establishment that has been in operation for decades. The EU is an economic and political partnership between 28 member nations committed to the prosperity of the region as a whole. Britain joined the European Economic Community, which would later be absorbed into the EU, in 1973 and has been a valuable contributing member since.\n\nBut in recent years, anti-European rumblings have become more pronounced in the country.\n\nIn 2013, in response to public outcries and increasing pressure from members of Parliament, Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to hold a referendum on the U.K.'s membership in the European Union if his Conservative Party won the next election. The party won, and Cameron made good on his commitment when the June 23 date was set in February.\n\nCameron laid out a plan in late 2015 that attempted to change the terms of the U.K.'s membership in the EU without leaving the group. His efforts fell short in a deal that was finalized with EU leaders in early 2016, and \"Brexit\" – a splice of \"Britain\" and \"exit\" – was born. The nation has since divided itself into the \"remain\" camp – including Cameron and former Prime Minister Tony Blair – and the \"leave\" camp – including former London Mayor Boris Johnson.\n\nThe decision that faces U.K. citizens is a political, economic and emotional one, shrouded by uncertain outcomes and largely without precedence (the U.K. held a similar referendum vote in 1975, but 67 percent of citizens voted to stay). Here are a few charts that explain what is known about Brexit and the U.K.'s relationship with the EU.\n\nThe EU represents 508 million people from 28 member states. The nations cumulatively comprise about a fourth of the world's economic output, totaling $18.5 billion in 2014, and the U.K.'s gross domestic product accounts for about 15 percent of the EU's total product.\n\nEach member nation contributes a monthly sum to the EU's operating budget based on a tax formula in return for policies and programs that benefit the region. In pure budgetary terms, a number of countries that contribute most to the EU's operating budget stand to gain least from EU expenditures. In 2014, the U.K. gave nearly $5.5 billion more to the EU than it took from the budget, accounting for 8 percent of total national contributions, but less than 5 percent of the EU's total expenditures, according to the European Commission . Germany had an even greater negative balance – more than $17 billion after contributing 18 percent of the budget. Italy had a negative balance of $5 billion after contributing 10 percent of the budget.\n\nEU-funded initiatives in the U.K. highlighted by the European Commission include a $78 million investment in Superfast Cornwall, a commitment to connect at least 80 percent of homes and business in the rural county to \"fibre-optic superfast broadband,\" and an $8 million investment in the Scottish Centre for Regenerative Medicine to fund the construction of new facilities for stem cell research.\n\nThe \"free movement of people is one of the EU's fundamental principles,\" according to the EU freedom of movement and residence directive passed in 2004. Nearly 3 million people from other EU countries have migrated to the U.K., according to the United Nations Population Division , and 1.2 million from the U.K. have moved elsewhere in the Union. And while the U.K. remains a member of the EU, these 4 million migrants have the \"right to move freely and live in another EU country,\" but there is no precedent as to what happens to those from a country or living in a country that removes itself from the EU.\n\nIn addition to people, goods, services and money are able to move freely within the EU's single market as if it were one country. Free trade within EU borders is supposed to mutually benefit all member nations and attract international partnerships to a large European trade bloc. U.S. President Barack Obama said that the U.K. would be at the \"back of the queue\" for a trade deal if it votes to leave the EU and that it could take a decade to negotiate a new agreement. The U.S. is currently the U.K.'s largest export destination.\n\nResults of the referendum have been tough to predict. Many polls consistently report a split of less than 5 percentage points. Generally, though, the majority of younger people and richer people say they will vote \"remain,\" while the majority of older people and poorer people say they will vote \"leave.\"\n\nThe views of other EU citizens are much clearer: they want the U.K. to remain part of the club. \"France is the only country where more than a quarter of the public says it would be positive for the EU if the UK departed,\" according to a Pew Research Center report from April. In an earlier survey of 28,000 European voters by Lord Michael Ashcroft, former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party who has become known for his political polls, only 10 percent said they would like the U.K. to leave the EU. Sixty percent of those surveyed said they would prefer the U.K. stay in the EU, and 30 percent said it didn't matter. At 24 percent, Luxembourg had the highest portion of people who said they would prefer the U.K. to leave the EU, and Lithuania had the highest portion of people that would prefer the U.K. to stay.\n\nBritish and Irish citizens who live in the U.K. and are older than 18 can vote on the referendum, as long as they registered to vote before the June 9 deadline. A record number of 525,000 applications on June 6 caused the government registration website to crash and spurred an extension of the initial June 7 deadline. More than 1 million people registered to vote in the last days before the deadline.\n\nAlso eligible to vote are British and Irish citizens living abroad who have been registered to vote for at least 15 years and Commonwealth citizens living in the U.K.\n\nIf U.K. citizens vote \"leave,\" transitioning out of the EU could effectively take years. But pressure on the voters is much more immediate; they'll have to make up their minds before heading to the polls this week."
      },
      {
        "title": "Britain wiser to remain in European Union, Stanford scholar says",
        "id": "d-16",
        "link": "https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2016/06/britain-wiser-remain-european-union-stanford-scholar-says",
        "snippet": "A British exit from the European Union would slow economic growth, reduce Europe's impact in world politics, and strengthen regimes such as...",
        "source": "Stanford Report",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT31yN_-crO0KWck9AKi4v86akCVMyqfQ7eaSC7N_Vf9z7ZCy_PgoZCa_A_mQ&s",
        "content": "The United Kingdom would lose more than gain if it left the European Union, a Stanford scholar said.\n\nWhether the United Kingdom should remain part of the European Union will be determined in a British referendum on June 23. Stanford lecturer Christophe Crombez recommends the UK remain in the EU. (Image credit: gOd4ather / Shutterstock)\n\nSo would other European nations, and the real winners would be countries that seek to divide European unity, said Christophe Crombez, a consulting professor in Stanford’s Europe Center in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.\n\nBritain is holding a referendum on June 23 to decide whether the country should leave or remain in the European Union.\n\n“It would bring but an illusion of sovereignty,” said Crombez, who studies European Union politics, parliamentary systems, political economy and economic analysis of political institutions. He is an economist from Belgium.\n\nThe Stanford News Service recently interviewed Crombez on the upcoming vote, known as “Brexit.”\n\nWhat is Brexit?\n\nThe term Brexit refers to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union allows member states to withdraw.\n\nWhat are the arguments for and against Brexit?\n\nThe campaign for the UK to leave the EU uses the following main arguments: leaving would save UK taxpayers money, since the UK is a net contributor to the EU budget; the UK would no longer have to comply with EU laws it does not want, whereas currently it can be outvoted in EU institutions and forced to adopt laws it opposes; and it would allow the UK to better control migration, whereas EU citizens are currently free to move and work throughout the EU.\n\nThese three arguments can easily be refuted, however. The UK does indeed contribute to the EU budget, but the benefits it derives from being part of the EU market far outweigh the budgetary contributions. Moreover, (if Britain were to withdraw) the EU would require the UK to pay into its budget, if it wants to remain part of the EU’s internal market, as it has done with Switzerland and Norway.\n\nAlso, about half of UK exports are destined for the EU. If the UK were to leave, it would no doubt want to continue to trade with the EU. UK products would have to conform to EU rules for them to be sold in the EU. UK companies that want to export to the EU would thus continue to comply with EU rules. The difference would be that the UK would no longer be involved in setting those EU rules. Post-Brexit, the rules would thus be less to the UK’s liking than prior to it, and UK companies would comply to these less advantageous rules.\n\nFinally, the EU would impose requirements on immigration and free movement of people on the UK in exchange for free trade with the EU, as it has with other countries in similar situations, such as Norway and Switzerland. Moreover, member states may no longer feel inclined to stop refugees from moving on to the UK if the UK were to leave, which may lead to higher rather than lower immigration.\n\nIn addition to these arguments, the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign (which supports the UK remaining in the EU) argues that Britain carries more weight in world politics as part of the EU than on its own, in trade negotiations as well as on security issues, and that a united Europe is better at dealing with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and other authoritarian rulers, terrorist threats and international crime.\n\nWhat do you think is the best decision for the United Kingdom to make on this vote?\n\nI see no advantages to leaving the EU. It would bring but an illusion of sovereignty – consider the points above. The vote would have a negative impact on growth in the UK and the rest of the EU and, in fact, the world, and it would weaken the UK, the EU and the West in world politics.\n\nWhat happens economically to Britain if the country leaves the European Union?\n\nTrade and hence gross domestic product would be negatively affected, especially in the short term. Uncertainty would reduce investment and trade. The UK and the EU would be consumed with the negotiations on the break-up for years. This would prevent both the UK and EU from tackling more important economic and security issues. In the long term, the economy would readjust, but the result would be suboptimal.\n\nWhat happens to the EU if Britain leaves?\n\nThe EU is less dependent on trade with the UK than vice versa. There would be an economic impact, but it would be less substantial. The effect would be more significant for a few countries that trade more with the UK, such as Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands.\n\nBrexit would, however, deliver a major blow to the idea of European unification. It would weaken the EU impact in world politics and strengthen such rulers as Putin and (Turkish President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan in their dealings with the EU.\n\nCould a British exit open up a Pandora’s Box of other EU countries exiting or spark other regional independence movements, like Catalonia?\n\nThat is quite possible. A number of other countries may want to hold referendums on the EU. Moreover, Brexit is likely to lead to a break-up of the UK. Scotland would likely hold another referendum and decide to leave the UK in order to stay in the EU. The same may be true for Northern Ireland in the long run. Scottish secession may then give other EU regions, such as Catalonia, further incentives to secede."
      },
      {
        "title": "Brexit is a reminder that some things just shouldn’t be decided by referendum",
        "id": "d-17",
        "link": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/06/27/brexit-is-a-reminder-some-things-just-shouldnt-be-decided-by-the-people/",
        "snippet": "Since British voters elected on Thursday to leave the European Union, signs have quickly emerged of the flaws in holding a referendum on...",
        "source": "The Washington Post",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRkDEyP2n2l9pllTgE2Nv71lyNSPuNLnznM3tjPp2J_MKaI6blkWlLWErtMvg&s",
        "content": "Since British voters elected on Thursday to leave the European Union, signs have quickly emerged of the flaws in holding a referendum on such a messy, massive, far-reaching decision. Politicians responsible for explaining what's at stake have admitted they may have fudged some of the consequences. Nigel Farage, leader of the U.K. Independence Party, acknowledged Friday merely an hour after the election was called that one of the Leave campaign's key promises to voters was inaccurate. Brexit backers pledged that money the U.K. currently sends to the E.U. — supposedly £350 million ($462 million) a week — would go to the country's national health system instead. Former London mayor Boris Johnson even drove around Britain in a bus blaring that message.\n\nOn Friday, Farage called that claim a \"mistake.\" (Kudos to the incredulous TV reporter who then followed up: \"Do you think there are other things people will wake up this morning and find out aren't going to happen as a result of voting this way?\")\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBritons react to cutting ties with the European Union + 53 In late June, many celebrated the referendum results, and British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that he will resign after Britons went to the polls.\n\nResidents of relatively poor Cornwall, meanwhile, had been promised they would lose none of the E.U. subsidies the county heavily relies on if Britain were to leave the bloc. Cornwall officials, The Washington Post's Rick Noack writes, are now fretting that wasn't true either.\n\nNot surprisingly, after the value of the British pound plummeted and global stocks tanked Friday, British media have also been full of stories of voters saying they regretted their decision. Some said they merely thought they were lodging a protest vote — they didn't think Brexit would actually happen. Others actually called election workers wondering if they could change their vote. This woman remarkably said every voting member of her family made a mistake:\n\nMeanwhile, more than three million Brits as of Sunday morning had already called for do-over. And critics have recounted scathingly that the whole crisis originated because Prime Minister David Cameron was trying to escape a political bind back in 2013 — hardly a grand rationale for a massive experiment in direct democracy.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nAll of this was, perhaps, predictable, as some political scientists and historians have warned that a simple yes-or-no public referendum can be a terrible way to make a decision with such complex repercussions. The process looks like direct democracy in its purest form, and it was celebrated as such by many Leave campaigners after the vote. But David A. Bell, a Princeton historian writing in The New Republic four years ago as Greece was preparing for a referendum on its bailout, argues that the result of referendums is much more often anti-democratic.\n\nHe divides referendums into two categories: The first implicates fundamental questions of sovereignty (should Quebec become independent, or Scotland break away from Great Britain?). These kinds of referendums are appropriate, Bell argues: \"They represent instances when sovereign power, always ultimately held by the people, but mediated by constitutional structures, temporarily reverts to the people directly, so that they can modify or replace these structures.\"\n\nThen there are referendums about questions that would otherwise be handled by the legislatures the people have already elected:\n\nAdvertisement\n\nIt is certainly tempting to salute this second form of referendum as a means of checking the seamy practices that too often infect modern representative systems. But however much the designers of referendums claim to be acting in the name of democratic reform, their actions usually end up undercutting democratic institutions. This tendency isn’t merely incidental — it’s unavoidable given how referendums work. First, they take relatively technical issues away from legislators who have the time and expertise to deal with them, and give them to voters who do not.\n\nReferendums also tend to make legislating in the future much harder, by casting policies as constitutional changes that are hard to dislodge. And, Bell argues, they undermine the legitimacy of legislatures by suggesting that real democracy can only come directly from the people instead.\n\nIn a world where all kinds of decisions that should be made by legislators are made by referendums instead, we get, well, California — a state where ballot initiatives rule what happens to individual bonds and bag taxes and even proposed buildings. Back in 1978, California voters generously decided in a ballot measure to cap their own property taxes in a way — amending the state constitution — that has hobbled ever since California's ability to generate revenue and create reasonable housing policy.\n\nLast year's Supreme Court decision upholding gay marriage also underscored another drawback of referendums: Give people a chance at the ballot box, and they may also trample minority rights.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nTo come back to Bell's distinction about the two different kinds of referendums, the Brexit vote arguably looks a little like both. Brexit supporters certainly cast the question as one of fundamental sovereignty and \"independence\" from Europe (as did Donald Trump, with his praise of voters who wanted to \"take back their country\"). But the proposition at hand also raised the kinds of thorny debates we elect government officials to hash out: Do the benefits of the E.U. justify those payments? Will the costs of leaving cripple the British economy? Will \"independence\" bring new forms of instability that voters haven't even been encouraged to foresee?\n\nMartin Kettle, an editor at the Guardian in the U.K., argued last Thursday, before the final vote, that Brexit should itself be a referendum on referendums, \"now the weapon of choice for populist parties of left and right\":\n\nThere may, in certain circumstances, be an argument for referendums in our politics. But the argument has to be better than that we have had some referendums in the past or that a lot of the public would like one. People will always agree they want a say. Yet it is far from obvious that a system of referendums strengthens trust in democracy. Neither Ireland nor Switzerland, where referendums are more common, seem to vindicate that. Germany’s constitution is strongly rooted in the opposite view. And if an issue is major enough to require a referendum, why is it not major enough to require a high level of turnout or an enhanced majority of those voting, as should be the norm?"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "topic_id": 3,
    "topic": "Trump supporters storm US Capitol",
    "docs": [
      {
        "title": "US Government Designates Riot Games Owner as Chinese Military Company",
        "id": "d-18",
        "link": "https://tech.co/news/us-govt-riot-games-chinese-military",
        "snippet": "Learn more about why Tencent, the owner of Riot Games, has been added to US Defense Department's black list.",
        "source": "Tech.co",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "In a move that will make it harder to do business in the US, Tencent has been designated a Chinese military company by the US Department of Defense.\n\nThe company is a big player in the gaming world as owner of Riot Games but is also an investor in a raft of other ventures including Epic Games and Ubisoft.\n\nIt joins the list with lithium-ion battery maker CATL, whose batteries are used in EVs made by Tesla and Ford, among others; and drone-maker, DJI, which is furiously trying to get its name removed."
      },
      {
        "title": "Juries aren't swayed by defenses in Capitol riot trials",
        "id": "d-19",
        "link": "https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/juries-arent-swayed-by-defenses-in-capitol-riot-trials/3711019/",
        "snippet": "Webster was the first Jan. 6 defendant to be tried on an assault charge and the first to present a jury with a self-defense argument. His...",
        "source": "NBC4 Washington",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "A retired New York police officer told a jury that he was acting in self-defense when he tackled a police officer and grabbed his gas mask during the Jan. 6 riot.\n\nJurors deliberated for less than three hours before convicting the 20-year NYPD veteran, Thomas Webster, of all six counts in his indictment.\n\nStream NBC4 newscasts for free right here, right now. WATCH HERE WATCH HERE\n\nWebster was the first Jan. 6 defendant to be tried on an assault charge and the first to present a jury with a self-defense argument. His conviction proved to be a bellwether for the dozens of trials that followed.\n\nFinding a viable trial defense hasn't been easy for rioters who stormed the Capitol. Of the nearly 100 riot defendants who have elected to a trial by jury, none has been fully acquitted.\n\nWe have the news you need to know to start your day. Sign up for the First & 4Most morning newsletter — delivered to your inbox daily. SIGN UP SIGN UP\n\nMany have said they were swept up in the moment. Some have tried to shift the blame for their actions to former President Donald Trump and his lies about a stolen election. Others have claimed they were trying to protect themselves from overzealous police officers.\n\nIn Webster's case, prosecutors repeatedly showed frame-by-frame footage of him assaulting a Metropolitan Police Department officer with a metal flagpole, tackling him to the ground and trying to rip off his gas mask.\n\nWebster testified he was trying to protect himself from a “rogue cop” who punched him in the face. A juror who spoke to reporters after the May 2022 verdict said the videos refuted Webster’s self-defense claims.\n\n“I guess we were all surprised that he would even make that defense argument,” the juror said. “There was no dissension among us at all. We unanimously agreed that there was no self-defense argument here at all.”\n\nBefore U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced him to 10 years in prison, Webster apologized to the officer. He said he wished he had never come to Washington, where he says he “became swept up in politics and former President Trump’s rhetoric.”\n\n“I wish the events of that horrible day had never happened. People would still be alive, people would not have gotten hurt, and families would not have been thrown apart. Perhaps our country would not be as divided as it is today,” Webster said."
      },
      {
        "title": "US Department Of Defense Officially Designates 'League Of Legends', 'Path Of Exile 2' Parent Company Tencent As One Of Many \"Chinese Military Companies\" Operating Within The Country",
        "id": "d-20",
        "link": "https://boundingintocomics.com/video-games/video-game-news/us-department-of-defense-officially-designates-league-of-legends-path-of-exile-2-parent-company-tencent-as-one-of-many-chinese-military-companies-operating-within-the-country/",
        "snippet": "The China-based entertainment conglomerate Tencent being officially identified as one of the many “Chinese military companies” currently operating on Uncle Sam...",
        "source": "Bounding Into Comics",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "US Department Of Defense Officially Designates ‘League Of Legends’, ‘Path Of Exile 2’ Parent Company Tencent As One Of Many “Chinese Military Companies” Operating Within The Country\n\nCommando Jarvan IV (Kyle Herbert) reports for duty in League of Legends (2009), Riot Games\n\nIn the latest escalation of geo-political tensions between the two world superpowers, a routine investigative procedure conducted by the United States’ Department of Defense has resulted in the China-based entertainment conglomerate Tencent being officially identified as one of the many “Chinese military companies” currently operating on Uncle Sam’s home turf.\n\nFire prove completely ineffective against the Count of Ogham’s forces in Path of Exile II (2025), Grinding Gear Games\n\nRELATED: Geoff Keighly’s The Game Awards Honored Amir Satvat As A Folk Hero For Laid Off Devs – In Reality He’s A Tencent Exec Who Runs A Glorified Unemployment List\n\nFor those unfamiliar with or in need of a refresher regarding the overtly-bureaucratic mechanics of the American government, to put it extremely succinctly, rather than having free access to Uncle Sam’s bank account, the country’s military, under the general jurisdiction of its Department of Defense, is instead given a yearly and variable operating budget, as determined and approved by Congress.\n\nPrior to 1961, the entire process was handled solely by the respective Appropriations committees of the governing body’s two chambers, the House and the Senate (and prior to 1867, the original Finance Committee). However, in 1961, Congress began making use of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), thus respectively dividing up the duties of budget usage determination and funding between the Senate and House’s individual Armed Services and Appropriations committees.\n\nGangplank (Dennis Collins Johnson) defends the colonies against the British in League of Legends (2009), Riot Games\n\nTo this end, when it came to the NDAA for 2021, all four bodies approved the inclusion of a new measure, as derived from an executive order from then-President Donald Trump barring American investment in China’s war fighting industry, requiring the Secretary of Defense to spend the next ten years “identify[ing] each entity the Secretary determines, based on the most recent information available, is operating directly or indirectly in the United States or any of its territories and possessions, that is a Chinese military company” and provide an annual report on their findings.\n\n“The term ‘Chinese military company’ does not include natural persons,” clarified Congress within the Act’s text. “and means an entity that is directly or indirectly owned, controlled, or beneficially owned by, or in an official or unofficial capacity acting as an agent of or on behalf of, the People’s Liberation Army or any other organization subordinate to the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party; or identified as a military-civil fusion contributor to the Chinese defense industrial base; and engaged in providing commercial services, manufacturing, producing, or exporting.”\n\nA Sorceress unleashes her lightning in Path of Exile II (2025), Grinding Gear Games\n\nRELATED: Ubisoft Continues To Implode As Founding Guillemot Brothers Reportedly Teaming With Chinese Tencent To Take ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadow’ Developer Private\n\nAnd it was in the Secretary’s latest round of determinations, as made publicly available on January 6th, that Tencent Holdings Limited – Perhaps most notable among this site’s readership for their video game-related holdings, which currently include full ownership over such entities as League of Legends developer Riot Games and Path of Exile duology team Grinding Gear Games, as well as a number of partial investments in such studios as Dark Souls series heralds FromSoftware and the ever-flailing Ubisoft – was confirmed to have received the ‘military company’ label.\n\nUnfortunately for those curious, at current, the US government has not disclosed just which aspects of the Chinese corporate giant’s operations have drawn their suspicions, with the Secretary’s official communique on the matter only containing a list of the infringing companies.\n\nGangplank (Dennis Collins Johnson) drops in for a sneak attack in League of Legends (2009), Riot Games\n\nFor their part, Tencent has rejected the Department of Defense’s findings, telling the press in a written statement, “[our] inclusion on this list is clearly a mistake.”\n\n“We are not a military company or supplier,” they asserted. “Unlike sanctions or export controls, this listing has no impact on our business. We will nonetheless work with the Department of Defense to address any misunderstanding.”\n\nLiliweiss (Yukari Tamura) tracks the whereabouts of the Red Hood (Yoko Hikasa) in Goddess of Victory: Nikke (2022), Shift Up/Tencent\n\nUnder the recently passed NDAA for 2024, starting in June 2026, the Department of Defense will no longer be allowed to directly purchase “goods services, or technology to provide a service that connects to the facilities of a third party, including backhaul, roaming, or interconnection arrangements” from Chinese military companies, and will be banned from doing so indirectly the following year.\n\nWhether Tencent will manage to convince the US government to remove them from said list before this ban takes effect remains to be seen.\n\nNEXT: New Update To Riot Games’ Terms Of Service Gives ‘League Of Legends’ Dev The Right To Respond To Players’ “Off-Platform Conduct” With “Penalties In-Game”\n\nSpencer Baculi By As of December 2023, Spencer is the Editor-in-Chief of Bounding Into Comics. A life-long anime fan, comic book reader, ... More about Spencer Baculi"
      },
      {
        "title": "Warframe: How To Get The Riot-848",
        "id": "d-21",
        "link": "https://www.thegamer.com/warframe-how-to-get-riot-848/",
        "snippet": "The Riot-848 is a drop from the Solstice Square Defense mission in Hollvania. You'll unlock access to all Warframe 1999 content upon completing The Hex...",
        "source": "TheGamer",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "has hundreds of unique weapons to choose from, ranging from traditional ballistic weapons to orbital cannons and throwing stars. The Riot-848 takes the familiar full-auto secondaries of conventional times and warps it with Entrati energy, allowing the gun's spent ammunition to feed back into the magazine between reloads.\n\nIt's an odd weapon to get used to, but it is certainly effective if you're willing to invest Forma into it. But before you can make a good build for it, you'll need to craft it first. This short guide will go over how to get the Riot-848, covering everything from drop rates to crafting requirements for each part.\n\n## How To Get The Riot-848\n\nThe Riot-848 is a drop from the **Solstice Square Defense mission in Hollvania**. You'll unlock access to all Warframe 1999 content upon completing \" \" questline. Once complete, use the 1999 terminal aboard your Orbiter to view all Hollvania missions. Solstice Square is the top left node on the map.\n\nThis mission functions identically to Lua Defense, requiring you to **defend Flare against waves of enemies. **After the first three waves, Flare's stage will collapse into the sewer system below. Flare will stay at this location for the rest of the mission. This area is far more claustrophobic than the surface and has more spawn locations for the enemies, leading to much faster waves if you have a strong loadout.\n\nAs for the weapon itself, **Riot-848 drops from each rotation in Solstice Square. **All parts can drop in each rotation (A, B, and C), although higher rotations have a higher drop chance. Remember that reward payouts go in the following order, with payouts being every three waves: AABC, AABC, AABC...\n\nIf you can't get any of the Riot-848's components to drop, **you can also purchase the blueprints from Flare directly in the Hollvania hub. **Components will require Beating Heartstrings to purchase this way, a currency you'll earn for successful wave clears. You'll need** 300 Beating Heartstrings **to purchase all Riot-848 components.\n\n### Riot-848 Drop Rates\n\nDrop rates were derived from Warframe PC Drops, a website hosted by Digital Extremes that shows exact drop rates for all items in Warframe. Despite the website name, drop rates are the same between PC and console."
      },
      {
        "title": "Pentagon faces deadline on recommending whether to invoke the Insurrection Act",
        "id": "d-22",
        "link": "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/military-insurrection-act-deadline/",
        "snippet": "The Insurrection Act allows federal troops to enforce civilian laws on U.S. soil. It was last invoked during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.",
        "source": "Task & Purpose",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Happy Friday! We are getting close to the 90-day deadline that President Donald Trump set back in January for the secretaries of the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to recommend whether the president should invoke the Insurrection Act to address what he described as an “invasion” of gangs, human traffickers, and criminals at the southern border.\n\nMore than 10,000 service members are currently deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 prevents federal troops from enforcing civilian laws within the United States. As such, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agents accompany troops on patrols to conduct any law enforcement activities.\n\nBut the Insurrection Act suspends Posse Comitatus when the country faces a rebellion, political violence, or other major incidents, said Risa Brooks, a political science professor at Marquette University in Wisconsin.\n\nGet Task & Purpose in Your Inbox Sign up for Task & Purpose Today to get the latest in military news each morning, and The Pentagon Rundown for a weekly breakdown of the biggest stories every Friday. Email address Sign Up Thank you! By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.\n\n“If the Insurrection Act were invoked by a president, and the secretary of defense ordered it, the military would likely be able to apprehend migrants or clear the streets of protesters,” Brooks said.\n\nPresident George H.W. Bush last invoked the law in 1992 in response to riots in Los Angeles following the acquittal of police officers accused of beating motorist Rodney King.\n\nIt’s worth noting that invoking the Insurrection Act is not the same as declaring martial law.\n\n“The difference from martial law is that the elected civilians remain in charge and civil law remains — the military are enforcing existing civil law, not making the laws,” said Kori Schake, head of the defense policy team at the American Enterprise Institute think tank in Washington, D.C. “They are legally empowered to behave as police, including to use lethal force to suppress insurrections, riots, and enforce the law.”\n\nAs always, there’s plenty more news. Here’s your weekly rundown.\n\nThat’s all a lot to process for one week. Stay tuned for more developments.\n\nJeff Schogol"
      },
      {
        "title": "The ACLU and Pentagon School Students Sue Over Book Bans: Book Censorship News, April 18, 2025",
        "id": "d-23",
        "link": "https://bookriot.com/aclu-sues-department-of-defense/",
        "snippet": "The ACLU is suing the Department of Defense's education agency for violating students' First Amendment rights with anti-DEI book bans.",
        "source": "Book Riot",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside of work, much of her free time is spent looking for her next great read and planning her next snack. Find her on Twitter at @Erica_Eze_ .\n\nThis week in book-banning news, the lawsuits continue: the American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Department of Defense’s education agency on behalf of twelve students who argue that their First Amendment rights are being violated by censorship in their schools. Plus, the first public library to become a book sanctuary in Pennsylvania, the dismissal of a Michigan pro-book-banning lawsuit, and the spillover of book ban rhetoric into the UK.\n\nWhile Kelly Jensen is off this week, the rest of the editorial team is filling in to cover censorship news! The first story you’ll read below is by Danika Ellis, the next two are by Erica Ezeifedi, and the last is by Rebecca Schinsky."
      },
      {
        "title": "Washington Post Attacks Eritrean Americans for Organizing in their Own Defense",
        "id": "d-24",
        "link": "https://www.blackagendareport.com/washington-post-attacks-eritrean-americans-organizing-their-own-defense",
        "snippet": "The Washington Post's latest anti-Eritrea propaganda demonizes Eritrean immigrants defending themselves in the West.",
        "source": "Black Agenda Report",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBwgHBgkIBwgKCgkLDRYPDQwMDRsUFRAWIB0iIiAdHx8kKDQsJCYxJx8fLT0tMTU3Ojo6Iys/RD84QzQ5OjcBCgoKDQwNGg8PGjclHyU3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3N//AABEIAEIAeAMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAcAAACAwEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAFBgADBAIHAQj/xAA2EAACAQMDAgQEBAUEAwAAAAABAgMABBEFEiExQQYTUWEUIoGRMnHR8AehscHxM0JichUjUv/EABkBAAMBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEBf/EACERAAMAAgMAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAABAgMREiExBEEyUcEi/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwBYdPnYEd6yXEZyMdKKTTxSTyIowwPIxVMkDNjYpP5VpoWzHDBkYrtLUq429KL22muwG4AE/wAqJx6JcMgaOF5FJxlI2bn04oUlKgLbxHeAOlazbDGSOtMkfhS+jgWaSB0GQuGGDknAGDzWyPwxdHhQCc46jsM1lepZ1Y55LYnx2jB8rnb71o8gUbNh5hEauNx6cVvuPCl/aW7TSxjYoySGBqdbNH/l6YrLDiMmsg5LkjOKY7/Rr2CHzGixG3AOepx/mlxllilMZQgt3rLXZt4jE1tnvnLVYtqVUtjIFHrWzjktGcmMMvdmx2rTHaLtQ4G0jmlVaCMe+xLlzkqB96y3ChUPrTdd6Ipd98ghTOVdlJz9hWLVfD0FnbGS4vt3z7QkUWS3GTg5/nSl8guHPopyZa2Vzx8zAH7VKtvolWARxljGJSVLjBOVHapVHK0wlEbi0M93Jas8KmOORwR8gbgH35oq+VOFHSi91/D03Gl/FHUDAwgWV4TEThwgbruHc/ShN2FtL2S13sxiRcszZJOOv16/Wu1JnC2tltnLschiM4zjNbDrEthAfNuriO1Ql2WMMwHqSF6duaC65cPDd2UpdW8+FA2BjGc4rjUry9sdOtrizuI4nuPNRlwclQAMZz3yfsKp9dCT+2P1trN7LaJ5d5I8LKGVi+cjqOa5mu7gx7ormYsqhn3MeOcduo5FINhq9wtmtu0gaWMhVKrgEYGOM08+DLK51NHCbCrJhy3+3kH+1cmbIk9aPT+LDcOt9I+QxsZXy24gkErnBrcsd78HI9vdYVR86lmGB25Jx/iiuo6ZLYRbyEGSFBGOTVMU8tnGVaCG6hkdQQycA9OOe2TSjJ++gy6a3L2K1rr02qLcwb7jbZybHEowN3IzjOex6+tc3lh5kRfcHw3Docg1a+pFnmjSIlZJdw3Oc7eyn9/0q3TrKaa5S3UzKjgFtqBscdMj++DRl1HZXx8vJ6ozwWG/Sb+TO+QW0vlRgfibYSM/XH3pS8N+KgQkOqXUrtHcBopQOGQqVKtjrgkH/Fev6ToXwcqCbAVm43jGf36V4PBZQXHi6CCwy0HxLvGo43xx7nAHTBKrjn1rPE+ctNBnyTORPG9noAv1vbL4u2lFxAFJHlkcnOMAevtQO0vW12IKihZIdwMbsCf39OcUW8NWWop/D/Ub1giTmOS6tpIfmLK0eRkeuQeuaRvBbxQ6oXljZ3eB/J2k4LA5O76UpxTW1PqC/k1tN+BPVLB7eRoJ3t5H3bkS2clowem4EA/TFSlRLqUaqG8xjm45bPJ3Hnn3qVeSdPozxZE12euWeu30OktFmDyTHcTRyyxl2WPeAOAcAgEdzkA9K8xk1eZtVupgreXNJgE+gAA/kBTJeX0UnhmdYpwkkcCwPGOD/rkkfVSD+QxS9oepPp+pW9xAASj8t5QkKqSMnaeOld9cVxPOlPsN6uY3iNw0u+3Ro7W1l6BxGTvfoDgndjPpWbXGWOCEuQUjJ2Eddrc5x965crrFjZ20qtGo1Dyt6AfgfG04Ge5qrUylvealYSTwS+U3wytDkxgKwAx35CmimhpGN7xoBmFlO4ghlPoOfT2p08CeLLk3FlZxsI5p5djbMgEADBPuTkUnX+kyvdRfB2lx8O6nYyxMy7hnvj14+lHvB3h7VI9YjvJNNlis4PmJuD5QzjjB6nkdR7etcuSJqmmdWLNcTqX0ej6nqN7feJXspY5JUiIaEGP5VGOd2PVgfpTQIZJrJVmtgsiMCFAxkDoQPb0oPostqs8lxc3Z3yKIpRFEQr8s2TtGCfmYZ/vWpdetLaZWuJd6q5ywyD098evr2qEvehV39nkt7ZXdv4yvtQJb/wAbbayIto5XczBgpHTADDJPtTrHdXemeIY7cSNaWjS4ZnjD7jtB6/kQPtXGtXdhc6Zf2MV9bC4uL43KEONiYdWXJHX5VA/Pj3obqerSNqpvzqtgsgZiyyQMVwQowMP/AMR+taXE30zJXSPQdU1uK1066u7stJDZwtM/lr6Keh/fWvzfDC0WowyCRiSd48pznHcbuvqM0+eI/E8t7ol3ZnVtOlWSML5cVm6s53DoTIQPse9K6W2nvPbCF5jMLQmXau4NLvOBjjA2kdM9KalJBO/sfv4Yajd3d3rkVzIXjYRvEFUqi4yu1F7Dbt49BSdoOk+feeIXG6NbeN0Vl4ZGLNjae34T/KnXwH4k0/RLR7G8spmzMSZFQkqCAMEeuQaEa5q2naJ4xvZ7AebpOrwBp1CkMrkkEgEA8Ek49GPpXJXLlevX/DujinO/BQtdGjhiSWWJzOJASXYgD3GPfNSme9RYp5ZfNDIGAMbDqMYJwfp9jUrbJLvXAiOOP8gdIumSzrPHZxrDCD5kLzsfNJ4BOTnj0H1ohDqVlE1vcRaRYrNG2Ijs3DjGOPXnqc54rHr0dvcAJY2uMYImeUKVPcAAf1NC44JUYEwjI7rMc/1rV0/Di6YfuNezEbZLWyhh3iQwrDtXcBjdj1960ad4maAGKWZ7e2x+GySNcnpzkfoawWukahqEZltoHn2J85a4AKgf9qGbmXO+3YA9Msen2pOmPSPRriWe6uo5F1eCGW1yI0kghxE2NpI2ucHGecUE1RtUmkeC41eG6XlgpYsHyCDxt64FK0bwCNsW6q3G3j785q7zlkmVjEgPTh2VR9M1TvHolRWxnsj4huIVFreAxrnYEuI9vXsAeKrv9K1yRT8aY2Tr88q46deTQp4FlzLHHBnqFE2wN7ZPTNabtpzZi4mY20ILBbaK5WMjAGc7GBb2ySTUrTRXjMOqQTafBE91tWKb/TZGUq+3rjHHFYUiWfEggjORwSg6fWjJZWnks5ppibAf+zzrpmiQsQR5RVu4Iz3znqawLdXU8hMMUgTbtChyVAPX8eT++1ExyG6cn2DT7p3aJ7TMWDlVXgkZx0wP0qm7tpdKVWlMRnhQL5aOGbBHqB+RxmtcNgzmXzpLyJUDFPhbl04zwCADgenbt2qTQ+bD8O97qAtioV0lmEhbHue3tim1paBU/TPZzwCE3MdyUYuy+URw+cEHOODweuP1qhWT4xbu2TM0PKvtDhPvx3rPFpnn35+KnljALb9iBiR/tOe2cc5zzijCzSG1W2Z5GQADBXjjnPOeffNTUrlyKWV8eJmF9Ot414W8y4zku6qRn1x26VK6aL0z9qlRul4Pafpcv4R9a1RAF1yOy/2qVK2MS5CVyFJAbrjvX1CfWpUoA7IyeeeK+7E/+V+1SpUjK7lECDCqMsOgrFdABeBjpUqU16DBumSO9zcK7swA6E5orEBnOOTUqVU+BfqN6IgBwi8j0rmVFJb5R9qlSmQVMqgEgDOfSuSBg8DrUqVDLRwVHoKlSpUjP//Z",
        "content": "Brigade N'Hamedu riot at an Eritrean festival in The Hague, 2024.\n\nThe Washington Post’s latest anti-Eritrea propaganda demonizes Eritrean immigrants defending themselves in the West.\n\nThe US has a lot of problematic friends in the Red Sea region, most notably Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). Along with his habit of chopping off heads and having them hung in the public square, MBS is credited with having journalist Adnan Khashoggi dismembered with a bone saw at the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul. Saudi Arabia has performed a record 213 public executions this year.\n\nMore Gulf monarchies distinguished by hair-raising human rights violations and even modern-day slavery include the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar. Like Saudi Arabia, they all prop up the petrodollar, host US military bases, and purchase vast lethal supplies of US weapons, and all but Qatar backstab Palestine. None could disembowel enough kittens to fall afoul of US sanctions.\n\nAnd then of course there’s Israel.\n\nJust south and west of this ghastly pantheon is Eritrea, a Red Sea nation that defies the dictates of Western powers, pursues egalitarian social development, eschews IMF and World Bank debt, demands a fair price for its natural resources, and refuses to collaborate with AFRICOM, the US Africa Command.\n\nNot surprisingly, Eritrea is heavily sanctioned by the U.S. for alleged human rights abuse. Exclusion from the SWIFT system for conducting international financial transactions puts it in the exclusive company of the West’s other favorite bogeymen, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.\n\nWestern politicians, pundits, and press relentlessly castigate Eritrea—never mind their headchopping friends across the Red Sea—with the most recent salvo coming from the Washington Post. The Biden Administration trained its soft power sights on the country, and this comes in its waning days.\n\nThe Post’s Nairobi correspondent, Katharine Houreld, authored the hit piece titled “How a tyrannical African country freely raises money in the U.S.” She notes that the US sanctioned Eritrea’s ruling party in 2021, alleges that the ruling party and the government are one and the same, and worries that it might be illegal to fundraise for a US sanctioned country in the US, citing anonymous experts who “said the practices deserve closer scrutiny, including the role played by nonprofit groups.” A US government Fact sheet says it’s legal to send humanitarian assistance to Cuba, which has been under US sanctions since 1962, so this threat of “close scrutiny” appears intended to intimidate Eritrean Americans.\n\nAt least 14 nonprofits raise money to be spent in Israel, including two, Israel Friends and Friends of the Israel Defense Force (FIDF), who raise funds directly for the IDF. That’s just for the record, given that Israel is of course not sanctioned by the US.\n\nFundraising for a lawsuit to protect Eritrean Americans\n\nA careful read of Katharine Houreld’s piece makes it clear that very little of the fundraising it decries is about funds to be spent by the Eritrean government or even to be spent in Eritrea. It's about a Zoom call which she claims was intended to raise money for a lawsuit against people who’ve attacked Eritrean Americans at cultural festivals and events here in the US, specifically for their attack on the Eritrean American Festival in the Seattle-Tacoma area in August 2023. Houreld also mentions past fundraising for COVID relief and cancer care in Eritrea.\n\nI attended the 2022 Eritrean Festival in Dallas, where someone gave a presentation on delivering improved cancer care. People in the audience then stood up, one after another, glowing and eager to announce contributions on behalf of their local Eritrean American communities.\n\nThere was no fundraising of any sort at the 2023 festival in Seattle or the 2024 festival in Washington DC.\n\nHoureld also writes that these are festivals \"where women in diaphanous white dresses twirl in traditional dances, pro-government musicians croon before rapt audiences, and attendees feast on steaming bowls of Eritrean cuisine.\" Oh . . . My . . .God. Sounds like fun. As one Eritrean American responded on X, “We don’t need the government or the Washington Post’s permission to have a good time!”\n\nHoureld is writing about the Seattle festival from Nairobi, but I was there. The hooligans arrived at 6 a.m., waking us up to loud sounds of destruction and gunshots. They tore down exhibition tents, vandalized property, even set Eritrean dresses on fire, and paraded around waving American flags and blue-and-green Brigade N’Hamedu flags. They later sent several festival goers to the nearest emergency room.\n\nMany Brigade N’Hamedu militants seem to have emigrated from the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, which lost its 2020-2022 war with the Ethiopian government aided by Eritrea. Others seem to be Eritreans from near the border between Tigray and Eritrea who identify as Tigrayans.\n\nWestern countries give special preference to migrants from Eritrea, as they do Cubans and Venezuelans, in an attempt to depopulate those countries of their gifted and educated youth. The Daily Mail recently published an exposé about Tigrayans on TikTok, bragging that they had managed to “con their way into Britain” by claiming to be Eritrean and “sharing huge swathes of training material to convince case officers they are from Eritrea.”\n\nAt least three individuals named in the EAGS lawsuit are of Tigrayan origin. Temesgen Kahsay, a named defendant who identifies as Tigrayan, openly admits on social media that “a large portion of the Eritrean opposition are Tigrayans. Others are Tigrayan by their mother or father’s ancestry lines.” This statement is supported by ongoing investigations. For example, in Germany, where the first attack occurred in a parliamentary hearing, German politician Jörg-Uwe Hahn notes that “the perpetrators of violence are violent groups led by the probably extremist organization 'Brigade N'Hamedu' from Tigray (Northern Ethiopia).\" The narrative that Eritreans are “clashing” continues to erode.\n\nThe militants are on a mission to undermine and violently attack Eritrean expat communities throughout the West, from Stockholm to Seattle and even Tel Aviv. In 2023, they attacked festivals and events in those cities and in Giessen and Stuttgart, Germany, London, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Denver, Dallas, St. Louis, and Atlanta. In 2024, they attacked in The Hague, Breslau, London, Indianapolis, Charlotte, and again Tel Aviv (church service) and Atlanta.\n\nThe group openly operates with a “Plan A” to warn municipal authorities and venue owners that there may be violence and prevent them from granting permits for Eritrean-themed events. Their “Plan B” is to attack the events if that fails.\n\nAt the beginning of her essay, Katharine Houreld writes, “Earlier this year, for example, about 100 Eritreans living across the United States joined a Zoom call co-hosted by officials from the Eritrean Embassy aimed at raising money to support their country’s struggle against its opponents,” which of course sounds repressive. No government should struggle against its opponents, should they? Especially not against opponents favored by the US government, opponents who might even be attempting a color revolution.\n\n“The Eritrean chargé d’affaires,” Houreld continues, “pressed those on the call to hold their own fundraising events and to urge fellow members of the diaspora to contribute as much as they could.”\n\nIt then takes Houreld another eleven paragraphs to acknowledge that the fundraising that she believes took place on this Zoom call was neither for money to be spent by the Eritrean government, nor even to be spent within the borders of Eritrea. She believes that it was instead to be spent by the Eritrean Association in Greater Seattle (EAGS) in support of their legal complaint against the hooligans who attacked their festival.\n\n“The Eritrean officials on the call said the money, in this instance,” she finally writes, “would finance a lawsuit in the United States against demonstrators who had been protesting against Eritrean government abuses.”\n\nDemonstrators protesting? Brigade N’Hamedu proudly documented their own EAGS festival riot on social media livestreams and then posted it to a YouTube channel. A number of the defendants in the lawsuit can be easily identified in the video.\n\nUnlike the constant stream of Western media propaganda demonizing Eritreans, Brigade N’Hamedu’s violent attacks are creating evidence that they are violating the laws of host countries across the West.\n\nAs earlier reported here, investigations of the many 2023 attacks are underway, and in Calgary, 28 people have been indicted on 63 criminal charges.\n\nCalgary Chief Constable Mark Neufeld told local news, “We’re not policing ideologies. We don’t get on one side or the other of this. This is around behavior for us, and so the behavior that we see in the videos and the reporting of this is the very same behavior that we’ve seen in other cities, and it’s not OK. It’s not OK in our city.”\n\nNeufeld also said that these were not clashes between two groups but violent attacks by one group upon another.\n\nThe list of Brigade N’Hamedu attackers who have been indicted and/or convicted keeps growing. Hundreds have been arrested and charged around the world. Global kingpin John Black was sentenced to four years for the Hague attack.\n\nNotable charges in the USA, include Kidane Woldemariam, who faces felony assault charges with a deadly weapon; he allegedly shot Eritreans at a peaceful event in November 2023. Haile Tseada, a defendant in the EAGS lawsuit, was arrested and charged with assaulting Charlotte police in the February 2024 riot.\n\nThere have been no more attacks since the EAGS filed their federal complaint.\n\nAnother lawsuit based on the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), which makes it illegal to participate in organized crime, is in the works.\n\nAnn Garrison is a Black Agenda Report Contributing Editor based in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2014, she received the Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza Democracy and Peace Prize for her reporting on conflict in the African Great Lakes region. She can be reached at [email protected]. You can help support her work on Patreon."
      },
      {
        "title": "Stephen Green found guilty on all charges in deadly 2018 prison riot",
        "id": "d-25",
        "link": "https://www.wltx.com/article/news/crime/stephen-green-trial-deadly-2018-prison-riot-sc/101-0bfa3ecc-9b4f-4c26-99d9-0bec24fe6245",
        "snippet": "The riot, which occurred in April 2018, was reportedly sparked by gang disputes and the control of contraband, including drugs and cell...",
        "source": "WLTX",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Green was found guilty of Murder, assault & battery by a mob in the 2nd degree, prisoner carrying and concealing weapons, and conspiracy\n\nExample video title will go here for this video\n\nExample video title will go here for this video\n\nTo stream WLTX 19 on your phone, you need the WLTX 19 app.\n\nLEE COUNTY, S.C. — Jurors found inmate Stephen Green guilty on charges of murder, assault, and battery by mob, and several other charges for his role in the 2018 riot at Lee Correctional Institution that left seven inmates dead and numerous others injured.\n\nBefore the jury entered deliberations, the prosecution and defense rested their cases Thursday. The defense called an unnamed inmate as a witness, though details of their testimony were not disclosed.\n\nIn closing arguments, the prosecution described the killing of inmate Cornelius McClary as an act of \"revenge.\" They argued that under South Carolina’s battery by mob laws, Green was responsible for all 101 stab wounds inflicted on McClary during the riot.\n\nThe defense, however, countered by highlighting the lack of physical evidence tying Green directly to McClary’s death, as no murder weapon was shown to the jury."
      },
      {
        "title": "Who are the EDL? Far right group believed to be behind Southport riot",
        "id": "d-26",
        "link": "https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/edl-southport-riots-tommy-robinson-english-defence-league-b2588631.html",
        "snippet": "It is suspected that the riots in Southport that saw 39 police officers injured were organised by the English Defence League.",
        "source": "The Independent",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBwgHBgkIBwgKCgkLDRYPDQwMDRsUFRAWIB0iIiAdHx8kKDQsJCYxJx8fLT0tMTU3Ojo6Iys/RD84QzQ5OjcBCgoKDQwNGg8PGjclHyU3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3N//AABEIAEIAdwMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAbAAACAwEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQMEBgECB//EADUQAAIBAwMCAwcDAwQDAAAAAAECAwAEEQUSITFBE1FhBhQiMnGBkRXB0SSh8TNSseEjJWL/xAAZAQADAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBAX/xAAhEQADAQACAQQDAAAAAAAAAAAAARECEiExBDJRYQMiQf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AzU0fs2JXtwgWRCVOW+Hg8kmiGHRWK+EiOc9IzyR5c1219nrzUbiaa7e2hVCRuwQwyQRn4BkHr17iu2thb29w6mK7jdGKlpMBSQexFZpNLulKaZQutO2yFyCFY4HfArb+x3s3bSrci7j3W7nanr15BpLJfW6IYpYQ4UhkH/1/FaXT/aa3h09Y4rJxMq4wrAKSe/pXlet16jWZlf09RLOc/p5MjqdgdO1Ga2cEbWIGcZ29j+K7Z25lmCRF3QgkR44BxzirWuXgvb57oxANMdzDqFPlnvRpdy0soSC03SHJHhrzyOnHNen6ZaeFyOH1LWX0X9QSGKMTe4iNQ2AY2K9jjPr3pDeOJJi78lsdec4phfTtOjMVMacAZzye9LBFK8o+AlcHjHof4rq4o422+2O9HQ3OlTpbQI0qMerFN2cnr5eVL8TW6q8v/jYrsAAfOwdgxPA/ir+hXHuWlvO3hHxJNx3SquzAPXnP4FTZ069u7YXt2scccTE4PBbd0/HNZP7NF4GvsgUC3nvOI4jHGVL5UEHdg5P0q/pFxaRJMXmhWSWdgh3DLYAqnozWyFopJUAWwt02uwByrOW4PllfzSL2jttJOqkiZVHhqeEQqxB6k570oVTUQQN+ovHkFQjj1JLHpUmtR/0MvHywv9vgIpOupo13HLHcSJBJmNbiNRJ4mWbp2XnjJ/Fd1M38lq1rpUUSpPlXeR2Zzkc5JB5PmallIRadqVpZyzJdFyJETiM4IILeX1rlZO5nYMUxtweeeprtDapefxaao70zSomgmW+he7lG7wytw2ODjsR3/wCPWpdDg0hS63GkpPIpyJHkf4cdRgNzTyygE2kpcWRGJzhHA5IILHA+gqDNhp1yr3SRQxmPaI0RnZyCO3ck9zx510PS7hyFHV7bxbgi1jS3QrxlhIg8wTnJPqakjgsTA17bnMAkDyQXV1HtUr2+XkH6nr0pVdalbfp8UUN/dyTFwjA3DsBhsHIPp2/avOr6cX9nkGnTRXVvATM7RN8wyccEA5+Y4/6qLmdmrtSRE+pNqmr+BYNHCrPiCOOJWUeSrkZ6Z/FaeyuZNOvI3hgZfCRsqTjbxjPoc1ivYG7ntdeRo0jeKceFKsj4G0nO4eZGM8ds+dbW8vLeKzub2aBZ9RuC/jSyYVFU55Vc43YwOnXnrUtuxIjT6kK9hA0OoiG7nurlrneYnVVO1tu45/GOB3rzfNarHMjzSpIWSMG4ZUUFs8k+QGMn1rNSa7fm9jura4ERRiVX5kGQQePocUr1e/mvZjJM24n0rT6Lz8mvk1DSraC5tPflnBkyXWPcsihWxtIxjJwOc9R0wag96sVS3nh2MwVVmhWNsqeuQzDnPTOfsKw241NbSr7zC87ZVSOXBYKARk7e/GeKIvgIfQIL2eyu9LxHbLE8sUEhmIkdkdjjK9iMD74q7f6K2rXE4aZIooEBVobeNASd2VIAGei1ltEtLTX/ABZtUMMFtHMW3hthlO0DYADwFGCT15ArWW9xpenW2zTXRTjKCIDaCRT40TZHbW3uHuFgkk5iZgjRSRqMMHLZz1+Yn8051K3kubIwQzyW8hBcSJkN0YYGPrn7VRvYYruzg1C3kkS4iQNMRgKwHJKjse/GM45ptIPHtrYQSlhswzSEqzZGP3NZuVJi5wwOu2SR3Mmp3bM1t8KuET4iwULnGR1IJ+9FNtXu5bmefTI44zZ2hCyO43mSQ4baoPACgjJweooq84Lf5H8kntJqyXfvVjoMiiSGOU7FyGbjIK+Y7fekvsVpX69ZJd3izNBbsysDJxcP19CFUHGM85+uafvWkwRrd2cq21w4Xc6v5gEp6YOR2re+w99Y3WkTW6SIZo5WldgRzuycn6kGhKOmSRFLbxwoEtolQDHwpGFA/FUNYtJVtZbi0XbdRKXAwMSgDlT9R0PnjtTyeTPxIAVIyDnOQao6xcpp+m3F3cEDYhwgPViOB9a2fF5jEnrLqPmuhMsWoyXll4aFI3e3ilPIJGMZ+hPemXtNq11rtxb2zJFHsXJCMDj/AHMGyeMDillpOsWlQoV3OniBSW+UMFzj14r1pUYvtaijtxIp24wW3E4GTj7DNYRUtrulKNwFA7AVVmlBY4oDt4Z2KXyOoHWhYiRl0C+negsjRt3HevTgbEJPpgdTQyf7QBRcHKR5FMBxC7pAqZbw0QhAT2/epbaK8uWUWxLM6llUtjIH+P7UnEv9QhJPx7V/atB7Pzf+8hhnmVREGVNxCg8HAz65PrQJjfRdR1K2R01An3QK3+pgkHGABn1NafTbp1gDTQGTZGCfi64wcZrBateS3EyKWVYVbJCnlvWmuq+0CNY3X6fcbVa2cFCcEHjFLWK0yHmiex9pSq3EzwCQzzvNt3H4S2OM98AAfais2Va2CA87lyy9NpPT+1dqqXEMddQ3Ls6LDGI03usQAX7Y4/xXNKup7N4p4JWiKx4dgeHB52nHrUF1FLLd3EcXTGDzj1qrLuhiMXxKe4DcGk/JKH8XtVc2s58BEI469KW6treoatN/Wy/BnIQcD61Etm0SkMV2vjcd3T+1RaozNdjcPljC8HjFFGNrOyjl0a7ucsHgDFR05C85/NR6TcLbTXeoxfAEIWGM88tn/gV3SJVNhJbPJkyZ3IW7EY4pddlYnaGIjap7dzQCPbyhVwMADgAdqiM1VHcmubqCqWWkxzXpZuOcEVW3ZrgNAFubZJtkiAUrg7R6VcM6bvGPxOQByMYpTvK9KnLlkWiiJZbssTk1XM2CauLphZEeSZRvGdq8sB60XmitbY33ChWGUJU5b+KORXBlO6nMrtM2N7sWbHmetFXtC0ObWL82vieDHGpaSQjO0dvyf3oolI5JFmVQEncAbzNgtjnoKTXR+OiihgN7bmBCeTtHWrKKp6qPxRRTEToqjGAOnlWZk+d/qaKKTGiB+tcPWiikM9UUUUAeWqcf6f2oooA2uiANYW5YAkpjJqfX40Nzb5RTgDGR6UUVD8nSvYReyIA/USAAfFQZHltooorVeDj37mf/2Q==",
        "content": "For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Email * SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice\n\nViolent clashes took place outside a mosque in Southport on Tuesday night as the town mourns a knife attack that left three young girls dead on Monday.\n\nRioters mobilised as a vigil was due to take place for the three victims: Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine.\n\nExpressing far-right views, the group gathered outside a mosque to protest against Islam after misinformation shared online suggested the attacker, 17, is Muslim.\n\nThirty-nine police officers were injured as unrest broke out, with rioters targeting officers. A police van was also set on fire, as violence took place just a few streets away from where the vigil was held.\n\nopen image in gallery One officer is suspected to have suffered a broken nose during the disturbances ( Pat Hurst/PA Wire )\n\nIn a statement on Tuesday night, Merseyside Police said they believed supporters of the English Defence League (EDL) were behind the disturbances.\n\nThe far-right group has a strong presence on social media, where leaders will mobilise supporters. It was once led by Tommy Robinson, with many members chanting his name during the events.\n\nHere’s everything you need to know about the anti-Islam hate organisation:\n\nWho are the English Defence League (EDL)?\n\nFounded in 2009, the EDL is a far-right, Islamophobic pressure group. Its members will often mobilise for street demonstrations against immigration and multi-culturalism, and sometimes mount counter-action to protests with progressive aims.\n\nThe group rose to prominence between 2009 and 2012, during much of which it was informally led by Robinson. Real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, Robinson was imprisoned several times during these years for violent or disruptive behaviour.\n\nMany of the early EDL members were recruited from Luton football club supporters, Robinson’s home town team. The group has links to football hooliganism.\n\nThe EDL’s rise coincided with the decline of the British National Party as an electoral force. The far-right political party gained over half a million votes at the 2010 general election, a record-high. It has now faded into electoral obscurity.\n\nopen image in gallery Tommy Robinson marches with supporters in central London ( AFP via Getty Images )\n\nRobinson stood down as leader of the EDL in 2013, citing fears over the “dangers of far-right extremism.” The same year, he would publicly apologise to Muslim communities and offer to give evidence to the police to aid their investigation of EDL members.\n\nHe has since been convicted for contempt of court and stalking, and was most recently arrested on 28 July under anti-terror laws. The 41-year-old had screened a film to supporters in central London repeating false claims he had made about a Syrian refugee, over which he lost a libel case in 2021.\n\nHis arrest came after he organised a counter-protest to a Stand Up To Racism march that was happening in the capital on July 27. Engaging with his supporters on Facebook, he said the event would be the “biggest patriotic rally the UK has ever seen.” Nine of his supporters were arrested after clashes with the police.\n\nopen image in gallery Members of the right-wing EDL take part in a protest in Tower Hamlets, east London on September 3, 2011. ( Carl Court/AFP via Getty Images )\n\nLast year, right-wing protesters mobilised in the city on Armistice Day to mount a counter-protest to the weekly pro-Palestine marches which have been ongoing during the Israel-Gaza conflict. The group clashed with police at the Cenotaph, and 145 people were arrested, most of whom belonged to the counter-protesters.\n\nSpeaking after the events then-prime minister Rish Sunak said: “I condemn the violent, wholly unacceptable scenes we have seen today from the EDL and associated groups and Hamas sympathisers attending the National March for Palestine.”\n\nDespite a decline over the past decade, EDL members are known to mobilise after certain events to express anti-Islam views, such as the attack in Southport. Members are thought to have also spread to other far-right groups such as National Action and Patriotic Alternative, which also organise protests."
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump Supporters Storm U.S. Capitol, Clash With Police : Capitol Insurrection Updates",
        "id": "d-27",
        "link": "https://www.npr.org/sections/congress-electoral-college-tally-live-updates/2021/01/06/953616207/diehard-trump-supporters-gather-in-the-nations-capital-to-protest-election-resul",
        "snippet": "Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they try to storm the Capitol in Washington, DC on Wednesday.",
        "source": "NPR",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSWY1fkzA2-WZkXVs3x3wq1legYTa7__oxD6OOaCtBppwf7NWTRnj_eqftWSg&s",
        "content": "Trump Supporters Storm U.S. Capitol, Clash With Police\n\nEnlarge this image toggle caption Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images\n\nUpdated 3:08 p.m. ET\n\nThousands of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, prompting the House and Senate to abruptly take a recess as the U.S. Capitol Police locked down the building. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered a citywide curfew from 6 p.m. on Wednesday until 6 a.m. on Thursday.\n\nProtesters had amassed in Washington, D.C., to reject the results of the Nov. 3 election, cheering as President Trump himself addressed the crowd and urged them to protest what he falsely claims was a rigged election before marching to the Capitol and pushing past security barriers there.\n\nThe protests are timed to coincide with Congress' certification of the Electoral College votes and aim to pressure Republican lawmakers into supporting Trump's effort to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's electoral victory.\n\nTrump supporters, many wearing red MAGA hats but no face masks, gathered at The Ellipse where the president addressed them midday Wednesday. The crowd faced the White House and a stage was flanked by two big \"Save America March\" signs swayed to the beat of the Village People song \"Macho Man\" and Michael Jackson's \"Billy Jean.\"\n\nEnlarge this image toggle caption Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images\n\nAfter the speech, they pushed past barriers onto the Capitol grounds, while yelling, \"Whose Capitol? Our Capitol,\" NPR's Hannah Allam reports. Police and other security put up more barriers and security layers as protesters breached the initial security layer. Protesters climbed the scaffolding, looking for any way in to get to the Capitol, Allam said, and armed police rushed in tackling them.\n\nSponsor Message\n\nAs thousands of Trump supporters climbed up the side of the Capitol to get inside, bursts of what appeared to be gas cannisters are being fired though it was not clear who was firing them.\n\nEarlier, the mood was celebratory though the rhetoric was angry with speaker after speaker telling the crowd, \"We can't back down. This is just the beginning.\" The president's son Donald Trump Jr. greeted the crowd with: \"Hello, Patriots!\"\n\nOutside the U.S. Capitol, several dozen Trump supporters waved flags and prayed for \"angel armies\" to intervene, calling on lawmakers inside to \"reject\" the election.\n\nA huge contingent of Proud Boys marched in, some chanting \"storm the Capitol\" and \"1776!\" and massed for the Capitol building.\n\nFor many in the crowd, it was inconceivable that Congress would certify the November vote, as it's expected to. Echoing the president's words, they pledged to fight, some calling for a rebellion and others vowing to refocus energy on the 2024 race. And they made it clear that Republicans who didn't back Trump would pay a price.\n\n\"We're not moving on,\" said Lawrence Ligas, a 55-year-old from Chicago who said he used to be a Democrat before Trump \"earned\" his vote.\n\nEnlarge this image toggle caption Hannah Allam/NPR Hannah Allam/NPR\n\n\"We are not Republicans. We are the MAGA party. We are patriots,\" he said.\n\nNearby, 28-year-old Lisa Hayes was attracting a crowd with her outfit: a white tulle ballgown covered with mail-in ballots marked \"STOLEN.\"\n\n\"I am the 2020 election,\" Hayes said.\n\nAs she was explaining that the importance of election integrity brought her to Washington, a bystander interrupted and gestured toward her thin outfit in 43-degree weather.\n\n\"You're not freezing?\" he asked Hayes.\n\n\"My blood is boiling, so I'm fine!\" she replied.\n\nSponsor Message\n\nMayor Bowser had said Wednesday that her city was ready to keep protests peaceful and protesters safe, even though Trump tweeted that Wednesday's protests would be \"wild.\"\n\n\"I think it's unfortunate that the president himself has incited violence,\" said the mayor.\n\nPolice stablished a bigger \"traffic box\" a perimeter where vehicle traffic is restricted, she said, and, \"we have our entire police force activated\" along with National Guard and with help from other nearby jurisdictions, the mayor said.\n\n\"All of that is very expensive,\" said Bowser, \"we incur overtime costs when we do that.\"\n\nThe nation's capital is a cradle of protests, and Bowser says it's the city's responsibility to provide support for the movements of the president and the many demonstrations taking place in the Trump administration. The federal government hasn't paid its public safety bill in two years, but Bowser says she's confident that D.C. will be reimbursed.\n\n\"The federal government owes us about $100 million,\" she said. \"We will continue to work with the Congress to make sure we're made whole for our emergency fund.\"\n\nBowser also praised D.C. police for the arrest earlier this week of Henry \"Enrique\" Tarrio, leader of the far-right group Proud Boys. Tarrio has been barred from the District and is facing misdemeanor destruction of property charges and two felony counts of possession of high capacity firearm magazines.\n\nAccording to court documents obtained by NPR, the magazines are AR-15/M4 compatible with a capacity of 30 rounds each, and every magazine is labeled with the Proud Boys insignia.\n\n\"I sell on my site,\" Tarrio told the officers who found the magazines in his bookbag. \"I had a customer that bought those two mags, and they got returned 'cause it was a wrong address. And I contacted him, and he's like, 'I'm going to be in D.C.,' so I'm like, 'OK, I'll take 'em to you.' \"\n\nProud Boys members typically dress in black and yellow, but are planning to wear all black, to mimic Antifa, a loose affiliation of far-left activists. The two groups have violently clashed in the past.\n\nThe U.S. Park Police confirmed that permits for Wednesday's rally at The Ellipse had all been approved, including an amendment from 5,000 people to 30,000 people.\n\nEvery city police officer is on duty, and the city has also mobilized 300 members of its National Guard. The D.C. Metropolitan Police Department issued a traffic advisory that includes parking restrictions and street closures around downtown, a larger perimeter than in previous pro-Trump protests.\n\nEnlarge this image toggle caption John Minchillo/AP John Minchillo/AP\n\n\"My level of anxiety is high,\" D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine said in an interview with CBS News. \"My preparation is even more intense than that.\"\n\nSponsor Message\n\nRacine's office is working with the FBI and others, but his main concern is that the Proud Boys will \"pick fights, create damage and then act in a very threatening way.\"\n\nOren Segal, vice president at the Center on Extremism at the Anti-Defamation League, has been working and advising the D.C. government in preparation for Wednesday's protests.\n\n\"The stakes are higher today,\" he said.\n\nSegal says that Trump rallies appeal not only to extremists seeking to leverage a crisis, but also to people who show up merely in support of Trump, like the Muellers from Texas.\n\nThe concern was that nonviolent Trump supporters at these protests will \"get wrapped up in the tactics and violence of the extreme fringes\" because they are at a protest at the same time, he said.\n\nSegal anticipates some disruption during the protests, but he's optimistic.\n\n\"Some individuals will seek to gain attention to themselves and their cause by engaging in violence,\" he said. \"[But] even at this sort of last hour, I remain hopeful that most of the people who show up will be peaceful.\"\n\nNPR National Security Correspondent Hannah Allam and reporter Tom Bowman contributed to this report."
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump supporters storm U.S. Capitol, with one woman killed and tear gas fired",
        "id": "d-28",
        "link": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trump-supporters-storm-capitol-dc/2021/01/06/58afc0b8-504b-11eb-83e3-322644d82356_story.html",
        "snippet": "Trump supporters overtook Capitol Police officers to enter the building as lawmakers attempted to count the electoral college votes on Jan. 6.",
        "source": "The Washington Post",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSc1ndI-L6bTd_guRi6fujfN2onwpHaVvQw90UcbPVBDLHumBPj5_giTBXGvA&s",
        "content": "As President Trump told a sprawling crowd outside the White House that they should never accept defeat, hundreds of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in what amounted to an attempted coup that they hoped would overturn the election he lost. In the chaos, law enforcement officials said, one woman was shot and killed by Capitol Police.\n\nThe violent scene — much of it incited by the president’s incendiary language — was like no other in modern American history, bringing to a sudden halt the congressional certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory.\n\nWith poles bearing blue Trump flags, a mob that would eventually grow into the thousands bashed through Capitol doors and windows, forcing their way past police officers unprepared for the onslaught. Lawmakers were evacuated shortly before an armed standoff at the House chamber’s entrance. The woman who was shot was rushed to an ambulance, police said, and later died. Canisters of tear gas were fired across the Rotunda’s white marble floor, and on the steps outside the building, rioters flew Confederate flags.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“USA! USA!” chanted the would-be saboteurs of a 244-year-old democracy.\n\nThe Senate stopped its proceedings, and the House doors were closed. In a notification, U.S. Capitol Police said no one would be allowed to come or go from the building as they struggled to regain control. “Stay away from exterior windows, doors. If outside, seek cover,” police warned.\n\nAll 1,100 members of the D.C. National Guard were activated, and Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) imposed a citywide curfew. From 6 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday, Bowser said, no one other than essential personnel would be allowed outdoors in the city.\n\nThe mob had arrived hours earlier, charging past the metal barricades on the property’s outer edge. Hundreds, then thousands followed them. Some scaled the Capitol’s walls to reach entrances; others climbed over one another.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBy day’s end, four people would be dead: one from gunfire and three from medical emergencies that officials have yet to explain.\n\nOn the building’s east side, police initially pushed the pro-Trump demonstrators back but soon gave up and fell back to the foot of the main steps. Within a half-hour, fights broke out again, and police retreated to the top of the stairs as screaming Trump supporters surged closer. After police perimeters were breached, the elated crowd began to sing the national anthem.\n\nFor an hour, they banged on the doors, chanting, “Let us in! Let us in!” Police inside fired pepper balls and smoke bombs into the crowd but failed to turn them away. After each volley, the rioters, who were mostly White men, would cluster around the doors again, yelling, arguing, pledging revolution.\n\nSometime after 2:10 p.m., a man used a clear plastic riot shield to break through the windows on a first floor to the south side of the building, then hopped in with a few others. Once inside, police suspect, rioters opened doors to let in more of their compatriots.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nA Capitol Police officer yelled from a higher stairway at the intruders, ordering them to stop, but when they didn’t, the officer fired at a man coming at him, two law enforcement officials said. Amid shouts and people rushing to get away from the sound of gunfire, rioters saw a woman in their group collapse. Police believe she was unarmed, a law enforcement official said, but the officer who shot her did not know that. Capitol Police had already been warned by D.C. police that many in the crowds were secretly carrying weapons.\n\n“They shot a girl!” someone yelled as a group of Trump supporters ran out of the southeast entrance.\n\nA team of paramedics with a gurney soon arrived and a Capitol Police officer stepped aside to let them pass. “White female, shot in the shoulder,” the officer said as they hurried past. They emerged minutes later.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nOn the gurney was a woman later identified as Ashli Babbitt. Dressed in jeans, the 35-year-old gazed vacantly to one side, her torso and face covered in blood. Babbitt, a California native and an Air Force veteran, was a staunch supporter of the president.\n\nAs the gurney was loaded into the back of the ambulance, pro-Trump rioters swarmed around it, screaming, “Murderers!”\n\nCapitol Police officers with long guns pushed them back, and the ambulance drove off.\n\nInside, where the lawmakers had donned gas masks kept under their chairs, Rep. Jamie B. Raskin (D-Md.) could only think of his family as he and other lawmakers hid from the mob. Reeling from the loss of his 25-year-old son last week, Raskin had taken one of his daughters and his son-in-law to the Capitol to watch the debates unfold over certification of Biden’s election, he said, “because we wanted to be together.” Raskin was helping lead Democrats’ arguments against Republican objectors.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“I thought I could show them the peaceful transfer of power in the United States of America,” Raskin told C-SPAN earlier. “What was really going through my mind was their safety because they were not with me in the chamber, and I just wanted us all to get back together.”\n\nRep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) said members were told that chemical irritants had been released in Statuary Hall and, for a moment, braced for the possibility that they would be exposed to tear gas. Capitol Police barricaded the doors with tables and bookshelves.\n\nSpanberger, a former CIA case officer, said that it was a crisis she would only expect to see unfold in fragile, faraway places.\n\n“This is what we see in failing countries,” she said. “This is what leads to a death of democracy.”\n\nThe shooting and the breach triggered an instant call for help across Washington to other law enforcement agencies. At the U.S. Secret Service, headquarters sent out an emergency alert to all gun-carrying Secret Service personnel to report to headquarters in preparation to help secure the Capitol.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nMeanwhile, dozens of other rioters streamed into the building, where they smashed windows and vandalized offices amid furious clashes with officers desperate to maintain control.\n\n“MURDER THE MEDIA,” read a message written on one door.\n\n“WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN,” read another left in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who also refused to back down, later directing her colleagues to return and finish validating Biden’s victory.\n\nRep. Karen Bass, a Democrat from California, shared a photo on Twitter of a long-haired man in a Trump hat carrying a rostrum adorned with the gold-colored seal of the speaker.\n\n“Arrest this man,” she demanded.\n\nAt 3:30 p.m., more law enforcement in riot gear arrived at the Capitol.\n\n“Traitors,” Trump supporters shouted. “What’s your oath?”\n\nBiden condemned what he called an “unprecedented assault” on American democracy, “unlike anything we’ve seen in modern times.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“This is not dissent. It’s disorder. It’s chaos,” he said. “It borders on sedition, and it must end now.”\n\nFor hours, Trump made little effort to quell the violence he had helped instigate, finally sharing a video at 4:17 p.m. in which he told people to “go home” — while continuing to promote the falsehood that he had won the election.\n\n“We love you,” he told them. “You’re very special.”\n\nThe Capitol has been the target of violence before. In 1954, Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire from a House gallery, injuring five lawmakers on the floor below. In 1971, a bomb planted by a radical left-wing group exploded, though no one was harmed. In 1998, a gunman opened fire, killing two Capitol Police officers. But not since the British set fire to the Capitol in 1814 has a mob overrun the ultimate symbol of American freedom.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe fallout on Wednesday was immediate, stunning the world, the country and, perhaps most of all, political Washington. Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton joined Republican Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) in denouncing Trump for provoking the mob, while Twitter, Facebook and Instagram all temporarily banned him from their platforms. Several conservative lawmakers who had planned to object to Biden’s certification announced that they had changed their minds.\n\nShortly after 8 p.m., just an hour or so after hundreds of law enforcement officers had at last finished clearing the mob and removing Trump flags left inside the building, heavily armed FBI agents and police officers in riot gear escorted lawmakers back to work.\n\nAs discussion inside the battered building resumed, the sense of fear that had gripped the nation’s capital for much of the day had yet to subside.\n\nFederal agents were investigating a pickup truck found with weapons, ammunition and potential bombmaking material parked outside the Republican National Committee, according to two people familiar with the inquiry who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it. The truck, parked across the street from the party offices and near the entrance to a Metro station, contained rifles and shotguns and a mass of ammunition, these people said. Federal agents were still trying to determine whether that vehicle and its contents are connected to suspected pipe bombs found earlier in the day.\n\nBy late evening, D.C. Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said officers had arrested at least 52 people, including four for carrying pistols without a license, one for possession of a prohibited weapon and 47 for curfew violations and unlawful entry. Along with the pipe bombs, he said, police discovered a cooler packed with molotov cocktails on the Capitol grounds. In total, 14 D.C. officers were injured Wednesday. One was hospitalized after being pulled into a crowd and assaulted, and another received “significant facial injuries” after being hit with a projectile.\n\nJust past sunset, a man was stabbed at 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, near Freedom Plaza, but it was unclear whether the attack was related to the assault at the Capitol, a mile east.\n\nThose who had made it inside the building took on a celebrity status when they came back out. A woman who said she had footage on her phone of Capitol Police pointing guns at rioters was circled by dozens who wanted to see it. People traded what information they had about the woman who was shot inside. Some called her a “martyr.”\n\nAfter she was taken away, the mood soured, though many remained joyous. “We’re making history,” one woman said as she strolled down Independence Avenue with friends.\n\nBeneath streaming flags, including some that read “F--- Biden” and that depicted Trump as the movie character Rambo, people loudly exhorted Jesus and chanted “USA!”\n\nMany called friends and family and took videos.\n\n“We weren’t violent before, but we are now,” a middle-aged White man said, talking into his cellphone. “There’s no going back.”"
      },
      {
        "title": "Pro-Trump Mobs Lay Siege to Capitol, Lawmakers Return to Certify Biden Win",
        "id": "d-29",
        "link": "https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-01-06/trump-supporters-storm-the-capitol",
        "snippet": "The US Capitol was overtaken Wednesday by supporters of President Donald Trump, who, spurred on by his comments and angered by his loss, breached police lines.",
        "source": "U.S. News & World Report",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQvl43peFvoxN1Ea9vGAGduSoVSiKzEX0iiJgUua9VCkO27ne-eo5Bz5nRWbA&s",
        "content": "The U.S. Capitol was overtaken Wednesday by supporters of President Donald Trump, who, spurred on by his comments and angered by his loss, breached police lines and forced their way into the building, inside lawmakers' offices and onto the Senate floor in a bid to stop the peaceful transfer of power.\n\nThe rioting protesters sat at the desk of the Senate president, hung off balconies and milled about in tear-gas filled hallways. Lawmakers crouched and cowered in the House gallery as the mob attempted to break inside. Trump and Confederate flags flew outside and were waved inside the Capitol.\n\nA woman was shot inside the Capitol and later died, according to reports. It was not immediately clear who the victim was or who shot her.\n\nTrump supporters shattered glass in the halls of the Capitol, looting and destroying offices. Some forced their way into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's offices. In the House chamber, law enforcement drew their guns and pointed them at the doors to the chamber as protesters attempted to break inside.\n\nThe violent chaos started earlier Wednesday afternoon, when mobs swarmed the Capitol shortly after Congress entered into a joint session to certify President-elect Joe Biden's win.\n\nBy about 6 p.m officials said the Capitol building was \"secure,\" though it was not apparent what exactly that meant. Law enforcement appeared to successfully disperse some of the crowd, but many demonstrators remained well past the 6 p.m. curfew implemented by the District of Columbia, milling about as police stood around and gradually attempted to push them out of the area.\n\nLawmakers reconvened at 8 p.m., pledging to continue with the certification of votes.\n\nTrump Supporters Storm Capitol Building View All 44 Images\n\nThe day's events, while stunning, were perhaps not surprising. Trump has for months refused to concede the election, whipping supporters into a frenzy by claiming without a shred of evidence that there was widespread voter fraud, the election was \"stolen\" from him and that he is the rightful winner. A group of Republican lawmakers have backed those claims and planned to object to the electoral votes from three key states in a desperate and ultimately symbolic gesture that does not stand to change the outcome of the election.\n\nTrump's insistence that the election was rigged spurred the crowds of supporters to congregate Wednesday on the National Mall in a demonstration couched as a \"defense\" of American democracy. Trump spoke to the crowd, again claiming the election was rigged.\n\nLines of Capitol Police were quickly broken. The FBI and other agencies also later joined enforcement efforts, but reinforcements either did not arrive in time or were not enough to stop the crowds from breaching the Capitol.\n\nTrump remained relatively silent during the first couple hours of the siege, tweeting two tepid messages asking demonstrators to \"stay peaceful\" but not to leave the Capitol.\n\nAround 4:20 p.m., more than two hours after the unrest began and as demonstrators remained in and around the Capitol, Trump tweeted a video in which he repeatedly and again said the election was stolen. But he told demonstrators to \"go home.\"\n\nThen, roughly two hours later, Trump appeared sympathetic to the demonstrators.\n\n\"These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!\" Trump tweeted.\n\nTwitter later removed the tweets and locked the president's account in an unprecedented step for the social media giant.\n\nBiden earlier in the day delivered a televised speech declaring that democracy was \"under unprecedented assault\" and said the day's events amounted to an \"insurrection.\" He called on Trump to \"demand an end to this siege.\"\n\nLawmakers and officials also took to Twitter to denounce the mobs. Some pointed at Trump, calling for impeachment proceedings or accusing him of inciting the attack on the Capitol through his rhetoric.\n\nIn a statement released Wednesday afternoon, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah pointed to Trump as the root cause of the violence.\n\n\"What happened here today was an insurrection, incited by the President of the United States,\" Romney said.\n\nInternational leaders also denounced the mob's actions ."
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump’s supporters storm the Capitol to block the transfer of power",
        "id": "d-30",
        "link": "https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/01/06/trumps-supporters-storm-the-capitol-to-block-the-transfer-of-power",
        "snippet": "But they failed to stop the certification of Joe Biden's victory | United States.",
        "source": "The Economist",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTWifQ-IOBq_c6tHNCMgYDA_TBk8H-ySpoMclnEcmEqxlhcxgo1H-fWJIGPWg&s",
        "content": "INSTEAD OF THE dull, pro-forma ritual that normally marks the joint session of Congress that certifies a presidential victory, Washington on January 6th experienced what was at best a riot, at worst an insurrection. But the attempts by both the mob and Mr Trump’s congressional allies to overturn the result of November’s election failed when Congress confirmed Mr Biden as the new president in the early hours of January 7th."
      },
      {
        "title": "Law enforcement missed key signs ahead of riot on US Capitol",
        "id": "d-31",
        "link": "https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/politics/police-capitol-riots-response",
        "snippet": "Despite weeks of planning between federal and local police agencies ahead of Wednesday's Trump rally – including tracking social media...",
        "source": "CNN",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS01ywB7kcLBpQQlRL0QBGCrUvWvhttyq3DBzxR5_QOBFTHFxlMofBwZEd0AQ&s",
        "content": "CNN —\n\nDespite weeks of planning between federal and local police agencies ahead of Wednesday’s Trump rally – including tracking social media – officials said that going into Wednesday they had no intelligence indicating there was a threat the US Capitol could be overrun.\n\nIt would turn out to be a catastrophic failure after an angry mob overwhelmed police and stormed into the Capitol building, ransacking lawmakers’ offices, injuring dozens of officers and stealing electronics and documents that could possibly include sensitive national security information. Five people died during the riots, including a woman shot by US Capitol Police and a police officer.\n\nDuring conference calls that included federal agencies and the city’s police ahead of the rally, federal law enforcement officials say the US Capitol Police assured counterparts they had the situation under control—they knew how to deal with large demonstrations at the Capitol, in large part because the complex was already being prepared for Inauguration Day, one of the most secure events in the city, according to sources familiar with the matter.\n\nFederal and local officials said Thursday they did not have intelligence suggesting any violent mob was preparing to attack the Capitol, even as demonstrators were publicly saying on social media they were not planning a typical protest.\n\nDespite weeks of preparations, “obviously, what happened no one anticipated,” Michael Sherwin, acting US Attorney for the District of Columbia, told reporters in a telephone press conference Thursday. “Things could have been done better.”\n\nOf course, there were reports of violence when Trump’s backers had come to town last month, and the FBI was monitoring everything from social media to the hotels where some of the rioters were staying. One sign of the preparations came in the days before the rally, when, acting on the FBI’s intelligence information, Washington’s Metropolitan Police arrested Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys, after he left the airport en route to his hotel.\n\nHe was charged for his role in destroying a Black Lives Matter banner at a previous Proud Boys march in Washington, and prosecutors later added charges for carrying two extended ammunition magazines that are illegal in the city. As part of his release, a local judge told him to leave town and to stay away from Wednesday’s rally.\n\nPolice were caught flat-footed the next day. DC Police Chief Robert Contee told reporters Thursday there was no intelligence that suggested there would be a breach of the US Capitol on January 6. Three DHS sources, who usually receive such reports, were unaware of a threat assessment being shared from the DHS intelligence office ahead of Wednesday’s siege.\n\nSeveral federal executive branch agencies had teams on standby ready to assist Capitol Police. And they weren’t aware the Capitol Police weren’t in any position to be able to prevent the insurrection at the Capitol that led to some of the most secure areas of the building to be overrun by rioters.\n\nThe call for help from the Capitol Police came as protesters, apparently riled up from speeches during a rally near the White House, began converging at barricades outside the Capitol. It was too late.\n\nSerious questions about being caught off guard\n\nThe ransacking of the Capitol has sparked serious questions across Washington about how the US Capitol was caught so off guard – putting in danger lawmakers as well as Vice President Mike Pence – and why law enforcement treated President Donald Trump’s supporters differently than the Black Lives Matter protests that occurred last year. The episode has quickly led to recriminations on Capitol Hill – with Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund planning to resign next week – and vows to investigate the incident from Republicans and Democrats alike.\n\nHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House Sergeant at Arms, Paul Irving, was submitting his resignation, while Senate Sergeant at Arms, Michael Stenger, submitted his resignation late Thursday, according to a statement by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.\n\nPart of the planning for the Trump rally took into account criticism that federal and local police, and the US National Guard received for handling of summer protests, federal and local officials say.\n\nThis included a heavy-handed response to protesters near Lafayette Park, who were cleared to make way for a Trump photo op walk to St. John’s Church across from the White House. The visible police and National Guard presence for the Trump rally was notably less aggressive than during summer protests.\n\nA Homeland Security law enforcement source said the “most glaring and obvious speck in our eye is when you contrast it to similar demonstrations that did not always go well and the response,” referring to the heavy-handed response DHS had in Portland and Washington, DC this past summer.\n\nCoordinated by Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, federal executive branch agencies had more than 500 officers and agents close by and ready to help, a Justice Department spokesman said.\n\n“We had what I believe were sufficient federal resources for this,” Sherwin said, adding, “I cannot speak for the Capitol Police.”\n\nSund issued a statement Thursday saying that Capitol Police “had a robust plan established to address anticipated First Amendment activities.”\n\n“But make no mistake – these mass riots were not First Amendment activities; they were criminal riotous behavior,” Sund said, adding that the rioters “actively” attacked officers and were “determined to enter into the Capitol Building by causing great damage.”\n\nBut police chiefs across the country who plan for major protests, sometimes with other agencies, make contingency plans for how to respond when something goes wrong – for when a First Amendment protest turns into violence, which Wednesday’s rioters said all along it would be.\n\nOne of the complications of the capital is that the Capitol Police reports to Congress and is separate from the Executive Branch agencies, including the FBI and Secret Service, which don’t have jurisdiction on the Capitol grounds unless requested by the Capitol Police.\n\nFormer Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer told CNN that Washington, DC, police have responsibility for the entire city, while Capitol police cover the area that includes the Capitol and House and Senate office buildings.\n\n“What’s kind of been worked out is, everyone tends to their business until we need each other,” Gainer said. “There’s some concurrent jurisdictions, some separate.”\n\nIn practice, the different agencies do their own work until they’re needed. There was a time when Metro Police couldn’t give field sobriety tests so Capitol Police would respond to DUI traffic stops, Gainer said.\n\nCall for help came too late\n\nSherwin said the first indication of trouble was when crowds began breaching entrances on the east front of the Capitol building.\n\nFederal officials had been asked for help – first with bomb threats in multiple locations, and then to the Capitol itself – but they said by the time they were asked to respond to the chaos at the Capitol, it was too late for them to intervene and stop the building from being breached.\n\n“They have jurisdiction. And the minute they asked for support, we sent it,” Acting Homeland Security Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said on Fox News. “And by the way, they asked for support before violence began. So that was not a pure reaction. There was some planning to it. But it was just too close to when everything began to heat up. And they were outnumbered and overwhelmed. I mean, that’s why you see pictures like that. It’s pure, it’s just numbers.”\n\nMultiple federal law enforcement agencies deployed emergency response teams near the Capitol on Wednesday that were eventually deployed to respond to the unfolding rioters that had breached the Capitol building.\n\nThe Metropolitan Police Department, DC’s local police force, said there was a call for help from Capitol Police at 1 p.m. Both the FBI and the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Bureau had teams near the Capitol, and after they received a call for help, more than 300 agents and officers were deployed to the Capitol, sources told CNN.\n\nBut less than 90 minutes later, the Capitol was under siege as rioters entered into some of the most secure parts of the building, including the Senate chamber and Pelosi’s office.\n\nThe Homeland Security law enforcement official said both ICE and CBP had quick response teams available if needed for any protests or breach of headquarters locations. Those teams were on standby, the official said, but there was no request for DHS assets to go to the Capitol beyond a limited number of Secret Service and Federal Protection Service officers.\n\nThe FBI response included SWAT teams and other special agents who were deployed to assist US Capitol Police to clear the Capitol grounds, as well as a Hostage Rescue Team. The FBI also has evidence response teams on site collecting evidence and bomb technicians to respond to pipe bombs at buildings that house the Republican and Democratic National Committees.\n\nA team of The ATF’s explosive specialists responded to bomb threats in Washington, DC. A short time later, they received the call for help from Capitol Police and ATF’s special response team and agents from Baltimore and Washington deployed to the Capitol to assist clearing the rioters.\n\nCongressional leaders quickly got on the phone with acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller and Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy in the early moments of the riots, while lawmakers were being evacuated from the House and Senate chambers, Schumer said Thursday. The call was tense, a source said, with lawmakers demanding answers about why there wasn’t better protection.\n\n“The question is why weren’t they there in advance, and then why didn’t they get there ASAP. All of that needs to looking into,” Schumer told reporters.\n\nMaryland Gov. Larry Hogan Thursday said that he was on the phone with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who pleaded with him to send the Maryland National Guard to help. But Hogan said the Maryland Guard was told multiple times “we don’t have authorization” and waited an hour and a half before he finally received a call from Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy to deploy to the Capitol.\n\nHogan said that McCarthy asked him, “‘Can you come as soon as possible?’ Yeah, we’ve been waiting. We’re ready.”\n\nCNN reported on Wednesday that it was Pence, not Trump, who helped to facilitate members of the DC National Guard deploying to the Capitol, and Trump initially resisted deploying the National Guard.\n\nClearing the Capitol\n\nAfter lawmakers, aides and reporters had been evacuated to safety, it was the FBI and ATF teams that ultimately cleared the Capitol building, and not Capitol police, sources tell CNN.\n\nThe two agencies each went from one end of the Capitol, room-to-room, meeting in the middle to clear the building and allow Congress to return to the House and Senate chambers to finish certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s win, sources said.\n\nAround 7 p.m., as the Capitol complex was being cleared, federal law enforcement agencies held another call with Pence and House and Senate leaders. Capitol Police were not included in the call, according to one source, and the tone was quite different than the earlier call as the situation was still unfolding.\n\nActing Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf was up late into the night in Qatar monitoring events as they unfolded on Capitol Hill Wednesday, according to a DHS official familiar with his trip. In light of the siege on the Capitol, Wolf arranged to return to the US as quickly as possible, the official said, following visits to Cyprus, Bahrain and Qatar this week.\n\nICE Homeland Security Investigations personnel, who were deployed to support Federal Protective Service last year to protect the agency’s buildings amid protests, were not sent out to the Capitol Wednesday, and stayed at ICE headquarters as they did during the summer’s Black Lives Matter protests, though they were on standby to assist, according to two officials. Federal Protective Service, meanwhile, requested assistance from US Customs and Border Protection to protect federal facilities and property.\n\n“There are many questions lingering about the attack on the US Capitol and it will take time to discover the answers,” said FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor in an internal message to the workforce Thursday, which was obtained by CNN. FEMA staff, Gaynor said, worked overnight to “support efforts to ensure continuity of government operations.”\n\nThis story has been updated to reflect a Capitol Hill police officer has died."
      },
      {
        "title": "Photos: Trump supporters turn violent, storm U.S. Capitol",
        "id": "d-32",
        "link": "https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-01-06/trump-supporters-rally-white-house-congress-affirm-biden-win",
        "snippet": "Trump supporters gather in the U.S. capital to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden's electoral college victory over...",
        "source": "Los Angeles Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTUYRVDzkGQBVk86RSA_grj9F8VQz3zpTSjQSQIPZcE9U8OxkxbLvQ4ELm7ow&s",
        "content": "Violent supporters of President Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, shattering windows, ransacking offices and pounding on the barricaded doors of the House chamber while shaken lawmakers huddled inside.\n\nThe extraordinary breach of democratic order — blamed by both parties on the president’s incitement — forced members to flee the House and Senate floors under armed guard, delaying Congress’ constitutionally mandated count of electoral college votes.\n\nPolitics Full coverage: Trump acknowledges incoming administration amid growing calls for impeachment In the wake of the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, the top two Democrats in Congress — Nancy Pelosi and Charles Schumer — called for the removal of President Trump from office.\n\nWashington\n\nCapitol police rest outside the House chamber on Thursday. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)\n\nWith the U.S. Capitol in the background, lights from police vehicles illuminate Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe National Guard moves a man outside the Capitol. (John Minchillo / Associated Press )\n\nPolice officers in riot gear confront Trump supporters outside the U.S. Capitol. ( Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images)\n\nPro-Trump rioters break into the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)\n\nRiot police clear the hallway inside the Capitol. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)\n\nPolice officers with guns drawn watch as a members of a mob try to break into the House chamber inside the Capitol. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)\n\nMembers of Congress run for cover as Trump supporters try to enter the House chamber. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nCongressional staffers barricade themselves after Trump supporters storm the Capitol. (Oliver Douliery / AFP/Getty Images)\n\nCongressional staffers work to barricade themselves. (Oliver Douliery / AFP/Getty Images)\n\nA member of the pro-Trump mob drops into the Senate Chamber. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)\n\nRep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.) comforts Rep. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) while they take cover as a pro-Trump mob storms the U.S. Capitol. (Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call)\n\nU.S. Capitol Police detain people who entered the Capitol outside the House chamber. (Drew Angerer / Getty Images)\n\nTrump supporters occupy the Capitol. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nPro-Trump rioters attempt to force their way through a police barricade in front of the Capitol. (Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times)\n\nA Trump supporter sits behind the desk of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after he joined the mob that stormed the Capitol. (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images)\n\nA Trump supporter yells inside the Senate chamber. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)\n\nSupporters of President Trump occupy the Capitol Rotunda. (Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images)\n\nA Trump supporter sits in the Senate chamber in Washington, after storming the Capitol. (Win McNamee / Getty Images)\n\nTrump supporters clash with police and security forces as they try to storm the Capitol. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nA Trump supporter is among those tear gassed while a protest turned into a riot. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)\n\nA rioter gestures to Capitol Police in the hall outside the Senate chamber at the Capitol. (Manuel Balce Ceneta / Associated Press)\n\nTrump supporters rally earlier in the day to protest Wednesday’s scheduled ratification of President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral college victory. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)\n\nCrowds arrive for a rally protesting the U.S. election. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images)\n\nPresident Trump arrives to speak at the rally. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)\n\nCrowds arrive waving flags for a rally to protest the election. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nSupporters of President Trump gather for a rally. (Samuel Corum / Getty Images)\n\nTrump supporters gather Wednesday to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral college victory. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)\n\nTrump supporters gather on the Washington Monument grounds in advance of a rally, as Congress prepares to affirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. (Julio Cortez / Associated Press)\n\nLos Angeles\n\nPro-Trump demonstrators taunt anti-protesters across the street as they rallied outside Los Angeles City Hall. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)\n\nRosie Ornelas, left with her daughter-in-law, Carley Ornelas, pray as Pro-Trump demonstrators rallied outside Los Angeles City Hall. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)\n\nAn anti-Trump protestor, left, and a pro-Trump demonstrator exchange blows after they rallied outside Los Angeles City Hall. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)\n\nAdvertisement\n\nMore visual journalism from the Los Angeles Times"
      },
      {
        "title": "How a Presidential Rally Turned Into a Capitol Rampage (Published 2021)",
        "id": "d-33",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/12/us/capitol-mob-timeline.html",
        "snippet": "We analyzed the alternating perspectives of President Trump at the podium, the lawmakers inside the Capitol and a growing mob's destruction...",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQx5VpWuZ1o9-Vr7NgqAwW6Eg_63GYZEInzMhxYQkbCYSrBQBSraQtrQDqAiQ&s",
        "content": "When President Trump railed against the election results from a stage near the White House on Wednesday, his loyalists were already gathering at the Capitol. Soon, they would storm it. We analyzed a crucial two-hour period to reconstruct how a rally gave way to a mob that nearly came face to face with Congress.\n\n500 feet WASHINGTON, D.C. White House N Pennsylvania Ave. Trump speech Supporters already at the Capitol Constitution Ave. Supporters gathered Fencing Supporters marching to the Capitol Barricades Washington Monument NATIONAL MALL U.S. Capitol Tidal Basin 500 feet WASHINGTON, D.C. White House N Pennsylvania Ave. Trump speech Supporters already at the Capitol Constitution Ave. Supporters gathered Fencing Supporters marching to the Capitol Barricades Washington Monument NATIONAL MALL U.S. Capitol Tidal Basin 500 feet N WASHINGTON, D.C. White House Pennsylvania Ave. Trump speech Supporters already at the Capitol Constitution Ave. Supporters gathered Barricades Washington Monument NATIONAL MALL Supporters marching to the Capitol Fencing U.S. Capitol Tidal Basin N WASHINGTON, D.C. 500 feet White House Pennsylvania Ave. Supporters already at the Capitol Trump speech Constitution Ave. Supporters gathered NATIONAL MALL U.S. Capitol Supporters marching to the Capitol Tidal Basin Fencing Barricades\n\nThe day’s events were captured by protesters and witnesses who live-streamed the action or posted the scenes on social media. The footage shows the simultaneous and alternating perspectives of Mr. Trump at the podium, the lawmakers inside the Capitol and the swelling numbers — and growing violence — of the rioters on the ground.\n\nA Brewing Storm President Trump prepares to go onstage. Supporters gather at the Capitol.\n\nFor weeks, Mr. Trump had urged his supporters to go to Washington to stop the certification of the election results, and several simultaneous rallies were planned for Wednesday.\n\nAs the morning arrives, hundreds assemble on the Capitol lawn, more than a mile away from where Trump will soon speak near the White House. Among them are the Proud Boys, a far-right group, identifiable here by their orange hats.\n\n11:50 a.m. East side of Capitol Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/For The Washington Post via Getty Images\n\nAt the same time, near the White House, Donald Trump Jr. films the president and his inner circle backstage before his father’s speech. In a video uploaded to his Facebook page, they are listening to the song “Gloria” and marveling at the size of the crowd.\n\n11:54 a.m. South of White House Donald Trump Jr. via Facebook\n\nCapitol Crowds Grow Trump calls for march on Capitol. A large crowd heads in that direction.\n\nAbout 15 minutes into his speech, Mr. Trump tells rally attendees to walk to the Capitol. “You have to show strength,” he says.\n\nAt this moment, the Capitol grounds are protected by temporary perimeter fences, and there are few officers equipped to defend them.\n\n12:17 p.m. South of White House U.S. Network Pool\n\nSupporters leave the rally in a steady stream before Mr. Trump’s speech ends, and they head toward the Capitol.\n\n12:29 p.m. Constitution Ave. Talia Jane via Twitter\n\nAs they arrive, another crowd of Trump supporters that has already gathered along the west perimeter fence becomes more agitated.\n\n12:49 p.m. West of the Capitol grounds Status Coup via Storyful\n\nAround this time, a pipe bomb is reported at the Republican National Committee building, just a block away from the Capitol. Not long after, another device is discovered nearby at the Democratic National Committee headquarters.\n\nN U.S. CAPITOL Explosives reported at party buildings R.N.C. Building D.N.C. Building N U.S. CAPITOL R.N.C. Building Explosives reported at party buildings D.N.C. Building\n\nFirst Barriers Breached Trump continues speaking. Rioters topple a fence to the Capitol’s west. Congress begins joint session.\n\nAbout 20 minutes before Trump’s speech ends, some people in the Capitol crowd harass officers posted at the barricades and start to get physical. Others follow suit, until they violently overwhelm the police and breach the building’s outer perimeter.\n\n12:53 p.m. Northwest side of the Capitol Elijah Schaffer via Twitter\n\nThe mob quickly breaks through three additional barricades, forcing officers back onto the west Capitol steps.\n\n12:53 p.m. First barricades breached Fencing N Capitol steps Supporters gathering Supporters marching from Trump rally East side barricades NATIONAL MALL U.S. CAPITOL 1 p.m. Joint session of Congress convenes in House chamber 12:53 p.m. First barricades breached Fencing Capitol steps N Supporters gathering Supporters marching from Trump rally East side barricades NATIONAL MALL U.S. CAPITOL 1 p.m. Joint session of Congress convenes in House chamber N Fencing Supporters gathering 1 Supporters marching to the Capitol East side barricades 2 Capitol steps U.S. CAPITOL 1 12:53 p.m. First barricades breached. 2 1 p.m. Joint session of Congress convenes in House chamber.\n\nOnce at the steps, the group clashes with a small contingent of officers. After a few minutes, Capitol Police officers in riot gear arrive to help control the crowd.\n\n12:58 p.m. West side of Capitol Status Coup via Storyful\n\nAt this time, the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, begins the proceedings to certify the Electoral College vote at a joint session of Congress, alongside Vice President Mike Pence.\n\nOutside, the chants begin: “Whose house? Our house!”\n\n1:03 p.m. House Chamber C-SPAN\n\nTrump’s Call to Action Trump again calls for a march on the Capitol. Mob continues to clash with police. Ted Cruz objects to certification.\n\nAs Mr. Trump’s speech comes to an end, he calls on his supporters to “walk down Pennsylvania Avenue” toward the Capitol. Rioters there continue to violently clash with officers, including reinforcements from the local police department who have arrived on the scene. Both sides spray chemical agents.\n\n1:15 p.m. West side of Capitol Status Coup via Storyful\n\nInside the Capitol, members of Congress seem unaware of the extent of the violence outside. The House and Senate have moved to their separate chambers to debate certifying the vote. Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, argues that the Senate should not certify Arizona’s electoral votes.\n\n1:48 p.m. Senate Chamber C-SPAN\n\nA minute later, Chief Steven Sund of the Capitol Police makes the request for immediate assistance from the D.C. National Guard. Outside, rioters tear through scaffolding in front of the Capitol’s northwest steps and make their way closer to the building.\n\n1:50 p.m. West side of Capitol Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images\n\nAssault on the East Side Groups breach police barricades. Amy Klobuchar and other legislators debate.\n\nOn the east side of the Capitol, where the police presence is much smaller, another mob is about to reach the doors of the building.\n\nFencing N Mob continues to riot Around 2:00 p.m. Police barricades are breached on the east side West side barricades NATIONAL MALL U.S. CAPITOL Lawmakers continue to debate in both chambers Mob continues to riot Fencing Around 2:00 p.m. Police barricades are breached on the east side N NATIONAL MALL West side barricades U.S. CAPITOL Lawmakers continue to debate in both chambers N Fencing 1 3 West side barricades East side barricades 2 U.S. CAPITOL 1 Around 2:00 p.m. Police barricades are breached on the east side 2 Lawmakers continue to debate in both chambers 3 Mob continues to riot\n\nThe police remove a barricade at the northeast corner of the building after violent confrontations between officers and the crowd.\n\n1:58 p.m. Northeast side of Capitol Marcus DiPaola via TikTok\n\nA YouTube live stream captures the exact moment a massive crowd also breaches a separate, larger barricade on the east side. This is the last physical barrier protecting that side of the Capitol.\n\n2:00 p.m. East side of Capitol Stephen Ignoramus via YouTube\n\nMob Reaches Doors on West Side Group breaches west side barricades. Legislators continue debate.\n\nBack on the northwest side of the Capitol, another YouTube livestream captures the mob chasing officers up the steps and breaching the final barrier on that side.\n\n2:10 p.m. Northwest side of Capitol John Sullivan via YouTube\n\nViolent clashes with the police have been ongoing for more than an hour by the time the mob finally breaks through.\n\nThe mob approaches an entrance near the Senate chamber, one floor below where senators continue to debate.\n\nFencing N 2:10 p.m. Group breaches the final barrier East side barricades already breached West side barricades NATIONAL MALL U.S. CAPITOL Lawmakers continue to debate in both chambers 2:10 p.m. Group breaches the final barrier Fencing N East side barricades already breached NATIONAL MALL West side barricades U.S. CAPITOL Lawmakers continue to debate in both chambers N Fencing 1 West side barricades East side barricades already breached 2 U.S. CAPITOL 1 2:10 p.m. Group breaches the final barrier on the west side 2 Lawmakers continue to debate\n\nRioters surround the building on both sides, but there’s no indication that the lawmakers inside know the extent of the breach. As the mob approaches the doors of the Senate wing, Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Democrat of Arizona, urges her colleagues to “reject this meritless challenge and uphold the will of Arizona’s voters.”\n\n2:10 p.m. Senate Chamber C-SPAN\n\nRioters Break Into the Building Mob enters the building. Senators continue debate just steps away.\n\nRioters on the west side break into the building around 2:11 p.m. Two minutes later, as they reach the stairs next to the Senate chamber, the Senate is called into recess.\n\n2:13 p.m. Senate Chamber C-SPAN\n\nRioters continue to stream into the building. They enter through a door and a broken window on the northwest side.\n\n2:15 p.m. Northwest side of Capitol John Sullivan via YouTube\n\nRioters chase an officer to the top of a staircase where there are entrances to the Senate chamber in both directions.\n\n2:14 p.m. Inside the Capitol Igor Bobic/HuffPost via Storyful\n\nThe officer leads the rioters one way, and backup arrives — while the police inside the chamber are still trying to lock the doors.\n\nN U.S. CAPITOL Second Floor 2:14 p.m. Mob makes it to top of stairs near Senate chamber entrance East side Hallways Mob faces off with officers Senate Chamber 2:13 p.m. Senate goes into recess West side 2:11 p.m. Mob breaks through doors and windows on first floor Capitol grounds and National Mall N U.S. CAPITOL Second Floor East side 3 Hallways Senate Chamber 4 2 West side 1 Capitol grounds and National Mall 1 2:11 p.m. Mob breaks through doors and windows on first floor 2 2:13 p.m. Senate goes into recess 3 2:14 p.m. Mob makes it to top of stairs near Senate chamber entrance 4 Mob faces off with officers\n\nNow rioters stand off with the police in the hall, feet away from the entrance to the Senate chamber. Senators are still milling about inside.\n\n2:16 p.m. Hall outside Senate chamber Win Mcnamee/Getty Images\n\nThe Siege Continues Thousands reach the Capitol. Congress is halted.\n\nMore than five minutes after the first rioters break into the building, the House also goes into recess. Now, the police are clashing with the mob inside the building as some members of Congress are able to evacuate. Others are trapped inside while rioters pound on the doors.\n\nOutside the building, the crowd grows as attendees from President Trump’s rally continue to stream in. The mob becomes more violent, dragging and beating officers.\n\nThree hours will pass before the sergeant-at-arms declares the building secure."
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump Supporters Storm US Capitol, Clash With Police",
        "id": "d-34",
        "link": "https://www.wgbh.org/news/politics/2021-01-06/trump-supporters-storm-us-capitol-clash-with-police",
        "snippet": "Protesters supporting President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol Wednesday, clashing with police and forcing a delay in the constitutional process.",
        "source": "GBH",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS_1xqpJQ9hXeAM-8o47vkb1s6cV0zq8BTKY0x77QjitgDrAotj5-ag3XHung&s",
        "content": "Updated at 3:23 p.m.\n\nWASHINGTON (AP) — Protesters supporting President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, clashing with police and forcing a delay in the constitutional process to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's win.\n\nDozens of people breached security perimeters at the Capitol and lawmakers inside the House chamber were told to put on gas masks as tear gas was fired in the Rotunda.\n\nA chaplain prayed as police guarded the doors to the chamber and lawmakers tried to gather information about what was happening, and an announcement was played inside the Capitol as lawmakers were meeting and expected to vote to affirm Biden's victory. Due to an “external security threat,” no one could enter or exit the Capitol complex, the recording said.\n\nProtesters were also seen inside the Senate chamber. One got up on the dais and yelled “Trump won that election.”\n\nSeveral dozen are roaming through the halls, yelling “Where are they?” according to a pool report.\n\nCongressional leaders were whisked to safety. Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris, who was attending the joint session, and was also said to be safe.\n\nAt an earlier rally, Trump had urged his supporters to march to the Capitol. After protesters clashed with law enforcement and breached the Capitol building, Trump tweeted to his supporters to “stay peaceful.”\n\n“Please support our Capitol Police and Law Enforcement,” Trump tweeted, as tear gas was deployed in the locked-down Capitol. “They are truly on the side of our Country. Stay peaceful!”\n\n“We’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women, and we’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them,” Trump said.\n\nBoth chambers abruptly went into recess. The District of Columbia's Mayor, Muriel Bowser, issued a curfew for 6 p.m.\n\nThe skirmishes occurred outside in the very spot where president-elect Biden will be inaugurated in just two weeks.\n\nProtesters tore down metal barricades at the bottom of the Capitol’s steps and were met by officers in riot gear. Some tried to push past the officers who held shields and officers could be seen firing pepper spray into the crowd to keep them back. Some in the crowd were shouting “traitors” as officers tried to keep them back.\n\nA suspicious package was also reported in the area, Capitol Police said.\n\nThe skirmishes came just shortly after Trump addressed thousands of his supporters, riling up the crowd with his baseless claims of election fraud at a rally near the White House on Wednesday ahead of Congress' vote.\n\n“We will not let them silence your voices,” Trump told the protesters, who had lined up before sunrise to get a prime position to hear the president."
      },
      {
        "title": "Texas closes its Capitol building after Trump supporters storm U.S. Congress",
        "id": "d-35",
        "link": "https://www.kltv.com/2021/01/06/texas-closes-its-capitol-building-after-trump-supporters-storm-us-congress/",
        "snippet": "The Capitol and Capitol Complex are closed to the public effective immediately,” the agency said in a statement attributed to Freeman Martin...",
        "source": "KLTV",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQHASwPIHN6EsTeD3oL5R8CrCb3oo5bItVnnVCkvgTgVGZ0QjIUBinn2M0MdA&s",
        "content": "AUSTIN, Texas (The Texas Tribune) - The Texas Department of Public Safety on Wednesday closed the state Capitol and surrounding grounds after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. during the certification of the Electoral College.\n\nAn official with the law enforcement agency confirmed the move in a statement to The Texas Tribune.\n\n“The Capitol and Capitol Complex are closed to the public effective immediately,” the agency said in a statement attributed to Freeman Martin, the agency’s deputy director of homeland security operations.\n\nThe news comes as chaos erupted in Washington as Trump supporters protested the certification of the Electoral College. The shutdown of the Texas Capitol, which reopened to the public Monday after being closed for months, also comes days before the Texas Legislature is set to convene for its 2021 legislative session.\n\n“Texas closes its Capitol building after Trump supporters storm U.S. Congress” was first published at https://www.texastribune.org/2021/01/06/texas-state-capitol-building/ by The Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune is proud to celebrate 10 years of exceptional journalism for an exceptional state.\n\nCopyright 2021 KLTV. All rights reserved."
      },
      {
        "title": "Among the Insurrectionists at the Capitol",
        "id": "d-36",
        "link": "https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/01/25/among-the-insurrectionists",
        "snippet": "The Capitol was breached by Trump supporters who had been declaring, at rally after rally, that they would go to violent lengths to keep the President in power.",
        "source": "The New Yorker",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS3dtvbFQZDfmjNrYRJes3cm3FVEuYSYAn7OZOD0pDXa3r_keIju19uedFxMg&s",
        "content": "Right-wing extremists justify such inconsistency by assigning the epithet “oath-breaker” to anyone in uniform who executes his duties in a manner they dislike. It is not difficult to imagine how, once Trump is no longer President, his most fanatical supporters could apply this caveat to all levels of government, including local law enforcement. At the rally on December 12th, Nicholas Fuentes underscored the irreconcilability of a radical-right ethos and pro-police, pro-military patriotism: “When they go door to door mandating vaccines, when they go door to door taking your firearms, when they go door to door taking your children, who do you think it will be that’s going to do that? It’s going to be the police and the military.”\n\nDuring Trump’s speech on January 6th, he said, “The media is the biggest problem we have.” He went on, “It’s become the enemy of the people. . . . We gotta get them straightened out.” Several journalists were attacked during the siege. Men assaulted a Times photographer inside the Capitol, near the rotunda, as she screamed for help. After National Guard soldiers and federal agents finally arrived and expelled the Trump supporters, some members of the mob shifted their attention to television crews in a park on the east side of the building. Earlier, a man had accosted an Israeli journalist in the middle of a live broadcast, calling him a “lying Israeli” and telling him, “You are cattle today.” Now the Trump supporters surrounded teams from the Associated Press and other outlets, chasing off the reporters and smashing their equipment with bats and sticks.\n\nThere was a ritualistic atmosphere as the crowd stood in a circle around the piled-up cameras, lights, and tripods. “This is the old media,” a man said, through a megaphone. “This is what it looks like. Turn off Fox, turn off CNN.”\n\nOutside the Capitol, rioters surrounded news crews, chasing off the reporters and smashing their equipment with bats. Photograph by Balazs Gardi for The New Yorker\n\nAnother man, in a black leather jacket and wraparound sunglasses, suggested that journalists should be killed: “Start makin’ a list! Put all those names down, and we start huntin’ them down, one by one!”\n\n“Traitors to the guillotine!”\n\n“They won’t be able to walk down the streets!”\n\nThe radicalization of the Republican Party has altered the world of conservative media, which is, in turn, accelerating that radicalization. On November 7th, Fox News, which has often seemed to function as a civilian branch of the Trump Administration, called the race for Biden, along with every other major network. Furious, Trump encouraged his supporters to instead watch Newsmax, whose ratings skyrocketed as a result. Newsmax hosts have dismissed covid-19 as a “scamdemic” and have speculated that Republican politicians were being infected with the virus as a form of “sabotage.” The Newsmax headliner Michelle Malkin has praised Fuentes as one of the “New Right leaders” and the groypers as “patriotic.”\n\nAt the December 12th rally, I ran into the Pennsylvania Three Percent member whom I’d met in Harrisburg on November 7th. Then he had been a Fox News devotee, but since Election Day he’d discovered Newsmax. “I’d had no idea what it even was,” he told me. “Now the only thing that anyone I know watches anymore is Newsmax. They ask the hard questions.”\n\nIt seems unlikely that what happened on January 6th will turn anyone who inhabits such an ecosystem against Trump. On the contrary, there are already indications that the mayhem at the Capitol will further isolate and galvanize many right-wingers. The morning after the siege, an alternative narrative, pushed by Jones and other conspiracists, went viral on Parler: the assault on the Capitol had actually been instigated by Antifa agitators impersonating Trump supporters. Mo Brooks, an Alabama congressman who led the House effort to contest the certification of the Electoral College votes, tweeted, “Evidence growing that fascist ANTIFA orchestrated Capitol attack with clever mob control tactics.” (Brooks had warmed up the crowd for Trump on January 6th, with a speech whose bellicosity far surpassed the President’s. “Today is the day American patriots start takin’ down names and kickin’ ass!” he’d hollered.) Most of the “evidence” of Antifa involvement seems to be photographs of rioters clad in black. Never mind that, in early January, Tarrio, the Proud Boys chairman, wrote on Parler, “We might dress in all BLACK for the occasion.” Or that his colleague Joe Biggs, addressing antifascist activists, added, “We are going to smell like you, move like you, and look like you.”\n\nNot long after the Brooks tweet, I got a call from a woman I’d met at previous Stop the Steal rallies. She had been unable to come to D.C., owing to a recent surgery. She asked if I could tell her what I’d seen, and if the stories about Antifa were accurate. She was upset—she did not believe that “Trump people” could have done what the media were alleging. Before I responded, she put me on speakerphone. I could hear other people in the room. We spoke for a while, and it was plain that they desperately wanted to know the truth. I did my best to convey it to them as I understood it.\n\nLess than an hour after we got off the phone, the woman texted me a screenshot of a CNN broadcast with a news bulletin that read, “antifa has taken responsiblitly for storming capital hill.” The image, which had been circulating on social media, was crudely Photoshopped (and poorly spelled). “Thought you might want to see this,” she wrote.\n\nIn the year 2088, a five-hundred-pound time capsule is scheduled to be exhumed from beneath the stone slabs of Freedom Plaza. Inside an aluminum cylinder, historians will find relics honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.: a Bible, clerical robes, a cassette tape with King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, part of which he wrote in a nearby hotel. What will those historians know about the lasting consequences of the 2020 Presidential election, which culminated with the incumbent candidate inciting his supporters to storm the Capitol and threaten to lynch his adversaries? Will this year’s campaign against the democratic process have evolved into a durable insurgency? Something worse?\n\nOn January 8th, Trump was permanently banned from Twitter. Five days later, he became the only U.S. President in history to be impeached twice. (During the Capitol siege, the man in the hard hat withdrew from one of the Senate desks a manual, from a year ago, titled “PROCEEDINGS OF THE UNITED STATES SENATE IN THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF PRESIDENT DONALD JOHN TRUMP.”) Although the President has finally agreed to submit to a peaceful transition of power, he has admitted no responsibility for the deadly riot. “People thought that what I said was totally appropriate,” he told reporters on January 12th.\n\nHe will not disappear. Neither will the baleful forces that he has conjured and awakened. This is why iconoclasts like Fuentes and Jones have often seemed more exultant than angry since Election Day. For them, the disappointment of Trump’s defeat has been eclipsed by the prospect of upheaval that it has brought about. As Fuentes said on the “InfoWars” panel, “This is the best thing that can happen, because it’s destroying the legitimacy of the system.” Fuentes was at the Capitol riot, though he denies going inside. On his show the next day, he called the siege “the most awe-inspiring and inspirational and incredible thing I have seen in my entire life.”\n\nAt the heap of wrecked camera gear outside the Capitol, the man in the leather jacket and sunglasses declared to the crowd, “We are at war. . . . Mobilize in your own cities, your own counties. Storm your own capitol buildings. And take down every one of these corrupt motherfuckers.” Behind him, lights glowed in the rotunda. The sky darkened. At 8 p.m., Congress reconvened and resumed certifying the election. For six hours, Americans had held democracy hostage in the name of patriotism.\n\nThe storm might be here. ♦"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "topic_id": 4,
    "topic": "Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe assassinated",
    "docs": [
      {
        "title": "Violence Shadows Ecuador's Presidential Election",
        "id": "d-37",
        "link": "https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/violence-shadows-ecuadors-presidential-election",
        "snippet": "The drug trade has deepened the security crisis in Ecuador, which will elect a new leader on April 13.",
        "source": "Think Global Health",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Ecuador's first round of presidential voting in early February was unprecedented. Incumbent President Daniel Noboa and opposition leftist candidate Luisa González monopolized 90% of the vote, leaving the other 14 candidates with single-digit percentages and at least 12 who failed to reach even 1%. The atypical results came with an extraordinary period of violent threats and acts against politicians regardless of their leanings.\n\nLast December, President Noboa reported that the National Police had found a car bomb near a neighborhood in El Oro, where he had planned to make a campaign stop. González reported receiving death threats and placed her security in the hands of the nation's armed forces. Socialist candidate Pedro Granja suspended his campaign events after an attack. Centrist Jimmy Jairala's car was shot at the start of his campaign, and leftist candidate Andrea González decided to wear a bulletproof vest during her public appearances.\n\nViolence seems to be everywhere in Ecuador, affecting its education, health care, and politics. The candidates vying to lead the South American country—considered in recent years to be one of the most violent in the world—are well aware of this reality. Insecurity is the primary concern of their voters. Seven in 10 Ecuadorians fear going out at night, and the country ranks worst on Gallup's Law and Order Index, which annually measures the perception of security in 140 countries.\n\nViolence seems to be everywhere in Ecuador, affecting its education, health care, and politics\n\nOn April 13, when Noboa and González face off in the presidential runoff, violence could play an unparalleled role in voter decision-making.\n\nViolent threats against Ecuador's politicians are remnants of a deep national wound yet to heal. In August 2023, presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated just ten days before the election. Since then, 30 politicians, including elected officials, have been murdered.\n\nThe security crisis complicates daily life even in places once considered safe havens, such as schools and hospitals. According to the Ministry of Education, approximately 90,000 children have dropped out of school since 2022, making Ecuador a record-holder as a country unfit for children. Homicide is the leading cause of death among Ecuadorian minors, and ever since criminal gangs normalized extorting students in exchange for permission to attend school, the NGO Plan International reports that 20% of children actively try to avoid classes due to fear of violence.\n\nAs schools become no-go zones, hospitals turn into cemeteries. The country had become accustomed to high levels of violence, averaging nearly 2,000 alerts of attacks in hospitals per year, according to the Ministry of Health. In recent months, doctors and hospital administrators have been murdered, kidnapped, and extorted, prompting authorities to take extreme measures, including to close a health-care center in Durán—a coastal city of nearly 400,000 people that, in 2023, was the homicide capital of the world.\n\nA patient suffering from COVID-19 receives medical attention at the Quito South Social Security Institute dining hall, in Quito, Ecuador, on April 9, 2021. REUTERS/Santiago Arcos\n\nEcuador's surge in violence is linked to the explosion of organized crime. Last November, The Economist dubbed Ecuador the world's newest narco-state. The reasons are plentiful. Judges, police officers, and prosecutors are accused of working for drug cartels. Three Ecuadorian cities rank among the 50 most violent in the world. According to Italy's ambassador to Ecuador, Giovanni Davoli, \"70% of the world's cocaine passes through Ecuador.\" Davioli represents European security cooperation against the South American mafia. President Noboa estimated the \"size of Ecuador's criminal economy at around $30 billion USD\"—meaning that roughly one in every four dollars circulating in the country is tainted with blood and cocaine.\n\nBreaking the Cycle of Violence\n\nExperts such as former Army General Commander Luis Altamirano believe that Ecuador is stuck in a cycle of ineffective policies. In theory, the government has tried everything: border closures, states of emergency, declarations of internal armed conflict, harsher penalties, and international cooperation. Yet, after a brief slowdown during 2024, violent deaths are once again rising and are expected to break new records. \"There is no long-term vision for addressing the security problem,\" Altamirano reflects. \"We don't even know what the official public security policy is, nor what kind of reforms are planned—if any.\"\n\nSubscribe to Our Newsletter Sign up for our weekly newsletter to stay up to date. Email Address Submit See Past Newsletters Thank you for signing up! Look for your next weekly newsletter in your inbox.\n\nAs these trends persist, the two leading candidates continue to blame each other. Noboa, who has governed for just a year and a half and seeks reelection for a full four-year term, argues that he has not had enough time to tackle the violence. He says he has faced opposition roadblocks and that his predecessors opened the doors to organized crime. González, on the other hand, accuses the incumbent president of lacking an action plan, improvising amid the security crisis, and dismantling the 2000s era crime-fighting policies of her party's former government—when, she claims, Ecuador was one of the safest countries in the region.\n\nWith weeks still left in the campaign and a presidential debate ahead, both candidates will be expected to move beyond vague rhetoric and broad statements on security. No matter who wins the most votes on April 13, Ecuadorians expect real results against violent crime.\n\nPeople leave after casting their votes at the Cesar Arroyo school during the presidential elections, in Cayambe, Ecuador, on August 20, 2023. REUTERS/Karen Toro\n\nAndersson Boscán is an investigative journalist and cofounder of La Posta, known for exposing corruption and organized crime in Latin America."
      },
      {
        "title": "Should we expect post-election violence?",
        "id": "d-38",
        "link": "https://www.brandeis.edu/stories/2024/october/election-klausen.html",
        "snippet": "Election violence is almost guaranteed but it will be localized. We know this script. Self-deployed heavily armed militants will turn up at...",
        "source": "Brandeis University",
        "imageUrl": 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",
        "content": "A repeat of the January 6, 2021, assault on Congress is in my view unlikely. Trump is not in the White House and Kamala Harris, not Mike Pence, is the Vice President. Charging the Capitol building to prevent a peaceful transfer of power is pointless this time. In any case, the leaders of the groups that conspired to lead the mob in 2021 are not available to orchestrate another raid. They are in prison. Close to 1,300 January 6 rioters have been charged and prosecuted or are awaiting trial. Many did plea bargains that also will keep them at home.\n\nElection violence is almost guaranteed but it will be localized. We know this script. Self-deployed heavily armed militants will turn up at election sites and intimidate voters and election officials under the guise of “protecting” the election. Safeguarding the election against small-town vigilantes will be challenging. The Trump campaign, already anticipating a loss, is mobilizing a “Stop the Steal” campaign and preparing slates of fake electors who will reject certification should Harris win. Election officials and volunteers are already bombarded with death threats. The difference between a real threat and a ‘ha-ha’ threat is irrelevant when you are on the receiving end. They are all real.\n\nTrump has accused Harris and the Democrats of inciting violence against him when they say he is a threat to democracy. The charge is disingenuous. The perpetrators of the two recent assassination attempts on Trump had donated small sums to both parties, and one of them had voted for Trump in 2016. Would-be assassins are more likely to be motivated by martyrdom fantasies or desires for fame than partisan political motives."
      },
      {
        "title": "Clan violence in the Southern Philippines: Rido threatens elections and peace in Bangsamoro",
        "id": "d-39",
        "link": "https://acleddata.com/2025/05/09/clan-violence-in-the-southern-philippines-rido-threatens-elections-and-peace-in-bangsamoro/",
        "snippet": "One of the most cited reasons for deadly rido violence is competition over land. A firefight between the rival Impos and Magao clans on 18...",
        "source": "ACLED",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "A hard-won peace may be largely prevailing in the southern Philippines, but not all is quiet in the camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). As the region’s Muslim Moro people await the first ever and oft-delayed parliamentary elections of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the MILF, whose decades-long separatist armed struggle culminated in a peace agreement with the national government in 2014 and the creation of the BARMM in 2019, finds itself confronted by a violence older than that of its former adversaries from the national government: war between clans, traditionally called “rido.”\n\nIt is not the violence any ideologically committed MILF fighter had arguably signed up to confront, but it has claimed the lives of many a fighter. On 10 August 2022, for example, two factions of the MILF, each identified with rival clans, engaged in a firefight in Pikit town, Cotabato, in which four people were killed, including a civilian. The fighting led to the evacuation of hundreds of villagers and required the intervention of military, police, and local government officials to stop. Similarly, on 4 September 2024, the rival Aragasi and Usman clans, both affiliated with the MILF, engaged in a firefight in Parang town, Maguindanao del Norte, killing four. The fighting erupted over a long-running land dispute between the two clans.\n\nSuch fighting related to clan blood feuds concerns not only the MILF but also the wider Moro society. Precisely for this reason, it cannot be downplayed as a threat to the peace process, especially as the fate of the around 15,000 MILF fighters who have yet to undergo decommissioning depends on the success of the BARMM polls. The first polls — delayed multiple times for different reasons ranging from COVID-19 to (most recently) the belated exclusion of Sulu province from BARMM — are understood to be the completion of the government and MILF’s mutual commitments to each other under the 2014 peace agreement. The peace process is thus entering a critical homestretch that demands just enough calm from all armed stakeholders for a full-fledged autonomous government to emerge — through the ballot box rather than through arms.\n\nThe MILF is not unaware of the persistent challenge rido poses to its own ranks and has tried for years to resolve clan conflicts between its members. When the MILF announced the end of two clan wars in 2011, it acknowledged that such rido conflicts are obstacles to peace. Later, in June 2020, the MILF celebrated its resolution of what it called the biggest rido in the formerly unified Maguindanao province (split into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur in 2022). At the time, the MILF asserted that the peace agreement between the Sindatok and Tundok clans, which respectively led the MILF’s 105th and 118th Base Commands, would eliminate “half of the rido problem in Maguindanao.”\n\nAll eyes are now waiting to see whether the MILF will do better than its historical predecessor, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), in dealing with rido. The MNLF, founded in 1972, signed its own peace agreement with the national government in 1996 and consequently governed the earlier Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) region that preceded BARMM. The MNLF-led ARMM was largely seen as a failure, not only because the MILF (which had split from the MNLF by 1977 over strategic differences) continued its rebellion, but also because the MNLF was seen to have failed in asserting political legitimacy over powerful local clans. Rido now threatens to once again be a stumbling block to the MILF and the national government’s efforts to establish a lasting peace in Mindanao.\n\nRido violence and clan-based social structures in BARMM\n\nRido violence is traditionally defined as clan-based violence between Moro Muslim clans. The existence of rido itself illustrates the strong clan-based dynamics that persist in the region, which far predate the separatist political movements that shaped Mindanao’s political history over the last few decades. ACLED records over 150 rido events since 2018. Unsurprisingly, most rido violence persists in present-day BARMM, which accounts for around 80% of all such events since 2018, but also to a significant degree in the neighboring Soccsksargen region (see map below). Most such events have no relation to MILF or other armed group activity.\n\nUsing reports of violent events from local and national media, ACLED has recorded violent incidents related to rido from 2018 onward. ACLED classifies events as rido-related if a report on political violence explicitly refers to rido as the cause or likely cause. On rare occasions when reports do not explicitly refer to rido, they may still use very similar language, referring to “clan blood feuds” or fighting between clans in the Muslim-majority part of Mindanao, the traditional homeland of the Moro people. This area is now mostly in present-day BARMM, but rido events have also been recorded in neighboring regions, including Soccsksargen, Northern Mindanao, and Zamboanga Peninsula.\n\nSurveying ACLED data on rido violence reveals its multifaceted nature. Motives for specific outbreaks of violence range from the overtly political to the decidedly personal. Given the overall security implications and social significance of rido in clan-based Mindanao society, all such events are included in the ACLED dataset, whether they are attributed to electoral competition or a personal grudge.\n\nOne of the most cited reasons for deadly rido violence is competition over land. A firefight between the rival Impos and Magao clans on 18 September 2020, which killed two militiamen from each group, is a typical example of a clan-based dispute over land that turned lethal. But land is not the only reason cited in outbreaks of violence. For example, in April 2021, a member of the Jaljalis clan was killed by Aspali clan militiamen in Sumisip town, Basilan, after he was caught having an affair with the Aspali clan leader’s sister-in-law. The Jaljalis clan then retaliated, resulting in the death of an Aspali clan member. Meanwhile, on 10 November 2024, two cousins were reportedly killed and two others wounded in a clash between clans in Balabagan town, Lanao del Sur. The fight stemmed from a simple argument over Facebook posts. The relatives of the slain cousins retaliated by setting fire to a truck owned by the opposing side.\n\nThere are even cases reported as rido that may not involve fighting between two Moro clans. But even these cases are rooted in the complicated history of Mindanao, including the central state’s policy of resettling non-Moro Muslim people in the territory throughout the 20th century. Thus, on 25 January 2017, three members of an Ilonggo clan — non-Muslim people originating from Western Visayas in the central Philippines — were injured in a rido-related ambush by a Moro family in Sultan Kudarat town, Maguindanao. The resettling of non-Muslim (typically Christian) Filipinos throughout Mindanao that began during the American colonial era, and the resulting displacement of Moro Muslims, is one of the historical grievances that led to the Moro rebellion that began in the 1970s.\n\nThese are but a handful of examples of rido-related fighting, but there is reason to believe that rido — while highly researched by scholars — is a significantly underreported phenomenon, given that most rido incidents happen in remote places that might not always receive media attention. Thus, while ACLED data indicate a rise in rido events in the past years (see graph below), ACLED’s reports-based figure is likely an undercount. In any case, the establishment of transitional MILF-led BARMM institutions in 2019 failed to stem rido-related violence.\n\nRido interaction with other conflicts\n\nACLED data show that the persistence of rido violence in BARMM and surrounding regions often also involves actors with identities that are not inherently centered on rido, the most prominent of which are the MILF and MNLF.\n\nWhen university-educated ideologues first started waging the separatist armed struggle for the Moro people in the 1970s, giving birth first to the MNLF and later the MILF, these early revolutionaries couched their groups’ ideological language in the ideals of self-determination. But while these national separatist struggles appealed to globalized norms of self-determination, local realities play a decisive role in how such appeals turn out. The scholarship on violence in Bangsamoro has thus focused on the difficulty that new democratic structures face in establishing their political legitimacy vis-à-vis more traditional sources of political legitimacy, such as clans.\n\nThe MILF and MNLF movements in Mindanao have historically sought to frame their projects of political autonomy in the same terms as, paradoxically, the national state they opposed: the creation of modern political institutions that fulfill the responsibilities expected of a state. Thus, even with the shift of their political projects from full separatism to regional autonomy, the MILF and the MNLF now align themselves with the central state, as well as international development cooperation agencies, in embracing the language of “good governance” as the solution to social ills.\n\nHowever, implementing international democratic norms locally will not automatically dislodge a society’s traditional sources of political legitimacy. Local populations still need convincing that new institutions will respond to their needs better than, say, the powerful local clans that previously guaranteed their security and livelihood. Such institutions will thus have to be proven more “legitimate” than the clans. In the case of Bangsamoro, good governance advocates now working in the framework of rebel-won autonomy therefore risk a disconnect with local communities if they ignore the traditional clan-based power structures, which far precede the rebellions.\n\nWhat is at stake is the very authority of the rebels-turned-leaders now at the helm of the supposedly innovative and democratic new autonomous region. Their authority is quickly undermined when the violence emanating from the traditional clan-based power structures remains unchecked. This is especially true given that other armed actors otherwise engaged in conflict outside the framework of rido also take part in clan-based violence, affirming the stubborn political centrality of clans.\n\nAs ACLED data from 2018 onward show, a third of rido violence has involved the MILF, MNLF, and other armed groups, such as Abu Sayyaf and Dawlah Islamiyah affiliates like the Hassan Group, on at least one side of a clash (see graph below). Abu Sayyaf is a long-standing Islamist fundamentalist group with historic ties to al-Qaeda, while Dawlah Islamiyah is a loose umbrella term for several Islamic State-inspired groups that first rose to prominence in the mid-2010s and reached a height of activity during the 2017 siege on Marawi city. Though these diverse groups are largely connected only by their presence in Mindanao, one commonality is that none of them was inherently constituted to engage in rido violence.\n\nThe armed group whose members are most involved in rido violence is the MILF itself. In fact, of all the political violence events that have seen at least some MILF involvement since 2018, 35% are related to rido. This figure represents a considerable strain on the MILF-led BARMM’s credibility in managing rido violence in the region. It also highlights how the interconnectedness of different conflicts in Bangsamoro means that the resources available to an armed group may also play a role in pursuing goals external to the group. After all, the MILF members involved were ostensibly armed in service of the MILF’s ideological goals of political autonomy for Moro Muslims. But their implication in rido violence shows that they may also be using their weapons to serve other purposes. Rido thus compounds the volume of violence attributable to an armed group, even if such violence lies outside a group’s self-understanding.\n\nRido may even play a role in the occasional clashes that break out between armed groups, which otherwise — apart from the MILF and the MNLF, since their respective peace agreements with the government — would normally engage only in armed clashes with state forces. For example, on 11 September 2023, two Dawlah Islamiyah–Hassan Group militants were reportedly killed and three others wounded in a firefight with the MILF in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan town in Maguindanao del Sur. The fighting caused Teduray tribespeople to evacuate. Authorities directly blamed a long-standing rido for the fighting between the Dawlah Islamiyah and the MILF militants.\n\nMNLF fighters, too, have engaged in firefights with the MILF. Two rival clans, respectively affiliated with the MILF and the MNLF, fought in several villages in Pikit town, Cotabato, on 10 May 2020. Despite no reports of casualties, the effects of the violence were not confined to the fighters, as the rival militias burned homes and looted property and livestock in the area. The local government, and both the MILF and MNLF, intervened to end the fighting, which was attributed to a land dispute.\n\nThese examples show that armed groups may sometimes be pulled into patterns of violence with a longer history than their own.\n\nThe threat of rido violence to the BARMM elections and the larger peace process\n\nElevated levels of violence have historically accompanied election periods in the Philippines, and the first-ever Bangsamoro parliamentary election is not likely to be different. In fact, several rido events have been attributed to electoral competition, and at least 26 rido-related attacks have been directed against elected representatives and other local state officials since 2018. Some specific rido-related events have also been expressly attributed to electoral competition. For example, on 24 September 2024, two individuals were reportedly killed in a clash between the Abdul and Macud clans in Malabang town, Lanao del Sur. The incident also wounded four people and led hundreds of residents to flee. The conflict was said to originate from a dispute during the 2019 local elections between the two clans.\n\nThe question for the 2025 BARMM polls would then be whether the powerful clans participating in the parliamentary elections are going to keep such competition to the ballot box or resort to violence in an attempt to influence the results. The single most prominent player in the upcoming elections is, of course, the MILF itself. Though it is officially participating in the polls through its organizationally separate affiliated political party, the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the MILF and its remaining armed strength of about 15,000 fighters remain this party’s backbone. After all, in line with the 2014 peace agreement, the full decommissioning process of MILF fighters is not expected to be finished until the completion of the peace process, which is meant to be capped by the polls. So far, around 25,000 MILF fighters have been decommissioned by the third of four decommissioning phases as of 2023. Government officials have publicly announced their intent to complete the decommissioning process, which includes third-party international observers, right in time for the BARMM parliamentary elections. With the postponement of the polls, now scheduled for October 2025, the decommissioning progress is presently unclear.\n\nBARMM politicians who are unaffiliated with the MILF have expressed concern about the group’s continued armed strength going into the polls, as the official decommissioning protocol of the 2014 peace agreement only provides for the decommissioning of 35% of all MILF fighters by the third (pre-final) phase. In 2023, four BARMM provincial governors called on the government to hasten the decommissioning process. The governors argued that the MILF’s armed presence, coupled with the “peace process mechanisms” in place, barred police and military from implementing law enforcement operations in areas considered “MILF territory.” During the 2019 autonomy plebiscite that established the BARMM, some quarters also expressed fears about a possible outbreak of violence in case Cotabato City, now the BARMM capital, did not vote to join the then-proposed autonomous region, given the city’s symbolic importance for the MILF.\n\nIn contrast to politicians publicly expressing concern about the MILF’s continued armed strength, the group has instead pointed to powerful local politicians’ private armies as the threat to peace and order. Responding to the BARMM governors’ call, MILF leader and former BARMM Chief Minister Ahod “Murad” Ebrahim said there was no problem with a faster decommissioning, but he emphasized the need for a corresponding dismantling of politicians’ private armies.\n\nWith MILF members themselves often involved in armed clashes between clans, third-party observers have emphasized the mutual importance of decommissioning MILF fighters and dismantling clans’ private armies. On the same track, the government has stressed the importance of instituting nonviolent resolution mechanisms for rido disputes to protect the gains of the peace process. The MILF-led Bangsamoro transitional government has therefore engaged in regionwide consultation efforts for the prevention and settlement of rido disputes.\n\nThese efforts notwithstanding, the history of election-related violence in the Philippines gives reason for concern that a heightened risk of violence during the elections could be posed by confluent factors, including electoral competition between clans, electoral participation of a heavily armed MILF, and the presence of clan militias and private armies across BARMM.\n\nTensions will run especially high given that powerful and influential clans are fielding their members to contest the parliamentary elections. Some have even banded together to form larger coalitions to face off with the MILF’s own party — though the alliances seem to be fluid and shifting. For example, three of four regionally prominent clans that previously allied as the Bangsamoro Grand Coalition to contest the UBJP in the October 2025 polls later declared allegiance to the UBJP.\n\nIn the face of persistent rido violence, the future Bangsamoro government will be tasked with the tall order of convincing its Moro constituents — including the powerful clans that make up its elite — that the new institutions and mechanisms will serve as a more effective recourse than rido in solving the disputes that shape Moro social life. The elections promise to be the first test. Their success will require just enough faith in the future of Bangsamoro for the MILF and clan-based militias to lay down their arms."
      },
      {
        "title": "Rights experts call for immediate end to post-election violence in Mozambique",
        "id": "d-40",
        "link": "https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1157051",
        "snippet": "Multiple news reports indicate that violent and repressive measures were used by security forces against protesters who were taking part in...",
        "source": "UN News",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Weeks of violent protests have marked the outcome of the disputed 9 October presidential elections, which saw ruling party Frelimo candidate Daniel Chapo emerge the winner amid widespread allegations of fraud. Frelimo has been in power since 1975.\n\nMultiple news reports indicate that violent and repressive measures were used by security forces against protesters who were taking part in peaceful demonstrations which continued until 7 November, causing at least 30 deaths – including a child – and injuring a further 200.\n\nAt least 300 protesters have also been arrested in connection with these demonstrations.\n\nAccording to reports, authorities deployed the military last week to stop the protests, while protest leaders have announced multiple phases of demonstrations, including at provincial capitals and border crossings.\n\nProtesters have also allegedly carried out reprisals against suspected police officers, including at least one killing, according to authorities.\n\nViolence very disturbing\n\n“The violations of the right to life, including of a child, deliberate killings of unarmed protesters and the excessive use of force by the police deployed to disperse peaceful protests across Mozambique are very disturbing,” the Human Rights Council-appointed independent experts said.\n\n“We call on the Mozambican authorities to promptly and impartially investigate all the unlawful killings.”\n\nQuestions on electoral integrity\n\nThe protests emerged as citizens questioned the integrity of the elections, which were marked by accusations of irregularities.\n\n“Authorities need to take steps to halt the violence and ensure an environment in which all Mozambicans, including women and girls, can participate fully and equally in the political processes and express themselves without fear,” the experts said.\n\nRestrictions to media freedoms have also been widely reported, including attacks, intimidation and harassment of journalists, and intermittent internet and mobile network blockages.\n\nHuman rights defenders reporting on the irregularities of the election process or participating in protests have been intimidated and threatened.\n\nRights must be upheld\n\nThe rights experts also emphasised that law enforcement personnel “have a duty to respect and protect” those who are exercising right to peaceful assembly and that they remain neutral and impartial during protests.\n\nThey must “prevent harm and protect the right to life, liberty and security” of those involved, the experts said.\n\n“We urge Mozambican authorities to facilitate access to information for all and strongly condemn the widespread disruption of internet services,” they continued.\n\nThe UN experts – who are not UN staff, receive no salary and do not represent any government or organization – warned that enforced disappearances and acts of violence linked to electoral disputes could have enduring consequences on the country’s democratic framework.\n\nThey confirmed ongoing dialogue with Mozambican authorities and pledged to closely monitor the evolving situation."
      },
      {
        "title": "Girding for Post-Election Violence if Trump Loses",
        "id": "d-41",
        "link": "https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/girding-for-post-election-violence-if-trump-loses/",
        "snippet": "Violence is possible against Harris supporters, immigrants, minorities, and others if Trump loses and refuses to accept the results.",
        "source": "Arab Center Washington DC",
        "imageUrl": 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pdH+SgfF/wBUz//Z",
        "content": "Many Americans are worried that if former President Donald Trump loses to Vice President Kamala Harris in the November 5 election, he and his Make American Great Again (MAGA) supporters will cry foul, and some may engage in violence. Almost two-thirds of Republicans believe that Trump won four years ago, and they may say the same thing this year if Harris wins. Trump himself has fed this red meat to his base, saying on several occasions that the only way he will lose is if the election is rigged.\n\nA repeat of the violence at the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021, when legislators met to formally approve the electoral college results of President Joe Biden’s victory, is unlikely to occur because Biden will still be in office for the January 6, 2025 counting and certification of the 2024 results. Unlike Trump’s actions as president in January 2021, Biden is already overseeing heightened security measures for January 6 and will move quickly to provide security around this venerable institution and denounce and shut down violence. But there is a good chance that sporadic acts of violence could occur against other individuals and institutions. Violence is possible against Harris supporters, immigrants, minorities, and others if Trump loses and refuses to accept the results, and his diehard supporters vent their anger in dangerous ways.\n\nThe Erosion of Norms, Standards, and Decorum\n\nOne of the hallmarks of American democracy has been the peaceful transfer of power after elections. Although no politician likes to lose, for nearly two and a half centuries, with the exception of the events leading up to the Civil War in the early 1860s, the defeated presidential candidate has conceded the race to his opponent after most of the votes have been counted, often in a gracious way, as former Republican candidate John McCain did in 2008. Even when a candidate and his supporters have suspected foul play—for example, in the very tight 1960 presidential election, some of Richard Nixon’s Republican party supporters believed that Democratic Mayor Richard Daley rigged the vote count in Chicago in order for John F. Kennedy to carry the state of Illinois—there was no violence in the election aftermath. Indeed, none other than Nixon himself, who was known as “Tricky Dick” to his detractors and later had to resign in disgrace in 1974 because of the Watergate scandal, told a close confidant at the time that he would not contest the 1960 election outcome because “our country cannot afford the agony of a constitutional crisis.” Nixon seemed to believe that, in the interests of preserving American democracy, it was better to concede to Kennedy than to challenge the results.\n\nTrump has thrown such commendable behavior out the window. Not only did he refuse to concede to Biden after the 2020 contest, in an election that was deemed not fraudulent by his own attorney general, William Barr, he even tried to pressure Georgia state officials shortly after the election to “find” him the necessary votes to win that state. Trump’s campaign filed scores of lawsuits to contest the results in various states, but they were all dismissed by the courts. Nonetheless, Trump and most of his supporters refused to accept the fact that Biden won the election, and Trump did not even attend Biden’s inauguration ceremony as is customary.\n\nBut the most egregious post-election action was the storming of the US Capitol by thousands of Trump’s supporters on January 6, 2021, to disrupt the formal count of the electoral college vote and to prevent the peaceful transfer of power to Biden. Trump had urged them on, even knowing that some were armed. It later came to light in congressional hearings that Trump watched television in the White House for several hours while his supporters were engaged in violence, and did not seem to care that his own Vice President Mike Pence, who had a constitutional duty to certify the electoral college results, was in danger from a mob chanting “hang Mike Pence.”\n\nIn the current election cycle, Trump has said repeatedly he would pardon the January 6 rioters, hundreds of whom have already been convicted by the courts, with many still serving jail time, and has called them “warriors.” Trump has even referred to January 6, 2021, a “day of love.”\n\nIn addition, Trump has lowered the bar on speech, charging that Harris has low intelligence and has been a “[expletive] vice president.” It is not surprising, therefore, that Trump’s supporters have echoed this and other profanities at his rallies and have demonized Harris and her supporters. Trump has mentioned that some religious leaders, who are part of his support base, have urged him to stop using such profanity, but suggested that his speeches would not be as effective, which his crowds love to hear. Trump also engages in ludicrous and harmful rhetoric by claiming that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating the pets of the residents of that town. Trump seems to have special animus for migrants from poor, non-white majority countries which, he claims, are emptying their societies of criminals and mentally impaired people and sending them to the United States.\n\nTrump seems to have special animus for migrants from poor, non-white majority countries.\n\nFor her part, Harris has stated that she agrees with Trump’s former White House chief of staff, retired General John Kelly, that Trump fits the definition of a “fascist.” Even the democratic socialist US senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, has said he prefers not to use the word fascist when describing Trump. The derogatory labeling by Trump and Harris of each other is indicative of how nasty this close election has become.\n\nRepeat of the January 6 Attack Is Unlikely…\n\nBecause Biden will still be president on January 6, 2025, he will be in charge, as head of the executive branch, of providing the necessary security to protect the Capitol building in case Trump loses and his supporters again try to pressure lawmakers not to certify the electoral college results. Already, there have been practice drills of 12 helicopters landing on US Capitol grounds to boost security in case rioters attempt to storm the Capitol again. But because so many of the January 6 insurrectionists have been sentenced to jail, and knowing that they would face a formidable security presence this time around, Trump’s diehard supporters are unlikely to repeat their 2021 actions.\n\n…But Violence is Likely in Other Places\n\nNonetheless, emotions are so raw in this very tight presidential election (the polls suggest a dead heat, nearly all of which are within the margin of error) that if Trump loses, many of his supporters may claim that it was rigged and will demand “justice.” According to a January 2024 poll, about 66 percent of Trump supporters believed he won in 2020, implying that Biden is not a legitimate president. Teams of lawyers have been assembled by the Trump and Harris campaigns to report violations of the vote or to challenge the other side’s claims of fraud. In early August, the Republican-controlled state election board of Georgia adopted a rule that requires local election board members to conduct an undefined “reasonable inquiry” into any discrepancies before they can certify an election. The rule is so broad that the final election tally for the state could be held up for days.\n\nTrump has stirred up his base into believing that he would only lose if the other side cheats.\n\nIn addition to such legal maneuvers is Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric in which he claims that the only way he will lose the election is if it is fraudulent. In a prerecorded video that was shown every night of the 2024 Republican convention, Trump said,“ The most important thing we have to do is protect the vote. You have to keep your eyes open because these people [Democrats] want to cheat and they do cheat, and frankly, it’s the only thing they do well.” Not surprisingly, even in the state of Virginia, which both Democrats and Republicans have won in recent years, only a little less than half of Trump supporters (48 percent) say they would be willing to accept a Harris presidency if she wins the election.\n\nTrump has stirred up his base into believing that he would only lose if the other side cheats, frequently using an undefined “they,” such as “they are coming after you.” Trump’s MAGA supporters could attack election poll workers, those involved in the counting of ballots, and state elections officials who would certify a Harris victory.\n\nIn addition, immigrants could be targeted, and not just those who have entered or stayed in the country illegally. During the presidential debate, Trump claimed without evidence that “our elections are bad, and a lot of these illegal immigrants coming in, they’re trying to get them to vote.” Trump’s previous comments about immigrants “poisoning the blood” of the country as well as more recent comments that he (and his supporters) have made claiming falsely that funds for the victims of Hurricane Helene that severely affected the southern parts of Appalachia were being diverted to services for illegal immigrants may also encourage violence. In addition, because many minority group voters, like Black and Latino voters, may favor Harris over Trump, sporadic acts of violence directed at some of them could occur if Trump loses.\n\nWarnings by Biden and Experts on Extremism\n\nThe past October, when Biden was asked about the upcoming election, he said he was confident it would be free and fair but added, “I don’t know whether it’ll be peaceful.” This comment was partly political, reflecting his belief that Trump is ginning up his base to contest the election result if he loses to Harris. But it also may reflect briefings that the president has received from law enforcement agencies about the potential for violence.\n\nIndeed, experts who have been monitoring extremist groups ahead of the election, such as those from the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE), have highlighted a boost in online chatter that mirrored the situation in the run-up to the 2020 vote and the January 6 attack. In October, GPAHE noted that violent rhetoric related to election denialism has increased significantly on extremist online platforms.\n\nThere is boost in online chatter that mirrors the situation in the run-up to the 2020 vote and the January 6 attack.\n\nOn one such platform, Gab, users have threatened those alleged to have engaged in election fraud with treason, and called for “firing squads” or “the rope” to deal with them. Other extremist posts on Telegram have used election denialism to justify acts of violence, for example urging users to “shoot to kill any illegal voters.” Although organized extremist groups undoubtedly know that they are being monitored by law enforcement agencies, rhetoric on such platforms may inspire so-called lone wolves to commit individual acts of violence.\n\nAnd Worry by Ordinary Americans\n\nAccording to recent polling, about 57 percent of Americans in battleground states are very or somewhat worried that Trump supporters will turn to violence if he loses. These sentiments and threats have led to increased security for voters, election workers, and election infrastructure in these and other states. The Dean of the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, Mark Rozell, has said that these polling numbers underscore that “we cannot assume that people will accept the legitimacy of the election, and that a peaceful transfer of power is something that just automatically happens here.”\n\nThat indeed is a sad reflection of politics in the United States at present. It is hoped that government institutions will not only work to protect citizens in this highly charged atmosphere but also will be a hedge against dubious charges of fraud such as the claim that illegal immigrants are voting. But it will also take courageous individual public servants to stand their ground. Some of them did so last time, and the hope is that they will do so again. A presidential election marred by intimidation and violence will not only be a blight on America’s democracy at home but also will hurt its standing abroad.\n\nThe views expressed in this publication are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Arab Center Washington DC, its staff, or its Board of Directors.\n\nFeatured image credit: Shutterstock/Sebastian Portillo"
      },
      {
        "title": "The risk of election violence in America is real",
        "id": "d-42",
        "link": "https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/11/05/the-risk-of-election-violence-in-america-is-real",
        "snippet": "Three-quarters of Americans say that they are worried about post-election violence, according to the AP/NORC poll.",
        "source": "The Economist",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "The elites of the American right cannot reconcile the inconsistencies in their policy platform"
      },
      {
        "title": "Opposition urges voter boycott as Venezuela holds divisive new election",
        "id": "d-43",
        "link": "https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20250525-opposition-urges-voter-boycott-as-venezuela-holds-divisive-new-election",
        "snippet": "Venezuelans head to the polls in parliamentary and gubernatorial elections Sunday, months after President Nicolas Maduro claimed a third...",
        "source": "France 24",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "A woman casts a mock vote during a rehearsal for the upcoming regional election, in Caracas, Venezuela, May 10, 2025.\n\nOne of your browser extensions seems to be blocking the video player from loading. To watch this content, you may need to disable it on this site.\n\nTo display this content from YouTube, you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement.\n\nCan Venezuelans be persuaded to return to the polls on Sunday, ten months after President Nicolas Maduro claimed a third term in elections marred by violence and allegations of fraud.\n\nThe issue of voter participation is the big unknown as the sanctions-hit Caribbean country returns to the polls to elect a new parliament and 24 state governors.\n\nThe main opposition led by Maria Corina Machado, an engineer and former MP, has urged Venezuelans not to legitimise what they see as yet another sham election by voting.\n\nWatch moreVenezuela opposition leader arrested ahead of tense election\n\nA small opposition faction led by two-time former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles rejected the boycott call, arguing that previous voter stayaways had merely allowed 62-year-old Maduro to expand his grip on power.\n\n\"We must vote as an act of resistance, of struggle,\" Capriles, who is running for parliament, said.\n\n'Fight the dictatorship'\n\nTensions were high in the run-up to the election.\n\nMore than 400,000 security agents were deployed to monitor the vote.\n\nOn Friday, a leading opposition member and close ally of Machado, Juan Pablo Guanipa, was arrested on charges of heading a \"terrorist network\" planning to attack Sunday's vote.\n\nCabello linked Guanipa, a former MP, to a group of 50 people arrested earlier in the week on suspicion of being mercenaries in the pay of foreign powers.\n\nVenezuela, which frequently alleges foreign-backed coup plots, said the suspects entered the country from Colombia and closed the busy border with its neighbor until after the election.\n\nRead moreVenezuela opposition's Machado promises 'empty' voting booths for elections\n\nGuanipa is just the latest opposition leader to be targeted by the authorities.\n\nOpposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia went into exile in Spain last year after a bounty was put on his head.\n\nA message on Guanipa's X account, shortly after his arrest, declared he had been \"kidnapped by the forces of Nicolas Maduro's regime\" but would continue the \"long fight against the dictatorship.\"\n\nUS blow to oil revenues\n\nMany opposition supporters in Venezuela lost any remaining faith they had in the electoral process after the July presidential election.\n\nMaduro claimed to have won a third term, without producing detailed results to back his claim.\n\nThe opposition published its own tally of results from polling stations, which appeared to showed a convincing win for Gonzalez Urrutia.\n\nA deadly crackdown on protests that erupted over Maduro's victory claim cemented Venezuela's pariah status on the world stage.\n\nOnly a handful of countries, including longtime allies Russia and Cuba, have recognized Maduro as the country's rightful leader.\n\nSunday's election comes as the country's economy -- once the envy of Latin America, now in tatters after years of mismanagement and sanctions -- faces even further turmoil.\n\nWatch moreIn 100 days, Trump takes a hard line on immigration and Venezuelan deportations\n\nUS President Donald Trump has revoked permission for oil giant Chevron to continue pumping Venezuelan crude, potentially depriving Maduro's administration of its last lifeline.\n\nWashington has also revoked deportation protection from 350,000 Venezuelan migrants in the United States and expelled hundreds of others to a brutal prison for gangsters in El Salvador.\n\nThe pressure has failed to sway Maduro, who continues to defy the world and spar with his neighbors.\n\nOn Sunday, Venezuela will for the first time hold elections for parliament and state governor in the disputed oil-rich region of Essequibo, on its border with Guyana.\n\nGuyana has administered the region for decades but Caracas has threatened to partially annex it.\n\n(FRANCE 24 with AFP)"
      },
      {
        "title": "Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is assassinated at a campaign rally",
        "id": "d-44",
        "link": "https://www.npr.org/2022/07/08/1110440504/former-japan-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-killed",
        "snippet": "Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a nationalist who served in the post longer than anyone else before stepping down in 2020, was shot and killed on...",
        "source": "NPR",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSboef7rPkWBCka2JxbkBEK2Ha-sqazV1Ex7bxM3Q1kIIV9vidnK-7yf60inA&s",
        "content": "Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is assassinated at a campaign rally\n\nEnlarge this image toggle caption Christopher Jue/Getty Images Christopher Jue/Getty Images\n\nFormer Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a nationalist who served in the post longer than anyone else before stepping down in 2020, was shot and killed on Friday at a campaign rally.\n\nSecurity tackled the suspected gunman at the scene of an attack, and he was arrested by police. The shooting shocked many in Japan, which is one of the world's safest nations and has some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.\n\n\"It is barbaric and malicious and it cannot be tolerated,\" current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told the media.\n\nPolice say Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, fired two shots at Abe as he was making a political speech in the city of Nara. The first shot missed, but the second hit Abe's chest and neck, and despite attempts to revive him he died several hours later.\n\nSponsor Message\n\nYamagami was unemployed and a former member of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years, police say, and attacked Abe because he believed he was associated with a group Yamagami hated. Multiple handmade guns were later found at Yamagami's home.\n\nAbe, 67, served as prime minister in 2006 and 2007, and again from 2012 to 2020, when he suddenly resigned citing health issues. Despite leaving office, he remained influential within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and continued to be a force on Japan's political landscape.\n\nTributes poured in from around the world\n\nIn a statement, President Biden said he was \"stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened\" by the assassination, calling Abe his friend. \"His vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific will endure.\"\n\nPresident Biden later said he plans to stop at the Japanese embassy in Washington on Friday afternoon to sign a book of condolences.\n\nSecretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in Asia for a meeting of Group of 20 foreign ministers, called the assassination \"profoundly disturbing\" and described Abe as a leader of great vision.\n\nIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Abe as \"a towering global statesman, an outstanding leader, and a remarkable administrator.\" He said on Twitter that July 9 would be a day of national mourning in India.\n\nRussian President Vladimir Putin described Abe as an \"outstanding statesman,\" and former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott described him simply as Japan's \"most significant post-war leader.\"\n\nAbe made broad economic strides but failed at goal of revising Japan's constitution\n\nAs prime minister, Abe worked to build up Japan's military, counter China's growing clout and sought to boost and reform the economy though a program that came to be known as \"Abenomics.\"\n\nDuring his tenure, Abe reformed immigration policy, female labor-force participation climbed, and the Japanese economy unexpectedly returned to healthy growth.\n\nMichael Green, a former national security council staff member in the George W. Bush administration who worked with Abe extensively, said Abe was the most consequential leader modern Japan has seen. His vision for putting Japan back on the map geopolitically inspired loyalty across the country's bureaucracy and elected officials.\n\nSponsor Message\n\n\"I think his legacy is profound,\" Green told Morning Edition. \"There is no major political figure in Japan arguing for a different direction, other than tactical changes, from what Abe put in place when he was prime minister.\"\n\nAt times in recent years when the U.S. seemed unsure of its footing in the region, Green said Abe held things together.\n\n\"When president Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, this major trade pact in Asia, Abe stepped in and kept it going and urged the U.S. to return,\" he said. \"When the Trump administration was fighting with Europe at the G7 summits, Abe was the peacemaker. ... He really stepped up to reinforce the international order, the liberal order that America helped to build, as China and Russia asserted themselves.\"\n\nHe ultimately failed to achieve his most cherished political goal, and that of his party: to revise Japan's pacifist, post-World War II constitution. Abe proposed revisions would strengthen the government's emergency powers, while downplaying the role of human rights. Abe felt the political values imposed by the U.S.-backed constitution were alien to some of Japan's traditions, such as reverence for the emperor.\n\nAbe was, however, successful in passing legislation in 2015 that allows Japan's military to expand its operations overseas in support of allies, including the United States.\n\nAbe grew increasingly critical of China\n\nWhen he left office, most Japanese were dissatisfied with his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, feeling he moved too slowly to impose a state of emergency mostly out of concerns about the economy.\n\nIn recent months, Abe had been a more outspoken critic of China. Earlier this year, he called on the United States to drop its long-standing practice of \"strategic ambiguity\" and give Taiwan assurances that it could count on American help in the event of an attack by China.\n\nSponsor Message\n\nHe also angered China by saying \"a Taiwan contingency is a Japan contingency,\" and noting that it would be impossible for Japan not to be sucked into a conflict over the self-governed island that Beijing considers a part of China.\n\nNPR's Jackie Northam and Christopher Dean Hopkins contributed to this report."
      },
      {
        "title": "Shinzo Abe: Assassinated former PM leaves divided legacy for Japan",
        "id": "d-45",
        "link": "https://www.euronews.com/2022/07/08/former-japanese-pm-shinzo-abe-critically-shot-while-campaigning",
        "snippet": "Shinzo Abe was a political blueblood groomed for power. Japan's longest serving prime minister, he was also perhaps the most polarizing,...",
        "source": "Euronews",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQSjcIW5mrGEGS0b14-pUc3lTheq2eYf4qAR5Ba8zli8vWYnPf86w60Vw00-g&s",
        "content": "ADVERTISEMENT\n\nShinzo Abe was a political blueblood groomed for power. Japan's longest serving prime minister, he was also perhaps the most polarizing, complex politician in recent Japanese history.\n\nAbe, who was assassinated Friday, angered both liberals at home and World War II victims in Asia with his hawkish push to revamp the military and his revisionist view that Japan was given an unfair verdict by history for its brutal past.\n\nAt the same time, he revitalized Japan’s economy, led efforts for the nation to take a stronger role in Asia and served as a rare beacon of political stability before stepping down two years ago for health reasons.\n\n“He’s the most towering political figure in Japan over the past couple of decades,” said Dave Leheny, a political scientist at Waseda University. “He wanted Japan to be respected on the global stage in the way that he felt was deserved. ... He also wanted Japan to not have to keep apologizing for World War II.”\n\nAbe, who died after being shot during a campaign speech, was 67.\n\nPolice arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of the attack, which shocked many in Japan, one of the world’s safest nations with some of the strictest gun control laws. Near the suspect was a double-barreled device that appeared to be a handmade gun.\n\nAbe believed that Japan's postwar track record of economic success, peace and global cooperation was something \"other countries should pay more attention to, and that Japanese should be proud of,” Leheny said.\n\nAbe was a darling of conservatives but reviled by many liberals in Japan. And no policy was more divisive than his cherished, ultimately unsuccessful dream to revise Japan’s war-renouncing constitution. His ultra-nationalism also angered the Koreas and China, both wartime victims of Japan.\n\nAssassination caught on camera\n\nAbe was in Nara campaigning ahead of Sunday’s election for Japan's upper house and was giving a speech when he was shot.\n\nIn eyewitness video from the scene, which was widely shared on social media, two shots can be clearly heard. Japanese public broadcaster NHK aired footage showing Abe collapsing on the street, with several security guards running toward him. He was bleeding and holding his chest.\n\nTwitter, Facebook parent Meta and other social media companies scrambled Friday to police videos on their platforms of the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that break rules on harmful content.\n\nMultiple videos of the attack by a gunman who fired a homemade, double-barreled weapon twice at Abe circulated on social media. Some only show the moments before and after the attack while others showed both shots.\n\nTwitter said its enforcement teams were working to “address harmful content” relating to the attack by “proactively removing” material that violates its rules, which include restrictions on sensitive media including graphic violence.\n\nTwitter urged users to flag up any potentially sensitive material of the attack so it can take action. Videos of the attack could still be found easily on Twitter many hours after the attack.\n\nMeta said it was deleting videos depicting the moment of the attack and had disabled the suspect’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.\n\nHow has Europe reacted?"
      },
      {
        "title": "‘A free and open Indo-Pacific’: With a single phrase, Shinzo Abe changed America’s view of Asia and China",
        "id": "d-46",
        "link": "https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/20/asia/shinzo-abe-legacy-china-japan-indo-pacific-intl-hnk",
        "snippet": "To many in Asia-Pacific, Shinzo Abe was prescient in recognizing the challenge a rising China posed to the American-led system of political...",
        "source": "CNN",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRiaJtqQFNifQArxbdOgyaD4L2lnlVTxXyVwppfKiTW9YoF-2kG_wA_juYrsQ&s",
        "content": "Seoul, South Korea CNN —\n\nTo many in Asia-Pacific, Shinzo Abe was prescient in recognizing the challenge a rising China posed to the American-led system of political and military alliances.\n\nAnd the former Japanese Prime Minister – killed by an assassin’s bullet on July 8 – arguably did more than any of his Western contemporaries to meet that challenge.\n\nAbe, who served two separate terms and was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, will be remembered by many as the leader who finally led the country out of the shadows of World War II.\n\nHe foresaw that the rapid growth of China’s People’s Liberation Army – fueled by one of the world’s fastest growing economies – would upset the regional balance of power, and argued Japan would, as a result of this shift, have to rethink its post-war, US-imposed pacifist constitution.\n\nIn 2014, Abe’s government reinterpreted that constitution to enable the Japanese military to theoretically fight overseas. And he gave it the tools to do so, buying stealth fighters and building Japan’s first aircraft carriers since World War II to accommodate them.\n\nBut perhaps his biggest contribution to the defense of his country – and to many, the security of the wider Asia region – lies not in military equipment, but in language; in his coining of the simple phrase: “a free and open Indo-Pacific.”\n\nParadigm shift\n\nWith those few words, Abe transformed the way many foreign policy leaders talk – and think – about Asia.\n\nToday, much to the annoyance of China’s leaders, that phrase is everywhere. It is used like a mantra by the US military and is the vocabulary of choice for any aspiring Western diplomat.\n\nSo it can be hard to remember that, before Abe, few people in these circles talked of the “Indo-Pacific” at all.\n\nBefore 2007, the preference in Washington was to conceptualize Asia as that great stretch of the globe spanning from Australia to China to the United States – and to refer to it as the “Asia-Pacific.”\n\nThis concept had China at its center – anathema for Abe who, like many Japanese, feared Beijing’s growing clout meant his country could be bullied by a far larger neighbor.\n\nAbe’s aim was to encourage the world to view Asia through a far wider lens – that of the “Indo-Pacific,” a concept spanning both the Indian and Pacific oceans that he first promoted in a 2007 speech to the Indian Parliament titled the “Confluence of the Two Seas.”\n\nThis rethinking of Asia’s boundaries did two things. Firstly, it shifted the geographical center to Southeast Asia and the South China Sea – conveniently focusing minds on an area of the world where Beijing has territorial disputes with a string of nations.\n\nSecondly, and perhaps more importantly, it brought into the picture the one country in the world that could act as a counterweight to China through its sheer size alone: India.\n\nJapan's helicopter carrier, the Huga, at a pier in Yokohama in 2009. Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images\n\nBringing India into the fold\n\nAbe recognized “India’s importance as a democratic balancer to future Chinese hegemony” and “began systematically wooing Indian leaders to the framing,” wrote John Hemmings, of the East-West Center in Washington, in a 2020 evaluation of Abe that coincided with the end of his second stint as Prime Minister.\n\n“Including a democratic India in the future of Asia was not only good geopolitics, it was good geo-economics, as India’s population and democratic system balanced out China’s equally large population and authoritarian system.”\n\nAbe became a driving force behind the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, which brought India into a partnership with Japan, the US and Australia that launched the same year as his “Confluence of the Two Seas” speech.\n\nThe partnership has its roots in relief efforts for the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, but it gained an “ideological component” in a 2006 campaign speech by Abe, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. It was then reborn in 2007 as a strategic forum featuring semi-regular summits, information exchanges and –crucially – joint military drills that have met pushback from China.\n\nMonths later Abe outlined his vision of a “broader Asia … an immense network” spanning countries that share “fundamental values” such as freedom and democracy, and common strategic interests.\n\nThat description appeared to leave little room for China, which has felt threatened by the Quad ever since, and whose Foreign Minister Wang Yi has openly accused the US of trying to encircle China with an “Indo-Pacific NATO.”\n\nShinzo Abe meets Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the banks of the River Ganges at Varanasi in December 2015. Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images\n\nA free and open Indo-Pacific\n\nWhen for a while it appeared China’s hostility might scupper the Quad, which fell apart in 2008 following threats of economic retaliation by Beijing, Abe played his hand once again.\n\nAccording to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abe first outlined his vision for a “free and open Indo-Pacific” at a keynote speech in Kenya in 2016.\n\nHis vision consisted of three pillars: the promotion and establishment of the rule of law, freedom of navigation and free trade; the pursuit of economic prosperity; and a commitment to peace and stability.\n\nThe term acted “as a foil for Beijing’s increasingly China-centric vision of Asia’s future, while promoting openness and values to attract regional hedgers,” said Hemmings, of the East-West Center.\n\nThe year after Abe’s Kenya speech, the Quad was reborn – and the Trump administration unveiled its own concept of a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”\n\nBy the time of Abe’s death the Quad had expanded significantly. In the past two years the four countries have held two joint naval exercises, convened around the mantra of promoting a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”\n\nAbe’s legacy\n\nWriting after Abe’s death, Robert Ward, Japan chair of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, noted how Abe had restructured his country’s foreign policy, “driven by his quick recognition of the threat to Japan and the regional order from China’s rapid rise.”\n\nAs such, Ward wrote, it was “hard to overstate the transformational importance of his legacy, both inside and outside Japan.”\n\nThe breadth of Abe’s influence is clear from the tributes that followed his death.\n\nAmong the statesmen paying their respects was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi – who has referred to Abe as a “dear friend” since meeting him in 2007, and declared last Saturday a day of national mourning in India for the former Japanese leader.\n\nTelling, too, were the tributes from the US – China’s biggest rival and Japan’s biggest military ally.\n\nUnder Abe, ties between the US and Japan had reached a “new level,” said Tobias Harris, senior fellow for Asia at the Center for American Progress, and this was reflected in President Joe Biden’s order that US flags be flown at half-staff at all public buildings in the country and all federal facilities around the world.\n\nIt was also reflected in the White House’s official tribute. Abe was “a faithful friend to the United States,” the White House said. “He worked with American Presidents of both parties to deepen the alliance between our nations and advance a common vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.”\n\nJoe Biden meets Shinzo Abe in New York City in 2014. Spencer Platt/Getty Images\n\nWords of remembrance\n\nThere’s that line again, “a free and open Indo-Pacific.”\n\nThe phrase has become ubiquitous in US policy and military statements, while in 2018 the Pentagon’s Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii changed its name to Indo-Pacific Command to recognize “the increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific oceans as America focuses West.”\n\nIn a speech titled “A Free and Open Indo-Pacific” in Indonesia last December, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington would “work with our allies and partners to defend the rules-based order that we’ve built together over decades to ensure the region remains open and accessible.”\n\nThen at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore last month, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin used the term “rules-based order” or variants eight times.\n\nJapanese Prime Minister Kishida used the term 19 times as he explained Japan’s promotion of “a free and open Indo-Pacific” vision that had “come to gain broad support in the international community.”\n\nThat “broad support” may be Abe’s most enduring legacy. A tribute, in its own way, to the vision Abe had hinted at eight years earlier in his own speech to the Shangri La Dialogue.\n\nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken gives a speech titled \"A Free and Open Indo-Pacific\" in Jakarta, Indonesia, in December 2021. Oliver Douliery/AFP/Getty Images\n\nTelling his audience Tokyo was ready to take the lead in making the region prosperous for all, Abe had called on all countries to observe international law so that future generations could “share in this bounty.”\n\n“If you imagine how vast the Pacific and Indian Oceans are, our potential is exactly like the oceans,” Abe said. “Limitless, isn’t it?”"
      },
      {
        "title": "The Many Contradictions of Shinzo Abe",
        "id": "d-47",
        "link": "https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/07/18/shinzo-abe-history-japan-diplomacy-contradictions/",
        "snippet": "From my first close-up encounters with Japan's recently assassinated former leader, Shinzo Abe, it was clear that this was a special...",
        "source": "Foreign Policy",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTcbsIah3CV3W-U-M5amvDcR_IUNxsizp2MbP1njqIZ3Vxqi2tDcUfA8nK5NA&s",
        "content": "Already, as deputy chief cabinet secretary in the early 2000s when I first observed him, Abe had an aura of dynamism, self-confidence, and ambition. In the world of conservative Japanese politics, he was the bluest of blue bloods, a true princeling as the grandson of Nobusuke Kishi, who had served as a powerful prime minister early in the post-World War II era. But the forcefield of authority that seemed to surround Abe felt more like a personal attribute than an inherited one.\n\nFrom my first close-up encounters with Japan’s recently assassinated former leader, Shinzo Abe, it was clear that this was a special politician—not just by the standards of a country with a revolving door of leaders whose shopworn look and turgid rhetoric earned them the diagnosis of sufferers of “metal fatigue” by critics but also by the standards of a world stage that, by that point in my career, I had become familiar with.\n\nFrom my first close-up encounters with Japan’s recently assassinated former leader, Shinzo Abe, it was clear that this was a special politician—not just by the standards of a country with a revolving door of leaders whose shopworn look and turgid rhetoric earned them the diagnosis of sufferers of “metal fatigue” by critics but also by the standards of a world stage that, by that point in my career, I had become familiar with.\n\nAlready, as deputy chief cabinet secretary in the early 2000s when I first observed him, Abe had an aura of dynamism, self-confidence, and ambition. In the world of conservative Japanese politics, he was the bluest of blue bloods, a true princeling as the grandson of Nobusuke Kishi, who had served as a powerful prime minister early in the post-World War II era. But the forcefield of authority that seemed to surround Abe felt more like a personal attribute than an inherited one.\n\nI could sense this in the self-assured way that he handled briefings for journalists when he spoke extemporaneously and with muscular language. And I saw it even closer at hand in the way he handled arrangements for a rare summit in 2002 in Pyongyang, North Korea, between his boss at the time, Junichiro Koizumi, and then-North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.\n\nAbe personally took charge of some of the stickiest issues in this diplomacy, such as Japan’s quest to learn of the fate of Japanese citizens who had been allegedly abducted by North Korea in the late 1970s and early 1980s as well as to recover the remains of those abductees who had died there. In Abe’s position as deputy chief cabinet secretary, many other politicians would have taken care to avoid the spotlight. But for Abe, who seemed to relish having the cameras on him, the challenge was avoiding getting too much attention.\n\nAbe was one of the first world leaders I covered who was roughly my own age. In 2006, his ambitions would be realized when he became the youngest prime minister in postwar Japan at age 52. His first stint in that office ended like that of most of his predecessors though, with a brief tenure that ended just a year later due to health problems. It is a mark of his remarkable drive that five years later, in 2012, he would return to office and end his career in 2020 as the longest-serving prime minister in the country’s history.\n\nHere, already, we can see hints of the many deep contradictions that this rare politician, brought down by a lone gunman, would come to embody. Abe’s dream was to modernize Japan—and to do so by modernizing his country’s politics. Operationally though, he always had a more fundamental—even inescapable—priority: to strengthen the position of the long dominant Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) that he led. Few truisms have been more accurate than the old saw that the LDP is neither liberal nor democratic.\n\nAbe succeeded in maintaining and arguably even strengthening his party’s near-stranglehold on power, but the LDP has never been keen on bold reform—and in some regards, this was true of Abe himself. Take, for example, his pledge to implement what he called “womenomics,” by which he meant making Japan “a place where women shine.” Despite the economic demographic urgency of welcoming women into the workplace as equals in pay and status, and even into the country’s defense forces, progress in this regard has been halting, and prominent LDP politicians frequently lapse into vulgar sexism in their public language.\n\nAbe liked the suffix “-nomics” and was even more deeply associated with a set of policies aimed at the competitive reinvigoration of his country, widely known as “Abenomics.” It is true that during his long tenure, the stock market leaped after a long period of stagnation, but economic inequality also widened substantially during his time in office. The jury is also out on the degree to which he succeeded in positioning Japan to compete with industrially dynamic neighbors, such as South Korea and especially China.\n\nIn purely political terms, Abe’s long second tenure in office seemed like it might mark a break with the endless cast of ephemeral LDP leaders who shuffled into and then promptly out of the prime minister’s office. But Abe’s immediate, handpicked successor, the rhetorically clumsy and faceless Yoshihide Suga, only held office from September 2020 until the following September. Abe clearly hoped to temper the effects of this chronic short termism at the top in Japanese politics by cultivating maximal influence as a godfather and éminence grise with at least one foot always prominently on stage, as his was during his deputyship under Koizumi. But with his death, that dream, too, is gone.\n\nIn foreign relations, Abe was the most active and dynamic Japanese political figure at least since Yasuhiro Nakasone, who spent five years as prime minister in the 1980s and struck up a close working relationship with, among other world leaders, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. For Abe’s part, he was quick to jump into his airplane and tireless in his personal diplomacy. This meant becoming the first foreign leader to visit with a then-newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York and having more in-person encounters with Russian President Vladimir Putin than with any other world leader.\n\nAnd through sheer persistence, it meant overcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping’s ostentatious disdain for Abe: The two finally met for the first time at a meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders in Beijing in 2014. The photograph of this first meeting is a classic and can be read in many ways. To me, despite his look of exhaustion, Abe seems to have a twinkle of satisfaction that he finally obtained a mano a mano with the powerful leader of the giant next door, whereas Xi’s face looks almost sheepish, as if he was thinking, “I can’t believe I’ve been brought to shake hands with this guy.”\n\nAbe and Xi stand side by side facing forward toward the camera while shaking hands.\n\nIn the end though, what did Abe’s force of persistence and personality win for Japan?\n\nMany in the U.S. foreign relations and national security worlds rushed forward to lionize Abe after his death. They celebrated his persistent efforts to strengthen the defense alliance with the United States, to become a much more active and muscular presence in the Asia Pacific region, to revise the Japanese Constitution (written by Americans during the postwar occupation of Japan), and above all—and related to each of these items—to help the United States by serving more directly as a bulwark to a rising China.\n\nBut here, even more than in other areas of Abe’s legacy, the contradictions abound. Arguably, the best thing Japan could do to improve its security would be to engineer with persistence and discipline a deep rapprochement with South Korea. Yet Abe’s family history—particularly as the grandson of Kishi, who barely escaped being judged as a war criminal—seemed to render this impossible for him.\n\nHis dream was instead to create what he called “forward-looking” relations with Korea and an unapologetic attitude toward his country’s past. That meant never abandoning the hope that he and future Japanese leaders could pray at Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine, the Shinto abode for the spirits of the country’s war dead, explicitly including those condemned as criminals for their role in Japan’s imperial wars of the 20th century.\n\nEven as he pushed for closer ties with the United States, meanwhile, Abe clung to his belief in the noble intentions behind and even legitimacy of Japanese conquest—and therefore, the illegitimacy of the postwar trials and, by implication, the U.S. occupation and the Japanese Constitution written by the Americans, which forever forbids Japan from possessing an army that can pursue offensive war aims. But the same Japanese public that kept Abe in office for so long never followed him all the way down that road. Abe died still pushing for a revision of the so-called peace constitution, and in this regard, he died a frustrated man.\n\nIt will be for future generations of Japanese to decide just how far to go in recommitting toward an alliance with the United States. Whatever happens, China will always be Japan’s much larger—and for the foreseeable future, more economically and militarily powerful—neighbor. Japan trades more with China than with the United States, and in the case of conflict, it would be devastated by a Western-imposed sanctions regime on China along the lines of U.S.- and European-led efforts to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. A U.S. shooting war with China would present Japan with even more terrifying choices. Is its alliance with Washington worth having Chinese missiles rain down on Japanese territory or sink Japanese vessels at sea?\n\nWe must all hope that things never come to this, but hope is not a strategy. There is a case to be made, as I argued in my 2017 book, Everything Under the Heavens: How the Past Helps Shape China’s Push for Global Power, that the period of maximal risk of war in East Asia spans the next couple of decades. After then, profound demographic change in China will cause Beijing to devote more and more of its wealth to retirement and social welfare payments at home and to pull back on its ambitions in the near and far overseas.\n\nUnder such a scenario, Abe’s vision for Japan becomes only one of several competing logics. Coming more fully to terms with its past and drawing closer to its neighbors—which is not to say turning away from the United States—seems like an equally obvious alternative possibility."
      },
      {
        "title": "Shinzo Abe Shot: Shinzo Abe of Japan Dies After Being Shot During Speech (Published 2022)",
        "id": "d-48",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/07/08/world/japan-shinzo-abe-shooting",
        "snippet": "The former prime minister, 67, was assassinated on Friday in the city of Nara. He served in the office longer than anyone before stepping down in 2020.",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQRVHEebQyWYpO6I1KJZUyvfiTfjtjnnlnjPBX2-vC702viQ1b-6UpR1VrsLw&s",
        "content": "Mourners at the site where former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot in Nara, Japan, on Friday.\n\nThe assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during a campaign rally in western Japan was especially hard to fathom because it involved a gun — a type of crime that is extremely rare in a country with some of the most stringent laws on buying and owning firearms.\n\nGun violence is almost unheard-of in Japan. There was only one firearm-related death in all of 2021. Since 2017, there have been 14 gun-related deaths, a remarkably low figure for a country of 125 million people.\n\nExpressing a common reaction, Erika Inoue, a 25-year-old designer in Tokyo, said the gun violence was hard to process.\n\n“The shooting part is confusing,” she said. “There are guns? In Japan?”\n\nJapan’s firearms law states that, in principle, guns are not permitted in the country. There are exceptions for guns used in hunting, but the process of getting a license is time-consuming and expensive, so very few people go through the hassle.\n\nA person must pass 12 steps before purchasing a firearm, starting with a gun-safety class and then passing a written exam administered three times a year. A doctor must sign off on the gun buyer’s physical and mental health. Other steps include an extensive background check and a police inspection of the gun safe and ammunition locker required for storing firearms and bullets.\n\nImage A security officer apprehending the suspect in the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday. The weapon, a handmade gun, can be seen as it falls from the suspect’s hand. Credit... The Asahi Shimbun, via Getty Images\n\nThe shooting was all the more shocking because before Friday, even the idea of a political murder seemed like a relic of a long-gone era.\n\nTempers rarely run high in Japan’s famously sedate politics. Parliamentary debates usually don’t move beyond cat calls and faux outrage and even the ultra-right-wing groups that regularly prowl city streets in black vans, blaring political propaganda, are viewed as more of a nuisance than a threat to public safety.\n\nPolice protection at political events is light, and during campaign season, voters have plenty of opportunities to interact with the country’s top leaders. Videos showed Friday’s suspected shooter walking unobstructed in proximity of the former prime minister and firing a handmade gun.\n\nLocal Japanese police said the handmade gun used in the shooting was more than a foot long and eight inches in height. They also said they seized several handmade guns in a search of the suspect’s home.\n\nUnlike the United States, where gun rights are a constant topic of debate, firearms are rarely discussed in Japanese political circles. Mass killings — in the rare instances when they occur — usually do not involve guns. Instead, perpetrators resort to arson or stabbings.\n\nIn recent weeks, Japanese media watched the spate of mass shootings in the United States with a mix of disbelief and confusion. After the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan’s second-largest newspaper by circulation, published an editorial calling the United States “a gun society” and said that another tragedy had turned a classroom into a “gun massacre zone.”\n\nImage Police investigating the site where a knife-wielding man killed a police officer, then used the officer’s gun to fatally shoot a security guard, in Toyama prefecture in 2018. Credit... Jiji Press/via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images\n\nToyo Keizai, a prominent weekly business magazine and website, published an article last year after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol asking: “Why is ‘Gun Ownership’ a Non-Negotiable Right in the U.S.?”\n\n“It is difficult for Japanese to understand why gun ownership continues in the U.S. even with such a high number of victims,” journalist Keiko Tsuyama said in the article.\n\nMost Japanese people almost never encounter guns in day-to-day life even though police officers carry firearms. And until Mr. Abe’s shooting, Japan had almost no experience with the emotional and political aftermath of gun violence — something that has become a familiar ritual in the United States.\n\nIn 2021, there were 10 shootings in Japan that contributed to death, injury or property damage, according to the National Police Agency. Of those gun-related episodes, one person was killed and four others were injured. The figures do not include accidents or suicides.\n\nMost of the roughly 192,000 licensed firearms in the country are shotguns and hunting rifles. By comparison, in the United States, where most firearms are not registered, the number of guns in civilian hands is by some estimates close to 400 million.\n\nPolitical assassinations were a regular feature of Japan’s turbulent politics in the years leading up to World War II. But since then, only a handful of politicians have been murdered — and most without the use of guns.\n\nThe last killing of a national-level political figure was in 1960, when a 17-year-old extreme nationalist stabbed to death the leader of Japan’s Socialist Party, Inejiro Asanuma.\n\nImage The last assassination of a national political figure in Japan: A 17-year-old used a sword to kill Inejiro Asanuma, leader of the Socialist Party, on a Tokyo stage in 1960. Credit... Yasushi Nagao/The Mainichi Shimbun/Bettmann/Corbis via Getty Images\n\nThat same year, another ultranationalist attacked Mr. Abe’s grandfather, Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, stabbing him repeatedly in the leg and sending him to the hospital.\n\nIn recent decades, what little political violence Japan has seen has often been linked to organized crime or to right-wing groups. In 2007, Kazunaga Ito, the mayor of Nagasaki, was shot to death by a gang member.\n\nJournalists have also occasionally been targets. In 1987, a reporter for the left-leaning Asahi Shimbun was murdered, in an incident linked to right-wing anti-Korean groups.\n\nProtesters have sometimes expressed their grievances by taking their own lives, hoping to draw public sympathy to their causes. Most famously, the novelist Yukio Mishima killed himself by disembowelment in 1970, after leading a small group of right-wing militants in a failed coup.\n\nGerald L. Curtis, a professor emeritus of political science and expert in Japanese politics at Columbia University, said that the deadly attack on Mr. Abe would reverberate through Japan’s politics.\n\n“It no doubt will shake up the Japanese terribly and will reinforce the view that Japan is no longer the safe, peaceful country it has been since the end of World War II and has to change to deal with the new frightening realities it faces,” he said in an email.\n\n“The question is how Japan’s political leaders respond.”"
      },
      {
        "title": "Japan ex-prime minister Shinzo Abe dead after shooting during campaign speech",
        "id": "d-49",
        "link": "https://nypost.com/2022/07/07/japan-ex-prime-minister-shinzo-abe-taken-to-hospital-after-apparent-shooting/",
        "snippet": "Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died after he was shot while delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara on Friday.",
        "source": "New York Post",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSD949VygIVGP92A3VLps4BWFij6RKnPwgtGLFv7SUpy8G5sgIYV0VNrc8aBA&s",
        "content": "Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died after he was shot while delivering a campaign speech in the western city of Nara on Friday.\n\nAbe, 67, collapsed and was bleeding from the neck after he was attacked from behind during a stump speech at about 11:30 a.m. ahead of Sunday’s upper house elections, national broadcaster NHK and the Kyodo news agency said.\n\nThe former prime minister appeared to be in cardiac arrest and was later pronounced dead at 5:03 p.m. local time at the hospital, local media reported.\n\n8 Japan’s ex-prime minister Shinzo Abe bleeds from the chest after being shot in front of Yamatosaidaiji Station on July 8, 2022 in Nara, Japan. The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Imag\n\n8 Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gives a speech before he was shot on July 8, 2022 in Nara, Japan. The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Imag\n\nJapan’s longest-serving leader had been shot on the left side of his chest and also in the neck.\n\nDoctors at a news conference said that Abe had died from excessive bleeding and that the bullet had penetrated far enough to reach his heart.\n\nThe suspected shooter, Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, was taken into custody on attempted murder charges and police recovered a gun from him, police and NHK reported. Yamagami served in the Maritime Self-Defense Force in the 2000s, according to local reports.\n\nChief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno confirmed the shooting and the arrest, but initially told reporters “the condition of former prime minister Abe is currently unknown.\n\n“Whatever the reason, such a barbaric act can never be tolerated, and we strongly condemn it,” chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.\n\n8 Japan’s ex-prime minister Shinzo Abe, center, falls on the ground in Nara, western Japan on July 8, 2022. AP\n\nNHK spoke to witnesses who said a man approached Abe from behind before at least two gunshots were heard.\n\n“He was giving a speech and a man came from behind,” a young woman at the scene told NHK.\n\n“The first shot sounded like a toy. He didn’t fall and there was a large bang. The second shot was more visible, you could see the spark and smoke,” the woman said.\n\n8 Security police chase and tackle the suspect in front of Yamatosaidaiji Station on July 8, 2022 in Nara, Japan. The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Imag\n\n8 Security police arrest a suspect who is believed to have shot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 8, 2022 in Nara, Japan. The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Imag\n\n8 The suspect is pinned down by security forces after the shooting of ex-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara, Japan on July 8, 2022. via REUTERS\n\n“After the second shot, people surrounded him and gave him cardiac massage.”\n\nThe gun used in the attack appeared to be homemade, NHK reported.\n\nAbe, Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020.\n\nHe was forced to step down due to the debilitating bowel condition ulcerative colitis.\n\nFormer US President Donald Trump condemned Friday’s fatal attack as a “tremendous blow” to Japan.\n\n“Absolutely devastating news that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, a truly great man and leader, has been shot, and is in very serious condition,” Trump said on his social media platform.\n\nHe was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America. This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much. We are all praying for Shinzo and his beautiful family.”\n\nU.S. ambassador Rahm Emanuel responded to the shooting Friday, saying the country is “saddened and shocked.”\n\n“Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and an unwavering ally of the United States,” Emanuel said in a statement. “The U.S. government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, and the people of Japan.”\n\nUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the shooting while speaking with reporters at a G20 meeting in Bali, saying, “This is a very, very sad moment.”\n\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders decried the attack on social media.\n\n“Deeply shocked by the heinous attack that Shinzo Abe suffered,” Macron said on Twitter. “France stands alongside the Japanese people.”\n\n8 An aerial view shows former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on a stretcher headed towards a helicopter on July 8, 2022 in Nara, Japan. The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Imag\n\n8 People react after Japan’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot in Nara, western Japan on July 8, 2022. AP\n\nIndia Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply distressed” and expressed concern for his “dear friend” in wake of the shooting.\n\n“Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan, Modi said on Twitter.\n\nNew Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Adern revealed Abe was one of the first leaders she met with when she took office.\n\n“He was deeply committed to his role but also generous & kind,” Adern said on Twitter. “My thoughts are with his wife and the people of Japan. Events like this shake us all to the core.”\n\n“This is a senseless act of violence,” Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said. Mr Abe is in critical condition & doctors are working to save him. My thoughts & prayers are with Mr Abe & his family.\n\nAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, IOC President Thomas Bach and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg offered their thoughts to the former prime minister.\n\nPrime Minister Fumio Kishida’s special advisor Gen Nakatani told reporters “terror or violence can never be tolerated,” Jiji news agency reported.\n\nThe violence was even more shocking given Japan’s famously low levels of crime and tough gun laws. According to the New York Times, Japan experienced 10 shootings that resulted in death, injury or property throughout 2021.\n\nWith Post wires"
      },
      {
        "title": "Opinion – Shinzo Abe’s Murder and Japan’s History of Political Assassination",
        "id": "d-50",
        "link": "https://www.e-ir.info/2022/07/08/opinion-shinzo-abes-murder-and-japans-history-of-political-assassination/",
        "snippet": "The murder on 8 July 2022 of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe while campaigning for upcoming elections in the historic city of Nara...",
        "source": "E-International Relations",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR4GG8GPk-Qe7Ye6vg4D5kWQeC_ohWwG6OK_MAaaRGgVuQNqCvovD_UPqQdSg&s",
        "content": "The murder on 8 July 2022 of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe while campaigning for upcoming elections in the historic city of Nara, shocks both Japan and the world at large. Doctors fought to save Mr Abe’s life, but despite a few moments of consciousness after the shooting, the former PM was described as being continuously comatose during desperate efforts of medical resuscitation. Responding to this apparent act of political violence, PM Fumio Kishida condemned the attack, saying: “It is barbaric…and it cannot be tolerated.” The Fire and Disaster Management Agency had earlier confirmed that Mr Abe had a bullet wound on the right of his neck, and also suffered subcutaneous bleeding under the left part of his chest. Mr Abe was said to be responsive in the minutes after the attack, but the 67-year-old’s situation later deteriorated. Eyewitnesses saw a man firing twice at Mr Abe from behind. Security officers detained the attacker, who made no attempt to run, and seized his weapon – reportedly a handmade gun.\n\nThe suspect has been identified as Nara resident Tetsuya Yamagami. Local media reports say he is believed to be a former member of Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Forces, and that it was an improvised firearm. Explosives have subsequently been found at the suspect’s home. On Japanese social media, the hashtag, “We want democracy, not violence” was trending, with many social media users expressing their disgust towards the incident.\n\nPolitically hawkish, Shinzo Abe favoured revision of Japan’s pacifist constitution, and honoured the Yasukuni Shrine, itself controversial primarily because its Book of Souls contains the names of more than a thousand war criminals from WW2. Naturally, world leaders are stunned by Shinzo Abe’s murder. Japan’s own Foreign Ministry and several prominent politicians in Japan and abroad warned of ‘attacks on supporters of democracy everywhere’. British PM Boris Johnston described his murder as “despicable”, while French President, Emmanuel Macron said it was “an atrocity”. Antony Blinken, US secretary of state, described the shooting as a “very, very sad moment”,” speaking from the G20 in Bali, Indonesia. Former US president Donald Trump called it “a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan”. Japan’s fellow Quad members, Australia, India and the US, were among the first to respond after the shooting. China’s foreign ministry also expressed “shock” at Abe’s shooting and extended condolences to his family. Kevin Rudd, the former Australian PM, called it, “a sober reminder to all our democracies of how precious our freedoms are…. an attack on supporters of democracy everywhere.”\n\nIndia’s PM Narendra Modi said he was, “deeply distressed”. Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan president, condemned the “violent and illegal acts”. Abe’s public support for Taiwan had strengthened since he left office in the face of rising Chinese aggression against the democratic nation. Charles Michel, European Council president, said he was “shocked and saddened by the cowardly attack on Shinzo Abe… [The] EU stands with the people of Japan and [prime minister Fumio] Kishida in these difficult times.” Abe had previously outraged Chinese nationalists. A Weibo comment about the incident immediately went viral across the PRC: “Don’t forget that he visited the Yasukuni Shrine,” referring (above) to the controversial memorial that honours Japan’s war dead. Leif-Eric Easley said the shooting was a “major shock for Japanese politics and society…But Japan’s foreign policy will probably remain consistent, focused on strengthening the rules-based order with the USA and other international partners.” Anthony Albanese, Australia’s prime minister, observed, “our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time”.\n\nIn Japan, possession of firearms is restricted, and while political violence is not unheard of, Abe’s shooting revisits the memories of Japan’s Pre-World War II era. For example, PM Hirobumi Ito was killed in 1909—after he had left office—at a train station in Japanese-occupied northeast China. Indeed, Tokyo Station still bears an inscription near the site where another PM, Takashi Hara was fatally stabbed on Nov. 4, 1921. Japan’s political violence intensified during the 1930s as ultra-rightists sought to destroy the multiparty constitutional government. For example, an attempted coup on February 26, 1936, assassinated finance minister, Korekiyo Takahashi, and others, wounded the PM, and almost overwhelmed legitimate democratic government. The coup was quashed, but at the expense of growing military influence over the government.\n\nPost WW2, as Japan metamorphosed into a democracy, political violence lessened, but even so there were still outbreaks of riots and assassinations. In 1960 Otoya Yamaguchi stabbed to death Mr Inejiro Asanuma, leader of the Japanese Opposition Socialist movement. In 2007, Nagasaki’s Mayor, Iccho Ito, a fervent opponent of nuclear weapons, was shot dead by a right-wing group. Prior to this was the stabbing to death of Koki Ishii, an outspoken member of the opposition Democratic Party of Japan. These events show that Japan does to an extent possess a submerged history of political violence, uncannily in a country known for its post-WW2 pacifism and high level of public safety. Japanese citizens will surely question the fragility of their democracy as Abe will be laid to rest in public ceremonies.\n\nFurther Reading on E-International Relations"
      },
      {
        "title": "Shinzo Abe, former Japanese prime minister who bolstered ties with Israel, is assassinated",
        "id": "d-51",
        "link": "https://www.jta.org/2022/07/08/global/shinzo-abe-former-japanese-prime-minister-who-bolstered-ties-with-israel-is-assassinated",
        "snippet": "Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan who boosted relations with Israel as part of his effort to increase his country's global influence, was...",
        "source": "Jewish Telegraphic Agency",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRK1cc1Px2NSu6C9s5gbAtqz-ZnFdVwPxbSnJY8XDWOhN0uLZsytZzGOq2oXQ&s",
        "content": "Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...\n\n(JTA) — Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan who boosted relations with Israel as part of his effort to increase his country’s global influence, was assassinated at a campaign rally on Friday.\n\nAbe, 67, who led Japan from 2012 to 2020 after a short stint in 2006-2007, was speaking at a rally in Nara when he was shot multiple times from behind. Japan has some of the strictest gun policies in the world, and one of the lowest gun violence rates; the alleged shooter’s gun looked to have been homemade, NPR reported.\n\nAbe was a staunch nationalist who sought to dramatically change Japan’s pacifist postwar character, increasing military spending and becoming more engaged with several world powers. His multi-faceted plans for sweeping economic reforms earned its own internationally known nickname: “Abenomics.”\n\nIncreased diplomacy with Israel was a prime example of Japan’s foreign policy shift during Abe’s consequential second tenure as prime minister. Due to its close ties with oil-producing Arab countries that were historically hostile to Israel, Japan had for decades been wary to establish warm relations with Jerusalem.\n\nBut by 2014, after a visit to Tokyo by then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a leader who shared many of his Japanese counterpart’s right-wing characteristics, trade between the two countries had risen by nearly 10%. Beyond economics, the two leaders signed historic pacts to bolster tourism and security cooperation. Israel’s military expertise made the country a particularly attractive partner for Abe, a historian told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in 2015.\n\n“I am determined, together with Prime Minister Netanyahu, to make further efforts to strengthen Japan-Israel relations, so that the potentials are fully materialized,” Abe said at the time.\n\nAbe returned the favor by offering in 2017 to host a four-way peace summit among Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials and then visiting Jerusalem in 2018. Things were going smoothly until the meal at Netanyahu’s residence ended with dessert served in a shoe — a major faux pas that made international headlines. In Japanese culture, shoes are kept outside of office and work spaces, a well-known taboo.\n\nShare this: Twitter\n\nFacebook\n\nWhatsApp\n\nEmail"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "topic_id": 2,
    "topic": "COVID-19 pandemic triggers global health crisis",
    "docs": [
      {
        "title": "Seasonal Flu Shots Miss the Mark on Bird Flu Protection",
        "id": "d-52",
        "link": "https://globalbiodefense.com/2025/06/03/seasonal-flu-shots-miss-the-mark-on-bird-flu-protection/",
        "snippet": "UK researchers find that seasonal flu vaccines don't protect against H5N1 bird flu strains, highlighting the need for targeted vaccines and...",
        "source": "Global Biodefense",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "A new peer-reviewed study from the Francis Crick Institute and University College London Hospitals has found that quadrivalent seasonal flu vaccines (QIVs)—the standard annual flu shots—do not generate protective antibodies against two dangerous strains of avian influenza A(H5N1), including the version recently detected in U.S. dairy cattle and linked to human infections.\n\nPublished in Emerging Infectious Diseases, the study analyzed blood samples from 61 adults who received flu vaccines across the 2021–2024 seasons. While the vaccines effectively boosted immunity against seasonal flu viruses, they failed to trigger any meaningful immune response against the two H5N1 strains tested.\n\nNo Protection Against H5N1\n\nDespite strong responses to the seasonal H1N1 flu virus, none of the participants showed antibody responses that would help neutralize the tested H5N1 viruses—one from a 2023 outbreak in Cambodia, and one from a 2024 U.S. dairy cow linked to recent human infections. This indicates that current flu shots are unlikely to protect people from serious illness if H5N1 spreads more widely among humans.\n\nRising Risk of Human Transmission\n\nThe findings come amid growing concern that H5N1 is evolving in animals, particularly on dairy farms where the virus has been detected in cows, cats, rodents—and in some human cases. U.S. officials have also found traces of the virus in wastewater and in raw milk. While pasteurized milk remains safe, the presence of live virus in unpasteurized products adds another route of possible exposure.\n\nSome human infections so far have been mild, but the virus’s continued spread in mammals raises the risk it could adapt to spread more easily between people. If that happens, current flu vaccines won’t be enough to protect vulnerable populations.\n\nVulnerable Groups May Be at Greater Risk\n\nThe study focused on healthy adults, the group most likely to mount a strong immune response to vaccines. The lack of H5N1 protection even in this group is especially concerning, as older adults, people with weakened immune systems, and others at higher risk for severe illness would likely fare even worse if exposed to this virus.\n\nWhy It Matters\n\nThis research is a warning signal. Public health efforts cannot rely on seasonal flu vaccines to prevent serious illness from H5N1 if it starts spreading more widely among humans. With limited global supplies of vaccines designed specifically for H5N1, the study reinforces the need for faster development and broader access to targeted vaccines.\n\nThe authors call for:\n\nAccelerated development of H5N1-specific vaccines\n\nImproved surveillance in animals and humans\n\nFocused protection for high-risk groups\n\nAs H5N1 continues to spread in animals and cause sporadic human infections, this study underscores the urgent need to prepare for the possibility of broader transmission. Seasonal flu vaccines remain an important tool—but they won’t protect against this virus. Moving forward, pandemic preparedness will depend on the rapid development of H5-specific vaccines, improved detection systems, and targeted strategies to protect those most at risk.\n\n\n\nStevenson-Leggett P, Adams L, Greenwood D, et al. Investigation of Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Neutralization by Quadrivalent Seasonal Vaccines, United Kingdom, 2021–2024. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2025;31(6):1202–1206. doi:10.3201/eid3106.241796"
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump administration cancels plans to develop a bird flu vaccine",
        "id": "d-53",
        "link": "https://www.npr.org/2025/05/28/nx-s1-5414642/trump-vaccine-bird-flu-mrna",
        "snippet": "The federal government announced Wednesday that it is canceling a contract to develop a vaccine to protect people against flu viruses that...",
        "source": "NPR",
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        "content": "Trump administration cancels plans to develop a bird flu vaccine\n\ntoggle caption thianchai sitthikongsak/Moment RF/Getty Images\n\nThe federal government announced Wednesday that it is canceling a contract to develop a vaccine to protect people against flu viruses that could cause pandemics, including the bird flu virus that's been spreading among dairy cows in the U.S., citing concerns about the safety of the mRNA technology being used.\n\nThe Department of Health and Human Services said it is terminating a $766 million contract with the vaccine company Moderna to develop an mRNA vaccine to protect people against flu strains with pandemic potential, including the H5N1 bird flu virus that's been raising fears.\n\nSponsor Message\n\n\"After a rigorous review, we concluded that continued investment in Moderna's H5N1 mRNA vaccine was not scientifically or ethically justifiable,\" HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon said in a statement.\n\n\"This is not simply about efficacy — it's about safety, integrity, and trust. The reality is that mRNA technology remains under-tested, and we are not going to spend taxpayer dollars repeating the mistakes of the last administration, which concealed legitimate safety concerns from the public,\" Nixon said.\n\nHe added that \"the move signals a shift in federal vaccine funding priorities toward platforms with better-established safety profiles and transparent data practices. HHS remains committed to advancing pandemic preparedness through technologies that are evidence-based, ethically grounded, and publicly accountable.\" The official did not provide any additional details.\n\nJennifer Nuzzo, the director of Brown University's Pandemic Center, said the decision was \"disappointing, but unsurprising given the politically-motivated, evidence-free rhetoric that tries to paint mRNA vaccines as being dangerous.\"\n\n\"While there are other means of making flu vaccines in a pandemic, they are slower and some rely on eggs, which may be in short supply,\" Nuzzo added in an email. \"What we learned clearly during the last influenza pandemic is there are only a few companies in the world that make flu vaccines, which means in a pandemic there won't be enough to go around. If the U.S. wants to make sure it can get enough vaccines for every American who wants them during a pandemic, it should invest in multiple types of vaccines instead of putting all of our eggs in one basket.\"\n\nSponsor Message\n\nThe cancellation comes even though Moderna says a study involving 300 healthy adults had produced \"positive interim\" results and the company \"had previously expected to advance the program to late-stage development.\"\n\n\"While the termination of funding from HHS adds uncertainty, we are pleased by the robust immune response and safety profile observed in this interim analysis of the Phase 1/2 study of our H5 avian flu vaccine and we will explore alternative paths forward for the program,\" Stéphane Bancel, Moderna's chief executive officer, said in a statement. \"These clinical data in pandemic influenza underscore the critical role mRNA technology has played as a countermeasure to emerging health threats.\"\n\nThe administration's move drew sharp criticism from outside experts.\n\n\"This decision puts the lives and health of the American people at risk,\" said Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown School of Public Health, who served as President Biden's COVID-19 response coordinator.\n\n\"Bird Flu is a well known threat and the virus has continued to evolve. If the virus develops the ability to spread from person to person, we could see a large number of people get sick and die from this infection,\" Jha said. \"The program to develop the next generation of vaccines was essential to protecting Americans. The attack by the Administration on the mRNA vaccine platform is absurd.\"\n\nMichael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, agreed.\n\n\"This decision will make our country far less prepared to respond to the next influenza pandemic,\" he said in an email. \"This is a dangerous course to follow.\"\n\nAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the H5N1 flu virus has spread to 1,072 dairy herds, more than 173 million poultry, and caused 70 human cases. While the virus has had a high mortality rate in other countries, so far H5N1 has only caused one death in the U.S. and has not shown any signs of spreading easily from one person to another. But infectious disease experts are concerned that the more the virus spreads, the greater the chance it could mutate into a form that would spread from person to person, which would increase the risk of a pandemic."
      },
      {
        "title": "HHS cancels $766 million in Moderna contracts for vaccines for flu pandemics",
        "id": "d-54",
        "link": "https://www.statnews.com/2025/05/28/moderna-flu-vaccine-development-cancelled-by-hhs-mrna-platform-offers-speedy-pandemic-response/",
        "snippet": "Move is a blow to the country's capacity to respond to a pandemic as no other flu vaccine production method can match the speed of Moderna's...",
        "source": "STAT",
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        "content": "Helen Branswell covers issues broadly related to infectious diseases, including outbreaks, preparedness, research, and vaccine development. Follow her on Mastodon and Bluesky . You can reach Helen on Signal at hbranswell.01.\n\nMatthew Herper covers medical innovation — both its promise and its perils.\n\nThe Department of Health and Human Services has notified Moderna that it is canceling contracts worth $766 million with the company to develop, test, and license vaccines for flu subtypes that could trigger future pandemics, including the dangerous H5N1 bird flu virus.\n\nThough the possibility of the cancellation had been anticipated — the new leadership at HHS told the company in February that it was reviewing the two contracts, signed with the Biden administration — the move is being seen as a significant blow to the country’s capacity to respond to pandemic influenza.\n\nadvertisement\n\nNo other flu vaccine production approach can produce doses with the speed of the messenger RNA platform used by Moderna and other companies that work with mRNA. But the vaccine platform is viewed with deep suspicion by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his political base."
      },
      {
        "title": "HHS cancels $590 million contract with Moderna for bird flu vaccine",
        "id": "d-55",
        "link": "https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/28/health/hhs-moderna-bird-flu-vaccine",
        "snippet": "The US Department of Health and Human Services is terminating a contract with drugmaker Moderna to develop a vaccine to protect against bird...",
        "source": "CNN",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Vaccines Respiratory viruses Federal agencies See all topics Follow\n\nThe US Department of Health and Human Services is terminating a contract with drugmaker Moderna to develop a vaccine to protect against bird flu amid the agency’s broader efforts to reevaluate therapies that use mRNA technology.\n\nThe contract, which was worth $590 million, was announced in mid-January, just before President Donald Trump’s second term.\n\nModerna said Wednesday that an early-phase trial of its mRNA-based vaccine against H5 bird flu in about 300 healthy adults showed “a rapid, potent and durable immune response.”\n\n“While the termination of funding from HHS adds uncertainty, we are pleased by the robust immune response and safety profile … and we will explore alternative paths forward for the program,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement. ”These clinical data in pandemic influenza underscore the critical role mRNA technology has played as a countermeasure to emerging health threats.”\n\nHowever, HHS said Wednesday that the project doesn’t meet scientific or safety expectations for continued investment.\n\n“After a rigorous review, we concluded that continued investment in Moderna’s H5N1 mRNA vaccine was not scientifically or ethically justifiable,” HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon said in a statement. “The reality is that mRNA technology remains under-tested, and we are not going to spend taxpayer dollars repeating the mistakes of the last administration, which concealed legitimate safety concerns from the public.”\n\nThe Trump administration has been looking to evaluate mRNA research and technology and ensure transparency, an administration official told CNN last month.\n\nMRNA technology is already used in Moderna’s and Pfizer/BioNTech’s currently licensed Covid-19 vaccines, which have been found to be safe and effective. But public health experts have expressed concern that increasing anti-vaccine sentiments in general – and anti-mRNA sentiments specifically – may block people from accessing vaccines.\n\n“The attack on mRNA vaccines is beyond absurd,” Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and the White House Covid-19 response coordinator in the Biden administration, said Wednesday on social media. “It was President Trump’s Operation Warp Speed that gave us mRNA vaccines. These vaccines have been administered nearly 2 billion times to hundreds of millions of people around the world – making it one of the most widely used and widely studied vaccines in human history. They are safe and work well.\n\n“If Bird Flu starts spreading from people to people, we will come to regret this as the day we decided to put the lives of the American people at grave risk.”\n\nAvian influenza, or bird flu, is a broad term that refers to several types of influenza that normally infect birds. The H5N1 virus has raised concern among health officials because it has sickened dozens of people in the United States and killed one.\n\nThe US does have vaccines against H5 viruses in its Strategic National Stockpile, but they are made with older technology.\n\nIn February, Bloomberg News reported that US health officials were reevaluating the Moderna contract.\n\n“I’m very disappointed, candidly,” Dr. Paul Friedrichs, a physician and retired Air Force major general who was director of the White House Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy in the Biden administration, told CNN in March. “One of the real challenges when a new pathogen emerges is that it takes time to produce therapeutics, and it takes time to produce vaccines.\n\n“So we worked very closely with industry to try and find ways to fund research and clinical trials and make sure that we had a variety of options available if this virus became more dangerous,” he said. “Because we just don’t know what’s going to happen next with this virus.”\n\nCNN’s Deidre McPhillips, Brenda Goodman and Jacqueline Howard contributed to this report."
      },
      {
        "title": "U.S. Cancels Contract With Moderna to Develop Bird Flu Vaccine",
        "id": "d-56",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/29/health/moderna-trump-bird-flu-vaccine-contract.html",
        "snippet": "Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly questioned the safety of mRNA technology, which is used in the company's shot.",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "“We shouldn’t let politically motivated attempts to unfairly brand mRNA vaccines as dangerous stand in the way of ensuring everyone who wants a pandemic vaccine can get one,” she said.\n\nMr. Kennedy’s ideas for containing bird flu are unorthodox. He has suggested that instead of culling birds when the infection is discovered, farmers should let the virus run through the flocks. Then, he has said, farmers should identify birds that survive the illness and study them to identify the source of their immunity. Many scientists assert that would be inhumane and dangerous.\n\nLast week, Mr. Kennedy urged the Canadian authorities not to kill 400 ostriches that had been exposed to H5N1, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who oversees Medicare and Medicaid, offered to relocate the birds to his ranch in Florida.\n\nMr. Kennedy has long waged a campaign against some vaccines, particularly those based on mRNA. He has incorrectly and repeatedly said that the Covid vaccines using mRNA were the “deadliest” vaccines ever made.\n\nExperts said his views were out of step with the science.\n\n“Pandemic preparedness is about being proactive, fast and adaptable — the mRNA vaccine platform is all of that,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.\n\n“The rationale given is likely fabricated and more of a function of R.F.K. Jr.’s assault on vaccines, the value of which he evades,” he added. “Canceling this contract makes the world less safe.”"
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump Team’s $500 Million Bet on Old Vaccine Technology Puzzles Scientists",
        "id": "d-57",
        "link": "https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/trump-hhs-rfk-flu-vaccine-nih-grant-taubenberger/",
        "snippet": "Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s HHS said an enormous, noncompetitive flu vaccine development grant to two favored NIH leaders would ensure...",
        "source": "KFF Health News",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "The Trump administration’s unprecedented $500 million grant for a broadly protective flu shot has confounded vaccine and pandemic preparedness experts, who said the project was in early stages, relied on old technology, and was just one of more than 200 such efforts.\n\nHealth and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shifted the money from a pandemic preparedness fund to a vaccine development program led by two scientists whom the administration recently named to senior positions at the National Institutes of Health.\n\nUse Our Content It can be republished for free.\n\nWhile some experts were pleased that Kennedy had supported any vaccine project, they said the May 1 announcement contravened sound scientific policy, appeared arbitrary, and raised the kinds of questions about conflicts of interest that have dogged many of President Donald Trump’s actions.\n\nFocusing vast resources on a single vaccine candidate “is a little like going to the Kentucky Derby and putting all your money on one horse,” said William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University professor and past president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. “In science we normally put money on a number of different horses because we can’t be entirely sure who’s going to win.”\n\nOthers were mystified by the decision, since the candidate vaccine uses technology that was largely abandoned in the 1970s and eschews techniques developed in recent decades through funding from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Defense Department.\n\n“This is not a next-generation vaccine,” said Rick Bright, who led HHS’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, in the first Trump administration. “It’s so last-generation, or first-generation, it’s mind-blowing.”\n\nEmail Sign-Up Subscribe to KFF Health News' free Morning Briefing. Your Email Address Sign Up\n\nThe vaccine is being developed at the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases by Jeffery Taubenberger, whom Trump named as acting chief of the institute in late April, and his colleague Matthew Memoli, a critic of U.S. covid-19 policy whom Trump picked to lead the NIH until April 1, when Jay Bhattacharya took office. Bhattacharya named Memoli his principal deputy.\n\nTaubenberger gained fame as an Armed Forces Institute of Pathology scientist in 1997 when his lab sequenced the genome of the 1918 pandemic influenza virus, using tissue samples from U.S. troops who died in that plague. He joined the NIH in 2006.\n\nIn a May 1 news release, HHS called the Taubenberger-Memoli vaccine initiative “Generation Gold Standard,” saying it represented “a decisive shift toward transparency, effectiveness, and comprehensive preparedness.” Bhattacharya said it represented a “paradigm shift.”\n\nBut the NIH vaccine-makers’ goal of creating a shot that protects against multiple or all strains of influenza — currently vaccines must be given each year to account for shifts in the virus — is not new.\n\nThen-NIAID Director Anthony Fauci launched a network of academic researchers in pursuit of a broadly protective flu vaccine in 2019. In addition to that NIH-led consortium, more than 200 flu vaccines are under development in the U.S. and other countries.\n\nMany use newer technologies, and some are at more advanced stages of human testing than the Taubenberger vaccine, whose approach appears basically the same as the one used in flu vaccines starting in 1944, Bright said.\n\nIn the news release, HHS described the vaccine as “in advanced trials” and said it would induce “robust” responses and “long-lasting protection.” But Taubenberger and his colleagues haven’t published a complete human study of the vaccine yet. A study showing the vaccine protected mice from the flu appeared in 2022.\n\nFor Operation Warp Speed, which led to the creation of the covid vaccine during Trump’s first term, government scientists reviewed detailed plans and data from academic and commercial laboratories vying for federal money, said Greg Poland, a flu expert and president of the Atria Health Academy of Science and Medicine. “If that’s happening here, it’s opaque to me,” he said.\n\nWhen asked what data beyond its press release supported the decision, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon pointed to the agency’s one-page statement. Asked whether the decision would curtail funding for the Fauci-created consortium or other universal vaccine approaches, Nixon did not specifically respond. “Generation Gold Standard is the most promising,” he said in an email.\n\nTaubenberger did not respond to a request for comment. Nixon and NIH spokesperson Amanda Fine did not respond to requests for an interview with Taubenberger or Memoli.\n\nThe HHS statement stressed that by developing the vaccine in-house, the government “ensures radical transparency, public accountability, and freedom from commercial conflicts of interest.” While any vaccine would eventually have to be made commercially, NIH involvement through more stages of development could give the government greater influence on any vaccine’s eventual price, Schaffner said.\n\nIf the mRNA-based covid shots produced by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech represented the cutting edge of vaccine technology, applying ultra-sophisticated approaches never before seen in an inoculation, the approach by Taubenberger and Memoli represents a blast from the past.\n\nTheir vaccine is made by inactivating influenza viruses with a carcinogenic chemical called beta-propiolactone. Scientists have used the chemical to neutralize viruses since at least the 1950s. This whole-virus inactivation method, mostly using other chemicals, was the standard way to make flu vaccines into the 1970s, when it was modified, partly because whole-virus vaccines caused high fevers or even seizures in children.\n\nThe limited published data from the Taubenberger vaccine, from an initial safety trial involving 45 patients, showed no major side effects. The scientists are testing the vaccine as a regular shot and as an intranasal spray with the idea of stopping the virus in the respiratory tract before it causes a broad infection.\n\n“The notion of a universal influenza A pandemic vaccine is a good one,” said Poland, who called Taubenberger an excellent scientist. But he added: “I’m not so sure about the platform, and the dollar amount is a puzzler. This vaccine’s in very early development.”\n\nPaul Friedrichs, a retired Air Force general who led the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy in President Joe Biden’s White House, said that “giving $500 million upfront with very little data to support it is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”\n\n“The technology for developing vaccines has tremendously evolved over many decades,” Friedrichs said. “Why would we go back to an approach historically associated with greater or more frequent adverse events?”\n\nThe government appeared to be transferring the money for the Taubenberger vaccine development from an existing $1.3 billion vaccine fund at Project NextGen, a mostly covid-focused program at BARDA, Friedrichs said. Most of that money was earmarked to support advanced research on covid and other viral vaccines, including those protecting against emerging diseases.\n\nIt is “very concerning that we’re de-emphasizing covid, which we may live to regret,” Poland said. “It assumes we won’t have a covid variant that escapes the current moderately high levels of covid immunity.”\n\nNixon said Project NextGen, for which some funds were earmarked for mRNA research, is under review. Kennedy is critical of mRNA vaccines, once claiming, falsely, that they are the deadliest vaccines in history.\n\nTed Ross, director of global vaccine development at the Cleveland Clinic, said he was “happy to see them investing in respiratory vaccines, including a universal flu vaccine, with all the programs they’ve been cutting.”\n\n“But I don’t think this is the only approach,” Ross said. “Other universal flu vaccines are in progress, and their success and failure are not known yet.”\n\nHis team, part of the NIAID-funded flu vaccine consortium, is using artificial intelligence and computer modeling to design vaccines that produce the broadest immunity to influenza, including seasonal and pandemic strains.\n\nAs interim director, Memoli oversaw the start of the administration’s massive cuts at the NIH, with the elimination of some 800 agency grants worth over $2 billion. More than 1,200 NIH employees have been fired, and many researchers, including Ross, are in limbo.\n\nHis lab is close to testing a candidate vaccine on people, Ross said, while waiting to find out about its NIH funding. “I’m not sure whether my contract is on the chopping block,” he said."
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump administration yanks Moderna's bird flu vaccine research funding even as company reports promising test results",
        "id": "d-58",
        "link": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/moderna-bird-flu-vaccine-research-funding-trump-administration-yanks/",
        "snippet": "The Trump administration has canceled $766 million awarded to Moderna to develop a vaccine against potential pandemic influenza viruses,...",
        "source": "CBS News",
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        "content": "The Trump administration has canceled $766 million awarded to drugmaker Moderna Inc. to develop a vaccine against potential pandemic influenza viruses, including the H5N1 bird flu.\n\nThe company said it was notified Wednesday that the Health and Human Services Department had withdrawn funds awarded in July 2024 and in January to pay for development and purchase of its investigational vaccine.\n\nThe funds were awarded through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, a program that focuses on medical treatments for potential pandemics.\n\nThe new vaccine, called mRNA-1018, used the same technology that allowed development and rollout of vaccines to fight COVID-19 in record time.\n\nHealth Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed deep skepticism regarding mRNA vaccines, despite real-world evidence that the vaccines are safe and saved millions of lives.\n\nThe cancelation came as Moderna announced positive interim results from an early-stage trial of the vaccine that targeted H5 bird flu virus, tested in 300 healthy adults.\n\n\"While the termination of funding from HHS adds uncertainty, we are pleased by the robust immune response and safety profile observed in this interim analysis,\" CEO Stephane Bancel said in a statement.\n\nHe added that Moderna would \"explore alternatives\" for funding the development and manufacturing of the vaccine, according to French news agency AFP.\n\n\"These clinical data in pandemic influenza underscore the critical role mRNA technology has played as a countermeasure to emerging health threats,\" AFP cited Bancel as saying.\n\nIn a statement in March, Moderna told CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News Dr. Céline Gounder that, \"Researchers have been exploring mRNA's potential in medicine for over 30 years, leading to the rapid deployment of mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines that transformed the course of the pandemic. With more than a billion doses distributed worldwide and an unprecedented amount of real-world safety and efficacy data, the benefits of mRNA vaccination ... are well established.\"\n\nDr. Ashish Jha, a public health expert who served as former President Joe Biden's COVID-19 response coordinator, remarked about the funding withdrawal on X, saying, \"This move puts the lives of Americans at risk. The attack on mRNA vaccines is beyond absurd. It was President Trump's Operation Warp Speed that gave us mRNA vaccines. ... If Bird Flu starts spreading from people to people, we will come to regret this as the day we decided to put the lives of the American people at grave risk. \"\n\nH5N1 bird flu viruses spilled from wild bird into cattle in the U.S. last year, infecting hundreds of animals in several states. At least 70 people in the U.S. have been sickened by bird flu infections, mostly mild. One person died.\n\nScientists fear that continued mutation of the virus could enable it to become more virulent or more easily spread in people, with the possibility that it could trigger a pandemic.\n\nModerna received $176 million in July 2024 and $590 million in January. The January award would have supported a late-stage clinical trial that could have determined the vaccine's efficacy against pandemic viruses, including bird flu, a company spokesman said."
      },
      {
        "title": "Increased Risk of Death Triggered by Domestic Violence, Hunger, Suicide, Exhausted Health System during COVID-19 Pandemic: Why, How and Solutions",
        "id": "d-59",
        "link": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sociology/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2021.648395/full",
        "snippet": "Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, just like many other public health emergencies,...",
        "source": "Frontiers",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQQ8Kr01Fq4YYra-3DAnrUjAyHLqzj5O4K7m6HLNFmghK6Dx5KbWksdn6ZwZw&s",
        "content": "Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, just like many other public health emergencies, is a well-established global health burden that has resulted in several changes in routines and lifestyles of people globally. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has directly or indirectly involved in the loss of lives of more than 3.24 million as of 6th May, 2021. The increasing threats posed by this pandemic were subsided by the swift and drastic measures put in place by different countries. As other causes of death before the emergence of COVID-19 still exist, the pandemic has further worsened their impact. The increased risks of COVID-19 deaths are not only due to the health burden it possesses, but also due to some other factors. These factors include domestic violence that becomes rampant, especially during lockdowns; hunger due to low economic development, unemployment, and loss of jobs; suicide due to depression; exhausted health system due to high level of COVID-19 cases and inability to contain it. As we move from the response phase into recovery, the pandemic’s direct and broader impacts on individuals, households, and communities will influence the capacity to recover. An understanding of these impacts is therefore required to develop priorities to support recovery. This paper identifies other causes of death amidst the pandemic, such as domestic violence, hunger, suicide, and exhausted health system, and how to minimize their effects.\n\nIntroduction\n\nThe current COVID-19 pandemic is one of the largest respiratory disease outbreaks affecting several countries simultaneously and has affected over 200 countries as of April 2021 (David and Ozuluoha, 2020). As we move from the response phase into recovery, the pandemic’s direct and broader impacts on individuals, households, and communities will influence the capacity to recover. An understanding of these impacts is therefore required to develop priorities to support recovery (Bernard et al., 2020).\n\nCOVID-19 pandemic has affected many homes and families. It has caused numerous deaths in the world with greater collateral damages in some low and middle-income countries where people do not have access to proper healthcare, food, and jobs (Lim et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2020). These factors have, in turn, influenced other triggers of deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. The numerous deaths triggered by COVID-19 and other factors that made the pandemic out of control, such as domestic violence, hunger, suicide, and exhausted health system, are discussed extensively in this paper, and suitable solutions that could reduce these risks are proposed in detail.\n\nImpacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Human Lives\n\nWhile different countries’ policies vary, a lockdown declaration seemed like a common occurrence across many countries (De Ver Dye et al., 2020). The declared lockdown, though having many advantages, came in with other notable disadvantages. Some of the considerable impacts are seen on the health of people with chronic diseases (Umaru et al., 2020; Aborode et al., 2020a), treatment of malaria (Aborode et al., 2021a), education (Lawal et al., 2020; Aborode et al., 2020b), drugs supply (Dada et al., 2020), healthcare services (David and Adebisi, 2020; Ahmad et al., 2021). The magnitude of these impacts has created an atmosphere where people are more susceptible to deaths not only directly linked to COVID-19 pandemic, but indirectly to other factors.\n\nDomestic Violence\n\nCOVID-19 has radically changed the lives of many individuals. During the quarantine mandated by governments to curb the spread of COVID-19, domestic violence made some people’s homes a more dangerous place to live and survive. This could be because they must stay the whole day with partners and away from people who can witness their experiences and give help. Many abusive situations were on an increase due to economic crises linked to COVID-19 emergence (many victims have difficulty leaving abusive partners for financial reasons). In addition, lockdown triggered the increased risk of domestic violence where parents fight with one another, children unable to handle the mental stress of such acts, thus increasing the prevalence of suicide, mental instability, and physical deformation (Elbert et al., 2018; Cluver et al., 2020). A recent study has proven a rise in domestic violence and social decadences during pandemics (Brooks et al., 2020). The rise in domestic violence during pandemics increases the level of violence and social menace that cannot be control easily due to low engagement of people and lockdown. Domestic violence during pandemics is linked to the adoption of negative stress coping mechanisms that occur between spouses, parents, and individuals during pandemic lockdowns. Lockdown also brings abusers closer to their victims for an extended period, consequently increasing the probabilities of repeated occurrences (Brenner, 1987; Reynolds et al., 2008; Palermo and Peterman, 2011).\n\nSeveral media reports indicate a surge in domestic violence cases in various countries (Lima et al., 2020; van Gelder et al., 2020; Gearin and Knight, 2020). According to Kagi (2020), the overall crime rates in Australia have declined, however, the rate of domestic abuse increased by 5%. Some charities in Australia also raised concerns about COVID-19 misinformation used by the offenders to further control and abuse domestic violence victims (Kagi, 2020). Allen-Ebrahimian (2020) reported that China witnessed a threefold increase in domestic violence cases after imposing lockdown. Different states in the United States also reported about 21–35% increase in the number of domestic violence recorded (Wagers, 2020). According to Bradbury-Jones and Isham (2020), the lockdown imposed to deal with COVID-19 pandemic has granted greater freedom to abusers. It has become easier for the abusers to enforce control tactics by limiting the victims’ access to phones, the internet, and other people, while van Gelder et al. (2020) also emphasized that the lockdown limits familiar support options.\n\nThe proposed solutions to the occurrences of domestic violence are strengthening online support and aids systems (Haneef and Kalyanpur, 2020). There should be advocacy platforms aimed at curtailing the several factors catalyzing the spikes in violence against persons (WHO, 2020). Also, there should be proposed plans that will reduce the risk triggers of domestic violence, which results to death during COVID-19 pandemic. It is required that prioritizing violence prevention within the global public health agenda be encouraged. This can be done by defining the problem through the systematic collection of information, using research evidence to determine the causes and risk factors of violence, and implement effective interventions to prevent violence. Achieving these goals becomes particularly important during the pandemic because violence against women has dramatically increased (WHO, 2020). The effectiveness of online safety and health interventions for different needs of women who have experienced intimate partner violence have already been outlined previously (El-Serag and Thurston, 2020; Ford-Gilboe et al., 2020).\n\nMoreover, to reduce the mortality rates due to domestic violence during COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need for funding sources to enhance telephone or remote counseling services with high-speed internet, hotlines, and emergence shelters. It is also mandatory to identify high-risk individuals and admonish them to avoid extreme events such as impulsive acts, homicide, or suicide.\n\nHunger\n\nAgriculture has remained the primary source of food globally, and hence agriculture plays a vital role in the nation’s economic development. The lockdowns imposed by countries have resulted in an obstruction to the free flow of all the stages involved in agriculture i.e. from farm to fork (including production, processing, distribution, and consumption). This has consequently resulted in a hike in the prices of food commodities (Torero, 2020). As a result of this increase in food prices and a further anticipated hike, food shortages, malnutrition, and even deaths have been recorded (Torero, 2020). The United Nations World Food Program has estimated that by the end of the year 2020, over 265 million people could suffer from food shortages and hunger (Food Security Information Network, 2020).\n\nIn a national survey conducted in the United States of America, it was shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has directly increased the rate of food insecurity in households having children (Bauer, 2020). This survey showed that 34.5% of households with a child ≤18 years old and 34.4% of families with children ≤12 years old were experiencing food shortages by the end of April 2020, compared with 14.7 and 15.1% in 2018, respectively (Bauer, 2020). It was also shown that 17.4% of mothers with children ≤12 years old reported that “the children in my household were not eating enough because we just couldn’t afford enough food,” compared to 3.1% in 2018 (Bauer, 2020).\n\nCOVID-19 pandemic aggravated the hunger crisis in the world’s hunger hotspots and created new epicenters of hunger worldwide. By the end of the year, 12,000 people per day died from COVID-19 pandemic, which is linked to hunger, potentially more than the disease (Siguerva et al., 2020). The pandemic is the final straw for millions of people already struggling with the impacts of conflict, climate change, inequality, and a broken food system that has impoverished millions of food producers and workers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the socioeconomic disparities across borders and communities, there has been expansive togetherness, love, and care. The lockdown, however, introduced several economic hardships Siguerva et al. (2020); Aborode et al. (2021b), such as coronavirus famine, food insecurity and adverse hunger, which triggered risk of human death. Neglecting to combat hunger may have caused severe malnutrition and starvation, as evident in war-torn or ravaged ambient. These correlated to salient risk factors or determinants Chukwuma (2020) for compromised immune systems and facilitated susceptibility to infection rates, life-threatening disorders associated with the novel coronavirus. These disorders include severe respiratory distress, pneumonia, diarrhea, cholera, other gastrointestinal diseases Chaolin et al. (2020), and emerging and re-emerging diseases Chukwuma (2018) to poor sanitation and inadequate water supply.\n\nTo mitigate the impact of hunger during COVID-19 pandemic on human lives, there is a need for COVID-19 economic recovery palliative. This will provide families with prompt and adequate access to food and other resources during and after the pandemic crisis. There is also a need for an improvement in the nutritional intake of people who are vulnerable- mostly people with low standard of living and other factors that trigger their vulnerability such as health issues (El Zowalaty et al., 2020). Sustainable development policies, actions, and good governance will reduce and eventually eradicate the burden of poverty triggered by hunger (Chukwuma, 2020; Abdullahi et al., 2021). Sustainable steps need to be taken to prevent deaths secondary to hunger amidst the pandemic, as they can affect other sectors if not duly attended to because human survival depends on quality foods. In addition, there should be an assurance that food will be readily available to people who need them. This is to mitigate the consequences posed by hunger, which can result in death if there is no action implemented.\n\nSuicide\n\nThe potential of COVID-19 pandemic to cause long-lasting morbidity implies that it may serve as a risk factor for mental illness and suicide in the end. It was found that psychosis (a risk factor for suicide) was high in people during the H1N1, MERS, and SARS pandemics (Rogers et al., 2020). Wasserman (1992) stated that the Spanish flu epidemic (1918–1920) resulted in a slight increase in the number of suicide cases in the United States of America. In Hong Kong, the 2003 SARS epidemic also increased the rates of suicide cases (Cheung et al., 2008). Generally, few studies have investigated the impact of prior pandemics on suicide rates (Wasserman, 1992; Cheung et al., 2008).\n\nThe factors that result in suicide during COVID-19 are also due to the economic hardship faced by people, with loss of jobs occupying the premium position. Other factors that trigger suicides during the COVID-19 pandemic are entrapment, social isolation, alcohol consumption, and loneliness (O’Connor and Kirtley, 2018; David et al., 2020b).\n\nTo reduce the rate of suicide triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, there should be programs and awareness campaigns organized by NGOs and government bodies that will ensure proper mental health education for people. These programs would inform them on how to take care of their mental health and why they need to take care of their loved ones. The lockdowns imposed in several parts of the world have resulted in economic hardship and loss of jobs for many people, thus creating financial stressors (Cheung et al., 2008). These are among the risk factors for suicide. The government should provide financial security to ease the hardship posed by these circumstances. These can be in the form of housing, food, employment support, and consideration for their future and not just their current situations. There should be a responsible reporting of suicide cases so that people can maintain their emotional and mental stability; irresponsible reporting of spikes of suicide recorded instilled fear in people’s minds (Niederkrotenthaler et al., 2020). Finally, support in form of easy-accessible and well-distributed telephone help-lines should be available to help people with their mental health.\n\nDeaths Triggered by Exhausted Health System\n\nThe disruption of healthcare services to other medical conditions due to the drifted attention given to COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many deaths (Santoli et al., 2020). The deaths triggered by healthcare inability to provide services to all patients was because of the priorities given to COVID-19 patients and suspected patients at the expense of others (Lange et al., 2020). During the pandemic, regular healthcare services inevitably reduced because of concerns about SARS-CoV-2 exposure, restructuring regular hospital facilities to facilitate the COVID-19 patients, shifting of health professionals from their professional department to COVID-19 departments, shortage of beds, shortage of operation theaters, and shortage of doctors and nurses (Babatunde et al., 2020; Aborode et al., 2021c). This has also decreased in-person services, and supported the use telehealth in order to address some healthcare needs of patients (Lange et al., 2020).\n\nTo solve the problem of increased deaths from other causes due to healthcare system’s inability to provide services to all patients, balancing the direct response to COVID-19 with the need for other health services’ continuous delivery is a universal dilemma for policymakers (Aborode et al., 2021d). It is particularly challenging for decision-makers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where health systems already face enormous demands to address infectious and non-communicable diseases coupled with significant resource constraints (Oseran et al., 2020; Abdullahi et al., 2020). The leaders should evaluate different policy options that will effectively respond to COVID-19 by exacerbating all the causes of morbidity and mortality among the population from neglecting or diverting care for other conditions (Stuckler et al., 2009).\n\nFurthermore, exploring underlying reasons for medical care avoidance should be act on, which include people with disabilities, people with underlying health conditions, unpaid caregivers for adults, and those who face structural inequities. If care for population survival rate and standard of living were neglected because of concerns about SARS-CoV-2 exposure or if there were closures or limited options for in-person services, providing accessible telehealth or in-home health care could address some of these issues (Oseran et al., 2020).\n\nCommunities, health care systems, and public health agencies should foster equity by working together to ensure access to information, testing, and care to all. The higher prevalence of medical care delay or avoidance among patients with high medical service bills or payments on people with no money might reflect differences in medical care-seeking behaviors (Chan et al., 2020).\n\nConclusion\n\nThe spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in many unprecedented events and an increase in the number of non-COVID-19 deaths. To deal with the direct effects of the pandemic and prior to universally available vaccination, many governments have imposed lockdowns to reduce the viral spread. This, however, has resulted, in social distancing, economic instability, mental health problems, isolation, depression, domestic violence, suicide, hunger, and a strained healthcare system that was not able to provide services as usual (David et al., 2020a). Although there have been studies exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, analyzing the causes of death triggered by other factors such as domestic violence, suicide, hunger, and exhausted healthcare system is of great importance. There is a need for NGOs, governments, and individuals to play a role in mitigating these challenges.\n\nData Availability Statement\n\nThere is no data available for this study as this is a perspective research study..\n\nAuthor Contributions\n\nKD, IY, and AA conceptualized the topic. KD, AA, DO, and NE wrote the first draft. All the authors proofread the draft for both grammatical and intellectual accuracy. All the authors have read and approved the final draft before submission.\n\nConflict of Interest\n\nThe authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.\n\nReferences\n\nAbdullahi, A. 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      },
      {
        "title": "COVID-19 and the Displaced: Addressing the Threat of the Novel Coronavirus in Humanitarian Emergencies",
        "id": "d-60",
        "link": "https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports-briefs/covid-19-and-the-displaced-addressing-the-threat-of-the-novel-coronavirus-in-humanitarian-emergencies/",
        "snippet": "The world is gripped by a truly global public health emergency. From New York to Wuhan, attention and resources are being directed to fight...",
        "source": "Refugees International",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS0JUG41spKjwqIPbgRw1ECVR-x-IOHsqHyVI9JW-W23bnfCWvkX3ysHfeZ5g&s",
        "content": "Introduction\n\nThe world is gripped by a truly global public health emergency. From New York to Wuhan, attention and resources are being directed to fight the spread of COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus (officially, SARS-CoV-2). On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the situation a pandemic.[1] Healthcare systems in even the most advanced countries are being overwhelmed. As the pandemic[2] spreads, the coronavirus will disproportionately impact the world’s most vulnerable, among them refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people (IDPs). These populations must be included in the global response to the virus. This is essential to protecting not only these communities, but societies at large.\n\nThe scale and speed of the pandemic underscore how deeply interconnected the world’s populations are. Nevertheless, at precisely the moment when global solidarity and cooperation are essential, many nations are turning inward as they seek to protect their citizens. But a virus does not respect borders. Nor does it discriminate. A truly effective response, not to mention a morally correct one, also must not discriminate.\n\n“A virus does not respect borders. Nor does it discriminate. A truly effective response, not to mention a morally correct one, also must not discriminate.”\n\nThe world’s more than 70 million forcibly displaced people—including refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs, and other forced migrants—are among the most vulnerable. Already, their displacement leaves them disadvantaged in many ways. The impact of the epidemic both exacerbates and is exacerbated by the conditions in which they live. A series of factors make them extremely vulnerable to the spread of the virus.\n\nThe first factor is population density. Many refugees and internally displaced people live in cramped conditions, including formal camps, informal settlements, or population-dense urban spaces. Multiple families are often forced to share the same bathroom, the same cooking, and the same bathing facilities – if they have access at all. Some are forced to share the same tent. In some countries, asylum seekers and irregular migrants are placed in detention, often in appalling conditions. The ease with which the coronavirus spreads makes these living situations potentially disastrous.\n\nSecond, the forcibly displaced generally have difficulty accessing basic services—especially healthcare. When they have access, it tends to be to primary healthcare. Intensive care – the kind of care that COVID-19 patients need when they develop acute respiratory distress syndrome – is scarce to nonexistent, especially in camp settings. In addition, those fleeing conflict or natural disasters often struggle with underlying health conditions, including malnutrition, psychosocial stress, and other infectious diseases like TB. These conditions make them more vulnerable to the virus.\n\nThird, the limited access to reliable information for displaced communities will complicate efforts to respond. Misinformation, mistrust of authorities, the absence of communication networks, and language barriers can all prevent accurate and far-reaching messaging. Without critical information about the coronavirus, the displaced may not only risk spreading the infection, but find themselves in violation of new policies. At risk of deportation, asylum seekers without legal status are often reticent to trust local authorities, much less reveal themselves once they get sick.\n\nFourth, the humanitarian supply chain may be challenged by the outbreak. Relief workers may reduce or cut contact with displaced communities to help prevent spread of the virus. Many humanitarian actors will not have the training or resources to respond to such an unprecedented crisis. Governments are restricting the travel of international personnel and the movement of vital supplies. Steps to close borders, halt transportation, and shutter businesses are interrupting supply. The resulting shortages of goods could have devastating consequences in many humanitarian contexts.\n\nFinally, as governments, NGOs, and international organizations redirect their attention and resources to combat the pandemic, the financing needed to respond to ongoing humanitarian and displacement crises is at risk of falling dramatically. Already, responses to many of these crises are acutely underfunded. The lasting economic impact of the pandemic on the global economy will only aggravate this problem just as aid agencies find themselves increasingly overwhelmed.\n\nCertainly, many of the challenges that displaced people face will be shared by vulnerable and marginalized citizens in every country affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we must recognize the unique circumstances of refugees, asylum seekers, IDPs, and other forced migrants in light of the threat an outbreak presents. What follows is a snapshot of how these and other issues are playing out across major humanitarian and displacement crises. The information and analysis in this report reveal key principles and recommendations that should be part of any effective humanitarian response to the pandemic.\n\nAsia\n\nChina was the original epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. The outbreak of COVID-19 there raised concerns that the virus would spread to other parts of the region, including to south Asia—home to some of the world’s largest populations of refugees and IDPs. Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, Afghan refugees in Pakistan, and millions of IDPs inside Afghanistan itself shelter in overcrowded and underserved camps and informal settlements. The coronavirus has the potential to wreak havoc in these settings.\n\nAfghan Refugees and Internally Displaced People\n\nAlmost 40 years of conflict have forcibly displaced huge numbers of Afghans. Millions have fled the country and are living in neighboring countries such as Iran, representing one of the largest protracted refugee situations in the world. Iran is a hotbed for COVID-19, now reporting the fourth highest number of deaths in the world.[3] The Iranian government faced criticism for its delay in acknowledging and responding to the seriousness of the outbreak.[4] Not until March 26—with 29,406 cases confirmed and 2,234 deaths—did the government issue an intercity travel ban and close schools, universities, national parks, and non-essential businesses.[5][6] For the more than 3 million Afghans living in Iran, the situation is most dire. Most had difficulty accessing basic services like healthcare even before the current outbreak. Tens of thousands are returning to Afghanistan.\n\nHowever, decades of war have devastated the health system in Afghanistan. Although more than 420 new health facilities have been established since 2014, the healthcare sector remains vastly under resourced.[7] There are approximately three doctors for every 10,000 patients.[8] While Afghanistan is in the midst of fragile peace negotiations, the level of violence remains remarkably high and the population’s humanitarian needs are massive. More than 2.5 million Afghans are internally displaced. Of the 120 COVID-19 cases that have been confirmed in Afghanistan,[9] a significant number had recently come from Iran.[10] They had entered through the city of Herat, where there is no health facility adequately equipped to deal with this illness. Government officials have recommended social distancing measures and even instituted a daytime curfew in Herat, but their recommendations have largely gone unheeded. On March 24, Afghanistan’s health ministry warned that half of the country’s almost 39 million people might be infected.[11]\n\nRohingya Refugees\n\nHealth authorities in Bangladesh are gearing up for a possible COVID-19 outbreak in Rohingya refugee camps. There are nearly 900,000 refugees living in the camps in Cox’s Bazar and more than 400,000 Bangladeshis living in close proximity to them. Cramped living conditions, poor water quality, and patchy access to healthcare in the camps leave refugees vulnerable to disease. A recent humanitarian risk assessment of the Rohingya response warned, “the potential mortality and morbidity risk associated with COVID-19 is likely to surpass global averages.”[12]\n\n“Cramped living conditions, poor water quality, and patchy access to healthcare in the camps leave refugees vulnerable to disease.”\n\nBangladesh’s Ministry of Health is developing a preparedness and response plan in coordination with UN agencies. Hundreds of health workers in the camp area are receiving training to improve disease outbreak detection and prevention.[13] However, UN officials privately warn that they anticipate major problems in managing the spread of the virus inside their own international workforce, much less across the refugee population. The government of Bangladesh is allowing only essential services to reach the camps, undermining efforts to address food insecurity and cyclone preparedness. Meanwhile, health workers there lack personal protective equipment such as gloves and masks. Donors and UN agencies must step up to supply these critical items.\n\nCommunicating with displaced populations about the COVID-19 outbreak will be challenging given refugees’ mistrust of authorities and the absence of formal, credible communications networks. The government continues to restrict phone and internet access in the camps while rumors and false information often spread quickly. This is likely to hinder efforts to prevent and prepare for the spread of the virus. The government of Bangladesh should therefore lift internet and phone restrictions and empower Rohingya civil society organizations that have formed in the camps in order to improve the quality and reach of essential information.[14]\n\nRohingya refugees living in the mega-camp in Bangladesh. Photo by Aviva Shwayder/Refugees International.\n\nAfrica\n\nCountries across sub-Saharan Africa have begun taking precautions to stop the arrival or stymie the spread of COVID-19 within their borders. In many cases, this has meant blocking all incoming flights or screening and quarantining passengers of certain nationalities or arriving from specific countries. Though perhaps effective in combating the disease’s spread, these measures have also prevented the delivery of much-needed humanitarian staff and cargo to respond to ongoing crises in these countries. The potential resulting shortages of goods and technical capacity could have devastating consequences in many humanitarian contexts across the continent, where there are more than 17.7 million IDPs and over 6.3 million refugees.\n\nThe outbreak of COVID-19 could also undermine critical peacekeeping efforts in sub-Saharan Africa. Many countries that contribute troops to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions are experiencing outbreaks of the novel coronavirus. As a result, and in order to curb the spread of the disease, the UN recently requested that nine troop-contributing countries delay the regular rotation of their soldiers in and out of peacekeeping missions.[15] In some cases, this could require currently deployed troops to stay in place. The pause in rotations could also lead to continued gaps in critical mission capability. Africa will be disproportionately impacted, as seven of these UN peacekeeping missions operate in conflict and humanitarian crisis zones across the continent.\n\nThe Horn of Africa\n\nEven before the outbreak of COVID-19, countries in the Horn of Africa were grappling with long-standing instability; conflict and the threat of terrorism; and the exacerbating impact of climate change and locust swarms on severe food insecurity. Now, they have registered their first cases of COVID-19—as of March 29, Somalia had three, Ethiopia had 19, and Kenya had 38 confirmed cases.[16] Kenya also confirmed its first death—a 66-year-old Kenyan man who also suffered from diabetes.[17] Meanwhile, the region is home to approximately 5.3 million IDPs and 2.5 million refugees, who are likely to be hit hardest.[18]\n\nAbsent robust public education campaigns about the coronavirus, rumors and false information are spreading rapidly. Fast and accurate information is critical in areas where the health infrastructure is weak and does not have the capacity to face an outbreak. In Ethiopia, which is host to more than 900,000 refugees and more than 2.6 million IDPs,[19] popular sentiment has violently turned against foreigners, who are being blamed for spreading the disease.[20] In Ethiopia’s western Oromia region—where intercommunal violence has displaced thousands—a months-long government-imposed shutdown of phone and internet services is further restricting the ability to provide information on the virus.[21] In addition to limiting information on COVID-19, this inhibits communication among families, doctors, and their patients.\n\nHealth experts are concerned that the outbreak in Somalia, with an IDP population of more than 2.6 million and more than 16,000 refugees, could be among the worst in the world.[22] Decades of conflict have ravaged the country’s health system and other institutions and governance is weak. Al-Shabaab, an Islamic militant group affiliated with al-Qaeda, controls large swaths of territory, limiting the state’s reach and humanitarian workers’ access to populations in need.[23] Because there are no kits to test for COVID-19 in the country, samples must be sent to South Africa for analysis, significantly delaying results and thus the ability to track the disease.[24]\n\nThe government in Somalia has halted international flights, closed schools, and prohibited large public gatherings, but the measures are not well-enforced.[25] To date, Al-Shabaab does not appear to have implemented measures in the regions it controls. Meanwhile, Somalia’s sizable displaced population is particularly at risk.[26] Humanitarian workers warn that the consequences could be devastating for the 3,000 families living in Nabadoon camp, outside Somalia’s capital of Mogadishu.[27] There, a lack of access to clean water, healthcare, and information, as well as cramped living conditions, will facilitate the spread of disease should an outbreak occur. In addition, continued conflict will complicate efforts to reach affected populations as the virus spreads.\n\nCentral Africa\n\nNigeria, where over 2 million people are internally displaced in the country’s northeast, was the first central African state to report cases of the virus. As of March 29, there were 97 confirmed cases of COVID-19.[28] Neighboring Cameroon had confirmed 91 cases, as it grapples with a series of crises that have forced 922,000 of its citizens into internal displacement.[29] Both governments have more capacity than many of their neighbors and could play a leadership role in responding to the pandemic. The Nigerian government should be applauded for working with UN leadership in the country to coordinate response efforts there. Unfortunately, other governments across the region have not done likewise.\n\nCountries like Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR) were reporting three cases in each country as of March 29; however, given the limitations of their health systems, it is uncertain if these are indicative of the actual trend.[30] The outbreak’s impact could be disastrous if the coronavirus spreads beyond the capital cities, especially for the displaced populations in both countries. There are more than half a million IDPs in CAR and 171,000 IDPs in Chad, as well as 468,000 refugees from neighboring countries.[31] These vulnerable populations have little access to clean water or healthcare facilities.\n\nMen stand outside a house in a district that welcomes internally displaced people (IDP) from northern Burkina Faso. Photo by Olympia de Maismont/AFP.\n\nThe Sahel\n\nIn the Sahel, populations and conflict move freely across borders. The coronavirus has the potential to put immense pressure on already strained national health services and healthcare provided by humanitarian actors. The situation in Burkina Faso provides a window into the nature of the challenge that could confront neighboring Mali and Niger. There are currently 207 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Burkina Faso. Eleven deaths have been reported, including that of Marie Rose Compaore, the second vice-president of the National Assembly. It is only a matter of time before the disease spreads to the country’s more than half a million IDPs.[32]\n\nAs of March 29, Mali and Niger had both reported 18 cases of COVID-19. However, the lack of infrastructure in both countries prevents both the effective detection and containment of the disease. Moreover, the internally displaced populations in both countries—171,000 people in Mali, and 187,000 in Niger—are not in camps and frequently relocate because of spreading violence.[33] This could increase the likelihood of the virus reaching them and other groups on the move.\n\nAcross the region, humanitarian funding is in short supply and displaced populations already lacks access to health services, water, and sanitation. Basic measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization—such as stringent hand washing with soap and water and social distancing—are largely impractical in this context. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) had planned to host a donor conference for the Sahel in mid-June to secure badly needed funding for the emergency. However, the conference has now been postponed because of COVID-19.\n\nThe Democratic Republic of Congo\n\nIn the Great Lakes Region, 30 people in Uganda, 60 in Rwanda, and 65 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had tested positive for COVID-19 as of March 29, 2020.[34] With over 5 million displaced persons (the vast majority of whom are IDPs), the DRC has the largest number of displaced people in the region.[35] The first week of March 2020 marked the end of the DRC’s two-year-long Ebola outbreak. But the celebrations were cut short by the arrival of the novel coronavirus. As the DRC grapples with the spread of this new pandemic, it is important that health facilities built to respond to the Ebola outbreak be repurposed to treat cases of COVID-19. While discussions to that effect have already begun, very little action has been taken. NGOs are beginning to integrate messaging about the coronavirus into their current programs. However, planning and implementation must be accelerated.\n\nSouth Sudan\n\nFollowing years of civil war, nearly one-third of South Sudan’s population remains displaced—there are about 1.47 million IDPs in South Sudan and 2.2 million refugees in neighboring countries.[36] With more than half the population facing acute food insecurity and poor health infrastructure, South Sudan is highly vulnerable to the spread and harmful effects of infectious diseases. No cases of COVID-19 had been reported in the country as of publication of this report, but several cases had been confirmed in neighboring countries. To prevent and prepare for a possible outbreak, South Sudan has suspended all international flights and locked down its land borders to all but cargo buses, food trucks, and fuel tanks.[37]\n\nThe presence of a large UN peacekeeping mission with significant staff rotations in South Sudan adds an additional potential vector for the disease to spread to the country. Almost 200,000 IDPs live in Protection of Civilian sites on or near peacekeeping bases.[38] The UN and troop contributing countries are taking steps to limit the potential for exposure, including a temporary freeze on staff travel into South Sudan.[39]\n\nThe Americas\n\nThe COVID-19 pandemic has already had significant implications for major humanitarian hotspots across the Americas. To date, the response by governments has varied widely. Countries like Peru, Guatemala, and Colombia implemented strong measures early to combat the spread of the virus.[40] However, Mexico and Brazil have been slow to adopt mitigation measures, even dismissing the severity of the crisis.[41] In Central America, many countries have adopted stricter border policies but have acquiesced to demands from the United States to continue receiving deported nationals. Many countries in South America have closed their borders to the movement of people, including for displaced Venezuelans.\n\nThe U.S. Border\n\nThe United States now leads the world in confirmed coronavirus cases.[42] Before the outbreak of COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had returned over 60,000 asylum seekers to northern Mexico to await their U.S. immigration court dates there. This was done under the Trump administration’s Migration Protection Protocols (MPP), known as the “Remain in Mexico” program.[43] These asylum seekers—mostly from Central America, Cuba, and Venezuela—were returned to unsafe conditions in Mexico, and left to await their hearings in ill-equipped shelters and informal open-air encampments where disease could spread rapidly. In addition, there were 15,000 individuals waiting to seek asylum outside U.S. ports of entry as of February 2020. These individuals—three quarters of whom are Mexican—were living in the same grim conditions as those impacted by the MPP program.[44]\n\nOn March 21, the U.S. government mandated port and border closures in response to the pandemic. No exceptions are being made for asylum seekers or unaccompanied minors. The border closure empowers DHS to immediately turn back to Mexico or repatriate to their home countries other than Mexico all asylum seekers without due process—a clear violation of U.S. obligations under domestic and international law.[45] These measures were instituted well after introduction of the virus to the United States. They have impeded the ability of humanitarian workers to bring critical supplies to Mexico. In addition, some of the shelters housing asylum seekers on the Mexican side of the border have been forced to close because of the virus.[46]\n\nAs a result of the border closures, the United States has already begun to turn away or repatriate all migrants lacking documents authorizing their entry—including asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors—to countries including Mexico,[47] Guatemala,[48] Honduras,[49] and Ecuador. Authorities are not screening individuals to determine if they are victims of human trafficking or have credible fears of persecution in their home countries. Nor are they taking precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The Mexican government has agreed to accept most Central American returnees (though not unaccompanied minors).[50] It is not clear if the United States or Mexico intends to arrange the deportation of others, such as Venezuelans or Cubans, in lieu of allowing them to seek asylum in the United States.\n\nMoreover, many of the NGOs that typically play a crucial monitoring role at the U.S. border have been forced to reduce or cease operations in light of efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within the United States. This makes it crucial that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) monitor returns and conditions along the border. Despite U.S. government restrictions on travel and commerce, the delivery of critical humanitarian supplies to Mexico should be considered “essential” and allowed to continue.\n\nThe rule closing the border is predicated on the false assumption that the only possible alternative to turning away asylum seekers is detaining them in unsafe, overcrowded border facilities for lengthy periods of time. In fact, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency could instead expeditiously parole asylum seekers into the United States, where the vast majority have ties to families, friends, or faith-based communities.[51] In the weeks ahead, U.S. border officials should allow people to follow the U.S. legal process to request asylum and provide screening and referral to health facilities if necessary. Asylum seekers should then be released to homes and NGO-run shelters, through parole or other community-based alternatives to detention, where they can appropriately socially distance and be permitted to continue their cases in immigration court when the courts resume operations.[52] CBP should screen unaccompanied minors and send then to the Office of Refugee Resettlement which must, according to a new court order, quickly plan to release them to sponsors.[53]\n\nMexico\n\nMexico is both a transit and destination country for displaced people. Asylum seekers and other forced migrants come primarily from Central America, but also from South America and Africa. They are often at higher risk of exposure to the coronavirus because of their living conditions. Many are detained in detention centers known as “migratory stations,” stay in privately-run shelters while they await their asylum claims in Mexico to be processed, or, as described above, live in informal camps on the northern border while they await their court hearings in the United States.\n\nMexico has 848 registered cases of COVID-19.[54] Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was criticized for long ignoring the crisis, even traveling across the country and holding gatherings with large crowds. Now, the government has begun to take steps to contain the virus, such as calling for Mexicans to stay in their homes for a month[55] and limiting tourism.[56] It is also working to reduce overcrowding among the migrant and forcibly displaced populations in migratory stations across the country.[57] However, the government continues to accept the return of Mexicans deported from the United States despite inadequate health screenings prior to deportation. Grim conditions and the absence of healthcare and other services in the informal camps where they often stay are perhaps of greatest concern.\n\nThe Mexican authorities must more aggressively encourage practices to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and President López Obrador should lead by example. In migratory stations, specifically, Mexico’s National Migration Institute (INAMI) should continue to implement mitigation measures and reduce the number of detained migrants when possible, with support from independent civil society organizations. The Mexican government has indicated that it would suspend the processing of asylum requests until April 20. However, it should resume these operations as soon as possible. In the interim, Mexico should ensure that asylum seekers whose claims are on hold have access to adequate shelter and healthcare, including testing for COVID-19. Mexico should not be expected to accept asylum seekers returned under the MPP program until basic safeguards can be put in place to protect the health of returnees.\n\nCentral America\n\nThe countries of Central America grapple with extreme violence and lack institutional capacity to respond to a pandemic. Civilians eager to escape violence have no recourse, prevented from fleeing because of border closures. Meanwhile, hundreds of Central Americans are deported from the United States each week.\n\nGuatemala has confirmed 34 cases COVID-19.[58] On March 16, the government suspended all international flights and closed the borders for 15 days.[59] On March 17, it announced the temporary suspension of transfers of Hondurans and Salvadorans from the United States to Guatemala under the Asylum Cooperation Agreement (ACA). (The United States has used the ACA to bar asylum seekers from applying for protection in the United States, instead sending them to Guatemala.) The Guatemalan government initially announced that it would suspend the acceptance of Guatemalan nationals deported by the Unites States. However, it reversed this decision in a just a matter of days and deportations of Guatemalans have resumed. The Guatemalan government is warning its citizens that they will be immediately deported if they attempt to go to the United States.[60]\n\nIn El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele announced that the country would bar entry to all foreigners, except accredited diplomats and legal permanent residents. President Bukele announced the creation of a special hospital for patients with COVID-19 and called for a halt of deportations from Mexico and the United States on March 18.[61] Nonetheless, deportation flights to El Salvador have continued.[62] As of March 29, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras all received U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) air flights from the United States.[63]\n\nThe Guatemalan government should remain firm in its decision to halt transfers of asylum seekers under the ACA. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was unreasonable to forcibly send Salvadorans and Hondurans asylum seekers to a country, Guatemala, that cannot provide them with adequate safety and security. In cases of deportation of Guatemalan, Salvadoran, or Honduran migrants who have not made claims to asylum, the United States should adopt comprehensive screenings prior to departures to ensure safety of other deportees and to avoid overwhelming these countries’ fragile health systems during this public health crisis. Guatemalans, Salvadorans, and Hondurans who test positive should not be deported.\n\nThe Venezuela Crisis\n\nUnder the regime of President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuelans have suffered years of economic collapse, institutional failure, and political turmoil. Hyperinflation, generalized violence, and political repression are rife in a country where the vast majority live in poverty. In February 2020, the UN World Food Program stated that 9.3 million people in Venezuela—about one-third of the population—faced food insecurity.[64] As more than 4.9 million people have fled the country, over 1 million children have been left without their parents.[65]\n\nAs of March 29, 2020, there were 119 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Venezuela. Although World Health Organization records do not indicate any deaths, Venezuelan officials have confirmed at least one death.[66] A “social quarantine” has been established nation-wide, and military forces have been deployed throughout the country to enforce restrictions on movement. Nevertheless, not all citizens are complying, as small crowds continue to line up to obtain food and other essential goods. On March 24, the government ordered stricter isolation measures in the three states—Caracas, Miranda, and Vargas—that account for 70 percent of COVID-19 cases.[67] The country’s years-long economic crisis has left its health system and other institutions in complete collapse.[68] Hospitals lack adequate facilities, medical personnel, supplies, and medication.[69] For the public, face masks, soap, and even water for hand-washing[70] are either unavailable or unaffordable.[71]\n\nNicolás Maduro has called on the United States to lift its sanctions on the country in order to open access to foreign investments and finance that could help fund a response. Human rights groups, and EU leaders,[72] as well as the UN Secretary-General[73] and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights[74] have echoed these calls. On March 26, the United States indicted Maduro with narco-terrorism and other serious charges in a move it could use to justify additional sanctions.[75] Maduro also tried and failed to secure a $5 billion loan from a special emergency fund of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).[76] President Xi Jinping of China sent 4,000 diagnosis kits,[77] and Cuba sent a medical brigade to help.[78] Meanwhile, Maduro’s long-held opposition to international aid organizations will further heighten the likelihood that the outbreak does outsized damage.\n\nThe pandemic risks exacerbating the pre-existing humanitarian crisis inside Venezuela—a crisis that has already compelled millions from Venezuelans to seek refuge in other countries.[79] As the situation deteriorates, more Venezuelans are likely to try to flee to neighboring Colombia and Brazil. Faced with official border closings, they may instead resort to taking dangerous unofficial routes out of the country, known as trochas, that are often controlled by armed groups. Those who are able to cross irregularly will, in turn, have trouble accessing the care they need in their host countries, and thus risk further spreading the virus.\n\nVenezuelans in Colombia\n\nAs of March 29, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 inside Colombia had risen to 608, with six deaths reported.[80] That day, after several temporary “quarantine drills” in parts of the country, a 19-day nation-wide lockdown went into effect.[81] As of March 17, the government had closed the country’s borders. Colombia is host to the largest number of displaced Venezuelans, by far—according to official reports, more than 1.7 million Venezuelans were in Colombia as of December 31, 2019. Since the start of the displacement crisis, the Colombian government has maintained a relatively generous response.[82] However, as the international response to the Venezuelan displacement crisis remains acutely underfunded and Colombia faces its own economic challenges, the situation has begun to stress the country’s public services—including the healthcare system. The coronavirus pandemic is likely to exacerbate these challenges.\n\nThe impact of the pandemic on displaced Venezuelans living in Colombia is likely to be severe. First, despite the fact that Venezuelans have the right to free emergency healthcare in Colombia regardless of their immigration status, many cannot access that care because facilities lack capacity or because health workers are unaware of Venezuelans’ rights or even discriminate against them. Those who have regular status and are able to obtain insurance may have an easier time accessing care, and a broader range of care. Nevertheless, the majority of Venezuelans in Colombia have been unable to regularize their status. The number of Venezuelans with irregular status is only expected to increase as a result of the border closing. As indicated above, Venezuelans desperate for aid may instead resort to using informal channels to enter Colombia.[83]\n\nMany Venezuelans—including the pendulares who still live in Venezuela and cross frequently into Colombia to purchase goods or attend school—rely heavily on aid provided by international organizations and NGOs near the border. However, as part of the measures to close the border, the Colombian government ordered NGOs in the area to cut their capacity by half.[84] Moreover, on March 16, the Colombian Department of Health announced that gatherings of more than 50 people would be prohibited.[85] The restriction will inevitably impact organizations’ ability to operate in centers where Venezuelans shelter or gather to seek aid.\n\nTwo young Venezuelans with face marks cross the Rumichaca Bridge on the border between Colombia and Ecuador. As a precautionary measure against the spread of the new coronavirus, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health is conducting health checks at the border with Colombia. Photo by Juan Diego Montenegro/Picture Alliance/Getty Images.\n\nOther Regional Countries Hosting Venezuelans\n\nBorder closures throughout the region will affect displaced Venezuelans. According to the latest official figures, Peru is host to the second largest number of Venezuelans (861,000 as of February 7, 2020).[86] As of December 31, 2019, Ecuador is host to 366,596 Venezuelans.\n\nOn March 15, Ecuador—where 1,823 cases and 48 deaths have now been reported—closed its borders to all foreign travelers.[87] Gatherings of more than 30 people were also banned.[88] In Peru, where 671 cases have been confirmed,[89] Peruvian President Martín Vizcarra also declared a state of emergency on March 15 and initially shut the country’s borders for 15 days.[90] Four days later, the government imposed a nationwide curfew and ban on private vehicles.[91]On March 25, President Vizcarra extended a state of emergency and nationwide quarantine through April 12.[92]\n\nThese border closures affect Venezuelans on the move from Colombia to Ecuador, Peru, and other third countries. For Venezuelans already inside these host countries, limited access to healthcare, loss of their livelihoods, and limits on movement and available services will put them at higher risk of infection or complications.\n\nOn March 18, Brazil ordered a partial closing of its border with Venezuela for 15 days.[93] President Bolsonaro has been criticized for his lax response to the pandemic, raising fears that the toll inside the country will be high.[94]Already, by March 25, there were 2,271 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 47 deaths. The latest official figures indicate that Brazil was host to more than 250,000 Venezuelans as of November 30, 2019, though the current number is likely much higher. Despite the government’s attempts to relocate Venezuelans who have crossed into the country, the majority remain concentrated in remote, impoverished areas along the northern border, where resources and infrastructure are sparse.[95] The inevitable damage from the coronavirus is thus likely to affect Venezuelans inside the country even as the border closing hinders others from accessing the critical healthcare they lack in Venezuela.\n\nEurope\n\nEurope has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of 2018, there were nearly 2.5 million refugees and 646,060 asylum seekers in the European Union (EU) alone.[96] As of March 17, just 10 cases had been reported among refugees and asylum seekers, all of them in Germany. Already, however, countries had begun to close their borders to asylum seekers. By March 16, Greece, Hungary, Belgium, and the Netherlands had shut their asylum offices.[97] In other countries, including Italy, asylum services have significantly slowed. Due to health and travel restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus, NGOs have had to suspend search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean Sea for those attempting to cross from war-torn Libya.[98] Meanwhile, nationalist leaders and politicians—from Italy to Spain—have seized upon the outbreak as a false basis for xenophobic, anti-refugee rhetoric and policies.[99]\n\nItaly\n\nAs of March 29, 2020, there were 92,472 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Italy and 10,023 deaths—more deaths than in any other country. More than ten days after ordering a strict, nationwide lockdown, with the number of deaths surging, the Italian government called in the military on March 20 to enforce its approach.[100] On March 22, the Prime Minister ordered all non-essential businesses and factories to close and prohibited all non-essential movement within the country.[101] Even as the number of new cases in Italy began to slow, the government was expected to extend containment measures beyond the initial April 3 deadline.[102]\n\nThe impact on refugees and asylum seekers has been significant.[103] At the end of 2018, there were nearly 300,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Italy. Heeding lockdown and “social distancing” orders is difficult for these individuals, who often work in informal jobs, live in close quarters, and rely on government and NGO assistance. On March 12, the government suspended interviews for refugee status determination (RSD) and hearings for appeals of rejected asylum requests given court closures. By law, foreigners in Italy have access to healthcare. In practice, many asylum seekers fear going to hospitals if undocumented, or face discrimination or language barriers. All this will make it harder to detect the virus in a highly vulnerable population.\n\nGreece\n\nAs of March 29, Greece confirmed 1,156 coronavirus cases and 38 deaths.[104] While this is less than several other European countries, the Greek government is concerned that if it does not act quickly, it could follow the trajectory of Italy. Greece has therefore enacted a country-wide lockdown, closing hotels and suspending most international flights.[105] The Ministry of Migration and Asylum has suspended all administrative services until April 13 at the earliest. This includes registering asylum seekers, conducting interviews, adjudicating cases, and reviewing appeals.\n\nThe shutdown of the entire Greek asylum system leaves all asylum seekers in a precarious position. Arguably, no population in Greece is more vulnerable to the coronavirus than the more than 40,000 asylum seekers trapped on the Aegean Islands.[106] Conditions are appalling in the Reception and Identification Centers (RICs) where asylum seekers are required to live. The official RICs and their overflow areas are squalid and overcrowded, hosting approximately eight times their capacity. These areas lack basic hygiene facilities, have very few latrines, and provide minimal medical care at best. There is no running water, making frequent hand washing impractical.\n\nMigrants living in the Moria camp sew handmade protective face masks on the Greek island of Lesbos, as the country is under lockdown to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. Photo by MANOLIS LAGOUTARIS/AFP/Getty Images.\n\nNGOs on the islands report that no significant steps have been taken to prepare the camps for an outbreak of the coronavirus. Instead, the government instituted a curfew and prohibited NGOs from entering the camps for at least 14 days.[107] These measures reduce essential services in the camps, including food distributions, childcare, and servicing latrines. Relief groups have been calling on the Greek government to evacuate camp residents to facilities across the country in order to save the lives of asylum seekers and Greek citizens alike.[108] The EU has now echoed this call to evacuate the most vulnerable asylum seekers in the camps to other areas on the islands,[109] a crucial first step to protect asylum seekers and limit the likely spread in the camps.\n\nThe Middle East\n\nThe Middle East is fast becoming an epicenter of the coronavirus crisis. Cases have escalated dramatically in Lebanon and Iran. New infections have emerged in more than half a dozen other countries in the region including Iraq and Afghanistan. At least 12 million refugees and IDPs live in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. Borders throughout the Middle East are porous, with refugees, economic migrants, and others often traveling along informal routes. Another challenge to an effective coronavirus response is the region’s weak or broken public health systems.\n\nHowever, the situation also differs significantly between countries. Turkey, with over 3.4 million Syrian refugees, has a robust healthcare system and the government is somewhat better positioned to respond to an outbreak and employ basic containment tools like contact tracing. On the other hand, Iraq and Lebanon have severely weak public health systems and are not able to adequately monitor what is going on and provide a robust public health response.\n\nThe Syria Crisis\n\nSyria’s brutal war entered its tenth year last month. More than 5.6 million have fled Syria since 2011, and over 6.5 million remain displaced inside the country.[110] The majority of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries and internally displaced Syrians lack the most basic needs, including access to healthcare. Even the most basic guidance on social distancing and personal hygiene will be difficult to follow where refugees and IDPs often live in overcrowded and unhygienic camps and informal settlements.\n\nThe situation in the northwest of Syria is of particular concern. It will be extremely challenging to launch an effective response to a coronavirus outbreak in places like Idlib province. While no confirmed cases of Coronavirus have been announced in Idlib, this appears to be largely due to the lack of testing kits. At least three people who showed symptoms of COVID-19 died in the past week, and there are several other patients with the virus symptoms who are quarantined inside hospitals, a doctor and a representative of a medical organization in Idlib told Refugees International. More than 1 million people are staying in overcrowded and unhygienic camps where it is very challenging to impose social distancing.[111] Very few people are staying home. The economic situation is such that if people do not work, they do not have the means to feed their families. Moreover, there is no authority inside Idlib that has the means to enforce preventive measures, and the various fighting factions on the ground appear to have other priorities.\n\nSyrians are seen on the mud covered road between tents at a refugee camp after heavy rain in Idlib, Syria. Syrian refugees, who have been living in the camp, face flooding, mud, and puddles due to lack of infrastructure and sewerage network. Photo by Muhammed Said/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images.\n\nMuch of the healthcare infrastructure in northwest Syria has been destroyed by the Russian and Syrian government bombing campaign. The facilities that remain will have little of the equipment required to treat coronavirus patients, such as ventilators, or to protect healthcare workers from infection as they go about their duties. On March 25, WHO delivered 300 testing kits to the northwest.[112] The main challenge is that the whole area has only around 100 ventilators. Efforts to screen populations with infrared non-contact thermometers are also necessary. Any type of support for the general capacity of what remains of the medical system in northwest Syria could make a significant difference.\n\nOutside of Syria, more needs to be done now to help prepare the camps and communities that host Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. Countries like Lebanon, host to more than 1 million Syrian refugees, are already experiencing significant outbreaks that are taxing their national healthcare systems. Jordan hosts the second largest Syrian refugee population per capita in the world. Because these refugees are unlikely to be a top priority for the national authorities, the international humanitarian community must step in to fill the gaps, in collaboration with host governments.\n\nIraq\n\nDecades of conflict and widespread violence have wreaked havoc on the lives of millions of civilians in Iraq. According to UNHCR, more than 6.5 million people—approximately 18 percent of the population—are currently in need of humanitarian assistance, including 3 million children.[113] Nearly 2 million people remain displaced inside the country, the majority of whom have taken refuge in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). Moreover, Iraq is host to around 300,000, mostly Syrian, refugees.[114] Many live inside camps where poor conditions and outdated infrastructure could exacerbate the spread of the coronavirus.[115]\n\nAs of March 29, 547 cases of confirmed coronavirus had been reported in Iraq.[116] However, the real number was likely much higher. The country’s health system, undermined by decades of sanctions, neglect, corruption and violence, suffers from significant gaps including shortages of supplies, equipment, and staff.[117] To prevent further spread of the virus, the Baghdad and KRI governments imposed a curfew and cancelled all domestic flights. However, security forces are struggling to enforce the lockdown as thousands of pilgrims from across the country visit shrines in the capital.[118] In addition, humanitarian actors have reported that curfews and movement restrictions are impacting the delivery of assistance to people in need.[119]\n\nHumanitarian groups in Iraq have developed a COVID-19 preparedness and response planning in the camps. Moreover, UN agencies are supporting Iraq with testing capacities and the procurement of personal protective equipment for health partners. Donors and humanitarian organizations should increase their efforts to support Iraq and the KRI government’s response. They should offer personnel support to fill staff shortages and provide the necessary supplies and equipment.\n\nYemen\n\nThe WHO announced that, so far, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Yemen.[120] However, a virus outbreak will almost certainly have a devastating effect. Yemen hosts what may be the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with more than 24 million people in need of assistance, and nearly 3.65 million internally displaced.[121] A relentless war has decimated the country’s healthcare system. In the past few years, Yemen has witnessed the worst cholera epidemic in recent history.[122]\n\nLast week, both the Houthi rebels and Yemen’s internationally recognized government banned international flights in an attempt to keep the country free of the coronavirus.[123] The ban includes chartered medical evacuations. Despite the halt to passenger flights, the UN-led Yemen aid operation continues for the moment, with the vast majority of staff being Yemeni. The UN confirmed that seaports remain open for cargo. Yemen is largely reliant on cargo arriving by sea for imports of food, fuel, and other consumer essentials critical to civilian welfare.\n\nThe WHO is supporting the national health authorities to prepare for the coronavirus with medical supplies, testing kits, training, and information campaigns. However, some international relief teams have scaled back to essential staff only. A fingerprint-driven digital registration system for aid recipients to limit aid fraud has been paused.[124] Top priority, life-saving assistance such as food, water, sanitation, and health services will continue, but some less critical aid programs will be slowed. The international humanitarian community must step in to help Yemen’s medical personnel to prepare for a virus outbreak. It should particularly provide medical facilities with testing kits, medical equipment, and supplies in addition to personnel protective gear to help protect healthcare workers.\n\nRecommendations\n\nThe challenge of containing and mitigating the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world’s most vulnerable, displaced populations is breathtaking in scope. Each humanitarian crisis will require a strategy tailored to the specific needs and circumstances of the displaced population in question – a strategy that is workable in a context that will undoubtedly include significant resource constraints. That said, there are common elements across the countries and continents reviewed above, which lend themselves to key principles and recommendations that should be part of any effective humanitarian response to the pandemic.\n\nThe response must be inclusive: The response to COVID-19 must be inclusive if it is to be effective. International assistance to address the pandemic must reach all vulnerable populations, including the refugees, asylum seekers, and the internally displaced. Governments receiving U.S. assistance for COVID-19 should ensure that the forcibly displaced living in both camp and non-camp settings are included in prevention and mitigation efforts. By the same token, aid for refugees and internally displaced people to address the COVID-19 pandemic should be made available to host communities in refugee-hosting areas. In short, the aim should be to improve systems for all persons regardless of nationality.\n\nEnhance communications and the flow of information: Governments and international aid groups should develop information campaigns to ensure displaced communities have accurate and current information about the coronavirus and response efforts. Where possible, they should work with local civil society and displaced persons themselves to ensure language and means of communications are easily accessible and widely disseminated. Governments should lift any phone and internet restrictions in and around displaced communities.\n\nDeploy medical personnel, supplies, and personal protective equipment: Donors and international aid groups should prioritize the deployment of qualified medical personnel to refugee, asylum seeker, and IDP-dense areas, along with personal protective equipment and other medical supplies such as gloves and masks for humanitarian health workers to ensure their safety in addressing COVID-19 outbreaks in displacement camps. Appropriate training for existing health care personnel must occur, particularly for treatment of severe cases with limited ICU access.\n\nPrioritize hygiene and other WASH-related interventions: Donors and international aid groups should improve access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities for refugee and internally displaced populations – especially those living in camps or camp-like settings. This should include the distribution of essential personal hygiene items including soap and disposable towels. The response should also recognize best practices for response for particularly vulnerable populations, such as women and girls.\n\nFocus on decongestion and isolation and quarantine capacities: Donors, host governments, and international aid groups should prioritize decongestion and building isolation and quarantine capacities in camps and camp-like settings. Services like food distribution and education should be restructured to avoid large gatherings. Donors and others should take steps now to support establishment of capabilities within displaced communities for implementation of isolation and quarantine procedures in accordance with best medical and public health advice and practices. Given the extremely high density of certain settings, novel strategies for “shielding” may need to be carefully attempted.\n\nBuild up testing and surveillance capabilities: Donors and international aid groups should prioritize deployment of rapid testing capability in adequate quantity to refugee and IDP settings. With respect to surveillance, the good news is that many formal camps already have epidemiological surveillance systems already in place. These need to be strengthened and adapted to screen for COVID-19, especially for all new arrivals in the camps.\n\nStop detentions and deportations of asylum seekers: Public health officials universally agree that detention in crowded facilities increases the risk of transmission for asylum seekers and immigrants in custody, along with immigration and border officials. Governments should put in place alternatives to detention polices and ensure that all migrants have access to testing and healthcare regardless of status. Deportation of any individuals without prior medical testing risks exporting the virus into countries unprepared to deal with mass outbreaks because of pre-existing crises and substantial vulnerable and marginalized populations with little access to limited healthcare systems.\n\nProtect those who fear persecution from forced return: Any restrictions that governments impose on travel should include provisions that safeguard individuals from forced return to torture or persecution. Moreover, extraordinary policy measures that impose unusual burdens for those seeking asylum should be lifted as soon as circumstances permit. In times of national emergency, protecting vulnerable people from gross abuses of their basic rights can become far more challenging for governments, but it is at those very times when our commitment to such rights is decisively measured.\n\nAcknowledgements\n\nRefugees International would like to thank the following people for their contributions to this report:\n\nTony Banbury , President and CEO of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems\n\n, President and CEO of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems Chris Beyrer , Desmond M. Tutu Professor of Public Health and Human Rights Professor at the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health and Refugees International Advisory Council Member\n\n, Desmond M. Tutu Professor of Public Health and Human Rights Professor at the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health and Refugees International Advisory Council Member Paul Spiegel, Director of the Center for Humanitarian Health and Professor at the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health\n\nEndnotes\n\n[1] “WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 11 March 2020,” World Health Organization, accessed March 29, 2020, https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19—11-march-2020.\n\n[2] World Health Organization, “WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 – 11 March 2020.”\n\n[3] “Coronavirus Resource Center: Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases,” Johns Hopkins University and Medicine, accessed March 29, 2020, https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html.\n\n[4] Maysam Behravesh, “The Untold Story of How Iran Botched the Coronavirus Pandemic,” Foreign Policy, March 24, 2020, https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/24/how-iran-botched-coronavirus-pandemic-response/.\n\n[5] Ruth Eglash, “Iran institutes travel ban and commercial lockdown,” The Washington Post, March 26, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/03/26/coronavirus-latest-news/.\n\n[6] Médecins Sans Frontières, “MSF ‘deeply surprised’ that Iranian authorities put a stop to our COVID-19 response,” March 25, 2020 https://www.msf.org/msf-surprised-iran-put-stop-our-covid-19-response.\n\n[7] Ali M Latifi, “Years of war and poverty take toll on Afghanistan’s healthcare,” Al Jazeera, May 25, 2019, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/05/years-war-poverty-toll-afghanistan-healthcare-190525101842119.html.\n\n[8] Ali M Latifi and Roya Heydari, “Coronavirus: Herat emerges as Afghanistan’s epicenter,” Al Jazeera, March 25, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/coronavirus-herat-emerges-afghanistan-epicentre-200325032420910.html.\n\n[9] JHU CSSE, “Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases” Unless otherwise indicated, information is current as of March 29, 2020.\n\n[10] Fatima Faizi and David Zucchino, “From Iran’s Coronavirus Zone, Moving Across Afghanistan,” The New York Times, March 26, 20202, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/world/asia/afghanistan-iran-coronavirus.html.\n\n[11] Ali M Latifi and Roya Heydari, “Coronavirus: Herat emerges as Afghanistan’s epicenter,” Al Jazeera, March 25, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/coronavirus-herat-emerges-afghanistan-epicentre-200325032420910.html.\n\n[12] ACAPS, “COVID-19 Rohingya Response,” published March 19, 2020, https://www.acaps.org/sites/acaps/files/products/files/20200319_acaps_covid19_risk_report_rohingya_response.pdf.\n\n[13] ISCG and WHO, “COVID-19: Preparedness and response for the Rohingya\n\nrefugee camps and host communities in Cox’s Bazar District,” published March 25, 2020, https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/documents/files/covid-19_preparedness_and_response_-_coxs_bazar_update_2_final_.pdf.\n\n[14] Dan Sullivan, “A Voice in Their Future: The Need to Empower Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh,” Refugees International, February 5, 2020, https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports/2020/2/5/a-voice-in-their-future-the-need-to-empower-rohingya-refugees-in-bangladesh.\n\n[15] “Coronavirus: UN Asks 9 Countries to Delay Peacekeeper Rotations,” Military.com, March 8, 2020, https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/03/08/coronavirus-un-asks-9-countries-delay-peacekeeper-rotations.html.\n\n[16] JHU CSSE, “Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases”\n\n[17] Nasibo Kabale, “Kenya records first coronavirus death,” Daily Nation, published March 26, 2020, https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Kenya-records-first-Covid-19-death/1056-5505346-k1fi3e/index.html.\n\n[18] “East and Horn of Africa,” UNHCR Global Focus, accessed March 25, 2020, http://reporting.unhcr.org/node/38.\n\n[19] UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), “Global Focus: Ethiopia,” Accessed March 27, 2020, http://reporting.unhcr.org/ethiopia.\n\n[20] Laura Kelly, “State warns foreigners ‘attacked’ in Ethiopia over coronavirus fears,” The Hill, March 18, 2020, https://thehill.com/policy/international/488322-state-warns-foreigners-attacked-in-ethiopia-over-coronavirus-fears.\n\n[21] Laetitia Bader, “Millions of Ethiopians can’t get COVID-19 News,” Human Rights Watch, March 20, 2020, https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/20/millions-ethiopians-cant-get-covid-19-news.\n\n[22] Hamza Mohamed, “Coronavirus Pandemic,” Al Jazeera, published March 19, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-experts-somalia-risk-greater-china-200319052938789.html.\n\n[23] Rob Wise, “Al Shabaab,” Center for Strategic & International Studies, last modified July 15, 2011 https://csis-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/publication/110715_Wise_AlShabaab_AQAM%20Futures%20Case%20Study_WEB.pdf.\n\n[24] Mohamed, “Coronavirus Pandemic.”\n\n[25] Ibid; “More African countries confirm first coronavirus cases as Jack Ma pledges aid,” Reuters, published March 16, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-africa/more-african-countries-confirm-first-coronavirus-cases-as-jack-ma-pledges-aid-idUSKBN2131IA.\n\n[26] UNHCR Global Focus, “Somalia,” last accessed March 27, 2020, http://reporting.unhcr.org/node/2550#_ga=2.207568913.342459805.1584709011-374872245.1584567229.\n\n[27] Jason Burke and Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, “Mogadishu’s refugees ‘waiting for death’ as Covid-19 reaches Somalia,” The Guardian, March 24, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/mar/24/mogadishus-refugees-waiting-for-death-as-covid-19-reaches-somalia.\n\n[28] JHU CSSE, “Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases.”\n\n[29] Ibid.\n\n[30] Ibid.\n\n[31] OCHA, “Plan de Réponse Humanitarian: République Centrafricaine,” accessed March 27 2020, https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/documents/files/ocha_car_hrp_2020_fr_vf.pdf, 5.\n\n[32] OCHA, “Plan de Réponse Humanitarian: Burkina Faso,” accessed March 27 2020, https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/documents/files/hrp_2020-bfa-fr-web.pdf, 5.\n\n[33] OCHA, “Plan de Réponse Humanitarian: Mali,” accessed March 27 2020, https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/sites/www.humanitarianresponse.info/files/documents/files/mali_hrp_2020_19_03_2020.pdf, 12.\n\n[34] JHU CSSE, “Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Case.”\n\n[35] Republic of South Sudan, The First Vice President, “Communication from the Presidency No. Four (4), The High Level Task Force,” March 24, 2020, https://docs.southsudanngoforum.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/COVID%20Comms%20from%20President%204.pdf.\n\n[36] OCHA South Sudan Situation Report, (January 20, 2020). https://reports.unocha.org/en/country/south-sudan/; UNHCR South Sudan Operational Portal, (Last updated February 29, 2020). https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/southsudan.\n\n[37] “South Sudan on a Lockdown Over Coronavirus Fears,” The East African, (March 24, 2020). https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/ea/South-Sudan-on-a-lockdown-over-coronavirus-fears/4552908-5502350-hwf9ou/index.html.\n\n[38] “PoC Update,” United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Media & Spokesperson Unit, Communications & Public Information Section (January 30, 2020). https://reliefweb.int/report/south-sudan/unmiss-poc-update-30-january-2020.\n\n[39] “UNMISS Announces Travel Freeze to Support COVID-19 Prevention and Preparedness,” United Nations Missionin South Sudan, (March 23, 2020). https://unmiss.unmissions.org/unmiss-announces-travel-freeze-support-covid-19-prevention-and-preparedness.\n\n[40] “How are countries in Latin America fighting coronavirus?” Al Jazeera, published March 25, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/countries-latin-america-fighting-coronavirus-200325093526696.html.\n\n[41] Ernesto Londoño, Manuela Andreoni, Letícia Casado and Azam Ahmed, “ As Latin America Shuts Down to Fight Virus, Brazil and Mexico Are Holdouts,” New York Times, published March 25, 2020 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/world/americas/coronavirus-brasil-mexico.html.\n\n[42] JHU CSSE, “Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Case.”\n\n[43] TRAC Immigration, “Details on MPP (Remain in Mexico) Deportation Proceedings,” last accessed March 29, 2020 https://trac.syr.edu/phptools/immigration/mpp/.\n\n[44] https://www.strausscenter.org/images/strauss/19-20/MeteringUpdate_February_2020.pdf\n\n[45] https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2020-06238.pdf\n\nhttps://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/pdf/CDC-Order-Prohibiting-Introduction-of-Persons_Final_3-20-20_3-p.pdf\n\n[46] Wendy Fry, “Tijuana’s oldest migrant shelter closes to new arrivals to protect against coronavirus,” The San Diego Union Tribune, published March 26, 2020, https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/border-baja-california/story/2020-03-26/casa-del-migrante-migrant-shelter-closes-for-first-time-to-protect-current-residents-from-coronavirus.\n\n[47] Chief Patrol Agent Brian Hastings\n\n(@USBPChiefRGV), AT THIS HOUR: #BorderPatrol and GoM partners work to expel foreigners whom may be carrying a communicable disease….” Twitter, March 22, 2020, https://twitter.com/USBPChiefRGV/status/1241858820395147266; https://twitter.com/USBPChiefRGV/status/1241805504101388288.\n\n[48] https://www.guatevision.com/nacionales/coronavirus-envian-a-hospital-de-villa-nueva-a-dos-deportados-con-fiebre-ultima-hora\n\n[49] https://borderlines.substack.com/p/exclusive-ice-is-using-its-deportation; https://twitter.com/HomelandKen/status/1242528889060065281\n\n[50] https://www.gob.mx/sre/documentos/nota-informativa-relaciones-exteriores-no-11?state=published\n\n[51] A recent study found that nearly 92% of asylum seekers in MPP had family or close friends in the United States. https://usipc.ucsd.edu/publications/usipc-seeking-asylum-part-2-final.pdf.\n\n[52] https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/images/zdocs/The-Real-Alternatives-to-Detention-FINAL-06-27-17.pdf\n\n[53] Ruling by Judge Gee in Flores v. Barr, March 28, 2020, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i2hGbcsf3_gbAtRKZbSke6oueDJovgOL/view\n\n[54] JHU CSSE, “Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases”\n\n[55] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-mexico-tally/mexico-asks-residents-to-stay-home-for-a-month-to-slow-coronavirus-as-cases-rise-idUSKBN21G02B\n\n[56] https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english/covid-19-mexico-has-entered-second-phase-its-contingency-plan\n\n[57] https://twitter.com/INAMI_mx/status/1240134282984804359\n\n[58] JHU CSSE, “Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases”\n\n[59] https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/03/16/world/americas/16reuters-health-coronavirus-guatemala.html\n\n[60] https://twitter.com/camiloreports/status/1243947221986545664\n\n[61] https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/03/22/world/americas/22reuters-health-coronavirus-el-salvador.html\n\n[62] https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSICE/bulletins/28323ef\n\n[63] https://nacla.org/news/2020/03/26/deportation-contagions\n\n[64] Jorge Rueda and Christine Armario, “UN Study: 1 of every 3 Venezuelans is facing hunger,” Associated Press, February 23, 2020, https://apnews.com/88519b3806497d02619e710e91bc4ed8?utm_source=Today+in+Latin+America&utm_campaign=e1b2293aa5-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_02_25_02_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_73d76ad46b-e1b2293aa5-127662328.\n\n[65] Julie Turkewitz, “Nearly a Million Children Left Behind in Venezuela as Parents Migrate,” The New York Times, March 24, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/world/americas/venezuela-migration-children.html.\n\n[66] Michael Brown, “Venezuelan Official Confirms 1st Coronavirus Death,” Voice of America, March 27, 2020, https://www.voanews.com/science-health/coronavirus-outbreak/venezuelan-official-confirms-1st-coronavirus-death.\n\n[67] Ronny Rodríguez Rosas, “Más aislamiento en Caracas, Miranda y Vargas desde este #24Mar,” Efecto Cucuyo, March 23, 2020, https://efectococuyo.com/coronavirus/mas-aislamiento-en-caracas-miranda-y-vargas-desde-este-24mar/.\n\n[68] Kathleen Page and Tamar Taraciuk Broner, “Argument: Venezuela’s Health Care Crisis Now Poses a Global Threat,” Foreign Policy, March 12, 2020, https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/12/venezuela-health-care-crisis-poses-global-threat-coronavirus-maduro-sanctions/.\n\n[69] Dr. Astrid Cantor, “Opinion: Whenever I Throw Away a Mask, I Think of Venezuela and I Freak Out,” The New York Times, March 24, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/opinion/venezuela-coronavirus.html.\n\n[70] Ana Vanessa Herrero and Anthony Faiola, “Venezuela’s broken health system is uniquely vulnerable to coronavirus. Neighbors are afraid the country will hemorrhage infected migrants,” The Washington Post, March 20, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/venezuela-coronavirus-health-hospital-maduro-guaido/2020/03/19/74ad110c-6795-11ea-b199-3a9799c54512_story.html.\n\n[71] Scott Smith and Fabiola Sánchez, “Venezuela, already in crisis, reports 1st coronavirus cases,” The Washington Post, March 14, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/colombia-closes-border-with-venezuela-over-coronavirus-cases/2020/03/14/072b38a2-65ab-11ea-8a8e-5c5336b32760_story.html.\n\n[72] Joshua Goodman, “Virus fuels calls for sanctions relief on Iran, Venezuela,” Associated Press, March 23, 2020, https://apnews.com/d7e4a1717e4530fc6e2f9c4138414e9e.\n\n[73] Colum Lynch, “U.N. Calls for Rolling Back Sanctions to Battle Pandemic,” Foreign Policy, March 24, 2020, https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/24/un-coronavirus-cuba-iran-venezuela-north-korea-zimbabwe-sanctions-pandemic//.\n\n[74] “Ease sanctions against countries fighting COVID-19: UN human rights chief,” UN News, March 24, 2020, https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1060092?utm_source=Today+in+Latin+America&utm_campaign=dc3c0ad490-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_27_12_40&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_73d76ad46b-dc3c0ad490-127662328.\n\n[75] Adam Taylor, “What coronavirus? With indictment of Venezuela’s Maduro and sanctions on Iran, U.S. doubles down on ‘maximum pressure’,” The Washington Post, March 27, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/maduro-indictment-maximum-pressure-coronavirus-trump-venezuela/2020/03/26/82809364-6f86-11ea-a156-0048b62cdb51_story.html.\n\n[76] International Monetary Fund “IMF Makes Available $50 Billion to Help Address Coronavirus,” Speech as prepared for delivery, March 4, 2020, https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2020/03/04/sp030420-imf-makes-available-50-billion-to-help-address-coronavirus.\n\n[77] Reuters, “Venezuela Lifts Coronavirus Cases to 42, Thanks China for Aid,” The New York Times, March 19, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/03/19/world/americas/19reuters-health-coronavirus-venezuela.html.\n\n[78] Reuters, “Cuban Doctors Head to Italy to Battle Coronavirus,” The New York Times, March 22, 2020, https://nyti.ms/2Up3Tkp.\n\n[79] Angus Berwick, Brian Ellsworth, and Vivian Sequera, “Quarantine threatens to deepen Venezuelan crisis as roadblocks snarl food supplies,” Reuters, March 17, 2020, https://reut.rs/3d9pJ3Z.\n\n[80] JHU CSSE, “Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases”\n\n[81] “Los detalles del decreto de cuarentena total nacional,” El Espectador, March 23, 2020, https://www.elespectador.com/coronavirus/los-detalles-del-decreto-de-cuarentena-total-nacional-articulo-910816?utm_source=Today+in+Latin+America&utm_campaign=79069e2228-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_24_01_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_73d76ad46b-79069e2228-127662328\n\n[82] Daphne Panayotatos, “Supporting Solidarity: Why the World Must Bolster Colombia’s Response to the Venezuelan Displacement Crisis,” Refugees International, December 20, 2019, https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports/2019/12/19/supporting-solidarity-why-the-world-must-bolster-colombias-response-to-the-venezuelan-displacement-crisis.\n\n[83] Steven Grattan, “Fear as Colombia closes border with Venezuela over coronavirus,” Al Jazeera, March 14, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/fear-colombia-closes-border-venezuela-coronavirus-200314190110784.html.\n\n[84] Teresa Walsh, “To stop COVID-19 spread, Colombia halves Venezuela response services,” Devex, March 17, 2020, https://www.devex.com/news/to-stop-covid-19-spread-colombia-halves-venezuela-response-services-96780.\n\n[85] “Colombia bans gatherings of more than 50, Bogotá and Medellín declare ‘calamity’,” The City Paper, March 16, 2020, https://thecitypaperbogota.com/news/colombia-bans-gatherings-of-more-than-50-bogota-and-medellin-declare-calamity/24114.\n\n[86] UN Refugee Agency, “Operational Portal: Refugee Situations: Venezuela Situation,” Accessed March 27, 2020, https://data2.unhcr.org/en/situations/vensit.\n\n[87] Andrea Salcedo and Gina Cherelus, “Coronavirus Travel Restrictions, Across the Globe,” The New York Times, March 26, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-travel-restrictions.html.\n\n[88] Luisa Horwitz, Paola Nagovitch, Holly K. Sonneland, and Carin Zissis, “Where is the Coronavirus in Latin America?” Americas Society/Council of the Americas, March 27, 2020, https://www.as-coa.org/articles/where-coronavirus-latin-america.\n\n[89] JHU CSSE, “Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases”\n\n[90] “Coronavirus: Perú decreta cuarentena general en el país y el cierre de fronteras durante 15 días ante la pandemia de covid-19,” BBC, published March 16, 2020 https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-51902989\n\n[91] Luisa Horwitz, Paola Nagovitch, Holly K. Sonneland, and Carin Zissis, “Where is the Coronavirus in Latin America?” Americas Society/Council of the Americas, March 27, 2020, https://www.as-coa.org/articles/where-coronavirus-latin-america.\n\n[92] Luisa Horwitz, Paola Nagovitch, Holly K. Sonneland, and Carin Zissis, “Where is the Coronavirus in Latin America?” Americas Society/Council of the Americas, March 27, 2020, https://www.as-coa.org/articles/where-coronavirus-latin-america.\n\n[93] “Brazil partially closing Venezuela border, allowing trucks,” Reuters, March 17, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-brazil-venezuela/brazil-partially-closing-venezuela-border-allowing-trucks-idUSKBN2143ZS.\n\n[94] Gabriel Stargardter and Gabriela Mello, “Coronavirus thumps Brazil, prompting nationwide cries of ‘Bolsonaro Out!’,” Reuters, March 18, 2020, https://reut.rs/3b6VyIF.\n\n[95] Jenny Barchfield, “Relocation flights give Venezuelans a new lease on life in Brazil,” The UN Refugee Agency, December 27, 2019, https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/stories/2019/12/5e0108964/relocation-flights-give-venezuelans-new-lease-life-brazil.html.\n\n[96] European Parliament, “A Welcome Europe? Evolution of the Number of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in the EU,” Accessed March 23, 2020, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/infographic/welcoming-europe/index_en.html#filter=2018.\n\n[97] Hellenic Republic Ministry of Migration & Asylum, “Important Announcement of Greek Asylum Service: Temporary Suspension of Administrative Services to the Public,” March 13, 2020, https://asylo.gov.gr/en/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Announcement-Suspension-of-Services-to-the-Public-English.pdf.\n\nLydia Gall, “Hungary Weaponizes Coronavirus to Stoke Xenophobia,” Human Rights Watch, March 19, 2020, https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/19/hungary-weaponizes-coronavirus-stoke-xenophobia#.\n\nBelgian Immigration Office, “COVID-19: impact on administrative procedures,” Accessed March 23, 2020, https://dofi.ibz.be/sites/dvzoe/EN/Pages/home.aspx.\n\nVluchtelingenWerk Nederland, “Geen opvang meer voor nieuwe asielzoekers,” March 16, 2020, https://www.vluchtelingenwerk.nl/persbericht/geen-opvang-meer-voor-nieuwe-asielzoekers.\n\n[98] Mediterranea Saving Humans, “Sailing through the crisis, planning hope. A letter to all the ground and sea crews,” March 19, 2020, https://mediterranearescue.org/en/news-en/sailing-through-the-crisis-planning-hope-a-letter-to-all-the-ground-and-sea-crews/.\n\n[99] Haris Zargar, “Far right uses coronavirus to scapegoat refugees,” New Frame, March 19, 2020, https://www.newframe.com/far-right-uses-coronavirus-to-scapegoat-refugees/.\n\n[100] Valentina Di Donato, Nicola Ruotolo, and Laura Smith-Spark, “Italy calls in military to enforce coronavirus lockdown as 627 people die in 24 hours,” CNN News, March 20, 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/20/europe/italy-military-coronavirus-intl/index.html.\n\n[101] Michael Safi, Angela Giuffrida, and Martin Farrer, “Coronavirus: Italy bans any movement inside country as toll nears 5,500,” The Guardian, March 22, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/22/italian-pm-warns-of-worst-crisis-since-ww2-as-coronavirus-deaths-leap-by-almost-800.\n\n[102] Chico Harlan and Stefano Pitrelli, “Italy’s new coronavirus cases are slowing. How soon will normal life return?,” The Washington Post, March 26, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/italy-coronavirus-cases/2020/03/26/0fffa6a2-6ec0-11ea-aa80-c2470c6b2034_story.htm.\n\n[103] Stefani D’Ignoti, “How coronavirus hits migrants and asylum seekers in Italy,” The New Humanitarian, March 16, 2020, https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2020/03/16/italy-coronavirus-migrants-asylum-seekers?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social.\n\n[104] JHU CSSE, “Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases”\n\n[105] “Coronavirus prompts Greece’s Aegean to suspend all flights abroad,” Reuters, March 23, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-airlines-aegean-airli/coronavirus-prompts-greeces-aegean-to-suspend-all-flights-abroad-idUSL8N2BG6RF\n\n[106] “Aegean Islands Monthly Snapshot,” UNHCR Greece, February 2020, https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/74693.pdf\n\n[107] “Migrant camps on islands put on lockdown,” ekathimerini.com, March 17, 2020, http://www.ekathimerini.com/250739/article/ekathimerini/news/migrant-camps-on-islands-put-on-lockdown\n\n[108] “Greece: Move Asylum Seekers, Migrants to Safety,” Human Rights Watch, March 24, 2020, https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/24/greece-move-asylum-seekers-migrants-safety\n\n[109] Gabriela Baczynska, “EU asks Greece to move migrants most at risk from coronavirus out of crowded camps,” Reuters, March 24, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-eu-greece-migratio/eu-asks-greece-to-move-migrants-most-at-risk-from-coronavirus-out-of-crowded-camps-idUSKBN21B2Y1\n\n[110] UNHCR, “Syria Emergency,” last accessed March 29, 2020, https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/syria-emergency.html\n\n[111] Phone interviews with a physician and a relief worker inside Idlib, March 22-25, 2020.\n\n[112][112] Phone interview with a doctor working between Turkey and Idlib, March 25, 2020. Also see The Middle East Eye, “Coronavirus: WHO says testing to start within days in Syria’s Idlib,” March 24, 2020, https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-who-syria-testing-start-days-idlib.\n\n[113] UNHCR, “Iraq refugee crisis,” https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/iraq/\n\n[114] UNHCR, “Iraq refugee crisis.”\n\n[115] BBC, “Coronavirus: Iraq reports first two confirmed deaths as fears rise,” March 5, 2020, UNHCR, “Iraq refugee crisis,”https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/iraq/\n\n[116] Alissa J. Rubin, “Oil prices crash, virus hits, commerce stops: Iraq is in trouble,” The New York Times, March 29, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/29/world/middleeast/virus-iraq-oil.html.\n\n[117] BBC, “Coronavirus: Iraq reports first two confirmed deaths as fears rise,” March 5, 2020, UNHCR, “Iraq refugee crisis,”https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/iraq/\n\n[118] Al-Jazeera, Iraq: Pilgrimage continues despite coronavirus pandemic, March 22, 2020, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/iraq-pilgrimage-continues-coronavirus-pandemic-200322175616028.html\n\n[119] OCHA, Iraq: COVID-19 Situation Report No.8, March 26, 2020.\n\n[120] Middle East Monitor, “WHO: Yemen is free of coronavirus,”, March 26, 2020, https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200326-who-yemen-is-free-of-coronavirus/\n\n[121] UNHCR, “Fact Sheet – Yemen,” June 2019.\n\n[122] Maggie Michael, “Why didn’t vaccine reach Yemen during the largest cholera epidemic in recorded history?”, USA Today, April 9, 2019.\n\n[123] Ben Parker, “Yemen coronavirus ban to hamper relief efforts,” The New Humanitarian, March 17, 2020, https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2020/03/17/yemen-coronavirus-flights-lockdown.\n\n[124] Ibid."
      },
      {
        "title": "Could COVID-19 give rise to a greener global future?",
        "id": "d-61",
        "link": "https://www.weforum.org/stories/2020/03/a-green-reboot-after-the-pandemic/",
        "snippet": "The coronavirus pandemic has shown that human societies really can transform overnight. Four experts explain why now is the time to make...",
        "source": "The World Economic Forum",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSVsHtiGf1JPDH7PRuTQkMncpGoClFm2sND4UzBLZMooIQzfVozEGjy_Y0K2Q&s",
        "content": "The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening lives and economies around the world.\n\nBut it has also demonstrated that human societies are capable of transforming themselves more or less overnight.\n\nFour experts say now is the time to usher in systemic economic change.\n\nThe COVID-19 coronavirus has forced entire countries into lockdown mode, terrified citizens around the world, and triggered a financial-market meltdown. The pandemic demands a forceful, immediate response. But in managing the crisis, governments also must look to the long term. One prominent policy blueprint with a deep time horizon is the European Commission’s European Green Deal, which offers several ways to support the communities and businesses most at risk from the current crisis.\n\nCOVID-19 reflects a broader trend: more planetary crises are coming. If we muddle through each new crisis while maintaining the same economic model that got us here, future shocks will eventually exceed the capacity of governments, financial institutions, and corporate crisis managers to respond. Indeed, the “coronacrisis” has already done so.\n\nThe Club of Rome issued a similar warning in its famous 1972 report, The Limits to Growth, and again in Beyond the Limits, a 1992 book by the lead author of that earlier report, Donella Meadows. As Meadows warned back then, humanity’s future will be defined not by a single emergency but by many separate yet related crises stemming from our failure to live sustainably. By using the Earth’s resources faster than they can be restored, and by releasing wastes and pollutants faster than they can be absorbed, we have long been setting ourselves up for disaster.\n\nCOVID-19 reflects a broader trend: more planetary crises - like climate change are coming. Image: European Comission\n\nOn one planet, all species, countries, and geopolitical issues are ultimately interconnected. We are witnessing how the outbreak of a novel coronavirus in China can wreak havoc on the entire world. Like COVID-19, climate change, biodiversity loss, and financial collapses do not observe national or even physical borders. These problems can be managed only through collective action that starts long before they become full-blown crises.\n\nThe coronavirus pandemic is a wake-up call to stop exceeding the planet’s limits. After all, deforestation, biodiversity loss, and climate change all make pandemics more likely. Deforestation drives wild animals closer to human populations, increasing the likelihood that zoonotic viruses like SARS-CoV-2 will make the cross-species leap. Likewise, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that global warming will likely accelerate the emergence of new viruses.\n\nGovernments that succeed in containing epidemics all tacitly follow the same mantra: “Follow the science and prepare for the future.” But we can do much better. Rather than simply reacting to disasters, we can use the science to design economies that will mitigate the threats of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pandemics. We must start investing in what matters, by laying the foundation for a green, circular economy that is anchored in nature-based solutions and geared toward the public good.\n\nThe COVID-19 crisis shows us that it is possible to make transformational changes overnight. We have suddenly entered a different world with a different economy. Governments are rushing to protect their citizens medically and economically in the short term. But there is also a strong business case for using this crisis to usher in global systemic change.\n\nFor example, there is no good reason not to be phasing out fossil fuels and deploying renewable energy technologies, most of which are now globally available and already cheaper than fossil fuels in many cases. With the recent oil-price plunge, perverse fossil-fuel subsidies can and should be eliminated, as the G7 and many European countries have pledged to do by 2025.\n\nShifting from industrial to regenerative agriculture also is immediately feasible, and would allow us to sequester carbon in the soil at a rate that is sufficient to reverse the climate crisis. Moreover, doing so would turn a profit, enhance economic and environmental resilience, create jobs, and improve wellbeing in both rural and urban communities.\n\nRegenerative agriculture features prominently in many of the new economic models that are now being explored by city governments around the world – all of which are based on the principle of living within our planetary boundaries. As one of us (Raworth) argues in advancing her idea of “Doughnut Economics,” the goal should be to create a “safe and just operating space for all of humanity.” In other words, we must work within the planet’s natural limits (the outer boundary of the doughnut) while also ensuring that marginalized communities do not fall behind (into the doughnut hole).\n\nFor policymakers responding to the current crisis, the goal should be to support citizens’ livelihoods by investing in renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. Now is the time to start redirecting the $5.2 trillion spent on fossil-fuel subsidies every year toward green infrastructure, reforestation, and investments in a more circular, shared, regenerative, low-carbon economy."
      },
      {
        "title": "COVID-19: A New Pandemic",
        "id": "d-62",
        "link": "https://news.weill.cornell.edu/news/2020/03/covid-19-a-new-pandemic",
        "snippet": "The worldwide spread of the new disease known as COVID-19 has created a global health crisis unseen in modern times, triggering dramatic...",
        "source": "WCM Newsroom",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQRX_d830JJU1MprmTrUttJlYt6LhXwLW1lxvAzbjLLz9X6nCTQjHzmJJrysw&s",
        "content": "The worldwide spread of the new disease known as COVID-19 has created a global health crisis unseen in modern times, triggering dramatic efforts to slow its spread. Here is what scientists know – and what they are racing to learn – about COVID-19.\n\nWhat is COVID-19?\n\nCOVID-19 is a respiratory infection caused by a virus that is part of the coronavirus family, whose members typically cause the common cold. About 80% of people who become ill have mild symptoms such as fever, dry cough and fatigue, and recover, according to a study of 70,000 COVID-19 patients in China. About 15 to 20% develop serious illness. Those who become severely ill often develop pneumonia and difficulty breathing, and many require mechanical ventilation to help them breathe. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cited a study found that the overall death rate in China was 2.3%, but much higher death rates were seen in at-risk groups like those older than 80 years (15%) and 10.5% for those with cardiovascular disease.\n\nWho is most at risk?\n\nPeople older than 60 years of age are at increased risk of serious illness from COVID-19, explained Nancy Messonnier, MD, the director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases in a recent press briefing. People older than 80 have the highest risk of serious illness and death. Only 2% of the cases in the study from China occurred among children. People with underlying conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, cancer or diabetes, also have elevated risks, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).\n\nWhat causes COVID-19?\n\nOn Dec. 31, the WHO was notified of a cluster of unusual pneumonia cases in Wuhan City in China. A week later, Chinese authorities identified SARS-CoV-2 as the new coronavirus causing the infections, according to the WHO. It has quickly spread around the globe, with hundreds of thousands of confirmed infections and thousands of deaths.\n\nWhat are coronaviruses?\n\nCoronaviruses sometimes cross over from animals to humans. In some cases, these coronavirus crossovers begin spreading among humans and a few have caused serious respiratory illnesses. In 2002, a coronavirus that jumped from civet cats to humans caused an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV), according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). A decade later, a coronavirus that crossed from dromedary camels to humans caused the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) outbreak. SAR-CoV disappeared by 2004, though MERS-CoV continues to circulate in camels, according to NIAID. The exact source of the currently circulating novel coronavirus is unknown, but a recent genetic analysis suggests it is most closely related to coronaviruses circulating in bats.\n\nWhy is SARS-CoV-2 so dangerous?\n\nBecause humans have never been exposed to this new coronavirus before, they have essentially no immunity, Dr. Messioner said at the press briefing. As a result, it has spread exponentially, with thousands of cases reported across all 50 states by mid-March.\n\n“This virus is capable of spreading easily and sustainably from person-to-person based on the available data,” she said at the briefing. Small droplets from the nose or mouth of an infected person can infect others when they breathe in the droplets or touch surfaces the droplets have landed on and then touch their face, according to the WHO. People without symptoms may also spread the virus, the CDC notes, accounting for the recommendations some officials are making to drastically curb social interaction.\n\nWhy are we seeing strict public health measures in response to COVID-19?\n\nBecause the virus is so infectious and is spreading at exponential rates, public health authorities are concerned that the demand for care for people who become seriously ill could quickly overwhelm the healthcare system. To help prevent this, the CDC and the federal government are working with state and local authorities on strict public health measures to slow the spread of the virus such as recommending that people avoid social gatherings with more than 10 people and suggesting that those who are not employed in critical industries work from home if they can. In some areas, officials have required bars and restaurants to close and for residents, with some exceptions, to stay home. The idea is to “flatten the curve” – to slow the rate of new infections in the population – so that fewer people become sick at once and hospitals can keep up.\n\nAre people who acquire SARS-CoV-2 immune after they recover?\n\nSo far, there are limited data available on whether people who have been infected develop immunity or if they can become reinfected. But during his testimony to Congress, NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, MD ‘66, said, “if this acts like any other virus once you recover, you won’t get reinfected.”\n\nHow is COVID-19 treated?\n\nThere are currently no specific drugs to treat COVID-19, so doctors are relying on supportive care to help patients recover, according to the WHO. There are also no vaccines currently available that would protect people from becoming infected. But clinical trials are underway to test potential treatments and vaccines, though they are likely months away from being widely available. For example, clinical trials are underway in China of a drug called remdesivir, which was developed to treat MERS-CoV, according to NIAID, and manufacturer Gilead will provide the drug outside of the trials for certain severely ill patients, pregnant women and children, STAT News reported.\n\nClinical studies are also underway to see whether chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, drugs currently used to treat malaria and rheumatoid arthritis, or a drug called sarilumab, a drug that might reduce the lung inflammation, are safe and effective against COVID-19, according to the FDA. Some scientists, however, have urged caution about the potential use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine outside of clinical trials until data about their efficacy is confirmed. As of March 20th, the American Society of Health System Pharmacists were reporting shortages of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, potentially putting at risk patients in need of these drugs for established diseases.\n\nThe National Institutes of Health has also launched an early clinical trial of a vaccine to protect against COVID-19. “Finding a safe and effective vaccine to prevent infection with SARS-CoV-2 is an urgent public health priority,” said Dr. Fauci in the announcement about the vaccine trial."
      },
      {
        "title": "It Takes a World to End a Pandemic",
        "id": "d-63",
        "link": "https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/world/2020-03-21/it-takes-world-end-pandemic",
        "snippet": "The novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and the disease it causes, COVID-19, have transfixed the global community, as leaders and citizens seek to respond to a...",
        "source": "Foreign Affairs",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT6pmlCMsMY2PWUflUWwm9GoFWR_E74IyA58YTN9aPRCpjDUX19Jt1pwItUSQ&s",
        "content": "Since its founding in 1922, Foreign Affairs has been the leading forum for serious discussion of American foreign policy and global affairs. The magazine has featured contributions from many leading international affairs experts."
      },
      {
        "title": "COVID-19’s Painful Lesson in Leadership",
        "id": "d-64",
        "link": "https://globalhealthnow.org/2020-03/covid-19s-painful-lesson-leadership",
        "snippet": "Leadership matters. Competence matters. Preparation matters—especially when you're given advance warning. Above all, organized action by a...",
        "source": "Global Health NOW",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRtrV0KGpRPbXwiMKDqlve74Di95nGpg_9O4BNvc_W0vpY2vMk2p4qGFZCspQ&s",
        "content": "Leadership matters. Competence matters. Preparation matters—especially when you’re given advance warning.\n\nAbove all, organized action by a capable government matters. It’s what happened during past natural disasters, financial crises, and terrorist attacks. Although the responses were far from perfect, this was the norm for the 6 administrations that I served in as a nonpartisan senior official.\n\nAs citizens, we have every right to expect that President Trump and his administration would have spent January through mid-March mobilizing for COVID-19 as a looming natural disaster. Instead, the Trump administration wasted precious time minimizing the threat (“We have it totally under control.”) despite clear, advance warning. Reports in December of COVID-19 in China should have triggered intensive preparation for testing to detect and contain the disease (as was done in South Korea). And before that, an October 2019 US government report summarized months of exercises that simulated a pandemic of respiratory disease (influenza, in that case), according to The New York Times. The report analyzed the magnitude of the potential disaster, identifying massive shortfalls in equipment, supplies, facilities, and the supply chain.\n\nAppropriate preparation would have markedly reduced deaths and economic devastation. Empty (if not misleading) rhetoric cannot substitute for concerted action among federal, state, and local agencies. Waiting until mid-March to begin putting ourselves on a wartime footing was way too little, way too late.\n\nThe earliest COVID-19 hotspot in the US—the Seattle area—provides an inspiring case study illustrating how leadership, honest communication, and concerted action make a huge difference, even if it doesn’t result in a panacea. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, local elected leaders, and public health officials all deserve enormous kudos for their responsible actions. Recent articles in GQ, The New York Times, and Kaiser Health News detail how physician-scientists at the University of Washington anticipated the impending crisis, developed a COVID-19 test, and invested millions of dollars to create testing capacity, overcoming bureaucratic inertia at FDA and CDC. By March 13, the University of Washington clinical laboratory had conducted 3 of every 10 COVID-19 tests done in the nation. UW leaders worked closely with the health department, elected officials, and local leaders to prepare for the challenges, marshal resources, adapt to changing demands, and solve emerging problems. While the situation in the Seattle area remains critical, everyone has come together the way we all should to deal with a crisis.\n\n\n\nLeadership organizes our responses to a crisis, enabling effective action and inspiring heroic contributions. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has been an effective, bipartisan leader, mandating “social distancing,” communicating a calm but consistent message about the public health emergency and visibly relying on Amy Acton, MD, MPH, the Ohio Public Health Department director. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and local leaders have implemented unprecedented actions to slow the spread of COVID-19 and prepare the health care system, including “stay at home” orders and the rapid addition of hospital capacity. And in straightforward, factual briefings attracting a wide audience, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has conveyed the magnitude of the public health crisis threatening his state and New York City, laying out the desperate plight of hospitals, the shortfall in supplies and equipment, the importance of slowing the spread of the contagion, and the overwhelming need for federal action.\n\nHaving missed the opportunity to contain COVID-19, our leaders must act to mitigate its spread and devastation. Effective action requires clear, consistent communication dictated by public health and science, not public relations. All levels of government must work together seamlessly, driven by the mission, not worries about bureaucratic turf. Action must be immediate and overwhelming. Continuing failures to fully mobilize all available federal resources and powers will add immeasurably to the human and economic toll.\n\nTime is truly of the essence. Delay costs lives. Leadership matters. It’s that simple.\n\nSteven M. Lieberman is a nonresident fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution and a retired senior federal official who has worked at the White House Office of Management and Budget, the Congressional Budget Office, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.\n\nFor the latest coronavirus news, visit here.\n\nFor the latest, most reliable COVID-19 insights from some of the world’s most respected global health experts, see Global Health NOW’s COVID-19 Expert Reality Check.\n\nJoin the tens of thousands of subscribers who rely on Global Health NOW summaries and exclusive articles for the latest public health news. Sign up for our free weekday newsletter, and please share the link with friends and colleagues: https://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe"
      },
      {
        "title": "In World’s Most Vulnerable Countries, the Pandemic Rivals the 2008 Crisis (Published 2020)",
        "id": "d-65",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/business/coronavirus-per-country-pandemic.html",
        "snippet": "The world's most vulnerable countries are suffering intensifying harm. Businesses faced with the disappearance of sales are laying off workers.",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRUt7OzQf1F6wus0FJamIKDqfn8vt-Yu2f25kSMWx82VMdzgAHziOwkm3CF9Q&s",
        "content": "In New Delhi, a fruit vendor whose sales have dropped by half now dilutes the milk she serves to her five children. In central Turkey, a company that runs hot air balloon rides for tourists has banished its 49 employees to indefinite leave while cutting their wages by half.\n\nIn Manila, a bartender for an international cruise line finds himself marooned at home, wondering if his savings will last until his ship returns to sea. In Johannesburg, a mother who makes her living braiding hair goes home empty-handed.\n\nAnd in Buenos Aires, a cabdriver prowls deserted streets for fares, fearful that he will contract the coronavirus, yet more afraid of losing his taxi to repossession.\n\n“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” he said. “This situation is larger than me.”\n\nAs the coronavirus pandemic brings the global economy to an astonishing halt, the world’s most vulnerable countries are suffering intensifying harm. Businesses faced with the disappearance of sales are laying off workers. Households short of income are skimping on food. International investment is fleeing so-called emerging markets at a pace not seen since the global financial crisis of 2008, diminishing the value of currencies and forcing people to pay more for imported goods like food and fuel."
      },
      {
        "title": "Opinion | How the coronavirus could trigger a backslide on freedom around the world",
        "id": "d-66",
        "link": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/16/how-coronavirus-could-trigger-backslide-freedom-around-world/",
        "snippet": "there is a real risk that this crisis could trigger a lasting global backslide in fundamental freedoms — and it's already started...",
        "source": "The Washington Post",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQzoJkBbEyrcXAEGHMV-JB0r1H92Kpx8sM3xKd7ClY0PK36ybn-5L4ia2_tEg&s",
        "content": "Allie Funk is a research analyst and Isabel Linzer a research associate at Freedom House. Last Tuesday, Moscow banned gatherings with more than 5,000 attendees until April 10, arguing that the move was necessary to limit the spread of covid-19. While such restrictions may be essential during a public health emergency, the announcement came on the same day President Vladimir Putin endorsed a proposal allowing him to remain in office until 2036. In Russia’s largest city — where the opposition has previously mobilized tens of thousands of people despite government efforts to suppress them and where there were just 20 confirmed cases across the country at that point — the decision to restrict free assembly is worthy of scrutiny.\n\nRussia is not alone. Authorities worldwide are using the coronavirus as a pretext to crack down on human rights for political purposes. Though some limitations are undoubtedly necessary to address a pandemic, there is a real risk that this crisis could trigger a lasting global backslide in fundamental freedoms — and it’s already started.\n\nFor example, while a pandemic creates an ideal situation for disinformation, many governments are using this threat to justify heavy censorship, smothering independent sources of information along with any legitimately harmful content. Iran, a leading Internet freedom violator, has become the epicenter of the Middle East’s coronavirus outbreak. During the government’s scramble to respond, Internet connectivity dipped and Wikipedia’s Farsi edition was temporarily blocked, according to civil society group Netblocks — just as similar blunt restrictions were imposed amid nationwide protests in November.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nChina has also deployed its sophisticated censorship apparatus against people contradicting the government’s narrative and those simply seeking health information. CitizenLab found 45 keywords censored across the live-streaming platform YY and 516 on WeChat, including “Wuhan + CCP + Crisis + Beijing” and “Supplementary + Western medicine + Coronavirus.” Given these platforms’ global user base, this silencing of information reaches far beyond China.\n\nAnd, using its controversial Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), Singapore ordered Facebook to restrict domestic access to the States Times Review’s page. While the page may have published some problematic coronavirus-related content, it is run by a government critic, and authorities have repeatedly invoked POFMA to suppress dissenting voices.\n\nMoreover, authorities are citing covid-19 to expand their monitoring capabilities beyond what is necessary for public health surveillance. In China, residents must use a new app that determines their health status, assigning a color-coded designation based on unspecified criteria to dictate whether they can move freely. It appears to automatically share users’ location with police. Moscow is following a similar playbook, using citywide, real-time facial recognition to identify people breaking quarantine. Over the past year, Muscovites have experienced protest-related arrests and connectivity disruptions, and this new biometric system will be used beyond tracking quarantine violators and long after the outbreak.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nFinally, like Moscow last week, some governments are restricting large gatherings to increase social distancing. In some cases, this may be necessary; the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended such an action on Sunday. But not all countries have good records on free assembly. Despite reporting no cases within the country at the time, a Kyrgyzstan court originally banned mass rallies in Bishkek partly because of the coronavirus. The decision came just days after a protest in support of a jailed politician ended in a violent clash, with police arresting numerous attendees. The coronavirus was also cited to ban an International Women’s Day rally. Similarly, El Salvador barred gatherings with more than 500 people on Wednesday, even with no confirmed cases. Iraq, which has been rocked by protests for months, has also prohibited public gatherings.\n\nEven liberal democracies risk normalizing emergency measures. For example, to track infections, the United States reportedly pressured airlines to provide international travelers’ phone numbers and email addresses. It is important to communicate with and monitor infected passengers, but it is also crucial to ensure that any information collected is not misused and that these practices do not continue long after.\n\nCertain limitations on fundamental freedoms are unavoidable during public health crises. But such restrictions must be transparent, and necessary and proportionate to limiting the outbreak. Temporarily curbing mass gatherings can be justified, as long as authorities are transparent and provide details about when restrictions will be lifted. Yet much of the enhanced surveillance and censorship of recent weeks does not meet these standards.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nIf governments are allowed to impose indefinite and disproportionate restrictions on access to information, free expression, free assembly and privacy in the name of stopping covid-19, the negative effects will extend far beyond this outbreak. People will suffer a lasting deterioration in basic freedoms, and they will lose confidence in the institutions tasked with protecting them. That means that when the next public health threat emerges, both governments and citizens may be even less prepared to respond appropriately."
      },
      {
        "title": "‘Isolation is a big trigger’: Feelings of suicide are amplified amid a pandemic",
        "id": "d-67",
        "link": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/23/coronavirus-pandemic-isolation-fear-job-loss-triggers-suicide/2871949001/",
        "snippet": "Suicide prevention experts say the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic, which includes social distancing, may increase suicide risk.",
        "source": "USA Today",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTtAj2Mb6mnt-1UpsNI9XQyZKmSbuwDghP6blHbbiw-IHwe4tpMD0xvGqWINw&s",
        "content": "‘Isolation is a big trigger’: Feelings of suicide are amplified amid a pandemic\n\nShow Caption Hide Caption Suicide prevention: Three survivors share their stories of hope If you could go back in time and talk to yourself in your darkest moment, what would you say? USA TODAY\n\nEverything feels fragile. People, especially.\n\nAs the coronavirus spreads across the globe, there's recognition its toll will exceed the scope of the virus itself. Deaths will be caused by COVID-19 – closing in on 500 in the U.S. alone as of Monday – and long term health problems. Others will be frayed by the havoc, loneliness and financial insecurity caused by the disease.\n\nCoronavirus: What is social distancing? When should I quarantine versus isolate?\n\nThe data on past outbreaks and suicide is conflicting, but suicide prevention experts say it's reasonable to expect the current pandemic will lead to increased suicide risk for certain populations. Social distancing and quarantines may trigger those currently dealing with suicidal thoughts. And research shows the social and economic fallout from the pandemic may amplify the risk for some people well after the outbreak has ended.\n\nThose deaths will be harder to count.\n\n\"There are ramifications, sometimes fatal, with events like these that are not just related to getting infected or dying from infection or consequences of infection,\" said Eric Caine, co-director of the Center for the Study of Prevention of Suicide at the University of Rochester Medical Center. It is important \"to honestly and openly consider that there might be adverse events that occur in the midst of social distancing.\"\n\nSocial connection has become a crucial part of the language of suicide prevention. The more connected people are, experts say, the less likely they are to die by suicide. But the public health approach to stem the coronavirus requires people to forgo in-person connections – conversations, touch, the serendipitous encounters that make up the social fabric of people's lives.\n\nTips: 10 things to help you ease anxiety around coronavirus\n\nThe pandemic also has created major challenges around mental health care. Many therapists are no longer seeing clients in person, and not everyone has insurance that will cover telemedicine.\n\n\"Isolation is a big trigger for a lot of people,\" said Norine VanderHooven, a licensed clinical social worker in California. \"With SARS or H1N1 it was on such a different scale than what we're dealing with now. People are becoming so anxious because they don't know what to expect. Anxiety is fear of the unexpected or unknown.\"\n\nDanielle Sinay, 28, is a writer in Brooklyn who has a history of suicidal thoughts. She's been diagnosed with a panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. While she isn't entirely isolated – she lives with her husband and four pets – disruptions to her routine and the proliferation of unknowns have left her vulnerable.\n\n\"It's so scary, it's almost like ... I would rather be dead,\" she said. \"I mean, I wouldn't be, but sometimes I get so scared it feels like that.\"\n\nNadine Kaslow, a professor of psychiatry at the Emory University School of Medicine, said not all people who have experienced suicidal thoughts or survived previous attempts will react to the pandemic the same way.\n\nIf someone's suicidality stems from insecurities about self-esteem or self-worth, for example, the pandemic may not be as impactful as it would be for someone who has an anxiety disorder or suffers from catastrophic thinking.\n\n\"There is certainly going to be a group of people who are suicidal where this is just one more stress for them,\" Kaslow said. \"For others it could be a final stress, not even COVID itself, but everything that comes with it, all the financial stresses, trying to take care of kids at home, people you love dying, getting sick – the list goes on and on.\"\n\nThe ripple effects\n\nExperts caution there is no single cause of suicide. But getting laid off, losing a safe place to live and taking on new family responsibilities are the kinds of adversity that can elevate suicide risk.\n\nSelf-isolation: What do you do when the bigger danger is at home?\n\nLooking at a past disease outbreak like SARS in Hong Kong in 2002 and 2003 gives some indication of what may lie ahead. Social disengagement, stress and anxiety among some older adults resulted in an exceptionally high rate of suicide deaths, according to a 2010 study. Caine said Hong Kong's disrupted economy may have lead to increased suicides. He is concerned the U.S. may see the same.\n\nResearch shows unemployment is a risk factor for suicide. Benjamin Miller, chief strategy officer for Well Being Trust, a national foundation committed to advancing mental health issues, said the virus outbreak already is bringing into sharp relief risk factors for poor health such as loneliness and social isolation.\n\n“Add to these social factors the possibility of an economic downturn, which may include job loss, and we are looking at a perfect storm of problems that will only exacerbate the deaths of despair that our nation still has not addressed,\" Miller said.\n\nVanderHooven said at least one of her clients attempted suicide because of impending job loss.\n\n\"We need to normalize people's feelings,\" she said. \"The truth is we don't know what's going to happen.\"\n\nTaking care of one another\n\nIn a moment like this, Caine said people can mitigate risk to vulnerable populations by doing their best to care for one another. The crisis is a collective one, not an individual one. No one should have to endure it alone.\n\n\"Even in the midst of social separation, there are ways where we can pull together to bring out warmth and cohesion,\" he said.\n\nCaine is encouraged by what he's seen already. Communities are mounting efforts to identify people at risk of isolation. Churches are reaching out. Parents are setting up Facebook groups to exchange information on (and to collectively lament the challenges of) homeschooling their kids. Local organizations are helping older adults with emergency needs.\n\nPresident Donald Trump signed a sweeping multibillion-dollar emergency aid package last week that will provide paid sick leave for Americans who are in quarantine, helping a family member who is infected with COVID-19 or have children whose schools have closed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. More economic relief plans are underway.\n\nThese efforts, Caine said, will make a difference.\n\nThe coronavirus pandemic has forced many people to question the future and to some extent their mortality. For people struggling with suicidal ideation, existential questions are familiar. But Kaslow said it's possible that for some suicidal people, the coronavirus could end up being life-saving.\n\n\"There's going to be a group of people, I imagine, who are actually going to do better because somehow they are going to find a way to do something meaningful during this time,\" she said.\n\n\"They'll have to take care of their kids in a way they didn't have to before, or they'll be the one bringing food to people who are sick. Somehow in this national global crisis, they'll find a space to do something that matters. They'll find purpose.\"\n\nYou may also be interested in:\n\nThe Suicide Prevention Resource Center has compiled specific resources to support mental health and coping with the coronavirus.\n\nIf you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time day or night, or chat online.\n\nCrisis Text Line also provides free, 24/7, confidential support via text message to people in crisis when they dial 741741.\n\nAlia E. Dastagir is a recipient of a Rosalynn Carter fellowship for mental health journalism. Follow her on Twitter: @alia_e"
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "topic_id": 5,
    "topic": "Elon Musk acquires Twitter, implements major reforms",
    "docs": [
      {
        "title": "Publicis Groupe Taps Captiv8 to Power AI-Driven Social Commerce",
        "id": "d-68",
        "link": "https://influencermarketinghub.com/publicis-groupe-captiv8-acquisition/",
        "snippet": "Publicis's acquisition of Captiv8 transforms influencer marketing with AI-driven tools, full-funnel solutions, and integrated social...",
        "source": "Influencer Marketing Hub",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Key takeaways Publicis Groupe has acquired Captiv8 , further strengthening its position in the influencer marketing and social commerce space.\n\nhas acquired , further strengthening its position in the influencer marketing and social commerce space. The acquisition combines Captiv8’s 15 million creator network and AI-powered tools with Publicis’s existing influencer agency, Influential , and Epsilon’s data technology .\n\nand with Publicis’s existing influencer agency, , and . Captiv8’s Branded Storefronts and social commerce suite allow brands to manage influencer campaigns, drive sales, and track performance in real-time.\n\nand social commerce suite allow brands to manage influencer campaigns, drive sales, and track performance in real-time. This strategic move enables Publicis to deliver full-funnel marketing solutions with transparent, measurable results across platforms.\n\nPublicis is now well-positioned to dominate the global creator marketing ecosystem, catering to brands with AI-driven insights, data capabilities, and scalable creator networks.\n\nPublicis Groupe has made a significant move in the influencer marketing space with the acquisition of Captiv8, an AI-powered influencer platform, further solidifying its position in the rapidly evolving world of social commerce.\n\nThis strategic acquisition combines Captiv8’s advanced technology and global influencer network with Publicis’s existing influencer assets, setting the stage for a comprehensive, data-driven approach to creator marketing that spans multiple platforms and media channels.\n\nThe Strategic Value of the Acquisition\n\nCaptiv8 is an influencer marketing powerhouse, boasting a network of 15 million creators globally, covering 95% of influencers with more than 5,000 followers. This vast influencer pool, combined with Captiv8’s proprietary AI-driven technology, will allow Publicis Groupe to offer brands a unified platform for managing, measuring, and optimizing creator-driven campaigns.\n\nThe platform’s advanced tools, including its Branded Storefronts feature, create a seamless integration of influencer content with e-commerce and affiliate marketing channels. This integration helps brands run full-funnel campaigns from brand awareness to final conversions.\n\nBy tapping into Captiv8’s social commerce capabilities, Publicis will be able to offer brands more powerful tools for driving direct sales through creator partnerships, alongside improved performance tracking.\n\nMoreover, Captiv8’s AI-powered technology enhances the influencer selection process by analyzing creator data, engagement metrics, and audience fit, ensuring that brands work with creators who align with their messaging. This precise targeting significantly improves ROI for marketing campaigns.\n\nHow Captiv8’s Technology Transforms Influencer Marketing\n\nCaptiv8’s technological innovation sets it apart in the influencer marketing ecosystem. The platform’s AI-powered tools streamline processes such as creator vetting, content creation, and campaign optimization, helping brands deliver personalized, high-impact marketing at scale.\n\nOne of the most notable aspects of Captiv8’s offering is its Branded Storefronts, which allow influencers to directly link to products and services within their content. This feature enables brands to unify product discovery and purchase behavior within a single platform. Influencers can seamlessly integrate brand promotions within their content, encouraging followers to make purchases with ease.\n\nAdditionally, Captiv8’s real-time insights and performance tracking allow brands to monitor engagement metrics, sales, and other key performance indicators, providing the transparency needed for data-driven decision-making.\n\nPublicis’s Expanding Capabilities\n\nPublicis has long been a leader in data-driven marketing, and with Captiv8 and Influential now under its umbrella, the company has significantly strengthened its influencer marketing division. Influential, another Publicis-owned influencer marketing agency, will merge with Captiv8 to form the world’s largest influencer network, encompassing millions of creators, brands, and advertisers across global markets.\n\nPublicis will leverage Epsilon’s data infrastructure to complement Captiv8’s AI capabilities, enabling deeper insights into consumer behavior and influencer performance. This combination of Epsilon’s identity-driven marketing and Captiv8’s technology offers brands a powerful way to identify and engage creators who resonate with their target audiences, ensuring authentic and measurable marketing impact.\n\nThe acquisition is part of Publicis’s broader strategy to position itself at the intersection of technology, data, and social commerce, catering to the growing demand for influencer marketing solutions that drive measurable business results.\n\nFuture Impact of the Acquisition\n\nWith Captiv8, Influential, and Epsilon now working together, Publicis Groupe is poised to offer brands an unparalleled full-funnel influencer marketing solution that spans everything from creator discovery to real-time performance measurement.\n\nThis integrated platform will allow brands to optimize campaigns, measure ROI, and drive conversions across multiple channels—all powered by AI-driven insights.\n\nThe acquisition also enables Publicis to tap into the growing social commerce trend, empowering brands to engage audiences and generate sales directly through creators. With Captiv8’s cutting-edge social commerce suite, Publicis can help brands build and scale shoppable experiences, giving them more control over the entire consumer journey."
      },
      {
        "title": "MaskDAO Expands Web3 Footprint with Orb.club Acquisition",
        "id": "d-69",
        "link": "https://www.cointrust.com/market-news/maskdao-expands-web3-footprint-with-orb-club-acquisition",
        "snippet": "In a strategic move to reinforce its presence in the decentralized social networking landscape, MaskDAO has completed the acquisition of...",
        "source": "CoinTrust",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBwgHBgkIBwgKCgkLDRYPDQwMDRsUFRAWIB0iIiAdHx8kKDQsJCYxJx8fLT0tMTU3Ojo6Iys/RD84QzQ5OjcBCgoKDQwNGg8PGjclHyU3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3N//AABEIAEIAeAMBEQACEQEDEQH/xAAcAAABBQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAGAgMEBQcBAAj/xAA6EAACAQIEAwUGAwYHAAAAAAABAgMEEQAFEiEGMUEHE1FhcRQiIzKBkUKhsRVSksHR4SYzQ2KCovH/xAAaAQACAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAwIEBQAG/8QAMhEAAQQABAMGBQQDAQAAAAAAAQACAxEEEiExBUFRIjJhcYGhE5GxwdEVQvDxBjPhFP/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8ABJ8ozGCvloHoqhqqIFnijjLsF8bDpy3xu5m1d6K09hYaKRLltfAyLPQVkTO/doJKd1LP+6Ljc+XPHBzTsVBWOX8LZtXvSpDThHqal6VEmujK6qGbUCLgWOIOmY27O2qGYKvnoKqmPxqaZVMpiV9B0O4NiFbkxuOmGAg7FFTMyyDMsripZKynKe0wGdVAOpFBsdYt7pHgcRZI191yUQQVXBbnzwxclCO4uSFHicFcuhVN9PT962DS5dPyaNK7m97b/fEas2mG29khc7rwxLKoLphkFhoJvvsL4GYbIEEJ80M40lkWMEbF3AvhcmIji0eaRDXHZPU+Wmb5amFrc+7bVbDcO9uI/wBbh8/tujkcpsWTQ/6jO31ti8MG4953yCOQKZDltLH8sCE/7hq/XDBhIxvZ9fxSOUBJHGtVDm9XmFLSrGZ/ZgF7wgqsLqwW45hguk+uMMwAsDSdr91OdzZCK2H9/dS07Ra8UtJE9HEz086zGYSsHkK6gLmx3sQLm/LlbbEP/I2ybSMoSH4/qpKevpo8upIKataRpFhd0ZSyoo0sCLfICejXOJNwrbBvZdlScs45nyzKqCgpsuo7Uciyaxcd4QGBJtyJDc77WBAxJ+Ga9xcSdUCLNqr4j4gmzx6Ud01PDSwmKJXqHmcgm51SNu2/6YnFEI78fRcBSqVUk6VFz4eJw5dupCUFTMyhUNzsB1J9MMEEx1yn10+qYIn9FYxcM17KDJGYgb+9IQnIX/FbAEfVw9LP0H3REfUpIy2NXOpizC4Yg7HF5mAaQCXe1fW0xsIHNPJSxIbiMHbrh4wcI3F+p/pT+Gwck3WCsVIoctgD1E76FPRB1J9MZ3FcY3AxgRAAnwQok0wK4yzhSopTFVSI+YVJtreXl9B0GPFvlfK4udzVyOEMHUoqrOBqHN6UtV0601Rp+HUU3uSIfUc/rgjMw2FCUxv0KEocqzXKqiahzdhN3ZvDUqLCVfPz/rj1vCMc6eMsfu1U3tLN1KWLGsXJVoJI2CnkPHGKhpabYKBYc8cikXN788chdJV/LElFLjUMbNyxyIBOyei1d53trBXBIHXEmuykO6IA5XBXYuOVsegJCvOcANUtVvz5+OI5q2SzIAFbUfDuZ1kRkhpl0Kus3kUNbx031W+mKUnEsPG7KXa+q7M8gEDQqFUUktOxWoiZGB0kG2x8PI+XPDY8SyUWw2oyiSOs4q/fyOyv+HqWFcvmqJyqFDr1MbAJbnf748rx2VsmIaGm8oryKZBYFnminI6qkraUPR1MEw8Y5A36YyA1WMwIVnJmlDQUrmvraWntv8aVVNvqcMolqryAB4Q9xMYq2CnkpnWUFTKrobqU2BN+XNl++LvCcQyGZ2c0Dp63ojIxzgA3dDyxY9SXKjazmoXRM8XfLIFNg6m6nGTG4uaHEV4FNIo0m7W2vf0xNA6FewVFSIlCqGtc9MFBKN7krsfLpgjewo6VSTIGvt9scVxVzDIO4WRvAX8sa7Jh8Frj0Vh0gyi0T8JZZDU9/mdY6+yUJGqPrI5+Ufe2M7ieLcwCGPvO59Aq880cMZlf3QiegiijrnzFYu5eb5QmwC7A28SbbnxvjNbCA3KdSF53if8Ak+IxUUcLTlj352TZ3PQbADTn4AmzI0WaZfNRTxq0siqWjt7yk239Rz8sVIhJDIJG7Dmro4mxzcrdZAB2eev43PTmsikzEUOVmSb44uIPZ2AK6WuxcX21Aqo3Hhi7xLhxkxBkaase409x9FtuxrYoWhzbo+38CqMuzOky/P4KykpZI1ab3wqrdlNvduLEAbnrzxRPDJTQzD3SY+KQssgH2RVVVOVHPRXd3WxoAQyxLHc3Ft2vci9iNxv4jbE/0acbOHv+FH9agdRLTY8lerm1JV09Q9MroUVYY0kI1G9yWNja24+oGOj4U6OZgcbA1P4TouICdrnNFKtEeN4lJWeNPkTSJopKwILlgJBcna3U7c79d9sUAJOqabTNPJlbKvfx1OwUnuQOdveFy3LwNgQPHmZHNyXapSPlBW0iVwCk++jJdgSbXB2Fhbl1vjqf4IJyKbJl0Duq5t1uGZQCL77jy/lyx1PQNr0/sghUU3fmTVuZLWIt0t54IDr1UbTDA7H+2JoKdQOHphtyuLY1cDToi3of+/dW4hbFpXZZT2y2vGpDG9TrKX3BCi35748zxuP4eIAG1X7lD4Ya02p1Xn9ZkXdftqNKpi5cGJVVYk8Rfw8dufTGVFnyZg7zHgmDBw4udzMoaGgFpOtnmB0Puu59xODlpOXGIe1IVDAWex5t6dN/G/TGpwyJuIdmNkN+Xks1+GkhlstDQR6k/hAYSjqZ46CVoJJZWssDSEXPnY3A8+mNrFzRhhBdR90HNzilTVNBTLLLHBTV1NmEEmn2d5omGu1xz0nTtz32P3zRO4OabsHmlDCZonu2rcXqr6nd9VHT5gk0tXUEhael0Enw3ubc9/DfwxcOJ7JcCABzNrOGH7WWiSVJy+qy2mr6rLzWRrXCodWp3kGoEbALy1C3X/zEY8SyQDXX5LVhhEIyhXQTfDrTUC1eZ55BD3sseXgL7haOKBjc3PS/S4/vvjPDIyaFptBNyVucCoNSHokm06SUSNdS6wdNiNxdfTzscENjquS7RPJV8QaniWnpZCt0OmCLmVt058vTfHZYv5aFJuXMc9mWQyrSsXvrJihvvbr9sH4cYXUqSnYaLE7Dpixag5Lm0gqjNYdbYJ0UQb1UnKWusieBvi/w86ub5K5hzoQtD7M60QVtXTsTpdFceVjY/qPtjP8A8hi7EcnSx8/6Ty3M0hGnEdbleX5ZUVuaCDuol1qZQD7w+W1/xX2FseXY3O7KAlNc9gsGqXzFmef5vmUry1ldM7ubtY6R9hjWOdrAwHRUi7MbKmdnkff8XUFOzFRMZULdQTE4v+eEsFEWg7ZazCuWcS0nd57SL+1KRu4qbAK2pTYkE/hPMeRxRuSBxaxy0A2Odoc4K5yujyPh9WTK6eGOd1JY/M7C4Au19hcgW5XIxJzpJdXHZcGMi0aNSucQ9nXDvEVM0mgUWYNdxV0+xLHe7qT72/ofMYLZnVqUh8WugQNxR+3ezqShinzFM5o6lW0vNCY2Qra631N0IIuT12xp4fFueNUhzcqElSn70AvKY9VriMBtPpfni1b720TzScjjoVkTvJKhk2LhIgPC4BJ9d8TFqJtelen1XhhmXpdpLn9MMJadgoU7mUzpBF1Q7YFhHVeU6TqBI87XxwIUXLrFWJJclug0/wB8cuU/J4XNSVNowy85DpH54dBOyB+Z+ydE7KVqnZ5lXcQz1cvds8x0xurarKOe/r+mMzjOOZiHNjjOg381ZzdnMgbtvzbXntFkquTFBF30lzzka4H2Uf8AbFPA01xB5qpiHl1BZtJHYj1GNB7VWCseGcrXMuJMuopDZJpwrenM/kMRdHXa6LidFs2YZGtDA1SwDVLKkTTNIFDBQFDPfqABv1HnzqYiASOzRD0T8LiRGMsiA+N6yXL8tCZbVAxS1MTSVCrczOt2AufwLYEAdTffEzh2xsA6pbp3Svs8kQ9nvaBNXvDQZhVQQ1JmJ+JH7s4Y8lP4WB6denlRxGHMZzR91aEU7JgRL3uSMe1HIDxLwlL7Kokqqe08AXmSvNR6qSPW2OhfkeDyVd7dC1YlIKhf8wSgeYIxvWutNi5206j9cFBOLHID71OT5EMMGwguiJ+iEf8AO364C4pYWynVKUIG3xAb/Y3/ACwVFcieSRtKtKfH4lrDz8MFcrThzKnzrN0pKRXFlLzTRkgog5kXvudgLjmeXPCZpAyMkj0XCrFrb8sijpYI4oBaJFCoL9Bjz1kmytF7aFL557Vm18ZV8xdizsrAHmBYKPyUEeRGNIkCBpG4WY828oYWpPdG+5GHCfNGSl1qi/s2i9o44y0A7Rl5Psh/riw92ig/ZbzVLGs9RJMoZO6UKGFwN2v/ACxWYSQAEs72sW7Xplaqy2CP3V0yS6fAEgL+Sn74bLqQFKIblZ9FI0UqyRsyOjAqymxBHIjCAQSbTl9GdlPFE+f5CJagAzQyGGbYDUQAdX1BH1vjNe0MeQNlfv4zMx3WKozJfQSvobY9CkpYmlJsZHI8CxxyC4ANtsEIL3XHFBKGCuU3NQI+4SMBFZLsq7AnxxFutoLR+yONFyaulVFErVGkuBuQFFhfw3P3OKuI74Crz7o4hAFTKoAADmwGMf8Actaz8IHwXzj2gfE4x4kL+8UlYKW30gOii3oNvTF89z0KzAhJeRxXb3SpI87I9+KyeopHt/EmNBh7Q8vwkTd1bnmW+Xyk77f1x0ffSjssP7XD/iWAdBRrb+JsSkTo9kBj5cZ/7U1a/wBg7N7DnA1GwkjIF+XutitJuruF5r//2Q==",
        "content": "In a strategic move to reinforce its presence in the decentralized social networking landscape, MaskDAO has completed the acquisition of Orb.club, a rapidly growing Web3-native social platform. The integration aims to advance MaskDAO’s broader mission of fostering a more expressive, interconnected, and user-owned digital experience, as outlined by its parent entity, Mask Network.\n\nOrb.club, which has gained notable traction for its engaging features such as viral sticker campaigns, collectible content, and in-app tipping functionalities, reported more than 50,000 monthly active users by the beginning of 2025. With its unique take on social interaction, the platform has carved out a distinctive position within the Web3 social media domain. The recent acquisition is poised to boost MaskDAO’s ecosystem by leveraging Orb’s innovation and user engagement strategies.\n\nEnhancing a Diverse Decentralized Portfolio\n\nThe acquisition brings Orb.club into the fold of an already robust network of MaskDAO-managed projects, which includes initiatives such as Next.ID, Web3.bio, and Firefly.social. Observers expect the move to not only enhance MaskDAO’s existing offerings but also accelerate the development of a fully decentralized and user-centric social ecosystem. The organization sees the integration as a natural extension of its mission to provide alternative, ownership-driven online experiences.\n\nMask Network, the founding entity behind MaskDAO, has undergone a considerable transformation since its launch in 2017. Initially conceived as a browser extension bridging Web2 and Web3 services, it has since evolved into a significant player in decentralized social media. Industry insiders have referred to it as the “Tencent of Web3,” due to its ambitious scope and growing influence. Through the creation of shared digital infrastructure, investments in onchain applications, and initiatives aimed at promoting user autonomy, Mask Network has positioned itself as a central figure in the next-generation internet. The establishment of MaskDAO in early 2025 served to further decentralize governance and reinforce its expanding ecosystem.\n\nOrb.club’s Role in the Future of Social Interaction\n\nJoining the MaskDAO network is expected to provide Orb.club with access to advanced infrastructure and a broader user base. Known for its prioritization of self-expression, user ownership, and gamified engagement, the platform has introduced a novel approach to online social interactions. Its content-driven economy has empowered both creators and users to participate meaningfully while also reaping economic benefits from their contributions.\n\nIn the context of recent developments like the launch of the Lens Chain by the Avara team, Orb’s mobile application is expected to become a primary destination for discovering trending onchain content. One of Orb’s standout features, Orb Clubs, facilitates the creation of community-centric micro-networks that allow participants to earn through engagement rather than through traditional metrics like follower counts or token speculation. This model emphasizes meaningful connection and rewards user involvement with actual ownership stakes and incentives.\n\nStrategic Vision for the Future of Web3 Social\n\nSuji Yan, the founder of Mask Network and MaskDAO, expressed a forward-looking view on the acquisition, indicating that the inclusion of Orb would reinvigorate the concept of online community in the Web3 space. He emphasized that the platform’s focus on creator monetization and community-driven models had redefined how users find joy and purpose in online interactions. The acquisition is considered a pivotal step toward MaskDAO’s aspiration to become a comprehensive hub for decentralized applications spanning identity, content, and user interaction.\n\nThe alignment between MaskDAO’s long-term vision and Orb.club’s innovative approach to social engagement underscores a shared belief in the transformative potential of decentralized technologies. As the ecosystem continues to grow, industry stakeholders will likely monitor how this integration shapes the broader Web3 social media environment."
      },
      {
        "title": "Triple Point Social Housing REIT Share Acquisition by Tilford Holdings",
        "id": "d-70",
        "link": "https://www.tipranks.com/news/company-announcements/triple-point-social-housing-reit-share-acquisition-by-tilford-holdings",
        "snippet": "Triple Point Social Housing REIT PLC ( ($GB:SOHO) ) has issued an update. Triple Point Social Housing REIT PLC announced that Tilford...",
        "source": "TipRanks",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBwgHBgkIBwgKCgkLDRYPDQwMDRsUFRAWIB0iIiAdHx8kKDQsJCYxJx8fLT0tMTU3Ojo6Iys/RD84QzQ5OjcBCgoKDQwNGg8PGjclHyU3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3N//AABEIAEIAeAMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAbAAABBQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEAAMFBgcCAf/EADgQAAIBAwICCAMGBgMBAAAAAAECAwAEERIhBTEGEzJBUWFxkRQigSNSYrHB0RUzQnKh4SVD8Af/xAAYAQADAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAwQCBf/EACYRAAIBBAEEAQUBAAAAAAAAAAABAgMRITEEEhMiQVEjMjNxgRT/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AKr0ckSCe+nktxcCK2durOPvAZ38M5qUv+klxHxzTbSB7VJVkjKj/r07rjw/aq1byNEJuryC/wApIONs0TwEo/GrDr4kaMyqGGM5GfCu22QRia4xIOxrhnk+8foaPIiOxGPWh5FGrbBHpWOs10Abam7RJ9a500QUz3Cl1Z8KHWFQBtNeaaMSFWYBjt604LIucIr+1B1EHtkfg1yVo57SRO2jD1FdJbQ4y0v0Ao9xAdNkcEIPLNdPGRgacbA+4zUvFawEdvV5GiTaKzq0Y0528Rzo96xl0SvLbyPsiMfQV2bC5x/Jb2qwalicRs+k6ScUwt4B15ckhXAX00qfzJrSrP0hcqMfbIabhs0bYwG2B2z7UqJmvZScjG/lSp6lK2SdxgmY0mCX82/WjOAj/mOH4G5kXc/3GhEOWI/H+tG9HRnjfDVA31jmfxGppMvgsm0KhzjGKcS2bOpTGx89q80nNL5vE1PJjooJjtpWJ6wR4pxrO3A+0HPwOKDy/wB4+9eFWPMmlO/yNVgt4LJRlUGf7qaKx4BT5SPx0yEA514VXuB+tD+hHQyHtS7d450itm/PA88YoWSVImCskjE/dUn/AFTjoOWMGijLHoksoiWLascsDlXb3luqfYxZ09/LxP6UKy4AHcBUff8AFLLhwZLqXS7IGVQMkgsF/WtY22Yd/Q7xS4ZOHmRY1DLExHPuFVLgvEL2XiqpNMzrKSXDAHOE/wBCnOlXFYrm16qxnk+RiJNBIGPM++1UpTpvHKStEwY4KOFI29RVlK3SS1F7NSZa9rqFdVvEc5yg3znO1KmqRM4mOqdzk8nyfejejBB4/wAMHM6wMHx1GggMBlZcFjuMedPdHpkg4vYzMupYz1jAbE4Y/tSJaLYbN4Ipaaq1104sxC6wxTJcFToEiZGcbE78qO6KdJF42TbzRCK6jTU2CNL79wyTU8otK7HRknphXGeJ2/DoW6yTTLp1BQCTjOPDxprgXFIb0vbGTVcR5bBzll2392xVc6Y3sM3EZCsTE20ckTZOMsCNxz8ab6LcQEfSiWIRyMWCw/NJkKGwcgY25cqxbA9WsX7TUfxri1rweAS3JYljhUTtHYn2251Lac8qz/8A+hTW0PEYVMrNcuukqp/lAb92OeSckn0pUpWQUrsh/wCMSycU/irgO5k1WyNJ8vf3d4AyM+fiKuPR3pTZ8UsweITww3qKWdQdIK5wDv8AvWa8QkUxQt1QTRpHzAbHALfXJPtSZIdafEgdQ2SWSMMAfEjnSY1JJ5C4XNV6S3E0NkUsZLcSvgBpt00d58Kzp4ZmhaEqJIdeO1jQ53GkcxnHdUn0yfrorKSI6NFqnZIO2TjkTjIOeeQKgFbqopJ2fScF1cxblv376fPNkkKSxkNtVji4ak4jDSTudLKytpXGwAPf549KLv5p7PhFkYHCNJI+tJQjEHPLcfX61CwRyHTFNK0VuqvLgLuoJOMHG4OV96Oe0JtVZBNLDJnqC0ny5B358sAHbltT+OrMTXso4L5wh5J+E2s028jplqVO8BUJwOyUgEiIfTypVXciMltY2uiU/rVwCSuceFPWth8PeW7sJGjWEmU7DGcnAPjz9qEtCj3R6zOAu+Gx3cj7Dn41JJcWd7coI1MeB9ohYDG22G+7y/WkLw2UWb0D3rMbhsElScg6eed/DFWboFIkXSSJpXVF6phljgcjUVbrZ3VwtvIrCLGAyY7Q2z3+ntRPD+F9TJNkl5N1VZHwc95G/IZBpj6Zp2FwfbfkH9JIXk4nxJRhft5ACeW5XFccMjlsuM3V6bfU8ciNpZ9Gyj5ufLYju7674/fxre389lMroZHDONu0Ryzz2H+DUH8b1ly8sgy00aISANKhR+9I6orBYpNmj9GOOT3slwl/8OkS/MkkT5GTvp5nuzv5VH9NfgJIbXiNlDbyyTOdThVJP2eVznl2Rz8Md5BrnDTohuVDnJVTsdsDP+qB4lI54Uys5LdepAJ7grfuPej2lJ3WhixG5F8ba5OlG3w2v5SDzU/N4d+a6sZjIZIzkPEQCVGxJA8O6nYoZrmaJItRzGc+Q0nNTLWU0bOwaVQs6PpjGn+kLknm2w39cbYFD/FKTtFC58mMNsEVAZTE+pY5VRF/Bjbn4CmpbYTTfERyFbbGEiJzqxnGfc/lUkEZgYZodYBygCMoBOfUeG31z3UzdLPOVyrhkbtLqyfLzq7icOd/qaRDW5dPcXkjBaSRW6IhUKoKqwbURHnI2278VIT3LX9nBZyxCJbXPVOMZffmRnbfPvQ7JeLGuDKfmbc5zjw9K5627z8zSZx4muhHgx+SKfNvdGmcCj08EsgTqPVDfxryqZa9LOJcOWKJ9E0QACpJHy8srg/nSqWXCqp4QyNeLWyhwk/GTbnkn5CnrHbrmGxCNg+G9e0qgei5Bgd4rgdUzJ2uyceFXHpuqx3yKihV6jOAMDfJP+a9pVifszL74fopMhJt73J/9kUOSQ8ig7BzgUqVKKie4UzfGquo6TbbjOx2ovQr2kutQ2HGMjPeKVKqeNozU/GwiGNBLc4RRiMAYHIZXaldAHrsj+kUqVdfjaORUfkcqq/dHaXu86ZlUC6XAApUqqjsgekOKPsYvVv0qPk/WlSrUBUSWtXZLXWjFW5ZBweVKlSqeW2VQ0f/2Q==",
        "content": "Confident Investing Starts Here:\n\nEasily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions\n\nReceive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter\n\nTriple Point Social Housing REIT PLC ( (GB:SOHO) ) has issued an update.\n\nTriple Point Social Housing REIT PLC announced that Tilford Holdings Limited, a closely associated entity of Steven Peter Windsor, acquired 70,400 ordinary shares of the company. This acquisition results in Windsor and his associated entities holding a total of 921,514 ordinary shares, representing 0.23% of the company’s issued share capital.\n\nThe most recent analyst rating on (GB:SOHO) stock is a Hold with a £65.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Triple Point Social Housing REIT PLC stock, see the GB:SOHO Stock Forecast page.\n\nSpark’s Take on GB:SOHO Stock\n\nAccording to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, GB:SOHO is a Neutral.\n\nTriple Point Social Housing REIT PLC displays a moderate overall stock score due to mixed financial performance and valuation concerns. While technical indicators are strong, suggesting upward momentum, the negative P/E ratio and financial challenges dampen outlook. The high dividend yield and stakeholder confidence are positives, but emphasis on revenue recovery and tenant management is needed to enhance future stability.\n\nTo see Spark’s full report on GB:SOHO stock, click here.\n\nMore about Triple Point Social Housing REIT PLC\n\nAverage Trading Volume: 1,112,556\n\nTechnical Sentiment Signal: Buy\n\nCurrent Market Cap: £275.4M\n\nFind detailed analytics on SOHO stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.\n\nDisclaimer & Disclosure\n\nLooking for a trading platform? Check out TipRanks' Best Online Brokers , and find the ideal broker for your trades."
      },
      {
        "title": "Social stability risk analysis caused by land acquisition and migration for water conservancy project construction",
        "id": "d-71",
        "link": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-01955-7",
        "snippet": "Social discontent and threats to social stability may result from the intricate relationships between the many parties involved in project...",
        "source": "Nature",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "System dynamics evolutionary game modeling\n\nAt its core, the “driving force” for the evolution of gamers’ strategies is the Darwinian principle of natural selection. This means that strategies demonstrating a high level of fitness have the potential to spread within the population through processes such as imitation, learning, replication, or contagion at the individual level. On the contrary, strategies with a low fitness level are more likely to be eliminated by natural selection. As these strategies evolve within the population, they give rise to various long-term dynamical behaviors at the system level72. System Dynamics is a powerful tool for studying the dynamics of complex systems, which enables us to learn about individual decisions from a wider system perspective73. By adopting this approach, we can gain more precise insights into the strategic choices made by each participant and depict their decision-making processes more accurately.\n\nBy using the replication dynamic equations of the local government and resettlers, as well as the correlation and dynamics between each subject’s strategy choices and their perceived benefit function, the previous part clarified the learning evolution mechanism. We use the VENSIM PLE 10.2.2 software to build a system dynamics (SD) model for the evolutionary game involving water conservancy project relocation and resettlement stakeholders in order to perform a more thorough analysis of the strategic interaction among the game subjects based on the game model mentioned above and the perceived benefit function of each subject. This SD model is built using the system flow diagram, which allows us to visually represent the intricate influences and feedback mechanisms between the game subjects74. This model is determined by a perceived benefit function containing two state variables: the local government’s positive implementation of the relocation and resettlement policy \\(a\\) and resettlers’ voluntary migration \\(b\\). There are two rate variables: the rate of change of the local government’s implementation efforts and the rate of change of resettlers’ willingness to migrate. The model includes four auxiliary variables, denoted as \\(V_{a1} ,V_{a2}\\) and \\(V_{b1} ,V_{b2}\\), and 15 external variables. The functions of state, rate, middle, and outer variables are represented by streamlines. In Fig. 7, the red and green flow lines represent the function of the state, the external variables, and the perceived benefit function related to the government’s active or passive policy. The yellow and blue flow lines show the relationship between the state variables, the external variables, and the perceived benefit functions associated with the resettlers. Finally, the black streamlines illustrate the functional relationship between the state, intermediate, and rate variables. These streamlines help elucidate the relationship between the state variables, intermediate variables, rate variables, and the perceived benefit function associated with resettlers’ voluntary or passive migration within the model.\n\nFig. 7 System dynamics model of the evolutionary game between local government and resettlers. Full size image\n\nNumerical simulation analysis\n\nThe study data for the numerical simulation modeling were obtained from the resettlement case report of the Qianping Reservoir. It is worth noting that some parameters in the analysis are abstract and challenging to obtain. However, the parameter setup should primarily reflect the relationship between variables without influencing the research findings. To ensure the rationality of the parameters, and while adhering to the inequalities outlined in Scenario 1 and Scenario 2 above, according to the project data and the existing literature on the parameter assignment method75,76 for reference, and after the water conservancy project relocation and resettlement of experts in the consulting and correction, through the calculation of the perceived value, simplified set the initial parameter values of the model auxiliary variables in Table 6. Where the values are set for each coefficient of the PT-MA function according to the assignments in the literature66,77 : \\(U_{1} = 1.5\\),\\(U_{2} = 2\\),\\(\\varepsilon ,\\eta = 0.98\\),\\(\\kappa ,\\sigma = 0.88\\),\\(\\delta ,\\zeta = 2\\),\\(\\mu = 0.61\\),\\(\\vartheta = 0.69\\).\n\nTable 6 Initial setting values of model parameters. Full size table\n\nBased on the evolution results depicted in Fig. 8a under Scenario 1, it can be observed that the initial willingness of both parties is \\(a = 0.9,b = 0.9\\), which aligns with the determination of the evolutionarily stable strategy point in Table 4. This outcome is consistent with the analysis findings of Scenario 1. The stable state for both parties is achieved at \\(E_{a} (0,0)\\). Thus, in this parameter setting, increasing the initial willingness beyond this point will not lead to a stable state at \\(E_{d} (1,1)\\). In Scenario 2, when the initial willingness of both parties is \\(a = 0.1,b = 0.1\\), the evolution results of their strategy selection are displayed in Fig. 8b. It is evident that both parties reach a stable state at \\(E_{d} (1,1)\\). This outcome corresponds with the analysis results of Scenario 2, indicating that even a lower initial willingness can result in stabilization at \\(E_{d} (1,1)\\). Therefore, the subsequent study will continue with the parameter setting of Scenario 1. It will analyze the impact of external variables on the strategy choices of each subject and examine the changing trends by manipulating the probability of strategy choice and adjusting the parameter setting of external variables. This aim is to explore how to optimize the evolution results from Scenario 1 to resemble those of Scenario 2 through adjustments in external variables. This optimization is intended to enable decision-makers to attain the strategy choices of both parties, even with a lower initial willingness, thereby actively promote the operation of the work.\n\nFig. 8 Effect of different parameter assignments on strategy selection. Full size image\n\nThe control variable method is employed to solely modify the probability of the initial willingness of one subject to evolve, enabling observation of the impact on the other subject. As illustrated in Fig. 9(a), by setting \\(a,b = \\{ (0.9,0.1),(0.5,0.1)\\}\\), when the probability of the local government’s inclination towards positive implementation progressively increases, the number of iterations required for the strategic choice of resettlers to reach the evolutionary steady state also increases. This leads to a slower evolutionary process. However, both parties ultimately tend to adopt a negative strategic choice regarding expropriation and resettlement, which only shortens the rate of their reaching the steady state. Conversely, adjusting the probability of voluntary migration of resettlers, as depicted in Fig. 9(b) with the setting \\(a,b = \\{ (0.1,0.9),(0.1,0.5)\\}\\) , has the minimal effect on the rate of change in the strategic choices of the local government. It also fails to create a distinction in their strategic choices. The basic tenet of evolutionary games dictates this: rather than using the initial ratio, the main body’s strategy will be selected or removed based on its success and profit42.\n\nFig. 9 Effect of different initial probabilities on strategy selection. Full size image\n\nNumerical sensitivity analysis\n\nThe analyses of scenarios 1 and 2 reveal that the value of each variable or parameter in the system dynamics determines the steady state reached by the system. In the following exploration, the impact of modifying the values of the more sensitive variables on the strategy choices of each subject is examined using the state variable \\(a = 0.5,b = 0.5\\) of both parties as an example.\n\nImpact of negative implementation policy cost\n\nThe influence of changes in the cost associated with passive implementation of policies by the local government \\(C_{3} ,C_{4}\\) on the subject’s evolutionary behavior is investigated. Let \\(C_{3} ,C_{4} = \\{ (1.4,1.6),(1.2,1.4),(1.0,1.2),(0.8,1.0)\\}\\), the evolutionary results for the local government are shown in Fig. 10a, where the greater the cost of negative implementation, the more the local government tends to favour the strategic choice of actively implementing the policy. The gradual increase in costs makes the relative attractiveness of negative implementation policies decrease. In parallel, when the local government adopts a positive policy of implementation, they are able to obtain more financial support (compensation fees, investment in resource development, etc.) from higher levels of government and promote long-term gains from social and economic stability. Therefore, the local government are more inclined to adopt an active implementation strategy to maximise their long-term benefits. Figure 10b shows the strategic choices of resettlers in the same situation, which has little impact on resettlers. This is due to the fact that although the behaviour of the local government affects the migration compensation and resettlement conditions, the resettlers are faced with the perception of risk, fairness of compensation and improvement or deterioration of the living environment, and then still makes decisions based on their own risk-tolerance and expectations of their future lives.\n\nFig. 10 Simulation results for the change in negative implementation policy cost. Full size image\n\nImpact of incentives and disincentives\n\nThe impact of modifying the rewards for due diligence positive implementation \\(S_{2}\\) and the penalties for dereliction of duty passive implementation \\(T_{2}\\) by the local government on the evolutionary behavior of the local government. The simulation results for \\(S_{2} = \\{ 1.4,1.1,0.8,0.5\\}\\) are depicted in Fig. 11a. As the due diligence reward increases, the local government tends to slow down the rate of the passive implementation. When \\(S_{2} = 1.4\\), the strategy choice shifts from passive implementation to positive implementation. Rewards enable the local government to gain more political capital, economic benefits and social recognition from them, and it directly affects the local government’s goal of maximising revenue, and also reflects the recognition of the local government’s work by higher levels of government, which increases the motivation of the local government to implement policies. Setting \\(T_{2} = \\{ 1.7,1.4,1.1,0.8\\}\\), the evolutionary outcomes shown in Fig. 11b exhibit a similarity to the results in Fig. 11a. Punishment makes the local government have a clear expectation of the cost of negative implementation policies, and thus tend to choose positive implementation policies to avoid punishment as much as possible. Therefore, the higher-level government can set up a corresponding reward and punishment system, so that the two complement each other, effectively incentivising the local government to adopt a positive implementation strategy in the implementation of water conservancy project relocation and resettlement process, thus reducing the possibility of social stability risks.\n\nFig. 11 Simulation results of the impact of changes in \\(S_{2} ,T_{2}\\) on the local government. Full size image\n\nImpact of psychological perceived value\n\nThe influence of psychological perceived value \\(U_{1} ,U_{2}\\) on the evolution of subjects is examined by evolving \\(U_{1} = \\{ 2.0,1.5,1.0,0.5\\}\\) and subsequently modifying \\(U_{2} = \\{ 2.5,2.0,1.5,1.0\\}\\). The simulation results for the local government and resettlers are presented in Fig. 12. As the reference value of the payment account \\(U_{1}\\) decreases, the local government transitions from a passive policy implementation approach to an active one. Meanwhile, the rate at which resettlers converge towards involuntary migration slows down, but does not alter their strategy choices. As the reference value of the gain account \\(U_{2}\\) decreases, the local government gradually converges towards 1, reaching a stable state, and resettlers shift their attitude from involuntary migration to voluntary migration. This suggests that resettlers usually feel a strong sense of anxiety and unease when faced with evictions because they not only lose their homes but also face an uncertain future. Resettlers’ anxiety and homeland attachment complexes are more complex, making them more resistant to changing the status quo. Therefore, resettlers’ strategic choices do not only depend on the local government’s compensation payments, but also include psychological expectations about quality of life and social identity, which largely determine whether they change from involuntary to voluntary migration. The local government, when implementing the policy, not only has to pay financial compensation, but also has to bear the time, energy and emotional costs of management and coordination. Changes in the reference values of the payment account and the benefit account will have a significant effect on the local government, though, as the seamless execution of the relocation and resettlement work and the enhancement of the resettlers’ life satisfaction will also increase the happiness of the local government.\n\nFig. 12 Simulation results for the variation of \\(U_{1} ,U_{2}\\). Full size image\n\nImpact of the risk of passive participation of resettlers\n\nIn situations where resettlers’ participation is involuntary, the local government is compelled to address issues related to social disorder and value perception \\(T_{3}\\) through measures such as price increases. During this period, resettlers are required to bear the additional risk \\(T_{4}\\) associated with the evolution of the subject. Let \\(T_{3} = \\{ 2.0,1.6,1.2,0.8\\}\\), the results of the evolution are depicted in Fig. 13a. As the local government raises prices to a greater extent, resettlers exhibit an increased desire to benefit from the system, resulting in a faster rate of convergence towards a stable state under passive participation. The strategy choice of the local government is minimally affected, suggesting that the monetary investment required to mitigate social disorder through measures like price increases is not a primary factor driving their decision towards active implementation. Moreover, when setting \\(T_{4} = \\{ 1.5,1.1,0.7,0.3\\}\\), the evolutionary outcomes are shown in Fig. 13b. The risks that resettlers have to bear when they migrate passively include, not only the safety of their lives and property, but also the uncertainty of their social identity in the midst of chaos, competition for social resources and an unfavourable external environment. Although the choice of voluntary migration may imply stress and discomfort in the short term, in the long term, the strategic choice of resettlers will shift from the previous involuntary migration to voluntary migration when resettlers realise that they can obtain better economic and social compensation and reduce the risk of social conflict and personal security through voluntary migration.\n\nFig. 13 Simulation results for the variation of \\(T_{3} ,T_{4}\\). Full size image\n\nImpact of synergistic gains and distribution ratio\n\nThe impact of changes in additional synergistic gains on social order stability during the migration process \\(S_{4}\\) and its distribution ratio \\(\\rho\\) on the evolutionary behavior of subjects. Initially, we only considered changes to \\(S_{4} = \\{ 3.0,2.2,1.4,0.6\\}\\).The simulation results of the local government and resettlers are shown in Fig. 14a. Synergistic gains are expressed as mutual benefits such as social stability, economic development and environmental improvement achieved through cooperation. When the construction of water conservancy projects is completed to effectively prevent floods and improve irrigation, both the local government and migrant groups will benefit. This leads to more active implementation of resettlement programmes by the local government and more willingness of migrant groups to migrate voluntarily. Next, we take \\(S_{4} = 3.0\\), set \\(\\rho = \\{ 0.2,0.4,0.6,0.8\\}\\). It is known that when the allocation ratio increases, i.e., the local government has a large gain, and vice versa, i.e., the migrant population has a large gain, and the evolution process is shown in Fig. 14b. The proportion of gains directly affects the distribution of gains between the two parties, which in turn affects their behaviour. When the local government has a larger gain, it is more motivated to promote migration, but the voluntary participation of migrants is lower; on the contrary, when the gain of migrants is larger, migrants are more willing to migrate voluntarily, but the local government may lack sufficient incentives, which leads to a lower motivation for implementation. The benefits to migrants can be appropriately increased in the early stages of migration to incentivise their active participation in migration. As the migration programme progresses, the distribution of benefits between the Government and migrants can be gradually adjusted so that the interests of both parties continue to be balanced.\n\nFig. 14 Simulation results for the variation of \\(S_{4} ,\\rho\\). Full size image\n\nAnalysis of the system feedback structure\n\nSystem dynamics posits that a system’s behavioral patterns are influenced by the information feedback mechanism operating within the system. The analysis of the feedback mechanism between the local government and resettlers, and the simulation results provides insights into the system-subject feedback relationship. Figure 15 illustrates this relationship, combining the findings from the simulation analysis.\n\nFig. 15 Feedback mechanism between game subjects. Full size image\n\nThroughout the process of evolution, a mutually reinforcing cycle emerges between the local government’s “active implementation” and resettlers’ “voluntary participation”\\(D\\). This means that if the local government takes proactive measures such as implementing expropriation and resettlement policies, increasing compensation and resettlement benefits for resettlers, and effectively publicizing these plans to them, while also enhancing their living standards through infrastructure development in the resettlement area, the trust of resettlers has in the local government will grow. Consequently, when the local government actively implements expropriation and resettlement policies, offers enhanced compensation and resettlement benefits, conducts effective propaganda to ensure resettlers fully understand the policies, and improves their living standards through infrastructure development, it results in a higher-level of trust in the local government among resettlers, which subsequently increases their willingness to participate voluntarily in expropriation and resettlement. Even though the local government could potentially save money by passively implementing policies when migrant participation is voluntary, it instead chooses to implement them actively. This approach positively contributes to social stability and economic development within the locality. Moreover, it enhances the trust of both resettlers and the community in the local government, leading to intangible benefits. Consequently, the local government becomes more inclined to implement policies and willingly participate in resettlement work actively. This inclination creates a positive feedback mechanism between the local government and resettlers, reinforcing and promoting each other. The evolutionary equilibrium solution \\(E_{d} (1,1)\\) reflects the mutual promotion between the two components. Specifically, the probability of the local government actively implementing policies and the probability of resettlers voluntarily participating converge towards \"1\" in the same direction.\n\nHowever, it is worth noting that the positive feedback mechanism within the system can also lead to a mutually reinforcing phenomenon. In other words, if the local government fails to adequately plan and prepare for requisition and relocation work, slows down the implementation of relevant compensation policies, it will result in delays in compensation for resettlers. As a result, they will be unable to reach the satisfaction level expected by resettlers who have taken on the risk of cooperating with the work. Inevitably, this will lead to protests among the passive migrants. This is a highly probable outcome during the implementation of numerous water conservancy projects involving requisition and relocation, and represents one of the significant reasons contributing to psychological resistance among resettlers. On the other hand, when resettlers are passively involved in the work, the local government considers the additional costs associated with suspending the work or selecting an alternative site. Additionally, there are expenses related to maintaining social stability through price increases. Consequently, the local government may opt to passively implement the policy to save funds. In this scenario, positive feedback exists between the local government and resettlers. The evolutionary equilibrium solution \\(E_{a} (0,0)\\) aligns with this situation, indicating that the probability of the local government positively implementing the policy and the likelihood of migrants voluntarily participating in the work both converge towards \"0\" in the same direction."
      },
      {
        "title": "Pro-Social Parents Sing More to Their Infants and, By Doing So, Contribute to Greater Language Acquisition, Study Suggests",
        "id": "d-72",
        "link": "https://www.arts.gov/stories/blog/2025/pro-social-parents-sing-more-their-infants-and-doing-so-contribute-greater-language-acquisition",
        "snippet": "New research suggests it's never too early to encourage children to engage with the arts.",
        "source": "National Endowment for the Arts (.gov)",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/png;base64,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",
        "content": "Plenty of studies, some of them published by the Arts Endowment, have shown how arts participation in early childhood appears to awaken greater social skills and behaviors at a crucial stage of development. It’s no surprise, especially among infants and toddlers, that most arts activities involve a parent or caregiver.\n\nIt stands to reason, therefore, that parents’ own preferences or backgrounds, their beliefs about the arts, and even their overall attitudes toward social engagement, might play a role in determining whether the parents involve their children in the arts, and—for that matter—whether their children experience positive outcomes associated with these activities.\n\nIn the peer-reviewed journal Infancy, a new article, titled “Parental Social and Musical Characteristics, the Home Music Environment, and Child Language Development in Infancy,” pursues these very questions. Authored by Ashley Boyne, Camila Alviar, and Miriam Lense—and supported in part by a NEA Research Lab award to Vanderbilt University Medical Center—the study tracks 43 caregiver/infant pairings (i.e., dyads) over a year and a half.\n\nThroughout this period, the researchers examined whether parents who enjoy other social activities were more likely than other parents to cultivate a “home music environment,” and whether they were more likely to sing and even more likely to report believing in the positive impacts of music for their children. By way of comparison, Boyne and colleagues also investigated whether parents’ levels of musical training predicted their home music environment, their likelihood of singing, and their beliefs about music.\n\nThe researchers then sought to understand whether this constellation of parental and household factors, in turn, predicted language development among infants. On this topic , the article cites an extensive body of literature, preeminently from neuroscience and cognitive psychology, showing how auditory processing of musical rhythms, and interpretation of audiovisual cues, can assist with language growth and expressive communication skills.\n\nAt various time points throughout the study, researchers administered a series of surveys to the parents/caregivers. The questionnaires separately gauged the home music environment of the parents (e.g., the degree of parent-child interaction around music-making, and the degree of the child’s active engagement with music), the parents’ extent of musical training, the parents’ beliefs about music (e.g., whether it “has an impact on [the] child’s intelligence”), and their self-reported levels of social competence. A separate inventory tool asked each parent to report, via checklist, how many and what types of words their infants spoke, words they understood, and gestures they made.\n\nAnalyses showed that social motivation was positively correlated with the home music environment—specifically, with parent beliefs in the power of music, and with parents singing to their infants. As for parents’ formal musical training, this variable was related solely to parents’ beliefs about music. It did not correlate with parent-child musical interactions. Thus, “parent social motivation was a stronger predictor of the home music environment than musical training,” the researchers write.\n\nBut what difference do parents’ musical habits and beliefs make in contributing to language development among infants? The study found that “the overall home music environment and specifically, parent singing, positively correlated with child language development across 9–18 months of age when considering multiple domains of language: vocabulary comprehension, vocabulary production, and gesture production,” the article states.\n\n“In contrast, we found no association between (parent-reported) parent beliefs and child language development,” the authors add.\n\nTo Boyne et al., the overall findings’ implications are plain. “Musical interactions provide a positive, highly social, and, in the case of singing, linguistically rich experience,” they write. “It is through these types of social interactive contexts that children learn and advance their communicative skills. The connection between parents' self-reported active singing behaviors with their infant and infant language and gesture development”—for example, in nursery rhyme singalongs—\"also highlights the embedded nature of infant learning, where children's skills are developed by interacting with their everyday environments.”\n\nFor all that, “it requires more than parents' belief in music for music to impact their child's development; parents must actively take steps to create this musical environment,” as the study demonstrates. “Enriching musical engagement with infants is likely more about the positive and interactive social experience rather than highly skilled musical experiences,” i.e., the parents’ level of musical training.\n\nIn other words, to quote Hamlet, the readiness is all. Parents who might give a second thought about their lack of musical training or experience: don’t hesitate! Sing to your babies. But then, if you consider yourself socially active, you probably are doing this already.\n\nSunil Iyengar directs the NEA Office of Research & Analysis."
      },
      {
        "title": "Social care investment group secures funding for latest acquisition",
        "id": "d-73",
        "link": "https://www.business-sale.com/news/business-sale/social-care-investment-group-secures-funding-for-latest-acquisition-227621",
        "snippet": "A social care investment group carrying out a buy-and-build growth plan across the UK has secured new funding from Duke Capital to support its latest...",
        "source": "Business Sale Report",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Social care investment group secures funding for latest acquisition\n\nMon, 02 Jun 2025 | BUSINESS SALE\n\nA social care investment group carrying out a buy-and-build growth plan across the UK has secured new funding from Duke Capital to support its latest acquisition. Duke Capital provided Tristone Healthcare with £2 million to finance the acquisition of Serenity Care Homes.\n\n\n\nCheshire-headquartered Tristone Healthcare, led by founder and CEO Yannis Loucopoulos (pictured above), provides specialist residential, nursing and domiciliary care and support across two key end markets: high acuity adults with severe mental, physical or learning disabilities; and children and young people requiring care, support and specialist education.\n\n\n\nThe company has been backed by Duke Capital since 2021 and the latest funding increases the total credit financing that Duke Capital has provided to Tristone to £21.2 million. The deal will also see Duke invest a further £500,000 in additional equity into the business, increasing its stake from 21.3 per cent to 28.4 per cent.\n\n\n\nSerenity Healthcare, which was founded in 2015, is a specialist in therapeutic care for service users aged 7 to 18. The business comprises two residential care homes located less than a mile apart in New Milton, Hampshire.\n\n\n\nThe acquisition of Serenity, which is the fifth Tristone Healthcare acquisition that Duke Capital has supported, enlarges and extends the group’s reach and impact in the social care sector.\n\n\n\nDuke Capital Chief Executive Neil Johnson commented: \"The acquisition of Serenity Care Homes will enable Tristone to cater for a growing number of young adults with complex needs, expanding its presence in the South of England.”\n\n\n\n\"Serenity’s established relationships with local authorities, who make up the majority of referrals, will deepen Tristone’s regional partnerships and reinforce its reputation for delivering high-quality care. Duke is also excited to invest additional equity into Tristone, increasing our stake in the business and supporting the ongoing growth of the platform.\"\n\n\n\nFind out more about growing M&A activity in the UK's healthcare services market\n\nShare this article"
      },
      {
        "title": "'Futures Are Intertwined': Elon Musk xAI Buys His Own Social Media Platform, X, in a $33 Billion Deal",
        "id": "d-74",
        "link": "https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/elon-musk-says-xai-acquired-social-media-x-for-33-billion/489310",
        "snippet": "Elon Musk is combining the talent and data from his social media platform X with his AI startup xAI. The new joint entity will be known as...",
        "source": "Entrepreneur",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Elon Musk announced on Friday that xAI, his AI startup, had acquired X, his social media platform formerly known as Twitter, in an all-stock transaction combining two of Musk's highest-profile companies.\n\nIn a post on X, Musk wrote that the deal values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion, giving the two companies a total value of $113 billion. The new joint entity will be known as XAI Holdings, per Bloomberg.\n\nThe goal of the acquisition is to build a social media site with advanced AI features. In other words, Musk claimed that xAI's acquisition of X will allow xAI to bring advanced \"smarter, more meaningful\" AI experiences to X's more than 600 million active users.\n\nRelated: Elon Musk's Newest AI Chatbot Outperformed ChatGPT in One Key Area\n\n\"xAI and X's futures are intertwined,\" Musk wrote in the X post, which has garnered more than 55 million views. \"Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution and talent.\"\n\n@xAI has acquired @X in an all-stock transaction. The combination values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion ($45B less $12B debt).\n\n\n\nSince its founding two years ago, xAI has rapidly become one of the leading AI labs in the world, building models and data centers at… — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2025\n\nxAI and X have been slowly integrating for years. According to Bloomberg, xAI has reportedly used data from X to develop its flagship product, an AI chatbot named Grok that sets itself apart from competitors like ChatGPT and Gemini by incorporating sarcasm and humor. Premium X users were the first to access Grok on X in December 2023.\n\nX and xAI are both private companies, so no details of the deal were made public except for Musk's post.\n\nRelated: Elon Musk Releases the AI Model Behind Grok, a Competitor to OpenAI's ChatGPT\n\nX is an established social media company with over 2,000 employees and an expected U.S. ad revenue of $1.31 billion this year, a 17.5% yearly increase. Musk bought the company, then called Twitter, for $44 billion in October 2022. Since then, Twitter has rebranded to X, implemented cost cuts, and added new features, including a subscription service.\n\nMusk founded xAI in March 2023 to understand the universe, the company's website says. The AI startup raised $6 billion in December and unveiled Grok 3 last month.\n\nGrok is available on web browsers and mobile devices, but it is also integrated into the X platform. X users can use Grok to ask questions, brainstorm, and solve problems by visiting x.com or the X app on iOS or Android and clicking the Grok icon in the navigation bar."
      },
      {
        "title": "Elon Musk’s future as Twitter CEO is suddenly in question",
        "id": "d-75",
        "link": "https://www.vox.com/recode/23440075/elon-musk-twitter-layoffs-check-mark-verification",
        "snippet": "Mass layoffs, trolling, and check marks: How Elon Musk is running Twitter.",
        "source": "Vox",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRXNEE1Yv4ipJ9-2mbfFNbXYVWn7IGWznUmo1XXqGwVgw83LDz61cmVcfD9rQ&s",
        "content": "Elon Musk has only been in charge of Twitter since late October. But already, he’s turned the company and its platform upside down.\n\nAmid all the chaos, it’s unclear how long Musk will even stay on as CEO of the social media company. On December 20, Musk confirmed that he will step down as chief executive of Twitter as soon as he finds a replacement, and will eventually run its “software & servers” teams. His announcement came less than two days after he ran a Twitter poll asking people if he should step down, and a clear majority voted in favor of him leaving.\n\nMusk would be leaving Twitter a more precarious company than he found it. In the past two months, Musk has gutted Twitter’s staff, reportedly including some key engineering functions, causing concerns about the site’s technical ability to stay up and running. Twitter’s advertisers, meanwhile are reportedly fleeing the platform because they’re concerned about the resurgence of hate speech under Musk’s “free speech absolutist” policies.\n\nAnd his new check mark system — Musk’s first major product update — caused chaos in the hours after its release, as newly checkmarked users flooded the app with fake accounts, impersonating figures from Nintendo’s Mario character to former US President George W. Bush.\n\nWhile Musk didn’t immediately change any of Twitter’s policies against offensive content, in the hours after Musk took over there was a notable surge in hate speech on the app. Some of the users posting felt emboldened by Musk’s “free speech absolutist” attitude, and actively tried to test the limits of what they could say on Twitter under the company’s new leadership. Others have tested the limits of Musk’s free speech stance by making fun of him personally.\n\nBut it’s not all fun and games. Many current and former employees, social media academics, and human rights advocates are concerned that Musk could change Twitter for the worse, turning it into an even more intense cesspool of negative content than it already is. Sparking further concern, Musk has suspended several accounts of prominent journalists over highly debatable claims that they “doxxed” the billionaire, which many critics saw as another sign that Musk is censoring speech he personally disagrees with. But others hope Musk can breathe new life into a platform that was already bleeding its most prolific users and, for years, has struggled to turn a profit. In a staff meeting on November 10, Musk said bankruptcy was not out of the question if Twitter doesn’t figure out a way to make more money.\n\nHere are some of the most significant ways Musk has changed the company so far.\n\nDo you currently or formerly work at Twitter and want to talk about the current situation at the company? You can contact Shirin Ghaffary confidentially at shirin.ghaffary@protonmail.com. Signal number available upon request. We can protect your anonymity.\n\nCreating uncertainty about who will run the company\n\nOn December 18, Musk ran a poll asking if he should step down from Twitter, inviting people to vote “yes” or “no.” The results were clear: 57 percent of some 17 million respondents voted “yes.”\n\nWhat’s less clear is who Musk would pick as his replacement. It’s anyone’s guess. Some floated Jared Kushner, since Musk was pictured spending time with him at the World Cup in Qatar around the time he made the poll. But Musk seems to think he’s the only one who can run Twitter, tweeting a reply on Thursday, “No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor.”\n\nAnd even if Musk were to step down from his day-to-day duties as CEO, he would still retain control as the the owner of the company. So while Musk has created a lot of chaos about Twitter’s leadership, he’ll still ultimately be the one in charge — unless he sells the company or makes it go bankrupt.\n\nReinstating suspended accounts\n\nFrom the beginning, Musk took over Twitter with the stated goal of making it a platform that allowed more controversial speech.\n\nA little under a month after he took over the company, Musk reinstated the account of former President Donald Trump, who was previously banned from Twitter following the the Jan 6 attack on the US Capitol. The move was highly controversial, although Trump has yet to post any new tweets, saying he prefers his own social media app, Truth Social.\n\nMusk went even further in late November. He ran another poll asking whether he should “offer a general amnesty” to suspended accounts as long as they have not “broken the law or engaged in egregious spam.” A day after posting the poll — and after a majority of people voted “yes” — Musk tweeted that he would start reinstating suspended accounts the following week. The move raised immediate concerns about whether bringing back users who have repeatedly violated Twitter’s hate speech policies would create a flood of abuse on the platform.\n\nIn the days prior to reinstating Trump, Musk also reinstated the accounts of comedian Kathy Griffin (who was suspended after she impersonated Musk), controversial psychologist influencer Jordan Peterson, and conservative humor news site Babylon Bee. Peterson and Babylon Bee were both suspended after tweeting anti-trans comments.\n\nThese reinstatements come despite the fact that Musk said he would wait to make any major decisions about reinstating banned accounts until he forms a “content moderation council” to advise him.\n\nGutting Twitter’s staff\n\nMusk began his reign as Twitter’s chief by firing top executives. Within hours of the deal closing, CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, and head of legal policy, trust, and safety Vijaya Gadde were shown the door. On November 10, Twitter’s top privacy and security executives resigned, including Chief Information Security Officer Lea Kissner, the company’s chief privacy officer, and chief compliance officer, according to several reports. On the same day, Twitter’s head of trust and safety, Yoel Roth, who in recent days had publicly reassured people that Twitter was still following its content moderation policies, also left.\n\nThe week after he took over, Musk continued firing executives, including Twitter’s ad chief, general manager of core tech, and chief marketing officer Leslie Berland (who just a few days earlier sent a cheery note announcing that Musk was visiting the San Francisco offices). He also pulled in more than 50 Tesla engineers to work for Twitter and assembled his own circle of trusted advisers.\n\nSoon after, Musk started gutting Twitter’s rank-and-file staff. He laid off an estimated 50 percent — upward of 3,700 employees — from the company. Twitter informed its staff that layoffs would happen by 9 am PT on Friday in a company-wide email. By late Thursday evening, several employees told Recode or posted publicly on Twitter that they had already been locked out of their work email and Slack accounts without any formal notice of whether they had been laid off.\n\nThese cuts are the largest in Twitter’s history, and several current and former employees Recode spoke with are concerned that as a result Twitter’s operations as a platform could be at risk. Musk has also reportedly planned to slash $1 billion from Twitter’s infrastructure costs, such as server space, according to a report from Reuters, furthering those concerns.\n\nAdding to the chaos, Twitter’s management changed its mind about some of its cost-cutting: the company reportedly asked dozens of recently laid-off employees if they wanted to come back to work soon after the layoffs, according to a report from Bloomberg.\n\nThe day after the first round of cuts, Musk tweeted about the layoffs and discussed them at an investor conference. He framed the layoffs as necessary because before the deal, “Twitter was having pretty serious revenue challenges and cost challenges,” according to the New York Times.\n\nTwitter’s contract workers were hit heavily by another round of cuts that happened about a week later. Platformer’s Casey Newton reported that around 4,400 out of 5,500 of Twitter’s contractors were laid off, including heavy cuts to Twitter’s content moderation teams. Musk also fired at least twenty employees who posted critical messages about him on Twitter’s internal Slack channels, or who publicly challenged Musk on Twitter.\n\nSome employees are fighting back. Shortly after the initial layoffs, a group of five employees sued Twitter in a class action lawsuit, alleging the company failed to notify them of the impending layoffs as required by the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN Act, that requires certain employers to give a 60-day notice for mass layoffs in the US. Twitter is giving many laid-off employees full pay and benefits through at least January, although it’s not clear if this applied to all employees, particularly those outside the US, sources said.\n\nA week and a half after the first wave of layoffs, the drama intensified when Musk issued an ultimatum to employees: Work harder or quit. In a midnight email to staff, Musk wrote that, moving forward, Twitter will “need to be extremely hardcore” and require employees to work “long hours at high intensity.” The email linked to a form asking employees to confirm that they want to work at the “new Twitter” by 5 pm ET the next day; if not, they would be laid off and receive three months severance.\n\nThe ultimatum showed how Musk is trying to pare down Twitter’s staff beyond the initial layoffs that gutted half the company.\n\nBut Musk may have gone too far with his demands. In the hours before the deadline, Musk reportedly tried to convince critical employees to stay at the company.\n\nSo far, it’s been reported that 1,200 employees declined to agree to Musk’s terms and essentially mass resigned from the company.\n\nAs concerns grew from some of Twitter’s current and former employees that the site could soon break because of low levels of engineering staffing, Musk asked all engineers who “can actually write software” to meet him in person on the 10th floor of Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters and show examples of recent code they were responsible for. He even encouraged staff to fly to San Francisco the same day if need be, according to emails reported by Platformer’s Zoe Schiffer. Ironically, Twitter employees had been locked out of the building until Monday for fear of sabotage, so there was confusion about how people would do this.\n\nShaking up Twitter’s internal culture\n\nMusk has been running Twitter in his own way, similar to how he runs his other companies: in an ad hoc and intense fashion. Rather than talking to his employees first, Musk often tweets whatever he’s thinking, including his plans for the company.\n\nElon’s first message to his staff was in an email sent on November 9 around midnight Pacific time, announcing that he was ending Twitter’s remote-work-for-all policy, effective within hours.\n\nMusk’s intense management style has been an adjustment for many Twitter employees who are used to a more measured, communicative, and structured work culture. One anonymous Twitter employee told the Washington Post that the work atmosphere under Elon was like “working in Trump’s White House.”\n\nEmployees are turning to private or anonymous communication platforms like Blind, Signal, and Discord to commiserate, several employees told Recode, since they no longer feel they can be candid on internal Slack or email.\n\nAnother major change Elon is making to Twitter’s internal culture is to drastically ramp up the pace at which new features are developed.\n\nNormally, product changes like the ones that Musk proposed — such as charging users for verification — would take months or even years to implement at Twitter. Now, employees are being asked to execute them almost overnight.\n\nThis could drive the kind of innovation that Twitter, a money-losing business, might need. But it could also leave staff demoralized, or worse, compromise the reliability and security the app provides to its hundreds of millions of users. Twitter already has existing problems on this front: Former Twitter head of security and internal whistleblower Peiter Zatko warned that the platform “was over a decade behind industry security standards” in September.\n\nMaking people pay for blue check marks\n\nThe first official product change Musk confirmed after taking over Twitter was to start charging $8 per month for “blue check marks,” the verification badges that Twitter currently gives to public figures like journalists, politicians, and celebrities. Musk wanted to open up check marks to more people, as long as they’re willing to pay that price.\n\nTwitter will also give your account more priority in replies, mentions, and search if you subscribe for the new service — meaning that those who don’t pay up could lose visibility on the platform.\n\nTwitter’s verification program was originally designed to make sure people really are who they say they are online. Before you got a check mark, you had to apply for one and show ID proving your real identity matched your Twitter name. That helped Twitter’s user base make sure that the account they were looking at wasn’t an imposter.\n\nNow, Musk has removed any kind of ID verification from Twitter Blue. That means anyone who pays $8 a month can pretend to be someone else, with a check mark next to their name. That’s caused major trolling, with some Twitter Blue accounts impersonating famous people like LeBron James, George W. Bush, and even Mario, the Nintendo character. Many of the new fake accounts use realistic profile photos, names, and handles, and have a check mark next to their name, so it’s hard to tell who’s real or who’s fake.\n\nElon seems to find all this amusing, replying with crying-of-laughter emojis to several tweets pointing out the fake accounts.\n\nThis change also caused major debate among notable figures who got their check mark for free — many of whom said they aren’t willing to pay to keep their verification. Fellow billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban criticized the new feature, saying Musk “killed the most valuable part of Twitter” by making it harder for him to find trustworthy information about breaking news events.\n\nAfter a group of people including comedian Kathy Griffin began trolling Musk’s new policy by changing their names to “Elon Musk” and making fun of the tech CEO, Musk suspended their accounts and announced new rules: Any Twitter accounts involved in impersonation not clearly labeled as “parody” would be immediately suspended without warning, and any verified user who changes their Twitter name will temporarily have their check mark removed.\n\nMusk also made another sudden change when he axed a new “Official” gray check mark (in addition to the blue one) rolled out on Thursday — meant to distinguish verified users who are also notable public figures. Within hours of the release, Musk tweeted that he “killed” the feature, and the new check marks left as quickly as they arrived.\n\nShortly after the feature was pulled back, Musk tweeted this explanation: “Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in coming months. We will keep what works & change what doesn’t.”\n\nBut Musk announced another delay on November 21st when he said he would postpone the relaunch of the service until, “there is high confidence of stopping impersonation.”\n\nEmboldening the trolls\n\nMusk has said his primary reason for buying Twitter was to make it a haven for free speech. He’s echoed conservatives’ longstanding concerns that Twitter is politically biased against right-wing speech despite the lack of evidence of that bias.\n\nConservative politicians like former president Donald Trump, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) have celebrated Elon Musk’s ownership of Twitter as a major win, with Trump saying he’s happy that Twitter “will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs.”\n\nBut Musk’s more laissez-faire philosophy on content moderation has also caused another group of people to celebrate: trolls spreading racist, sexist, and otherwise hateful speech.\n\nRelated Quitting Elon\n\nOne example: There was a 500 percent increase in uses of the n-word on Twitter in the 12 hours after Musk’s deal was completed, according to a study from the Network Contagion Research Institute, even though none of Twitter’s rules have changed on the matter.\n\nTwitter has said it’s working on reducing the visibility of these posts. But data points like this have spooked several major advertisers that don’t want their brand affiliated with offensive content, including General Motors, Volkswagen, Audi, and Pfizer — who have are waiting to see more about what direction the company will take under Musk’s leadership before they resume ads.\n\nMusk has tried to calm down advertiser concerns by tweeting a public note saying that he doesn’t want Twitter to turn into a “free-for-all hellscape.” On Thursday, Musk spoke with leaders of civil rights groups like the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League, and Color of Change, promising them that Twitter takes hate speech seriously, and that he won’t make any major decisions about reinstating banned accounts (e.g., Trump) until after he sets up a content moderation advisory council, which he said will at least take several weeks.\n\nMusk also told civil rights leaders he would reverse his decision to limit the amount of staff who can access content moderation systems, another one of their concerns.\n\nBut civil rights leaders organizing under the banner “#StopToxicTwitter Coalition” said that Musk had failed to hold true to his promises — and ramped up their demands for major advertisers to pause all ads on the platform, Musk tweeted on Friday that Twitter had a “massive drop in revenue” due to “activist groups” who he accused of trying to “destroy free speech in America.”\n\nIt’s not just advertisers that are leaving Twitter because of Elon; there are also early signs that Elon’s takeover and the resulting negativity are causing some users to leave.\n\nOne report in MIT Technology Review estimated some 877,000 accounts were deactivated in the week after Musk’s deal closed. That’s more than double the usual number in that same time period, according to data from the firm Bot Sentinel that MIT Tech Review cited.\n\nSince taking over, Musk has claimed that, to the contrary, Twitter’s daily active users have reached all-time highs.\n\nOf course, these are all estimates, and only from a short window of time. Twitter has also been losing its most valuable “heavy tweeters” in droves for a while now, according to a leaked internal report covered by Reuters, and that predates Musk’s takeover. But time will tell whether Musk reverses or exacerbates Twitter’s existing problem of users fleeing the platform.\n\nThrowing other ideas at the wall\n\nAside from charging for Twitter verification, Musk has been planning a whole new set of changes to the platform. While none of these are confirmed yet, they’re reportedly in the works or being tested.\n\nTwitter is considering entering the payments business — an area Musk has experience in going back to his pre-PayPal days — according to a New York Times report citing paperwork filed with the US Treasury Department. It could be part of Musk’s stated ambitions to make Twitter a “superapp” called X, which could be similar to WeChat in China that’s used not just for posting messages but for things like making shopping purchases or ordering food delivery.\n\nOtherwise, it seems as though Elon is throwing a bunch of ideas out to see which ones work. As one investor in Musk’s deal, Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, said at the Web Summit conference in November, he expects only 10 percent of Musk’s ideas “will stick.”\n\nSo far, many of Musk’s ideas (like Vine and paid videos) are old ones that Twitter has already tried — and failed at.\n\nOver time, it will become clear if Musk will be able to successfully resurrect these old ideas — and his new ones, like paying for a check mark — with a very different work culture and staff than Twitter had before.\n\nWe’ll keep updating this post as Musk continues to shape Twitter, for better or worse."
      },
      {
        "title": "Elon Musk Takes Over Twitter (Published 2022)",
        "id": "d-76",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/10/28/business/elon-musk-twitter",
        "snippet": "The $44 billion deal, after months of drama and legal challenges, puts Twitter on an uncertain course.",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSyQJsp6FkkIAmaK1zRSgZsxuMxXGF4yr0ADPoX7jOd0c8tHf6JpjtGs3m3Hw&s",
        "content": "Almost exactly three years before Elon Musk finalized his purchase of Twitter this week, he tweeted his thoughts on the platform’s primary financial engine: “I hate advertising.”\n\nOn Thursday, Mr. Musk extended a truce of sorts to Twitter’s advertisers, saying in a tweet that he aims to make Twitter “the most respected advertising platform in the world.”\n\nHe explained that he bought the company “because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square” and because he feared that social media was in danger of splintering into echo chambers “that generate more hate and divide our society.”\n\nHe sought to ease Madison Avenue’s fears about brand safety — that their ads could appear next to distasteful content and be soiled by association — by stressing that “Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!” Without making any promises about content moderation, which many advertising trade groups have encouraged in recent years, Mr. Musk promised a platform that followed government regulations and was “warm and welcoming to all.”\n\nBob Hoffman, the advertising industry veteran behind the Ad Contrarian newsletter said in an email that advertisers were unclear which Musk — the free-speech absolutist or the savvy businessman — was now at the helm.\n\n“If it’s the ‘free-speech absolutist,’ he’s in big trouble,” he wrote. “If Twitter becomes the go-to platform for the knucklehead brigade, advertisers will run, not walk.”\n\nMr. Hoffman noted that, while many companies felt that they had to advertise on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, few felt the same for Twitter.\n\n“Twitter occupies a different place in the social media pantheon,” he said. “This is a difficult position to be in because any reason to bail is reason enough.”\n\nGeneral Motors, a competitor to Mr. Musk’s electric vehicle business Tesla, said in a statement on Friday that it would suspend its advertising on Twitter but continue to use the platform to interact with users.\n\n“We are engaging with Twitter to understand the direction of the platform under their new ownership,” the company said. “As is normal course of business with a significant change in a media platform, we have temporarily paused our paid advertising.”\n\nEven before Mr. Musk began pursuing Twitter, many advertising executives complained that the company’s ability to target ads trailed that of competitors like Facebook, Google and Amazon. Many had said they would consider moving their business elsewhere if Mr. Musk’s permissive attitude toward free speech risked putting their campaigns in proximity to hate speech and conspiracy theories.\n\nTwo advertising executives, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss potential plans, said some clients had indicated that they would pause business with Twitter in order to evaluate their options while others are considering leaving the platform entirely if former President Donald J. Trump were allowed to resume tweeting. Mr. Trump’s Twitter account was suspended after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.\n\nArun Kumar, the chief data and technology officer at the ad giant IPG, said Mr. Musk’s message to advertisers made it clear that he did not want them to leave Twitter.\n\n“The attitude is more or less just wait and watch,” Mr. Kumar said of clients. “Advertisers still share the same concerns around content moderation that existed before, and, given the economic environment right now, any missteps and there will be quick reactions.”\n\nTwitter’s advertising sales, which make up more than 90 percent of its total revenue, have been on the upswing, totaling $2.18 billion in the first half of the year (revenue sources like subscriptions have been declining). The top five advertisers this year on the platform — HBO, Mondelez, Amazon, IBM and PepsiCo — spent more than $155 million through this week, according to estimates from the advertising analytics platform Pathmatics.\n\nHBO said in a statement that it “will be assessing the platform under its new leadership” and that it will “determine appropriate next steps.” The other companies did not immediately provide comment on Mr. Musk’s ownership of Twitter."
      },
      {
        "title": "Elon Musk doesn’t know what it takes to make a digital town square",
        "id": "d-77",
        "link": "https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/10/29/1062417/elon-musk-twitter-takeover-global-democracy-activists/",
        "snippet": "Before making big changes, he should ask the global pro-democracy activists who do.",
        "source": "MIT Technology Review",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQV6S4R1_o5QyD3AtxYRoibrun-7ZilPuSrrv0TCkH6U0QZMta7fzkn75JjRA&s",
        "content": "This, though, is just one possibility in the era of Musk, which is just beginning. Now that “the bird is freed,” as he wrote Thursday after officially taking over, many users are concerned that after years of slow improvements to the site’s functionality, policies, and moderation processes, the billionaire’s buyout will broadly result in its degradation.\n\nThese fears aren’t without justification: while so much of what Musk will do leaves us guessing, he has been clear that under his leadership, there will be sweeping policy changes. In addition to potentially following the local laws of authoritarian governments, this could include a loosening up of the platform’s speech rules and a user authentication requirement that would challenge the ability of users to remain anonymous. He has also made a number of pithy and sometimes contradictory statements about how he believes the site should moderate content—among them, that Twitter should and will remove only speech that is illegal.\n\nAnd there are already moves that we don’t have to guess about. While Musk recently walked back claims that he planned to lay off one-third of the company’s workforce, it was reported late on Thursday that top executives had been fired and “hastily escorted” from the company’s headquarters. This included Vijaya Gadde, the company’s head of legal policy, trust, and safety, whom Musk had antagonized in an April tweet.\n\nGadde’s tenure was not without controversy, but under her leadership the legal team made significant policy strides, many of which aimed at protecting the platform’s most vulnerable users. Twitter pushed back at attempts by US courts to unmask anonymous users; cracked down on botnets and other influence operations; worked with the government of New Zealand to develop tools to facilitate independent research on the impacts of user interactions with algorithmic systems; banned political ads in the run-up to the 2020 US elections; and hired researchers to study the health of discourse on the site.\n\nFor many of Twitter’s vulnerable users, these changes represented great strides from its early days as the “free speech wing of the free speech party,” where just about anything—including terrorist content, harassment, and hate speech—could be found. But Musk has stated that “free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.” While he’s recently tempered earlier statements by saying that he won’t turn Twitter into a “free-for-all hellscape,” it seems pretty clear that the new chief intends to roll back some of Twitter’s rules.\n\nMusk has also said that he would cut back on Twitter’s attempts to fight mis- and disinformation. This would be a mistake. Twitter has carefully crafted policies and tools that allow for free discourse while inhibiting the spread of false content, such as prompts that encourage users to actually read what they’re sharing, and labels that provide additional context to potential misinformation. With major elections approaching in dozens of countries in the coming two years, these tools are essential for ensuring that Twitter remains a space for civic engagement."
      },
      {
        "title": "Twitter is now owned by Elon Musk — here's a brief history from the app's founding in 2006 to the present",
        "id": "d-78",
        "link": "https://www.cnbc.com/2022/10/29/a-brief-history-of-twitter-from-its-founding-in-2006-to-musk-takeover.html",
        "snippet": "Nine years ago, Twitter raised $1.8 billion in an IPO. Twitter became the center of controversy during Donald Trump's tenure in the White...",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT3ZdNRGI2rNmejs4nHPYn3PBjjlk65F69p63K6LDb73WLhNbvdCwU4tiiI-w&s",
        "content": "In this photo illustration, former U.S. President Donald Trump's archived Twitter account is shown on a phone screen with the Twitter logo in the background.\n\nA decade ago, Twitter's future was looking bright. The company was benefiting from a flood of funding into the social-networking space, eventually leading to an IPO in 2013 that raised $1.8 billion.\n\nNow the company is back in private hands. And they happen to be the hands of Elon Musk, the richest person in the world and one of the app's most high-profile provocateurs.\n\nIt's a massive moment. Twitter has become a key place for people to debate, joke and pontificate in their own circles of politics, sports, tech and finance. It's also served as a platform that gives voice to the voiceless, helping protesters organize and express themselves in repressed regimes around the world.\n\nIn recent years, however, Twitter and social media rivals like Facebook have been at the center of controversy over the distribution of fake news and misinformation, sometimes leading to bullying and violence.\n\nInvestors had grown concerned about Twitter as a business. The company was generally unprofitable, struggled to keep pace with Google and Facebook, and often killed popular products with no real explanation.\n\nWhat follows is a brief history of Twitter, which — despite its many flaws — is one of the most iconic companies to come out of Silicon Valley in the past 20 years.\n\n2006\n\nIn March, Jack Dorsey, Noah Glass, Biz Stone, and Evan Williams created Twitter, which was originally a side project stemming from the podcasting tool Odeo. That month, Dorsey would send the first Tweet that read, \"just setting up my twttr.\"\n\n2007\n\nIn July, Twitter received a $100,000 Series A funding round led by Union Square Ventures. The app's popularity started to explode after being heavily promoted by the tech community during the annual South by Southwest conference.\n\n2008\n\nDorsey stepped down as CEO in October, and was replaced by Williams. According to the book \"Hatching Twitter\" by journalist Nick Bilton, Twitter's board fired Dorsey over concerns about the executive's management style and public boastings.\n\n2009\n\nTwitter's popularity continued to soar, leading to a high-profile appearance from Williams on Oprah Winfrey's talk show alongside celebrity Ashton Kutcher. Kutcher would also write about Williams and Stone as part of Time Magazine's Time 100 issue. Twitter was now a mainstream phenomenon.\n\n2010\n\nTwitter reached space, with NASA Astronaut Timothy Creamer sending the first tweet live from outer orbit. Behind the scenes, however, management woes continued with Williams stepping down as CEO, replaced by operating chief Dick Costolo.\n\n2011\n\nTwitter became an essential social media tool used during the Arab Spring, the wave of antigovernmental protests throughout Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. Protesters used the site to post reports and to organize. As the Pew Research Center noted, Twitter's role in \"disseminating breaking news\" was not \"not limited to the Arab uprisings – the death of Whitney Houston, for example, was announced on Twitter 55 minutes prior to the AP confirming the story.\"\n\n2012\n\nTwitter's reach expanded to 200 million active users. Barack Obama used the \"platform to first declare victory publicly in the 2012 U.S. presidential election, with a Tweet that was viewed approximately 25 million times on our platform and widely distributed offline in print and broadcast media,\" according to corporate filings.\n\n2013\n\nTwitter went public in November. The combined wealth of Williams, Dorsey, and Costolo hit roughly $4 billion.\n\n\"I think we've got a tremendous set of thoughts and strategies to increase the slope of the growth curve,\" Costolo told CNBC at the time. \"I would consider some of them tactics, some of them broader strategies, in service of doing what I referred to as bridge the gap between the massive awareness of Twitter and deep engagement of the platform.\""
      },
      {
        "title": "Elon Musk sets to work at Twitter by firing all its top people",
        "id": "d-79",
        "link": "https://metro.co.uk/2022/10/28/elon-musk-sets-to-work-at-twitter-by-firing-all-its-top-people-17654800/",
        "snippet": "Elon Musk has fired Twitter's CEO, as well as a few other senior executives, within days of taking ownership.",
        "source": "Metro.co.uk",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTsaP2jcXlvH_BeOSIgBJ0EbyHwo6CM_8V26SSilihtgP2Z6-G8XBh3w8jRCw&s",
        "content": "Elon Musk enters Twitter headquarters with kitchen sink and changes profile to ‘Chief Twit’ (Credit: AP)\n\nElon Musk has fired Twitter’s CEO, as well as a few other senior executives, within days of taking ownership.\n\nThe world’s richest man confirmed yesterday he had completed his long-running $44 billion takeover of Twitter. And he hasn’t wasted any time making changes.\n\nThe South Africa-born entrepreneur has already dismissed chief executive Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal and general counsel Vijaya Gadde.\n\nHowever, according to reports, Mr Musk told staff during his visit that it was not true that he was planning on cutting up to 75% of Twitter staff after acquiring the company.\n\nIt had previously been reported that Mr Musk told investors he planned to cut around three-quarters of the firm’s 7,500 employees.\n\nParag Agrawal has been fired as CEO of Twitter (Credit: Getty)\n\nStaff, Twitter users and industry experts are waiting to see what plans Musk has for the platform.\n\nHe has previously spoken of his belief in ‘absolute free speech’ and suggested he would allow previously suspended and often controversial figures, including former US president Donald Trump, to return to the platform, which has alarmed online safety campaigners.\n\nWhat will Twitter look like under Elon Musk?\n\nThe SpaceX and Tesla boss said his reasons for acquiring Twitter were ‘because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence.’\n\nHowever, he has insisted the social platform won’t become a ‘hellscape’ under his watch.\n\nHe added: ‘In addition to adhering to the laws of the land, our platform must be warm and welcoming to all, where you can choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature.’\n\nTwitter staff are trying to keep morale high after Musk’s takeover (Credit: Twitter)\n\nWriting in The Conversation, Erik Gordon, a Professor of Business at the University of Michigan, says Musk will look to take the company private to maximise his control over it.\n\n‘Once the shares change hands, Twitter will be Musk’s to do with as he pleases – from reopening the accounts of former President Donald Trump and Ye, the artist formally known as Kanye West, to slashing the workforce by up to 75%.\n\n‘Musk understood the physics of launching rockets and the engineering behind building an electric car, but he doesn’t have deep experience running a social media platform or in building super apps. I believe he doesn’t have a thoroughly thought-out strategy that fits Twitter’s difficult environment.\n\n‘What he will have is a huge amount of debt. Last year, Twitter owed about $51 million in interest on its debt. After going private, the estimates are that Twitter will owe at least a billion dollars annually on about $13 billion in new debt.’\n\nNed Segal, the chief financial officer of Twitter, has also been fired by Musk (Credit: Getty Images)\n\n‘In 2021, the company generated just $630 million in cash from operations. That means Musk won’t have much cash to fund a super app or any other big ideas, unless he is able to attract additional investment in the company.\n\n‘With the company in his hands, Musk can, of course, do what he likes. He can implement any free speech policy that suits his fancy. He can let Trump and Ye tweet. He can ban Tesla short sellers and anyone who questions his foreign policy initiatives. He can fire 75% of his staff in a heartbeat – something a public CEO would have a very hard time doing.’\n\nThe return of Donald Trump and ‘free speech’\n\nThe Tesla and SpaceX boss has said he believes strongly in absolute free speech, to the extent that anything that is not illegal should be allowed to stay online.\n\nAnd he has confirmed he would allow banned accounts, such as that of former US president Donald Trump, to return to help achieve Twitter’s mission to be an unfiltered ‘common digital town square’.\n\nElon Musk has indicated that Donald Trump could be reinstated on Twitter (Credits: AP)\n\nMusk has said he believes it is ‘important to the future of civilisation’ to have a space where ‘a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner’.\n\nThis stance would be likely to face significant issues once the Online Safety Bill comes into effect in the UK.\n\nWhile the Bill has pledged to protect free speech through protections around content of democratic importance and from news publishers, it will require platforms not just to take down any illegal content but also any topics which have been designated ‘legal but harmful’, which is likely to be content linked to abuse or harassment, among other things.\n\nWith large fines and even the prospect of being banned from the UK as potential penalties, Musk is likely to have to soften his stance on absolute free speech if he wants Twitter to stay on the right side of regulators.\n\nAdvertisers too are unlikely to be happy about the possibility of their adverts appearing alongside increasingly controversial content.\n\nThe everything app\n\nA key moment in this takeover saga came when Musk confirmed he would go ahead with the deal and said buying the platform was ‘an accelerant to creating X, the everything app’.\n\nThe billionaire has spoken broadly in the past about his support for the idea of an ‘everything app’ – a single place where users can access most, if not all, of their favourite online services and utilities.\n\nMusk could use Twitter to form the basis of an ‘everything app’ (Credit: Getty)\n\nIn China, a version of the everything app idea already exists in WeChat, which began life as a messaging platform similar to WhatsApp, but has since become a mini-internet within a single app – allowing users to do everything from share social media-style posts with friends, to getting news, making mobile payments, booking restaurants and ordering taxis.\n\nNothing similar exists in the West.\n\nSome experts have questioned Musk’s ability or even desire to actually create such a service, but no-one can match the resources he has – he is the world’s wealthiest person – and he has experience in digital payments through PayPal and transport through Tesla which could help bring together different services in one place.\n\nInside the company\n\nMusk’s public sparring with Twitter and criticism of the company in the months before the takeover has not sat well with some Twitter staff, with reports of many even planning to leave once the takeover was closed over their fears about Musk’s proposed new direction for the company.\n\nMusk has been pictured inside the Twitter HQ talking to staff (Credit: Twitter)\n\nIndustry analyst Mike Proulx said earlier this month that ‘earning and retaining the trust’ of Twitter’s employees should be Musk’s ‘number one mission’.\n\n‘Twitter remains an important part of our culture regardless of the ongoing drama around this on-again, off-again, and back-on-again deal,’ he said.\n\n‘Twitter’s future is bleak without an engaged employee base and there’s a lot of repair work to be done there.’\n\nMusk’s dismissing of the senior staff has already caused alarm among some online safety campaigners, who have warned that a shift in Twitter’s policy around safety and free speech could make the platform more dangerous, while others have suggested the internal turmoil during Musk’s restructuring could make the platform more vulnerable to hackers.\n\nArrow MORE: Elon Musk confirms he has bought Twitter\n\nArrow MORE: Elon Musk enters Twitter headquarters carrying kitchen sink and changes profile to ‘Chief Twit’"
      },
      {
        "title": "Musk's major shareholders at Twitter include a Saudi prince and the crypto exchange Binance",
        "id": "d-80",
        "link": "https://fortune.com/2022/10/28/elon-musk-twitter-shareholder-alwaleed-bin-talal-binance-morgan-stanley/",
        "snippet": "Elon Musk has taken over Twitter and fired its CEO and other top executives. Trading in company shares was suspended Friday on the New York...",
        "source": "Fortune",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRi-WoZcsZRbijKpFcVi1_sly8hnWvcB0qhFCD6PxFwj_jl4rlI0QSlQlM4nw&s",
        "content": "© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information\n\nFORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice."
      },
      {
        "title": "Elon Musk takes control of Twitter and immediately ousts top executives",
        "id": "d-81",
        "link": "https://www.npr.org/2022/10/27/1132153277/elon-musk-takes-control-of-twitter-and-immediately-ousts-top-executives",
        "snippet": "Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter and ousted the CEO, chief financial officer and the company's top lawyer, two people familiar with the deal said...",
        "source": "NPR",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT1rs7H4aXEqxtd7UkgQHh3Wy1eo5u6I8jvBFmAc-Ftvn2gPoo9RtsaGzdVuA&s",
        "content": "Elon Musk takes control of Twitter and immediately ousts top executives\n\nEnlarge this image toggle caption Mary Altaffer/AP Mary Altaffer/AP\n\nElon Musk has taken control of Twitter and ousted the CEO, chief financial officer and the company's top lawyer, two people familiar with the deal said Thursday night.\n\nThe people wouldn't say if all the paperwork for the deal, originally valued at $44 billion, had been signed or if the deal has closed. But they said Musk is in charge of the social media platform and has fired CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and Chief Legal Counsel Vijaya Gadde. Neither person wanted to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the deal.\n\nThe departures come just hours before a deadline set by a Delaware judge to finalize the deal on Friday. She threatened to schedule a trial if no agreement was reached.\n\nSponsor Message\n\nAlthough they came quickly, the major personnel moves had been widely expected and almost certainly are the first of many major changes the mercurial Tesla CEO will make.\n\nMusk privately clashed with Agrawal in April, immediately before deciding to make a bid for the company, according to text messages later revealed in court filings.\n\nAbout the same time, he used Twitter to criticize Gadde, the company's top lawyer. His tweets were followed by a wave of harassment of Gadde from other Twitter accounts. For Gadde, an 11-year Twitter employee who also heads public policy and safety, the harassment included racist and misogynistic attacks, in addition to calls for Musk to fire her. On Thursday, after she was fired, the harassing tweets lit up once again.\n\nMusk's changes will be aimed at increasing Twitter's subscriber base and revenue.\n\nIn his first big move earlier on Thursday, Musk tried to soothe leery Twitter advertisers saying that he is buying the platform to help humanity and doesn't want it to become a \"free-for-all hellscape.\"\n\nThe message appeared to be aimed at addressing concerns among advertisers — Twitter's chief source of revenue — that Musk's plans to promote free speech by cutting back on moderating content will open the floodgates to more online toxicity and drive away users.\n\nSponsor Message\n\n\"The reason I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,\" Musk wrote in an uncharacteristically long message for the Tesla CEO, who typically projects his thoughts in one-line tweets.\n\nHe continued: \"There is currently great danger that social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.\"\n\nMusk has previously expressed distaste for advertising and Twitter's dependence on it, suggesting more emphasis on other business models such as paid subscriptions that won't allow big corporations to dictate policy on how social media operates. But on Thursday, he assured advertisers he wants Twitter to be \"the most respected advertising platform in the world.\"\n\nThe note is a shift from Musk's position that Twitter is unfairly infringing on free speech rights by blocking misinformation or graphic content, said Pinar Yildirim, associate professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.\n\nBut it's also a realization that having no content moderation is bad for business, putting Twitter at risk of losing advertisers and subscribers, she said.\n\n\"You do not want a place where consumers just simply are bombarded with things they do not want to hear about, and the platform takes no responsibility,\" Yildirim said.\n\nMusk said Twitter should be \"warm and welcoming to all\" and enable users to choose the experience they want to have.\n\nFriday's deadline to close the deal was ordered by the Delaware Chancery Court in early October. It is the latest step in a battle that began in April with Musk signing a deal to acquire Twitter, then tried to back out of it, leading Twitter to sue the Tesla CEO to force him to go through with the acquisition. If the two sides don't meet Friday's deadline, the next step could be a November trial that could lead to a judge forcing Musk to complete the deal.\n\nBut Musk has been signaling that the deal is going through. He strolled into the company's San Francisco headquarters Wednesday carrying a porcelain sink, changed his Twitter profile to \"Chief Twit,\" and tweeted \"Entering Twitter HQ — let that sink in!\"\n\nAnd overnight the New York Stock Exchange notified investors that it will suspend trading in shares of Twitter before the opening bell Friday in anticipation of the company going private under Musk.\n\nMusk is expected to speak to Twitter employees directly Friday if the deal is finalized, according to an internal memo cited in several media outlets. Despite internal confusion and low morale tied to fears of layoffs or a dismantling of the company's culture and operations, Twitter leaders this week have at least outwardly welcomed Musk's arrival and messaging.\n\nSponsor Message\n\nTop sales executive Sarah Personette, the company's chief customer officer, said she had a \"great discussion\" with Musk on Wednesday and appeared to endorse his Thursday message to advertisers.\n\n\"Our continued commitment to brand safety for advertisers remains unchanged,\" Personette tweeted Thursday. \"Looking forward to the future!\"\n\nMusk's apparent enthusiasm about visiting Twitter headquarters this week stood in sharp contrast to one of his earlier suggestions: The building should be turned into a homeless shelter because so few employees actually worked there.\n\nThe Washington Post reported last week that Musk told prospective investors that he plans to cut three quarters of Twitter's 7,500 workers when he becomes owner of the company. The newspaper cited documents and unnamed sources familiar with the deliberation.\n\nMusk has spent months deriding Twitter's \"spam bots\" and making sometimes contradictory pronouncements about Twitter's problems and how to fix them. But he has shared few concrete details about his plans for the social media platform.\n\nThursday's note to advertisers shows a newfound emphasis on advertising revenue, especially a need for Twitter to provide more \"relevant ads\" — which typically means targeted ads that rely on collecting and analyzing users' personal information.\n\nYildirim said that, unlike Facebook, Twitter has not been good at targeting advertising to what users want to see. Musk's message suggests he wants to fix that, she said.\n\nInsider Intelligence principal analyst Jasmine Enberg said Musk has good reason to avoid a massive shakeup of Twitter's ad business because Twitter's revenues have taken a beating from the weakening economy, months of uncertainty surrounding Musk's proposed takeover, changing consumer behaviors and the fact that \"there's no other revenue source waiting in the wings.\"\n\n\"Even slightly loosening content moderation on the platform is sure to spook advertisers, many of whom already find Twitter's brand safety tools to be lacking compared with other social platforms,\" Enberg said."
      },
      {
        "title": "Elon Musk’s $44 billion Twitter purchase is ‘one of the most overpaid tech acquisitions in history,’ Wedbush’s Dan Ives says. Twitter’s fair value is only $25 billion",
        "id": "d-82",
        "link": "https://fortune.com/2022/10/27/elon-musk-twitter-purchase-most-overpaid-tech-history-dan-ives-wedbush/",
        "snippet": "Musk buying Twitter remains a major head-scratcher,” Wedbush's Dan Ives wrote on Thursday, adding that he believes the firm's fair value is...",
        "source": "Fortune",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT8X1XwWq0iSm0i6oxK_SJslXsQ28UUf8O1rZUkqW74q1FRPhxIgGkOCC6USg&s",
        "content": "© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information\n\nFORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice."
      },
      {
        "title": "The Challenges of Transforming Twitter",
        "id": "d-83",
        "link": "https://hbr.org/2022/10/the-challenges-of-transforming-twitter",
        "snippet": "After months of uncertainty, Elon Musk appears to be moving ahead on a deal to acquire Twitter for $44 billion. (Probably.)...",
        "source": "Harvard Business Review",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQwq6BwW6PU2PY_qlvr9Khvg9CoO2oVghKsn2RyetXZiKkKwXde18OxJxYMUg&s",
        "content": "After months of uncertainty, Elon Musk appears to be moving ahead on a deal to acquire Twitter for $44 billion. (Probably.) If the deal goes through, the next big question is: How will he change the company? Musk’s specific goals for Twitter have been hard to pin down, but the problem of how to transform the strategy of a technology business is a familiar one. What Musk will need to overcome is not unlike the challenge faced by an outside executive joining a new company, a private equity firm on a new deal, or a general manager overseeing an acquired business unit on behalf of a conglomerate."
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "topic_id": 6,
    "topic": "Trump re-elected as US President",
    "docs": [
      {
        "title": "Trump Administration Live Updates: President’s Policy Bill Could Add $2.4 Trillion to Debt, Analysis Shows",
        "id": "d-84",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/04/us/trump-news",
        "snippet": "The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday that the broad Republican bill to cut taxes and slash some federal programs would...",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "President Trump and Elon Musk in the Oval Office on Friday after Mr. Musk announced his departure from his role as a special government employee.\n\nElon Musk lashed out on Tuesday against the far-reaching Republican bill intended to enact President Trump’s domestic policy agenda, posting on X that it was a “disgusting abomination” and telling House members who voted for it: “You know you did wrong.”\n\nThe tech billionaire criticized the bill, one of Mr. Trump’s top priorities, in a series of about 10 posts. In them, Mr. Musk reshared commentary from lawmakers like Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah, two Republicans who had sided with him in opposing the rising U.S. deficit.\n\n“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Mr. Musk wrote on X. He called the domestic policy bill “massive, outrageous, pork-filled,” adding that it would “massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit” and that “Congress is making America bankrupt.”\n\nHe did not target any specific members of Congress, but hinted that he might support efforts to unseat those who backed the bill in the 2026 midterm elections. “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people,” he wrote.\n\nThe blitz of messages signaled a widening rift between Mr. Musk and Mr. Trump as the tech mogul winds down his governmental role leading the Department of Government Efficiency. While the men have publicly professed continued admiration for each other, Mr. Musk’s departure from Washington has appeared to liberate him from presenting a united front with the White House.\n\nInstead, he has returned to wielding his brand of unpredictable political influence through X, the social media platform he owns. In December, before Mr. Trump’s inauguration, Mr. Musk torpedoed a bipartisan spending bill with an onslaught of posts on X, including a threat to find primary challengers for Republicans who supported it. In March, he tried unsuccessfully to sway the outcome of a Wisconsin judicial race with myriad posts in favor of the conservative candidate.\n\nNow unshackled from loyalty to the Trump party line, Mr. Musk can again foment chaos with his X feed.\n\nMr. Musk, 53, has often criticized legislation, agencies and others that are against the interests of himself and his companies, which include the electric carmaker Tesla and the rocket company SpaceX. In its current form, Mr. Trump’s domestic policy bill would end subsidies and tax credits meant to spur consumers to buy electric vehicles, which would have ramifications for Tesla.\n\nThe House speaker, Mike Johnson, called Mr. Musk’s criticism of the domestic policy bill “very disappointing.” He told reporters at the Capitol that the two spoke on Monday and that Mr. Musk “seemed to understand” the virtues of the legislation.\n\nThe White House and the president were caught off guard by Mr. Musk’s posts, a person with knowledge of the situation said, but it’s not yet clear whether Mr. Trump will return fire.\n\n“The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,” said Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary. “It doesn’t change the president’s opinion. This is one big, beautiful bill, and he’s sticking to it.”\n\nA representative for Mr. Musk did not respond to requests for comment.\n\nMr. Trump has urged swift passage of the legislation — officially called the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act — which would slash taxes, providing the biggest savings to the wealthy, and steer more money to the military and immigration enforcement. As written, the legislation would cut health, nutrition, education and clean energy programs to cover part of the cost.\n\nWhite House officials and Mr. Johnson have claimed that the bill would shrink the national debt, although the Congressional Budget Office and a number of independent analysts have estimated that the bill would increase federal deficits by well over $1 trillion, even when economic growth is factored in.\n\nMr. Musk posted his criticism at a critical moment for the bill, which passed the House on May 22 in the face of a strong pressure campaign by Mr. Trump. As Mr. Johnson corralled several competing Republican factions, the president summoned recalcitrant holdouts to the White House, and his staff likened Republican opposition to the bill to “the ultimate betrayal.”\n\nBut Republican senators have already made clear that they plan to make changes to the bill. Fiscal conservatives, alarmed at the estimates that it would swell the national debt, have demanded further changes and cuts to Medicaid and other programs that could help rein in deficits. Mr. Trump has warned Republicans not to mess with Medicaid, a program that many of his supporters rely on.\n\nMr. Musk started publicly criticizing Mr. Trump’s bill last week, saying on CBS News’s “Sunday Morning” that he was disappointed in the legislation’s size and impact on the deficit.\n\nPeople close to the congressional negotiations said Mr. Musk was disappointed that Republicans were removing electric vehicle subsidies, according to two people familiar with the negotiations.\n\n“I know that has an effect on his business, and I lament that,” Mr. Johnson said. But he added that he did not believe the government should be subsidizing a transition to electric cars.\n\nIn an earlier public break with the administration, Mr. Musk slammed the president’s top trade adviser, Peter Navarro, as a “moron” and “dumber than a sack of bricks” in a series of X posts in April. Tesla executives said Mr. Musk, who abstained from criticizing Mr. Trump directly, seemed not to immediately realize the impact that the administration’s tariffs could have on the automaker.\n\nThe White House downplayed the conflict at the time. Asked about it then, Ms. Leavitt said, “Boys will be boys.” Late that month, Mr. Musk was briefed on the tariffs’ effects and the company’s supply chain vulnerabilities.\n\nMr. Musk’s threats about unseating Republicans contrast with his political spending last year. His super PAC, America PAC, spent about $20 million in the last election cycle to boost Republicans running for the House. And a different PAC he backed spent $10 million to help Republicans in the Senate.\n\nSome Democrats celebrated Mr. Musk’s criticism. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, brought a printed-out copy of Mr. Musk’s X posts to the party’s weekly news conference on Tuesday.\n\n“He’s right,” Mr. Schumer said. “Republicans should listen to him.”\n\nEarlier on Tuesday, Mr. Musk — who appeared onstage at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February with a chain saw and said it would be “easy” to save the government billions of dollars — shared a meme on X that included a photo of fingertips pinching a minuscule pair of scissors.\n\n“Republicans getting ready to reduce the size of government,” the caption read.\n\nShawn McCreesh , Theodore Schleifer and Catie Edmondson contributed reporting."
      },
      {
        "title": "House Oversight Chair James Comer expands inquiry into Biden's fitness while in office",
        "id": "d-85",
        "link": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-oversight-chair-james-comer-joe-biden-fitness-while-in-office/",
        "snippet": "A Republican congressman is broadening an investigation into the extent of former President Joe Biden's physical and mental decline while in...",
        "source": "CBS News",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "A Republican congressman is broadening an investigation into the extent of former President Joe Biden's physical and mental decline while in office, seeking testimony from some of Biden's closest advisers, including his first chief of staff.\n\nGOP Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight committee, sent letters to five of the former president's closest aides on Wednesday, requesting they answer questions about Biden's \"mental and physical faculties\" while he was leading the country.\n\nThe aides include Biden's former chief of staff, Ron Klain, as well as members of his inner circle — advisers Michael Donilon, Bruce Reed, Steve Richetti, and Anita Dunn.\n\nA spokesperson told CBS News the committee is already in discussions with four other former White House aides — Anthony Bernal, Annie Tomasini, Ashley Williams, and Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor — to provide testimony.\n\nScrutiny of Biden's health while in office has intensified over recent weeks following the revelation by the 82-year-old that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, and a new book that claims officials within the Biden White House worked to hide a \"precipitous decline\" in his physical and mental health while in office.\n\nKlain, who left the White House in February 2023 and also helped prepare Biden ahead of a disastrous debate performance last June, has pushed back on accusations that he covered up any health issues. In a text message to Politico, he instead attributed Biden's poor performance to advisers, who had \"isolated him from domestic politics.\"\n\nIn the letters he sent Wednesday, Comer requested the aides appear before the committee for transcribed interviews in the middle of July.\n\n\"If White House staff carried out a strategy lasting months or even years to hide the chief executive's condition–or to perform his duties–Congress may need to consider a legislative response,\" the Kentucky Republican wrote.\n\nAs chair of the House Oversight committee, Comer oversaw a long-running investigation trying to connect President Biden to the business dealings of his son Hunter. That investigation culminated in an impeachment inquiry that eventually stalled out before coming to a vote."
      },
      {
        "title": "Joe Biden is secretly a robotic clone, per a new conspiracy theory Trump has amplified",
        "id": "d-86",
        "link": "https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/joe-biden-secretly-robotic-clone-new-conspiracy-theory-trump-amplified-rcna210332",
        "snippet": "Donald Trump has promoted plenty of weird ideas, but with a new offensive against Joe Biden, the Republican has reached a new low.",
        "source": "MSNBC News",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Donald Trump’s preoccupation with Joe Biden has appeared unhealthy for quite some time. On Memorial Day, for example, the Republican president promoted an online item that described his Democratic predecessor, who had recently been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, as “a decrepit corpse.”\n\nOn Friday, the incumbent went further, urging people not to feel sympathy for Biden as he combats cancer — “because he’s vicious.” His claim was rooted in the absurd Republican conspiracy theory that Biden personally executed a secret plot that culminated in Trump’s 2023 criminal indictments.\n\nBut as it turns out, the day after the Republican president made these public comments at an Oval Office event, Trump apparently took an interest in an even more unhinged conspiracy theory. NBC News reported:\n\nPresident Donald Trump on Saturday night reposted a baseless claim on Truth Social that former President Joe Biden was executed in 2020 and replaced with clones or robots. The original post, made by an anonymous Truth Social user who often spreads outlandish claims, suggested that Biden was replaced with “clones, doubles” and “robotic engineered soulless mindless entities.”\n\nPeriodically, the political world ponders a parlor game of sorts, based on an unfortunate question: “What’s the most bananas idea Donald Trump has ever endorsed, promoted or amplified?” The competition has long been fierce.\n\nIndeed, just in recent weeks, the current president has used his social media platform to amplify all kinds of truly bizarre claims and arguments, ranging from targeting Barack Obama with a military tribunal, accusing federal judges of committing acts “tantamount to treason and sedition,” to suggestions that Trump should be chosen to serve as the pope.\n\nBut for those who partake in this little parlor game, there’s clearly a new frontrunner.\n\nOn Saturday night, Trump used his social media platform to amplify an item that claimed that Biden was secretly “executed in 2020,” at which point the public saw “clones,” “doubles” and “robotic engineered soulless mindless entities” that appeared to be the Delaware Democrat.\n\nTo be sure, the Republican didn’t personally write this message, but he nevertheless thought it’d be a good idea to amplify the missive, bringing it to the attention of his millions of online followers.\n\nAs for why in the world Trump did this, The New York Times reported, “The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the post about Mr. Biden, whom Mr. Trump has targeted for criticism almost daily since the start of his second term.”\n\nWhether the incumbent president realizes this or not, he’s gradually discrediting his own weird campaign against his predecessor. In recent weeks, fueled in part by the book “Original Sin” by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, Trump has argued — publicly and in apparent seriousness — that the entire Biden administration was “illegal,” because the Democrat was so incapacitated that his presidency was reduced to “autopen.”\n\nBut if the goal is to reinforce concerns about Biden’s mental health and acuity, Trump has it backwards.\n\nConsider what this story would look like if their situations were reversed. Imagine Biden were in the White House right now, and he decided to use his social media account to amplify a message that accused Trump of being dead and replaced by robotic clones.\n\nI suspect that if the Democrat were to do this, there would be widespread concern that the president had gone completely around the bend. And yet, here we are.\n\nFor those concerned about elderly presidents and their cognitive abilities, there’s one key truth that shouldn’t get lost in the shuffle: Biden isn’t the one amplifying a message about his former rival secretly being a dead robot."
      },
      {
        "title": "‘It is a whole different environment’: Republicans revisit key Biden investigations with new momentum",
        "id": "d-87",
        "link": "https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/03/politics/republicans-investigate-biden-congress",
        "snippet": "The House Judiciary Committee is expected to interview former Hunter Biden special counsel David Weiss behind closed doors on Friday,...",
        "source": "CNN",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "CNN —\n\nThe House Judiciary Committee is expected to interview former Hunter Biden special counsel David Weiss behind closed doors on Friday, two sources familiar with the interview told CNN, as part of a broader Republican effort to revisit previous probes into the Biden family that stalled last Congress but are gaining new momentum now that Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House.\n\nThe scheduled interview, which could still be moved, would be the second time the Republican-led panel will interview Weiss about his work as Republicans continue to probe whether the investigation was hampered by political interference.\n\nWeiss has still never testified publicly about his six-year criminal probe into the president’s son, which included three convictions, but was ultimately short-circuited as a result of the former president’s unconditional pardon of his son.\n\nHouse Judiciary Republicans have long wanted to call Weiss, the Trump-appointed US attorney, back for questioning after his first closed-door interview in 2023. Committee Republicans were also able to finally secure interviews with two Department of Justice tax division prosecutors involved in the Hunter Biden probe who they had been aggressively pursuing for months, one of the sources familiar told CNN.\n\nThe Justice Department is working with Weiss to provide access to documents he may need for his interview, a person briefed on the matter said. Any delays in getting access to documents would be a scheduling issue and the ability to have personnel who can oversee it, the person briefed on the matter said.\n\nIt’s not the only Biden investigation Republicans are reexamining that leans into a fresh political appetite with GOP control of Washington.\n\nHouse Oversight Chair James Comer is returning to his probe of the former president’s mental fitness in an entirely new landscape after a recent book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson put Joe Biden’s physical and mental decline back in the spotlight.\n\nComer told CNN he is in the process of scheduling key interviews with Biden’s White House physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, and other senior aides who had all rebuffed his efforts last Congress. Beyond the five initial interviews from Biden’s orbit, the Republican Chairman told CNN he wants to look at the executive orders Biden signed in his last six months in office and use of the autopen.\n\nIn the weeks immediately after Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate performance that unraveled his presidential campaign and upended the Democratic party, Comer requested to interview Biden’s doctor and subpoenaed three senior Biden aides to discuss their roles in the Biden White House, which never materialized.\n\nNow, Comer said in an interview with CNN, “it is a whole different environment.”\n\nAt the time of his 2024 interview requests, Comer’s impeachment inquiry into the Biden family’s business dealings had fallen apart and the Biden administration felt no incentive to comply with the House Oversight Committee.\n\nProbing Biden’s decline now, Comer says, will be a lot easier than trying to convince his colleagues of an alleged Biden family foreign influence peddling scheme, which even Comer conceded was difficult to do, particularly in a minute or less on Fox News. Republicans failed to uncover evidence to support their core allegations against the president, and lacked the votes in their divided, narrow majority last Congress to impeach the president.\n\n“The money laundering and the shell companies, the average American couldn’t understand that. I mean, that was hard to understand,” Comer told CNN. “You know, I did not do a good job explaining that.”\n\nBut with his investigation into Biden’s mental and physical decline, Comer said, “people see a president that clearly is in decline. They saw it in the debate.”\n\nDemocrats sought to dismantle the Republican-led 11 month impeachment inquiry into Biden last Congress at every turn.\n\nComer told CNN that although those Democrats aren’t jumping at the opportunity to cooperate now, he does not see them as being obstructive either.\n\n“I take that as a step in the right direction,” he told CNN.\n\nTapper and Thompson’s book documents how Biden, his closest aides and his family forged ahead with the former president’s doomed 2024 reelection bid despite signs of his physical and mental decline.\n\nIn a previous statement to CNN, a Biden spokesman criticized the book, saying that evidence shows that “he was a very effective president.”\n\nFormer Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips, who launched a long-shot challenge to Biden and was outspoken about his concerns over the former president’s age, told CNN he did not think there needed to be an investigation on Capitol Hill at this point into Biden’s fitness as president.\n\n“This case already went to trial, the jury of American voters convicted the party of the accused, and handed out the harshest political punishment possible-losing the single most consequential election in modern history,” Phillips told CNN.\n\nInstead, Phillips called on Biden to authorize his physician to disclose his health file and condition under oath.\n\n“Only if the former president refuses, or if questioning uncovers possible criminal activity, should an investigation be initiated,” Phillips added.\n\nBiden was recently diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer.\n\nCNN’s Evan Perez contributed to this report."
      },
      {
        "title": "Extent of FBI’s targeting of ‘radical traditionalist Catholics’ greater than Biden officials claimed, GOP senator reveals",
        "id": "d-88",
        "link": "https://nypost.com/2025/06/04/us-news/fbi-targeting-of-radical-traditionalist-catholics-greater-than-biden-officials-claimed-chuck-grassley/",
        "snippet": "Documents released by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Tuesday appear to contradict former FBI Director Christopher Wray's claim that a...",
        "source": "New York Post",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Documents released by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Tuesday appear to contradict former FBI Director Christopher Wray’s claim that a controversial 2023 memo targeting “radical traditionalist Catholics” was a one-off and the work of a single bureau field office.\n\nExtent of FBI’s targeting of ‘radical traditionalist Catholics’ greater than Biden officials claimed, GOP senator reveals\n\nThe Biden-era FBI chief told House lawmakers in July of 2023 that the memo – which described the purported overlaps between Catholics who oppose abortion rights and would-be terrorists as an opportunity for “threat mitigation” and “source development” – was “a single product by a single field office.”\n\nHowever, the new FBI files obtained by Grassley show the bureau produced “at least 13 additional documents and five attachments that used anti-Catholic terminology,” as well as a second memo updating the FBI’s Richmond Field Office’s case against “radical” Catholics.\n\n4 FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before the House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on July 12, 2023. ZUMAPRESS.com\n\n“Director Wray’s testimony was inaccurate not only because it failed to reveal the scope of the memo’s production and dissemination, but also because it failed to reveal the existence of a second, draft product on the same topic intended for external distribution to the whole FBI,” Grassley wrote in a letter to current FBI Director Kash Patel on Monday, demanding more documents.\n\nThe second FBI memo, released by Grassley, was also drafted by the FBI’s Richmond office and repeated the “unfounded link between traditional Catholicism and violent extremism.”\n\nThe backlash over the whistleblower disclosure of the initial memo led the Richmond office to never release the second version, according to the Iowa Republican.\n\nHowever, the first “anti-Catholic Richmond Memo” was “widely distributed” in February 2023 to more than 1,000 FBI employees nationwide, according to Grassley’s findings.\n\n“This raises serious concerns that FBI field offices may have relied on the Richmond memo, and placed groups in their areas of responsibility under suspicion based on reporting from the deeply-biased sources used in the memo,” the senator informed Patel.\n\nAdditionally, the new documents reveal that Richmond FBI officials worked with the bureau’s field offices in Louisville, Portland, and Milwaukee as they drafted the memo – further belying Wray’s testimony.\n\n4 The memo described the purported overlaps between Catholics who oppose abortion rights and would-be terrorists as an opportunity for “threat mitigation” and “source development.” mariangarai – stock.adobe.com\n\n4 President Joe Biden delivers his farewell address to the nation from the Oval Office of the White House on Jan. 15, 2025. Getty Images\n\n4 Sen. Chuck Grassley attends a confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill on Jan. 15, 2025. REUTERS\n\nGrassley and numerous conservatives and Catholics have criticized the FBI for largely relying on the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center’s “hate group” classifications when putting together the memo.\n\n“I continue to investigate the Richmond memo and the culture at the FBI that allowed it to be produced and approved,” the senator informed Patel."
      },
      {
        "title": "GOP senator demands FBI probe Biden-era vetting process for Boulder terror suspect: 'Under attack'",
        "id": "d-89",
        "link": "https://news.yahoo.com/gop-senator-demands-fbi-probe-184207244.html",
        "snippet": "GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno is demanding answers about potential terror ties of an illegal immigrant accused of trying to murder pro-Israel...",
        "source": "Yahoo News",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "FIRST ON FOX: Ohio GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno has sent a letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation calling for the bureau to get to the bottom of questions surrounding possible terror ties of the man accused of committing a terrorist attack against a pro-Israel group in Colorado.\n\n\"Jewish Americans are under attack,\" Moreno wrote to FBI Director Kash Patel in a letter obtained by Fox News Digital. \"We are now seeing the horrifying reality of that phrase played out on American streets. If Jews aren't being murdered in cold blood in our nation's capital, they are quite literally being burned alive by an illegal alien.\"\n\nMoreno's letter comes in the wake of an attack on a pro-Israel group in Boulder, Colorado.\n\nAdvertisement Advertisement\n\nAdvertisement Advertisement\n\nMohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national in the country illegally, was arrested at the scene after he allegedly set his victims on fire as they peacefully rallied on behalf of Israeli hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza. Soliman was heard yelling \"Free Palestine\" and other anti-Israel slogans during the attack on victims ranging in age from 52 to 88.\n\nUs Politicians, Jewish Groups Condemn 'Horrifying' Boulder Terror Attack: 'Vile, Antisemitic Act Of Terror'\n\nSen. Bernie Moreno sent a list of questions to the FBI following a \"targeted terror attack\" on a pro-Israel group in Colorado.\n\nMoreno thanked the FBI, which quickly labeled the violence as a \"targeted terror attack,\" for its \"swift action.\"\n\nRead On The Fox News App\n\nAdvertisement Advertisement\n\nAdvertisement Advertisement\n\n\"As a member of the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, it is my responsibility to investigate and tell the American people the truth about how this illegal alien entered the country under the Biden-Harris Administration and was permitted to not only stay in the country but also commit acts of terror on Jewish Americans,\" Moreno wrote.\n\nFetterman, Mccormick React To 'Astonishing' Boulder Attack On Pro-israel Group: 'Rank Antisemitism'\n\nMoreno was sworn into the Senate on Jan. 3.\n\nMoreno's letter asks the FBI to respond with answers to questions within 60 days about the potential terror ties of the suspect, including who was harboring him in the United States, who paid for his travel overseas, and what, if any, links does the suspect have to ISIS or Hamas.\n\nMoreno also asked about the vetting process for the suspect when he entered the country during the Biden administration, including how he was allowed to obtain a work authorization and what the basis was for any asylum claim that might have been filed.\n\nAdvertisement Advertisement\n\nAdvertisement Advertisement\n\nFox News Digital reached out to the FBI for comment.\n\n\"The FBI is investigating the attack as a targeted act of terrorism and is working with the Boulder Police Department to process the crime scene, interview witnesses and gather evidence,\" the FBI said in a statement on Sunday.\n\n\"Our strength as a society comes from our shared values, and our commitment to protecting one another. Any attempt to divide us through fear or harm has no place in Boulder – Colorado or anywhere in our nation,\" said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek.\n\nFederal court filings, according to Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin in a post on X, show that Soliman, who has been charged with a federal hate crime, \"admitted in an interview that he wants to kill all ‘Zionist’ people and had been planning the attack for a year, and that he would conduct the attack again if he could.\"\n\nAdvertisement Advertisement\n\nAdvertisement Advertisement\n\n\"This man was admitted into the country via a tourist visa during the Biden administration. He overstayed, filed an asylum request, and was granted work authorization by the Biden admin, which expired at the end of March of this year.\"\n\n\n\n\n\nOriginal article source: GOP senator demands FBI probe Biden-era vetting process for Boulder terror suspect: 'Under attack'"
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump Live Updates: Elon Musk Calls Trump’s Signature Bill an ‘Abomination’",
        "id": "d-90",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/03/us/trump-news",
        "snippet": "Experts said the move, which did not offer explicit guidance to hospitals, could discourage doctors from performing emergency abortions in...",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "The jet engine technology that powers airplanes comes mostly from U.S. companies, but the engines can’t function without rare earth minerals that are manufactured largely in China.\n\nThe U.S.-China trade conflict is quickly morphing into a fight over global supply chains, as the two nations limit the sharing of critical technologies that could have lasting consequences for scores of industries.\n\nThe United States last week suspended some sales to China of components and software used in jet engines and semiconductors, a response to a clampdown by Beijing on the export of minerals used in large sectors of manufacturing. Both sides over the last few days have accused the other of operating in bad faith.\n\nThe supply chain warfare, which comes on top of tariffs the two countries have inflicted on the other’s imports, has alarmed companies that say they cannot make their products without components sourced from both. And it has made officials in Washington increasingly nervous about other choke points where China could squeeze the United States, including pharmaceuticals or shipping.\n\n“The supply chain wars that we’ve been speculating about for years are now happening,” said Liza Tobin, a former White House national security adviser who is now the managing director at Garnaut Global, a risk advisory firm.\n\nIn recent weeks, the airplane industry has emerged as both a weapon, and a victim, in this fight.\n\nThe jet engine technology that powers airplanes, and the navigation systems that control them, largely come from the United States, developed by companies like General Electric. In China’s quest to build a viable competitor to Boeing, for example, it has had to source engine technology from GE Aerospace.\n\nBut a jet engine also cannot be made without China. Minerals that are processed there are essential for special coatings and components that help the engine operate smoothly at high temperatures, as well as other uses.\n\nBeijing restricted exports of those minerals, known as rare earths, in April after President Trump began imposing high tariffs on Chinese imports.\n\nThe move has threatened to shutter what is left of advanced manufacturing in the United States — including the work done by many defense contractors. In May, Ford Motor temporarily closed a factory in Chicago after one of its suppliers ran out of the magnets it needed to build cars.\n\nThe United States responded with its own tech restrictions. Last week, U.S. officials suspended some licenses that allowed American companies to ship airplane technology to China, as well as others related to biotechnology and semiconductors, people familiar with the move say.\n\nAt the same time, officials in the Department of Defense, the Department of the Interior and the National Security Council are accelerating efforts to find more domestic supplies of rare earths, including considering U.S. government funding for new mines and processing facilities, people familiar with the matter said.\n\nBut any such efforts could take years to come to fruition. On average, it has taken the United States 29 years to develop a single mine, according to statistics from S&P.\n\nThe Trump administration is also weighing further actions. It has been considering including major Chinese chipmakers, as well as units of Chinese technology giants like Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu, on a so-called entity list that prohibits them from engaging in trade with the United States, people familiar with the discussions said.\n\nThe supply chain battle has been years in the making. And both countries have been trying to guard against the other’s control of strategic goods by diversifying their own sources of supply.\n\nAfter Mr. Trump levied tariffs on China during his first term, many American companies established factories in countries outside of China, including Vietnam and Mexico. Xi Jinping, China’s leader, set out to make his country less reliant on foreign sources of energy and technology by pumping huge investments into factories making semiconductors, solar panels and electric vehicles.\n\nEven so, the economies remain deeply integrated, an intractable reality as hundreds of billions of dollars in trade flow across the Pacific each year. While both countries are resolved to reduce their dependencies on the other for national security reasons, doing so will be expensive and painful.\n\nSince 2022, for example, the United States has been steadily expanding a global system to regulate advanced semiconductors and stop the technology from flowing to China. The rules have been aimed at restricting China’s access to artificial intelligence and advanced computing needed to augment its military. But they have been met with fierce resistance from an industry that sees China as an important source of revenue.\n\nThe United States has extended these export controls around the world, even forbidding companies in other countries from selling products to China if they use American parts, technology or software to manufacture them. While some foreign governments have bristled at these rules, many have fallen in line.\n\nImage The U.S. and Chinese economies remain deeply integrated, with hundreds of billions of dollars of trade flowing across the Pacific each year. Credit... The New York Times\n\nThis system rests on the idea that the United States should be the sole global power whose rules other countries need to abide by. But for China, rare earth minerals are a way to challenge the American assertion of dominance.\n\nBeijing set up a licensing system that allows it to monitor and approve sales of rare earths, and magnets made from them, to companies worldwide. When Mr. Trump ratcheted up tariffs on China to 145 percent in April, Beijing responded by targeting shipments of rare earths, including pausing many of them.\n\nIn May, American and Chinese officials arranged a meeting in Geneva to try to defuse their trade tensions. The Trump administration had several reasons to try to strike a truce. Companies had been warning of the risk of empty store shelves later this year because of plummeting imports from China, and stock and bond markets were flashing warning signs. But it was China’s rare earth restrictions that appeared to put the most pressure on the United States to reach a resolution.\n\nNegotiators agreed in Geneva to lower tariffs. As part of the deal, China said it would “suspend or remove the non-tariff countermeasures taken against the United States since April,” according to a joint statement.\n\nU.S. officials say Chinese shipments have yet to return to their previous levels. During an appearance on CNBC on Friday, Jamieson Greer, the United States Trade Representative, said that the Chinese were “slow-rolling their compliance” and that American officials “haven’t seen the flow of some of those critical minerals like they’re supposed to be doing.”\n\nMr. Trump was more blunt. In a post on Truth Social on Friday, he wrote that China had “TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US,” adding, “So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!”\n\nLin Jian, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denied the accusation in a briefing Tuesday, saying that China had “earnestly implemented” the consensus reached in Geneva. Chinese officials say it is the United States that broke the deal, including by issuing a notice saying that the use of chips made by Huawei, the Chinese technology firm, anywhere in the world violated U.S. law.\n\n“The U.S., without any factual basis, has smeared and accused China, imposed export controls on chips, suspended sales of chip design software to China and announced the cancellation of Chinese student visas — extreme measures that severely undermine the Geneva Consensus and harm China’s legitimate rights and interests,” Mr. Lin said.\n\nWhile some U.S. auto and electronics makers have recently received licenses from China for mineral shipments, the uncertainty and continued backlog of requests for the products are continuing to make companies nervous. China had also appeared to be giving preference to European companies over American ones.\n\nThe tensions are spilling over into other aspects of the United States’ diplomatic relations with China. The Trump administration has also proposed plans to “aggressively revoke” visas of Chinese students, including those with ties to the Communist Party.\n\nSo far, it is unclear how the tensions can be defused. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said Monday that Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi would likely speak in a call this week. The Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said he had “no information to offer” on the call.\n\nDaniel H. Rosen, the co-founder of Rhodium Group, a research company, said that Beijing recognized years ago that rare earths would be central to advanced technologies and subsidized the build-out of those supplies. The United States, he added, “horribly underestimated” the demand for them.\n\nChina mines 70 percent of the world’s rare earths, but it does the chemical processing for 90 percent of them. The country also makes more than 80 percent of the world’s batteries, more than 70 percent of its electric cars, and about half of the world’s steel, iron and aluminum, according to data from the International Energy Agency.\n\nSecuring an alternative supply would likely require the United States to invest hundreds of billions of dollars, Mr. Rosen said, and cooperation with global partners who were willing to work to set up supply chains outside of China.\n\n“It’s going to be expensive,” he said. “We have a long way to go.”\n\nWhile some shipments of minerals have restarted, many U.S. industries remain anxious about shortages of supplies. Paul Triolo, a partner at Albright Stonebridge Group, said the Chinese licensing system was cumbersome and that there had been a notable drop in shipments of critical minerals since the start of April, when Mr. Trump first issued astronomical tariffs on China.\n\nMr. Triolo said the United States had no choice except to negotiate with Beijing on the issue, as well as set up a long-term strategy with other countries to reduce its dependence on China over the next five to seven years.\n\n“This problem is deep and long lasting,” he said. “It will not go away, or be easily solved.”\n\nChris Buckley , Keith Bradsher and Amy Chang Chien contributed reporting and research."
      },
      {
        "title": "Jake Tapper's 'Original Sin': Blaming Democrats for Republicans' choices",
        "id": "d-91",
        "link": "https://www.alternet.org/alternet-exclusives/jake-tapper-s-original-sin-blaming-democrats-for-republican-choices/",
        "snippet": "Let me cut to the chase. Even if there were a “cover up” of the previous president's infirmity, that's not why Donald Trump won.",
        "source": "AlterNet",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Let me cut to the chase. Even if there were a “cover up” of the previous president’s infirmity, that’s not why Donald Trump won.\n\nYet that is the allegation hiding in the subtext of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s new book. The sin in Original Sin is evidently the sin of pride, as in: Joe Biden was just too damn proud to let go of power. And due to his sinfulness, our democracy is now on the brink of collapse.\n\nMost of the attention seems to be on the question of Biden’s cognitive decline. Virtually none is on the question itself and the reasons behind it. That’s because, according to the logic of the Washington press corps, it’s normal to blame Democrats for the choices of Republicans. The thinking goes that Trump didn’t win. Biden handed him victory.\n\nBecause Democrats are the only ones with agency, they are the only ones held accountable. Donald Trump and the Republicans are therefore free to say whatever they want with an understanding among reporters who provide coverage that there’s no stopping them.\n\nThis is why there was so much reporting on Biden’s age, before the election and now afterward, but nothing close to equivalent coverage of the current president’s blindingly obvious mental deterioration. If there was a cover up for Biden, there is surely a cover up for Trump. But given the state of today’s news, we may never know about it.\n\nThe impact of this double standard goes beyond media framing. It can warp public understanding of politics, according to Scott Lemieux. Scott teaches constitutional law at the University of Washington. He’s probably best known as co-founder of Lawyers, Guns and Money.\n\nIn this interview with me, Scott explains why he believes that even if Biden had dropped out after the 2022 midterms, Vice President Kamala Harris would have been the Democratic Party’s nominee.\n\nScott said that to say Trump won because Biden didn't step down “is at best a vast oversimplification driven by a political vision in which Democrats are the only actors (and letting the press entirely off the hook for the normalization of Trump, even in the wake of January 6.)”\n\n\n\n\n\nLet's establish some facts. Was there a cover up? Or are Tapper and Thompson pandering to the Republicans by piling on Biden?\n\nThis may not be a fully satisfying answer, but I think there's some of both. Clearly, Tapper and Thompson are playing on Biden's unpopularity and Republican desires to distract from Trump’s countless problems to sell books. But Biden does seem to have declined pretty substantially in his last 12 to 18 months in office. I think it's clear he should not have run again, and Biden's inner circle were not sufficiently candid with the public, or in advising the president.\n\nHow do this play into your view of Tapper and Thompson's book? Trump isn't a spring chicken either. He's corrupt to the core. Yet Tapper said recently that this “cover up” was worse than Watergate .\n\nUnlike EMAILS, or most of the Hunter Biden stuff, Biden's age and ability to run again, and the conduct of his closest advisors, were real issues worthy of coverage. But there remain real questions of proportionality. The risks of an aging president \"mysteriously\" became much less central to press coverage when Harris became the Democratic nominee, and the full-court press on this book is detracting from Trump's increasing incoherence and apparent lack of command of the policies being issued by his own administration.\n\nObviously, Tapper and Thompson have a book to sell, and it is what it is, but people will have a legitimate beef against the press if Trump’s age and decline don't get a proportionate amount of coverage.\n\nWe're talking about more than proportionality. We're talking about a press corps that tends to hold the Democrats accountable for the Republicans' choices. The New Yorker excerpt of Original Sin was titled \" How Joe Biden Handed the Presidency to Donald Trump .\"\n\nI would also take issue with the empirical assumption being made.\n\nWhile I agree that Biden should not have run again, had he stepped down after the midterms, the result probably would have been Vice President Kamala Harris still being the nominee after an extremely divisive primary in which Gaza would have played a major role.\n\nAny serious analysis of the 2024 elections needs to start with the fact that Harris did better than any other peer incumbent since 2021. That's not to say that she was a perfect candidate or ran a flawless campaign, but \"Trump only won because Biden didn't step down in 2022\" is at best a vast oversimplification driven by a political vision in which Democrats are the only actors (and letting the press entirely off the hook for the normalization of Trump, even in the wake of January 6.)\n\nRelated to the “cover up” of Biden's age are the allegations that elite Democrats covered up the truth about Biden's primary victory in 2020. You wrote recently about how this book invites rewriting that history, and rewriting it badly. Can you explain?\n\nTapper recently asserted that the 2020 primary was the result of a metaphorical \"smoke filled room\" in which \"Barack Obama and others called Buttigieg and Klobuchar and Booker and Warren and all the others, and encouraged them to drop out and get behind Biden.\"\n\nFirst, there's the factual sloppiness. Booker dropped out in January, Warren (and Bloomberg) didn't drop out before Super Tuesday. That sloppiness isn't just incidental. When you look at what really happened -- two minor candidates with little money and who had no appeal outside of the small white rural states frontloaded in the process dropped out, as happens in every competitive primary -- it's very, very obvious that it was immaterial to the outcome of the race.\n\nWhat actually happened is that Democratic elites were at best mostly lukewarm about Biden, and were hoping that a younger candidate would emerge. I'm sure there was some coordination between Obama and Klobuchar/Buttegeig after South Carolina and Alabama, but the conventional wisdom Tapper repeats gets cause and effect backwards. Party elites wanted to unite around Biden, because his win had become inevitable. It wasn't the reason Biden's win was inevitable.\n\nAn honest account of the 2020 primary would start with the fact that Biden was (for better or worse) the clear choice of Democratic voters, not the result of some elite conspiracy. And going forward, the left of the party needs to recognize that the strategy pursued by Bernie Sanders in 2020 -- run a factional campaign and hope to win as a minority candidate at a contested convention -- was a dead end, tactically and democratically, that shouldn't be tried again.\n\nLast question. Swing for the fences. Why is political journalism so dumb? It could be really good, but it's not. And it's making us dumber. There seems to be no incentive in the other direction.\n\nThis is a complex question. I'm not sure I understand why. Obviously, there's plenty of good work being done by individual reporters and outlets. The biggest problem is at the editorial level. As you said earlier, there's a strong latent tendency to make Democrats the main characters of the political universe, and hold them to higher standards. This was particularly evident in 2016, when Trump was covered as a sideshow and Clinton was covered as if she was the president-elect.\n\nOne really glaring example was the refusal of any mainstream outlet to publish any of the hacked material about the Trump campaign provided by Iranian intelligence . In isolation, this is perfectly defensible. None of the material that surfaced was particularly interesting, and I think there should be a pretty tough standard for publishing hacked material, because of the bad incentives.\n\nBut it's impossible to square with the media's conduct in 2016, in which hacked material spun on behalf of Trump received enormous amounts of coverage despite containing no serious news value.\n\nThe press is not obliged to learn from its mistakes, but it owed the public an explanation, and the fact that editors generally didn't feel that it was owed one is very telling. I don't think there's an easy solution, but we need to start by acknowledging there's a real problem.\n\nNOW READ: The question no one is asking"
      },
      {
        "title": "Donald Trump elected 47th president of the United States",
        "id": "d-92",
        "link": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/donald-trump-elected-47th-president-of-the-united-states",
        "snippet": "WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former...",
        "source": "PBS",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSUw3ruQfK3xhvHbJJsyvoXsGqlWeIi96IuvwpYE4AbCZ3jKmW1khOzXWIdHA&s",
        "content": "WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States on Wednesday, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts.\n\nWith a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.\n\nThe victory validates his bare-knuckle approach to politics. He attacked his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, in deeply personal – often misogynistic and racist – terms as he pushed an apocalyptic picture of a country overrun by violent migrants. The coarse rhetoric, paired with an image of hypermasculinity, resonated with angry voters – particularly men – in a deeply polarized nation.\n\n“I want to thank the American people for the extraordinary honor of being elected your 47th president and your 45th president,” Trump told throngs of cheering supporters in Florida even before his victory was confirmed.\n\nIn state after state, Trump outperformed what he did in the 2020 election while Harris failed to do as well as Joe Biden did in winning the presidency four years ago. Upon taking office again, Trump also will work with a Senate that will now be in Republican hands, while control of the House hadn’t been determined.\n\n“We’ve been through so much together, and today you showed up in record numbers to deliver a victory,” Trump said. “This was something special and we’re going to pay you back,” he said.\n\nIn his second term, Trump has vowed to pursue an agenda centered on dramatically reshaping the federal government and pursuing retribution against his perceived enemies.\n\nLIVE: Electoral College Calculator\n\nThe results cap a historically tumultuous and competitive election season that included two assassination attempts targeting Trump and a shift to a new Democratic nominee just a month before the party’s convention. Trump will inherit a range of challenges when he assumes office on Jan. 20, including heightened political polarization and global crises that are testing America’s influence abroad.\n\nHis win against Harris, the first woman of color to lead a major party ticket, marks the second time he has defeated a female rival in a general election. Harris, the current vice president, rose to the top of the ticket after Biden exited the race amid alarm about his advanced age. Despite an initial surge of energy around her campaign, she struggled during a compressed timeline to convince disillusioned voters that she represented a break from an unpopular administration.\n\nThe vice president has not publicly spoken since the race was called. Her campaign co-chair, Cedric Richmond, said she would speak Wednesday: “She will be back here tomorrow.”\n\nTrump is the first former president to return to power since Grover Cleveland regained the White House in the 1892 election. He is the first person convicted of a felony to be elected president and, at 78, is the oldest person elected to the office. His vice president, 40-year-old Ohio Sen. JD Vance, will become the highest-ranking member of the millennial generation in the U.S. government.\n\nCongratulations started pouring in from world leaders even before Trump’s victory was announced.\n\nThere will be far fewer checks on Trump when he returns to the White House. He has plans to swiftly enact a sweeping agenda that would transform nearly every aspect of American government. His GOP critics in Congress have largely been defeated or retired. Federal courts are now filled with judges he appointed. The U.S. Supreme Court, which includes three Trump-appointed justices, issued a ruling earlier this year affording presidents broad immunity from prosecution.\n\nTrump’s language and behavior during the campaign sparked growing warnings from Democrats and some Republicans about shocks to democracy that his return to power would bring. He repeatedly praised strongman leaders, warned that he would deploy the military to target political opponents he labeled the “enemy from within,” threatened to take action against news organizations for unfavorable coverage and suggested suspending the Constitution.\n\nSERIES: A look at Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’ campaign pledges\n\nSome who served in his first White House, including Vice President Mike Pence and John Kelly, Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff, either declined to endorse him or issued dire public warnings about his return to the presidency.\n\nWhile Harris focused much of her initial message around themes of joy, Trump channeled a powerful sense of anger and resentment among voters\n\nHe seized on frustrations over high prices and fears about crime and migrants who illegally entered the country on Biden’s watch. He also highlighted wars in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to cast Democrats as presiding over – and encouraging – a world in chaos.\n\nIt was a formula Trump perfected in 2016, when he cast himself as the only person who could fix the country’s problems, often borrowing language from dictators.\n\n“In 2016, I declared I am your voice. Today I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution,” he said in March 2023.\n\nThis campaign often veered into the absurd, with Trump amplifying bizarre and disproven rumors that migrants were stealing and eating pet cats and dogs in an Ohio town. At one point, he kicked off a rally with a detailed story about the legendary golfer Arnold Palmer in which he praised his genitalia.\n\nREAD MORE: 24 things Trump is promising to do\n\nBut perhaps the defining moment came in July when a gunman opened fire at a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A bullet grazed Trump’s ear and killed one of his supporters. His face streaked with blood, Trump stood and raised his fist in the air, shouting “Fight! Fight! Fight!” Weeks later, a second assassination attempt was thwarted after a Secret Service agent spotted the barrel of a gun poking through the greenery while Trump was playing golf.\n\nTrump is the first former president to return to power since Grover Cleveland regained the White House in the 1892 election.\n\nTrump’s return to the White House seemed unlikely when he left Washington in early 2021 as a diminished figure whose lies about his defeat sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He was so isolated at the time that few outside of his family bothered to attend the send-off he organized for himself at Andrews Air Force Base, complete with a 21-gun salute.\n\nDemocrats who controlled the U.S. House quickly impeached him for his role in the insurrection, making him the only president to be impeached twice. He was acquitted by the U.S. Senate, where many Republicans argued that he no longer posed a threat because he had left office.\n\nBut from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump – aided by some elected Republicans – worked to maintain his political relevance. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the California Republican who at the time led his party in the U.S. House, visited Trump soon after he left office, essentially validating his continued role in the party.\n\nAs the 2022 midterm election approached, Trump used the power of his endorsement to assert himself as the unquestioned leader of the party. His preferred candidates almost always won their primaries, but some went on to defeat in elections that Republicans viewed as within their grasp. Those disappointing results were driven in part by a backlash to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that revoked a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion, a decision that was aided by Trump-appointed justices. The midterm election prompted questions within the GOP about whether Trump should remain the party’s leader.\n\nBut if Trump’s future was in doubt, that changed in 2023 when he faced a wave of state and federal indictments for his role in the insurrection, his handling of classified information and election interference. He used the charges to portray himself as the victim of an overreaching government, an argument that resonated with a GOP base that was increasingly skeptical – if not outright hostile – to institutions and established power structures.\n\nFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who challenged Trump for the Republican nomination, lamented that the indictments “sucked out all the oxygen” from this year’s GOP primary. Trump easily captured his party’s nomination without ever participating in a debate against DeSantis or other GOP candidates.\n\nWhen he becomes president on Jan. 20, Trump could appoint an attorney general who would erase the federal charges.\n\nWith Trump dominating the Republican contest, a New York jury found him guilty in May of 34 felony charges in a scheme to illegally influence the 2016 election through a hush money payment to a porn actor who said the two had sex. He faces sentencing later this month, though his victory poses serious questions about whether he will ever face punishment.\n\nHe has also been found liable in two other New York civil cases: one for inflating his assets and another for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996.\n\nTrump is subject to additional criminal charges in an election-interference case in Georgia that has become bogged down. On the federal level, he’s been indicted for his role in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election and improperly handling classified material. When he becomes president on Jan. 20, Trump could appoint an attorney general who would erase the federal charges.\n\nAs he prepares to return to the White House, Trump has vowed to swiftly enact a radical agenda that would transform nearly every aspect of American government. That includes plans to launch the largest deportation effort in the nation’s history, to use the Justice Department to punish his enemies, to dramatically expand the use of tariffs and to again pursue a zero-sum approach to foreign policy that threatens to upend longstanding foreign alliances, including the NATO pact.\n\nWhen he arrived in Washington 2017, Trump knew little about the levers of federal power. His agenda was stymied by Congress and the courts, as well as senior staff members who took it upon themselves to serve as guardrails.\n\nThis time, Trump has said he would surround himself with loyalists who will enact his agenda, no questions asked, and who will arrive with hundreds of draft executive orders, legislative proposals and in-depth policy papers in hand.\n\n\n\nColvin reported from West Palm Beach, Florida.\n\nThis is a developing story and will be updated.\n\nFind more of our Vote 2024 coverage"
      },
      {
        "title": "Seven key takeaways from Trump's presidential election victory",
        "id": "d-93",
        "link": "https://hub.jhu.edu/2024/11/11/insights-and-impacts-election-2024/",
        "snippet": "Experts and authors from both sides of the political divide discuss the 2024 election and what it means for the U.S. and the world.",
        "source": "Johns Hopkins University",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQZTUhRaVcnv5pluA_Tk71W_5T_MgRYKZgcbjZVBXcqFtFtxGrPA68QZPZuzw&s",
        "content": "Media Inquiries Name Johns Hopkins Media Relations Email jhunews@jhu.edu Office phone 443-997-9009\n\nDonald Trump winning a second White House term didn't come as a surprise to Johns Hopkins historian Leah Wright Rigueur, who homed in on the election's social-historical context:\n\n\"The increasing polarization over the last four years, [combined] with an incumbent president stepping down in the middle of his campaign and a Black, southeast Asian woman becoming the nominee for president and only having 107 days to prepare—Kamala Harris was running an uphill, underdog battle,\" said Wright Rigueur, an associate professor at the university's SNF Agora Institute.\n\nWright Rigueur joined panelists from both sides of the political divide on Nov. 7 to address the possible effects of the election during Johns Hopkins University's virtual event Insights and Impacts: Post-Election Debrief.\n\nVideo credit: Hopkins at Home and the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University\n\nAlongside Wright Rigueur, panelists included Soren Dayton, director of governance at the Niskanen Center, a non-partisan think tank; Lilliana Mason, associate professor of political science at Johns Hopkins; and Eugene Scott, host of the political show Axios Live and a fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School Institute of Politics.\n\nAmy Binder, a sociology professor at Johns Hopkins, introduced the panelists, and Steven Teles, a Johns Hopkins political science professor and a senior fellow at the Niskanen Center, moderated the Hopkins at Home event, which was free and open to the public.\n\nHere are seven takeaways from the conversation:\n\nEconomic worries mattered.\n\n\"We currently have the best economy in the world within the United States, … but there was a real disconnect between how the economy works in theory and on paper [and] how people were feeling it in their day-to-day lives,\" Wright Rigueur said.\n\nHarris spoke about increasing wages and making home-buying more affordable, but her message didn't break through, Wright Rigueur said. Additionally, \"the Biden administration very rarely touted their economic accomplishments, … their climate change accomplishments, … [and] their infrastructure and even border control and immigration [accomplishments],\" she said.\n\nTrump attracted new voters.\n\n\"One of the things [Trump] was able to do quite effectively was create a multiracial, multi-ethnic coalition of grievance populism that resulted in a powerful show at the polls,\" Mason said.\n\nTrump received more votes from Latino residents than any other Republican presidential candidate in history, and he also made notable inroads with Black voters. \"But in specific areas, particularly in battleground states, Trump doubled his percentage of support among Black male voters,\" Mason said.\n\nIn Dearborn, Michigan, which usually overwhelmingly back Democrats, as many as \"45% of Muslim residents voted for Donald Trump, 33% voted for Jill Stein, and support for Kamala Harris [dropped to an unprecedented] low 20s,\" said Wright Rigueur, who attributed the shift among Muslim voters to the Biden administration's handled the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.\n\nInformation inconsistencies contributed.\n\nHarris made women's reproductive rights a focal point of her campaign, but Trump didn't discuss the matter much, Mason said. When he did, he told audiences he wanted individual states to make the decision. It didn't help that \"a lot of the news sources Republicans tend to consume weren't saying anything about the threat to abortion access or rights,\" she said.\n\nWright Rigueur cited another example: the stimulus relief bill passed by Congress at the end of Trump's first presidency. Trump wanted to veto the bill \"but later had no choice but to sign it into law,\" she said. He then decided to put his name on the checks. \"Everybody laughed and [thought] it was arrogant, but people remember those checks and say, 'Donald Trump gave me $1,200.'\"\n\nWhat they don't remember, she continued, is the second round of $1,200 relief checks sent by Joe Biden. Why? Biden didn't print his name on the checks—he followed standard practice and had the Secretary of the Treasury sign them.\n\nResults reflect a global trend.\n\nIn elections worldwide, incumbent candidates are losing, and the Harris defeat is yet another example, Mason said.\n\n\"In response to inflation or to the trauma of COVID, the whole world is still trying to process fear and uncertainty,\" Mason explained. \"When [people] are uncertain, they tend to go toward a strongman\" or anti-establishment leader who isn't the incumbent.\n\nSimilarly, fear and uncertainty have fueled what some panelists called \"an anti-institution movement\"—that is, a growing distrust in the government agencies, universities, schools, and medical systems entrusted to take care of, educate, and advance society.\n\n\"Institutions have different rules than rogue actors or extremist groups,\" Mason said, \"and they're being scapegoated because they don't really fight back—they have to obey their own rules about inclusion and diversity and freedom of speech and pluralism.\"\n\nPolitical parties shifted.\n\nThe Republican base is now largely made up of the working class, panelists said.\n\n\"The Democratic coalition today is massively, disproportionately represented by professionals, university professors, experts, [and] all of those people who, to some degree, are the enforcers of propriety,\" Teles said.\n\nThe business community used to be an \"anchor tenant\" of the Republican Party, Teles added, and it remains to be seen whether \"Trump will just accept that a lot of business is going to leave the Republican Party, and that they'll pick up enough working-class party voters to be OK with business [primarily] ending up in the Democratic Party.\"\n\nAccording to Dayton, \"if you are working in a high-skill information industry, [you're likely] going Democrat fast. If you're in an extractive industry [such as] agriculture and mining, you're going to have strong reasons to like Trump.\"\n\nTrump's style remains controversial.\n\nPanelists brought up concerns about Trump's unorthodox style on and off throughout the conversation. \"I'm of the firm belief that one of the reasons Trump did as well as he did, compared to 2020, is because he's not on TV every day,\" Scott said. \"If Trump continues being who he was, … I think people's tolerance for decency—or indecency, I should say—will be tested.\"\n\nNevertheless, many voters overlooked Trump's idiosyncrasies to cast a vote for him anyway.\n\n\"The reality is that too many voters are far less concerned about that than they are about their rent going up, the cost of X going up, higher education being incredibly unaffordable, and so many other issues affecting voters' day-to-day,\" Scott said.\n\nTrump's agenda and power are still up in the air.\n\nJust because the Republican Party swept the Senate and is likely to narrowly control the House doesn't mean Trump will have unlimited power. As Scott said, \"the president has put forward an agenda and ideas, and he has said some things he'll do, but the reality is that he's not a king.\"\n\nDayton said much or some of what Trump campaigned on likely won't actually happen. The first Trump administration wanted to cut NSF funding, for example, but our \"Republican-led Congress gave [the funding] 20 to 30% increases every year.\"\n\n\"I have trouble seeing a world with massive cuts to science because we know that's a source of growth, and we've seen those budgets maintained across administrations,\" Dayton said. \"All of these people understand—and I put J.D. Vance at the top of this list—that research is a massive driver of economic growth and opportunity.\"\n\nScott said he knows many people are scared right now, including his students at Harvard, who expressed alarm after the election. \"I encourage people to not assume the worst will happen every single time,\" he said, adding that Trump tried to overturn the Affordable Care Act during his first administration, but it didn't happen.\n\n\"There is not a single president you can name who achieved everything he campaigned on, not just because of his political opponents but also because of people within their [own] party, and because the reality of making certain things happen is not as easy as giving a speech saying you're going to make something happen,\" Scott said.\n\nJohns Hopkins University is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit institution that does not endorse or oppose any candidate for public office."
      },
      {
        "title": "US election 2024 updates: With Arizona, Trump sweeps all seven swing states",
        "id": "d-94",
        "link": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/11/9/us-election-live-trump-presidency-takes-shape-as-house-hangs-in-balance",
        "snippet": "With a victory in Arizona on Saturday, US President-elect Donald Trump won all seven swing states in the presidential election.",
        "source": "Al Jazeera",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS4cdRMRJFlnQ6BaR-YANa10FU0iUCLzBy6q_vSQx5PQJjafiJ01RLNR7bNuw&s",
        "content": "US election 2024 updates: With Arizona, Trump sweeps all seven swing states\n\nThese are the updates for Saturday, November 9, 2024 as races continue to be counted for the House of Representatives."
      },
      {
        "title": "UC Berkeley scholars say the economy, sexism and conspiracies fueled Trump’s reelection",
        "id": "d-95",
        "link": "https://news.berkeley.edu/2024/11/06/uc-berkeley-scholars-say-the-economy-sexism-and-conspiracies-fueled-trumps-reelection/",
        "snippet": "Donald Trump's victory was made possible by a confluence of factors and will have implications domestically and abroad that \"are hard to overstate,\" UC...",
        "source": "Berkeley News",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRhwhl344Yh1yh8EsbkIKxvYmrJEea4bFw2gZSmbmHj0aAadOumBK-m8Xlc-A&s",
        "content": "Former President Donald Trump has decisively won reelection to the White House, a political outcome that began reverberating around the globe in the hours after the polls closed Tuesday. After polling for weeks had shown a too-close-to-call race that might take days to conclude, Trump’s clear win struck many as a shock.\n\nAnalysts will likely need years to fully understand the forces that drove his return to power. But on the day after, top UC Berkeley scholars offer a sharp and sometimes unsettling assessment of the dynamics at play. Some cite Trump’s appeal to white voters, who looked past the insurrection against democracy on Jan. 6, 2021. One says that Americans are not ready to trust a woman with presidential power. And others say Trump’s victory reflects a global rage against political leadership and warn that it could help fuel a new era of global instability.\n\nBelow, read a full range of responses to the election results by UC Berkeley experts in political science, sociology, international relations and other fields.\n\nWhat is your main takeaway from the election results that will bring Donald Trump back to the White House?\n\nEric Schickler\n\nThere are many takeaways from the election results. But the most important implication is that just four years after the Jan. 6 insurrection, former President Trump will be back in the White House — now surrounded by staff and agency leaders who will be more committed to him both personally and to his agenda.\n\nWith a Republican Senate (and likely House), he will be able to make some major legislative changes, especially when it comes to taxes. But as head of the executive branch, he will be in a position to act unilaterally on a host of other issues, pushing the limits of presidential power. With a supportive Supreme Court, the implications for policy and governance are hard to overstate.\n\n— Eric Schickler, political scientist and co-director of the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS)\n\nYou’ve spoken about how economic insecurity led white men, in particular, to support Trump and stick with him. What does his defeat of Kamala Harris tell you about the enduring power of that demographic’s political beliefs and power?\n\nI see the outcome of the presidential election fundamentally as an expression of anger about the state of the economy. As the saying goes, “It is the economy, stupid.” The economy is working well for some groups of people, to be sure, but there are different economies for different sets of people.\n\nRaka Ray\n\nBut it’s also not just “the economy, stupid.” I would never discount the racist and misogynist rejection of a Black and South Asian woman; the deliberately circulated fears and lies that fed the wounded racial and masculine identity of particular demographic groups; the willingness of some immigrants to shut the door behind them; and the bogey figure of “trans” that came to stand in for historic changes that were hard to grapple with. Neither would I discount the effect of the global conflicts in which America is implicated.\n\nBut at the end of the day, I do not believe that these results would have occurred if large populations of Americans did not worry about the cost of groceries, utilities and rents. The success of a political party depends on its responsiveness to its constituents — not just as a pool of votes, but also to the social and political movements through which they express themselves. There are lessons here that the Democratic Party has, unfortunately, consistently failed to heed.\n\n— Raka Ray, dean of UC Berkeley Social Sciences and professor of sociology and South Asian studies\n\nBefore the election, a Berkeley IGS Poll found that even in California, support for Kamala Harris was significantly less than Joe Biden’s 2020 support among Asian American and Latinx voters, and particularly men in those communities. An exit poll this morning showed that Latinx men really moved toward Trump. Do you have any insights as to why so many in these communities turned from Harris or were drawn to Trump?\n\nThere has been much discussion this election about growing support for Trump among non-white voters, but little focus on the ongoing and growing support for Trump among white voters, particularly white women. Many pundits assumed white women would turn out for Harris because of their concerns about reproductive justice. Yet, we must remember that white women have only voted Democratic once in the past 50 years: That was in 1996, in favor of Bill Clinton.\n\nLisa García Bedolla\n\nLooking at voters of color, although it is true that Latine men seemed to be more supportive of Trump this cycle, I would be very skeptical of exit poll results that are significantly different from high-quality survey results taken shortly before the election. Exit polls have many methodological problems and are particularly bad at identifying trends within ethno-racial subpopulations. In October, Latine polling by Equis Research found about 55% Latine support for Harris in the battleground states, with stronger support among Latina women. There is no reason to believe things looked significantly different on Election Day.\n\nA more useful question is to consider the reasons underlying Trump’s appeal to voters. Many pundits have questioned how voters could support Trump in spite of his racist and misogynist statements. I would argue that many voters supported him because of these assertions. It was not only that many saw those controversial words as proof of his willingness to speak the “truth.” For some voters, Trump’s words made them feel powerful, gave them someone to blame for their problems, and made them feel confident he could fix them.\n\n— Lisa García Bedolla, political scientist, vice provost for graduate studies and dean of the Graduate Division\n\nDemocrats have nominated women as their presidential candidates twice in the past eight years, and both have lost. To what extent do you think gender played a role in the outcome, especially this year?\n\nAmong the many sociocultural factors affecting presidential elections, gender has been a defining dynamic for the last three cycles, with voters facing choices between male and female candidates for both presidential and vice presidential positions. The gender dynamics of the most recent election were intensified by contentious debates over reproductive rights and their disproportionate impact on women, as well as by one candidate’s explicit embrace of hypermasculinity.\n\nLaura Kray\n\nTwo fundamental questions emerged: whether voters would choose between dominant versus prestigious leadership styles, and whether America was ready to advance toward greater gender equality by electing a woman to the world’s most powerful position. The results appear to confirm that most American voters still implicitly endorse traditional gender hierarchies in political leadership, maintaining a system where men hold predominant power and authority.\n\nThe voting patterns across these recent elections reflect deeper societal dynamics around gender and power, suggesting that our society remains more comfortable with women in supporting roles rather than as the primary decision-maker, metaphorically preferring men at the helm while women occupy the passenger seat. While Americans may support women’s advancement in principle, electoral behavior continues to reflect weak implicit (and explicit) associations between the concepts of women and power.\n\n— Laura Kray, psychologist and director of the Center for Equity, Gender, and Leadership at the Haas School of Business\n\nWhy is hate and fear-mongering so motivating? Why did the GOP choose to capitalize on anti-trans hate in this election?\n\nThroughout their presidential campaign, the Republican Party used — which is to say produced — an atmosphere of anti-trans hate to move people to the polls, and it seems to have worked. For years, a coalition which includes many self-identified conservatives, along with their liberal co-conspirators, have seeded a trans panic on the local level, whether at school boards, libraries, sports fields and medical facilities.\n\nEric A. Stanley\n\nAs I’ve argued in my most recent book, anti-trans hate is so wildly successful because it makes the public fearfully obsessed with trans people. Ironically, many conservative commentators spend more hours per day talking about gender than I do as a professor who studies it. Of course, much of what they say is factually incorrect. However, they own the means of distribution, and so it is received as truth.\n\nThat said, anti-trans antagonism is a bipartisan affair. While the Republicans have been loud and clear about their will to eradicate trans people, Democrats have remained mostly silent. One could speculate that they fear the vitriol many of us survive, or perhaps they passively agree. Either way, it is illustrative of the Democratic Party’s move further toward the right which helped them lose the election.\n\n— Eric A. Stanley, Haas Distinguished Chair in LGBT Equity\n\nWas there a flaw, or a failure, in the Democrats’ strategy or tactics in this election that contributed to Trump’s win and Harris’ defeat?\n\nHarris launched strong, but after her great performance in the Sept. 10 debate, she and her party reverted to their ultra-risk-averse, low-dominance ways.\n\nM. Steven Fish\n\nHarris largely dropped the hard-edged, provocative spirit of her DNC speech and the debate. In interviews, she offered evasive, scripted, chutzpah-free answers, creating the impression that she was just a typical politician. Instead of staying on offense and limiting their attention to Trump largely to ridiculing him, the Democrats fell back on their timeworn, futile tactic of ceding the spotlight to him, repeating his outrageous statements and enjoining everyone to be fearful and offended.\n\nRather than forcefully celebrating the roaring economy, Harris remained wedded to the 21st century Democrats’ delusion that you score more points — even when the economy is sizzling and you’re in power — by expressing sympathy for supposedly suffering voters. Harris could have honored Americans’ bootstrap mentality and leveraged their patriotism, casting her program as a pro-growth dynamo that would send wages and corporate profits soaring and ensure that the American economy continues to leave the rest of the world in the dust.\n\nInstead, she played Santa Claus: a $50,000 tax credit for first-time business starters, $25,000 for first-time homebuyers, a $6,000 credit for newborns.\n\nHarris is a strong leader and a diehard patriot, and Trump is a coward at heart and a traitor to boot. Tragically, the Democrats neglected to show it.\n\n— M. Steven Fish, political scientist, author of “Comeback: Routing Trumpism, Reclaiming the Nation, and Restoring Democracy’s Edge”\n\nThe reflexive, morning-after worry is that U.S. democracy will literally and directly be at risk in a second Trump term. Is that a valid concern?\n\nDemocratic institutions in the U.S. continue to be under strain. It is a challenge for any country to have a national executive who has attempted to subvert a previous election.\n\nJake Grumbach\n\nOne concern is that the executive branch will use its authority to influence the administration of the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential elections. A second concern is that the reelection of a politician who has attempted election subversion will incentivize and embolden other politicians to threaten the rule of law and peaceful transfer of power. A third concern is that the “stop the steal” conspiracy about the 2020 election will continue to be popular, leading to further distrust in U.S. election administration.\n\nThis election has made clear that a majority of Americans are willing to vote for a candidate who threatens the rule of law, a serious concern of the Founders.\n\n— Jacob Grumbach, political scientist, leader of the Democracy Policy Lab at the Goldman School of Public Policy\n\nTo what extent do you feel conspiracy theories or conspiratorial thinking shaped the outcome of this election? Why does conspiracy thinking have such power over much of the electorate?\n\nThe United States has always been a nation of conspiracy theorists, and once again we will have a conspiracy theorist-in-chief. American politics have long been shaped by fears of conspiracy, from the colonial-era Illuminati to Henry Ford’s antisemitism. In 1965, historian Richard Hofstadter critiqued the “paranoid style” of demagogues and populists on the (mostly right-wing) fringe as the price society paid for consensus at the “vital center.”\n\nMichael Mark Cohen\n\nBut in the post-9/11 era, these fringes have conquered whatever remained of liberal society. Trump began his political rise with the “birther” conspiracy. His Muslim ban and border wall were not just nativist slogans, but solutions to the perceived threat of infiltrators seeking to “replace” white voters. And there was the “big lie” of 2020, in which massive voter fraud (now magically vanquished) prevented his re-election.\n\nThis new administration will be staffed with conspiracy theorists like Stephen Miller and RFK Jr., who promise to deliver Trump’s vengeance. Within the grip of paranoia, every accusation is both projection and a confession, and those who imagine themselves victims of conspiracy tend to conspire against others. But now, instead of this being a fringe fantasy, Trump’s authoritarian, if not openly fascist, conspiracy theories will be backed by the might of the American Empire.\n\n— Michael Mark Cohen, associate teaching professor of American studies and African American studies\n\nPut Trump’s victory in an international context: In tone and substance, does it parallel upheavals happening in other parts of the world?\n\nDonald Trump’s election fits a pattern of populist-nationalist insurgencies that have roiled democracies in the decade since Britain’s choice for Brexit. Populist-nationalists, as I would call them, have won elections in Europe, Latin America and South and Southeast Asia. Their insurgencies reflect impatience with incumbents and prevailing policies, but not with democracy itself. Democracy encompasses many varieties of politics, after all, and what we see in this populist-nationalist groundswell is a majoritarian reaction against the liberal-democratic synthesis that achieved broad global influence in the late 20th century.\n\nDaniel Sargent\n\nPut in broader perspective, the efforts of populists like Trump to “take back control,” reestablish borders and draw hard lines between insiders and outsiders aren’t novel; they’re doing what nationalists do. Liberals (like me) lament the populist-nationalist phenomenon, but we should hope — now that Trump has won — that populist-nationalism brings some benefits, especially for those Americans who have borne the brunt of globalization’s downside.\n\nMy deeper worry is for world order: Liberal policies and commitments sustained a tolerable peace and bolstered global prosperity over the past half-century. If history is any guide, the rise of populist-nationalism risks escalating international strife.\n\n— Daniel J. Sargent, historian and co-director of the Institute of International Studies\n\nGlobally, incumbents have recently experienced voters’ anger — it’s not just a U.S. phenomenon. In some cases, this seems to reflect an impatience with democracy itself. How would you explain this global pattern? Are there conditions or characteristics common across countries?\n\nSusan Hyde\n\nIt will take some time before we know exactly whether this election is similar to other countries’ experiences. Populism, frustration with inflation, ethnonationalism, and politician-led manipulation of voter fears about their fellow citizens are common to many elections around the world in recent years.\n\nIs this why Trump won? They are all potentially contributing factors, but I would hesitate before concluding that impatience with democracy itself is a global trend.\n\nRather, I see the global trend as one in which some of the institutional support structures for democratic processes — a strong and independent media at local and national levels, strong political parties, the massive increases in disinformation without any effective counter to it — weaken and make it easier for both populist and nativist politicians to thrive.\n\n— Susan D. Hyde, political scientist and co-director of the Institute of International Studies\n\nWhat did you learn from the election? And what does the future hold?\n\nThis presidential campaign illuminated the tensions between the ideals of American democracy and the human motives that can get in its way.\n\nDavid C. Wilson\n\nFormer President Trump and current Vice President Harris provided clear contrasts in experience, capacity, enthusiasm, optimism and compassion. While Harris provided policy details and offered bipartisan appeals, Trump cast a dark picture of criminal immigration, demonization and a country in decline. To the amazement of many, this appeal worked. One can only conclude that, for a majority of Americans, democracy is less about people and more about power — and who ought to hold it.\n\nA few points from exit polling stand out. While Harris won the women’s vote overall, white women, especially those who are suburban, married or who have no college degree, favored Trump. And while she won voters of color overall, Native Americans and Latino men favored Trump. The implication is that a majority of Americans may still have concerns about a president being a woman, person of color, or both.\n\nIt’s important to keep in mind that the presidential election was but one contest on a ballot of many decisions for voters. While former President Trump won a majority and the Electoral College, Democrats won statewide offices in the challenging states of Arizona, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Michigan.\n\nArizona’s constitutional right to abortion amendment passed overwhelmingly, as did Alaska’s minimum wage increase and sick leave requirement. The 2024 elections also yielded new African American female senators from Delaware and Maryland, and the first transgender representative and LGBTQ+ representative from the South. The point is that the election revealed the dynamism and range of American democracy, but also the continuing racial and gender criteria that inform how people decide their leadership.\n\n— David C. Wilson, dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy\n\nKara Manke and Anne Brice contributed to this report."
      },
      {
        "title": "Transition 2025: Did Trump Win an “Unprecedented and Powerful Mandate”?",
        "id": "d-96",
        "link": "https://www.cfr.org/blog/transition-2025-did-trump-win-unprecedented-and-powerful-mandate",
        "snippet": "Donald Trump declared on Election Night, as votes were still being counted, that “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate.”",
        "source": "Council on Foreign Relations",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSX6jySY6LLm8gdTunjrQVWMOPDcP6Gb0hYUgDVBT5CVRlY1rwgjmL6nx4YsQ&s",
        "content": "Oil and Petroleum Products\n\nCarolyn Kissane, academic director and clinical professor at the Center for Global Affairs at New York University, leads the conversation on the geopolitics of oil. FASKIANOS: Thank you. Welcome to the final session of the Winter/Spring 2023 CFR Academic Webinar Series. I’m Irina Faskianos, vice president of the National Program and Outreach here at CFR. Today’s discussion is on the record. And the video and transcript will be available on our website, CFR.org/Academic, if you would like to share these materials with your colleagues or classmates. As always, CFR takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. We are delighted to have Carolyn Kissane with us to discuss the geopolitics of oil. Dr. Kissane is the academic director of both the graduate program in global affairs and the graduate program in global security conflict and cybercrime at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs, where she is also a clinical professor. She also serves as director of the energy, climate justice, and sustainability lab in the School of Professional Studies at NYU. She was named in 2013 by Breaking Energy as one of the top ten New York women in energy, and top ten energy communicator. She’s a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and serves on several boards. So, Carolyn, thanks very much for doing this. We really appreciate it. I thought we could begin by talking about how has the geopolitics of oil changed, especially vis-à-vis Russia’s war in Ukraine and OPEC’s recent announcement to cut oil production? KISSANE: Well, first of all, I’d just like to say, thank you so very much for having me. I’m really delighted. I am a big fan of CFR’s Academic Webinars. So, to have the opportunity to participate in this—in this way is very meaningful to me. So, thank you. So, wow. There is so much happening in this space, the geopolitics of oil. This has been a tremendous fourteen months. Russia’s reinvasion of Ukraine very much upended the geopolitics of oil because Russia is a significant producer, one of the top three in the world. And it’s—you know, it’s caused a kind of a reshaping, a kind of a remapping of the—of oil geopolitics. And we’ve seen some, you know, shifts in how countries think about oil security, in light of larger questions about broader energy security questions. And also, on top of that, is the ongoing energy transition, coupled with, you know, climate change, and the need to decarbonize. So, there’s just—it’s been quite a—you know, a year and a half, that has really sort of put energy security, and oil security, very much at the forefront of people’s minds. FASKIANOS: Fantastic. I thought maybe you had some really interesting data to show us. And if you could walk us through those—the trends you are seeing and really bring it to life, that would be fantastic. KISSANE: Sure. So, before I do—I have a couple of slides. And before I share my slides, I think it’s really important that, sort of, we understand how interconnected, sort of, the global energy system is, and how interconnected we are, when it comes to the flows of oil. You know, some countries are very well resourced-endowed, so they have oil. And other countries do not, so they need to import oil. There’s really no country in the world that doesn’t need oil for larger national security issues. And I think one of things that many people sort of are not necessarily aware of or think about, is the amount of oil that gets produced every day. So, every day, the world consumes over 100 million barrels a day. And every day, that 100 million barrels has to be—has to be moved. It has to be—you know, as part of getting it into the system, getting it to its respective destinations. And what we’re not seeing—which, maybe some people may have thought that we would see at this point—is we’re not seeing a reduction in demand, but we’re seeing an expansion in demand. And much of that global demand is coming out of Asia. And we’re also, of course, seeing the—with the reopening of China, lots of really interesting questions as to what oil demand will be in China for the 2023-2024 years, whether or not they will—they will, sort of, put extra pressure on global demand. And you know, Irina, just also, you know, it’s—I’m going to share this in my slides. But you know, last week’s decision from OPEC+ to reduce production, of course, had an impact on the price of oil. So when the decision was announced on Sunday, by Monday morning, we saw an uptick in the price. It’s stabilized, but we are sort of looking at $80-plus-a-barrel oil. And again, lots of uncertainty as to what that’s going to mean across economies that are in recessions, experiencing sort of the beginnings of a recession, and sort of what does it mean for the global economy, where we may see sort of more energy inflation. So, one of the things that I really like to do when I teach the geopolitics of oil is sort of show some visuals. Because I think, again, sort of, really reinforcing the interconnected nature of our global energy system, but also sort of seeing where in the world is oil produced, and where in the world are the—are the importers. And also, just a couple of sort of fun pieces on what we have seen, just this—you know, in the last week, of course, some of this—you’ll be familiar with, those in the audience—but this decision on the part of OPEC to reduce production by 1.2 million barrels a day—again, happening at a time, not when we have an excess supply, but when we’re seeing a tight supply across the oil market. So, it came as a bit of a surprise to—you know—to even the most, you know, longstanding analysts and OPEC observers. And again, part of this is directed probably toward self-interests on the part of Saudi Arabia and the oil producers that are really going to make the cuts. But of course, it also has an impact here for those of you that are sitting in the United States. What does it mean then for prices that Americans pay at the gas pump? So, the Biden administration sort of came out after this decision was made in sort of being disappointed, surprised that OPEC would make this decision. Now, it’s also important to sort of recognize that this is not just a singular OPEC decision. This is part of, now, a larger OPEC+. And OPEC+ does also include Russia, as well as other countries like Kazakhstan and Mexico. So, the OPEC that we have historically known is now different, because you have other countries that are not official members but nonetheless are part of what we now refer to as OPEC+. And these are the countries that are part of OPEC, and really the country that’s considered to be sort of in the driver’s seat of OPEC is that of Saudi Arabia, because Saudi Arabia is the largest producer within the OPEC organization, producing anywhere from 10 to 11 million barrels a day. Venezuela has the largest reserves, but it is far from being at capacity, in terms of what it can—what it can produce. So, just to kind of put that into perspective, these are OPEC countries and their respective reserves. And then non-OPEC—the United States being a non-OPEC country, but again, this sort of—this chart to the right shows, you know, again, the world is consuming a little over 100 million barrels a day, expected to increase over 2023 and into 2024, question marks as to when we may see peak oil demand. But again, to sort of link this to energy security—energy security, especially when it’s in the context of oil security—is making sure that we have adequate supply at affordable prices. So, when we see a reduction in supply at a time of tight markets, that suggests that we’re also going to see higher prices that’s going to directly hit vulnerable economies. And so, again, just to sort of point out sort of where in the world sort of are the top three oil producers: the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Russia. Russia remains in the top three. Canada as well, our, you know, neighbor to the north. And China is also a producer of oil. The United States figure here also includes gas liquefied, so liquid petroleum, which the United States is endowed with a lot of both oil and natural gas. And then the top oil consuming countries, you have U.S., China, and India. Now, the United States is not the largest importer. That position is now held by China. But as far as consumption goes, we consume over 20 million barrels a day. Again, big question mark about China, in terms of whether or not we will see higher demand coming out of China over the next year, two years, with China’s reopening and what is being, you know, discussed as revenge tourism. And more Chinese who have accumulated a lot of savings, 2.1 trillion, how are they going to use that savings and whether or not, after three years of being under lockdown restrictions, whether or not we’ll see impacts to demand. And I think Russia is—there’s lots of questions about Russia. And this is now—we’re fourteen months into, you know, Russia’s reinvasion of Ukraine—and I emphasize reinvasion, because oftentimes, we forget that, you know, Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014. But Russia is still moving its oil. And up until, you know, a few months ago, its overall production and exports were as high—at some points, even higher—than pre-invasion. Now, you have new countries that are takers of Russian oil, and they’re buying it at discounted prices. We see Turkey, Singapore, China has been a big buyer, as well as India, that they have been buying discounted Russian oil. Lots of interesting questions that we could discuss about the oil price cap and seaborne embargo to Europe. But I think the takeaway from this slide is that Russia continues to produce oil, continues to sell it, selling at a discounted price, but there are still many countries in the world that are eager to take Russian oil. And again, I’m not going to go into this, but I just love this slide, to just emphasize the—you know, the world’s pipelines. These are the pipelines that help sort of the transit of oil. Something also that’s really unique and interesting to look at is just tanker traffic, so, the tankers that carry oil around the world. But again, you know, there are a lot of pipelines, so twenty-three—two thousand, three hundred, and eighty-one operational oil and gas pipelines. Again, these are—it’s moving a lot of the oil that is consumed every day. And then finally, is this—is—you know, one of the things that we oftentimes—we think about the hundred million barrels a day that the world is consuming, over 75 percent of the world’s oil is controlled, managed by state-owned oil companies. So, Saudi Aramco being one, PDVSA of Venezuela being another. But it’s really important to sort of recognize the position that state-owned companies have. The rest is controlled or managed by international oil companies—ExxonMobil, Chevron, ENI, Total, and a host of other—host of other companies. But again, I think the—you know, to understand that NOCs, as they’re referred to, are very, very important for understanding their role in the larger context of the geopolitics of oil. And again, what we saw last week coming out of OPEC, this decision, this is also being driven by state budget concerns. This is—again, it’s about the production of oil, but it’s also about, you know, governments and their budgets. And oftentimes, you know, there is a desire to add more, rather than—you know, more revenues rather than less. So, those are the slides that I have. And I hope that they sort of provide some sort of context, and a little bit of, you know, that we can discuss in the questions that I really look forward to answering from the audience. FASKIANOS: Thank you, Carolyn. That was great. So now, we’re going to go to all of you for your questions and comments. (Gives queuing instructions.) All right, so I’m going to go to the first raised hand in the thing. Amadine Hom, go to you first, and please accept the—unmute yourself. (Pause.) You are still muted. (Pause.) OK, I don’t know—are you there? Oh, I think—OK. Let’s go to Morton Holbrook. Q: Yes, good afternoon. Dr. Kissane, what a shocking presentation—(laughs)—a hundred million barrels a day and it’s going up, notwithstanding the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015. Is that agreement simply a dead letter, or is it having any effect on oil—on fossil fuel production, particularly oil production? Or what’s the best scenario, in terms of reducing dependence on fossil fuels, considering the oil market? Thank you. KISSANE: Well—hi, Morton, thank you so much for that excellent question. Yeah, that’s kind of why I emphasize that number, is because a lot of people sort of just aren’t aware of how much oil we continue to consume, and again, what the demand expectations are moving forward. And these demand expectations are, you know, coming out of forecasts from the International Energy Agency. So, I think there’s a big question as to when we see peak demand. And, you know, if you look at BP scenarios, they expect peak demand to happen, you know, before 2030, where, as, you know, others kind of contest that they—that they think that peak demand won’t happen until after 2030. I mean, again, a lot depends on, you know, what we are now experiencing in the energy transition, and how, sort of quickly are we—can we transition away from oil. I think what’s really critical, when we’re looking at oil, is oftentimes we think only about the transportation sector. So we’re thinking about cars, we’re thinking about planes, you know, we’re thinking about trucks, and tankers, and all these things. But it’s petrochemicals, you know? There’s just a lot of oil that also goes into fertilizer. So, it really is across our economy, and across economies, across the global system. One of the things that I always tell my students is even during COVID, where you had many countries, right, much of the world was experiencing some level of lockdown, we did have a reduction in oil demand, but it wasn’t—it wasn’t like 20 million barrels. It was under ten. So, the fact that now it’s 2023, the world has reopened, it’s really hard to sort of see, or to know with certainty, is when we’re going to see that—see that reduction in demand. Now, I think with the Paris Agreement, what’s also important is—to note is, you know, if you’re—if you’re in the oil and gas space—and I was just at a conference earlier this morning where this was a point of conversation—was, you know, what are the companies doing to reduce the emissions from production? So, how are they integrating carbon capture, sequestration, you know, how are they managing the emissions that come from the production of fossil energy—in this case that we’re talking about, oil. And I think one of the things that—I think if you sort of follow oil markets, or a country like Saudi Arabia, they are marketing low-emission oil. Now, we could—you know, we could sort of challenge, well, what does that—you know, what does that really mean? But you are having, you know, countries that are now sort of competing to state that they have lower emitting carbon in the production—in the production of oil. And that’s a whole other interesting sort of thing to look at, in the context of the geopolitics of oil, is to kind of understand the variation across emissions, across different countries, in the production of oil. So, we are—you know, again, we are going to be going into COP-28 this fall. Again, we are not seeing—you know, and we haven’t seen a, you know, reduction in fossil energy demand. Again, lots of people are sort of, you know, hoping that we’ll start to see it sooner rather than later. But for the time being—and again, you know, to Irina’s first question, that, you know, the last fourteen months, and with, you know, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it has both shown us that, you know, Europe is sort of seeking to hasten the energy transition, by building out more renewable energy, and creating more opportunities to buy electric vehicles. But there’s still big swaths of the world that, you know, are still, and have yet to move towards, you know, really reducing—and that are actually going to see higher demand moving forward, as their economies grow. FASKIANOS: Thank you. I’m going to take the next question from Jovana Vujanic, who is a graduate student at Lewis University: How big of an—of an impact will the decision of the Saudi energy minister to cut oil production have on the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia? KISSANE: Love the question, thank you so much. Yeah, no, it’s a great one. So, my take is that, of course, this decision came as a bit of a surprise, and it wasn’t something that the United States, you know, wanted. But I would say that the U.S.-Saudi relationship has been very tense for the last ten years. And as part of that—there are lots of different reasons for that, but this is yet—kind of another thing that Saudi has done. And again, I think it’s also—Saudi has taken a non-alignment policy with relation to its position on Russia and Ukraine. So, it continues to—you know, it continues to have a relationship with Russia. It also has the relationship with Ukraine. As we saw, you know, China just brokered a very significant deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran. You know, again, Saudi Arabia and Iran are two—are two important producers for China. So, China is a large importer of oil. So, if you go back to World War—the end of World War II, that’s when the United States established the oil-for-security relationship with Saudi Arabia. And as we have grown, sort of, more—I wouldn’t say independent, but our—as our own oil production has increased, especially through the shale revolution, our dependence on the Middle East and Saudi Arabia, more specifically, has shifted. So, I think we’re seeing a very different Saudi Arabia today, which I think is going to be a challenge for the United States. I think it’s going to be very interesting to see what the summer holds. Last summer, the Biden administration did tap into the U.S. strategic petroleum reserves, the largest—the largest take in the history of the reserves, which started in 1975, you know, taking 180 million barrels out, you know, not because there was massive supply disruptions. But because, you know, as the administration said, it was—you know, it was—it was—it was a war—it was a war-specific decision, because the—you know, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was causing energy prices to skyrocket. And to cushion the American consumer, and to better cushion the, sort of, the global economy, the United States withdrew from the SPR. So I think the summer is going to be very interesting. But I think we’re going to see, definitely, much more attention in the years to come, between the United States and Saudi Arabia. It’s not the relationship of the past. This is a kind of a very new relationship. That’s a great question. FASKIANOS: Thank you. Thank you, let’s go Curran Flynn, who has a raised hand.Q: Hello? FASKIANOS: We can hear you, but we’re getting feedback. So you might have two devices open. Q: Can you hear me now? FASKIANOS: Yes. Q: That’s better. OK. FASKIANOS: That’s better. Thank you. Thank you so much. Q: So, I’m here at King Fahd University in Saudi Arabia, right next to Aramco, here with my class from international relations. And one of my students has a question, Nasser al-Nasir (ph). Here he is. Q: So, thank you, Mrs. Carolyn. My question is: How could Russia’s use of alternative transportation methods, such as the East Siberian Pipeline to China, impact the U.S. market, the domestic market, and the role of the SPR, given potential insurance workarounds from Russia’s side such as ensuring Russian tankers through their RDIF fund? And thank you to Mrs. Irina. KISSANE: Thank you. And, Dr. Flynn, thank you so much for having your students join this webinar. So, I’m a little—so, the question is about the East Siberian Pipeline? Just could you—would you mind repeating it? I just want to make sure I have it—I’m clear on the question. Q: So, how could Russia’s use of alternative transportation methods, such as the East Siberian Pipeline to China, impact the U.S. energy markets, I mean domestically, and the SPR, given potential insurance workarounds from Russia’s side such as ensuring Russian tankers to the RDIF fund? KISSANE: Yeah, and that’s a great question. You know, I think that, you know, begs a lot of things that we could be looking at, right, in terms of, you know, Russia’s kind of ability or capacity to sort of work around, or find workarounds, to the sanctions that were imposed. And I think we’ve seen sort of new markets—so, this kind of reshaping of the energy map with oil, we see that as—kind of in technicolor, right, whereas, you know, a lot of Russian oil would go west, is now going east, you know, China, India, being takers, and of course, you know, other countries as well. You know, what will be its impact on the—on the U.S. market? I think that’s—you know, again, I do think the sanctions were sort of carefully put into place, so that there wouldn’t be massive disruptions, so we—again, you know, Russia produces over 10 million barrels a day, and about 7 million of those barrels are exported. So, you know, if we lost all of that, that would be a—you know, that would cause some very significant economic disruption globally. We already saw, you know, impacts to sort of grains, grain exports, and food security in many different parts of the world. So, you know, Russia is finding different ways. You have shadow tankers that Russia is using to move—to move its oil—as you pointed out, the East Siberian pipeline. You know, I think there’s only so much the United States can do, or—and European countries that are part of the sanctions regime, can do to curtail Russian exports of oil. But I think that—you know, I think Russia, again, has a—has a desire, and also, you know, revenue needs—they’re funding a very expensive war—that they’re finding ways to get their—to get their oil out. I think an interesting question is, you know, what does this mean in the years ahead, the lack of investment, for example, that’s going into Russian energy infrastructure, a lack of, sort of, any kind of Western investment that is—that is going in, and what that is going to mean. But again, you know, I think, to your question, I think we will see some—you know, we are seeing some impacts, right? There’s a big question as to what—you know, what the next six months to a year will look like, with regards to the reduction from OPEC, and if we were to see a deeper curtailment on Russian oil. And you know, would the United States then tap more into the SPR? We’re now at—you know, we’re down to seven hundred thousand barrels, which, of course, is not insignificant. But we also sort of have to be, you know, judicious about how we use the SPR. But thank you for the question. FASKIANOS: Thank you. I’m going to take the next question from Michael—let’s see— Trevett, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Southern Mississippi: China and other countries claim there are petroleum reserves under the South China Sea. What are your estimates of the potential amount there, and has China begun to extract any of this oil? KISSANE: Michael, thank you so much. That’s a great question. So, China already is an oil producing country, so you do have oil production in China. In the South China Sea, I can’t—I can’t say exactly. I know that there have been geological tests that have shown the reserves. Again, you do have—you know, you do have territorial concerns about sort of where—is this—you know, can China—can China tap those—or seek to explore and tap those reserves, again, if there are—if there is contention over the territory in which these reserves are located? So you know, China, again—one of the things that’s very interesting about China is that China is an oil producer, but China has seen, over the last, you know, the last decade, they have seen that they have experienced peak demand. So—I mean, sorry. Peak supply. So, they are not producing as much as they used to. And so you’re seeing a year-on-year reduction in the producing capacity. You know, if you go back maybe five or six years ago, there was lots of questions about if China could kind of replicate what happened in the United States around the shale oil revolution. I think one of the big challenges for China is that, of the—you know, where the shale reserves are located, it’s not near water, lots of questions as to—and some of it—basically, some of the tests have shown that it’s—it definitely is proving harder that, you know, they cannot sort of model the same level of development that we have seen in the United States. So, yeah, no, I think in the South China Sea, again, I think we—it’s potentially possible that we might see it. I wouldn’t—I wouldn’t—I wouldn’t say it’s soon. FASKIANOS: Thank you. I’m taking the next question from Rob Warren at the Anglo-American University of Prague. This question also got an upvote: How do you foresee Venezuela’s role in the global oil market changing moving forward? And can it be reintegrated into the global economy? KISSANE: Oh, these are all fantastic questions. Thank you all so much. Yeah, Venezuela is—again, you know, Venezuela has—they have the largest reserves in the world. As part of this webinar, right, you—CFR had a—kind of a primer on Venezuelan, and kind of—you know, you look at sort of where Venezuela is. And one of the biggest challenges confronting Venezuela is both its politics, but it’s also—it basically—you know, you don’t have—you don’t have international oil service providers in the country. I think the only—the only one now that the U.S.—the U.S. has sort of given a sanctions exemption to, is that of Chevron. But I think—yeah, I mean, if you were to see, you know, kind of shifts in the political regime, and you were to see more openness, then I think you could imagine, you know, Venezuela having an opportunity, or a pathway forward, to be more integrated into the global energy system, and the global oil system. You know, I think one of the big problems that Venezuela faces is that most of its infrastructure is really old at this point. And it would need a significant amount of reinvestment to get it up to a place that it could sort of meet its potential. So, you know, Venezuela is one of these countries that’s not producing as much as it could, right? It has the potential to be producing 2 million-plus more barrels per day. But you know, we’ve seen that they really have just—they went into freefall. So, I think that’s a big issue. And another big issue, which—God, it goes back to an earlier question—is that of emissions. So, the oil that comes out of Venezuela is a very, very heavy oil. So, it’s—it has very large carbon emissions associated with the production of that oil. So, that, I think, is—again, as we—you know, think about the emissions from oil production in countries that are sort of seeking to kind of market themselves as low-emission producers, you know, Venezuela definitely will have a very hard time recouping its—where its oil sector was. Again, it has the capacity, it has the reserves. But getting that—getting that oil out of the ground right now, you have a lot of significant above-ground risks. FASKIANOS: Thank you. I’m going to go next to Clemente Abrokwaa. Raised hand, so please unmute yourself. Q: Can you hear me, please? FASKIANOS: Yes, we can. Q: Thank you. Thank you so much for your—for your talk. I was also very shocked about the amount of barrels that we consume every day. (Laughs.) I didn’t know that. But anyway, I’m from Penn State University. And my question is: You just mentioned about the above-ground, you know, effects. And—so the movement towards, like, electric vehicles and so on, how do you think it is going to affect the African continent? KISSANE: Thank you. Q: I am—I’m thinking, you know, the economies, and then infrastructure. It will be very difficult for them to—(laughs)—move with the rest of the world in terms of electric vehicles, and so on. I just wanted your take on that. KISSANE: Thank you, Clemente. It’s an excellent question. Yeah, I mean, you have countries across the African continent that not only have oil reserves, but are already producing, right? Nigeria is a—is an oil-producing country, also has more capacity, but again, you have some above-ground risks. You also have the need for investment of new infrastructure. I think one of the things that has been very interesting—and I think it’s getting—it’s getting more attention, as it deserves, is how Western governments are—some of—I think a challenge across Africa is that a lot of Western governments have sort of said, listen, we’re not going to invest in fossil fuels—or also, financial institutions, Western financial institutions—we’re not going to invest in fossil fuels, or new projects that are fossil-based. And that—you know, that’s problematic when you look across the African continent, where you still don’t have, you know, 100 percent energy access. You know, the idea of the transition to electric vehicles, which is taking a very, very long time, even here across the—across developed economies—so the need for the infusion of more capital to go into, you know, across the continent of Africa for oil and gas, that’s for their economies and for their own economic growth, I think, is really, really pivotal. And I think this is something that, you know, is being discussed across multilateral financial institutions. And also, you know, is it hypocrisy, right, for Western banks that have, you know, kind of funded the oil and gas industry, or helped to fund the oil and gas industry in the United States and many different parts of the world, and that are now sort of not allowing those funds to flow to Africa. And they have the—again, they have the—they have the resources. So you know, is it—you know, the equity of some of these decisions that are being made, I think, is one that’s—is one that’s really important. And again, I—you know, I said earlier in this talk, is that, you know, all—most of the demand for oil is not coming from North America and from Europe. All of the demand that we’re seeing and new demand that we’re going to see, is coming from Asia, and is going to come from Africa. So again, you know, how are we going to make sure that that demand is met, again, going back to that idea of energy security, so there is—there is accessibility, so there is reliable sources of energy at affordable prices, you know, without sort of thinking about kind of a whole-of-energy approach. So, I think it’s very—it’s a very complex issue. And I think, you know, Western banks who have sort of taken very sharp positions on what they will and will not fund, when it comes to new oil and gas projects, are getting sort of challenged as to, you know, what does that mean, then, for, you know, countries across Africa that are still very much in need of more energy, not less. And again, recognizing that, you know, EVs that, again, are still—are—you know, we’re seeing adoption here in the United States and across Europe, but it’s a big, big, big adoption in China. But it’s very uneven. So how do we ensure greater energy security for the continent of Africa, I think, is a really critical question. FASKIANOS: Thank you. I’ll take the next question from Kyle Bales, who is a senior at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois: How is the war between Russia and Ukraine having an effect on the progress of the European Green Deal? Maybe you can tell us what the European—define the European Green Deal for us, Carolyn, give us the context for that. KISSANE: Yes, so, again, this is another fantastic question. Yeah, the European Green Deal, it’s—this is—this is great. Yeah, I mean, a lot of people would say that the European Green Deal now is—that the—Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sort of said, hey, this is why the Green Deal is so important. This is why we really need to more quickly transition to renewable energy, because look what—look what happened when we were dependent on Russia for over 30 percent of our natural gas. And look, when Russia, you know, illegally invades Ukraine and suddenly weaponizes gas, we are left very energy-insecure. It affects—it affects consumers. It affects industry across the continent. So, I think we’re seeing, not just through the Green Deal, but we’re also seeing through, sort of European green industrial policy—so in some ways, akin to what, you know, we put into effect in—this past summer, is the Inflation Reduction Act. And we’re seeing almost, kind of, this industrial competition around clean energy technologies. And so, Europe is investing—you know, I think it’s about $250 billion, the United States, it’s about 370 billion—towards the—kind of the energy transition, and helping to support domestic industries and companies to—you know, to be able to, you know, develop the technologies, and to have the, you know, the opportunity to contribute to the energy transition. So, I think one thing, though—whenever I talk about Europe, it’s really important, is to sort of recognize that, you know, when you look across Europe, you have very different policies and kind of approaches, to sort of thinking about energy, and how quickly some countries want to transition and can transition, whereas others, you know, are probably going to experience a slower transition. So, just really interesting example, as you talked about the Green Deal, is the EU taxonomy, the green taxonomy, that went into effect in the—January of 2022. And there, you had, like, really a lot of contention between France and Germany, because France wanted to make sure that nuclear was part of the green taxonomy. Germany was opposed, right, but Germany wanted to make sure natural gas was part of the green taxonomy. So ultimately, in the end, both natural gas and nuclear—and again, this was—this predated Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But in the EU green taxonomy, you have—you know, you have both nuclear and natural gas, in addition to other renewable energies that can make up this taxonomy, that includes specific measures towards adaptation and mitigation for climate change. So you know, I think you’re seeing this kind of—some people call it a race, a competition. You know, ideally, it’s—you know, we’re kind of working together to—because we’re all sort of going in the same direction—to, you know, support the transition, and to reduce—to reduce carbon emissions, and to bring in more, sort of, cleaner energy technologies into our system. FASKIANOS: Thank you. I’m going to take the next question from Dr. Laeed Zaghlami. Q: Yes, good afternoon. This is Laeed—good afternoon, Irina. Good afternoon, Carolyn. I’m very pleased to be part of your program. Just to—want to be back to Africa and particularly to Nigeria, how practical the two projects that Nigeria is advocating for pipelines, one from—through Algeria, and the other one to Morocco through western African countries? How practical are these pipelines to supply gas to Europe and parts of some African countries? FASKIANOS: And Dr. Zaghlami, you are at Algiers University, correct? Q: Indeed, Irina, yes. I am professor at University of Algiers, faculty of information and communication. FASKIANOS: Thank you. KISSANE: Dr. Laeed, can I—can I keep you on for just one second? Can I ask you, what is the—what is the status right now? Is it—it’s planned, under construction? Where is—what is the status of those two pipelines? My understanding is that it’s—they’re proposed, but— Q: Yes, well, actually in—practically, the pipeline between Algeria and Abuja, which means through Niger and so forth, is already in progress, whereas the other project, through thirteen western African countries, they are supposed to be implemented by 2047. But is it—is there any political game or something of strategic—(inaudible)—how practical, how logical, how efficiently will be for Nigeria to have two similar project(s)? KISSANE: Yeah, no, it’s—again, thank you for the question. You know, pipelines, again, that’s why I wanted to show the—(laughs)—kind of the map of pipelines, is because, you know, a lot of pipelines transverse, you know, multiple countries, right? And this is—this requires not just, you know, a lot of cooperation, but it requires technically. It also can be very complex to build—to build pipelines. And when you’re talking about something like, as you—as you point out, these are, you know, crossing many countries. You know, I think one of the—again, one of the issues is whether or not—since, you know, what already is under construction, I think you can, you know, with confidence, that one will be completed. Anything that’s not yet under construction—and again, the timeline, 2047, is way out there—a lot of—a lot of uncertainty as to what the status of those projects will be moving forward, for various reasons, in terms of making sure that the investments are there. Someone I know that studies pipelines, he says, you know, until the steel is in the ground, you don’t have the pipeline, and so until you know that you’ve got that, you know, you’ve got all the OKs, and you feel that kind of security of being able to build it, and being able to provide the resources to supply it and to move it. I think Algeria has been a really interesting case that hasn’t gotten enough attention, in terms of Algerian gas, that has—that has helped support Europe. Over the last years, we’ve seen an increase in Algerian gas going into Europe. Again, a lot of attention on U.S. LNG and the increase of liquefied natural gas exports into Europe, but also Algeria has been, you know, very important for helping to support European energy security, and make up for some of the losses of the—of the Russian gas. And I think we’ll see more attention on Algeria, and Algeria’s role as a—you know, as an important source of energy, especially, you know, gas, going into—going into Europe, moving forward. FASKIANOS: So, I’ll take the next written question from Vincent Brooks, who is at Harvard and Diamondback Energy board of directors: How do you view the purchasing of discounted Russian oil by India, in particular relative to the purchasing by China? How are they using the oil purchased? And are you seeing more internal usage or external profit-making sales in places like Africa? And what are the implications of all of this? KISSANE: Right, great. Great question. So, all of the above—(laughs)—in some ways, right? There is definitely sort of profits that are being made. You know, I was—I was talking about this last week with someone, and you know, if you sort of put your shoe—put yourself in the shoes of India, right, so, India is a—is a rapidly growing economy, 1.4 billion. You know, if you had—if you have very high energy inflation and high oil prices, that’s going to have ripples effects across the Indian economy. And so, you know, when you have a kind of opportunity to buy, you know, pretty steep discounted oil, which, you know, they had been able to buy from Russia, you know, for purposes of national security, they’ve been buying the oil. And one of the things that’s very interesting about India is that, actually, India has been building out its refining capacity. So, a lot of that oil is both for domestic, and some of it is being sort of re-exported. But I think what we’ve seen is that they’re using that oil to also sort of enhance their capacity and capabilities as a rapidly emerging, refining power in Asia. And we see that in some ways in China, too. So, China, even though oil demand was down in 2022, much of the oil that they were buying from Russia went into its strategic supplies, which, you know, they now have access to. And again, I think, you know, a big question is what we’re going to see moving forward around oil demand in China. Wood Mackenzie just published a really interesting piece, kind of very bullish, on the expectations for oil demand in China, so whether or not they’re going to continue to buy, you know, Russian oil—and again, sort of taking advantage of these lower prices, you know. And I think—I think one of the things that—it’s kind of an inconvenient truth, whereas a lot of this oil trading used to happen in Europe, so European trading houses were kind of the main—the main points of Russian oil trade. A lot of that has been moved out, so, you know, Russia has found ways to kind of bypass some of the sanctions, and have set up—in some cases, they’ve set up trading houses. And some of those trading houses have been sort of set up in places that, you know, that they can sort of, again, bypass the compliance to the sanctions. And you have some—you have some Russian oil traders that are making a lot of money—(laughs)—selling discounted oil, and then reselling it. A really interesting case, a couple of months ago, was out of Malaysia. Malaysia announced—or, in the, you know—that they were—that 1.5 million barrels were produced and sold, but only—Malaysia doesn’t produce that much. So, those were Russian barrels that were sort of being sold under, sort of, the Malaysian—under the Malaysian barrel. So, again, I think China and India have, you know, have taken advantage. Some of this has, again—as I said, has been re-exported. And some of it, you know, has been re-exported through petroleum products, because China and India, you know, both are building and have refining capacity. FASKIANOS: Thank you. I’m going to take the next question from Bhakti Mirchandani at Columbia University: What global trajectory do you see for nuclear? The Russia-Ukraine crisis has taken some of the refining capacity offline, and nuclear has the potential to change the geopolitics of energy. And so what steps can be taken to foster nuclear energy? KISSANE: Bhakti, thank you. And I was just at Columbia earlier today for the Center for Global Energy Policy’s conference. Yeah, nuclear is very interesting, right? So when we’re thinking about, you know, decarbonizing our energy systems, you know, nuclear plays a very important role, because it’s zero-emitting. So in certain parts of the world—China being one, Saudi Arabia—you know, you have a lot of new nuclear build. You know, in other parts of the world, you have a lot of contention about nuclear. We saw that even in Germany, which have, you know, three remaining nuclear power plants. And even in the midst of massive energy crisis over the last year, there was still sort of pushback about, no, those nuclear power plants need to be shut down, whereas you would think, OK, in light of energy insecurity, let’s keep them open. So, you know, France is an interesting country. France had planned to reduce its nuclear capacity by 50 percent. But this past year, they pivoted and they’ve said, no, we’re actually going to build out more nuclear, and we’re sort of—we’re totally scrapping that idea of reducing nuclear energy. And nuclear is very important for France’s electricity system. Sweden has also announced that they are going to build new nuclear, and they’re going to increase by, I think, almost 50 percent. Again, part of this is their—to meet their targets of net zero. We also see Japan. Japan, you know, the Fukushima disaster really turned Japanese—the Japanese public off of nuclear. Very, very deep opposition to restarting the nuclear power plants. But this past year, even though there’s still safety concerns on the part of the public, the public is also very concerned about energy insecurity and higher prices. So, nuclear being a domestic source of energy. So, I think when you look at, you know, net-zero pathways, I have not seen a net-zero pathway that does not include nuclear. So, here in the United States, the net-zero America project out of Princeton, very important place for nuclear. We just have a really hard time—(laughs)—building nuclear at cost, so it’s very expensive. Usually, it’s significant cost overruns. And of course, there is the—I think they have a really significant PR problem. People—there’s still a lot of concern about the safety of nuclear. So, I think to your point, it’s very, very important for decarbonizing energy systems, but you’re going to see, I think, very disjointed approaches. Some countries are going—are embracing nuclear, and other countries are sort of doubling down on their opposition, and are not going to allow nuclear to be part of the energy system. FASKIANOS: We have so many questions, and we are just not going to get to them all. So, I’m going to take the next question from Christian Bonfili, who’s at Torcuato di Tella University in Argentina. So, do you think, Carolyn, that the landscape resulting from the Ukraine invasion by Russia, vis-à-vis securitization of gas and energy between Europe and Russia, could accelerate energy transition toward greener energy? KISSANE: Great question. I think in Europe, it is. And I think, you know, many analysts would agree that—the IEA, for example—you know, you had the, you know—how does Europe continue—you know, to enhance and achieve energy security without the dependence on Russia gas? And a lot of that is through renewable energy. You also have a lot of new attention on hydrogen, and the role that hydrogen will play. I think—I think Europe is being cautious, and so they are not saying that they are going to completely move away from gas, so as earlier questions, are they getting gas from Algeria, or are they getting gas from Norway? Are they getting more gas from the United States in the form of liquefied natural gas? And then also an uncomfortable truth is they continue to get liquefied natural gas from Russia. So, we’ve seen an increase in LNG from Russia going into Europe. That said, I think all in, you are seeing that, you know, countries across Europe are saying, OK, you know, how can we enhance our energy security? How do we build more sort of domestic energy sources? Solar, wind, we’re seeing, you know, more rapid deployment. You’ve got a lot of questions about supply chains and things like that, but I think—overall, I think the answer would be that it’s quickening the energy transition. FASKIANOS: So, I will take the moderator prerogative to just ask the final question for you to close on. And just to give us your top three—what are the major challenges for the geopolitics of oil, as you look out over the next five- to ten-year horizon, that you would leave us with, to be looking for? KISSANE: OK. You know, so I think what we saw, right, tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United States. We also have a, you know, a hot war, cold war, depending on, you know, the term you want to use, between the United States and China, and lots of sort of questions as to what that’s going to look like. I think there’s—you know, I think there’s concern that, you know, we’re not reducing demands, but we’re seeing tightening supply. And so that’s going to have, you know, very significant impacts for economies, especially economies that are already very fragile, economically fragile, politically fragile. So that concerns me a lot, in terms of, you know, what happens when, you know, economies don’t have adequate access to energy to make sure that their industries, that their—that consumers, you know, are able—that the lights can stay on, and you can get—you know, if you’re dependent on cars, you’re depending on trucks, like, all these kinds of things are really, really critical. So, I think we have to be very cautious moving forward, that we don’t take more out of the system before we have adequately set up the system to be resilient, and to be able to sort of meet the energy security demands that are not—are not—they’re not decreasing. I think they are increasing and becoming even more complex. So, I think there’s a lot of concerns and a lot of uncertainty. And you know, this definitely is going to be an area to watch in the years ahead. FASKIANOS: Carolyn Kissane—Kissane, excuse me—thank you very much for shaping and sharing this discussion, for sharing your terrific insights with us, and to all of you for your questions and comments. I’m really sorry that we could not get to them all. But we only have an hour. (Laughs.) KISSANE: Thank you. FASKIANOS: You can follow Carolyn on Twitter at @carolynkissane, and we will be announcing the fall Academic Webinar lineup in the CFR Academic Bulletin. If you’ve not already subscribed, you can email us to subscribe. Send us an email, [email protected] . Again, I encourage you to share with your students our CFR paid internships announcement. We also have fellowships for professors. You and they can go to CFR.org/careers, follow us at @CFR_Academic, and visit CFR.org, ForeignAffairs.com, and ThinkGlobalHealth.org for research and analysis on global issues. Thank you all again. Good luck with your finals. Carolyn Kissane, thank you so much. KISSANE: Thank you. It was a pleasure. Great. FASKIANOS: And we look forward to your continued participation in this series. KISSANE: Thank you very much. Appreciate everyone’s questions. Bye. (END)"
      },
      {
        "title": "Presidential Election 2024 Live Results: Donald Trump wins",
        "id": "d-97",
        "link": "https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/president-results",
        "snippet": "View live election results from the 2024 presidential race as Kamala Harris and Donald Trump face off. See the map of votes by state as results are tallied.",
        "source": "NBC News",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR--RMhlFx9Ioc_9y4-itr--485xeSlGfq9UZaCUMeZseshhRNJim_nkIew1g&s",
        "content": "The expected vote is the total number of votes that are expected in a given race once all votes are counted. This number is an estimate and is based on several different factors, including information on the number of votes cast early as well as information provided to our vote reporters on Election Day from county election officials. The figure can change as NBC News gathers new information.\n\nSource: National Election Pool (NEP)"
      },
      {
        "title": "Presidential election highlights: November 6, 2024",
        "id": "d-98",
        "link": "https://apnews.com/live/trump-harris-election-updates-11-5-2024",
        "snippet": "Vice President Kamala Harris told supporters gathered at Howard University on Wednesday that she had lost the 2024 Election to Donald Trump,...",
        "source": "AP News",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRIVxdTfZ4XYuuwdPxZYMMKV3Pf24XwJT4z33Jt-QLP7NeYp9_xYOb6esqktQ&s",
        "content": "The FBI is warning of additional fabricated videos that misuse its name and insignia to undermine confidence in the electoral system.\n\nOne of the videos falsely claims that the FBI was made aware that at least 301 electors reported attempted bribery and blackmail by a political party.\n\nAnother video falsely claims that the FBI is investigating voter pressure at US military bases overseas, a third claims that a U.S. social media company has seen an increase in the number of separatist groups to include a total audience of more than 40 million people and the fourth falsely claims that the FBI has ordered media to restrict the spread of information about the bribery of electors.\n\nThe FBI says each of the videos contains false information."
      },
      {
        "title": "2024 US Election: Donald Trump wins Arizona in swing state sweep",
        "id": "d-99",
        "link": "https://www.lemonde.fr/en/united-states/article/2024/11/10/2024-us-election-donald-trump-wins-arizona_6732283_133.html",
        "snippet": "President-elect Donald Trump won Arizona on Saturday, November 9, returning the state and its 11 electoral votes to the Republican column after Joe Biden's...",
        "source": "Le Monde.fr",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTT0srWJItsyim_XVTi65LD8jkFDWxT2GudVvcCOTITAGKOgwSxexTzk0HY6w&s",
        "content": "President-elect Donald Trump won Arizona on Saturday, November 9, returning the state and its 11 electoral votes to the Republican column after Joe Biden's 2020 victory. This final result completes the Republican's sweep of all seven swing states.\n\nTrump's** **win over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, marks his second in Arizona since 2016. Trump campaigned on border security and the economy, tying Harris to inflation and record illegal border crossings during Biden's administration.\n\nTrump's victory dims the hopes of Arizona Democrats, who sought to continue their ascendance, which began with the 2018 flip of a longtime GOP-held Senate seat and continued in 2020 and 2022. Biden was the second Democrat to win Arizona in 70 years.\n\n## Historic comeback\n\nTrump sealed a historic comeback to the White House in the November 5 election, cementing what is set to be more than a decade of US politics overshadowed by his hardline, disruptive right-wing politics. The 78-year-old won wider margins than before, despite a criminal conviction, two impeachments while in office and warnings from his former chief of staff that he is a \"fascist.\"\n\nExit polls showed that voters' top concern remained the economy and inflation that spiked under Biden in the wake of the Covid pandemic. The scale and strength of Trump's comeback, which also saw the real estate tycoon win the popular vote by a margin of around four million votes, has sent shockwaves through the defeated Democratic Party."
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "topic_id": 7,
    "topic": "South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol faces impeachment crisis",
    "docs": [
      {
        "title": "Budget cuts hit European Parliament communications department",
        "id": "d-100",
        "link": "https://www.politico.eu/article/budget-cuts-eu-parliament-communications-department/",
        "snippet": "There are people scared for their jobs,” said one Parliament official.",
        "source": "POLITICO.eu",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "“They’re looking at the overall numbers and they’re saying, oh, it’s a big directorate general, so it needs to be trimmed,” said one of the officials, referring to the communications department. Another official, however, cautioned the restructuring will likely not be a “major reform” but rather a “readjustment” of resources.\n\nWhat’s on the chopping block\n\nThe Parliament’s leadership intends to gradually reassign existing staff members to jobs in other departments or to reallocate posts after employees retire.\n\nLess clear is what happens with subcontracted temporary positions — so-called externals — who often work in areas such as audiovisual services, website maintenance and event organization.\n\nSpecifically, the administration is considering withdrawing funding for events such as the Brussels 20-kilometer race. | Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images\n\nAt first, senior leadership planned to discontinue up to 50 percent of external contracts, according to the minutes of an internal meeting seen by POLITICO. But those cuts are likely to be less drastic, according to one of the three officials. (Colard refused to provide the number of externals currently employed in the communications department.)\n\nOverall, the Parliament’s outreach and campaign activities are likely to be most affected. Specifically, the administration is considering withdrawing funding for events such as the Brussels 20-kilometer race, grants for organizations at the regional and local level, and art exhibitions, according to a draft plan seen by POLITICO.\n\nIt may also slash part of its budget for awards, according to the three Parliament officials, including the LUX Audience Award for films, the European Citizen’s Prize and the European Charlemagne Youth Prize for youth projects promoting democracy.\n\nThe Europa Experience initiative, a project to establish EU-themed spaces across all 27 member countries, has already suffered cuts because of soaring costs and lackluster visitor numbers.\n\nThe uncertainty has caused some staffers to look elsewhere to build their careers, especially in the newly created legislative directorates, according to two of the officials POLITICO spoke to. “The feeling now is that the future is in the new directorates if you want to grow professionally,” one of them said."
      },
      {
        "title": "Proposed revision of the national policy statement for ports",
        "id": "d-101",
        "link": "https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/proposed-revision-of-the-national-policy-statement-for-ports",
        "snippet": "Today (4 June 2025), I am laying before Parliament the draft amended national policy statement for ports (NPSP).",
        "source": "GOV.UK",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Today (4 June 2025), I am laying before Parliament the draft amended national policy statement for ports (NPSP).\n\nThe extant NPSP was designated in 2012. It sets out the need for development of ports in England and at reserved trust ports in Wales, currently Milford Haven. The NPSP provides guidance for applicants in preparing and for the Secretary of State in determining applications for development consent orders ( DCOs ) for sea port applications.\n\nThe previous government announced a review of the current NPSP in a written ministerial statement in March 2023. In light of our missions and priorities, this government has continued that review and has decided to amend the document.\n\nToday, I have launched a public consultation on a draft revised NPSP, along with an appraisal of sustainability ( AoS ) and habitats regulations assessment ( HRA ). These are subject to a public consultation period of 8 weeks and to Parliamentary scrutiny in parallel. My department is also publishing port freight demand forecasts for the United Kingdom as a whole, to which the draft NPSP refers. The documents are available on GOV. UK .\n\nI will place copies of the public consultation document, the appraisal of sustainability, and the habitats regulation assessment in the libraries of the House. The public consultation will close on 29 July 2025. The relevant period for parliamentary scrutiny will be from 4 June to 14 November 2025.\n\nThe review of the NPSP is proceeding in parallel with our wider programme of planning reforms, including the Planning and Infrastructure Bill currently before this House, designed to expedite and facilitate decision-making and stimulate growth and green energy transformation."
      },
      {
        "title": "Land Alliance urges parliament to prioritize National Land Policy",
        "id": "d-102",
        "link": "https://www.radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/land-alliance-urges-parliament-to-prioritize-national-land-policy",
        "snippet": "As the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) prepares to reconvene, the South Sudan Land Alliance (SSuLA), a coalition of civil...",
        "source": "Radio Tamazuj",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "As the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) prepares to reconvene, the South Sudan Land Alliance (SSuLA), a coalition of civil society organizations and land rights advocates, has called on the House to prioritize the passage of the National Land Policy, stressing that continued delays are detrimental.\n\nThe policy, which was approved by the Council of Ministers on 27 October 2023 and tabled before the TNLA on 21 November 2024, has been in development for nearly two decades.\n\nAddressing journalists on Wednesday in Juba, Dorothy Drabuga, the chairperson of the Alliance, emphasized the importance of passing the policy to address ongoing land-related challenges in South Sudan.\n\n“In advance of parliament’s reopening, SSuLA, backed by more than 50 national and international organizations and with support from the Rights and Resources Initiatives (RRI), has released an open letter urging lawmakers to pass the NLP without further delay,” she said.\n\nAccording to Drabuga, a campaign titled Land for South Sudan highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive framework to resolve land disputes, secure land tenure, and promote sustainable development, particularly for Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women, and youth.\n\n“For nearly 20 years, South Sudanese communities have waited for a land policy that safeguards their rights, reduces conflict, and unlocks development opportunities,” she stated. “With Parliament set to reopen, we urge lawmakers to act boldly and make the National Land Policy a top legislative priority.”\n\nAdditionally, the SSuLA chairperson noted that the policy’s delay continues to impede the implementation of critical provisions of the Revitalized Peace Agreement (R-ARCSS), signed on 18 September 2018.\n\n“Article 4.8.2.1.1 of the agreement mandates the timely development and implementation of a national land policy as part of the broader land reform agenda,” she said. “In the open letter addressed to Rt. Hon. Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba and Hon. Ambrose Lomin, Chairperson of the Committee on Land and Physical Infrastructure, SSuLA, outline three urgent calls to action.”\n\nShe explained that the letter urges parliament to accelerate deliberation and approve the NLP without further delay, commit financial and technical resources for its implementation, and ensure that the policy aligns with international standards for land rights, particularly those of marginalized communities.\n\n“The NLP represents more than legislation. It is a pathway to peace, equity, and environmental resilience,” Drabuga stressed. “Failure to act risks deepening land disputes, discouraging sustainable investment, and worsening climate vulnerability.”\n\nWith land-related conflicts persisting across the country, advocates argue that the passage of the NLP would mark a historic step toward stability and inclusive development.\n\nFor his part, Ter Manyang, Executive Director of the Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), emphasized the fact that there is a need for the creation of legal awareness and implementation of the current laws, especially where there are currently rampant land disputes.\n\n“Many women are unaware of their rights under statutory law, and even when aware, they may face difficulties in asserting those rights due to a lack of awareness or resources,” he stated. “Institutional barriers and gender-biased practices within the justice system also impede women’s access to redress for land-related violations.”\n\nFurthermore, the Center for Peace and Advocacy called for coordinated efforts between the government, land institutions, and other partner organizations operating in South Sudan.\n\n“Addressing women’s land rights requires a multi-faceted approach, including strengthening legal frameworks, promoting gender equality in land administration, raising awareness of women’s rights, and ensuring access to justice,” he said.\n\nAccording to Manyang, there is a need for increased coordination among land actors, including government agencies, NGOs, and community organizations."
      },
      {
        "title": "Right holders call for transparency, remuneration in AI rules in EU Parliament",
        "id": "d-103",
        "link": "https://www.mlex.com/mlex/artificial-intelligence/articles/2349080/right-holders-call-for-transparency-remuneration-in-ai-rules-in-eu-parliament",
        "snippet": "Right holders are urging EU lawmakers to revise copyright rules to ensure transparency and fair remuneration for works used to train...",
        "source": "MLex",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/png;base64,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",
        "content": "By Inbar Preiss ( June 4, 2025, 11:11 GMT | Insight) -- Right holders are urging EU lawmakers to revise copyright rules to ensure transparency and fair remuneration for works used to train generative AI. European Commission official Emmanuelle Du Chalard said that an upcoming study would assess the contentious text and data mining exception, and would consider the need for new licensing mechanisms. Lawmakers have acknowledged the need to safeguard creative rights while supporting innovation, and discussed statutory licensing as a potential solution.Leaders of associations representing copyright holders and collecting societies are urging lawmakers in the European Parliament to protect their right to transparency and remuneration over published works against AI platforms that scrape their content without licensing....\n\nPrepare for tomorrow’s regulatory change, today\n\nMLex identifies risk to business wherever it emerges, with specialist reporters across the globe providing exclusive news and deep-dive analysis on the proposals, probes, enforcement actions and rulings that matter to your organization and clients, now and in the longer term.\n\nKnow what others in the room don’t, with features including:\n\nDaily newsletters for Antitrust, M&A, Trade, Data Privacy & Security, Technology, AI and more\n\nCustom alerts on specific filters including geographies, industries, topics and companies to suit your practice needs\n\nPredictive analysis from expert journalists across North America, the UK and Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific\n\nCurated case files bringing together news, analysis and source documents in a single timeline\n\nExperience MLex today with a 14-day free trial."
      },
      {
        "title": "Policy report: Building a competitive Europe",
        "id": "d-104",
        "link": "https://www.theparliamentmagazine.eu/magazine/issues/policy-report-building-a-competitive-europe",
        "snippet": "Competitiveness is the word on the lips of policymakers across Europe. The Parliament explore the ley building blocks on the EU's competitiveness driv...",
        "source": "The Parliament Magazine",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "The Parliament's latest policy report explores what's at the heart of the EU's competitiveness quest.\n\nSince the beginning of the European Union’s tenth mandate, “competitiveness\" has become the latest buzzword to enter the bloc’s political vocabulary.\n\nAs Europe looks to strengthen its position on the international stage, its policymakers are looking for the best ways to do so.\n\nFrom firming up the continent’s tech sector and fixing the single market to securing better trade deals and promoting European-made products, a range of plans are underway.\n\nIn this report, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné discusses what competitiveness means to him and outlines how the EU can improve its global standing. Federica Di Sario explores some of the frictions hindering the success of Europe’s single market and I examine the role of Europe’s workforce in its competitiveness drive.\n\nIn the opinion section, MEP Tsvetelina Penkova outlines how the EU can support its digital businesses, MEP Lidia Pereira makes the case for completing the Capital Markets Union and MEP Christophe Grudler argues for tweaking competition rules and encouraging consumers to buy European.\n\nCompetitiveness may remain an opaque word for some, but as Europe’s global strength becomes a sharper focus, the C-word might just start to take shape.\n\n- Matt Lynes is opinion & policy report editor"
      },
      {
        "title": "EU AI Act: first regulation on artificial intelligence",
        "id": "d-105",
        "link": "https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20230601STO93804/eu-ai-act-first-regulation-on-artificial-intelligence",
        "snippet": "The use of artificial intelligence in the EU is regulated by the AI Act, the world's first comprehensive AI law.",
        "source": "European Parliament",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "AI Act: different rules for different risk levels\n\nThe new rules establish obligations for providers and users depending on the level of risk of AI risk qualification. While many AI systems pose minimal risk, they need to be assessed.\n\n\n\nUnacceptable risk\n\nBanned AI applications in the EU include:\n\nCognitive behavioural manipulation of people or specific vulnerable groups: for example voice-activated toys that encourage dangerous behaviour in children\n\nSocial scoring AI: classifying people based on behaviour, socio-economic status or personal characteristics\n\nBiometric identification and categorisation of people\n\nReal-time and remote biometric identification systems, such as facial recognition in public spaces\n\n\n\nSome exceptions may be allowed for law enforcement purposes. “Real-time” remote biometric identification systems will be allowed in a limited number of serious cases, while “post” remote biometric identification systems, where identification occurs after a significant delay, will be allowed to prosecute serious crimes and only after court approval.\n\nHigh risk\n\n\n\nAI systems that negatively affect safety or fundamental rights will be considered high risk and will be divided into two categories:\n\n1) AI systems that are used in products falling under the EU’s product safety legislation. This includes toys, aviation, cars, medical devices and lifts.\n\n2) AI systems falling into specific areas that will have to be registered in an EU database:\n\nManagement and operation of critical infrastructure\n\nEducation and vocational training\n\nEmployment, worker management and access to self-employment\n\nAccess to and enjoyment of essential private services and public services and benefits\n\nLaw enforcement\n\nMigration, asylum and border control management\n\nAssistance in legal interpretation and application of the law.\n\n\n\n\n\nAll high-risk AI systems will be assessed before being put on the market and also throughout their lifecycle. People will have the right to file complaints about AI systems to designated national authorities.\n\nTransparency requirements\n\n\n\nGenerative AI, like ChatGPT, will not be classified as high-risk, but will have to comply with transparency requirements and EU copyright law:\n\nDisclosing that the content was generated by AI\n\nDesigning the model to prevent it from generating illegal content\n\nPublishing summaries of copyrighted data used for training\n\n\n\n\n\nHigh-impact general-purpose AI models that might pose systemic risk, such as the more advanced AI model GPT-4, would have to undergo thorough evaluations and any serious incidents would have to be reported to the European Commission.\n\n\n\n\n\nContent that is either generated or modified with the help of AI - images, audio or video files (for example deepfakes) - need to be clearly labelled as AI generated so that users are aware when they come across such content."
      },
      {
        "title": "Parliament adopts first EU rules for the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats",
        "id": "d-106",
        "link": "https://www.europeaninterest.eu/parliament-adopts-first-eu-rules-for-the-welfare-and-traceability-of-dogs-and-cats/",
        "snippet": "On Tuesday, the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament approved a significant position regarding EU standards for the breeding, housing,...",
        "source": "European Interest",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "On Tuesday, the Agriculture Committee of the European Parliament approved a significant position regarding EU standards for the breeding, housing, and handling of cats and dogs. This initiative introduces the first EU regulations focused on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats, with a vote resulting in 35 in favour, two against, and nine abstentions. Given that approximately 44% of households within the EU have a pet, the trade in dogs and cats has expanded notably in recent years, now valued at €1.3 billion annually, as reported by the Commission. It is worth noting that the online market, including illegal activities, accounts for 60% of all dog and cat sales in the EU.\n\nIn response to the absence of unified minimum animal welfare standards across member states, the Commission proposed these new rules on 7 December 2023. The regulations would apply to individuals and entities involved in breeding or selling dogs and cats in establishments and shelters, as well as those facilitating placements into foster homes. However, the regulations will not extend to private dog and cat owners who occasionally place a maximum of one litter on the market, provided this occurs less frequently than every 18 months.\n\nUnder the proposed regulations, all dogs and cats held by breeders, sellers, and shelters, or those offered for sale or donation online, must be individually identifiable through microchipping. These microchipped animals are required to be registered in interoperable national databases. The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) propose that the identification numbers of microchips, along with relevant details regarding the corresponding national database, be maintained in a single index database managed by the Commission.\n\nTo address potential loopholes that could allow dogs and cats to enter the EU as non-commercial pets, which may later be sold, MEPs recommend extending the proposed rules to encompass not only imports for commercial purposes but also non-commercial movements. Accordingly, dogs and cats imported from third countries for sale must be microchipped before entering the EU and subsequently registered in a national database within two working days of arrival. Additionally, pet owners arriving in the EU will be required to pre-register their microchipped animals in an online database at least five working days prior to their arrival.\n\nThe proposed regulations also prohibit breeding between direct relatives, including parents and offspring, grandparents and grandchildren, as well as between siblings and half-siblings. Puppies and kittens may not be separated from their mothers until they have reached a minimum age of eight weeks unless specific veterinary justification is provided. To ensure ethical practices, the regulations will limit the number of litters a female may have and will establish mandatory rest periods between pregnancies.\n\nFurthermore, the MEPs advocate for a prohibition on breeding dogs or cats with excessive conformational traits that may lead to significant welfare issues, as well as banning these animals—along with mutilated dogs and cats—from participating in shows, exhibitions, or competitions. The report is now prepared for a vote in the Parliament’s plenary session. If adopted, negotiations with EU government ministers will commence.\n\n“This proposal is a clear move against illegal breeding and the irresponsible importation of animals from outside the EU. At the same time, it fully respects ordinary owners and responsible breeders who should not be unduly burdened by regulations,” rapporteur and Chair of the AGRI Committee, Veronika Vrecionová (ECR, CZ), said after the vote."
      },
      {
        "title": "Turn protest Into policy - petition deadlines soon",
        "id": "d-107",
        "link": "https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/52488",
        "snippet": "Over 600000 people marched in London last week for peace and justice in the Holy Land, but there is much more that we can do besides...",
        "source": "Independent Catholic News",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Houses of Parliament. Image: ICN/JS\n\nOver 600,000 people marched in London last week for peace and justice in the Holy Land, but there is much more that we can do besides marching - including writing letters and emails to MPs. And there are petitions. The government responds to all petitions that get more than 10,000 signatures\n\nAt 10,000 signatures, a petition will be considered for debate in Parliament, and if more than 100,000 have signed - parliament must consider debating the subject.\n\n\n\nCampaigners say: \"Every signature counts. If we want political change, we must show up for it. These petitions are a way to make sure issues get to Parliament and demand action.\"\n\nPetitions to the government are open for six months. Please sign and share - current petitions with deadlines soon:\n\nStop all arms exports to Israel & seek a ceasefire\n\nCloses: 5 June 2025\n\nhttps://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700918\n\n\n\n\n\nImpose economic sanctions on Israel\n\nCloses: 9 June 2025\n\nhttps://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/701379\n\n\n\nFulfil the UK's humanitarian obligations to Gaza\n\nCloses: 28 July 2025\n\nhttps://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700682"
      },
      {
        "title": "South Korea’s President Impeached Over Martial Law Crisis",
        "id": "d-108",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/12/14/world/south-korea-impeachment-president-yoon",
        "snippet": "Celebrations broke out in Seoul after lawmakers voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol. He vowed to fight removal in the country's...",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTzqPe6Iqzi49dAZrbf32xZ8tVC_sC4zo8N-tMCmlk5OimkMLsOrpGL76JAhQ&s",
        "content": "Baek Jae Gil, who adapted “Feliz Navidad” into a protest anthem, at a demonstration near the National Assembly in Seoul on Saturday.\n\nWhile calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal, tens of thousands of South Korean protesters have danced to traditional percussion, sung a pop genre called trot and blasted “Whiplash,” a hit by the girl group Aespa.\n\nThey’ve also left rallies with the melody of “Feliz Navidad” stuck in their heads. The adaptation’s repeated opening verse: “Impeachment is the answer.”\n\nThe day after Mr. Yoon’s short-lived declaration of martial law last week, the protest anthem’s creator, Baek Jae Gil, performed it for thousands outside the National Assembly in Seoul. A recording has received nine million views on X, and the song has spread on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. On the Chinese app WeChat, it has been translated into Chinese, he said.\n\n“If Yoon Suk Yeol gets lost, it’s a Merry Christmas,” the crowd sang along to the tune of the 1970 Christmas classic.\n\nMr. Baek, 52, a professional musician known as Baekja, has been protesting for decades. He has seen demonstrations become more peaceful and the mood lighten since his first rally in 1989. That was during a brutally suppressed teachers movement that led to the formation of a national union.\n\n“It was scary,” he said of those days in an interview last Saturday during protests at the National Assembly. “It was the time of tear gas and violent repression.”\n\nGrowing up as the youngest of six children in South Korea’s southwest, Mr. Baek said, he often heard stories from his older brothers about how soldiers suppressed pro-democracy protests in the nearby city of Gwangju in 1980, the last time South Korea was under martial law.\n\n“My brother was almost killed,” he said, adjusting his thick-rimmed glasses.\n\nIn middle school, he moved to Seoul at his brothers’ recommendation to find better opportunities. In high school, he wrote poetry, some of it political. He kept writing poems as he studied business at university, and a friend from high school turned them into songs.\n\nHe took the stage as a singer for the first time in 1990, the year he started college, at a pro-democracy protest on campus.\n\nMr. Baek also learned to play the guitar. In 1991, he performed it in the alleyways of Seoul among crowds of students and workers whose demonstrations were set off by the killing of a student activist. About a dozen protesters died setting themselves on fire.\n\n“I sang in the midst of tear gas every week,” he said.\n\nIn the past two decades, the police tactics to suppress demonstrations have become less violent. He said that protest culture changed significantly during candlelight vigils in 2002 in response to the deaths of two schoolgirls fatally struck by a U.S. Army vehicle. A U.S. military court acquitted two soldiers in the crash, sparking anger, but the protests remained largely peaceful.\n\nMr. Baek also saw the mood at demonstrations become brighter after the protests against President Park Geun-hye, some of the largest the country has seen, led to her impeachment in 2016. People were jubilant, he said: A peaceful protest had toppled the country’s leader.\n\n“Protests in South Korea went from being dark and depressing to being fun and exciting,” Mr. Baek said. “There was a sense of pride in democracy.”\n\nThose demonstrations provided the inspiration for his “Feliz Navidad” adaptation. A protester performed a version of the song, originally written by the Puerto Rican singer José Feliciano, titled “Geun-hye Is Not the One.”\n\n(Mr. Feliciano did not comment directly on the latest adaptation. Susan Feliciano, his wife, said in a statement that the lyrics have been repurposed often and that it was gratifying to see the melody endure.)\n\nMr. Baek wrote his version in 2022, after Mr. Yoon had become president. Protests calling for his removal grew after a crowd crush in Seoul around Halloween killed more than 150 people. Mr. Baek wanted to come up with a song fit for the run-up to Christmas.\n\n“The response has been great,” he said. “It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s a Christmas carol.”\n\nMr. Baek has run into trouble with other satirical songs. A government-run broadcaster accused him of copyright infringement earlier this year after he used part of its footage in a YouTube video satirizing the material. At the broadcaster’s request, YouTube deleted his video, and the police launched an investigation. Mr. Baek said he was fighting the case, calling it a targeted infringement on his free speech rights.\n\nLast week, the day after hundreds of soldiers stormed the National Assembly, he sang his anthem and several other songs there to an energized audience that was younger than those he had seen at previous rallies.\n\n“Let’s make Yoon Suk Yeol’s arrest our Christmas gift this year!” he shouted before performing for a crowd of protesters.\n\nMr. Baek, who sang it again on a stage at last Saturday’s protests, said that he liked to lift people’s mood.\n\n“The wind is biting, isn’t it?” he told thousands of protesters as wind swept his brown-highlighted perm. “If you’re cold, get up and dance!”\n\nThe crowd rose and cheered."
      },
      {
        "title": "South Korea’s president faces calls to resign or be impeached",
        "id": "d-109",
        "link": "https://www.npr.org/2024/12/04/g-s1-36730/south-korea-president-martial-law",
        "snippet": "Opposition parties have filed a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol and plans for rallies in major cities are underway.",
        "source": "NPR",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRjILOJtl2r447qHDaAajkbi9WgcX1BuBW4aR0MkBeajEY5DsQtyGjDZEPzHQ&s",
        "content": "South Korea's president faces calls to resign or be impeached\n\ntoggle caption Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images\n\nSEOUL, South Korea — Calls are growing for South Korea's president to resign or face impeachment, after he briefly imposed martial law over the country.\n\nOpposition parties filed a motion on Wednesday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, signed by every one of their lawmakers.\n\nCivic groups in most major cities are planning to hold large-scale rallies urging Yoon's ouster.\n\nPresident Yoon lifted emergency martial law at 4:30 a.m. on Wednesday, just six hours after he declared it in a surprise televised address.\n\nIn the speech, he accused the opposition-controlled parliament of \"paralyzing\" and \"attempting to overthrow the liberal democratic system through legislative dictatorship.\" Yoon said that by imposing martial law, his aim was \"to crush North Korea-sympathizing anti-state forces and to preserve the free constitutional order.\"\n\nSponsor Message\n\nA martial-law command soon issued a decree suspending the legislature, blocking all political activities and putting the media under its control. The command threatened violators will be arrested without warrant.\n\nLeaders of the ruling conservative People Power Party and the main liberal opposition Democratic Party both immediately decried Yoon's action as unconstitutional and illegal.\n\nTwo and a half hours after the announcement, 190 lawmakers gathered at the National Assembly amid armed soldiers swarming onto the legislature's premises. The lawmakers, including 18 from Yoon's party, annulled martial law in a unanimous vote.\n\nThe U.S. Embassy in South Korea issued an alert, advising U.S. citizens to stay away from protests or other large gatherings, which could escalate into violence. The U.K. also made a similar travel advisory.\n\n\n\n\"I felt like I was Alice in Wonderland\"\n\nIt was the first time martial law was imposed in South Korea since the 1980s. But in the early decades of the country's modern history, dictators and military juntas enforced martial law to squash political rivals and pro-democracy movements, often citing unsubstantiated threats from North Korea as the reason.\n\n\"And the South Korean people, they know their history as well,\" says Benjamin Engel, a visiting political science professor at Dankook University outside Seoul. \"And they're not going to accept a return of military rule or martial law. And that was clear from the get-go.\"\n\nSponsor Message\n\nOver the chaotic and historic night, a growing crowd of protesters gathered outside the main gate of the parliament. Inside the compound, protesters and parliament staffers tried to block soldiers from entering the main meeting hall. Some built barricades with furniture.\n\nThe National Assembly's Secretary General Kim Min-ki said in a briefing that nearly 300 martial law troops stormed the parliament, flying in military helicopters or climbing over fences. Some smashed windows to enter the main building, he said. Kim announced that members of the defense ministry and the police will now be prohibited from entering the parliament, to protect the institution's functions and lawmakers' safety.\n\ntoggle caption Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images\n\nIn recent years, the main opposition Democratic Party has warned against the possibility that a conservative government can declare martial law to defuse a political crisis. Under President Park Geun-hye, daughter of the dictator Park Chung Hee, the military prepared a detailed plan for martial law amid nationwide protests over her corruption allegations that eventually led to her impeachment in 2017.\n\nDP's leader Lee Jae-myung openly raised a suspicion as recently as in September. Yoon's office brushed it off as \"irresponsible\" and \"brainwashing propaganda.\"\n\nNevertheless, after his suspicion became a reality, Lee expressed disbelief. \"I felt like I was Alice in Wonderland, like I was in some cartoon,\" Lee said at a rally Wednesday afternoon. \"This country – the 10th biggest economy in the world, a cultural powerhouse and an aspiring 5th biggest military power – was backpedaling to an outdated country.\"\n\nLee said the Yoon administration resorted to physical force, cornered by a looming economic, security and political crisis.\n\n\n\nIntentions of martial-law declaration unclear\n\nYoon Suk Yeol is a former chief prosecutor who won the presidency as a political rookie in 2022 with a paper-thin margin.\n\nHe has struggled throughout his term with scandals involving him and his wife. His approval rating has dropped to 20% or below in recent weeks as allegations of Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee's involvement in an influence-peddling scandal emerged.\n\nSponsor Message\n\nThe DP has been pressuring Yoon over first lady Kim's acceptance of a luxury bag, alleged stock price manipulation, involvement in state affairs and other allegations. The opposition has also questioned Yoon's role in the alleged cover-up of a Marine's death last year and in the controversial relocation of the presidential office and residence.\n\nYoon has mostly denied or dismissed these accusations as political attacks and antagonized the opposition-led parliament, frequently blocking bills with veto power.\n\nEarlier this week, his government again clashed with the parliament, as the DP slashed large portions of Yoon's budget proposal for the next year.\n\nIt remains unclear what President Yoon expected to achieve with the martial law declaration.\n\nDankook University's Benjamin Engel says, \"There's no other real way to look at it except for a self-coup trying to extend his power\" and \"push through policies without any sort of negotiations or compromise with the opposition party.\"\n\ntoggle caption Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images\n\nPresident Yoon's future and legacy in doubt\n\nThe future of Yoon and his government appears grim. Yoon's senior aides and defense minister offered to resign. The DP is accusing the president, the defense minister and the interior minister for charges of insurrection.\n\nThe Korean Won and stock prices experienced large fluctuations amid uncertainties. Diplomatic and military schedules are being delayed, including a scheduled visit by the Swedish prime minister and a key nuclear deterrence meeting and exercise with the U.S.\n\nIn a post on X on Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. Embassy in Seoul said, \"The U.S. believes President Yoon's announcement to end martial law is a crucial step.\" The message stopped short of condemning martial law declaration.\n\nThe White House said it's relieved. But the politics professor Engel says Yoon's disruption of democratic system \"throws egg on the face of their whole trilateral cooperation efforts with the U.S., South Korea and Japan.\"\n\nSponsor Message\n\nYoon has envisioned South Korea as a \"global pivotal state\" that promotes liberal democratic order and pursued \"value-based diplomacy\" with like-minded democracies.\n\n\"Yoon's legacy is gone,\" says Engel."
      },
      {
        "title": "South Korea opposition introduces motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol",
        "id": "d-110",
        "link": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/4/south-korean-opposition-submits-impeachment-bill-for-president-yoon",
        "snippet": "South Korean legislators have launched a push to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of declaring martial law in order to evade investigations.",
        "source": "Al Jazeera",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR1r3cICimbedn_FR9Uk8VdNoNNXv79u25B3-YtPhtb2uz2DQjBAxO6t3s9RA&s",
        "content": "South Korean legislators have launched a push to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of declaring martial law in order to evade investigations into himself and his family.\n\nYoon’s declaration of martial law was swiftly overturned by lawmakers who tussled with troops before entering the National Assembly to vote it down early on Wednesday.\n\nOpposition legislators later filed a motion to impeach the president. It says the president “gravely and extensively violated the constitution and the law” and accuses him of imposing martial law “with the unconstitutional and illegal intent to evade imminent investigations … into alleged illegal acts involving himself and his family”.\n\nIn an early Thursday morning session, lawmakers presented the impeachment motion to parliament.\n\n“This is an unforgivable crime – one that cannot, should not, and will not be pardoned,” MP Kim Seung-won said.\n\nYoon’s governing People Power Party said it would oppose the motion but the party has been divided over the crisis. The opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, needs at least eight governing party lawmakers to back the bill in order for it to pass.\n\nUnder South Korea’s constitution, impeachment requires a two-thirds majority in the 300-member National Assembly. The Democratic Party currently holds 170 seats in parliament. A vote could take place as soon as Friday.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe leader of the governing party on Wednesday slammed the incident and called for those involved to be held accountable.\n\n“The president must directly and thoroughly explain this tragic situation,” Han Dong-hoon told reporters in a televised broadcast.\n\nIf the National Assembly does agree to impeach, Yoon will be temporarily stripped of his presidential authority while the constitutional court considers his fate.\n\nSeveral senior officials have offered their resignations in the wake of the bungled events, including Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk, National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik, and Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Sung Tae-yoon.\n\nPrime Minister Han Duck-soo pledged to continue serving the people “until the last moment” and asked the cabinet to fulfil its responsibility together with the public officials of all ministries.\n\nThe Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the country’s largest labour organisations, had called for a strike until the president’s resignation.\n\nOverreach\n\nYoon announced he would lift the martial law order hours after the initial declaration on Tuesday.\n\nHe had said he was forced to issue the order “to defend the free Republic of Korea from the threats of North Korean communist forces” and accused the political opposition of “paralysing” his government and “undermining” the constitutional order.\n\nLawmakers then tussled with soldiers in order to enter parliament where they passed a legally binding motion forcing Yoon to reverse the order.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nA Democratic Party leader, Park Chan-dae, warned soon after the martial law order ended that Yoon “cannot avoid the charge of treason”.\n\nGreg Scarlatoiu, the president and CEO of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, told Al Jazeera that Article 77 of the South Korean Constitution stipulates that martial law may be declared when the country basically faces an existential threat.\n\n“It seems that this is a fairly frivolous exercise in declaring martial law,” he said.\n\nScarlatoiu noted that there may be some basis to Yoon’s assertion of a threat to national security. The Democratic Party, which holds the majority in parliament, has made it impossible for the executive branch to operate.\n\nYet, the fact that 190 members of parliament rejected martial law was a sign the president had overreached."
      },
      {
        "title": "South Korea’s parliament votes to impeach president over martial law debacle",
        "id": "d-111",
        "link": "https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/14/asia/south-korea-yoon-second-impeachment-hnk-intl",
        "snippet": "South Korea's parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday in an extraordinary rebuke that came about after his own...",
        "source": "CNN",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTHnjB-25VAC2NAouBeX4cVLOSlF0K-ihngGFU5lo8yYUyPwoVwGjXnkbtoVw&s",
        "content": "Seoul, South Korea CNN —\n\nSouth Korea’s parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday in an extraordinary rebuke that came about after his own ruling party turned on him following his refusal to resign over his short-lived martial law attempt.\n\nIt is the second time in less than a decade that a South Korean leader has faced impeachment proceedings in office and means Yoon is suspended from exercising his powers until the decision is finally adjudicated by the country’s Constitutional Court.\n\nFollowing the vote, which sparked jubilation among protesters outside parliament, Yoon conceded that he will “stop temporarily for now, but the journey to the future that I’ve walked with the people for the past two years should not stop.”\n\n“I will not give up,” he said in a statement shared by the country’s presidential office.\n\n“With all the encouragement and support for me in mind, I will do my best until the last moment for the nation,” he added.\n\nThe country’s Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who will serve as acting president under South Korean law, told reporters that he would “devote all my strength and effort to stable operation of state affairs.”\n\nKang Sun-woo, a lawmaker with the Democratic Party, told CNN Saturday that the “great democracy of South Korea will survive and will be born again” after the impeachment.\n\nThe dramatic decision marks the culmination of a stunning political showdown after Yoon briefly declared martial law on December 3 and sent soldiers to parliament, where lawmakers fought past troops to enter the building and vote down the decree.\n\nYoon’s gamble backfired spectacularly, galvanizing many in the vibrant Asian democracy to call for his removal.\n\nOpposition parties tried impeaching him a week ago – but Yoon survived after members of his ruling People Power Party boycotted the vote, saying they hoped the president would voluntarily resign instead.\n\nYoon then doubled down – giving a defiant speech on Thursday in which he defended his martial law decision, lambasted the opposition, claimed he was trying to save the country and vowed to “fight until the last moment with the people.”\n\nYet moments before that speech, the leader of Yoon’s party withdrew his support for the president and backed impeachment as the “only way… to defend democracy”, instructing lawmakers to vote with their conscience.\n\nThousands of protesters gathered in Seoul on Saturday, braving the cold to call for Yoon to resign ahead of the vote, which was passed by 204 lawmakers with 85 voting against it.\n\n“He surely tried to have a war against the citizens so this is just what he deserved,” one protestor, Lim Dong Eon, told CNN outside the National Assembly building after the vote, where protesting has now turned into partying.\n\nAnother protestor kept their message short, telling CNN: “Democracy is back!”\n\nProtesters participate in a rally calling for Yoon's impeachment in front of the National Assembly in Seoul on December 14. Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters\n\nPeople celebrate after the South Korean parliament passed an impeachment motion against Yoon on December 14. Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters\n\nMeanwhile, thousands of the president’s supporters gathered in downtown Seoul, with many waving US and South Korean flags, chanting slogans and holding up signs in support of the embattled Yoon.\n\nYoon, who has been immediately suspended of his powers, now awaits a ruling by the Constitutional Court – one of the country’s highest courts – to confirm his fate, which can take up to six months.\n\nActing chief justice of the Constitutional Court, Moon Hyung-bae, said in a statement Saturday that a meeting will take place on Monday to discuss the case schedule, adding that the process will be conducted “swiftly and fairly.”\n\nIf confirmed, he will become the second South Korean president to be thrown out of office by impeachment after Park Geun-hye, the country’s first female leader.\n\nThe now acting president, Han Duck-soo, also faces his own political problems and is being investigated over his role in the martial law decision, adding to the political uncertainty in the weeks ahead.\n\nA former prosecutor and conservative firebrand, Yoon has had a difficult two years in office, mired in low approval ratings and political scandals involving his wife and political appointments.\n\nPark Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party, speaks during the plenary session for the impeachment vote at the National Assembly in Seoul on December 14 Woohae Cho/Pool/AFP/Getty Images\n\nSince he took office in 2022 he has also faced political gridlock with an opposition-majority parliament – which prevented from moving forward on legislation to cut taxes and ease business regulations, as his main rivals in the Democratic Party used the legislature to impeach key cabinet members and hold up a budget bill.\n\nHis administration cracked down what he referred to as “fake news” with police and prosecutors raiding multiple media outlets, including MBC and JTBC, as well as the homes of journalists.\n\nYoon argued that his frustration with the political deadlock drove him to take a bold power move, surprising not only members of his own party but also many military leaders.\n\nPolice raids and treason investigations\n\nIn his late-night address declaring martial law, Yoon accused the opposition of “anti-state” activities and being in cahoots with North Korea, without providing evidence – a charge his opponents have strenuously denied. He also portrayed his act as the only way to break the political deadlock in parliament.\n\nBut it was met with shock and anger across the country, which remains deeply scarred by the brutality of martial law imposed during decades of military dictatorship before it transitioned into hard-won democracy in the 1980s.\n\nDramatic scenes from that night showed security forces breaking through windows in the National Assembly to try and prevent lawmakers from gathering, and protesters confronting riot police.\n\nSoldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on December 4, after Yoon's declaration of martial law. Jung Yeon-je/AFP/Getty Images\n\nSince then, pressure on the president has grown, with police, parliament, prosecutors and the anti-corruption body launching separate investigations into Yoon on treason allegations. On Tuesday, lawmakers approved a special counsel to investigate whether Yoon committed insurrection and abused his power by issuing martial law.\n\nThe following day, South Korean police raided the presidential office, a presidential security official confirmed to CNN. Yoon has also been barred from leaving the country.\n\nLast week, South Korean prosecutors detained former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun, who allegedly recommended the martial law imposition and resigned in the wake of the scandal. Kim attempted to end his own life in custody late Tuesday, according to the head of the country’s correctional service.\n\nOn Thursday, Yoon said he had only discussed the martial law decree with Kim before declaring it. Meanwhile parliament has already impeached both Yoon’s justice minister and his police chief.\n\nSenior government officials have testified at various government hearings over the last week revealing some extraordinary details about the night of the martial law order.\n\nSpecial Warfare Command Commander Kwak Jong-geun testified that he received a direct order from President Yoon to break the doors of the National Assembly and drag out the lawmakers, but he did not comply.\n\nSouth Korea, one of East Asia’s most important economies and vital US regional ally, now faces months of protracted political uncertainty of the kind that dominated the country during the last impeachment crisis in 2016 and 2017.\n\nThen-president Park Geun-hye was ultimately impeached by lawmakers over corruption allegations, kicked out of office by the Constitutional Court, jailed and later pardoned.\n\nCNN’s Lex Harvey, Yoonjung Seo, Gawon Bae and Billy Stockwell contributed reporting."
      },
      {
        "title": "South Korea’s President Survives Impeachment Bid",
        "id": "d-112",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/12/06/world/south-korea-president-yoon-impeachment",
        "snippet": "Opposition lawmakers failed to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over the political crisis he sparked by declaring martial law earlier this...",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSf2FpJYyoqZfGASm7dmUV5Ivfjjl7SsVC3m34WwKDgnZMKd6QNEvCl2nyeUQ&s",
        "content": "Protesters taking part in a rally calling for the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, near the National Assembly in Seoul, on Saturday.\n\nTens of thousands of protesters massed outside South Korea’s National Assembly on Saturday, calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s ouster as the lawmakers inside voted on whether to impeach him.\n\nBy the time Mr. Yoon had survived the impeachment motion, the crowd in Seoul had thinned out, but many said they would not give up.\n\n“I plan to come every weekend,” said Subin Park, 29. “I hope a lot of people will show up.”\n\nFor hours, the area around the National Assembly was packed with protesters calling for Mr. Yoon’s impeachment after his audacious, though short-lived, declaration of martial law late Tuesday plunged South Korea into political crisis.\n\nDemonstrations in the city and around the country have intensified through the week, and Saturday’s rally was the largest yet.\n\n“I am so angry. I can’t find the words to describe my frustration,” said Kim Hyo-lim, 23, after the motion failed. “I am devastated, but I feel honored to be a part of this historic moment for my country.”\n\nAs the rally kicked off in the afternoon, the atmosphere was festive. Many parents brought along their young children.\n\nLee Soo-young, 38, pushed her 2-year-old son in a stroller. “I don’t want him to live in a country that could be under martial law again,” she said.\n\nOver the next few hours, the crowds swelled, even as night fell and the temperature dropped. Seoul’s subway operator closed three nearby stations, yet people continued to flow in, filling several blocks and intersections. Many people held candles or colorful light sticks. They carried blankets to bundle up against the temperatures, which have hovered near freezing all week. Chants and music could be heard from blocks away.\n\nOrganizers used Facebook to arrange cross-country transportation: shuttle buses from cities hours away from Seoul and even plane rides from Jeju, an island off the southern coast. On X, people shared names that protesters could give at nearby cafes to get free drinks.\n\nWhile most of the attention was on the crowds outside the National Assembly, in another part of Seoul, a much smaller group of Mr. Yoon’s supporters gathered in one of the city’s main plazas. Mr. Yoon’s low approval rating plunged further this week. But thousands of his supporters sang anthems and waved South Korean and U.S. flags on Saturday.\n\nDemonstrators there did not want to talk about the short-lived martial law. Instead, person after person criticized the leader of the main opposition party, Lee Jae-myung, calling him a communist, and said Mr. Yoon was protecting the country from communism and preserving its relationship with the United States.\n\nWhile the crowd supporting Mr. Yoon was predominantly older, outside the National Assembly, many were protesting for the first time.\n\nAmong them was An Ye-young, 19, who said her parents disagreed with her politically. “For many of us who don’t usually pay attention to politics, and have just turned old enough to vote, there’s been a wake-up call to become more aware,” she said.\n\nThe night martial law was imposed, Ms. An couldn’t sleep. She rewatched “A Taxi Driver,” the South Korean film about the uprising against martial law in Gwangju in May 1980. “When I saw the scenes where citizens raised their voices,” she said, “I thought I should go and protest.”\n\nChang W. Lee and Qasim Nauman contributed reporting from Seoul."
      },
      {
        "title": "Will South Korea’s President Yoon survive second impeachment motion?",
        "id": "d-113",
        "link": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/12/14/will-south-koreas-president-yoon-survive-second-impeachment-motion",
        "snippet": "South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to face a second impeachment motion in the National Assembly on Saturday.",
        "source": "Al Jazeera",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQUv4MManlQDxCNS2zeZo6DWDlr_XBYjVvbF7kZ2Qu9AcnP70fzONpd1CWCTw&s",
        "content": "The stakes are high for President Yoon Suk-yeol as the opposition tries again to impeach him for declaring martial law.\n\nSeoul, South Korea – South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to face a second impeachment motion in the National Assembly on Saturday, just a week after a previous attempt by the political opposition fell short.\n\nThe stakes are high following Yoon’s controversial declaration of martial law on December 3, which triggered nationwide protests and heightened uncertainty for Asia’s fourth-largest economy.\n\nFor the latest impeachment motion to succeed, it must secure at least 200 votes – a two-thirds majority – in South Korea’s 300-seat National Assembly.\n\nThe opposition bloc holds 192 seats, leaving it eight votes short of the number required.\n\nHowever, in recent days, a small yet growing number of legislators from Yoon’s governing People Power Party have openly supported the motion, making impeachment increasingly more likely.\n\nIn a defiant televised address on Thursday, Yoon dismissed the idea of voluntary resignation, stressing, “Whether they impeach me or investigate me, I will stand firm.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nWhat happens if Yoon is impeached?\n\nIf the National Assembly passes the impeachment motion, a series of legal and constitutional processes will unfold, starting with the official delivery of the impeachment resolution from the National Assembly to the President’s Office and the Constitutional Court.\n\nFrom that moment, Yoon’s presidential powers will be suspended. He will still retain the title and some privileges associated with the presidency, including the presidential residence, and continued security protection.\n\nDuring this period, South Korea’s prime minister will assume the role of acting president under Article 71 of the Constitution.\n\nHowever, the opposition is also considering impeaching Prime Minister Han Duck-soo in connection with his possible role in the martial law declaration. If Han is impeached, too, the deputy prime minister for the economy would take over as acting president.\n\nThe acting president will handle essential duties such as military command, issuing decrees, and managing state matters.\n\nWhile the Constitution does not clearly limit the scope of an acting president’s authority, precedent suggests powers should be limited to maintaining the status quo rather than initiating major policy changes.\n\nReview at the Constitutional Court\n\nThe impeachment process then moves to the Constitutional Court, where justices will review the case to determine whether Yoon’s removal is justified.\n\nAt least six out of the nine justices must support the motion for it to be upheld.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nHowever, only six justices currently sit on the bench, meaning Yoon needs just one supportive ruling to survive the impeachment attempt.\n\nThe three vacant seats are positions that the National Assembly can nominate. While legislators are now rushing to fill those seats, the president has the final authority to approve the appointments, raising the possibility of delays or rejections.\n\nThe court is required to issue its decision within 180 days of receiving the case. The Constitutional Court took 63 days to rule on former President Roh Moo-hyun’s impeachment in 2004 and 91 days for former President Park Geun-hye’s case in 2016.\n\nYoon’s potential legal defence\n\nYoon’s speech on Thursday appeared to preview his defence strategy should the case reach the Constitutional Court.\n\nHe is likely to argue that declaring martial law was within his constitutional powers and did not constitute an illegal act or an insurrection.\n\nHe framed the martial law declaration as a “highly political decision” falling under the president’s powers, which are “not subject to judicial review”.\n\nYoon insisted that his decision was an “emergency appeal to the public” amid what he described as a severe political crisis, which he blamed on the opposition-controlled National Assembly.\n\nConstitutional Court’s ruling\n\nIf the court upholds the impeachment, Yoon will be removed from office.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nHe will lose privileges afforded to former presidents, such as pensions and personal aides, though he will continue to receive security protection.\n\nA presidential election must then be held within 60 days to elect a new leader.\n\nIf the impeachment is rejected, Yoon will be reinstated as president and resume his duties.\n\nSeparate investigations\n\nEven if he survives the second impeachment bid, Yoon still faces criminal investigations.\n\nAlthough a sitting president enjoys immunity from criminal prosecution, this protection does not extend to charges of insurrection.\n\nMultiple investigative agencies, including the police, the prosecution, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, are investigating senior officials and military commanders on charges of insurrection.\n\nThis means that Yoon could potentially be arrested, which would mark the first such case involving a sitting president in South Korea."
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "topic_id": 8,
    "topic": "7.9 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar's Sagaing Region causes major casualties",
    "docs": [
      {
        "title": "Flash flood vulnerability should be reduced",
        "id": "d-114",
        "link": "https://www.newagebd.net/post/editorial/266721/flash-flood-vulnerability-should-be-reduced",
        "snippet": "FLOODING from incessant rain caused by the recent depression in the Bay of Bengal has remained somewhat unchanged while the government's...",
        "source": "New Age BD",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "FLOODING from incessant rain caused by the recent depression in the Bay of Bengal has remained somewhat unchanged while the government’s disaster management and relief efforts are barely visible. Four of the five north-eastern rivers that were flowing above their danger marks further swelled, as the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre reported in its last cycle on June 3. It is likely that rain would continue and some areas will remain flooded in the north-east. The onrush of water from the upstream region in India into these rivers has forced several hundred families to move to safety, also to flood shelter centres. The death toll from the flash flood and landslide has, meanwhile, already reached 15. Road connectivity and economic activities in the flood-hit areas have been disrupted. It is concerning that the government’s role has so far been limited to observing the disaster situation and issuing warnings, especially when flash floods from heavy rain became a cause for concern in the recent past.\n\nPreventive efforts to minimise the loss of life and public suffering from heavy rainfall should have already been in place. That has not, however, been the case. In Sylhet, the government has opened flood shelters but was not prompt enough to relocate people living in areas at landslide risk. The death of four members of a family from landslides in Sylhet speaks of the government’s inaction. Emergency response to help to alleviate the sufferings of people is the need of the hour, but equally important it is to address the root cause of frequent flash flooding. Local leaders put the flash flood mainly down to the unplanned construction of roads and other infrastructure that, too, grabbing canals and blocking low-lying areas that could, otherwise, drain out floodwater. Such infrastructure also includes long stretches of rural roads that block water from receding. Coupled with this is the problem of waning capacity of the rivers and canals to deal with excess water flow coming from the upstream.\n\nIn this context, the government should immediately take steps to minimise the loss of life and public suffering in the north-eastern flood-affected areas. In doing so, it should take early steps to relocate people living in areas already identified as risky for landslides and arrange transport and shelter for people living in the worst-hit areas. More important, the government should ensure emergency food and cash aid for people directly affected by the flash flood and landslide from the heavy rainfall. It should also pull down road stretches and infrastructure that block the natural flow of floodwater and dredge the rivers to increase their capacity to flush out floodwater and collected rainwater."
      },
      {
        "title": "Switzerland: Flood risk after landslide engulfs village",
        "id": "d-115",
        "link": "https://www.dw.com/en/switzerland-flood-risk-after-landslide-engulfs-village/a-72724323",
        "snippet": "Authorities are using a drone with a thermal camera to search for a 64-year-old man missing after a massive landslide.",
        "source": "DW",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Authorities are using a drone with a thermal camera to search for a 64-year-old man missing after a massive landslide. There are also concerns debris from the glacier could cause the Lonza River to flood other villages.\n\nA man remained missing on Thursday following a massive landslide that engulfed a village in southern Switzerland.\n\nThe Birch glacier in Switzerland's southern Wallis region crumpled on Wednesday, with the resulting landslide of rock and ice sending plumes of dust skyward.\n\nThe landslide coated nearly the entirety of an Alpine village with mud. Last week, authorities evacuated the village as a precaution.\n\nAs a result of climate change, glaciers have lost about 10% of their volume since 2022 Image: Pomona Media/REUTERS\n\nThe barrage largely destroyed the hamlet of Blatten, which had been home to 300 people. State Councilor Stephane Ganzer told Radio Television Suisse that 90% of the village was destroyed.\n\nThe Cantonal Police of Valais said a search and rescue operation was underway for the missing 64-year-old man, involving a drone with a thermal camera.\n\nGlaciers vulnerable to climate change\n\nSwitzerland's glaciers have been severely affected by climate change.\n\nIn the years 2022 and 2023, they melted just as much as they had in the decades from 1960 through 1990.\n\nMatthias Huss, head of the Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland, pointed to the likely influence of climate change in loosening the rock mass in the permafrost zone, which triggered the glacier collapse and the subsequent landslide.\n\n\"Unexpected things happen at places that we have not seen for hundreds of years, most probably due to climate change,\" he told Reuters.\n\nSwiss glacier collapse partially destroys village of Blatten To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video\n\nConcerns rising over blocked river\n\nAuthorities have declared a state of emergency as they monitor the situation of the huge pile of glacier debris, stretching 2 kilometers (1.25 miles), blocking the Lonza River.\n\n\"There is a serious risk of an ice jam that could flood the valley below,\" Antoine Jacquod, a military security official, told the Keystone-ATS news agency. \"We're going to try to assess its dimensions.\"\n\nWith the area too unstable to be approached, authorities indicated that an assessment would be made during the late afternoon from the nearby village of Ferden.\n\nThe deluge of mud, ice and debris has blocked the Lonza River Image: Jean-Christophe Bott/KEYSTONE/dpa/picture alliance\n\nAs a precaution, 16 people were evacuated late Wednesday from two villages downstream from the disaster area.\n\nAn artificial dam has been emptied to receive the water pushed back by the wall of ice, earth and rubble. Were that water to overflow from the dam, authorities would need to consider evacuating the valley.\n\n\"The deposit ... is not very stable, and debris flow is possible within the deposit itself [which] makes any intervention in the disaster area impossible for the time being,\" cantonal authorities said. They added that there is risk on both sides of the valley.\n\nResidents shocked by scale of destruction\n\nMartin Henzen, a Blatten resident, told Reuters that he was still trying to process what had occurred and did not want to speak for others in the village. \"Most are calm,\" Henzen said, \"but they're obviously affected.\"\n\nHenzen said residents had been making preparations for some kind of natural disaster but \"not for this scenario,\" referring to the scale of destruction.\n\nOne man was reported missing after the landslide Image: Jean-Christophe Bott/KEYSTONE/dpa/picture alliance\n\nUp to 1 million cubic meters (35 million cubic feet) of water could accumulate daily as a result of the debris damming up the river, and the buildings that emerged intact from the landslide are now flooding.\n\nAuthorities have been airlifting livestock out of the area.\n\n\"Right now,\" said Jonas Jeitziner, an official in neighboring Wiler, \"the shock is so profound that one can't think about it yet.\"\n\nEdited by: Zac Crellin"
      },
      {
        "title": "At least 30 killed in India’s northeast as rains trigger floods, landslides",
        "id": "d-116",
        "link": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/1/dozens-killed-in-indias-northeast-after-rains-trigger-floods-landslides",
        "snippet": "At least 30 people have died in India's northeast after relentless monsoon rains caused floods and landslides over the weekend,...",
        "source": "Al Jazeera",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Relentless monsoon rains across the northeastern states leave a trail of deaths and destruction.\n\nAt least 30 people have died in India’s northeast after relentless monsoon rains caused floods and landslides over the weekend, Indian officials and media reports say.\n\nAuthorities on Sunday said at least eight people were killed in Assam state and nine more in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, many of them buried under earth and debris dislodged by the torrential downpour.\n\nThree members of one family were killed in a mudslide in Assam’s Guwahati, officials said, as heavy rains led to flooding in many areas of the city, leading to long power outages and prompting authorities to shut schools and colleges on Saturday.\n\nAuthorities disconnected electricity in several areas to reduce the risk of electrocution, Assam’s Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.\n\nIn Mizoram state, five people lost their lives in a landslide, while six others died in Meghalaya state. Officials in Nagaland and Tripura states also confirmed two deaths.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nMeghalaya’s Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma ordered emergency teams to stay vigilant, “especially in landslide-prone and low-lying areas”, he warned in a public statement.\n\nThe Indian Army launched a large-scale rescue effort in Manipur state, evacuating hundreds. “People have been shifted to safer places,” the army said. “Food, water and essential medicines were provided.”\n\nThe downpour has continued for three straight days, and India’s weather agency has forecast more heavy rains in the region in the coming days as it issued a red alert for several northeastern districts.\n\nRivers across the region, including the Brahmaputra, which originates in the Himalayas and flows through India into Bangladesh, have breached their banks, submerging vast areas and cutting off access to many communities.\n\nFloods and landslides are common during India’s June-to-September monsoon season, which is vital for agriculture but often deadly. Dozens of people die each year as rainfall overwhelms fragile infrastructure across the world’s most populous country.\n\nLast month, Mumbai was deluged by rain nearly two weeks before its usual beginning, the earliest monsoon arrival in the capital city of the western state of Maharashtra in over two decades, according to meteorological officials.\n\nScientists say climate change is altering weather patterns across South Asia, but the precise effects on the monsoon system remain unclear."
      },
      {
        "title": "‘Flooding could end southern Appalachia’: the scientists on an urgent mission to save lives",
        "id": "d-117",
        "link": "https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/29/appalachia-kentucky-floods-research-trump-cuts",
        "snippet": "Geologists race to collect perishable data as Kentucky residents 'scared to death' over floods amid Trump cuts.",
        "source": "The Guardian",
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        "content": "The abandoned homes and razed lots along the meandering Troublesome Creek in rural eastern Kentucky is a constant reminder of the 2022 catastrophic floods that killed dozens of people and displaced thousands more.\n\nAmong the hardest hit was Fisty, a tiny community where eight homes, two shops and nine people including a woman who uses a wheelchair, her husband and two children, were swept away by the rising creek. Some residents dismissed cellphone alerts of potential flooding due to mistrust and warning fatigue, while for others it was already too late to escape. Landslides trapped the survivors and the deceased for several days.\n\nIn response, geologists from the University of Kentucky secured a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and raced around collecting perishable data in hope of better understanding the worst flooding event to hit the region in a generation.\n\nView image in fullscreen A landslide in Callaway, Kentucky, on 15 May.\n\nOn a recent morning in Fisty, Harold Baker sat smoking tobacco outside a new prefabricated home while his brother James worked on a car in a makeshift workshop. With no place else to go, the Baker family rebuilt the workshop on the same spot on Troublesome Creek with financial assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).\n\n“I feel depressed. Everyone else is gone now. The days are long. It feels very lonely when the storms come in,” said Baker, 55, whose four dogs drowned in 2022. With so few people left, the car repair business is way down, the road eerily quiet.\n\nSince the flood that took everything, Harold and James patrol the river every time it rains. The vigilance helped avert another catastrophe on Valentine’s Day after another so-called generational storm. No one died, but the trauma, like the river, came roaring back.\n\n“I thought we were going to lose everything again. It was scary,” said Baker.\n\nAt this spot in July 2022, geologist Ryan Thigpen found flood debris on top of two-storey buildings – 118in (3 metres) off the ground. The water mark on Harold’s new trailer shows the February flood hit 23in.\n\nTroublesome Creek is a 40-mile narrow tributary of the north fork of the Kentucky River, which, like many waterways across southern Appalachia, does not have a single gauge. Yet these rural mountain hollows are getting slammed over and over by catastrophic flooding – and landslides – as the climate crisis increases rainfall across the region and warmer waters in the Gulf of Mexico turbocharge storms.\n\nTwo years after 45 people died in the 2022 floods, the scale of disaster grew with Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 230 people with almost half the deaths in Appalachia, after days of relentless rain turned calm streams into unstoppable torrents.\n\nAnother 23 people died during the February 2025 rains, then 24 more in April during a four-day storm that climate scientists found was made significantly more likely and more severe by the warming planet.\n\nView image in fullscreen James and Harold Baker in their tool shed in Fisty, Kentucky, on 14 May.\n\nThe extreme weather is making life unbearable and economically unviable for a chronically underserved region where coal was once king, and climate skepticism remains high. Yet little is known about flooding in the Appalachian region. It’s why the geologists – also called earth scientists – got involved.\n\n“This is where most people are going to die unless we create reliable warning systems and model future flood risks for mitigation and to help mountain communities plan for long-term resilience. Otherwise, these extreme flooding events could be the end of southern Appalachia,” said Thigpen.\n\nAmid accelerating climate breakdown, the urgency of the mission is clear. Yet this type of applied science could be derailed – or at least curtailed – by the unprecedented assault on science, scientists and federal agencies by Donald Trump and his billionaire donors.\n\nDanielle Baker, James’s wife, had her bags packed a week in advance of the February flood and was glued to local television weather reports, which, like the geologists, rely on meteorological forecasting by the taxpayer-funded National Weather Service (NWS).\n\nShe was “scared to death” watching the creek rise so high again. But this time, the entire family, including 11 dogs and several cats, evacuated to the church on the hill, where they waited 26 hours for the water to subside.\n\nView image in fullscreen Jason Dortch and Ryan Thigpen document the water line on a trailer from the 2025 flooding in Fisty, Kentucky, on 14 May.\n\n“The people in this community are the best you could meet, but it’s a ghost town now. I didn’t want to rebuild so close to the creek, but we had nowhere else to go. Every time it rains, I can’t sleep,” she said, wiping away tears with her shirt.\n\nDanielle was unaware of Trump’s plans to dismantle Fema and slash funding from the NWS and NSF. “A lot of people here would not know what to do without Fema’s help. We need more information about the weather, better warnings, because the rains are getting worse,” she said.\n\nA day after the Guardian’s visit in mid-May, an NWS office in eastern Kentucky scrambled to cover the overnight forecast as severe storms moved through the region, triggering multiple tornadoes that eventually killed 28 people. Hundreds of staff have left the NWS in recent months, through a combination of layoffs and buyouts at the behest of Trump mega-donor Elon Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge).\n\nIt doesn’t matter if people don’t believe in climate change. It’s going to wallop them anyway … This is a new world of extremes and cascading hazards Ryan Thigpen, geologist\n\nYet statewide, two-thirds of Kentuckians voted for Trump last year, with his vote share closer to 80% in rural communities hit hard by extreme weather, where many still blame Barack Obama for coal mine closures.\n\n“It doesn’t matter if people don’t believe in climate change. It’s going to wallop them anyway. We need to think about watersheds differently. This is a new world of extremes and cascading hazards,” said Thigpen, the geologist.\n\nThe rapidly changing climate is rendering the concept of once-in-a-generation floods, which is mostly based on research by hydrologists going back a hundred years or so, increasingly obsolete. Geologists, on the other hand, look back 10,000 years, which could help better understand flooding patterns when the planet was warmer.\n\nThigpen is spearheading this close-knit group of earth scientists from the university’s hazards team based in Lexington. On a recent field trip, nerdy jokes and constant teasing helped keep the mood light, but the scientists are clearly affected by the devastation they have witnessed since 2022. The team has so far documented more than 3,000 landslides triggered by that single extreme rain event, and are still counting.\n\nView image in fullscreen University of Kentucky earth scientists at the base of a landslide in Callaway, Kentucky, on 15 May.\n\nThis work is part of a broader statewide push to increase climate resiliency and bolster economic growth using Kentucky-specific scientific research. Last year, the initiative got a major boost when the state secured $24m from the NSF for a five-year research project involving eight Kentucky institutions that has created dozens of science jobs and hundreds of new student opportunities.\n\nThe grant helped pay for high-tech equipment – drones, radars, sensors and computers – the team needs to collect data and build models to improve hazard prediction and create real-time warning systems.\n\nView image in fullscreen An active Lidar scan on the drone controller flown by Ryan Thigpen in Hazard, Kentucky, on 14 May.\n\nAfter major storms, the team measures water levels and analyzes the sediment deposits left behind to calculate the scale and velocity of the flooding, which in turn helps calibrate the model.\n\nThe models help better understand the impact of the topography and each community’s built and natural environment – important for future mitigation. In these parts, coal was extracted using mountaintop mine removal, which drastically altered the landscape. Mining – and redirected waterways – can affect the height of a flood, according to a recent study by PhD student Meredith Swallom.\n\nA paleo-flood project is also under way, and another PhD student, Luciano Cardone, will soon begin digging into a section of the Kentucky riverbank to collect layers of sediment that holds physical clues on the date, size and velocity of ancient floods. Cardone, who found one local missionary’s journal describing flooding in 1795, will provide a historical or geological perspective on catastrophic flooding in the region, which the team believe will help better predict future hazards under changing climatic conditions.\n\nView image in fullscreen A Lidar drone flying a geological survey near the Perry county public library in Hazard, Kentucky, on 14 May.\n\nAll this data is analyzed at the new lab located in the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) department, where super-powerful computers are positioned around a ceiling-to-floor black board, with a groovy lamp and artwork to get the creative mathematical juices flowing.\n\nSo far the team has developed one working flood risk model for a single section of the Kentucky River. This will serve as a template, as each watershed requires its own model so that the data is manageable, precise and useful.\n\nThis sort of applied science has the capacity to directly improve the lives of local people, including many Trump voters, as well as benefiting other mountainous flood-prone areas across the US and globally. But a flood warning system can only work if there is reliable meteorological forecasting going forward.\n\nThe floods have made this a ghost town. I doubt it will survive another one. If you mess with Mother Nature, you lose Thomas Hutton of Kentucky\n\nReports suggest NWS weather balloons, which assess storm risk by measuring wind speed, humidity, temperature and other conditions that satellites may not detect, have been canceled in recent weeks from Nebraska to Florida due to staff shortages. At the busiest time for storm predictions, deadly heatwaves and wildfires, weather service staffing is down by more than 10% and, for the first time in almost half a century, some forecasting offices no longer have 24/7 cover.\n\nTrump’s team is also threatening to slash $1.52bn from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), the weather service’s parent agency, which also monitors climate trends, manages coastal ecosystems and supports international shipping, among other things.\n\n“To build an effective and trusted warning system, we need hyper-local data, including accurate weather forecasts and a more robust network of gauges,” said Summer Brown, a senior lecturer at the University of Kentucky’s earth and environmental sciences department. “The thought of weakening our basic weather data is mind-boggling.”\n\nView image in fullscreen Summer Brown speaks with Doug Naselroad at Troublesome Creek Stringed Instrument Company in Hindman, Kentucky, on 14 May.\n\nIt’s impossible not to worry about the cuts, especially as the grand plan is to create a southern Appalachian flood and hazard centre to better understand and prepare the entire region’s mountain communities for extreme weather and related hazards, including flash floods, landslides and tornadoes.\n\nFor this, the team is currently awaiting a multimillion-dollar grant decision from the NSF, in what until recently was a merit-based, peer-reviewed process at the federal agency. The NSF director resigned in April after orders from the White House to accept a 55% cut to the $9bn budget and fire half of the 1,700-person staff. Then, in an unprecedented move, a member of the governing body stepped down, lambasting Musk’s unqualified Doge team for interfering in grant decisions.\n\nThe days are long. It feels very lonely when the storms come in Harold Baker of Kentucky\n\nThe NSF is the principal federal investor in basic science and engineering, and the proposed cut will be devastating in the US and globally.\n\n“Rivers are different all over Appalachia, and if our research continues, we can build accurate flood and landslide models that help communities plan for storms in a changing climate,” said Jason Dortch, who set up the flood lab. “We’ve submitted lots of great grant proposals, and while that is out of our hands, we will continue to push forwarded however we can.”\n\n\n\nFleming-Neon is a former mining community in Letcher county with roughly 500 residents – a decline of almost 40% in the past two decades. The town was gutted by the 2022 storm, and only two businesses, a car repair shop and a florist, reopened. The launderette, pharmacy, dentist, clothing store and thrift shop were all abandoned.\n\nView image in fullscreen The front of a home damaged by a large landslide in Fleming-Neon, Kentucky, on 15 May.\n\nRandall and Bonnie Kincer, a local couple who have been married for 53 years, run the flower shop from an old movie theater on Main Street, which doubles up as a dance studio for elementary school children. The place was rammed with 120in of muddy water in 2022. In February, it was 52in, and everything still reeks of mould.\n\nThe couple have been convinced by disinformation spread by conspiracy theorists that the recent catastrophic floods across the region, as well as Helene, were caused by inadequate river dredging and cloud seeding. The town’s sorry plight, according to the Kincers, is down to deliberate manipulation of the weather system paid for by mining companies to flood out the community in order to gain access to lithium. (There are no significant lithium deposits in the area.)\n\nBonnie, 74, is on the brink of giving up on the dance classes that she has taught since sophomore year, but not on Trump. “I have total confidence in President Trump. The [federal] cuts will be tough for a little while but there’s a lot of waste, so it will level out,” said Bonnie, who is angry about not qualifying for Fema assistance.\n\nView image in fullscreen Bonnie and Randall Kincer in the gymnasium at Busy B’s Country Gift Shop in Fleming-Neon, Kentucky, on 15 May 2025.\n\n“We used all our life savings fixing the studio. But I cannot shovel any more mud, not even for the kids. I am done. I have PTSD. We are scared to death,” she said, breaking down in tears several times.\n\nThe fear is understandable. On the slope facing the studio, a tiered retainer wall has been anchored into the hill to stabilize the earth and prevent an avalanche from destroying the town below.\n\nAnd at the edge of town, next to the power station on an old mine site, is a towering pile of black sludgy earth littered with lumps of shiny coal – the remnants of a massive landslide that happened as residents cleaned up after the February storm.\n\nThomas Hutton’s house was swamped with muddy water after the landslide blocked the creek, forcing it to temporarily change course towards a residential street. “The floods have made this a ghost town. I doubt it will survive another one. If you mess with Mother Nature, you lose,” said Hutton, 74, a retired miner.\n\nView image in fullscreen Thomas Sutton at his home near a landslide in Fleming-Neon, Kentucky, on 15 May.\n\nThe geologists fly drones fitted with Lidar (light detection and ranging): a remote sensing technology that uses pulsed lasers to create high-resolution, 3D, color models of the Earth’s surface, and can shoot through trees and human-made structures to detect and monitor changes in terrain including landslides. The affordability and precision of the China-made Lidar has been a “game changer” for landslides, but prices have recently rocketed thanks to Trump’s tariff war.\n\nThe Lidar picked up fairly recent deforestation above the Fleming-Neon power plant, which likely further destabilized the earth. The team agrees that the landslide could keep moving, but without good soil data it’s impossible to know when.\n\nLast year’s NSF grant funded new soil and moisture sensors, as well as mini weather stations, which the landslide team is in the process of installing on 14 steep slopes in eastern Kentucky – the first time this has been done – including one opposite Hutton’s house.\n\nBack at the lab, the geologists will use the data the sensors send back every 15 minutes to create models – and eventually a website where residents and local emergency managers can see how the soil moisture is changing in real time. The goal is to warn communities when there is a high landslide risk based on the soil saturation – and rain forecast.\n\n“We have taken so many resources from these slopes. We need to understand them better,” said Sarah Johnson, a landslide expert. “We’re not sitting in an ivory tower making money from research. The work we do is about making communities safer.”"
      },
      {
        "title": "Swiss villages on flood alert after glacier collapse buries Blatten",
        "id": "d-118",
        "link": "https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/05/30/swiss-villages-on-high-alert-after-glacier-collapse-and-landslide-buries-blatten",
        "snippet": "Focus has now shifted to the safety of those living near the Lonza River, which the regional government warns could flood as a result of...",
        "source": "Euronews",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "ADVERTISEMENT\n\nAuthorities in southern Switzerland are on high alert as concerns grow over potential flooding along the Lonza River following the collapse of the Birch Glacier earlier this week.\n\nA massive avalanche of rock and ice swept down into the Lötschental valley, burying much of the Alpine village of Blatten under mud and debris. Officials report that 90% of the village has been destroyed.\n\nThe collapse caused debris to fill the bed of the Lonza River, creating a dam and causing a lake to form upstream. Officials warn that if the dam gives way, the resulting surge could flood communities downstream.\n\nAuthorities have begun dismantling pedestrian bridges and reinforcing critical infrastructure to prepare for possible flooding in Gampel and residents have been advised to arrange emergency accommodation in case of evacuation.\n\n\"I didn't sleep last night,\" one woman told reporters. \"We were constantly waiting - if something happens, we have to go.\"\n\nA pedestrian bridge preventively closed over the Lonza river after mud and rock slides, in Gampel-Steg. Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP\n\nTo mitigate the risk, authorities have emptied the Ferden dam downstream, hoping it can absorb some of the potential overflow if there is a breach.\n\nThe Swiss army has been deployed to the region but is currently unable to conduct ground operations due to ongoing instability.\n\nIn Blatten, the devastation is extensive. Aerial footage shows homes submerged in thick mud, with roads and structures either buried or swept away.\n\nAuthorities had evacuated more than 300 people, as well as livestock, from Blatten village as a precaution earlier this month, but one man remains missing following the incident.\n\nHowever, local police say the search and rescue operation has been temporarily suspended because of falling debris.\n\nPresident Karin Keller-Sutter visited the region earlier on Friday."
      },
      {
        "title": "Incessant rain continues to batter Arunachal, flood situation grim with 3,000 affected",
        "id": "d-119",
        "link": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/arunachal-pradesh/andhra-pradesh-rains-flood-landslide-toll-june-4-2025/article69655758.ece",
        "snippet": "Monsoon rain triggers landslides and floods in Arunachal Pradesh, causing fatalities, displacements, and infrastructure damage,...",
        "source": "The Hindu",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "The flood situation in Arunachal Pradesh remained grim on Wednesday (June 4, 2025) with incessant rain causing fresh landslides and inundation across the state and affecting over 3,000 people in 23 districts, officials said.\n\nAt least 12 people have lost their lives due to landslides and floods triggered by monsoon rain this year, while search operations are underway for two missing persons, a report from the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.\n\nAlso read | Sikkim landslide: Lt. Col., his retired IAF officer wife among six missing\n\nFresh landslides were reported in Dibang Valley and Anjaw districts and along the Likabali-Aalo highway near Magi and Siji, disrupting vehicular movement, the report said, adding that several major rivers in the state are in spate.\n\nOf the fatalities due to landslides and flood-related incidents, seven were reported from East Kameng, two from Lower Subansiri and one each from Longding, Lohit, and Anjaw districts.\n\nNine of the deceased lost their lives due to landslides, one in a flood-related incident, another due to a wall collapse, and a person was killed in May after a tree fell on him during inclement weather conditions in Longding district, the officials said.\n\nFour others were also injured during the natural calamities, he said.\n\nOver 3,000 people have been affected by the deluge and landslides across Arunachal Pradesh, another official said.\n\nChanglang is the worst-affected district, with six villages inundated and 2,231 people rendered homeless.\n\nFlash floods washed away half of the Makantong bridge on the Trans-Arunachal Highway, cutting off road connectivity between Miao and Bordumsa.\n\nSeveral areas in the Miao subdivision remain submerged, with significant losses reported in livestock and horticultural property, the officials said.\n\nPopular tourist spots such as Zupra and River Cafe near the Noa-Dehing river in Changland have been submerged by floodwater.\n\nDamage to hostels, staff quarters, water tanks and other infrastructure in the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Balinong under the Kharsang Circle was reported, the officials said.\n\nThe swollen Noa-Dehing river has caused damage to agricultural and horticultural fields in the Dharmapur block under the Namphai circle, they said.\n\nAltogether, 212 houses were damaged across the state, and 425 livestock deaths were reported, including 335 poultry and 95 animals.\n\nAdditionally, floods and landslides damaged around 17 hectares of farmland and 20 hectares of horticulture plantations.\n\nLower Subansiri also reported major destruction, including 114 kutcha houses, and damage to 51 roads, 17 power lines, 23 water supply lines, and two schools.\n\nIn the Itanagar Capital Region and Pakke Kessang, critical infrastructure such as the main water pipeline and the Dariya Hill road suffered severe damage.\n\nThe authorities have opened three relief camps, providing shelter to 239 displaced people, the officials said.\n\nA total of 2,249 people have been evacuated so far, and 2,231 of them were from Changlang alone.\n\nRelief and rescue efforts are underway with support from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), state police and volunteers.\n\nDeputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein chaired a high-level review meeting on Tuesday to assess the damage and take stock of the disaster response efforts.\n\n“The safety and well-being of our people remains our top priority as we confront the challenges of the monsoon together,” Mr. Mein posted on X, expressing grief over the lives lost and the hardships endured by citizens.\n\nArunachal Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Nabam Tuki has called for the establishment of early warning systems to prevent loss in natural disasters.\n\nHe urged the state Disaster Management Authority and district administrations to deploy real-time flood and landslide sensors and ensure that multi-channel alerts reach even the most remote villages."
      },
      {
        "title": "Rains and floods kill 30, impact thousands in northeast India",
        "id": "d-120",
        "link": "https://news.az/news/rains-and-floods-kill-30-impact-thousands-in-northeast-india",
        "snippet": "The Indian Army reported that two soldiers and one porter were killed, and six soldiers went missing after a landslide struck a military...",
        "source": "Latest news from Azerbaijan",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Officials reported on Monday that heavy rains, floods, and landslides in northeastern India over the past few days have resulted in at least 30 deaths and affected thousands.\n\nThe Indian Army reported that two soldiers and one porter were killed, and six soldiers went missing after a landslide struck a military camp in the northeastern state of Sikkim, News.Az reports citing foreign media.\n\n“Rescue operations for six missing people continue,” the army said in a statement.\n\nCasualties have also been reported in the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Mizoram.\n\nIn the northeastern Assam state, an official statement said a total of 17 districts have been affected by flooding. More than 364,000 people were impacted, for whom 52 relief camps have been set up.\n\nIn the state of Manipur, army continued extensive rescue efforts across the capital Imphal, evacuating more than 500 civilians from severely waterlogged areas.\n\nOfficials reported 10 deaths due to landslides and floods in Arunachal Pradesh, and eight deaths in Assam.\n\nOther northeastern states have also reported casualties in the past few days.\n\nOn Sunday, Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said he had spoken with top elected officials in Assam, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and the governor of Manipur.\n\nOn X, Shah said he “assured them of every possible help to tackle any situation,” adding that the \"Modi government stands like a rock in support of the people of the Northeast.”"
      },
      {
        "title": "The 28 April 2025 Glacial Outburst Flood (GLOF) / landslide at Vallunaraju in Peru",
        "id": "d-121",
        "link": "https://eos.org/thelandslideblog/vallunaraju-1",
        "snippet": "On 28 April 2025, a Glacial Outburst Flood (GLOF) / landslide occurred at Vallunaraju in Peru, killing at least two people.",
        "source": "eos.org",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "The Landslide Blog is written by Dave Petley, who is widely recognized as a world leader in the study and management of landslides.\n\nOn 28 April 2025, a major debris flow travelled down a channel from a major mountain, Vallunaraju, striking the communities lower down the slope. At least 100 houses were destroyed and two or three people were killed.\n\nI am not in a position to be able to say definitively how this event occurred. Christian Huggel from the University of Zurich has a LinkedIn post that provides some detail. This is a part of what he has posted:-\n\n“Summarizing some information on the recent glacier lake outburst flood (GLOF) that occurred in the early morning of 28 April from one of the glacier lakes at the toe of Vallunaraju (5680 m asl) and badly impacted rural and urban parts of Huaraz in the Andes of Peru. According to videos taken by mountaineers the likely origin of the GLOF (or aluvión) is a rock slope failure into a lake in some 300 m distance of the glacier margin … The analysis suggests that the rock fall triggered an impact wave in the lake with a subsequent debris flow that rushed downvalley along the Casca river, damaged some 100 houses, destroyed about 15 buildings and road infrastructure, and unfortunately also claimed the lives of 2-3 persons. The glacier lake probably formed around the 1970’s as the glaciers of Vallunaraju receded.\n\n“Some lines of evidence suggest that there were rock fall events prior to the 28 April GLOF at this location, including pre-event slope failures likely the day before the disaster.”\n\nThis is a cloudy area, so at present I cannot access satellite imagery that shows the slopes affected by the landslide that initiated this event. However, Planet Labs has captured imagery on both 26 April 2025 (before the event) and 30 April 2025 (after the event) that provides some insights into the downstream consequences.\n\nLet’s start with the main channel higher in the slopes of Vallunaraju. This Planet Labs image shows the valley immediately below the steep slope from which this event originated. The marker is at [-9.44993, -77.45431]:-\n\nPlanet Labs image before the 28 April 2025 Glacial Outburst Flood (GLOF) / landslide at Vallunaraju in Peru. Image copyright Planet Labs, used with permission. Image dated 26 April 2025.\n\nThis is the same area after the landslide / GLOF:-\n\nPlanet Labs image of the aftermath of the 28 April 2025 Glacial Outburst Flood (GLOF) / landslide at Vallunaraju in Peru. Image copyright Planet Labs, used with permission. Image dated 30 April 2025.\n\nAnd here is a slider to compare the two images:-\n\nClearly, cloud is a major issue in the 30 April 2025 image, and we cannot see the main part of the slope itself, but at the foot of the steep slope extensive scour and erosion is evident, and there is substantial change in the channel below.\n\nThis has then led to major impacts in the channel downstream. This is a part of the 30 April 2025 image, with the channel running roughly east to west, with extensive evidence of the aftermath of the debris flow:-\n\nPlanet Labs image of the downstream impacts of the 28 April 2025 Glacial Outburst Flood (GLOF) / landslide at Vallunaraju in Peru. Image copyright Planet Labs, used with permission. Image dated 30 April 2025.\n\nOnce again, this event highlights the hazards posed by events that occur high in mountain chains, but then travel into populated areas.\n\nReference\n\nPlanet Team 2025. Planet Application Program Interface: In Space for Life on Earth. San Francisco, CA. https://www.planet.com/\n\nText © 2023. The authors. CC BY-NC-ND 3.0\n\nExcept where otherwise noted, images are subject to copyright. Any reuse without express permission from the copyright owner is prohibited."
      },
      {
        "title": "Landslide-channel feedbacks amplify channel widening during floods",
        "id": "d-122",
        "link": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s44304-025-00059-6",
        "snippet": "Here we demonstrate with an example from the Great Colorado Flood in 2013, a 1000 year precipitation event, how landslide-channel feedbacks can substantially...",
        "source": "Nature",
        "imageUrl": 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        "content": "Evidence of landslide-flood interaction from DEM of Difference\n\nWe used a DEM of Difference (DoD) produced from pre and post flood LiDAR as detailed by ref. 14. Details of channel change analysis based on the DoD are given in the Methods. The first 7 km of the ~16 km study channel had little channel erosion (~1.4 m3/m) and an average widening rate of 5 m or just half of the average preflood channel width (9.94 m) and a width ratio (i.e. width after/before the flood) was 1.6 (Fig. 2). The valley floor remained largely undisturbed (also refer to37). From around 7 km downstream (i.e. entry point of landslide L2 in Fig. 2), channel erosion (~20.7 m3/m) was much greater and had an average widening of 28 m and a width ratio of 3.76. The flood almost fully occupied the valley floor and so widening was achieved mostly through removal of valley floor sediment, although with some potential evidence of bedrock erosion on outer bends of the channel (e.g., Supplementary Fig. 5). The most rapid transition occurs at 7 km downstream over the 3.5 km transition reach, where channel widening reached 67 m, width ratio reached 9.44, and erosion averaged 38 m3/m. This transition is not explained by peak flood stream power (Fig. 2), as estimated from radar-based rainfall data (see Methods), which increases gradually downstream but does not provide the trigger of the sudden increase in channel width ratio. Whilst channel confinement, calculated as the ratio of valley width to pre flood channel width, constrains channel widening beyond 7 km downstream (Fig. 2 and Supplementary Fig. 3), there is little channel widening for the first 7 km of the channel despite relatively unconstrained channels (i.e., confinement ratio ≥310) along the entirety of the study channel. There are also no obvious variations in channel bank material or riparian vegetation that would explain this increase in channel widening. However, the sudden increase in channel erosion and widening does occur just downstream from three major lateral sediment inputs from two landslides (L1, L2 in Figs. 1C and 2) and a tributary, totaling ~105,000 m3. Further downstream increases in width ratio also correspond to large lateral sediment inputs, but we focus on explaining the largest peak highlighted in Fig. 2. We used a combination of field data and numerical modeling to investigate the potential mechanisms by which landslide-channel interactions may have resulted in the pattern of channel erosion observed. We tested the hypotheses that the pattern of channel erosion generated by the flood was amplified by (1) bulking of the flow by landslide and tributary sediment; (2) damming of the flow by landslide and tributary sediment, and subsequent failure of this dam resulting in an erosive flood surge similar to that observed in debris flows32.\n\nField evidence of landslide-flood interaction\n\nAs an initial test for sediment bulking or surging of the flow that may explain the sudden increase in channel erosion and widening, we calculated the ratio C (field-measured peak discharge/runoff-based peak discharge32). Flood flows can have a range of C values between 0 and 138. Due to conservation of mass, this ratio cannot exceed 1 in the absence of substantial sediment bulking or surge dynamics and can be used as a check on indirect measurements of flood discharge35. A value of C > 1 is diagnostic of bulking of the flow and a value of C > 2 is indicative of surging in the flow, that would provide initial support for hypotheses 1 and 2 respectively. We visited the reach of increased channel erosion in October 2016 and August 2017 to make indirect measurements of flood peak discharge (Q peak ) with which to compare our estimated runoff-based discharge (Q runoff ) (see Methods) and calculate the ratio C.\n\nWe used a differential Global Positioning System (GPS) to collect pairs of highwater marks at 23 channel cross sections upstream and downstream from the transition reach (Fig. 1C) in 2016 and 2017 with a vertical and horizontal precision of 0.6 m and 0.4 m, respectively. We identified highwater marks from the 2013 flood based on debris lines on the channel banks and debris trapped in trees. These highwater marks were relatively undisturbed in the 3–4 years since the 2013 flood event given the absence of a larger flood event over this time period16. We used the highwater marks within ArcGIS (Esri, Redlands, California) to extract cross sections from lidar data. Where there is deviation in highwater mark elevations between the left and right banks (i.e. resulting in different reconstructed water levels), we propagate this uncertainty into our estimation of peak discharge cross-section area (Supplementary Figs. 6 and 7). Additionally, we calculated cross-section areas using both pre- and post-flood lidar to account for uncertain channel topography during the flood. We calculated peak discharge in m3 s-1 as\n\n$${Q}_{{peak}}={VA}$$ (1)\n\nwhere A is cross-section area in m2 and V is velocity in m s-1. Velocity was calculated using the critical flow method as:\n\n$$V=\\sqrt{{gR}}$$ (2)\n\nwhere R is hydraulic radius in m calculated as \\(R=\\frac{A}{P}\\), where P is wetted perimeter in m, g is acceleration due to gravity, and assuming critical flow (i.e., Froude number = 1). The critical flow method has been shown by35 to give values most representative of the average flow conditions during the flood from an ensemble of peak discharge estimation techniques, potentially due to smoothing of the channel bed by sediment infilling during the flood.\n\nAlthough Q runoff only slightly increases along the transition reach from about 217 to 218 m3/s, Q peak shows a rapid increase from 72 m3/s (±5 m3/s) to 468 m3/s (±190 m3/s) over the ~300 m downstream from L2 (Fig. 3C). Therefore, the estimated runoff coefficient, C, also increases from 0.33 ( ± 0.02) to 2.15 ( ± 0.87), with values >2 diagnostic of surge type behavior as can occur in debris flows (Fig. 3C)32.\n\nFig. 3: Channel characteristics and flood discharge derived from field measurements and lidar data. A Channel slope along the transition reach shown in Fig. 2 showing a decrease in channel slope coinciding with modeled dam formation; (B) pre- and post-flood channel profiles in black and gray lines respectively and highwater marks (red and black open circles with error bars) collected at 23 cross sections showing wedge of sediment remaining after the flood downstream from L2; (C) Q peak calculated from high water marks together with lidar (Figs. S6 and S7 and Table S1) in red and black open circles with error bars and Q runoff modeled using rainfall data (dark blue line) and ratio of these (C) (lighter blue line with blue shading showing uncertainty). C > 1 is indicative of a dam burst event. Dark gray band shows location of modeled dam that formed around the point of entry of L2 (Fig. 4). Light gray band shows location of remnants of dam observed in the field (Supplementary Fig. 1). Full size image\n\nDownstream from the L2 landslide entry, a cobble and boulder rich bar is clearly visible in satellite photos (Supplementary Fig. 1) and was found to have a median grain size of 22 cm (Supplementary Fig. 4). The post-flood channel profile also shows this wedge of sediment (Fig. 3B). We used numerical modeling, detailed below and in Methods, to test the hypothesis that this bar is what remains of a dam that was formed and then removed during the flood (Hypothesis 2). The precise timing of landslides that could have caused a valley damming event is uncertain but previous modeling of landslides in the catchment (including L2) indicates landslides occurred shortly after storm rainfall peaked late in the evening on September 11, with landslides on south facing slopes (including L2) occurring late in the evening of September 11 and landslides on north facing slopes occurring in the early morning of September 1239. Witness accounts also record the first landslides happening at this time in neighboring catchments34,40.\n\nThe ratio C calculated based on our field observations supports hypothesis 2 of a dam failure event because the rapid jump in widening at a distinct channel location indicates that a surge of sediment and water similar to a debris flow would be needed to generate erosional widening over a short distance. A dam failure could explain the bank erosion by bulking the flow and generating a positive feedback on bank erosion and channel widening. This has been observed for other dam burst events19, and therefore the dam failure hypothesis may explain the observed profound channel widening of up to 67 m.\n\nMulti-phase modeling of landslide-flood interaction\n\nTo further test hypothesis 2 of a dam formation and failure event, we carried out numerical simulations with the computational model r.avaflow (v. 2.4)41 to simulate sediment delivery to the valley floor and its interactions with the fluid flow of North Saint Vrain Creek. The computational model r.avaflow is a freely available deterministic, multi-phase model, which is based on the principles of energy and momentum transfer between liquid and solid phases, extending the use of a Voellmy-type resistance model to multiple phases41,42. Furthermore, r.avaflow has been used to simulate a range of hydro-geomorphic process chains including rock avalanches43, transition of rock avalanches into debris flows44 to glacial lake outburst floods triggered by landslides into lakes45. For fluvial systems, r.avaflow has been validated for glacial debris flow mobility in mountainous river channels46, entrainment of sediment by debris flows in channels47, and channel changes from cascading rockslide-channelized debris flow42. Until recently, it has not been used to simulate landslide-flood interaction29, despite the likely role that sediment supply has in flood dynamics.\n\nFor the simulation input, we used the landslides mapped from the DoD for the solid phase and the discharge Q runoff for the fluid phase. Because the total simulation time is relatively small (900 s in total), the fluid hydrograph has been taken as a constant discharge, corresponding to the peak flow Q runoff . Because the landslides were mostly formed by coarse sediment (based on in situ observations after the event), the input sediment phase was considered only as coarse (i.e., friction-dominated for the model computations), whereas no input has been used for the fine phase (i.e., inclusive of viscous effects). Although large wood likely played a role in channel widening in this event14, r.avaflow currently does not include this component, but this could be considered in future versions of the model, particularly in the case of hyper-congested flows48. As detailed below, simulations support the formation and removal of a dam downstream of L2, lending support to hypothesis 2. However, it was necessary to perform the simulation in two stages due to a limitation of the model in the version used (2.4), where topography is not updated during the model simulation. In stage (1) dam formation is simulated related to triggering of landslides L1 and L2 and delivery of sediment to the channel and topography is updated to include the dam, and in stage (2) dam removal is simulated using updated topography from stage (1). Boundary conditions and flow hydrographs remain the same for both steps. In the model, landslides have been assumed to be released simultaneously. This had minor effects on the simulations because the delivery time to the valley bottom was different for each individual landslide, and all occurred within 30–45 s from the start of the simulation. Several sets of simulations have been conducted to explore the parameter space, including mobility and erosive parameters (such as drag coefficient and friction), as well as the hydrographs of the main channel and tributary (Supplementary Table 2). Because all parameters are physically based, we used values that are conventionally found in the literature or recommended by the r.avaflow manual49 depending on the type of event.\n\nFigure 4 shows the topographic change within the study area at the end of the simulations for both dam formation (first stage) (Fig. 4a) and dam removal (second stage) (Fig. 4b) superimposed on the observed post-event channel extent. Irrespective of the parameters used for the simulations, the model supports the formation of a large sediment dam in the channel downstream from L2, as well as another smaller dam upstream related to L1 (Fig. 4a). Furthermore, when the topography of the area is updated with the deposition (or erosion) heights from the first simulation stage, the second stage model runs (Fig. 4b) show that substantial erosion occurs, removing the large dam within the simulation time of 900 s. The bulk of the dam is eroded over a period of ~300 s and leads to the erosion and widening of the channel immediately downstream, due to bulking of the flow by sediment. After this time, changes to channel topography was, in comparison, negligible. The final simulated topographic change (Fig. 4c) corresponds well with the observed pattern of erosion from the DoD shown in Figs. 1c and 2. There are some discrepancies between the simulation and observations. For example, the simulated dam occurs closer to the toe of the landslide L2 than the remnants of the dam we observed in the field, which occur ~100 m downstream (Fig. 3). However, these are to be expected considering challenges in replicating spatially explicit two- and three-dimensional landscape evolution in fluvial morphodynamic models50.\n\nFig. 4: Results of simulations using r.avaflow. a formation of the sediment dam outlined by red polygon, (b) dam removal with updated topography, (c) the resulting topographic change after both simulations, (d) the results of the simulations with no landslide sediment delivery, highlighting the importance of landslide sediment delivery for simulating observed channel widening. The blue arrow indicates flow direction, whilst the dam extent was mapped for values of deposition ≥0.05 m. Pink polygons show landslides, blue polygon shows post-flood channel and green circles show highwater marks used for calculation of flood discharge (Q peak ) in Fig. 3. Full size image\n\nTo further test hypothesis 2 that the topographic change of the channel was caused by the formation and then removal of the sediment dam, we performed an additional simulation (Fig. 4d) without landslide sediment input, to evaluate whether the flood flow alone and the sediment it mobilized from upstream to downstream (i.e., not including landslide sediment input) could have caused the channel change. In this scenario, only limited erosion (i.e., <0.10 m) was observed in the main channel downstream from L2 and the extent was substantially smaller than the post-event observations.This is in contrast with the simulations inclusive of landslide input (Fig. 4c), in which the post-event channel extents were much more consistent with the observed changes. The simulated volume of erosion along the channel downstream of the sediment dam is only 518 m3 in the simulation without landslides, compared to 1779 m3 when landslides are included. We therefore conclude that a landslide-dam failure and rapid delivery of sediment best explains the observed geomorphic channel change during the flood. All the numerical simulations involving landslides qualitatively agree on the formation and removal of a dam, whereby the downstream channel widening resulted from bulking of the flow by sediment related to a removal of the debris dam. This lends support to both hypotheses 1 and 2, and the ability of the model to simulate geomorphic change during floods accounting for large lateral sediment supply supports hypothesis 3."
      },
      {
        "title": "Violent M7.7 earthquake hits Sagaing, Myanmar, leaving over 4 400 fatalities, 5 400 injured and many missing",
        "id": "d-123",
        "link": "https://watchers.news/2025/03/28/m7-7-earthquake-sagaing-myanmar-march-28-2025/",
        "snippet": "A powerful earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.7 hit Myanmar at 06:20 UTC (12:50 LT) on March 28, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles...",
        "source": "The Watchers - Watching the world evolve and transform",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRSnBb0frPX2cCYCQBgf2HK98rZK7t_YnVXlC3crX6-Orx3eM10NNVALLmbGg&s",
        "content": "A powerful earthquake registered by the USGS as M7.7 hit Myanmar at 06:20 UTC (12:50 LT) on March 28, 2025. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting the same magnitude and depth, while the Thai Meteorological Department put the magnitude at 8.2. The quake was followed by a strong aftershock measuring M6.7 just 12 minutes later.\n\nThe epicenter was located 16 km (10 miles) NNW of Sagaing (population 78 739), 17 km (11 miles) WNW of Mandalay (population 1 208 099), and 55 km (34 miles) W of Pyon Oo Lwin (population 117 303), Myanmar.\n\n2 681 000 people are estimated to have felt violent shaking, 4 568 000 severe, 3 307 000 very strong and 13 716 000 strong.\n\nThe USGS issued a Red alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread. Past red alerts have required a national or international response.\n\nOverall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are informal (metal, timber, GI etc.) and unreinforced brick masonry construction.\n\nRecent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards, such as landslides, that might have contributed to losses.\n\nEstimated economic losses may exceed the GDP of Burma.\n\nLiquefaction triggered by this earthquake is estimated to be extensive in severity and (or) spatial extent. The number of people living near areas that could have produced liquefaction in this earthquake is extensive.\n\nLandslides triggered by this earthquake are estimated to be significant in number and (or) spatial extent.\n\nThis is the second M6+ earthquake of the day, following M6.1 near Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago at 00:34 UTC.\n\nThis is also the strongest earthquake so far this year, followed by M7.6 in Cayman Island on February 9 and M7.1 in Western Xizang, China on January 7.\n\nLe prime immagini dei danni provocati dal violento #terremoto di M 7.7 che pochi minuti fa è avvenuto in #Myanmar. Purtroppo l'area colpita è densamente abitata. La scossa è stata inoltre avvertita fino in Vietnam e Thailandia. pic.twitter.com/i6yu3M9L9U — Il Mondo dei Terremoti (@mondoterremoti) March 28, 2025\n\nThe quake caused significant damage, including collapsed buildings in Mandalay and road buckling in Naypyidaw, and was felt in Thailand and China, affecting millions and displacing many in an already vulnerable region.\n\nOver 1 000 people were killed and more than 2 400 injured, according to reports received on March 29, with casualty numbers expected to rise as reports from rural areas continue to emerge.\n\nNational phone and internet infrastructure suffered extensive disruption, hampering rescue and communication efforts. The National Unity Government of Myanmar reported the destruction or severe damage of at least 2 970 residential buildings, 150 religious structures, 30 roads, and 7 bridges.\n\nThe Islamic community estimated nearly 300 deaths occurred during prayer time as over 50 mosques collapsed across the country.\n\nMandalay was among the hardest-hit areas, with at least 674 confirmed deaths, 1 670 injuries, and over 1 000 people reported missing. More than half of the city’s buildings were believed to be severely damaged or destroyed.\n\nNotable incidents here included the collapse of Mandalay University buildings, fires on campus, and the failure of the Dokhtawaddy Bridge along the Yangon–Mandalay Expressway, where some vehicles reportedly plunged into the river. Over 30 mosques were destroyed in the region, many of them historic, with heavy casualties reported.\n\nA monastery collapse left over 600 monks trapped, of which 80 were confirmed dead. Several buildings in Maha Aungmye and Pyigyidagun townships collapsed, trapping dozens. The Mandalay Palace, Mahamuni Pagoda, and a local dam also sustained serious damage, while parts of the Mandalay-Yangon highway buckled. Additional fatalities were reported in Yamethin, Kyaukse, Pyawbwe, Meiktila, and Bone Oe, with 36 deaths in Wundwin and destruction reported in Madaya Township.\n\nSagaing Township experienced widespread structural failure, with nearly 50 deaths, 300 injuries, and damage to around 80 percent of all buildings. The Ava Bridge partially collapsed, and four out of five mosques in Sagaing City were destroyed. Historic temples in Chaung-U Township, in the resistance-held southwest of the region, were also damaged.\n\nIn Naypyidaw, the capital, 204 fatalities were confirmed, including many civil servants killed when their residential buildings collapsed. The air traffic control tower at Naypyidaw International Airport collapsed, killing six people. The city experienced road damage, ceiling collapses, and structural failure in several government buildings, including the military headquarters and parliament facilities. The permanent secretary of the labor ministry and several senior foreign officials were among the casualties. The Defence Services Museum and the National Museum sustained significant damage. In Pyinmana, 86 bodies were recovered from the ruins of monasteries and residential structures.\n\nIn Shan State, at least 60 deaths were reported in Nyaungshwe Township, particularly in villages near Inle Lake. The village of Kayla, with over 1 000 households, saw 75 percent of its buildings destroyed. Significant damage was also reported in Zarat Gyi and Seong Wa Gyi. Many deaths were attributed to structural collapses or electrocution. In Aungban, a hotel collapse resulted in two deaths and 20 people trapped, while 16 others were injured. During the earthquake, jet fighters en route to a bombing campaign dropped ordnance on Nawnghkio Township, exacerbating the destruction.\n\nIn Bago Region, Taungoo Township reported the deaths of five children in a collapsed school and 14 fatalities in a mosque. A shelter used by displaced persons collapsed, trapping more than 20 people. In Pyu, a family of four died when their home’s wall collapsed.\n\nIn Yangon, the damage was relatively limited. Some buildings tilted, and there were temporary disruptions to phone lines, but no major casualties were reported. Overall, the full scale of the disaster remains unclear, particularly in rural areas where access remains limited.\n\nIn Thailand, at least 10 people were killed, 68 were injured, and 90 were reported missing.\n\nIn Bangkok, building swaying led to mass evacuations. All rapid transit lines were suspended for a day, and trading on the Stock Exchange of Thailand was halted. Shaking was also felt in Chiang Mai and across most of the country.\n\nIn Bangkok’s Chatuchak district, a 30-storey government office building under construction collapsed, killing at least 8 people and trapping 79 people under rubble. Another collapse occurred at a luxury condominium construction site where a skybridge fell while hundreds of workers were inside the buildings. The full extent of casualties at that site remains unclear.\n\nThe reason why Thailand was affected so much lies in its soft marine clay top layer amplifying long-period ground motion, which can match the resonant frequency of tall buildings.\n\nHigh-rise building collapses due to strong 7.7M earthquake in Chatuchak, Bangkok, Thailand 🇹🇭 (28.03.2025) pic.twitter.com/ZZUmvyQYWy — Disaster News (@Top_Disaster) March 28, 2025\n\nMoment of the 7.7 Magnitude powerful earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand 🇹🇭 (28.03.2025) pic.twitter.com/KOLTBVS4ES — Disaster News (@Top_Disaster) March 28, 2025\n\nUpdates\n\n09:33 UTC, March 31\n\nThe death toll has jumped to more than 2 900 in Myanmar and to 18 in Thailand. More than 3 400 people were injured, and there are hundreds more missing.\n\nAuthorities in both countries have declared a state of emergency, and the death toll is still expected to rise.\n\nThis was the strongest quake to strike Myanmar since the 1912 M7.9 Maymyo earthquake and the deadliest since 1930 M7.4 Bago earthquake, in which up to 7 000 people were killed.\n\nOn April 2, 1762, an M8.5-8.8 earthquake hit along the coast of Chittagong to Arakan, triggering a local tsunami that left at least 200 people dead.\n\nApocalyptic scenes from Mandalay, MM. Only seeing small snippets of what is happening, given minimal internet or electricity. Supplies of food and water running scarce. Lack of machinery or govt support to find people under buildings.#WhatsHappeningInMyanmar #MyanmarEarthquake pic.twitter.com/xhLhYlKKRh — Thu Thu Aung (@thuttag) March 30, 2025\n\nCrazy CCTV footage captures the intensity of Myanmar's M7.7 earthquake.\n\n\n\nAtleast 1644 dead. pic.twitter.com/qoSTMe82fT — Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) March 29, 2025\n\n14:26 UTC, April 3\n\nThe death toll in Myanmar has risen to 4 390 and to 36 in Thailand. The number of injured people has surpassed 5 490 and hundreds are still missing.\n\nEstimated population exposure to earthquake shaking\n\nImage credit: USGS\n\nSelected cities exposed\n\nRegional seismicity\n\nImage credit: EMSC\n\nReferences:\n\n1 M7.7 earthquake Myanmar – USGS – March 28, 2025\n\n2 M7.7 earthquake Myanmar – EMSC – March 28, 2025"
      },
      {
        "title": "What caused Myanmar and Thailand earthquake and how big was it?",
        "id": "d-124",
        "link": "https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/28/what-caused-the-myanmar-and-thailand-earthquake-and-how-big-was-it",
        "snippet": "An earthquake with a 7.7 magnitude has hit central Myanmar, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has said, with Thailand's capital, Bangkok, among other...",
        "source": "The Guardian",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTcGJK1o1JrZHwAw0v_uxcLBIt2eEY1MLqNsEZZlz029KEvlZg3J_4hwnDPnA&s",
        "content": "An earthquake with a 7.7 magnitude has hit central Myanmar, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has said, with Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, among other areas affected. We take a look at the origins of the event and the scale of the disaster.\n\nWhat happened? According to the USGS, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake was recorded in Mandalay, Myanmar at 6.21am GMT. The quake is thought to have been shallow, arising at a depth of just 10km (6 miles), but the damage is expected to be enormous, with multiple buildings collapsed or damaged and reports of roads buckled and broken. The death toll is climbing, with fatalities reported in both Myanmar and Thailand. Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London, said: “It is highly likely that build quality will generally not be high enough to survive this level of shaking, and casualty numbers will almost certainly climb significantly as more becomes known of the scale of the disaster.”\n\nWhat caused the earthquake? Earthquakes arise when huge slabs of rock that make up the Earth’s crust, known as tectonic plates, move against each other. According to USGS, the Myanmar quake occurred as the result of “strike slip faulting” between the India and Eurasia plates – meaning that these two tectonic plates rubbed sideways against each other. Map showing areas affected by earthquake “The quake happened on the Sagaing fault, which marks the tectonic plate boundary between the Indian plate to the west and the Eurasian plate to the east. The Indian plate is moving north along the fault compared to the Eurasian plate,” said McGuire. The USGS says the region has experience several similar large strike slip earthquakes in the past, with six occurring within about 250km of the current earthquake since 1900 that were magnitude 7 or greater.\n\nWhat do these magnitude figures mean? While many people have heard of the Richter scale to measure the size of an earthquake, the current standard is the moment magnitude scale. “The Richter scale is an old scale developed for California. It is only good for smaller quakes, and is not very good at differentiating the sizes of bigger shocks,” said McGuire. As the USGS website notes, the moment magnitude calculation is based on the strength of the rock where the slip occurred, the area of the fault that slipped, and the distance the fault moved. “Thus, stronger rock material, or a larger area, or more movement in an earthquake, will all contribute to produce a larger magnitude,” it adds. However, like the Richter scale, the moment magnitude scale is logarithmic, meaning that as the magnitude increases by one unit, the degree of ground shaking involved increases 10-fold. “This is a major quake by any standard, and its impact is made far worse by the fact that it was very shallow – only about 10km down. If it had been 100km deep, the impact would have been much smaller, so depth as well as size is critical,” said McGuire. But, he added, measurements do vary dependent on the locations of the seismic arrays used. According to the China Earthquake Networks Center the Myanmar earthquake reached 7.9 magnitude, with tremors felt in China’s south-west Yunnan province.\n\nWill there be further quakes? “There has already been one large aftershock, and others can be expected in coming hours to days,” said McGuire. “These can bring down already weakened buildings and make the work of rescuers even more challenging.”"
      },
      {
        "title": "March 28, 2025: Magnitude 7.7 earthquake in Myanmar",
        "id": "d-125",
        "link": "https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/myanmar-thailand-earthquake-03-28-25-intl-hnk",
        "snippet": "More than 150 people are dead and hundreds more injured after a 7.7-magnitude quake struck near the city of Mandalay, according to Myanmar's...",
        "source": "CNN",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR8vHuef1p5EVij7mMXBS_aQMYBKuc0GJfKa6P-DqYz2SYv5htkYFo6TbjQiA&s",
        "content": "The true scale of the damage caused by the large 7.7-magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar on Friday remains unclear at this stage, with years of civil war meaning it is difficult to gather reliable information from the country.\n\nHowever, scientists and other experts have been giving clues as to the extent of the chaos on the ground as the country — which is ill-equipped to deal with natural disasters — reels from the catastrophe.\n\nHari Kumar, a civil engineer and regional coordinator for the NGO GeoHazards International in South Asia, told CNN he has heard from friends that the Mandalay General Hospital in Myanmar is full and no longer admitting patients. “Which is absolutely sad because that’s the only hospital (in the area) available to the public. There are obviously many, many people coming in with injuries,” he said.\n\nKumar added that he understands the Mandalay hospital is out of power and water. “Their capacity to be able to treat patients would be limited now, which is really sad,” he said.\n\nMeanwhile a seismologist told CNN that the powerful 7.7-magnitude quake that rocked Myanmar is like a “great knife cut into the Earth.”\n\nJames Jackson, from the University of Cambridge in England, said the earthquake was caused by a rupture that lasted for “a full minute,” causing sideways movements on the ground.\n\n“Think of a piece of paper tearing, and it tears at about two kilometers per second,” he said. “It’s moving a fault, which is like a great knife cut in the Earth.”\n\nHe said while Bangkok doesn’t have earthquakes, its tall buildings make the city particularly vulnerable to distant tremors.\n\nFabrice Cotton, a seismologist at the GFZ Center, told CNN that the earthquake was comparable in size to one that struck Turkey in 2023. More than 55,000 people are thought to have been killed in Turkey and Syria during that disaster."
      },
      {
        "title": "Death Toll Rising in Myanmar After Powerful Earthquake",
        "id": "d-126",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03/28/world/myanmar-earthquake",
        "snippet": "A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar, causing buildings to collapse and a high number of casualties in the region.",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQZYwnIMNFez3_lpTZPRVev_UEqJoMw2ygi8byQxWBes5jdpCc3uHWaGVUzFw&s",
        "content": "Myanmar’s long isolation and its internal instability are likely to complicate the global humanitarian aid response to the earthquake that struck on Friday, despite a rare plea for outside help from the country’s military-dominated government.\n\n“We need and want the international community to provide humanitarian aid,” said the military spokesman, Gen. Zaw Min Tun. “We will cooperate with them to ensure the best care for the victims.”\n\nMyanmar was cut off by the United States and many other Western nations in 2021, after the military seized power in a coup and imposed a brutal crackdown. Even before the coup, the country had been under various sanctions for decades, most recently over organized violence against the Rohingya minority.\n\nWestern sanctions include carve-outs for humanitarian aid, and the United Nations said on Friday that it was mobilizing help for those in need. But in a country ravaged by civil war, major logistical hurdles remain in getting the aid to the people who most need it.\n\nMichael Martin, a nonresident fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the security and safety of international aid workers in reaching affected regions is one issue.\n\nThere is also a risk that the military prevents aid workers from reaching rebel-held areas, or will slow-walk the delivery of aid, including by repackaging it to appear as if it is from the military rather than international institutions, said Dr. Martin, who was the former lead analyst on Myanmar for the Congressional Research Service. The military could also prevent relief workers from getting visas or delay processing times, he added.\n\nAnd, while many international aid organizations were founded on the principle that delivery of aid should not be political, in practice, that is not always possible. The military “may attempt to direct more of the assistance to areas that are nominally under their control” than areas under control of opposition forces, Dr. Martin said.\n\nWhen a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Syria’s northwest region two years ago, under the repressive regime of Bashar al-Assad, little international aid reached the region in the immediate aftermath. Some survivors had to dig through rubble by hand, as the government limited what went to opposition-held areas.\n\nIn Myanmar, the military has ruled oppressively for most of the time since 1962; and even during periods of limited liberalization, the armed forces remained a major political power. For much of that time, the country has restricted contacts with the outside world.\n\nStefan Dercon, an economics professor at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, said that another issue may be transferring funds into Myanmar, whether through sanctioned banks run by officials or other channels, and the logistics of getting supplies to the right areas.\n\n“The delivery of humanitarian aid will be very, very complicated,” Dr. Dercon said. “Humanitarian operations are fundamentally logistical operations, and they need cooperation from a lot of people.”\n\nAnother issue is raising necessary funds, he said. Given Myanmar’s isolation from the West, there is unlikely to be a big queue of international, Western donors, he said.\n\nDr. Martin also said that it was not clear to what extent the U.S. government would help, given the Trump administration’s hostility to foreign aid programs and major cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development."
      },
      {
        "title": "Earthquake news | Highlights: 14 temblors hit Myanmar after 7.7 magnitude quake",
        "id": "d-127",
        "link": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/earthquake-today-live-myanmar-thailand-bangkok-impact-video-images-all-latest-updates-101743149050692.html",
        "snippet": "Earthquake news | Highlights: The US Geological Survey estimated that the death toll could top 1000. The full extent of death,...",
        "source": "Hindustan Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcStsvmPS0335Px1Dlf9O8lJiMiubkmV_dE8xQoQ5yISUgBhZ2oirDovEtwNvg&s",
        "content": "# Earthquake news | Highlights: 14 temblors hit Myanmar after 7.7 magnitude quake\n\n## Earthquake news | Highlights: The US Geological Survey estimated that the death toll could top 1,000. The full extent of death, injury and destruction is not known yet — particularly in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war, with information tightly controlled.\n\n**Earthquake news | Highlights:** A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake and multiple aftershocks struck Myanmar on Friday, causing roads to buckle, buildings coming down and sending tremors as far as China, Thailand and parts of India as well. According to Myanmar's ruling junta chief, at least 144 people were killed and over 700 people were injured in the destruction caused by the earthquake, however, the toll was expected to go higher....Read More\n\nAcross bordering Thailand, ten people were confirmed dead, including many in the collapse of a skyscraper in near Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak market, while 70 more were missing and believed trapped in the twisted metal and rubble of the under-construction building.\n\n**Myanmar earthquake | Key point**s\n\n– The 7.7 magnitude Myanmar earthquake's epicenter was located in Mandalay, at a depth of 10 kilometers, around 12:50 pm local time (0620 GMT), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Multiple aftershocks followed, one of them measuring a strong 6.4 magnitude.\n\n– Tremors were also felt throughout northern Thailand and down to Bangkok, where residents fled to the streets as buildings shook. Visuals shared on social media showed a building collapse in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district. Due to the tremors, some metro and light rail services were suspended in Thailand's Bangkok. Jolts of the Myanmar earthquake were also felt in Vietnam.\n\n– Tremors were also felt in China's southwest Yunnan province, with Beijing's quake agency reporting the jolt as a 7.9 magnitude earthquake.\n\n– Earthquakes are relatively common in Myanmar, where between 1930 and 1956, six strong quakes of 7.0 magnitude or higher struck near the Sagaing Fault, which runs north to south through the center of the country, according to the USGS.\n\n– Mild tremors were felt in West Bengal's Kolkata and Manipur's Imphal as well after the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar. According to official sources cited by news agency PTI, there have been no reports of damage to property or loss of life in the city due to the tremor.\n\n## Earthquake news: Dozens dead in Myanmar, 10 in Thailand | Top points\n\nEarthquake news: The strong earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday has resulted in at least 144 deaths and over 732 injuries, with the toll expected to rise as rescue operations continue. In neighboring Thailand, a high-rise under construction collapsed in Bangkok, leaving at least 10 dead.\n\n## Updates to this live blog have ended.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: 14 tremblers hit Myanmar after 7.7 magnitude quake\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: According to US Geological Survey (USGS) data, a total 15 earthquakes were recorded in Myanmar within 10 hours on Friday, starting with the massive 7,7 magnitude trembler that struck the country at 06:20:54 (UTC).\n\nThe most powerful aftershock was measured at Magnitude 6.7, occurring at 06:32:04 (UTC), according to USGS.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: India sends relief material to Myanmar\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Approximately 15 tonnes of relief material is being sent to Myanmar on an IAF C 130 J aircraft from Hindon air force station. The relief material includes tents, sleeping bags, blankets, ready-to-eat meals, water purifiers, hygiene kits, solar lamps, generator sets, essential Medicines (Paracetamol, antibiotics, canula, syringes, gloves, cotton bandages, urine bags, etc), according to sources cited by news agency ANI.\n\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Magnitude 4.2 quake hits Afghanistan\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: A Magnitude 4.2 earthquake hit Afghanistan in the early hours of Saturday. According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre of the earthquake was 24 km south-southeast of Jurm in Afghanistan, at a depth of 226.9 kilometres.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Myanmar’s military leader appeals for international aid\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Myanmar’s military leader on Friday appealed for international aid to cater to the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that has killed at least 144 people, a toll the country expects will go up as rescue efforts continue.\n\nThe earthquake and multiple aftershock, also affected neighboring Thailand, China, and Vietnam. In Thailand, authorities said at least 10 people were killed and more than 100 missing after a building under construction collapsed.\n\n“In some areas, buildings collapsed so rescue efforts are still under way,” Bloomberg quoted junta chief Min Aung Hlaing as saying in a video speech on state broadcaster MRTV. “As we carry out extensive rescue and relief efforts, I would like to request help,” he added.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Video shows rooftop pool emptying on road, sweeping off people\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: A video showed the moments when a rooftop pool in earthquake zone emptied onto a road, with people getting swept off their. According to Grok, the video was likely from China, where tremors of the Myanmar earthquake were felt in southwest Yunnan province, with Beijing's quake agency reporting the jolt as a 7.9 magnitude earthquake.\n\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Before-after comparison of Buddha temple in Myanmar following quake\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: A before-and-after comparison of Mahamuni Buddha Temple in Mandalay in Myanmar, following the earthquake. Visuals were shared by Shanghai Daily.\n\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Toll in Thailand reaches 10\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: In Thailand, where a 33-story building under construction was reduced to rubble near Bangkok’s popular Chatuchak market due to the impact of the Myanmar earthquake, death toll has reportedly reached 10.\n\nAuthorities in Bangkok said 10 people were killed, 16 injured and 101 missing from three construction sites, including the high-rise.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Donald Trump promises assistance to Myanmar\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: US President Donald Trump's administration told Congress on Friday it would cut nearly all remaining jobs at the US Agency for International Development and shut the agency, however, he promised that the US would provide assistance to Myanmar following a devastating earthquake.\n\n(via Reuters)\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Myanmar quake's toll expected to top 1,000\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: While Myanmar is in an active earthquake belt, with many of the temblors hitting sparsely populated areas, not cities like those affected Friday, The US Geological Survey, an American government science agency, estimated that the death toll could top 1,000.\n\nThe full extent of death, injury and destruction is not known yet — particularly in Myanmar, which is embroiled in a civil war, with information tightly controlled.\n\n“The death toll and injuries are expected to rise,” news agency AP quoted the head of Myanmar’s military government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing as saying as he announced on television that at least 144 people were killed and 730 others were injured in his country.\n\n(via AP)\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: India to send over 15 tonnes of relief material\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: India will send over 15 tonnes of relief material to Myanmar following a series of powerful earthquakes, sources told ANI. India will send the relief materials to Myanmar aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) C-130J aircraft from Air Force Station Hindon.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Soil liquefaction major factor in damage in Myanmar\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Soil liquefaction was a major cause of the damage, said O P Mishra, head of the NCS.\n\nSoil liquefaction happens during a strong earthquake, when the ground starts acting like a liquid instead of solid land, due to wet soil in the region that looses its strength when the earthquake hits.\n\nAs a result, buildings, roads and other structures may sink, tilt or collapse, Mishra explained.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: 4.2 magnitude earthquake hits Myanmar again amid rescue efforts\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Another earthquake, with a magnitude of 4.2 on the Richter Scale, hit Myanmar late on Friday, the National Center for Seismology reported.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: US geological survey says death toll could exceed 1,000 in Myanmar\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Preliminary estimates by the US Geological Survey show that nearly 8,00,000 people in Myanmar may have been within the zone of the most violent shaking and that death tolls could possibly exceed 1,000 people.\n\nCurrently, the confirmed death toll is 144 people.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: US President Trump has vowed to help Myanmar after deadly earthquake\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he had spoken with officials in Myanmar about the earthquake that hit the country and that his administration would be providing some form of assistance.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: WHO readying medical supplies for Myanmar\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: The WHO says it is mobilising its logistics hub in Dubai to prepare trauma injury supplies for Myanmar.\n\n\"We've activated our logistics hub to look particularly for trauma supplies and things like external fixators because we expect that there will be many, many injuries that need to be dealt with,\" WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris says at a media briefing.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: 8 bodies recovered in Bangkok building collapse site\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Thailand's interior minister Anutin Charnvirakul has said eight dead bodies have been recovered and between 90 and 110 people are unaccounted for.\n\n\"We see several dead bodies under the rubble. We will take time to bring the bodies out to avoid any further collapses,\" he told reporters, according to AFP\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Why was Friday's quake in Myanmar so damaging?\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Sagaing has been hit by several quakes in recent years, with a 6.8 magnitude event causing at least 26 deaths and dozens of injuries in late 2012.\n\nBut Friday's event was \"probably the biggest\" to hit Myanmar's mainland in three-quarters of a century, Bill McGuire, an earthquake expert at UCL, told Reuters.\n\nRoger Musson, honorary research fellow at the British Geological Survey, told Reuters that the shallow depth of the quake meant the damage would be more severe. The quake's epicentre was at a depth of just 10 km (6.2 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey.\n\n\"This is very damaging because it has occurred at a shallow depth, so the shockwaves are not dissipated as they go from the focus of the earthquake up to the surface. The buildings received the full force of the shaking.\"\n\n\"It's important not to be focused on epicentres because the seismic waves don't radiate out from the epicentre - they radiate out from the whole line of the fault,\" he added.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: UN mobilizing in southeast Asia, its chief says\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Friday that the world body is mobilizing in Southeast Asia to help those in need after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar and Thailand.\n\n\"The government of Myanmar has asked for international support, and our team in Myanmar is already in contact in order to fully mobilize our resources in the region to support the people of Myanmar,\" Reuters quoted Guterres as saying.\n\n\"But of course, there are other countries impacted. The epicenter is in Myanmar, and Myanmar is the weakest country in this present situation,\" he added.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: US agency analysis predicts thousands of deaths\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: A predictive analysis from a US agency based on the strength and depth of Friday's earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand estimated there could be thousands of deaths and severe economic loss, with Myanmar's Sagaing and Meiktila regions worst hit.\n\n\"Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though resistant structures exist,\" the USGS analysis said.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: What junta chief said\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: The death toll and the number of injuries are likely to rise, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said in a video speech on state broadcaster MRTV.\n\n“In some areas, buildings collapsed so rescue efforts are still under way,” he said. “As we carry out extensive rescue and relief efforts, I would like to request help.”\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: 144 dead, over 700 injured in Myanmar; junta chief calls for foreign aid\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: At least 144 people have been killed in Myanmar due to the massive earthquake that hit the country on Friday, the ruling junta chief said, reported AFP.\n\nThe chief, Min Aung Hlaing, also invited \"any country, any organisation\" to help with relief efforts and warned that the toll could go up in a speech aired on state media.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Monastery hit in Madalay\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: The earthquake in Myanmar reportedly brought down multiple buildings in Mandalay, including the Ma Soe Yane monastery.\n\nA video shared on social media showed monks in the street shooting video of the multistory monastery before it suddenly fell to the ground. It was not immediately clear whether anyone was harmed, according to the Associated Press.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Myanmar junta calls for donation of blood\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Myanmar's ruling junta on Friday called for donations of blood and medical supplies to help people hospitalised after they were injured devastation triggered by a strong 7.7 magnitude earthquake.\n\nZaw Min Tun, spokesperson of the military government, made the appeal for medical supplies in a late night news bulletin on state television, according to Reuters.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Pope Francis offers prayers for quake-stricken Southeast Asia\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Pope Francis offered prayers to the victims of a powerful earthquake in Southeast Asia on Friday, the Vatican said.\n\n“The pope has been informed of the disaster in Myanmar and is praying for the dramatic situation and for the many victims, also in Thailand,’’ the Vatican said, according to AP.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Buildings and bridges in Myanmar collapse\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: The earthquake caused the collapse of buildings in five cities and towns, as well as a railway bridge and a road bridge on the Yangon-Mandalay Expressway, Reuters reports, citing Myanmar's state media.\n\nThe Red Cross has also said that roads, bridges and buildings have been damaged in Myanmar and has expressed concerns over the state of large dams.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Eyewitnesses reveal 'horrendous' ordeal\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Witnesses in Bangkok said people ran out onto the streets in panic as buildings shook and alarms went off.\n\n“All of a sudden, the whole building began to move, immediately there was screaming and a lot of panic,” Fraser Morton, a tourist from Scotland, who was in one of Bangkok's many malls, told Reuters.\n\n“I just started walking calmly at first, but then the building started moving, yeah, a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, people running the wrong way down the escalators, lots of banging and crashing inside the mall,” Morton added.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: At least 20 killed in Myanmar\n\nAbout 20 people have died at a major hospital in Myanmar's Naypyidaw after a huge earthquake hit the country earlier today, a doctor told AFP.\n\n\"About 20 people died after they arrived at our hospital so far. Many people were injured,\" said the doctor at the 1,000-bed general hospital in Naypyidaw, on condition of anonymity.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Telecommunication system disrupted in Thailand\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Thai deputy PM Prasert Jantararuangtong says the country’s telecommunication system has been disrupted after the earthquake, reports Bloomberg. Thailand's transport ministry has also ordered the suspension of public transportation services, including buses and electric trains.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: ‘Damage is enormous,’ says rescuer in Myanmar\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: A member of a rescue team based in Myanmar's Mandalay city tells the BBC that the damage due to the earthquake is enormous.\n\n\"The number of deaths is also quite high. That's all we can say right now because the rescue efforts are ongoing,\" the rescuer said. \"The exact number of casualties is not yet known, but it is at least in the hundreds.\"\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Red cross says public infrastructure damaged in Myanmar\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: According to the Red Cross, buildings and public infrastructure have been damaged and collapsed in Myanmar due to the earthquake.\n\n\"Public infrastructure has been damaged, including roads, bridges and public buildings. We currently have concerns for large-scale dams that people are watching to see the conditions of them\", Marie Manrique, Program Coordinator for the International Federation of the Red Cross, says, according to Reuters.\n\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Indian embassy in Bangkok issues helpline number\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: The Indian embassy in Bangkok has issued an emergency number – +66 618819218 – for Indian nationals in Thailand, which they can use in case of any emergency.\n\nThe embassy said it is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Thai authorities.\n\n\"After powerful earthquake tremors recorded in Bangkok and in other parts of Thailand, the Embassy is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Thai authorities. So far, no untoward incident involving any Indian citizen has been reported...All members of the Indian Embassy in Bangkok and Consulate in Chiang Mai are safe,\" it adds.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Red Cross says ground reports indicate ‘significant damage’ in Myanmar\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: The Red Cross has said that initial reports from the ground in Myanmar suggest the earthquake has caused significant damage, reports AP.\n\n“Initial reports from the ground suggest the earthquake has caused significant damage,” the Red Cross said. “Information on humanitarian needs is still being gathered.”\n\nThe humanitarian organization added that downed power lines are making it more challenging for their teams to reach the Mandalay and Sagaing regions and the southern Shan state of the country.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: At least 3 killed, 81 trapped in building collapse in Bangkok\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Thai deputy prime minister says that at least three workers were killed when a 30-storey under-construction tower collapsed in Bangkok after a major earthquake on Friday. He adds that about 81 people were trapped in the rubble after the collapse.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Rows of wounded outside Naypyidaw's hospital\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Rows of wounded lay outside the emergency department of the 1,000-bed hospital in Myanmar's capital Naypyidaw, AFP reports. \"Many injured people have been arriving, I haven't seen anything like this before,\" a doctor at the hospital tells AFP. “We are trying to handle the situation. I'm so exhausted.”\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Authorities declare Bangkok 'disaster area'\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Thailand's capital has been declared a disaster area after the strong earthquake in neighbouring Myanmar, Reuters reports, citing Bangkok city hall. The Bangkok governor has been placed in charge of coordinating the disaster response.\n\nEarlier today, he said that the earthquake had caused damage to many high-rise buildings in the city. The exact damage was not yet known and inspections were underway.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Emergency declared in several regions of Myanmar\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Myanmar's ruling military has declared a state of emergency in multiple regions after a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the country, Reuters reports.\n\n\"The state will make inquiries on the situation quickly and conduct rescue operations along with providing humanitarian aid,\" the ruling military posted on the Telegram messaging app.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: 2 dead in building collapse in Bangkok, several missing\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Thai emergency responders say that two people have been found dead and several others are still under the rubble of a building that collapsed in Bangkok after a massive earthquake, reports AP.\n\nOne of the rescue workers present at the site told reporters that 7 people had been found alive.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: 43 construction workers missing after high-rise collapses in Bangkok\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: Forty-three construction workers are missing after an unfinished 30-storey building collapsed due to the earthquake in Bangkok, the BBC reports, citing Thai authorities.\n\nFifty people were inside the building near Chatuchak Park when the earthquake struck.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Myanmar junta asks for international aid\n\nMyanmar's ruling junta has made a rare request for humanitarian aid from the international community, reports AFP. They have also declared a state of emergency across six regions in the country.\n\nAFP reports that junta chief Min Aung Hlaing was seent at a hospital in Naypyidaw where wounded were being treated.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: At least 3 dead in Myanmar after mosque partially collapses\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: At least 3 people have died after a mosque in Myanmar's Taungnoo partially collapsed due to the strong earthquake, Reuters reports, citing eyewitnesses.\n\n\"We were saying prayers when the shaking started... Three died on the spot,\" one of the people who spoke to Reuters says.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Former royal palace damaged in Myanmar\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: The earthquake damaged part of the former royal palace and buildings in Myanmar's second-largest city Mandalay, reports AP, citing videos and photos shared on Facebook.\n\nWhile the area is prone to earthquakes, it is generally sparsely populated, and most houses are low-rise structures.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Several high-rise buildings damaged in Bangkok, governor says\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: The strong earthquake in Myanmar has caused damage to many high-rise buildings in Thailand's Bangkok, according to its governor.\n\nChadchart Sittipunt said the exact number of buildings damaged was not yet known and inspections are underway. He has urged people to remain cautious, reports Reuters.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: No details of damage from Myanmar yet\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: There has been no immediate word from Myanmar authorities on damage, reports Reuters. \"We have started the search and are going around Yangon to check for casualties and damage. So far, we have no information yet,\" an officer from the Myanmar Fire Services Department tells the news agency.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Mild tremors felt in Kolkata, Imphal\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: After a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand, mild tremors were felt in Kolkata, Imphal and Meghalaya’s East Garo Hills, reports PTI.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: No state of emergency declared in Bangkok\n\nThailand's deputy PM Anutin Charnvirakul says that the situation in Bangkok remains serious but no state of emergency has been declared, reports Reuters.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Major hospital in Myanmar declared 'mass casualty area' after quake\n\nA major hospital in the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw was declared a \"mass casualty area\" after the country was rocked by a huge earthquake, news agency AFP quoted an official at the facility.\n\nRows of injured were treated outside the emergency department of the 1,000-bed general hospital, some in pain, others lying still as relatives sought to comfort them.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: PM Modi assures assistance to Myanmar, Thailand\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: PM Modi on Friday assured assistance to Myanmar, Thailand after the massive earthquake and aftershocks. “Concerned by the situation in the wake of the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand. Praying for the safety and wellbeing of everyone. India stands ready to offer all possible assistance. In this regard, asked our authorities to be on standby. Also asked the MEA to remain in touch with the Governments of Myanmar and Thailand,” PM Modi wrote on X.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Bangladesh reports magnitude 7.3 jolt due to Myanmar quake\n\nTremors of magnitude 7.3 were felt in various parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka and Chattogram, on Friday, as a result of the Myanmar earthquake. However, no casualties were reported so far.\n\nAccording to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the earthquake with the epicentre in Myanmar near the Bangladesh border hit at 12:25 pm.\n\n## Earthquake today LIVE: Epicentre of Myanmar quake\n\nEarthquake today LIVE: The earthquake measured 7.7 in magnitude, according to the USGS, which said it's epicentre was 16 kilometers northwest of Sagaing, Myanmar at a depth of 10 kilometers.\n\nIt struck at about 1:21 pm in Bangkok and was the strongest worldwide since 2023, according to USGS data compiled by Bloomberg. There was a second temblor of 6.4 magnitude around the same area, the USGS said."
      },
      {
        "title": "Magnitude-7.9 quake hits Myanmar",
        "id": "d-128",
        "link": "https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202503/29/WS67e6c96ea3101d4e4dc2b886.html",
        "snippet": "A powerful earthquake rocked central Myanmar on Friday, sending strong tremors to neighboring regions, including southwestern China, as well as parts of South...",
        "source": "China Daily - Global Edition",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSB6gZazW9AvujVtitj2f6dcgHVKJkihDMrEkNd-Ciu3ycZH6sx2DivSg-PYQ&s",
        "content": "Medical workers treat an earthquake survivor in the compound of a hospital in Nay Pyi Daw, Myanmar, on Friday, after a magnitude-7.9 earthquake in central Myanmar. [Sai Aung Main / AFP]\n\nA powerful earthquake rocked central Myanmar on Friday, sending strong tremors to neighboring regions, including southwestern China, as well as parts of South and Southeast Asia.\n\nAccording to the China Earthquake Networks Center, the earthquake reached 7.9 magnitude.\n\nBy Friday night, 144 people had been killed and 732 injured in the powerful earthquake in Myanmar, the local government told Xinhua. Many more casualties are likely due to the collapse of housing and other facilities, according to local residents.\n\nThe earthquake took place at 2:20 pm (Beijing time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center. The epicenter was monitored at 21.85 degrees north latitude and 95.95 degrees east longitude. The quake struck at a depth of 30 kilometers. The CENC said in a social media post that this was the strongest earthquake recorded so far this year.\n\nA magnitude-6.4 aftershock occurred just 12 minutes later.\n\nMyanmar's National Disaster Management Committee declared a state of emergency in six quake-affected areas and states, including Nay Pyi Daw, Sagaing region, Mandalay region, Magway region, northeast Shan state and Bago region, according to The Global New Light of Myanmar.\n\nStriking about 20 kilometers northeast of Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar, the quake caused the collapse of the 90-year-old Old Sagaing Bridge, and several buildings in Mandalay and Nay Pyi Daw. Some sections of the expressway linking Mandalay and Yangon were also damaged, causing road closures along the route.\n\nThe strong earthquake also prompted the closure of Mandalay and Nay Pyi Daw airports, according to a statement by Myanmar Airways International on social media.\n\nPeople who got hurt during the earthquake were seen in crowds outside the emergency department at a major hospital in Nay Pyi Daw, according to AFP.\n\nA government spokesperson urged the international community to give humanitarian aid as soon as possible. The Myanmar Red Cross Society said it had begun to provide first-aid and other emergency response in earthquake-hit areas.\n\n\"This is the strongest earthquake I have ever experienced in my life,\" said Win Zaw Htay, a staff member of The Global New Light of Myanmar in Yangon, adding \"I tried to call some friends in Mandalay, but the line was busy so I could not reach them.\"\n\n\"The government is doing whatever possible (to help),\" said Aye Chan, chief editor of Myanmar Insider magazine, who believes the humanitarian organizations will help in their private capacity.\n\nThe Chinese embassy in Myanmar said in a statement that Chinese nationals in Myanmar should remain on guard against earthquakes and secondary disasters. The embassy urged Chinese nationals to stay updated on earthquake and disaster prevention information and follow the arrangements and guidance of the local governments to relocate to safe areas.\n\nNeighboring Thailand declared a state of emergency in Bangkok.\n\nAnd two people were reported injured in Southwest China's Yunnan province.\n\nXinhua News Agency and Mekong News Network contributed to this story."
      },
      {
        "title": "Major mag. 7.7 Earthquake - 14 km northwest of Sagaing, Sagaing Region, Myanmar, on Friday, Mar 28, 2025, at 12:50 pm (Yangon time) - 8 weeks ago",
        "id": "d-129",
        "link": "https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes/21614277/2025-03-28/06h20/magnitude7-Myanmar-Burma-Myanmar.html",
        "snippet": "Detailed info, map, data, reports, updates about this earthquake: Major magnitude 7.7 earthquake - 14 km northwest of Sagaing, Sagaing...",
        "source": "Volcano Discovery",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRuxjuitvUD5c2g-7EzE1UHv3g9LadDYswCREccMeT2b33Zbj-j3oBiH1qCew&s",
        "content": "Please wait while the requested page loads...\n\nWhy this page?\n\nWe need to protect our site from spam and bots in order to keep it accessible for free and prioritize real visitors like you.\n\nUsers with Pro access to our app or who have supported us should not see this page and browse our site faster."
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "topic_id": 9,
    "topic": "Elon Musk appointed US Department of Government Efficiency Minister",
    "docs": [
      {
        "title": "Elon Musk slammed Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill.' The stakes are high for Tesla if it becomes law.",
        "id": "d-130",
        "link": "https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-big-beautiful-bill-impact-tesla-xai-elon-musk-2025-6",
        "snippet": "Tesla could take a hit if President Donald Trump's \"Big Beautiful Bill\" becomes law. Elon Musk's AI company, however, may get a boost.",
        "source": "Business Insider",
        "imageUrl": 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        "content": "lighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.\n\nlighning bolt icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Impact Link\n\nThis story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.\n\nTesla could take a hit if President Donald Trump's \"Big Beautiful Bill\" becomes law.\n\nElon Musk's AI company, however, may get a boost.\n\nMany of Musk's companies rely largely on federal regulations, subsidies, or contracts. That means the GOP's federal spending bill, if signed into law, could directly affect his businesses.\n\nWhile Musk has previously shared his disapproval of the bill, the billionaire ratcheted up his criticism this week.\n\n\"I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore,\" Musk posted on X on Tuesday. \"This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination.\"\n\n\"Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong,\" he said in criticism directed at the Republican politicians who voted in favor of the bill.\n\nMusk's sharp words for Trump's bill come just days after he officially left his position as the de facto head of the DOGE office, ending his formal work at the White House. In recent weeks, both Trump and Musk have looked to assure the public that their relationship remains intact, even if they disagree on some issues.\n\nThe White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said in a briefing on Tuesday that the President already knew where Musk stood on the spending bill and that the Tesla CEO's recent comments criticizing it wouldn't change Trump's stance.\n\nThe bill, which champions Trump's agenda, includes cuts to Medicaid and the extension of the tax cuts that the president signed into law during his first term in 2017. It also includes administration priorities, including removing taxes on tips and overtime.\n\nIn regard to the companies Musk leads, the bill could have a mixed impact. While Tesla stands to lose, companies such as SpaceX and xAI may benefit from the president's massive spending bill.\n\nTesla's credits threatened\n\nThe bill, as written, makes big changes to the Biden-era EV tax credits, which are intended to encourage more Americans to buy electric vehicles. It would largely phase out the clean vehicle credit, which lets people buying a new EV claim up to $7,500, and up to $4,000 for used EVs.\n\nElectric vehicles would no longer qualify for the tax credit if the automaker sold more than 200,000 previously qualifying EVs between December 31, 2009, and December 31, 2025, if the bill became law. Tesla delivered more than 336,000 vehicles in the first quarter of 2025 alone.\n\nMusk has previously said eliminating the EV tax credit would devastate Tesla's competitors and affect the automaker as well. He said, however, that the move would probably help Tesla in the long term. Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.\n\nOthers don't seem sold on Musk's rationale.\n\nSeth Goldstein, an equity strategist at Morningstar, told Business Insider that the expedited elimination of the EV tax credit would be \"the biggest area that could impact Tesla.\"\n\n\"Consumers have increased long-range EV choices at similar price points as Tesla,\" Goldstein said. \"It's on Tesla to make the case for consumers to even slightly pay up today versus some other EVs.\"\n\nGoldstein said that tax credit elimination could lead to a decrease in sales volume, which the automaker has been struggling with.\n\nThe JPMorgan analyst Ryan Brinkman wrote in an investor note that Trump's \"Big Beautiful Bill,\" combined with other proposed legislation, including ending the California Air Resources Board Program, threatened more than half of Tesla's 2025 profits.\n\nBrinkman wrote in the note that the $7,500 consumer tax made up 19% of Tesla's 2024 earnings before interest and tax and could result in a $1.2 billion headwind. He added that the automaker could face a $2 billion headwind from the removal of CARB ZEV credit sales, which encourage the sales of zero-emission vehicles.\n\nTesla is betting big on AI and robotics as it pushes to reach full autonomy, in part through its coming robotaxi service, efforts that Musk has said are key to growing the company's valuation. Brinkman said any material benefit from Tesla's autonomous robotaxi business was years away, while the headwind from EV subsidy removal would most likely hit the automaker in 2025 and 2026.\n\n\"We expect estimates to come down as the impact of Trump Administration EV subsidy removal becomes clearer,\" Brinkman wrote.\n\nGoldstein said the removal of the tax credit could \"accelerate\" Tesla's transition to an AI and robotics company.\n\nIt's also possible that the expiration of the EV tax credit on Tesla vehicles could spur some short-term demand from buyers looking to purchase one of the company's EVs before the window closes.\n\nTrump's spending bill wouldn't only change existing taxes and fees. Under its current language, it would also impose a $250 yearly fee for EV drivers through the Federal Highway Administration, and a $100 yearly fee for hybrid vehicles.\n\nAs written, the bill also scraps a loan program that Tesla utilized in 2010, long before Trump entered the political scene.\n\nThe spending bill also threatens Tesla's energy business, which Musk has said is \"growing like wildfire,\" by ending energy tax credits. The automaker's energy generation and storage business, which includes Tesla's Megapack and Powerwall battery systems , brought in $2.73 billion in the first quarter of 2025, a 67% increase from the year prior.\n\nMusk shared a post on X from the official Tesla Energy account that said, \"Abruptly ending the energy tax credits would threaten America's energy independence and the reliability of our grid.\"\n\nTesla Energy also added that it was urging the Senate to enact legislation with a \"sensible wind down\" to continue speedy deployment that supports AI and domestic manufacturing.\n\n\"This bill would hurt Tesla around the energy tax credits going away,\" Dan Ives, a Wedbush analyst who's a noted Tesla bull, told BI.\n\nRelated stories Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know\n\nXAI may benefit from AI regulation changes\n\nTrump's spending bill, if signed into law, may also help his AI company, xAI.\n\nOne section of the bill prohibits states and local governments from regulating AI for the next decade in an effort to remove legal barriers related to deploying and adopting AI.\n\nThat could allow Musk to develop and advance xAI with less red tape on the regulatory side to slow the company down.\n\nThe bill also allocated funds toward modernizing the federal IT system with AI and improving the cybersecurity of its systems. With the government setting money aside to improve its systems, xAI, one of the companies at the forefront of the AI race, could be contracted to power the modernization efforts."
      },
      {
        "title": "Elon Musk Returns to His Tech Empire, Facing Questions of Inattention",
        "id": "d-131",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/02/business/elon-musk-tesla-spacex-x.html",
        "snippet": "As Mr. Musk steps away from Washington, he faces concerns over his prolonged absence from his businesses including Tesla, SpaceX, xAI and X.",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBwgHBgkIBwgKCgkLDRYPDQwMDRsUFRAWIB0iIiAdHx8kKDQsJCYxJx8fLT0tMTU3Ojo6Iys/RD84QzQ5OjcBCgoKDQwNGg8PGjclHyU3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3N//AABEIAEIAdwMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAcAAAABwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMEBQYHAgj/xAA8EAACAQMCBAMDBg4DAAAAAAABAgMABBEFIQYSMUETIlFhcYEHQpGhscEIFBUjJDIzNFJicqKy0XOCkv/EABgBAAMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwAE/8QAHxEAAgICAwEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAECEQMxEiFBUQQy/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDaASsMYbmBBAOdzROiknYbdcGhG4FupDYAfGTt87GPupQhWZ1OMYBrAExHtntihIuRjOMdDRuZEdQihoycH1FcSzRp5ZDgEZ3G1YISg5JcgY+eNqy3iP5XHt72S10mGJkQlRLKCSxB649K1NWhkiZEZeUgjykVgsnDSwajKkq4khndZQ3QkN0HwIPxpJOlZSEXJ0aTwFxVqvETmO/08LEIiwuV2HN6Y+P1VdkUhsk57ZrL+E9Ra01e1j8S3S3lkEWSSGyegxWpKT7x7aGOVqw5YcGcphgwPZvoodcq+DtXNuwPif1kb0rygn7KcmMo7gRExtzEr15d9u3au0nyd1kB96/fRTxAjmIHMB193Si8FA+QFGNxtSjCN7JHdxyW/nPMMMAwqG/JUUEhZRysxySXHX6KmVtkUGUkZJ8uwpPw8MViRWl7nsvv9tAKGsAW0O86IzDoQST9AoqXFoiSiUqHlxkSuNt/Z9NHWMSS/urfyyk/30qMePJtvyL9ppDOLS59Vdz9eaXH7y39A+01UkGSAW+FNblZGI5CuMdGXNLysA7bgfqf5VGcSaomjaFqF+4B/F4S6Z6Fuij6cUAkNxNxXpfCcHjakVa5YExW0AzI/twThR7TgVStb4kg4hRb3SsJC6+bIAYtgZ5vaMD6KyPU9TudTvZbm8meWWRsuznJNPtK0jiACO402G4jE+ORllVPFz0wCRzevTbqcUJwtUPCfF2az8n3h3OvRma8tkltSf0YzASMSpA8uNxud61dNznBHxrzPZ8Ka1dwS3E01vC8P50zT3GSAcnmJXm2PKwyTuVI61tfyXavd6nw9LBqb+JfabdyWMz8xYuUxgknrsevfGaEYqKo05uTtlpgBJmHbxD9gpUcwbrtXECnMp9X+4V3nBoiBDBUgjtXPhqCPXGM0M5jOD2oxhod+9YJzyHm6gD7vSuFQICAMLn0oo5DJGd98kUnAZBvITgg7HG1KETnB5ic9sdaFC4br8KOgMLhUaO7ABPKxDAsfMeUH76VDAXJTlHN4fNzfGmca3DiYvyRI5LSYXm7Ad/YKUFvmbEk8jFo89cZAPs94qhIXnlMZPmUbDqcd6p3ypytNwBqzwjmXlTONxtIufsNWxoYYVchQMJzZxUDxtbQXHCOrWb3FvbeNbsBNcyckanI3Y9t8UUzM8sEZar3w2+oXFhBHJeWtpZ2yxSR8kKM7ZADyAvnldFxuMDenOmfJxDcLG1zfyP4ihwbbAUg+hIOaoGpxm11S7tRK7pbyvAhc5PKrHApVJN0ijg4pNmhaq9vbaVNa3mtySkReWGOZEj5lXI5UQLkEkYHmHU9ScWT5GdahPFut6dp6XD6fdBZ4nkBPIwHm5ie55u/pWKIQBhcAeytx+RclbFS/wCp5hynvvQk67NFcrRrCMwMgA+f39wo8NzEk4OBge3eoy5tLW4dxLNcx8pwDBcyRYz03Vh1pudLdWUR6rqcIxtm4EjA/wDdWNMxCWuHPgsF3bbOK5Sb9GbPYZqs3txfaWjFNYurgscEPYJJ7s8oX1ppcaprvIodbaRMY81nLF9YY0oxKWeoqFu/FDMgPMAM9/SoT8qTLJEwnmVGfdTIdhnuM1HXV/cRxywy2UDl8Bgl1uPTylPWoXUls5NQMHgXMICYaNfDmyd9wxZf97Uo3RrMYe75jGy42O9Cs2tOKtV0pJIreV3YKFUXNi2F3H8BPb2+lCmVegd+Gs4y14PXf+0D7q5i3e2Y/OgI+w0hYalaXryvBOh5lHlz5hjNcCeUWttKsTARQFiGGCcKNgP909E7Hdy0caNJNgRCIhs1jn4Q1zKlpocA/ZNNLIcfxKAB9TGrrd8bJEyrLZzKrQiRRgHnB6d/Yao/4REw/EtBhwCzyzP7hhR99YyIzgHimN9MtbKW6xe23MoV/nrkkY9cA4+FOuKOCNP4kSXUNAaO11VsvLAxxHcHv/Sx+g9/WsrtrcnB3z1Hb41ZtP17VLRkxKJOXbJJDH41KWOSfKJ0RyRceMyq3NvcWV1Ja3UDwzxtyyRSDDKfaK1D5MeKJp782s8XnjhjBdCSHCgICcn9YgDp13NN7q+0jiiOOPX4pI7lBhLqEqsqj+HJGGX2Hp2qQu9LsDw8+n8NFLaYTRylS4D3AU7gyE5z6bgdtqWU01T2PjxOL5LtFu4g4yg0fiGGw1OILa5juA7KTlfUAehU/RUjJxxpFwVfTtUs4w3OzvNGxKAYx5cqcnNZJxst1e6BBPdo6XulP4UnOvKXhc7E57hsf+6oiXkiHKsRjvnGKpB2iOWHCVHovWbziC68KTSjPNFIMiSWySMEEDGA4ziiFpqq3bRX0C3KKuA6RR4OeuMAMfiK70NrjUuB9Nn1iL9IitFmSR8jlIBAY4/lO/rTHWLZ7q6eS3bxDIekfOenTYYH20WTC1i2vFs0LW88SJcDDBPMvfYbVUbjT9RaZpbhiXDHzeHgkdck9+tXexh1DTNGjaB7hpPxiVmjhYPyjwiAOUHpkqcDvTY6uHm0u1vrEXD3kGJJIE5ZVYswzjowwBkH30OPwZP6iAtrN59ZiUXSNayRc/iHbDYwQfaDQpPWUt9K1OdY5I/xVDyiRDhSdhQoK0uwy30T8/5u/Ph+Xv5dt/WrtpEjyQJ4js35hj5jn0oqFXJspnFTFJrQqSpEexB/meqt+EN+30H/AIZv8ko6FKwR2ZxBtESOuQM06j/XoUKbwIvc/ucp7gZB9N6ltH8+A/mHKTg70dCufMdX59jvi1mHDusRBj4aPAETOy5KnYdqz3S1V9StUdQytNGGUjIILDaioVsegfp/s9W6UzCykwSPJ2NQ+okjlAJww8w9dzQoVWWjkWyEinmMG8r+Uty+Y7bdqVjmlln5pZHcl+UlmJ29KOhSLRX0oevHNxqKHdRGDy9s+Iu9ChQogP/Z",
        "content": "Mr. Musk’s time in government has been a decidedly mixed bag for his business empire. Tesla is particularly vulnerable after Mr. Musk’s popularity nose-dived when he slashed government jobs. Tesla dealerships became the target of protests as sales and profit fell. What’s more, the Republican budget bill now before the Senate would gut subsidies and policies that promote electric vehicles. Tesla’s stock has dropped about 14 percent this year, wiping around $180 billion off its market value.\n\nSome of Mr. Musk’s companies have benefited from his proximity to the White House, with Mr. Trump at one point promoting Tesla cars on the White House lawn and SpaceX harvesting more government tie-ups with Starlink, its satellite internet service. X remains a powerful megaphone for Mr. Musk’s and Mr. Trump’s supporters. And Mr. Trump is a valuable ally with policy power who oversees agencies that regulate Mr. Musk’s businesses.\n\nBut Mr. Musk is the face of his companies, and his protracted time in Washington has raised alarms over how committed he is to his businesses. Some former workers at SpaceX and elsewhere have questioned his absence from the companies. Overall, it’s unclear if the tech billionaire’s Washington maneuvers will lead to long-term advantages for them.\n\n“It became a mission critical thing to get the C.E.O. back in the office,” said Eric Talley, a professor at Columbia Law School. “It’s not a moment too soon, quite frankly.”\n\nHow much time Mr. Musk will spend with his companies and outside Washington now remains unclear. At a news conference in the Oval Office with Mr. Trump on Friday, Mr. Musk called his departure from the government “not the end of DOGE but really the beginning” and said he would continue to visit “and be a friend and an adviser to the president.”"
      },
      {
        "title": "Musk rails against Trump tax bill, calling it ‘a disgusting abomination’",
        "id": "d-132",
        "link": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/06/03/elon-musk-slams-trump-plan/",
        "snippet": "Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill would add $2.4 trillion to the national debt over 10 years, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget...",
        "source": "The Washington Post",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Billionaire Elon Musk blasted the massive tax and immigration bill at the heart of President Donald Trump’s agenda on Tuesday, calling the measure “a disgusting abomination” that would burden the country with “crushingly unsustainable debt.” Though Musk — who on Friday left his post as head of the U.S. DOGE Service, Trump’s cost-cutting effort — had previously criticized the bill in gentler terms, his posts on X, the social media platform he owns, represented his sharpest attack yet on the Trump White House. For months, Musk had played the role of the president’s “first buddy,” joining Trump frequently in the Oval Office and exhorting the administration to cut government spending.\n\nThe posts appeared to complicate the path to passage for the legislation, which barely passed the House late last month after conservatives revolted over its enormous price tag. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says the bill would increase the national debt by $2.4 trillion over the next decade. The Senate began consideration of the measure this week, and GOP leaders hope to have it to Trump’s desk by July 4. Trump has encouraged lawmakers to pass the measure, but some Republican Senate budget hawks applauded Musk’s attack Tuesday, a potential sign of trouble.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,” Musk posted on X. “Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.”\n\nHe wrote minutes later: “It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.” That post appeared to confuse the annual deficit with the overall increase to the debt over 10 years.\n\nShortly after that, he wrote, “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.”\n\nThe bill would extend tax cuts enacted during Trump’s first term and make good on new campaign promises — including no taxes on tips or overtime wages — while devoting hundreds of billions of dollars in new spending to defense and immigration enforcement.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nMusk’s attack landed while Senate Republicans huddled for a lunch with National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, who predicted robust economic growth if the legislation passes, lawmakers said. Many economists outside the White House disagree with that projection, arguing that rising national debt will crowd out private-sector investment.\n\nIn the Senate, lawmakers are haggling over whether to make additional budget cuts in the legislation — which would already slice more than $1 trillion from social safety net and anti-poverty programs — and to preserve some Biden-era clean energy initiatives, which would add to the bill’s cost.\n\nMainstream Republicans in the lunch meeting with Hassett greeted Musk’s posts with “an eyeball roll,” Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) said.\n\n“We have a difference of opinion. He’s entitled to that opinion. We’re going to proceed full speed ahead,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) told reporters.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nBut for budget hawks — and Democrats — Musk provided a shot in the arm. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) called for splitting up Trump’s legislation into multiple smaller bills, saying one sweeping measure with such a large deficit hit couldn’t get the votes to pass the upper chamber.\n\n“I think Elon is exactly right that we need to cut more spending, and I hope and believe that the Senate will make the bill substantially better,” said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who interviewed Musk on his podcast in March and has described him as a friend.\n\nAsked how much more spending he would like to cut from the bill, Cruz said, “As much as humanly possible.”\n\nDemocrats enjoyed watching the GOP infighting.\n\n“I hear something happened while we were at lunch,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) joked while holding up a poster board of Musk’s tweets, “which led me to make some news here today and say something I didn’t think was imaginable: I agree with Elon Musk.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nWhite House press secretary Karoline Leavitt brushed off Musk’s posts.\n\n“The president already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill,” she said. “It doesn’t change the president’s opinion. This is one big, beautiful bill, and he’s sticking to it.”\n\nThe legislation would undo most of the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act, which poured federal tax incentives into production of electric vehicles, batteries and solar energy — cornerstones of Musk’s businesses. Tesla, in particular, suffered as Musk’s DOGE efforts became less popular: The EV maker reported a 71 percent plunge in profits in the first quarter. One person who has interacted with Musk over the years and closely followed his journey from Tesla to the White House said the bill could prompt frustrations with Republicans similar to Musk’s irritation with Democrats under the Biden administration.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“It increases the deficit by trillions of dollars, kills solar and battery credits, sunsets battery production credits in 2028, kills the EV tax credit,” the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive subject. “Elon and the Republicans were united in not liking the previous administration. As they get into governance, they are finding that is where the similarities end.”\n\nHouse Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) pushed back on Musk’s criticism.\n\n“With all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong about the One Big Beautiful Bill,” Johnson told reporters.\n\nThe speaker said that he and Musk talked about the legislation and other topics for 20 minutes Monday and that the two appeared to end the phone conversation on common ground.\n\n“Elon is missing it, okay?” Johnson added. “And it’s not personal. I know that the EV mandate [is] very important to him; that is going away because the government should not be subsidizing these things as part of the Green New Deal. And I know that has an effect on his business, and I lament that. … But for him to come out and pan the whole bill is, to me, just very disappointing, very surprising, in light of the conversation I had with him yesterday.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe main focus of the legislation is extending parts of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which Trump signed into law in his first term, that are set to expire at the end of the year. Virtually every tax filer would pay more if the bill doesn’t pass. It would also devote $150 billion for immigration enforcement, another Trump administration priority.\n\nTo pay for the tax cut extensions, the bill would tighten eligibility for Medicaid, which the Congressional Budget Office says would leave millions of people uninsured. The bill would also pass on to states billions of dollars of expenses for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps. That could lead local officials to sharply raise taxes or enact policies that kick families off SNAP.\n\nRepublicans also want to use some of the unilateral spending cuts made by Musk’s DOGE — which stands for Department of Government Efficiency, though it is not a Cabinet-level agency — to balance out the costs of the tax cuts. Many of those cuts are being challenged in court.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nMusk on May 20 said he would stop spending on political causes and leave the White House to return to his companies, including SpaceX and Tesla. He spent nearly $300 million, almost entirely on Republican candidates and causes, in the 2024 election cycle.\n\nFriday was his last day in the White House, and he and Trump spoke to reporters in the Oval Office.\n\nFaiz Siddiqui, Mariana Alfaro, Liz Goodwin and Abigail Hauslohner contributed to this report."
      },
      {
        "title": "'130 days of Elon Musk': Report cites more than 100 times DOGE boss benefited self, business",
        "id": "d-133",
        "link": "https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/03/elizabeth-warren-elon-musk-doge-report.html",
        "snippet": "Tesla CEO Elon Musk last week wrapped up his official government service leading DOGE for the Trump administration.",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "imageUrl": 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        "content": "Tesla CEO Elon Musk listens as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.\n\nSen. Elizabeth Warren's office issued a report Tuesday chronicling Elon Musk's \"130 days\" in President Donald Trump's administration, accusing the billionaire of using his government perch to enrich himself and his businesses.\n\n\"Musk and individuals acting on his behalf have been involved in dozens of questionable actions that raise questions about corruption, ethics and conflicts of interest,\" says the report by the Massachusetts Democrat's office.\n\nThe 14-page report outlines more than 100 times that Warren's team believes Musk abused his role as a \"special government employee\" overseeing DOGE to benefit his private interests.\n\nIt accuses Musk of violating \"norms at an astonishing pace,\" actions that it calls \"scandalous behavior regardless of whether it subjects him to criminal prosecution.\"\n\nThe White House did not respond to CNBC's request for comment on the report. CNBC also reached out for comment to Musk, his attorney Alex Spiro and Omead Afshar, a Tesla vice president. They did not immediately respond to requests for comment.\n\nMusk last week wrapped up his official government service leading the Department of Government Efficiency,\" which is engaged in a broad effort to slash federal government spending.\n\nHis four months leading DOGE as a special government employee were marked by unprecedented upheaval to the federal workforce and government agencies."
      },
      {
        "title": "Musk turns back to business after ending White House role",
        "id": "d-134",
        "link": "https://www.semafor.com/article/06/03/2025/musk-restarts-fundraising-for-his-businesses-after-stepping-back-from-govt",
        "snippet": "Elon Musk renewed fundraising efforts for his business empire after relinquishing his White House role. The tech tycoon's artificial...",
        "source": "Semafor",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Elon Musk renewed fundraising efforts for his business empire after relinquishing his White House role.\n\nThe tech tycoon’s artificial intelligence company xAI launched a $300 million investment drive, while his brain-computer interface startup Neuralink, raised $650 million in a funding round, first reported by Semafor.\n\nMusk said he was once again spending “24/7 at work” after months spent in government that proved “a decidedly mixed bag” for his business interests, The New York Times reported: Tesla sales nosedived, although SpaceX benefited from his political influence.\n\nThe billionaire recently acknowledged that his firms had suffered “blowback” from his connections to US President Donald Trump, and has stepped up his media work to emphasize his focus on his businesses."
      },
      {
        "title": "Morgan Stanley bull has this prediction for Elon Musk's EV company Tesla",
        "id": "d-135",
        "link": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/morgan-stanley-bull-has-this-prediction-for-elon-musks-ev-company-tesla/articleshow/121603102.cms",
        "snippet": "Morgan Stanley auto analyst Adam Jonas has predicted that Elon Musk may be \"tempted to solve\" another \"problem\" by leveraging Tesla's...",
        "source": "Times of India",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Tesla may not be interested in eVTOL anytime soon\n\nWhy eVTOL market may not a profitable bet yet\n\nMorgan Stanley auto analyst Adam Jonas has predicted that Elon Musk may be \"tempted to solve\" another \"problem\" by leveraging Tesla's expertise in artificial intelligence (AI), batteries and manufacturing. As per Jones, the problem is \"commercialising air taxis,\" also known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles.In his latest research note, Jonas argued that Tesla may enter the nascent eVTOL market as these aircraft have long been predicted to revolutionise urban transport, yet even leading developers like Archer Aviation are still in the developmental phase.Last week, Archer's Midnight prototype, slated for its first deliveries later this year to Abu Dhabi, successfully completed a piloted flight test.According to a report by Fortune, while Jonas believes that solving this technological challenge aligns with the interests of Tesla engineers, he acknowledged that Tesla has indicated it is currently too stretched to seriously consider an eVTOL venture, without outright refuting the idea.The US government is reportedly keen on supporting the growth of flying cars. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted this week, \"eVOTLs [sic] are going to fundamentally transform how the public travels. Let’s make sure the US leads the way.\"Currently, the eVTOL market faces significant hurdles. Several promising startups, including Lilium and Volocopter, have encountered financial difficulties before establishing commercially viable services. A key challenge in achieving stringent safety standards while ensuring full autonomy, as scaling the business typically requires removing costly pilots from the equation. Additionally, there aren't enough customers with pilot licenses to support widespread adoption."
      },
      {
        "title": "Elon Musk's Neuralink raises $650 million in fresh capital",
        "id": "d-136",
        "link": "https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/elon-musks-neuralink-raises-650-million-fresh-capital-rcna210421",
        "snippet": "Elon Musk's brain tech startup Neuralink has closed a $650 million funding round, the company announced Monday.",
        "source": "NBC News",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Elon Musk’s brain tech startup Neuralink has closed a $650 million funding round, the company announced Monday.\n\nARK Invest, Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital, Thrive Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners and other firms participated in the round, according to a press release. Neuralink said the fresh capital will help the company bring its technology to more patients and develop new devices that “deepen the connection between biological and artificial intelligence.”\n\nNeuralink is building a brain-computer interface, or BCI, which is a system that translates brain signals into commands for external technologies.\n\nThe company’s first system, called Telepathy, involves 64 “threads” that are inserted directly into the brain. The threads are thinner than a human hair and record neural signals through 1,024 electrodes, according to Neuralink’s website.\n\nThe initial aim of the technology is to help patients with severe paralysis restore some independence. As of Monday, five patients have been implanted with Neuralink’s technology, and are able to “control digital and physical devices with their thoughts,” the release said.\n\nNeuralink is currently carrying out four separate clinical trials around its Telepathy system.\n\nBCIs have been studied in academia for decades, and several other companies, including Synchron, Paradromics and Precision Neuroscience, are developing their own systems.\n\nParadromics on Monday announced it successfully implanted its BCI in a human for the first time.\n\nIt’s not clear what devices Neuralink will look to develop next, but Musk has for years espoused grand ambitions for the brain tech startup. He has even claimed that he would be willing to get an implant himself.\n\nOne of the capabilities Musk has repeatedly highlighted is the ability to restore vision to blind patients.\n\nNeuralink received a “Breakthrough Device” designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a device called Blindsight. This designation is granted to medical devices that have the potential to provide improved treatment for debilitating or life-threatening conditions.\n\nIn a post on his social media platform X in September, Musk said Blindsight will enable even those who have lost both eyes and their optic nerve to see.\n\nNeuralink still has a long road ahead before it can commercialize these technologies."
      },
      {
        "title": "3 members of the 'Tesla mafia' share what they learned from Elon Musk's company",
        "id": "d-137",
        "link": "https://www.businessinsider.com/ex-tesla-founders-what-they-learned-working-elon-musk-2025-5",
        "snippet": "Ex-Tesla employees have founded startups in everything from EVs and batteries to robotics and electric boats.",
        "source": "Business Insider",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBwgHBgkIBwgKCgkLDRYPDQwMDRsUFRAWIB0iIiAdHx8kKDQsJCYxJx8fLT0tMTU3Ojo6Iys/RD84QzQ5OjcBCgoKDQwNGg8PGjclHyU3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3N//AABEIAEIAdwMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAbAAACAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFBgAEAQIDB//EAD8QAAEDAwMCAwUECAMJAAAAAAECAwQABRESITEGQRMiYRQyUXGRFYGh0RZScoKSscHwB0KyIyQlMzZGVmKD/8QAGAEBAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQADAgT/xAAfEQACAQUBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAARECEiExQQNhgSL/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AGZ2TJlaUS4cVTWcqAfJP+iq0udFt0y3slfgIkqW0lkNFYKtiCCCMY37d6v6UN5UsJb382ogb/nSt1I+iRdOmlIwD7ZujWlRTlI2OkkVrVhBQrnAbmXJyEgvvpYSwjdxxTy0JSPXPqRVN3q+2LaaAu9sGXB4iS9qAR35O/4UWW0laClaQpJGCCMg0vW62Rx1TdMw2w0lmOW8tDAPnzjb5V3aZyHJtztcBKFzX4bDbnulxPhhR55JrhDu9lnSQxAftrzhGpSWvMrA5wAaodXOFqGyfaCyCvn2H2kH5jt86H9JyC7clIE0vDwyShNpMcc914/Cp0LRXByb1FCtcpMf7RtzOHAp5t4lCwnA4GojPHpXRV0F6Ictj7TsdtWPFZd3zjccevxpX6gQ1Fv8t1u4uNOPhGtCbUZAThOB5sEfcKMdEypMliamS4txtp8JYWuMGMp0g+6AO5NVq0EhKzynHrcl0uolLUpQC2lHwzg45O44rW5XONbyw/cSzFbSs6VLeI1EpO3Hzpf6a6ghWuztRJbM4PNrc1BMNxQ3WSNwPWiXUbkya1aWrc4uOmY/hanIwWUJ0FQ1JUNtwPhTaMm8LqaLOniLFmW91t5CkqaQsuLV323GBjOaMpUllsNxytsJP6pI4/bpVag3a03y2IcnplMSXFodCITbekBBIyUjPOKaVJqtC4CXLqqWxJcjIiXF9TeEhTUUqTjGRjzb1eiakQUzTDeQ7J86myghY3OQpPxyaLx9DTTa3VJQkk5KjgbVUkS467i64h1nQpCAD4yOxV6/L61lOTsrrYdMRRS4tC14UMBSin00qV/WpVoPMq4fYP8A9k/nWaZA8rvUjwLubdJ6gu7sZtZDq1FPlUM5ITjf+tMzfR7kxMac31LcHQEhbLikIykcjGRtSirpe9PTPDd8JK1KILipCFBHxyQf7xTLZpzdu0243laE+JpLjQbKNW3OU5HGPgPieax86qp/sVdsJK6buo/7qun0R+VaHp26Dnqq5D91H5ULuN6u8Z5pEa5LnJckaC402nQ23sdRVoweex+tcpfVjrV0fiR50mS02g6XdLSdTgPu+7xgZzW91IZDX6OXXG3VVy/hR+VcFWa4I1BXV1xBRzsj++4oLcep7qho+BNBycDAQScYzvgevYZqpE6mSFOG4WqZMWCELC7gG/UDCWtuPjQ6kKUjR9gXX/yu5/RFbiwXUjP6WXL+FFV4/wDiLAQ0EHpl9Ch+rJDnf/2SK7s/4k2t1/Q7YZHhYGykoIB+v9KrkVrNTZLvn/qu5Z/ZRU+wrueOrLl/CiiSevOniBqs8r9xpG34iuj/AFjZfZUvxbQ8sKG3iqS0PwJP4VSgtaBRsF34HVly/gRWD05d1DH6V3H+BNcp/Vjqni1Hixo5zjy6lEcdycf5h2rhMuV1j+E3Gvrcl9zSQ2iADhJO5JBP8t6cFktvdLXOQyGX+q7ipvcaFITjcYP9aTb9bYdqkKjC7yX3kKwv/ZJSlO3Y9zTKi+3F1Lns17S8tvCkgW9B1DVpyPP33wKTpzchqQ6PFQ4HypxxxLJSRvvsfiT2/pXHprAqWNFp6ITcYvtEa+S9GopBVHT5vUelZrbpw3qDCWk3JiC1nIQuP46z22SFbDjf1qU0xGQyLb96mvrWhT4UjJUUo8gJznPbO5+XFVxNSloBsNozqBHhpGM/jW9zcDLj8VETOpQytlpenHolQB/lQuUCltBSt06ycoLKkKGOMjjjfYmvLazrIetz5dlttOx0PKUrGrOVDjjPb8qOSbZbYkkO6IYUXFIW86+lKUuY4UT3+6laPBurLoZ9heYUoBWFAqB3+8Y+dN0WDBRERNnvESUNhKlqZXnHP+UEYHc/ea785WCQLeixmY6n126KUNKSMKd86kqPlUkYxoPOVY2zQ24QDdZLrcYRUlSw5gPYAASQTwSR5geadWYUOe74L0mQpJGsPF0rbJG6ckn5YzXRuziPHkgQ2UloFWk6UOL3zkalAZzg7gdsZ2rZoJPMHYLUd4tOqbdOr3m1Ep5J2O2ee4opZ54tg8OMy2pAd8U+IkZ93Tgkgk7b4+NUJ09LlwW+6yG1FZKkaPMPmTv8OaJJiOymETDHU02+rIc1ZS4AdOOcjBHr+FYy5lEmHV9RKVJjxojEaS4+BgNsoISonGOOe/yNDb/IdNwSi5JagJTkBTifJkcYSnkHTz3o507EEPS/b3XTJbJPiMDOMjGRztjNEZt0ZS2X5Epb8kndD6Sk4Gfdz7wz8MAb/Ot5bKIFxqEZxbmhzKHAFAeGUY4zuT6DtRqHapPswMFyFAdZI0SmY6UuJPbPm9OQBVqS5CuESIqKjWpawXkS2UFvT3RpKjhXOMHj5Yqk8i2WFt1wF5l4oWYzOsqcUQe2TgpGc7fPA4qepGSui1xLIh4vuh6VkqUIyg2kgHJ3GNxn3SMkbA1iAmHPfa9svKWD7yUulekdiDyTvxk/dSRcLzOn7LlrdTnOVHJV6nHNZgvqS8yXgsp1DZecrHwGN96wfpVwJPTBMaaSqLZw6lwqOJqpSm+Mbp0kakkah5gnG21SgvT10clvJiuuy/ZmNSm48RgLSjn3ts9+5xxUrRVOpSjpQbSb3b4IQEoW8V50hOMbEfnS8vqp566x5K7YhKWAoNpWSCQoYIzj5dqbU3S0vklcO38/qlX4710lCOpzES0WuUlGSvJ08dh5T2yf7Ga46gWf0wuTCyBby6payptGkatP6qikDj5Z9e1HonU7OoSbnZJLMhxP/KaaSA7j9VQHbY4IA+JNaw1lcxUeXZ3EsaspQ20nQnB3yFJA42J1fQ1xY6cmsPBLZuMdkp5jMtu+Un4pTjg9jz8K6WehMcCf6QTJUliPbbfFbjademalJcS5jfSpJCR8MjBPwFDp1pet8cSOpZEl1oZLOsl1AWBzhAKU7dyN/rTDIj2oxVW+fIRCcaToYKnFL8dI5UvWBg/HzZHf4UuMve0T3g/aUmFlSAvxNCXBt5gnHoP596pgCjInx7sxFQuG3b2fL/vimvGcIPI0p0kb85IG3HAojbG+n4U9UWXcRJS4kKaV4aiEKBUcBIGlHYfPHNXPZLKtWfs50Z7eMdz9awmFZW5mlEFTcoYGkvFKvpnJFEyUJASV1fDh3ZKGowfiaiG/FYGTyM4VjgnI4OR9wtRrjao2Jjb5cec1AFbLi3s7EhOrUDn4bJz3NWXJXTTLyo70CT4ydnG3QoY/aBWk/dRlmX0vHWyt22ocirSfDejxUaQRsU6iSRg7b7ZBGTTksAL7amTEBpiIIbYG7juFKIIxsjJCT3znHPlrnA9iti1OyUSFQ0NanFIQtxRwRjKzwMbY+W4o/IixLtI/4MgR2wCQFJbcWR8kkkD92hl5jMsQQi8loJa2acbLZOo8JIKSQM44CTTD2CjRyh3bpSe+pUW0RRKWlSS686ttQGAOcEDIUfoc9qqPMRosqS8XY7zCGQ4ELkNh1A1YITqASo7Dgg98ZJqxarbaURQ4lTsdxwHUlMcDIzt6gYA+dd/sGwqQpC9akKA1At84ob+DBStMqI9IceZuLTetRWI0R1YUD3KyDqUfRPlHO/NYohE6Q6YkPBpmK666rhCGyTUon4X6JcVakr8qiPMDsfWiUI5mMIPuKeaynsalSsOmy0FbO+8L8xh1e72D5juM16DIJiRmBEPgBwqK/C8urynnHPA+lZqVpTozr2eesKU7bYi3VFakuyACo5IGuuyVKOMk8fGpUrGvYo7RfMWgrcFzBz33NGb/ACH/ALXWnxnNOjGNR+JrFStqDhhjqyMxN6RaVMYbkKTKa0l1AWRkpB59CRSR7JGXEuaFx2lIGwSUAgAbj8d6xUrQOCd0utTPUtqW0ooX7U2NSTg+8K9ECEK646l1ISdMHKcjg+E1UqVDwrtcZ71svYbVmpXJDJ0K22uU8paEqUlGQSMkbkVKlSkzZ//Z",
        "content": "A steady stream of former Tesla employees have gone on to found their own companies, some of which now rival Tesla.\n\nA steady stream of former Tesla employees have gone on to found their own companies, some of which now rival Tesla. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images\n\nThis story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.\n\nTesla makes EVs, batteries, robots, and startups.\n\nA steady stream of employees — the \"Tesla mafia\" — have left to found companies in everything from EVs and batteries to robotics and electric boats.\n\nElectric car startup Lucid was founded by former Tesla executives back in 2007, and the ex-Tesla founders of British EV startup Longbow previously told Business Insider they aimed to deliver a Roadster sports car before Elon Musk's company.\n\nFormer senior employees who then raised large amounts for their own startups include former senior vice president of energy Drew Baglino, whose energy firm Heron Power reportedly raised a Series A round of over $30 million in April. Automotive tech startup Tekion, founded by Tesla's former chief information officer Jay Vijayan, is now valued at over $4 billion.\n\n\"The success rate of former Tesla employees starting their own companies, building hard things, is exceptionally high,\" Chris Walti, Tesla's former Optimus lead, told BI.\n\nBI spoke to Walti and two other former Tesla employees about why so many of its former employees have gone on to startup success.\n\n'It's not a Google-like culture, and it's not a 9-to-5 experience'\n\nGene Berdichevsky, CEO of Sila Nanotechnologies and Tesla's seventh ever employee, said what sets working at the company apart is the sense of \"radical self-reliance.\"\n\n\"It's kind of the belief that when you're doing new things, there are no experts to ask, there are no suppliers who have done it before. If there are, you're probably not doing something particularly novel,\" said Berdichevsky, who left the company in 2008.\n\nWalti, who left the company in 2022 after seven years to start robotics firm Mytra, told BI that Tesla gave engineers unprecedented freedom and responsibility to tackle \"really big problems.\"\n\n\"You can solve problems without requiring 20 product managers and five VPs for approval. Here's the problem: go figure it out, go solve it, go talk to whoever you need to get it done,\" Walti said.\n\nSila Nanotechnologies CEO Gene Berdichevsky was Tesla's seventh ever employee. Sila Nanotechnologies\n\nWhile Tesla's lack of bureaucracy may be liberating, the company is also known for its intense work culture.\n\nMusk and other senior figures have previously slept on the factory floor during crises, and employees are expected to work long hours to meet the billionaires' tight deadlines.\n\n\"Tesla is not an easy place to work, but it was never intended to be. It's not a Google-like culture, and it's not a 9-to-5 experience,\" said Berdichevsky.\n\nWalti said Tesla employees used to jokingly warn each other not to \"fly too close to the sun,\" with Musk having little tolerance for failure.\n\n\"Elon has a short fuse. It doesn't matter how many successful projects you've delivered,\" he said. \"You screw up once and you might be out.\"\n\nWalti added that the intensity of working with Musk led some people to \"burn out,\" and said that working in a system where employees had little say over product direction could be frustrating.\n\n\"If you're not too close to the sun, it's a wonderful place to work because you get to work on really meaty problems. You get the innovation, the scale, the tech risk, and you're surrounded by a bunch of really innovative people,\" he said.\n\nChris Walti led Tesla's robotics team and spearheaded development of the company's Optimus robot. Mytra\n\n\"On the flip side, it doesn't give you a lot of agency over why you're building things. You'll be told 'make the Cybertruck float,' and at no point is there a debate on why; it was like, just go do it,\" Walti added.\n\nLeaving Tesla\n\nTobias Kahnert, who founded powertrain startup EFT Mobility, said that starting a new company is often more attractive than taking a job at a rival for Tesla employees.\n\nRelated stories Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know\n\n\"We used to call it internally 'the Mount Everest syndrome',\" said Tobias Kahnert, who was a senior software engineer at Tesla from 2014 to 2017.\n\nKahnert joined Tesla right out of college and worked there through the \"production hell\" of ramping the Model 3 mass-market EV. The idea of founding his own company felt like a natural next move, he said.\n\n\"I couldn't see a more exciting company in the world at that point\" than Tesla, he said. \"The option was either I stay with that company until retirement, which is a long time away, or I start something myself,\" he said.\n\nKahnert said the most valuable lesson he learned at Tesla was how to innovate quickly without losing track of the need to scale a product.\n\n\"The stretch between these two worlds is something you learn quite quickly at Tesla. You need this spirit of challenging the norms, seeing what's possible, and figuring out ways to get it done without being bogged down too much in processes,\" said Kahnert.\n\nTobias Kahnert worked as a senior software engineer during Tesla's Model 3 production ramp. Electric Flytrain\n\n\"But you also actually need to get on the level of working with the process and alongside regulations to even have a product that you can bring into the market,\" he added.\n\nWalti said Tesla offered a unique experience within engineering of building hard things at scale on a tight timeline, which he called a \"trifecta\" of speed, scale, and innovation.\n\n\"Usually, you have to pick two of the three. At places like Boeing or Lockheed, you're building hard things with innovation, but the timelines are, like, 10 years,\" said Walti.\n\n\"Tesla is a unique place because of the scale. Startups are fast and innovative, but not yet scaled. Innovating with speed at scale is an interesting nexus that really accelerates learning,\" he added.\n\nTesla and Musk did not respond to a request for comment."
      },
      {
        "title": "Tesla CEO Elon Musk Has Been Paid ‘Zero for Seven Years, Despite Increasing the Value of the Company 2000%’",
        "id": "d-138",
        "link": "https://www.barchart.com/story/news/32699827/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-has-been-paid-zero-for-seven-years-despite-increasing-the-value-of-the-company-2000",
        "snippet": "Elon Musk, unpaid since 2018, battles legal setbacks over a voided $56B Tesla pay deal despite surpassing all performance targets.",
        "source": "Barchart.com",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Switch the Market flag\n\nOpen the menu and switch the\n\nMarket flag for targeted data from your country of choice.\n\nfor targeted data from your country of choice."
      },
      {
        "title": "What's really fueling Elon Musk's latest outburst against Trump's tax bill?",
        "id": "d-139",
        "link": "https://www.businessinsider.com/behind-elon-musk-trump-tax-bill-outburst-doge-tesla-spacex2025-6",
        "snippet": "From DOGE disappointment to protecting his business interests, there are several explanations for Musk's criticism of Trump's \"Big Beautiful...",
        "source": "Business Insider",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.\n\nGood morning! Doing one thing every day that makes you smarter is a good goal to have. Here's my suggestion for today: Subscribe to BI Tech Memo . Alistair Barr is the best in the biz at breaking down what's going on in Big Tech. (And it's free!)\n\nIn today's big story, Elon Musk had some not-so-nice things to say about President Donald Trump's tax bill.\n\nWhat's on deck\n\nMarkets: They might be in secondaries, but they're still on top. Meet the key execs in Wall Street's hottest market .\n\nTech: What a top Microsoft exec learned from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy .\n\nBusiness: Florida real estate is showing cracks , and it could be a red flag for the rest of the country.\n\nBut first, I just can't stand it anymore.\n\nIf this was forwarded to you, sign up here.\n\nThe big story\n\nElon has something to say\n\nAllison Robbert / AFP via Getty Images\n\nBeauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Elon Musk doesn't see anything pretty in the \"Big Beautiful Bill.\"\n\nThe billionaire railed against President Donald Trump's tax bill Tuesday afternoon, calling it a \" disgusting abomination .\"\n\nMusk, known for keeping his opinions to himself, posted on X that he \"just can't stand it anymore,\" before criticizing the \"massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill.\"\n\n\"Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,\" he added.\n\nHe's not the only one attacking Trump's bill. Some within the president's own party have gone after it for fueling the government's growing deficit .\n\nChris Unger/Getty Images\n\nSo what's behind Musk's outburst?\n\nWe're less than a week removed from his decision to leave Washington . Why jump back into the fray?\n\nHere's what could be rubbing him the wrong way about the bill:\n\nDOGE disappointment: According to one estimate, Trump's tax bill will increase the deficit by $4 trillion over 10 years. That's probably a difficult pill to swallow for Musk, who was tasked with cutting that down via DOGE.\n\nThe group took extreme measures trying to achieve that, and Musk faced plenty of professional and personal backlash. Now he's seeing the tax bill \"undermine\" — his words, not mine — all of that work.\n\nMusk Inc. and the tax bill: Despite his recent foray into politics, Musk is still a business owner at heart. Trump's tax bill has real implications for his companies, both good (SpaceX) and bad (Tesla). BI's Ana Altchek, Alice Tecotzky and Kelsey Vlamis have a breakdown on what it means for his portfolio .\n\nThe end of a friendship: Since the Trump-Musk bromance first blossomed, people have speculated when it might end. As BI's Peter Kafka put it shortly after the election , \"both men are famously short-fused\" and \"adore the spotlight.\"\n\n\"And that combination makes it easy to imagine a break-up down the line,\" Peter added.\n\nWe've seen cracks in the relationship before. The dustup over the government funding bill led to jokes about Musk being the real leader of the GOP. That elicited a response from a Trump spokesperson . Musk also clashed with Trump's base over H-1B visas .\n\nJust Elon being Elon: Sometimes the best explanation is the simplest. Musk has a history of shooting from the hip with his takes. (Being the richest person in the world affords you that privilege.) He's already said that he and Trump didn't always see eye to eye . This could just be another example of that.\n\n3 things in markets\n\nI-Hwa Cheng/AFP/Getty Images\n\n1. The Nvidia hype is back. The chip giant's stock has climbed 20% over the last month. After bottoming in April during a broader market sell-off, Nvidia's stock is now up 45%. These are four big catalysts spurring it on.\n\n2. Six Wall Street veterans on the best trades they've ever made. Senior money managers told BI about the highlights of their investing careers, from buying undervalued stocks to making well-timed exits. One talked about shorting GameStop .\n\n3. Power players in secondaries. The secondaries market — in which investors buy and sell secondhand shares of private funds — is on pace to break last year's record highs of $160 billion. Meet 14 people who took the industry from niche to new heights.\n\n3 things in tech\n\nHarry Murphy/Sportsfile for Web Summit via Getty Images\n\n1. How can you make AI your coworker, not your replacement? The HR-tech startup Lattice thinks it has the answer. The CEO of the company, which makes AI agents for the workplace, told BI that embracing AI now would help protect jobs , not threaten them.\n\n2. Microsoft's copycat strategy. The company's latest exec Jay Parikh is adopting Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's strategies for his new AI organization, Core AI, according to an internal email viewed by BI. Parikh shared takeaways from an annual letter Jassy sent to Amazon shareholders in a memo. Here are three of his takeaways .\n\n3. The pure internet is gone. Did anyone save a copy? Since ChatGPT came out, the internet has been flooded with AI-generated content. That's sent researchers diving deep to preserve content made by humans prior to 2022, BI's Alistair Barr writes .\n\n3 things in business\n\nFound Image Holdings/Corbis via Getty Images; Rebecca Zisser/BI\n\n1. Trouble in paradise. Florida was the undisputed winner of the pandemic relocation boom, luring millions of new residents with its beaches and low taxes. Now, Floridians are experiencing an affordability crisis, hurricane-fueled insurance nightmares, and more. It's also a warning for America's real-estate market .\n\n2. A business immigration lawyer on Trump 2.0. The Trump administration is being as strict as possible when it comes to work-visa applications, attorney Jason Finkelman told BI. With the amount of effort and hoops to jump through, Finkelman believes it's designed to frustrate US companies into giving up on hiring foreign workers .\n\n3. This longtime middle manager supports flattening middle management. Alvaro Munevar Jr. told BI he'd seen middle management practices that siloed workers and slowed productivity . But as Big Tech culls those roles, the remaining ones could still evolve significantly. A LinkedIn executive said managers will need to be more like coaches to keep teams' energy up.\n\nIn other news\n\nWhat's happening today\n\nUS doubles tariff on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%.\n\nSentencing for man convicted of murder in fatal stabbing of Cash App founder Bill Lee.\n\nThe Business Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Ella Hopkins, associate editor, in London. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago."
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump news updates: President orders federal job cuts as Musk defends DOGE",
        "id": "d-140",
        "link": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/11/donald-trump-live-news-canadas-trudeau-slams-steel-aluminium-tariffs",
        "snippet": "Billionaire Trump ally Elon Musk, who leads the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has taken to his platform X to attack federal judges...",
        "source": "Al Jazeera",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQK0CnRDCkkIDI8T_W756ulSqZ9JAdqVgt9LaG3cmjTDmz-Fa4mWHN-rLrFQ&s",
        "content": "This live page is now closed. Thank you for following our coverage."
      },
      {
        "title": "We do not know what exactly Elon Musk is doing to the federal government",
        "id": "d-141",
        "link": "https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/01/politics/elon-musk-federal-government-what-matters",
        "snippet": "Americans don't know the full extent of what Musk is doing as he embeds alongside President Donald Trump at the top of the federal...",
        "source": "CNN",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQjgu5cIoHwAEOw1CFX-OfLc_y9toWNaNZ_FA0lyjjce_rBcCirdxsSL3V6oQ&s",
        "content": "CNN —\n\nAmericans don’t know the full extent of what Elon Musk is doing as he embeds alongside President Donald Trump at the top of the federal government.\n\nWhat we know is that he’s the world’s richest man, the president’s largest campaign benefactor, and a person whose companies have grown fat on government contracts, so he has a greater financial interest in how the government operates than your average naturalized immigrant.\n\nThere are clues\n\nWith that context in mind, consider this startling passage from a report by CNN’s Katelyn Polantz, Phil Mattingly and Tierney Sneed about a standoff between career officials at the Treasury Department and employees of DOGE, the Musk-allied Department of Government Efficiency, which has morphed after the election from the out-of-government advisory panel Trump talked about to a rebranded technology unit inside the White House complex. Mattingly, Polantz and Sneed write:\n\nThe top civil servant at the Treasury Department, David Lebryk, is leaving unexpectedly after Trump-affiliated officials expressed interest in stopping certain payments made by the federal government, according to three people familiar with the situation.\n\nAccording to one person familiar with the department, Trump-affiliated employees had asked about Treasury’s ability to stop payments. But Lebryk’s pushback was, “We don’t do that,” the person said.\n\n“They seem to want Treasury to be the chokepoint on payments, and that’s unprecedented,” the person added, emphasizing that it is not the bureau’s role to decide which payments to make — it is “just to make the f-ing payments.”\n\nMusk claims to be reclaiming government for you, the taxpaying voter\n\n“This is the critical battle to restore power to the PEOPLE from the massive unelected bureaucracy!” he wrote on the social media platform he owns, pushing people to rally at events opposing the use of taxpayer dollars to fund NGOs, nonprofits unaffiliated with the government that are supposed to do good works.\n\nThink Catholic Relief Services, the World Food Program and Save the Children. There can be a legitimate debate about whether the US should fund those programs in part because we know, thanks to transparency, that the US government is funding those programs.\n\nBut his method of taking over the bureaucracy is much less transparent than the bureaucracy itself.\n\nWhen Bill Clinton offered buyouts to federal workers, in 1993, for instance, he did so after getting buy-in from Congress. Trump’s administration is banking on a slim majority of Republicans in the House buying in to his plan, assuming they get a chance to have a say.\n\nMusk allies now in the government’s HR office\n\nThe New York Times and others reported this week that three former Musk employees have taken top positions at the Office of Personnel Management, the formerly obscure HR department for the federal government. It was OPM that first created a government-wide email system and then blasted it with an offer to millions of federal workers giving them the option to resign with pay until September. The offer caught federal workers off guard and unions and government watchdogs have said it is illegal.\n\nOPM confirmed to me that Amanda Scales, who used to work for Musk’s AI company xAI, is now chief of staff at OPM. Brian Bjelde, whose Linkedin profile still lists him as a SpaceX employee, is now a senior director, and so is Anthony Armstrong, a banker who worked with Musk to take over Twitter.\n\nThe New York Times report included other Musk allies in positions at other agencies, including the General Services Administration, which oversees federal real estate. Despite encouraging workers to return to the office, Musk also sees getting rid of government real estate or leases, and dispersing remaining workers throughout the country, as a cost saving technique.\n\nAre people getting fired next?\n\nTrump has twice referred to federal workers being fired if they’re not in offices after a February 6 deadline. “If they don’t agree by February 6 to show up back to work in their office, they will be terminated,” he said during a speech at the White House this week. There’s nothing in the resignation offer about people actively being fired in the near term.\n\nVideo Ad Feedback Critics says Trump’s federal workforce buyout plan may not be legal 03:01 - Source: CNN Critics says Trump’s federal workforce buyout plan may not be legal 03:01\n\nMusk’s actual role is unclear\n\nWired reported he’s told friends he is sleeping at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, on the White House grounds. CNN has not confirmed the report, although it is similar to the story he told about his early days at Twitter and Tesla, when he proved his devotion to employees by sleeping at the office or on the factory floor. It’s either the ultimate commitment to working from home or the ultimate commitment to his job.\n\nOne outstanding question: Has he taken an oath, like the federal workers he apparently has plans to fire, to uphold the Constitution?\n\nWhat are Musk’s conflicts of interest?\n\nI asked Walter Shaub, the former Director of the Office of Government Ethics, who has raised warnings about Trump but also criticized Democrats, about the opacity of Musk’s role and why it should concern Americans.\n\n“The Trump administration owes the American people a detailed explanation as to precisely how it hopes to manage conflicts of interest, as well as whether it deems Musk and each of the other participants in DOGE as a volunteer, a special government employee or a regular government employee,” he said in an email.\n\nPeople are supposed to know about the people who run their government\n\nThat’s why Trump’s nominees to lead agencies have to undergo nomination hearings on Capitol Hill and why top officials are supposed to file paperwork with the Office of Government Ethics disclosing their financial interests and pledging to act ethically.\n\nThey’re supposed to know how their government is spending money and who is doing the spending. The mass resignation offer that caught everyone off guard was made under authority granted to the OPM director. Trump’s nominee, the venture capitalist Scott Kupor, has not yet been confirmed, so the agency is operating with an acting director.\n\nWhat’s next?\n\nMusk laid out some ideas in the Wall Street Journal, back in November when he was working with Vivek Ramaswamy, who has left DOGE.\n\nMass firings? That plan presaged an effort to encourage workers to resign. What comes next, according to that Journal plan, is they will “identify the minimum number of employees required at an agency for it to perform its constitutionally permissible and statutorily mandated functions,” after which Trump could suspend worker protections to enforce a “mass head-count reductions across the federal bureaucracy.” One wonders how many air traffic controllers is the minimum number required.\n\nSteep spending cuts? They’re hoping to grab new power, with help from the Supreme Court, for the president to simply ignore Congress and not spend money, something called impoundment. They also wanted to cut $500 billion in spending by targeting things like public broadcasting and foreign aid. There’s already evidence of this plan in Trump’s since-rescinded order to halt federal grants.\n\nA hard look at Medicare? Some of the efforts should be welcome to Americans, like a long overdue examination of federal contracting and procurement. But don’t be surprised when it takes a hard look at Medicare spending, despite Trump’s pledge not to cut safety net spending. It’s all written out in the Journal.\n\nWhat’s not written is a public plan or a list of Musk allies now in the government. That is something everyone should want to take a look at."
      },
      {
        "title": "Inside Elon Musk’s Plan for DOGE to Slash Government Costs",
        "id": "d-142",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/12/us/politics/elon-musk-doge-government-trump.html",
        "snippet": "Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is recruiting billionaires, tech executives and others to spend six months inside the federal government...",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRiGSOMMK5rC3eSZc7MAgtXtYUSZ_jWmViW1GN8Ew-e004PhRQu7BJk1BOF4g&s",
        "content": "On the eve of Mr. Trump’s presidency, the structure of DOGE is still amorphous and closely held. People involved in the operation say that secrecy and avoiding leaks is paramount, and much of its communication is conducted on Signal, the encrypted messaging app.\n\nMr. Trump has said the effort would drive “drastic change,” and that the entity would provide outside advice on how to cut wasteful spending. DOGE itself will have no power to cut spending — that authority rests with Congress. Instead, it is expected to provide recommendations for programs and other areas to cut.\n\nBut parts of the operation are becoming clear: Many of the executives involved are expecting to do six-month voluntary stints inside the federal government before returning to their high-paying jobs. Mr. Musk has said they will not be paid — a nonstarter for some originally interested tech executives — and have been asked by him to work 80-hour weeks. Some, including possibly Mr. Musk, will be so-called special government employees, a specific category of temporary workers who can only work for the federal government for 130 days or less in a 365-day period.\n\nThe representatives will largely be stationed inside federal agencies. After some consideration by top officials, DOGE itself is now unlikely to incorporate as an organized outside entity or nonprofit. Instead, it is likely to exist as more of a brand for an interlinked group of aspirational leaders who are on joint group chats and share a loyalty to Mr. Musk or Mr. Ramaswamy.\n\n“The cynics among us will say, ‘Oh, it’s naïve billionaires stepping into the fray.’ But the other side will say this is a service to the nation that we saw more typically around the founding of the nation,” said Trevor Traina, an entrepreneur who worked in the first Trump administration with associates who have considered joining DOGE."
      },
      {
        "title": "DOGE is dispatching agents across U.S. government",
        "id": "d-143",
        "link": "https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/01/10/musk-ramaswamy-doge-federal-agencies/",
        "snippet": "Federal officials are already dealing with surrogates from Elon Musk's and Vivek Ramaswamy's nongovernmental body before Donald Trump is...",
        "source": "The Washington Post",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS-1Cmscd2Tp3QBSDdUHndw-FwhTA5F8SR59zwiTieMQpQ6_VIxLeJ5Y1t1ZA&s",
        "content": "Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are sending representatives to agencies across the federal government, four people familiar with the matter said, to begin preliminary interviews that will shape the tech executives’ enormous ambitions to tame Washington’s sprawling bureaucracy. In recent days, aides with the nongovernmental “Department of Government Efficiency” tied to President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team have spoken with staffers at more than a dozen federal agencies, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak with the media. The agencies include the Treasury Department, the Internal Revenue Service and the departments of Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services, the people said.\n\nAt the same time, Musk and Ramaswamy have significantly stepped up hiring for their new entity, with more than 50 staffers already working out of the offices of SpaceX, Musk’s rocket-building company, in downtown Washington, two of the people said. DOGE aims to have a staff of close to 100 people in place by Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, they said.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nWhile much about DOGE remains unclear — including who is paying the salaries of these staffers or exactly how DOGE representatives work with the formal transition team — the agency outreach reflects intensifying efforts by Musk and Ramaswamy to propose what they say will be “drastic” cuts to federal spending and regulations. Even as the scale of their project grows, Musk and Ramaswamy are encountering a slew of obstacles, including reluctance among congressional Republicans to approve deep budget cuts and a skeptical career civil service.\n\nTwo government employees said remarks Musk and Ramaswamy have made about the civil service have made them wary of the entire DOGE effort. Longtime civil servants — some who have built their careers learning the intricacies of the federal bureaucracy — are an awkward fit with Silicon Valley’s fast-moving and disruptive culture. Many in Washington regard the tech entrepreneurs as arrogant or naive about the complexity of reining in government.\n\nThe U.S. presidential transition process traditionally involves teams from the incoming administration working with existing agency staff and officials on the transfer of power, including regular briefings. This year’s changeover is far smoother than it was four years ago, when the process was complicated by Trump’s refusal to recognize the results of the election. But the uncertain status of DOGE relative to the rest of the Trump transition team has raised new questions about who precisely is speaking for the incoming administration.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nIn a potential nod to the myriad challenges facing DOGE, Musk has begun tempering certain promises in his bid to achieve sweeping reform by reinventing the federal bureaucracy, eliminating entire agencies, shrinking the federal workforce and slashing historic sums from the federal budget. In an interview Wednesday night at CES, the tech trade show in Las Vegas, he said DOGE may fall short of his initial aim to cut $2 trillion in federal spending.\n\n“I think we’ll try for $2 trillion. I think that’s like the best-case outcome,” he said. “But I do think that you kind of have to have some overage. I think if we try for $2 trillion, we’ve got a good shot at getting $1 [trillion].”\n\nThe idea of a commission to cut waste and regulation, long discussed among conservatives, was taken up by Musk and Trump during last year’s presidential election. Musk put $277 million toward electing Trump and other Republicans in 2024, and Trump has made the billionaire one of his most powerful advisers. After the election, Trump named Musk and Ramaswamy as DOGE’s co-leaders, assigned to identify government waste that the White House Office of Management and Budget would try to cut.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nFor a project named as a joking reference to a meme-based cryptocurrency, DOGE has taken numerous steps since the election to build a very real Washington operation. Over the past several weeks, DOGE has been deluged by applications that have poured in through direct messages on X, Musk’s social media site, where the group put out a public call for “super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.”\n\nThat led to swarms of applicants who sought to bring their experience and credentials to the attention of Musk or Ramaswamy. In a blog post, Vinay Hiremath, co-founder of the tech company Loom, described four “intense and intoxicating” weeks of DOGE-related work after he became involved.\n\nAlthough he ultimately decided not to relocate to Washington for a job with DOGE, Hiremath said he had been added to multiple groups on the encrypted messaging app Signal, where DOGE is conducting much of its initial work. Hiremath did not respond to requests for comment.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nThe crowdsourced callouts were followed by postings for more specific roles: Just after Christmas, DOGE said it was looking for IT, HR and financial staffers for full-time, salaried positions. This week, it put out a request for software engineers and information security engineers for full-time roles, advising applicants to send over “a few bullet points demonstrating exceptional ability” along with their cellphone numbers. On X, some users have listed their IQ scores in replies to Musk and DOGE and said they included them in their applications.\n\nKey leadership roles have also fallen into place. Steve Davis, the Boring Company president who oversaw steep cost-cutting at Twitter (now X) after Musk bought it, is helping to oversee the entire effort, and deputies have been recruited to focus on narrower aspects of its agenda, such as legislation and regulation, according to two people familiar with the matter.\n\nEmil Michael, a former Uber executive, is one of the people overseeing the effort to cut regulations, according to one person familiar with the matter, also speaking on the condition of anonymity to reflect matters not yet made public. Trump has announced the appointment of Katie Miller, press secretary and communications director for former vice president Mike Pence, to DOGE. Trump also said in December that Bill McGinley, the former White House Cabinet secretary whom he’d previously named as White House counsel, would serve instead as DOGE counsel.\n\nAdvertisement\n\nIt remains unclear exactly how DOGE will drive change. The White House budget request applies to spending in fiscal 2026, which doesn’t begin until Oct. 1. Spending for the rest of the current fiscal year is being hashed out on Capitol Hill by congressional Republicans who already have voted overwhelmingly to boost spending for the Defense Department — an agency DOGE has vowed to target.\n\nNumerous party officials, meanwhile, are quietly wary of approving big spending cuts at the same time they are working to extend the expiring provisions of Trump’s 2017 tax legislation, which would reduce revenue by trillions of dollars. And it’s not clear how much weight Musk’s star power will carry on Capitol Hill, where federal spending is often prized for its benefits to hometown constituents. The limits of Musk’s influence were revealed in late December when Congress revised a stopgap spending bill he criticized but passed separate legislation to implement many of the specific provisions he lambasted.\n\nAs Musk’s emissaries begin to make contact with federal officials, critical questions remain unresolved about the group’s authority and responsibilities. The two federal employees expressed confusion about what DOGE is assigned to do — including whether it has Trump’s full backing.\n\nAdvertisement\n\n“Every administration has to establish a relationship with its career people, because it’s the career people who keep the government going,” said Bill Hoagland, senior vice president at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank. “I think this is an important foray, but given what they have stated, it will be difficult for some career individuals to be cooperative with the DOGE people, who are not elected and are more advisers than political appointees.”"
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump’s Cabinet And Key Jobs: Penny Schwinn, Matthew Lohmeier Among Latest Picks",
        "id": "d-144",
        "link": "https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/01/11/trumps-cabinet-and-key-jobs-katherine-macgregor-steven-bradbury-among-latest-staff-picks/",
        "snippet": "Trump has chosen people for most Senate-confirmed Cabinet-level jobs, including some surprising and controversial picks, and he's picked a chief of staff and a...",
        "source": "Forbes",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTihp5I7S98-k5AUff2KwnmkFqvZhlt0bfmILisvl9ZpztMqHccH72YjLWf-g&s",
        "content": "## Topline\n\nPresident-elect Donald Trump on Saturday continued to name new staff members for his second administration in the lead-up to his inauguration, including Penny Schwinn as the Deputy Secretary of Education.\n\n## Key Facts\n\nTrump has chosen people for most Senate-confirmed Cabinet-level jobs, including some surprising and controversial picks, and he’s picked a chief of staff and a national security adviser—key roles that don’t require confirmation.\n\n*Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: **We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up **here**.*\n\n## Deputy Secretary Of Education: Penny Schwinn\n\n**Penny Schwinn**, the former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, the Texas Education Agency and other federal offices, was selected by Trump as the next Deputy Secretary of Education.\n\n## Under Secretary Of The Air Force: Matthew Lohmeier\n\nTrump tapped Lt. Col. **Matthew Lohmeier**, a former Space Force squadron commander, as the under secretary of the Air Force.\n\n## Deputy Secretary Of Veterans Affairs: Paul Lawrence\n\n**Paul Lawrence**, who served as the Veterans Benefits Administration’s under secretary for benefits during Trump’s first term, was chosen by Trump to be the second-in-command of veterans affairs under Doug Collins.\n\n## Small Business Administration’s Chief Counsel For Advocacy: Casey Mulligan\n\nTrump tapped **Casey Mulligan** as chief counsel for advocacy for the Small Business Administration, after Mulligan served as the chief economist for Trump’s Council of Economic Advisors in his first administration.\n\n## Deputy Secretary Of Energy: James Danly\n\nTrump announced **James Danly**, the former commissioner, chairman and general counsel of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as his pick for Deputy Secretary of Energy.\n\n## Deputy Secretary Of The Interior: Katharine Macgregor\n\n**Katharine MacGregor**, vice president of environmental services at NextEra Energy, was chosen as the Deputy Secretary of the by Trump, who cited MacGregor’s time at the Department of the Interior during his first administration.\n\n## Deputy Secretary Of Transportation: Steven Bradbury\n\nTrump named **Steven Bradbury**, the former general counsel of the Department of Transportation and a former clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, as the next Deputy Secretary of Transportation.\n\n## Deputy Administrator Of The Small Business Administration: Bill Briggs\n\nTrump selected **Bill Briggs** as deputy administrator of the Small Business Administration, citing Briggs’ time as the acting associate administrator in the Office of Capital Access at the agency during Trump’s first term.\n\n## Deputy Special Presidential Envoy For The Middle East: Morgan Ortagus\n\nTrump scolded former Fox News contributor **Morgan Ortagus** in announcing her appointment to the role working under Steven Witkoff, writing in a statement that Ortagus “fought [him] for three years, but hopefully has learned her lesson.” Ortagus criticized Trump openly during his 2016 campaign, but supported him after he won the GOP primary and went on to serve as State Department spokesperson for three years under Trump.\n\n## State Department Spokesperson: Tammy Bruce\n\nTrump tapped Fox News contributor **Tammy Bruce** as spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, working under Secretary of State nominee Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.\n\n## Ambassador To Estonia: Roman Pipko\n\n**Roman Pipko** “has extensive experience in dealing with foreign governments, having represented U.S. interests in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Russian American Enterprise Fund,” Trump said in a statement announcing Pipko’s appointment and noting he has also represented American companies in negotiating foreign business deals.\n\n## Ambassador To The Netherlands: Joe Popolo\n\nBusinessman **Joe Popolo** will serve as ambassador to the Netherlands, Trump announced in January. Popolo is founder of the private investment company Charles & Potomac Capital, LLC.\n\n## Ambassador To Spain: Benjamin Leon Jr.\n\n**Benjamin Leon Jr.**, founder of Leon Medical Centers in Miami, “is a highly successful entrepreneur, equestrian, and philanthropist,” Trump said in a statement announcing his appointment.\n\n## Ambassador To Panama: Kevin Marino Cabrera\n\nTrump nominated Miami-Dade County Commissioner **Kevin Cabrera** as ambassador to Panama, doing so just a few days after threatening to take over the Panama Canal. Cabrera, who worked as a lead on Trump’s 2020 re-election bid in Florida, represents the residents of Miami, Hialeah, Coral Gables and other neighborhoods within Miami-Dade County. Trump has taken issue with what he called “highly unfair” fees being charged for the use of the Panama Canal and told attendees of a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix the U.S. was being “ripped off.” The president-elect has also accused the Chinese military of illegally operating the Panama Canal, a pillar of maritime travel and trade.\n\n## Council Of Economic Advisers Chairman: Stephen Miran\n\nTrump tapped **Stephen Miran**, who served as a senior adviser for economic policy in the Treasury Department during Trump’s first term and is a fellow at the Manhattan Institute conservative think tank, to lead the three-member panel, though his appointment must be confirmed by the Senate.\n\n## Ambassador To Italy: Tilman Fertitta\n\nTrump tapped **Tilman Fertitta**, owner of the Houston Rockets and the Texas-based restaurant and entertainment company Landry’s as ambassador to Italy. Fores estimates Fertitta, a longtime GOP donor, has a net worth of $10.4 billion.\n\n## Special Envoy To The United Kingdom: Mark Burnett\n\nTrump named** Mark Burnett** as his pick for special envoy to the U.K., noting Burnett’s career as a producer for shows like “Survivor,” “Shark Tank,” “The Voice” and Trump’s “The Apprentice” in announcing the choice. Burnett is the former chairman of MGM and a 13-time Emmy Award winner.\n\n## Administrator Of The Federal Railroad Administration: David Fink\n\nTrump tapped** David Fink**, whom the president-elect referred to as a fifth-generation railroader, to lead the Federal Railroad Administration. Fink is a former president of Pan Am Railways and the son of David Andrew Fink, who served as president of Guilford Transportation before it rebranded as Pan Am.\n\n## Head Of The Justice Department’s Office Of Legal Policy: Aaron Reitz\n\n**Aaron Reitz**, who serves as the chief of staff for Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was nominated by Trump to serve as the head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Policy. Reitz will lead the office to advance Trump’s “law and order agenda,” the president-elect wrote on Truth Social. Reitz previously served as deputy to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and reportedly wrote after President Joe Biden’s election win in 2020 they would “fight Joe Biden and the Democrats at every turn,” suggesting “everything they do is unconstitutional, illegal, bad for Texas and bad for America.”\n\n## Justice Department Chief Of Staff: Chad Mizelle\n\nTrump nominated **Chad Mizelle**, who served as general counsel and chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security during Trump’s first administration, to serve as chief of staff at the Justice Department.\n\n## Ambassador To The Holy See: Brian Burch\n\nTrump announced **Brian Burch** as his pick for ambassador to the Holy See on Friday, praising him as “a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and President of CatholicVote,” a Catholic advocacy group. Burch has notably been a critic of Pope Francis in the past and shared writings from right-wing clerics who criticized the pope, Politico reported. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Burch said he will work “to promote the dignity of all people and the common good” and thanked Trump for the role.\n\n## Ambassador To Bahamas: Herschel Walker\n\nTrump picked former football player **Herschel Walker **to serve as his ambassador to the Bahamas, a job that requires Senate confirmation. A Heisman-winning University of Georgia and NFL running back, Walker ran for a Georgia Senate seat in 2022. He scored the GOP nomination after securing Trump’s endorsement, but he narrowly lost the general election to incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, after a scandal-filled campaign in which Walker was accused of threatening his ex-wife and paying a woman to get an abortion despite his staunch opposition to the procedure (which he denied). Walker’s relationship with the president-elect goes back to at least the 1980s, when he played for the New Jersey Generals, a short-lived United States Football League team bought by Trump. Decades later, Walker served on a presidential advisory board on fitness and nutrition during Trump’s first term, and he campaigned for Trump earlier this year.\n\n## Envoy For Special Missions: Ric Grenell\n\nFormer ambassador to Germany and fierce Trump ally **Ric Grenell** is his pick for the newly created position of envoy for special missions. Grenell, widely considered a contender for secretary of state, previously served as acting director of national intelligence and helped Trump challenge the 2020 election results in Nevada.\n\n## Ambassador To Ireland: Edward Sharp Walsh\n\nTrump nominated **Edward Sharp Walsh**, president of construction and real estate firm the Walsh Company, as his ambassador to Ireland. Walsh, Trump said in a statement, “is a great philanthropist in his local community, and previously served as the Chairman of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority Board.”\n\n## Chairman Of The President’s Intelligence Advisory Board: Devin Nunes\n\n**Devin Nunes**, the chief executive of Trump-owned Truth Social, was announced as Trump’s nominee for chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, a panel that advises the president on matters related to U.S. intelligence. Nunes, a longtime Trump ally, led the House Intelligence Committee in Trump’s first administration. He will remain as Truth Social’s CEO while serving on the panel, Trump said.\n\n## Deputy Secretary Of Homeland Security: Troy Edgar\n\nTrump nominated **Troy Edgar** as his pick for Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, citing Edgar’s experience as Homeland Security’s chief financial officer. Edgar was named to that role in May 2020, and previously served as the mayor of Los Alamitos, California. He is the host of the podcast “Ameritocracy,” which he says explores “merit, success and the conditions for personal and professional growth across America,” and is an executive at IBM as the company’s finance and supply chain transformation leader, according to his LinkedIn.\n\n## Deputy Secretary Of State For Management And Resources: Michael Rigas\n\nTrump named **Michael Rigas**, who served in the Office of Personnel Management and Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term, as deputy secretary of state for management and resources.\n\n## Ambassador To Belgium: Bill White\n\nTrump selected **Bill White**, the former president of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, as his pick for ambassador to Belgium. The president-elect said White has raised more than $1.5 billion for injured service members.\n\n## Ambassador To Colombia: Daniel Newlin\n\nOrlando attorney **Daniel Newlin**, a former detective for the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, is Trump’s pick for ambassador to Colombia.\n\n## Ambassador To Argentina: Peter Lamelas\n\nTrump tapped **Peter Lamelas**, founder of Florida’s largest urgent care system, MD Now Urgent Care, to serve as ambassador to Argentina, writing in a statement that “Peter and his family fled communist Cuba, and LEGALLY immigrated to the USA, starting with nothing, and achieving the American Dream.”\n\n## Ambassador To The Organization Of American States: Leandro Rizzuto Jr.\n\nTrump named **Leandro Rizzuto Jr.**, son of the late billionaire Conair co-founder Leandro Rizzuto and former U.S. consul general to Bermuda, as ambassador to the Organization of American States.\n\n## Voice Of America Director: Kari Lake\n\nTrump announced he is picking **Kari Lake**, the former news anchor and avid Trump supporter who lost the Arizona Senate race to Democrat Ruben Gallego, to serve as the director of the U.S. government-funded news outlet Voice of America. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that her appointment would ensure that “the American values of Freedom and Liberty are broadcast around the World FAIRLY and ACCURATELY, unlike the lies spread by the Fake News Media.” The former news anchor and 2022 Arizona gubernatorial candidate has embraced Trump’s false claims about the 2020 elections being stolen. After losing to Democrat Katie Hobbs in the Governor’s race in 2022, she refused to concede and made multiple failed legal attempts to challenge the results. Responding to the announcement, Lake thanked Trump on X and said VOA is a “vital international media outlet dedicated to advancing the interests of the United States.” Under her leadership, Lake said, VOA will “excel” at “chronicling America’s achievements worldwide.”\n\n## Undersecretary Of State For Economic Growth, Energy And The Environment: Jacob Helberg\n\n**Jacob Helberg **was appointed to serve as the State Department’s top economic policy and trade advisor. Helberg is a former Democratic donor and tech executive known as a Silicon Valley China hawk. A senior advisor to the chief executive officer at Palantir Technologies who serves on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Helberg is played a key role in lobbying Congress to support the U.S. TikTok ban. He married tech investor and major Republican donor Keith Rabois in 2018 in a ceremony officiated by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.\n\n## Ambassador To Mexico: Ronald Johnson\n\nTrump appointed **Ronald Johnson**, a former CIA official and ambassador to El Salvador during Trump’s first term, as ambassador to Mexico, a key role in carrying out Trump’s immigration policies. Johnson will work closely with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to “put an end to migrant crime” and “stop the illegal flow of Fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our Country,” Trump said in a statement. The position requires Senate confirmation.\n\n## Office Of Management And Budget Chief Of Staff: Ed Martin\n\n**Ed Martin** has been appointed to serve as chief of staff at the Office of Management and Budget, Trump announced. Martin is the former chair of the Missouri Republican Party and was a prominent supporter of Trump’s false claims that he won the 2020 election. Martin co-authored “The Conservative Case for Trump,” designed to sway conservative voters to back Trump in the 2016 election.\n\n## Federal Trade Commissioner: Mark Meador\n\n**Mark Meador**, a former staffer to Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, was tapped as a commissioner for the Federal Trade Commission. Meador previously worked in the FTC, focusing on antitrust cases, and in the Justice Department’s antitrust division, before working for Lee.\n\n## Ambassador To Greece: Kimberly Guilfoyle\n\n**Kimberly Guilfoyle**, Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancée, was nominated to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Greece. Guilfoyle is a television personality, a former prosecutor and a top fundraiser for the president-elect, who called Guilfoyle a “close friend and ally” who is “perfectly suited to foster strong bilateral relations with Greece.” In 2022, Guilfoyle was subpoenaed for testimony by the Jan. 6 House committee, a member of which claimed she was paid $60,000 to speak at the Trump rally investigated as the catalyst for the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.\n\n## Ambassador To Turkey: Tom Barrack\n\nPrivate equity real estate investor **Tom Barrack** was announced as Trump’s pick for U.S. ambassador to Turkey. Barrack, who was on Forbes’ 2013 billionaires list, founded his private equity firm Colony Capital in 1991 and built his fortune through acquiring out-of-favor real estate assets in places such as Germany and the Middle East.\n\n## Federal Trade Commission Chair: Andrew Ferguson\n\nFederal Trade commissioner **Andrew N. Ferguson** was selected as the agency’s chair, meaning if confirmed he will take over for Lina Khan, who has spearheaded a yearslong antitrust crackdown on large companies across the tech, grocery and pharmaceutical sectors. Ferguson has worked as an antitrust litigator and was Virginia’s solicitor general from 2022 to 2024.\n\n## Deputy Director For Budget At The Office Of Management And Budget: Dan Bishop\n\nTrump nominated Rep. **Dan Bishop**, R-N.C., as deputy director for budget at the Office of Management and Budget, trusting Bishop with implementing his “cost-cutting and deregulatory agenda across all agencies.” Bishop recently lost the race for North Carolina attorney general and is a member of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus. He has served in Congress since 2019.\n\n## Attorney General For Civil Rights: Harmeet Dhillon\n\nTrump nominated **Harmeet Dhillon**, former vice chair of the California Republican Party, to lead the Justice Department’s office of civil rights, touting her work filing free speech lawsuits and challenges to Covid-19 restrictions in a statement.\n\n## Office Of Management And Budget General Counsel: Mark Paoletta\n\nTrump announced **Mark Paoletta** will return to the role he held during Trump’s first term and “will work closely” with the newly created Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.\n\n## Counselor To The President: Alina Habba\n\nTrump announced **Alina Habba**, who represented him in his New York civil fraud case and his Manhattan hush money case, will serve as counselor to the president.\n\n## Deputy Secretary Of State: Chirstopher Landau\n\nTrump tapped **Christopher Landau**, who previously served as ambassador to Mexico under Trump, as his deputy secretary of state, a position that requires Senate confirmation.\n\n## State Department Director Of Policy Planning: Michael Anton\n\nTrump named **Michael Anton**, who served as a spokesperson for the National Security Council during his first term, as director of policy planning for the State Department.\n\n## State Department Counselor: Michael Needham\n\n**Michael Needham** will serve as a State Department counselor, advising Trump’s pick for Secretary of State, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Needham previously served as chief of staff to Rubio and chairs the conservative think tank American Compass.\n\n## Ai & Crypto Czar: David Sacks\n\nTrump, who championed himself as a “crypto president” in the lead-up to the election, announced **David Sacks** as the White House’s artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency czar, saying in a Truth Social post the entrepreneur and internet tech investor would guide policy for the administration in the two burgeoning sectors. Sacks is the founder of software as a service firm Yammer, which was Microsoft purchased in 2012 for $1.2 billion. He also founded venture capital firm Craft Ventures and is a former PayPal chief operating officer. Trump noted Sacks will also lead the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology.\n\n## Ambassador To China: David Perdue\n\nFormer Sen. **David Perdue**, R-Ga., was nominated by Trump as the U.S. ambassador to China. The president-elect said Perdue would be “instrumental in implementing my strategy to maintain Peace in the region, and a productive working relationship with China’s leaders.” Perdue was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014 but he lost his reelection bid to Democrat Jon Ossoff in 2020. Before his political career, Perdue served as a top executive at several companies including Reebok, Sara Lee and Dollar General, where he played a key role in outsourcing manufacturing to China, Hong Kong and other Asian countries. In a statement on X, Perdue wrote: “Having lived in Asia on two occasions, I understand the gravity of this responsibility and look forward to implementing President Trump’s strategy to make the world safe again and to represent the United States’ interests in China.”\n\n## U.s. Customs And Border Protection Commissioner: Rodney Scott\n\nTrump picked former U.S. Border Patrol Chief **Rodney Scott** as the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In his announcement, Trump hailed Scott’s tenure as Border Patrol chief, saying he “achieved record low levels of illegal immigration.” Scott served in the role for 19 months between 2020 and 2021 and oversaw the implementation of several key policies including the “Remain in Mexico” policy and Title 42.\n\n## Social Security Administration Commissioner: Frank Bisignano\n\nTrump picked **Frank Bisignano**, the Chairman and CEO of the financial services company Fiserv, to serve as the commissioner of the Social Security Administration. In his announcement on Truth Social, Trump said Bisignano is a business leader “with a tremendous track record of transforming large corporations… [and] will be responsible to deliver on the Agency’s commitment to the American People.” In 2017, when he was the CEO of First Data Corporation—which was acquired by Fiserv in 2019, Bisignano placed second on the New York Times’ list of highest-paid CEOs in the country with a total compensation of $102.2 million (mostly in stock). Bisignano appears much lower on AFL-CIO's list of highest-paid CEOs for 2023, with a total pay of $27.9 million last year. Federal Election Commission filings show Bisignano’s wife, Tracy Bisignano, donated $924,600 to Trump’s campaign in October.\n\n## Small Business Administration Administrator: Kelly Loeffler\n\nFormer Sen. **Kelly Loefller, **R-Ga.,** **was nominated as administrator of the Small Business Administration by Trump, who said Loefller will crack down on “waste, fraud, and regulatory overreach” in her new role. The former senator fundraised for Trump ahead of the election, raising $7 million for his campaign this summer, according to CNN. As SBA administrator, Loefller will be in charge of overseeing billions of dollars worth of loans and disaster aid to small businesses. Loeffler’s run in the Senate was short-lived, as she filled in for a vacant seat left by former Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and served from 2020 to 2021, when she was defeated by Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. Loeffler is the former CEO of a cryptocurrency platform known as Bakkt and is married to Jeffrey C. Sprecher, the longtime CEO of financial services firm Intercontinental Exchange and chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.\n\n## Irs Commissioner: Billy Long\n\nTrump selected former Rep. **Billy Long**, R-Mo., as the Internal Revenue Service’s 51st commissioner, noting he has known the former congressman since 2011. Pending Senate approval, Long’s addition will seemingly end IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel’s term early (his term was slated to end in 2027). Long is a former auctioneer and has worked as a business and tax adviser since leaving Congress in 2022.\n\n## White House Counsel: David Warrington\n\nTrump announced **David Warrington**, his campaign general counsel who represented him during the House Jan. 6 committee probe, as the top White House lawyer, replacing his initial nominee, William McGinley, who Trump said will serve as counsel to the newly created Department of Government Efficiency.\n\n## Department Of Government Efficiency Counsel: William Mcginley\n\nIn what could be viewed as a demotion from White House counsel, Trump said **William McGinley** will instead serve as the head lawyer for the newly created DOGE, though the Trump transition team “War Room” X account disputed the notion, insisting DOGE “needs a solid, experienced pro like Bill McGinley.”\n\n## Assistant Secretary Of State: Monica Crowley\n\nA former Fox News contributor and former senior communications director for Trump’s National Security Council who stepped down from that role amid plagiarism accusations, Trump tapped **Monica Crowley** as assistant secretary of state and chief of protocol of the U.S., writing on Truth Social that she will “be the administration representative for major U.S. hosted events,” such as the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, the World Cup in 2026 and the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, also in 2026.\n\n## Securities And Exchange Commission Chair: Paul Atkins\n\nTrump tapped **Paul Atkins** for the top financial regulator post, announcing his decision in a post on Truth Social. Atkins was previously an SEC commissioner from 2002 to 2008, during the George W. Bush administration. Atkins “recognizes that digital assets & other innovations are crucial to Making America Greater than Ever Before,” Trump wrote Wednesday, nodding to the crypto community’s embrace of Atkins, who would succeed crypto skeptic Gary Gensler as SEC chief.\n\n## Drug Enforcement Agency Administrator: Chad Chronister Withdraws\n\nHillsborough County (Fla.) Sheriff **Chad Chronister** was Trump’s initial choice to lead the Drug Enforcement Agency, but Chronister posted to X that he decided to withdraw. The post was met with accounts celebrating the withdrawal and ridiculing past decisions. But, the following day Trump took credit for Chronister stepping down, saying on Truth Social Chronister “didn’t pull out, I pulled him out.” Trump said he did so “because I did not like what he said to my pastors and other supporters.” As sheriff, Chronister once arrested a pastor for breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules in 2020. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., posted to X after the announcement, saying he’s “glad to see [Chronister] withdraw from consideration. Next time politicians lose their ever-lovin minds, he can redeem himself by following the Constitution.”\n\n## Senior Counselor For Trade And Manufacturing: Peter Navarro\n\nTrump chose **Peter Navarro** for the top trade advisor role, announcing the appointment on Truth Social and writing that Navarro “was treated horribly by the Deep State, or whatever else you would like to call it,” referencing Navarro’s conviction last year that made him the first person in history to serve a prison sentence for contempt of Congress.\n\n## Nasa Administrator: Jared Isaacman\n\nTrump tapped billionaire **Jared Isaacman**, founder and CEO of Shift4 payment processing firm, as administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, calling him “an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut” in a Truth Social post.\n\n## Army Secretary: Daniel Driscoll\n\nTrump announced **Daniel Driscoll**, a senior advisor to Vice President-elect JD Vance, will serve as the senior Defense department civilian. Driscoll, an Army veteran, will “serve as a disruptor and change agent,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.\n\n## Special Envoy For Hostage Affairs: Adam Boehler\n\n**Adam Boehler**, founder of the health-care investment firm Rubicon Founders and the former CEO of the United States Development Finance Corporation, will serve as special envoy for hostage affairs, Trump announced on Truth Social.\n\n## Ambassador To Uk: Warren Stephens\n\nTrump has chosen **Warren Stephens**, an investment banker worth an estimated $3.4 billion, to serve as his envoy to the United Kingdom, a job that requires Senate confirmation. He leads Arkansas-based investment bank Stephens Inc., which was founded by his uncle more than 90 years ago and is known for its role in Walmart’s 1970 initial public offering. Stephens has also donated millions to pro-Trump and GOP-aligned political action committees. In a Truth Social post, Trump called Stephens “one of the most successful businessmen in the Country.”\n\n## Senior Advisor On Arab And Middle Eastern Affairs: Massad Boulos\n\nTrump tapped **Massad Boulos**, father-in-law to his daughter, Tiffany Trump, as his senior advisor on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs. Boulos’ son, Michael Boulos, married Tiffany Trump in 2022. Boulos, the CEO of a Nigerian motor vehicle company, conducted outreach to Arab American voters for Trump during his 2024 campaign. Trump announced Boulos as his pick for the role in a Truth Social post, calling him “an asset to my Campaign” who was “instrumental in building tremendous new coalitions with the Arab American Community.”\n\n## Fbi Director: Kash Patel\n\nTrump announced **Kash Patel** as his pick for FBI director. Patel held multiple roles in the first Trump administration, including helping lead the GOP-controlled House Intelligence Committee’s investigation into the FBI’s probe of Russia’s links to Trump’s 2016 campaign. He served as chief of staff to former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller during Trump’s final months in office, and Trump reportedly attempted to install him as deputy CIA or FBI director in his final months in office, but reversed course amid internal backlash. Patel has remained fiercely loyal to Trump since he left office and has vowed to help Trump seek retribution against his various political enemies. He has also called for an overhaul of the FBI, writing in his book that the agency “has become so thoroughly compromised that it will remain a threat to the people unless drastic measures are taken,” according to excerpts cited by ABC News. Patel would replace FBI Director Christopher Wray if he’s confirmed by the Senate.\n\n## Ambassador To France: Charles Kushner\n\nTrump nominated **Charles Kushner**, founder of the real estate firm Kushner Companies and the father of Trump's son-in-law Jared, as U.S. ambassador to France. Kushner was pardoned by Trump in 2020 after serving a prison sentence on federal charges of tax evasion and illegal campaign donations. He pleaded guilty to 18 counts, including tax evasion and witness tampering.\n\n## Special Envoy For Ukraine And Russia: Keith Kellogg\n\nTrump named **Keith Kellogg**, a retired lieutenant general and former chief of staff for the White House National Security Council during Trump’s first term, as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, a newly created position. Kellogg has presented Trump with a plan for ending the war and forcing Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table, Reuters reported previously, citing unnamed sources.\n\n## National Institutes Of Health Director: Dr. Jay Bhattacharya\n\nStanford professor and vocal Covid-19 lockdown critic **Dr. Jay Bhattacharya** is Trump’s pick to lead the National Institutes of Health. In announcing the appointment, Trump said “Jay and RFK Jr. will restore the NIH to a Gold Standard of Medical Research as they examine the underlying causes of, and solutions to, America’s biggest Health challenges, including our Crisis of Chronic Illness and Disease.” In 2020, Bhattacharya co-authored an open letter titled the “Great Barrington Declaration” which argued against the effectiveness of Covid-19 lockdowns. The letter, which was criticized by health experts including Dr. Anthony Fauci, argued for “herd immunity” for most of the population “through natural infection” while sheltering vulnerable populations. According to his profile page on Stanford Medicine, the India-born Bhattacharya serves as professor of health policy at the university.\n\n## United States Trade Representative: Jamieson Greer\n\nWashington lawyer **Jamieson Greer** is Trump’s pick to lead international trade negotiations. An Air Force veteran and former chief of staff to Trump’s former trade representative, Robert Lighthizer, Greer “played a key role during my First Term in imposing Tariffs on China and others to combat unfair Trade practices,” Trump said in a statement.\n\n## National Economic Council Director: Kevin Hassett\n\nTrump picked **Kevin Hassett** to lead the National Economic Council, giving him significant sway over policy decisions surrounding trade, taxes and deregulation. Trump said Hassett “will play an important role in helping American families recover from the Inflation that was unleashed by the Biden Administration.” Hassett, who led the Council of Economic Advisers during Trump’s first term, recently expressed some skepticism about some of Trump’s economic proposals, telling Goldman Sachs last month Trump’s proposal to reduce the corporate tax rate to 15% was unlikely to net the same “dynamic effects” as the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act, and Trump’s tariffs proposals would likely require legislation, Politico reported. Hassett also told Goldman that Federal Reserve leadership should be “neutral” from the administration and said “suspicions” about Trump’s desire for coordination between the Fed and the White House in setting interest rates “should be taken seriously.”\n\n## Domestic Policy Council Director: Vince Haley\n\n**Vince Haley, **who served as adviser and speechwriter during Trump’s first term was named as the head of the Domestic Policy Council. Trump said Haley had a “brilliant mind for Policies that work for the American People.” Trump did not outline any specific issues that Haley will focus on, but according to the Wall Street Journal the council will oversee several key domestic issues, including “healthcare, immigration and education.” Haley has worked with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., for several decades and even served as the campaign manager of his 2012 presidential bid. Haley also worked under Stephen Miller—who Trump named as his Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy— while writing Trump’s speeches during his first term in office.\n\n## Department Of Health And Human Services Deputy Secretary: Jim O’neill\n\nSilicon Valley investor **Jim O’Neill**, who is a close associate of billionaire and Trump backer Peter Thiel, was named as the pick for the Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary. In his announcement Trump said O’Neill will work alongside his HHS Secretary pick Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and “oversee all operations and improve Management, Transparency, and Accountability to, Make America Healthy Again.” O’Neill previously served as the CEO of the Thiel Foundation and was up for consideration for the FDA commissioner role during Trump’s first term. O’Neill also worked as the HHS principal associate deputy secretary during the George W. Bush administration. The Silicon Valley investor has called for major reform at the FDA in the past and argued that the efficacy of drugs should be measured after they have been allowed on market. O’Neill said the agency should approve drugs once its been demonstrated as being safe.\n\n## Navy Secretary: John Phelan\n\nTrump tapped financier **John Phelan** as his nominee for Secretary of the Navy. Phelan founded MSD Capital more than two and half decades ago to manage the fortune of billionaire Michael Dell. According to the Hill, Phelan was a key donor to Trump’s campaign during this election season and contributed $834,600 to the president-elect’s joint fundraising committee, Trump 47.\n\n## Treasury Secretary: Scott Bessent\n\nHedge fund executive **Scott Bessent** is Trump’s pick for treasury secretary. Bessent—who spoke recently with Forbes—had long been seen as a top choice for the role, especially as it was reported Trump was leaning toward someone with Wall Street experience. Bessent is the founder of Key Square Management, a hedge fund that had less than $600 million in assets under management at the end of last year, and worked for Democratic megadonor George Soros for years before that. Bessent donated about $3 million to Trump and other Republican causes this election season and previously said Trump was “very sophisticated on economic policy.” Bessent is known for being pro-tariff—tariffs are at the center of Trump’s economic policies—and called the import taxes a “negotiating tool with our trading partners” in a Fox News column. If confirmed, Bessent would make history as the first Senate-confirmed LGBTQ+ Republican Cabinet member.\n\n## Attorney General: Pam Bondi\n\nTrump announced former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his pick to lead the Justice Department—elevating an ally shortly after former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal. Bondi served as Florida’s top lawyer from 2011 to 2019, and later joined Trump’s defense team in his first Senate impeachment trial in 2020. She also served on a Trump-era commission on opioids and drug addiction. Attorney general is one of the most high-profile and highly anticipated appointments, as Trump has fiercely criticized the Justice Department for prosecuting him and is expected to drastically change its makeup—and possibly push for retribution against his opponents. In a Truth Social post, Trump said Bondi will “refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.”\n\n## Secretary Of Defense: Pete Hegseth\n\nTrump selected **Pete Hegseth** as his secretary of defense, praising his status as a combat veteran and role as a co-host on Fox & Friends Weekend. Revelations subsequently emerged that Hegseth was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a Monterey, California, hotel in 2017. The Monterey Police Department confirmed in a statement that it investigated the incident, but did not bring charges. Hegseth has denied the allegations through his attorney, Timothy Parlatore, who told multiple outlets he paid his accuser a settlement to avoid a lawsuit over the matter.\n\n## Health And Human Services Secretary: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.\n\nTrump nominated **Robert F. Kennedy Jr.** to lead the Health and Human Services Department, making good on his promise to give Kennedy broad leeway over public health. Kennedy, who ran for the Democratic nomination then as an independent candidate before dropping out and endorsing Trump, espouses debunked views on public health—including skepticism about the efficacy of childhood vaccines and the Covid-19 vaccine. He has also advocated for removing fluoride from public water, an idea Trump said he as open to. As HHS secretary, Kennedy would oversee 13 public health-related agencies, and has expressed plans to upend many of them, telling an audience at a conference in November he would halt infectious disease studies at the National Institutes of Health if given a role in the Trump administration. “I’m going to say to NIH scientists, God bless you all . . . thank you for your public service,” NBC reported. The surprise selection drew criticism from many Democrats, and some Republicans expressed wariness about the pick. Trump’s former Vice President Mike Pence spoke against Kennedy as the pick to lead HHS in a statement and urged Senate Republicans to reject the nomination, citing Kennedy’s support of abortion rights.\n\n## Secretary Of State: Marco Rubio\n\nTrump nominated Sen. **Marco Rubio**, R-Fla., as secretary of state. Rubio and Trump feuded when they both ran for president in 2016, but the two smoothed over their relationship during Trump’s most recent White House run. Rubio frequently campaigned for Trump and was said to be in the running to be his vice presidential pick. Some of Rubio’s foreign policy stances break with Trump, including his co-sponsorship of legislation last year that would prohibit a president from exiting NATO without congressional approval. Rubio would be the first Latino to hold the position, which is subject to Senate confirmation. Forbes estimated Rubio’s net worth at over $1 million—significantly less than some other members of Trump’s inner circle, but a jump since 2015, when he was worth just $100,000.\n\n## Director Of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard\n\nTrump announced **Tulsi Gabbard** will serve as his Director of National Intelligence, a role that puts her at the head of the U.S. intelligence community. Gabbard is a former Democratic representative from Hawaii and a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, perhaps best-known for clashing with Kamala Harris on the debate stage in 2019. She left the party in 2022 and became an independent, before endorsing Trump in August and announcing she had joined the Republican Party. A critic of U.S. military interventions, Gabbard has drawn intense scrutiny for her foreign policy views, including for meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2017.\n\n## Education Secretary: Linda Mcmahon\n\nTrump tapped former WWE CEO **Linda McMahon** as secretary of the Department of Education. McMahon is Trump’s transition co-chair alongside Lutnick and served as the administrator of the Small Business Administration from 2017 to 2019. The nomination came after Lutnick was picked as commerce secretary over McMahon, who was “privately frustrated” she was not offered the position before Lutnick was tapped for it, Semafor reported, citing two unnamed people familiar with the matter. McMahon is also the America First Policy Institute’s board chair, helping lead the think tank that has raised millions in support of Trump, according to CNN.\n\n## Commerce Secretary: Howard Lutnick\n\n**Howard Lutnick** is Trump’s pick for commerce secretary—choosing him for the commerce role instead of treasury secretary. Trump, in a statement, called Lutnick “the embodiment of resilience in the face of unspeakable tragedy,” referencing his charitable contributions to 9/11 families after 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees, including Lutnick’s brother, died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, while Lutnick was CEO. Lutnick, who rebuilt the company after 9/11, has spent his entire career at Cantor Fitzgerald and became president and CEO of the financial services firm at the age of 29. His special purposes acquisition company, Cantor Fitzgerald Acquisition Corp., took the Rumble video platform popular among right-wing influencers public in 2022. As commerce secretary, Lutnick will play a role in implementing Trump’s plans for steeper tariffs and he has expressed broad support for the proposal. Lutnick was previously under consideration for treasury secretary—typically a more prominent Cabinet job—and earned support from Musk and Kennedy, but Trump ultimately turned his attention to other candidates after he reportedly became annoyed with Lutnick’s aggressive campaign for the treasury role.\n\n## Homeland Security Secretary: Kristi Noem\n\nTrump picked South Dakota Gov. **Kristi Noem** for the role of secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Noem is a long-time Trump loyalist who was believed be a contender for Vice President. The appointee will be essential in carrying out Trump’s aggressive immigration plans, in addition to the agency’s duties surrounding cybersecurity, antiterrorism and emergency response.\n\n## Agriculture Secretary: Brooke Rollins\n\nTrump announced **Brooke Rollins **as his pick for agriculture secretary. Rollins served as a policy advisor during Trump’s first administration and is the president of the America First Policy Institute, a think tank founded by former Trump administration officials that has advocated against foreign ownership of U.S. farmland. She was reportedly considered for White House chief of staff before Susie Wiles was named to the role.\n\n## Centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services Administrator: Mehmet Oz\n\n**Mehmet Oz**, the celebrity doctor who lost his 2022 Senate bid to Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., will fill the role. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump announced as his pick for Health and Human Services secretary. Oz’s rise to fame is largely tied to his frequent appearances on the Oprah Winfrey show in the early 2000s and his own subsequent daytime talk show. He’s accused of espousing questionable medical claims, including promoting the debunked theory that the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine could treat Covid-19, and pushing so-called miracle weight loss products unsupported by scientific research. Trump endorsed Oz in his 2022 Senate campaign.\n\n## Chief Of Staff: Susie Wiles\n\nTrump named his campaign co-manager **Susie Wiles** chief of staff two days after his election win, marking his first major administrative pick. Wiles will be the first woman to hold the position.\n\n## Department Of Government Efficiency: Elon Musk And Vivek Ramaswamy\n\nTrump announced **Elon Musk**, the world’s wealthiest person, will run a new Department of Government Efficiency (or “DOGE”) alongside investor and former Republican primary candidate **Vivek Ramaswamy**. Trump said in a statement the department—which has not yet been created—will offer “advice and guidance from outside of Government” and focus on “making changes to the Federal Bureaucracy with an eye on efficiency,” including through spending and regulatory cuts. Musk, a vocal Trump backer who donated over $100 million to a pro-Trump super PAC, has pitched the department in the past, seemingly naming it after the meme cryptocurrency dogecoin.\n\n## Office Of Management And Budget Director: Russell Vought\n\nTrump nominated **Russell Vought** as director of the Office of Budget and Management, potentially marking his second time in the role. Vought was the office’s director from 2020 to 2021 after serving as deputy director and acting director. Vought authored a chapter in the controversial Project 2025 policy agenda on the Executive Office of the President of the United States and will be in charge of overseeing the White House budget and implementation of Trump’s policies throughout the executive branch. He also reportedly said in secret camera footage published by the Centre for Climate Reporting that Trump “blessed” Project 2025 despite distancing himself from it on the campaign trail. Vought is expected to push for policy restructuring that provides more power to the president.\n\n## Homeland Security Adviser And Deputy Chief Of Staff For Policy: Stephen Miller\n\nTrump announced **Stephen Miller **as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, plus the additional role of homeland security adviser. Miller was a senior adviser to Trump during his first administration and one of the architects of some of his most controversial immigration policies, including his family separation program.\n\n## Border Czar: Tom Homan\n\nTrump appointed his former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director **Tom Homan** to newly created role, he announced, as Trump plans a mass deportation of undocumented migrants during his second term.\n\n## Cdc Director: Dave Weldon, Fda Commissioner: Marty Makary, Surgeon General: Janette Nesheiwat\n\nTrump announced former Rep. **Dave Weldon**, R-Fla.—who served in Congress from 1995 to 2009—as CDC director, and tapped **Marty Makary**, who became known for opposing vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, as FDA commissioner. He also named former Fox News contributor **Janette Nesheiwat** as his pick for surgeon general.\n\n## Secretary Of Labor: Lori Chavez-Deremer\n\nRep. **Lori Chavez-DeRemer**, R-Ore., was nominated as Trump’s secretary of labor. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 to represent Oregon’s 5th Congressional District and recently lost her reelection bid.\n\n## Senior Director For Counterterrorism: Sebastian Gorka\n\n**Sebastian Gorka** was appointed as the deputy assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism. He previously served as strategist to the president in the first Trump administration and is the host of his own radio show, “America First with Sebastian Gorka.”\n\n## Hud Secretary: Scott Turner\n\nTrump named former NFL player **Scott Turner** as his pick for secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner served in the first Trump administration as the executive director of Trump’s White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.\n\n## National Security Adviser: Mike Waltz\n\nTrump appointed Rep. **Mike Waltz**, R-Fla., to serve as his national security adviser. In recent months, Waltz—a former Army Green Beret—has frequently criticized China, urged NATO members to pay more for defense and said he expects Trump to push Ukraine and Russia toward a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine.\n\n## Interior Secretary: Doug Burgum (and Head Of New National Energy Council)\n\nTrump nominated North Dakota Gov. **Doug Burgum** as secretary of the interior. If confirmed by the Senate, he’ll be responsible for managing vast swaths of federally owned land, administering national parks and handling oil and gas drilling on federal property—which Trump has vowed to ramp up. Trump also tapped Burgum as chairman of the new National Energy Council, which will cut down on regulations and “oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE,” according to Trump. The position will also provide Burgum a seat on the National Security Council. First elected North Dakota governor in 2016, Burgum briefly ran against Trump in the 2024 GOP primaries, but dropped out and endorsed Trump. A tech executive and investor by trade, Burgum previously ran Great Plains Software, remaining at the company after it was acquired by Microsoft. Last year, Forbes estimated his net worth at at least $100 million.\n\n## Energy Secretary: Chris Wright\n\n**Chris Wright**, chief executive of the oilfield services group Liberty Energy, was named Trump’s nominee for secretary of energy. Wright has argued against climate change’s role in causing extreme weather events, saying in a video posted to LinkedIn last year “there is no climate crisis, and we’re not in the midst of an energy transition either.” He later disputed he was “[fighting] climate science,” despite saying the claims he made were “correct.”\n\n## Transportation Secretary: Sean Duffy\n\nTrump nominated former Rep. **Sean Duffy**, R-Wisc., as secretary of transportation, lauding his time in Congress and his role as a member of the House Financial Services Committee. Following his resignation from Congress in 2019, Duffy registered as a lobbyist and continued spending campaign funds on Trump’s D.C. hotel. The campaign spent more than $22,000 at Trump’s D.C. hotel between 2017 and 2020, $17,000 of which was spent in a single day in July 2019. Duffy is a co-host of Fox Business’ “The Bottom Line” and has contributed to Fox News since 2020. He is married to “Fox & Friends Weekend” co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy.\n\n## Veterans Affairs Secretary: Doug Collins\n\nTrump picked former Rep. **Doug Collins**, R-Ga., as his secretary for veterans affairs. Collins served as a congressman from 2013 to 2021, and was known as a vocal backer of Trump in the chamber during his first administration. He is also a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command. Collins vowed to “streamline and cut regulations in the VA, root out corruption, and ensure every veteran receives the benefits they've earned.” The former congressman was deployed to Iraq in 2008 as a member of the Air Force’s 94th Airlift Wing.\n\n## Cia Director: John Ratlciffe\n\nFormer Director of National Intelligence **John Ratcliffe** will serve as CIA director. A former Texas congressman, Ratcliffe served as the director of national intelligence from 2020 to 2021 and acted as Trump’s primary intelligence adviser during his last presidency. During his time as director of national intelligence, Ratcliffe declassified unverified Russian intelligence information that claimed Hillary Clinton approved a plan to link Trump to Russia and the Democratic National Committee cyberattacks in 2016. Democrats criticized Ratcliffe’s decision to publicly release the information, alleging he was politicizing unverified information to aid Trump.\n\n## Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Lee Zeldin\n\nTrump tapped former Rep. **Lee Zeldin**, R-N.Y., to lead the EPA, citing his “very strong legal background” and calling him “a true fighter for America First policies” in a statement. Zeldin—a Trump ally who ran for New York governor two years ago—“will ensure fair and swift deregulatory decisions that will be enacted in a way to unleash the power of American business while at the same time maintaining the highest environmental standards,” the statement said.\n\n## Fcc Chair: Brendan Carr\n\nTrump named **Brendan Carr** to chair the Federal Communications Commission. Carr has served as one of the FCC’s five commissioners since 2017, when Trump first appointed him to the agency. He’s known as a critic of big tech companies, writing a chapter of the controversial Project 2025 agenda—which Trump has broadly disavowed—that argued the FCC should narrow the immunity enjoyed by tech platforms and require companies to be transparent about their content moderation decisions. He’s also used his platform at the FCC to back Musk. He’ll take over the FCC as Trump pushes the agency to revoke the licenses of broadcast TV stations whose coverage he claims is unfair—though that could be very difficult in practice.\n\n## Ambassador To Un: Elise Stefanik\n\nTrump nominated GOP Conference Chair Rep. **Elise Stefanik**, R-N.Y., for the United Nations ambassador role. Stefanik is known as a staunch Trump ally.\n\n## Special Envoy To The Middle East: Steven C. Witkoff\n\nTrump tapped** Steven Witkoff**, a GOP donor and real estate investor, for special envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff is chairman of the University of Miami Business School Real Estate Advisory Board and the CEO of Witkoff, a real estate firm he founded in 1997. He is also a longtime friend of Trump’s and one of the president-elect’s golf partners. Witkoff was with Trump during the apparent second assassination attempt on his life, telling NBC that Secret Service agents dived on Trump and got him off his Florida golf course in under 20 seconds.\n\n## Ambassador To Nato: Matthew Whitaker\n\nTrump announced **Matthew Whitaker** will serve as the official U.S. representative to NATO. Whitaker was the former U.S. acting attorney general appointed after former Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned and before former Attorney General William Barr was sworn in during Trump’s first term. Whitaker oversaw the DOJ during former Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and was heavily scrutinized by Democrats over whether he sought to interfere in the probe on Trump’s behalf, allegations he denied. Whitaker frequently appears on Fox News as an advocate for Trump, defending his decision to tap Gaetz as attorney general and broadly criticizing the Justice Department over its various investigations into Trump’s conduct.\n\n## Ambassador To Israel: Mike Huckabee\n\nTrump announced former Arkansas Gov. **Mike Huckabee** as his envoy to Israel, touting his military service as he served in the Army Special Forces for 27 years. Huckabee is a staunch supporter of Israel and has criticized the Biden administration’s calls for a cease-fire with Hamas. Huckabee has advocated for Israel to annex parts of the West Bank, which Israel occupied in 1967, and has backed Israeli settlers in the territory. A former Southern Baptist pastor, Huckabee regularly leads evangelicals on visits to Israel.\n\n## White House Press Secretary: Karoline Leavitt\n\n**Karoline Leavitt**, the Trump campaign’s national press secretary, will serve as White House Press Secretary once the president-elect assumes his office. Leavitt, 27, was an assistant press secretary during Trump’s first presidency. She also won the Republican primary in New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District in 2022, becoming the second Gen Z candidate to win a House primary.\n\n## White House Communications Director: Steven Cheung\n\nTrump picked his campaign spokesman, **Steven Cheung**, to serve as his communications director at the White House. Cheung was the director of communications for the president-elect’s 2024 presidential campaign and served as director of strategic response during Trump’s last term, after working in communications for the Ultimate Fighting Championship previously.\n\n## Other White House Jobs\n\n- Trump named\n**James Braid**his director of legislative affairs—Braid is Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance’s lead policy staffer and worked in the Office of Management and Budget during Trump’s first term. **Matt Brasseaux**, a deputy political director for the Trump campaign and Republican National Committee in 2024, was appointed director of the office of political affairs.**Alex Latcham**, Trump’s former deputy political director during his first administration and a senior deputy political director for his most recent campaign and the RNC, will serve as director of the office of public liaison.- Campaign staffer and former One America News anchor\n**Natalie Harp**—nicknamed the “human printer” as she’s known for trailing Trump with a portable printer and supplying him with paper copies of news stories—is expected to help control the flow of information to and from Trump, according to The New York Times, though she hasn’t officially been given a role. - Top GOP lawyer\n**William McGinley**was chosen for White House counsel, after previously working as Trump’s White House cabinet secretary from 2017 to 2019, advising other cabinet members on policy coordination, optics and ethics. **Dan Scavino**will return to his role as deputy chief of staff, after serving as a longtime Trump communications staffer (he was held in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify in the House Jan. 6 committee investigation, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute him).**James Blair**will work as deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, after spearheading Trump’s grassroots voter outreach efforts and making frequent media appearances.**Taylor Budowich**was picked for deputy chief of staff for communications and personnel, after running the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC.- Trump tapped\n**William Scharf**to be White House staff secretary: Scharf, a former prosecutor who ran in the Republican primary for Missouri attorney general, was part of Trump’s legal team that successfully argued he has immunity from official acts he took during his first term. **Sergio Gor**, president and co-founder of Donald Trump Jr.’s Winning Team Publishing company, has been tapped to lead the Presidential Personnel Office.\n\n## Other Justice Department Jobs\n\n**Joseph Nocella Jr.**, a Nassau County District Court Judge, was tapped as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, one of the most high-profile districts in the country spanning Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and parts of Long Island. Nocella will replace Biden appointee Breon Peace, who is stepping down later this month.**Todd Blanche**, Trump’s hush money trial lawyer, was tapped as the president-elect’s deputy attorney general. Blanche was lauded as “an excellent attorney who will be a crucial leader in the Justice Department,” which Trump has often criticized throughout his criminal and civil cases.- Trump picked another of his attorneys,\n**Emil Bove**, as principal associate deputy attorney general. Bove represented Trump alongside Blanche throughout the hush money trial and is a former federal prosecutor. **Dean John Sauer**was chosen for for solicitor general, after he was credited with helping win Trump’s presidential immunity case, which resulted in the Supreme Court ruling that presidents have some immunity for official acts they take in office. Sauer also served as solicitor general of Missouri for six years and clerked for late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.- Former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman\n**Jay Clayton**was chosen as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, widely seen as one of the most prestigious prosecuting jobs due to the high-profile cases filed in the district, which includes New York City.\n\n## Tangent\n\nTrump asked Republican National Committee co-chair Michael Whatley to return to his role. Trump tapped Whatley and his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to co-chair the RNC after he effectively secured the GOP 2024 presidential nomination.\n\n## Key Background\n\nTrump decamped to Mar-a-Lago after his win, holding meetings with his inner circle, administration hopefuls and transition team to craft his second term agenda and build out his staff. Trump is shaping his second-term agenda with the help of several right-wing groups, his closest allies and billionaire backers. Musk, who has been spotted on numerous occasions alongside Trump since his election, is among those who appear to be influencing Trump’s policy and personnel decisions. Lutnick is also overseeing a team making recommendations for personnel picks and vetting potential candidates, and Miller is expected to play a key role in making the final decisions. The right-wing think tank America First Policy Institute is reportedly the primary driver of Trump’s transition plans and has been crafting possible executive actions for Trump once he takes office. The organization is chaired by McMahon and led by former Trump Domestic Policy Counsel Director Brook Rollins.\n\n## Further Reading\n\nWho Will Help Shape Trump’s Policy Agenda? Here Are The Key Groups And Players (Forbes)"
      },
      {
        "title": "'I find it worrying': European leaders fire back after Elon Musk's hostile X posts",
        "id": "d-145",
        "link": "https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2025/01/07/elon-musk-europe-canada-criticism/77481172007/",
        "snippet": "Tech mogul Elon Musk has been using his X platform to unleash a torrent of criticisms aimed at political figures in Europe.",
        "source": "USA Today",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRU7HUcg1ct2DhXUo12GIC7lkWH4q9f11YpeEIaZx7uA_ShRB44PnubIUn1SQ&s",
        "content": "'I find it worrying': European leaders fire back after Elon Musk's hostile X posts\n\nShow Caption Hide Caption Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy tweet support for expanding H-1B visa Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy face MAGA backlash over foreign workers after tweeting out support of expanding the H-1B Visa program.\n\nLONDON − He's the world's richest person. He's extremely, doggedly active on social media. He'll have a cost-cutting role in Donald Trump's administration when the president-elect is sworn in later this month.\n\nAnd he's frequently bashing international governments whose politics he dislikes and praising far-right figures.\n\nTechnology mogul Elon Musk has been using his X social media platform in recent weeks to unleash a torrent of criticisms and accusations aimed at political figures in Britain, Germany and Canada.\n\nThough he did not mention him by name, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a news conference on Monday in response to a reporter's question that Musk and others like him who disseminate false information online had gone too far. Starmer pushed back on them for \"spreading lies\" that amounted to the \"poison of the far right.\" He said those doing so \"were not interested in victims.\"\n\nMusk has been appointed by Trump along with Vivek Ramaswamy to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk was a major donor to Trump's presidential campaign. The two have been spending a lot of time together including at Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Palm Beach, Fla. residence.\n\nWhat's Elon Musk been saying?\n\nIn Britain, Musk has called for the release of Tommy Robinson, a far-right extremist who was jailed for 18 months in October for repeating a libelous claim about a Syrian refugee schoolboy attacking girls.\n\nMusk has said \"America should liberate the people of Britain from their tyrannical government.\" He's accused Starmer of failing to bring to justice \"rape gangs\" connected to a series of cases from a decade ago when groups of men in towns in northern England, most from Pakistani backgrounds, were tried for grooming and abusing dozens of girls. Some men received lengthy jail sentences in connection with their crimes. Britain's previous Conservative government held an inquiry to establish how the episodes were allowed to happen, but many of its 2022 recommendations have yet to be implemented.\n\nIn Germany, Musk has said that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which is openly critical of Islam, has been accused of Holocaust minimization and opposes mass immigration, is the only one that can \"save\" the country. He's said Germany is \"on the brink of economic and cultural collapse\" and that many Germans feel their concerns are \"ignored by the establishment.\"\n\nMusk on Brazil: X will come back online in Brazil after Elon Musk backs down from legal fight\n\nIn Canada, Musk has called Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his intention to resign on Monday, an \"insufferable fool\" after he characterized Kamala Harris’ U.S. presidential loss to Trump as a setback for women’s progress. He's praised Canadian political firebrand Pierre Poilievre, a Trump-inspired populist who's railed against government bureaucracy and inefficiencies and claimed that a climate change-related carbon tax in Canada would lead to \"mass hunger and malnutrition.\"\n\nWhat is Musk trying to achieve?\n\nMusk's supporters say he's doing what others, particularly in the media, are failing to do.\n\nHe's \"highlighting the truth, asking who was responsible for this grotesque failure, and asking why politicians are not doing more,\" Matt Goodwin, a right-wing British political commentator who researches populist political movements, wrote in an email newsletter Sunday, referring to the grooming cases in northern England from a decade ago.\n\nGoodwin's newsletter was titled, \"Elon Musk isn't the problem; legacy media is the problem.\"\n\nRiots in the UK spurred by racist posts: Experts warn of a repeat in the US\n\nMusk's detractors say he appears to be doing what he did in the U.S. when he used his influence to help elect Trump: promoting extreme political figures like Robinson and wading into controversial spaces where he may not have a grasp of the detail or sense of the bigger picture. An independent, damming report published in 2022 in Britain found that local police and officials missed numerous opportunities to prevent abuse in the grooming cases stretching back to 2005.\n\n\"Elon Musk is an American citizen and perhaps ought to focus on issues on the other side of the Atlantic,” Andrew Gwynne, a health minister in Starmer's Labour Party government said during a Friday in a British radio interview.\n\n“Had Elon Musk really paid attention to what’s been going on in this country, he might have recognized that there’ve already been inquiries,” Gwynne noted.\n\nIn recent days, Musk has also appeared to change his mind about Nigel Farage, saying the leader of the right-wing Reform UK \"doesn't have what it takes\" to lead the political party. Farage is a close Trump ally. Musk appears have soured on Farage because the latter does not back Musk's support for Robinson, the jailed far-right activist.\n\nWhat's next for Musk on the world stage?\n\nMusk is poised to hold a live X discussion with Alice Weidel, who is running to be chancellor in Germany's snap election on Feb. 23. That conversation could happen as early as this week.\n\nWeidel is the chair of the AfD party, which is being monitored by German authorities for being a suspected extremist organization. Its leaders have been accused of xenophobia, antisemitism and the party campaigns on an aggressive anti-immigration platform. AfD is polling at about 20% nationally, in second place behind the Christian Democratic Union party, at 30%. The CDU is a center-right, conservative party.\n\nMusk did something similar − an interview on X − with Trump last year on the campaign trail when a series of questionable and false claims about global warming, immigration and inflation went largely unchallenged. In the interview, which was beset by technical glitches, Trump denounced criminal cases and lawsuits against him without any skepticism from Musk, who at one point attacked \"abuse of the legal system.\"\n\nMalfunction junction: Elon Musk chats up Donald Trump amid X tech glitches\n\nFrance's President Emmanuel Macron and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store added their voices to the growing chorus of European leaders who appeared troubled by Musk's X posts.\n\n\"Ten years ago, who would have imagined that the owner of one of the world’s largest social networks would be supporting a new international reactionary movement and intervening directly in elections, including in Germany,\" Macron on Monday. “I find it worrying that a man with enormous access to social media and huge economic resources involves himself so directly in the internal affairs of other countries,” said Store.\n\nMusk did not respond to a question posed to him on his X platform about the pushback to his comments he has been receiving from European political figures."
      },
      {
        "title": "How AI regulation could shake out in 2025",
        "id": "d-146",
        "link": "https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/06/artificial-intelligence-regulation-in-2025-musk-and-trump-eu-ai-act.html",
        "snippet": "This year will be a year of change for the U.S. political landscape — and that comes with big implications for the direction of travel for...",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQBMjSCQZ2LOv6d4E9tk9YTaPtan4SRPFwUGfE8LLo7s4ecxHyn7yPohOcOyg&s",
        "content": "U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk watch the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket in Brownsville, Texas, on Nov. 19, 2024. Brandon Bell | Via Reuters\n\nThe U.S. political landscape is set to undergo some shifts in 2025 — and those changes will have some major implications for the regulation of artificial intelligence. President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated on Jan. 20. Joining him in the White House will be a raft of top advisors from the world of business — including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy — who are expected to influence policy thinking around nascent technologies such as AI and cryptocurrencies. Across the Atlantic, a tale of two jurisdictions has emerged, with the U.K. and European Union diverging in regulatory thinking. While the EU has taken more of a heavy hand with the Silicon Valley giants behind the most powerful AI systems, Britain has adopted a more light-touch approach. In 2025, the state of AI regulation globally could be in for a major overhaul. CNBC takes a look at some of the key developments to watch — from the evolution of the EU's landmark AI Act to what a Trump administration could do for the U.S.\n\nMusk's U.S. policy influence\n\nElon Musk walks on Capitol Hill on the day of a meeting with Senate Republican Leader-elect John Thune (R-SD), in Washington, U.S. December 5, 2024. Benoit Tessier | Reuters\n\nAlthough it's not an issue that featured very heavily during Trump's election campaign, artificial intelligence is expected to be one of the key sectors set to benefit from the next U.S. administration. For one, Trump appointed Musk, CEO of electric car manufacturer Tesla , to co-lead his \"Department of Government Efficiency\" alongside Ramaswamy, an American biotech entrepreneur who dropped out of the 2024 presidential election race to back Trump. Matt Calkins, CEO of Appian, told CNBC Trump's close relationship with Musk could put the U.S. in a good position when it comes to AI, citing the billionaire's experience as a co-founder of OpenAI and CEO of xAI, his own AI lab, as positive indicators. \"We've finally got one person in the U.S. administration who truly knows about AI and has an opinion about it,\" Calkins said in an interview last month. Musk was one of Trump's most prominent endorsers in the business community, even appearing at some of his campaign rallies.\n\nThere is currently no confirmation on what Trump has planned in terms of possible presidential directives or executive orders. But Calkins thinks it's likely Musk will look to suggest guardrails to ensure AI development doesn't endanger civilization — a risk he's warned about multiple times in the past. \"He has an unquestioned reluctance to allow AI to cause catastrophic human outcomes – he's definitely worried about that, he was talking about it long before he had a policy position,\" Calkins told CNBC. Currently, there is no comprehensive federal AI legislation in the U.S. Rather, there's been a patchwork of regulatory frameworks at the state and local level, with numerous AI bills introduced across 45 states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.\n\nThe EU AI Act\n\nThe European Union is so far the only jurisdiction globally to drive forward comprehensive rules for artificial intelligence with its AI Act. Jaque Silva | Nurphoto | Getty Images\n\nThe European Union has so far been the only jurisdiction globally to push forward with comprehensive statutory rules for the AI industry. Earlier this year, the bloc's AI Act — a first-of-its-kind AI regulatory framework — officially entered into force. The law isn't yet fully in force yet, but it's already causing tension among large U.S. tech companies, who are concerned that some aspects of the regulation are too strict and may quash innovation. In December, the EU AI Office, a newly created body overseeing models under the AI Act, published a second-draft code of practice for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models, which refers to systems like OpenAI's GPT family of large language models, or LLMs. The second draft included exemptions for providers of certain open-source AI models. Such models are typically available to the public to allow developers to build their own custom versions. It also includes a requirement for developers of \"systemic\" GPAI models to undergo rigorous risk assessments. The Computer & Communications Industry Association — whose members include Amazon , Google and Meta — warned it \"contains measures going far beyond the Act's agreed scope, such as far-reaching copyright measures.\" The AI Office wasn't immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. It's worth noting the EU AI Act is far from reaching full implementation. As Shelley McKinley, chief legal officer of popular code repository platform GitHub, told CNBC in November, \"the next phase of the work has started, which may mean there's more ahead of us than there is behind us at this point.\" For example, in February, the first provisions of the Act will become enforceable. These provisions cover \"high-risk\" AI applications such as remote biometric identification, loan decisioning and educational scoring. A third draft of the code on GPAI models is slated for publication that same month. European tech leaders are concerned about the risk that punitive EU measures on U.S. tech firms could provoke a reaction from Trump, which might in turn cause the bloc to soften its approach. Take antitrust regulation, for example. The EU's been an active player taking action to curb U.S. tech giants' dominance — but that's something that could result in a negative response from Trump, according to Swiss VPN firm Proton's CEO Andy Yen. \"[Trump's] view is he probably wants to regulate his tech companies himself,\" Yen told CNBC in a November interview at the Web Summit tech conference in Lisbon, Portugal. \"He doesn't want Europe to get involved.\"\n\nUK copyright review\n\nBritain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer gives a media interview while attending the 79th United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, U.S. September 25, 2024. Leon Neal | Via Reuters\n\nOne country to watch for is the U.K. Previously, Britain has shied away from introducing statutory obligations for AI model makers due to the fear that new legislation could be too restrictive. However, Keir Starmer's government has said it plans to draw up legislation for AI, although details remain thin for now. The general expectation is that the U.K. will take a more principles-based approach to AI regulation, as opposed to the EU's risk-based framework. Last month, the government dropped its first major indicator for where regulation is moving, announcing a consultation on measures to regulate the use of copyrighted content to train AI models. Copyright is a big issue for generative AI and LLMs, in particular. Most LLMs use public data from the open web to train their AI models. But that often includes examples of artwork and other copyrighted material. Artists and publishers like the New York Times allege that these systems are unfairly scraping their valuable content without consent to generate original output. To address this issue, the U.K. government is considering making an exception to copyright law for AI model training, while still allowing rights holders to opt out of having their works used for training purposes. Appian's Calkins said that the U.K. could end up being a \"global leader\" on the issue of copyright infringement by AI models, adding that the country isn't \"subject to the same overwhelming lobbying blitz from domestic AI leaders that the U.S. is.\"\n\nU.S.-China relations a possible point of tension\n\nU.S. President Donald Trump, right, and Xi Jinping, China's president, walk past members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) during a welcome ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images\n\nLastly, as world governments seek to regulate fast-growing AI systems, there's a risk geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China may escalate under Trump. In his first term as president, Trump enforced a number of hawkish policy measures on China, including a decision to add Huawei to a trade blacklist restricting it from doing business with American tech suppliers. He also launched a bid to ban TikTok,which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, in the U.S. — although he's since softened his position on TikTok. China is racing to beat the U.S. for dominance in AI. At the same time, the U.S. has taken measures to restrict China's access to key technologies, mainly chips like those designed by Nvidia, which are required to train more advanced AI models. China has responded by attempting to build its own homegrown chip industry. Technologists worry that a geopolitical fracturing between the U.S. and China on artificial intelligence could result in other risks, such as the potential for one of the two to develop a form of AI smarter than humans. Max Tegmark, founder of the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, believes the U.S. and China could in future create a form of AI that can improve itself and design new systems without human supervision, potentially forcing both countries' governments to individually come up with rules around AI safety. \"My optimistic path forward is the U.S. and China unilaterally impose national safety standards to prevent their own companies from doing harm and building uncontrollable AGI, not to appease the rivals superpowers, but just to protect themselves,\" Tegmark told CNBC in a November interview. Governments are already trying to work together to figure out how to create regulations and frameworks around AI. In 2023, the U.K. hosted a global AI safety summit, which the U.S. and China administrations both attended, to discuss potential guardrails around the technology. - CNBC's Arjun Kharpal contributed to this report"
      },
      {
        "title": "Musk Plan for Retooling Government Takes Shape, but Big Questions Loom",
        "id": "d-147",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/24/us/politics/musk-doge-government-overhaul.html",
        "snippet": "The rebranding of a former White House digital office into the new Department of Government Efficiency signals its potential limits, budget experts said.",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQHbxzcGBaqdo_H7mKYASztX1F37tNn_vtTNGICrccZjbLfFpjBaEC7JXYIfw&s",
        "content": "The initial plan for retooling the federal government under President Trump started with three loyal billionaires: the banker Howard Lutnick, the tech leader Elon Musk and the entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.\n\nNow, it’s down to one.\n\nMr. Lutnick emerged as Mr. Trump’s pick to run the Commerce Department. Mr. Ramaswamy decided to step aside from the project just before Mr. Trump assumed office on Monday.\n\nAs a result, Mr. Musk, the world’s richest man, now has full command of the federal cost-cutting effort, which Mr. Trump has hailed as “potentially, ‘The Manhattan Project’ of our time.” How exactly Mr. Musk wields his consolidated power to set the tempo and targets of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency remains to be seen. But his first moves suggest he will oversee something closer to an I.T. project than the sweeping operation to slash at least $2 trillion from the federal budget that Mr. Musk had once predicted.\n\nThe Musk-led project debuted this week with a bit of bureaucratic jujitsu: the takeover of an existing arm of the White House that, for the past decade, had focused on improving government technology. The office, the United States Digital Service, now renamed United States DOGE Service, was created in 2014 to fix failing computer systems that threatened the success of President Barack Obama’s health insurance overhaul."
      }
    ]
  },
  {
    "topic_id": 10,
    "topic": "US imposes widespread trade tariffs after Trump's re-election",
    "docs": [
      {
        "title": "Mexico | US tariff adjustments: less trade protectionism with Mexico",
        "id": "d-148",
        "link": "https://www.bbvaresearch.com/en/publicaciones/mexico-us-tariff-adjustments-less-trade-protectionism-with-mexico/",
        "snippet": "Key points ... The tariffs will now not be cumulative. Therefore, Mexico will no longer face 50% tariffs, and those affected by tariffs of this...",
        "source": "BBVA Research",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Key points:\n\nThe tariffs will now not be cumulative. Therefore, Mexico will no longer face 50% tariffs, and those affected by tariffs of this magnitude from Mexico will be reimbursed.\n\nThe proclamation seeks to reduce the impact on the US automotive industry by allowing companies with factories in the US to access tariff discounts on foreign parts for two years based on the quantity and price of cars assembled and sold in the US.\n\nThere are no changes to the tariff items considered or to the individual 25% tariff, but the elimination of tariff accumulation reduces the weighted average tariff from 18.2% to 13.9%.\n\nThese actions reinforce our hypothesis that an equilibrium will be reached in which the level of protectionism toward Mexico will be lower than that applied to the rest of the world, due to the complementarities and integration in value chains that contribute to greater US competitiveness."
      },
      {
        "title": "'Protectionism harms all, is ultimately unpopular,' says China on court blocking Trump tariffs",
        "id": "d-149",
        "link": "https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/protectionism-harms-all-is-ultimately-unpopular-says-china-on-court-blocking-trump-tariffs/3583379",
        "snippet": "US tariffs 'has not only failed to solve any of its own problems, but has also seriously undermined the international economic and trade...",
        "source": "Anadolu Ajansı",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Necessary Cookies\n\nThis cookie is used to distinguish between humans and bots. This is beneficial for the web site, in order to make valid reports on the use of their web site.\n\nFunctional Cookies\n\nRemembers the user's selected language version of a website.\n\nPerformance/Analytical Cookies\n\nRegisters a unique ID that is used to generate statistical data on how the visitor uses the website.Used by Google Analytics to throttle request rate.\n\nAccept Reject\n\nAdvertising/Marketing Cookies\n\nThis cookie is used to collect information on consumer behavior, which is sent to Alexa Analytics. (Alexa Analytics is an Amazon company.)"
      },
      {
        "title": "Can India Finally Grab Its Trade Moment?",
        "id": "d-150",
        "link": "https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/05/29/india-tariffs-trade-protectionism-trump/",
        "snippet": "On April 2, President Donald Trump announced sweeping and unprecedented tariffs on U.S. trading partners, intensifying global economic...",
        "source": "Foreign Policy",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Trump has frequently called out India as the world’s “ tariff king ,” and this is not far from the truth. India is a tariff outlier. If the renewed debate on protectionism helps India understand that its trade policies are self-defeating, Trump might end up doing India, and the world, a huge favor.\n\nOn April 2, President Donald Trump announced sweeping and unprecedented tariffs on U.S. trading partners, intensifying global economic uncertainty and triggering a sharp stock market decline in the United States and elsewhere. At the same time, China continues to face headwinds from the global “China+1” strategy, as countries seek to diversify their supply chains and reduce dependence on Chinese manufacturing—a concern that has grown with the escalation of U.S.-China trade tensions. India should seize this moment to set a bold new ambition: to become a more reliable trading partner to the world than either China or the United States. Its size and long-term potential lend credibility to such a vision. Realizing it, though, will require a fundamental rethinking and overhaul of India’s trade policy approach.\n\nOn April 2, President Donald Trump announced sweeping and unprecedented tariffs on U.S. trading partners, intensifying global economic uncertainty and triggering a sharp stock market decline in the United States and elsewhere. At the same time, China continues to face headwinds from the global “China+1” strategy, as countries seek to diversify their supply chains and reduce dependence on Chinese manufacturing—a concern that has grown with the escalation of U.S.-China trade tensions. India should seize this moment to set a bold new ambition: to become a more reliable trading partner to the world than either China or the United States. Its size and long-term potential lend credibility to such a vision. Realizing it, though, will require a fundamental rethinking and overhaul of India’s trade policy approach.\n\nTrump has frequently called out India as the world’s “tariff king,” and this is not far from the truth. India is a tariff outlier. If the renewed debate on protectionism helps India understand that its trade policies are self-defeating, Trump might end up doing India, and the world, a huge favor.\n\nTrump’s tariffs have been labeled by economist Paul Krugman as the “biggest trade shock in history.” Including all tariff changes announced as of mid-May, average effective tariffs in the United States—the world’s largest importing country—are calculated at 17.8 percent (assuming the share of countries in U.S. imports remains the same) or 16.4 percent (after assuming shifts in demand to lower tariff countries). The latter is the highest rate since 1937.\n\nThese actions are roiling the world economy, leading to retaliation by some partners—especially China—and pushing the rest of the world to find other sources of demand. This is, in turn, accelerating negotiations on trade partnerships that do not involve the United States. Most countries will also intensify efforts to preserve and reform the rules-based international trading system. Irrespective of how the future tariff landscape evolves, the “uncertainty tax” on business has dramatically increased since November 2024: A global index of economic uncertainty was already higher in January 2025 than at any time since 1997 and would certainly have increased further since then (and the International Monetary Fund says trade policy uncertainty is “off the charts”).\n\nWhile demand-side diversification strategies away from the United States are a recent phenomenon, efforts to diversify supply chains away from China have existed since the 2000s, gaining significant traction during the first round of the U.S.-China trade wars and during the COVID-19 pandemic. China has not helped its case by weaponizing trade to score political points: Examples include restricting rare-earth exports to Japan owing to contestation about the Senkaku Islands (which China calls the Diaoyu) and cutting demand from Australia after it called for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19. China’s ongoing trade war, which has intensified further after it announced retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. levies, and a more general export control on rare earths also make countries wary of getting involved in the crossfire. Finally, China’s opaque export subsidies have made it a frequent target of anti-dumping duties and prompted efforts to find other supply sources.\n\nIt seems the stage is set for the world’s most populous country to take on a more prominent role in world trade. But India is being held back by a diffident approach to trade. Between 2015 and 2022, India’s simple average tariffs rose from 13.4 to 18.1 percent. Despite declining to 17 percent in 2023, its tariffs rates are significantly higher than those of countries with which it is competing for a share of the China+1 pie: Vietnam’s average tariff is 9.4 percent, and other Southeast Asian competitors fall in the 8-10 percent range. India’s elevated tariffs—particularly high on many final goods such as automobiles and apparel—raise costs for exporters and consumers and encourage firms to sell into the protected domestic market. High tariffs have also rendered India vulnerable to World Trade Organization complaints by partners.\n\nMoreover, after 2022, India has seen a spurt in quality control orders, or QCOs: quality standards that must be met by domestic and foreign producers. These QCOs, now covering more than 100 sectors, are often opaque, incentivize lobbying, and lead to significant delays in import clearances; economists call these “nontariff barriers.”\n\nThis rise in protection harks back to India’s past. After independence in 1947, India’s leaders opted for import substitution industrialization, a strategy based on high import protection—invoking the infant industry argument—and a leading role for the state in the “commanding heights” of the economy, such as capital goods and other core sectors such as steel, chemicals, and trucks. This economic nationalism was a reaction to the British Empire’s open economy approach and was nurtured for more than four decades by the Indian National Congress party, whose leaders led the independence struggle.\n\nBut the recent rise in import barriers—aimed at promoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative and reviving a manufacturing sector in decline relative to the rest of the economy—ignores the lessons of India’s post-1991 economic success, when a macroeconomic crisis gave India’s policymakers the political space to liberalize onerous trade, industrial, financial, and foreign exchange policies. Average tariffs were steadily reduced from 81 percent in 1990 to 29 percent in 1997 and 9 percent by 2010. The impact on trade was conspicuous: Goods trade rose from 11 percent of GDP in 1988 to a peak of 43 percent in 2012.\n\nIn the last decade, as Indian tariffs rose, Vietnam—a country with just 7 percent of India’s population—has become a serious competitor. It already exports more manufactured goods than its much larger Asian counterpart. Both countries import significant quantities of chemicals as production inputs. But Vietnam’s average import duty on chemicals is just 3 percent, compared with 10.3 percent in India. Moreover, more than 50 percent of chemicals enter Vietnam duty-free, whereas in India, this figure is a mere 0.2 percent. This pattern holds across other key inputs, meaning that Indian firms consistently pay higher costs for raw materials than Vietnamese competitors, making it significantly harder for them to compete in global markets.\n\nIndia’s tariff regime has also been a major roadblock in its efforts to secure comprehensive free trade agreements, or FTAs, with key trading partners. For example, its negotiations with the European Union, which began in 2007, have not yet reached a conclusion, largely due to disagreements over tariff reductions. While India has signed trade agreements with Australia and the United Arab Emirates, these are “early harvest” deals that fall short of the commitments found in comprehensive FTAs. The failure to secure comprehensive trade agreements has significant implications for India’s export growth. Vietnam, by contrast, has signed FTAs with both the EU and U.K., enabling Vietnamese firms to enjoy important preference margins over their Indian counterparts—in garments, for instance, the duty differential could be as high as 12 percent.\n\nHigh tariffs and other trade barriers also reduce domestic market competition and create incentives for protectionism to persist. Low tariffs can discipline rent-seeking behavior by large firms and are important in a context where industrial concentration is rising: The share of the largest five business groups in India’s nonfinancial sector rose from 10 percent in 1991 to nearly 18 percent in 2021. The discipline imposed by low tariffs was missing in India, where tariffs rose between 2015 and 2022.\n\nTrump announced a 26 percent tariff rate on India as part of his April 2 announcements, even as the two sides are pursuing an early closure to a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by later this year. India is hoping, especially with the 90-day pause, that a concluded BTA will help it sidestep the punitive tariffs imposed by the United States.\n\nYet the most important and positive long-term fallout may be more consequential than any BTA that New Delhi and Washington sign. For India, rethinking its approach to trade is not about appeasing Trump—it is about fixing a system that undermines its export potential, weakens its position as a serious China+1 contender, limits its ability to secure comprehensive FTAs, and obstructs its broader economic ambitions.\n\nIn fact, there is growing recognition about the negative impact of India’s trade policies and its missed opportunities, prompting calls for a reexamination of its tariff and nontariff barriers. Perhaps Indian officials are also beginning to recognize this. On May 6, India and the U.K. concluded talks on an FTA that was in the works since 2022. It is the most ambitious deal that India has signed with any country so far.\n\nThe rest of the world has a deep stake in India’s economic potential. The United States remains the world’s biggest consumer, accounting for 13 percent of world demand for imported goods, although this share has declined from 18.9 percent in 2000. Meanwhile, since the start of the U.S.-China trade war in 2018, China’s share in world goods exports has only grown, from 12.7 percent in 2017 to 14.1 percent in 2023.\n\nIndia, with its size, youthful population, and large human resource base, has been called an obvious “plus one” in the China+1 space. India has undoubted potential to increase its low share of 1.8 percent (worth $432 billion) in world goods exports and 2.8 percent ($672 billion) in world goods imports. For example, its goods trade share of GDP was only 31 percent in 2023, compared with China’s trade peak of 64 percent of GDP in 2006, suggesting much room for trade to grow. A forthcoming paper by my colleagues T.G. Srinivasan, Baran Pradhan, and me at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress shows that in 2022, India’s goods exports could have been higher by $440 billion-$516 billion and goods imports higher by $244 billion-$301 billion. Adding these numbers to actual figures for 2022 would bring India’s goods trade close to $1 trillion each in exports and imports.\n\nDespite the possibly temporary U.S.-China trade truce, the world economy has already witnessed significant damage, with more to come. Countries are looking for bilateral deals with partners that commit to the spirit of open and predictable trade policies—and this involves a search for more reliable sources of supply as well as demand. On both counts, India can rise to the occasion, provided it abandons its protectionist instincts."
      },
      {
        "title": "Why protectionism and market accessibility are now driving international trade",
        "id": "d-151",
        "link": "https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/why-protectionism-and-market-accessibility-are-now-driving-international-trade/",
        "snippet": "Preferential trade agreements are becoming the norm globally as a way to keep trade predictable and for economies to defend themselves...",
        "source": "Atlantic Council",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "International trade is going through a much-needed reset. Several major countries, most notably the United States with its dramatic announcement last week, are shifting their approaches to trade, often in more protectionist directions. But it would be a mistake to view the events of recent months in isolation. To get the full picture, it’s necessary to start much earlier and examine the larger, and in some ways more profound, changes in global trade that have led up to this moment. At the same time, while a reset in trade is necessary today, a successful reset is unlikely to be achieved by focusing only on market access or exports of manufactured goods.\n\nWhat is happening?\n\nIn 2020, the World Bank published a report on how trade deals have moved away from older-style preferential trade agreements to so-called “deep trade” agreements, which go far beyond tariff barriers or market access. These “deep trade” agreements, as former Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Pascal Lamy explained, are “about regulatory measures and other so-called non-tariff measures that were once the exclusive domain of domestic policy making.” These agreements “cover policy areas such as competition, subsidies, and regulatory standards,” and they go beyond conventional border measures to “regulate the behaviour of the exporting and importing government.”\n\nFast forward to today, and the global trade scene is very different from just five years ago. As the World Bank’s website summarizes the shift: “Powerful protectionist forces have begun to challenge the global community’s commitment to open trade; many advanced economies blame trade for job losses as manufacturing and some services shift to lower-cost destinations.”\n\nToday, the United States, once an international advocate for open trade and competitiveness, is turning toward a more protectionist model of trade, announcing tariff and nontariff barriers and limiting market access—trade policies more commonly associated developing economies. It’s too early to predict how this will unfold, but some aspects of this global phenomenon have already come into focus.\n\nThe reasons for the change\n\nBeginning in the 1990s, the volume of global exports and the number of international trade agreements rapidly increased. In much of the period since then, trade negotiations were managed between policymakers and seasoned bureaucrats, all working toward ensuring ease for the domestic consumer. Much of this work was done away from substantial public attention. Trade negotiations today, however, are too often loud political undertakings, used as either a coercion mechanism or a friendly gesture. The past few US administrations, several Latin American governments, and several Southeast Asian governments have tried to negotiate trade deals that are “worker-centered” and have attempted to advance trends such as “friend-shoring” or near-shoring, as many corporations planned to diversify their supply chains away from China.\n\nWhile the specter of China influenced this pivot, there was also an emphasis on modernizing manufacturing with more sophisticated technology. What was overlooked in this process, though, is the legitimate reason why advanced economies lost their competitive advantage in manufacturing to emerging economies. As economist Jagdish N. Bhagwati explained in 1982,\n\nthe pressure of import competition . . . can be seen as being addressed to industries undergoing a basic shift in comparative advantage, not because of technological advances arising in different parts of the world which are not being shared by competing nations, but rather because of shifts in labour costs or because “learning by doing” by latecomers is altering the traditional competitive edge of industries in the West.\n\nLabor-intensive industries are increasingly demonstrating comparative advantage in emerging economies, as they are compatible with capital intensity.\n\nAs capital-intensive industries are at a comparative advantage with emerging economies, technological advancements leading to digital trade are creating an advantage for Western economies. Digital commerce allows firms of all sizes, anywhere in the world, to gain access to new markets. But many emerging economies, although catching up fast, still lack the basics required for digital trade or even trade in services. These barriers can vary from inadequate infrastructure and regulatory uncertainty to data localization rules that restrict cross-border data flows.\n\nDigital trade plays a larger role than ever in the global economy. With an 8.1 percent average annual growth rate for almost two decades, it has outpaced other categories, such as goods trade. Yet this does not benefit all economies equally. International cooperation is crucial to promoting common and universal laws on digital trade as a precondition for it to grow and deliver more broadly shared benefits. But that will require building consensus on such rules.\n\nA pivot away from the WTO\n\nTraditionally, the role of consensus building has been played by multilateral organizations such as the WTO. But for the past three decades, the WTO has experienced a slow and steady decline in its influence as it has consistently faltered at its primary role of maintaining a rule-based trading system, ensuring predictability, and encouraging its member countries to make tariff adjustments in line with their economic development. One of the reasons for its decline is that the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanism has not been functioning up to its potential due to the blocking—mainly by the United States—of appointments to its appellate body, leading to a paralysis of the appeals process and leaving trade disputes unresolved. In addition, many of the member countries refuse to let go of their self-declared “developing economies” status and continue to claim subsidies, which has further sowed discontent among developed economies.\n\nDespite these issues, no member has exited the WTO since its inception in 1995. Since the WTO assures market access and reprimands discriminatory trade practices, it would be unwise for any member to exit. One of the WTO’s recent successes came when it waived off certain patent restrictions to ensure the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccines.\n\nGiven the movement of labor-intensive jobs to developing economies, advanced Western economies’ domination of digital trade, and the disarmament of the WTO, most economies have started pivoting toward protectionist trade practices that are designed to restrict imports and promote domestic industries instead. Each nation is now pursuing its own political agenda, mistakenly believing that protectionist actions will bring economic benefits. Some are implementing soft protectionism, such as subsidies for favored industries. Others are implementing all-out protectionist policies. Meanwhile, rhetoric about geopolitical threats—often China—is used to garner support for preferential trade deals.\n\nThe rise of preferential trade agreements\n\nAs a result of the forces outlined above, preferential trade agreements (PTAs) are becoming the norm globally as an alternative arrangement to keep trade predictable and for economies to defend themselves against lawlessness. This is encouraging regionalism and fragmented trading practices, which often leads to fierce disagreements. As Bhagwati argued in 2008, “With PTAs proliferating, the trading system can then be expected to become chaotic.” A situation ensues in which there are “[c]risscrossing PTAs, where a nation had multiple PTAs with other nations, each of which then had its own PTAs with yet other nations . . . Indeed, if one only mapped the phenomenon, it would remind one of a child scrawling a number of chaotic lines on a sketch pad.”\n\nThe last decade has seen some significant preferential trade agreements ratified or at least signed. Significant among them are the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, the African Continental Free Trade Area, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Countries in such regional preferential trade agreements account for about 78 percent of the world’s gross domestic product.\n\nHowever, what is concerning is that the three most important traders—China, the United States, and the European Union—have been unable to negotiate any trade agreements among themselves. Each of the three economies sees the others as sources of significant competition instead of comparative advantage. Regional trade agreements naturally exclude the economies that are not part of the bloc.\n\nYet, the interdependence on other markets is evident from 2021 trading data, which shows that 70 percent of North America’s exports, 41 percent of Asia’s, and 31 percent of Europe’s went outside their respective regions, while Africa and Latin America depend on other regions for 85 percent of their exports. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic starkly revealed how interconnected—and therefore vulnerable—global trade is. Supply chain shocks during the pandemic encouraged many countries and companies to hedge their risks.\n\nWhere global trade goes from here\n\nThis global trade reset cannot be achieved by focusing only on market access or exports of manufactured goods. Nor can it be achieved by signing regional trade agreements. Instead, the next chapter of global trade should rely on a new set of priorities that enhance a collective sense of security.\n\nWhat would this look like? This new era should include trade policies that advance economic interests as well as geopolitical interests. Governments should pursue climate and energy security, a digital economy that has universally agreed artificial intelligence regulations, and supply chains that are not dependent on one source alone. Resets are never easy in the short term, but they are an unavoidable phenomenon. In the best-case scenario, today’s global trade turmoil may lead to tomorrow’s renaissance.\n\nRidhika Batra is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center.\n\nFurther reading\n\nImage: A worker walks past a container ship at Mundra Port in the western Indian state of Gujarat April 1, 2014. The way billionaire Indian infrastructure-builder Gautam Adani sees it, working with the government does not make him a crony-capitalist. Adani's rapid ascent to the top tier of Indian business is often associated with the rise of Narendra Modi, the Hindu nationalist opposition leader widely expected to become India's next prime minister once the country's election ends next month. Its flagship Adani Enterprises soared 22.9 percent for its biggest daily gain on Thursday and has nearly doubled since the start of February, compared with a nearly 20 percent gain in the infrastructure index. Picture taken April 1, 2014. REUTERS/Amit Dave"
      },
      {
        "title": "'Donald Trump's tariff protectionism is an unprecedented shock; the consequences of which are difficult to gauge'",
        "id": "d-152",
        "link": "https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2025/02/26/donald-trump-s-tariff-protectionism-is-an-unprecedented-shock-the-consequences-of-which-are-difficult-to-gauge_6738580_23.html",
        "snippet": "The new US protectionism is likely to accelerate the relocation of European factories while precipitating the influx of Chinese exports to...",
        "source": "Le Monde.fr",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBwgHBgkIBwgKCgkLDRYPDQwMDRsUFRAWIB0iIiAdHx8kKDQsJCYxJx8fLT0tMTU3Ojo6Iys/RD84QzQ5OjcBCgoKDQwNGg8PGjclHyU3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3N//AABEIAEIAeAMBIgACEQEDEQH/xAAcAAABBQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAGAAMEBQcCAQj/xAA+EAACAQMCAwQIBAIJBQAAAAABAgMABBEFEgYhMRNBcYEHFCIyUZGhsSNCUmHB0RZicpKissLw8SQ0U4KD/8QAGQEAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQF/8QAIxEAAgIBBAICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAECEQMEEiExIlETQQUyYf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8ACEhv1nMcN+rADmzRED6U4Jtaik2R3UUrDqEZvZ8fhXBms0cIyNHu7+WB44Jp9oreP247qBh1/DuMt8hUeQs5k13WrQgSYY/sST9jUnT+KNQnzvIGO7/YqnmlWOQtGxk/tHNM2U3vTZ24OcbAQfEEHNAWwssuM5Un2XUnZRg837Lf9AaN9Gkh1uESWGq6fdEdUe2ZGHj7X8KyufXJmhWO6gs4bdTz7LT4EZwf6wQkeVd6dxPp+kyrLp+mwifBBluLiVh/dBQHzquWJS/YayOPRrsuhXzNuFrYv+4uXQ/LZ/GmH0i+Tn6pcf8AyukYf4iKA5PSjOirnSrGdu94S8X8TTq+ku5ChjpzIDy9i9b+K1W9PiLVnyewumsLwAlrK8HjFG/+UmhfXp9Rtb2Ds0vbaJj7btbsg+ZGKiD0sSdoEW3uy3cEmV/uKlr6Rr6cKstnfpG527pbVdpPwzVmLTRjNNMhmzSlBpl123Z2gmyXwoJ5dTVLNx3dQeyCEVGPIO6H6E/apd3dSzaPNOsLBCMb9nLPjWSysWuZG3FsucV0tbxVGD8fUlKzWbb0rrGirLPM+BgqYlcfNgKuNK400zXmaITR2z45nsgD8txBrEgxXAcFf7XKkWjJ9oIfHFYL9nS+NfTN4uuH3vQWsuIIOnuFJIxnybH0pVhMEixvmHKH4xS7T9DSp2vQfF/RqC5k3EPG+4ciAcEHwNPxyESk7ZQcfnGPtWoa5/QvjC5W2uJ1tNZYcplgMW8/uD18Dz/eh2f0Z31lIfWHBh/LcJG20j49OVKSS5KlbINhpVjc2pnv9Ra29nI2qX+wqAsNokEotLkzpzw5QrnyIFW0uiPpO7sNUaVQPdTFN2drG2oLC4Dq5GS4yefX4VBZY9IrlOEJbZPkhaiLhdNzHI65KH2X25qhTT7yd8pbSPzySp3fatpT0bcM3Kpm2uBI3M9nJsx54IroeiLSYJ1mi1e/hh/OJyjAeBGPrV9NE++jJdN0e81G5a0gdYXRdxE5x5YAJqy4N0ifWNehsZYmMcMh9Y9nku38p8SMY8aM+KtA0PQdMWfSbu3vWcsZZYXDTKiqScMD0yFHw61WWHG8jXEUeuWqXkM2NsPaPDHCBgLtUHrg9/PI65qLxuUW10iSai0n2anEgt4yvZrFGnQIoX2RQ9qN1Fc9tFdhWjchWEhypPU+GOQz+3WhK5suHr6ETNcaraEs2LeBo5ABnHVuZHjXN1f23D+nI8Z1O8tw4Um57MbAf07Rz8zWLa747Ne7g0DS763062S3W2kCEkKkRUkHwfu86F+M04c1LTpb6SCSDU4lJSWOHsyT8HXOCOXvfI1Wx8YafFc201nHJcWaczEDgr3YOenecdKrLnU5Lg3cUTP6rMWbYRy5nPMdPlXV02leTFub5ONqdV8WakuAKuFaWcgOWbuBplbe8Rw4gnwOjoh+4FXt5Fd2SLcXOjw+rOPw7s2rKj56YckAmp2iWpvELtP6rD0J2Mw8tvKqZR28M2wufMeSjiaOSE+uXV8VI5r2jEE/I0qKpNR06xHZWerBZP8Ayizc486VR2X9g5Vw0GNr6QrqBsRwWa56kQ4Joi0/0hIV3ahLbW6d7dKyCe3ns1Ly7Bj4SKfsaoLh2vpvxZAQPylhTEfQmocWcOarbsO2sb0ge6etBMdpYXuqdvYwJE6kEJvOPlWYG3Nq6yINnPqvL7CiLSJ9R3LNp9xF2oGMkE/fApUJxT7RpNxrt7Z6hbQTW1q0Zb3RJtZuXdzoxg1rSZdOa41GI2Vsq/iG6YKo/wDbNZE443v4yw1ZigHNIoocjy60FcUXWr9gLLU7zUZo1lD9ndSHYGAIBC9xwT9aaY7dJBlxhxnw0bm8g4Zs3MPYNE82PYmLcjgNk4xkd3fQHaMl/eRwhjG0hCwvs3lAOf8AyahvqM1xHawyRx9hbYUIE2qefPdjGSe89T8as9KusupFtZwJCrOzCEsSuCCpYknnnHWrFk2xpCl5O2w7gxBYRLJqTNOoAJiErciARjC46DyqG9jHrmnMk8eosiu47UBQCVb9Tc+7vXv/AGqfp4S4a0hlDq0jRqixAM/Q9AetRdJR2trkPGxDXlwvJT3tXPt3ZspVRC0vhmCOLdvkVTIy7WuEYAhsc8KOVT9I0nUbmZzFfWMcW8jYVbeozy57MfI07Z3aafI3rRUxbpRIjqCcFsHl8cZx5V3oN/CmlxTOq5Ye80h5juq2OszwXiyieiwTflEJY/V9KtLhdSjs76KRBHhO1UIMYOEZii56+yB4d9Yde3zWt5dW9jNJFbrKwRc92a2K2eDVeYuFCRn2hGu/P7HJ5VJOkaESTLpVtKScktbx8z8jV0Mk5xuRCWOMHUTI+G9Ii1dJzNO42fpfBryteTStBjYNHoenK46N2C5HyApUxGPppvE12MJYykH4xqv8qstM4X4iDDfadnnvFwqn6ZrS0vJN2Vjt0H9WFf5U/wCuXDD/ALmTHwVto+lFAAq+jzWL7BuWSFO9tzSH5kAVfaNwHaaXhpLssw6lplX6Zq2Z9xy2WPxY5rhpFx+WgCYkFlbEMt0oZehTeT9gKpeJoo9duLVLy6VbO0kEy9nbr2krD9RJ5Dry51IlcsOX2qrubR5iSC3zooDnXrfh6+i7P1Q2ybssY5VUkfA+z4HyoAsvV4gxmulWGSSSJw3vBCGGcDmcECiq80CSfPtf3qrRwdM7ECdEPxC5NAh234s06zMUpW6aeNgwWE7AnXkrMu7HPxrj+n1vb27wWWjBleRpP+quWkwzHJxgKcedSIOBIW5z3Ern5VZ23BumwdYtxH6zmoqCRNyYG3PF+rXUm+KCzhcdDDajI8zk0xFDf6p+PcesSvu9pQv+mtNg0m1gH4cSAfAKKlpAi9Ep7RWVvDoktLERMvMtu9wg+fM5q3EjHqGpBR8MV6MDuqRE9DmlXm79qVAEUdRUoe4KVKmwGmJJ5mnD7te0qQHI59aamJC8jSpUARc5PPnzqbEq7M7RnwpUqQHQr1ACa9pUDPK9FKlTEdHoKbblnFKlQgOk92lSpUwP/9k=",
        "content": "While Donald Trump has modeled his policies on those imposed by the former US president William McKinley (1843-1901), whom he lauds as the \"king of tariffs\" for imposing 50% tariffs, he has ignored the fact that today's global economy is completely different from that at the end of the 19thcentury. At that time, trade accounted for 10% of the global GDP as opposed to 25% today. Supply chains now span the entire planet and no longer revolve around the Rust Belt in the northeastern United States as they did a century ago.\n\nTrump's tariff protectionism is therefore an unprecedented shock; the consequences of which are difficult to gauge, particularly as reciprocal tariffs considered by the US president will put an end to a system built at the end of the Second World War that, precisely to avoid geopolitical tensions, was based on non-discrimination with all countries being tariffed equally.\n\nWhat will tomorrow's global trade landscape look like? On February 18, Mario Draghi, the former head of the European Central Bank, cited two dangers: \"Higher US tariffs on Chinese products will redirect Chinese overcapacity towards Europe, further hitting European firms,\" he said. Indeed, larger EU companies are more concerned about this effect than the loss of access to the US market.\"\n\nChina's exports are growing at three times the rate of world trade and propelling its trade surplus to record heights. It has overtaken its GDP threshold of 10% in 2024 and is approaching the record figure of 12% which it had reached before the 2008 financial crisis. It is a tsunami that has already damaged German industry, which is losing its market share in the automotive, cleantech and civil aviation sectors and according to a study by the think-tank Centre for European Reform, published in mid-January, \"China's macroeconomic imbalances now directly infringe on German industrial interests.\"\n\n## Investment announcements\n\nAnd the trend is likely to speed up. Several Chinese manufacturers, who were interviewed by Reuters, are preparing to reduce their profit margins and embark on \"a rush\" to conquer other markets to compensate for their falling sales in the US.\n\n**You have 39.31% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.**"
      },
      {
        "title": "Tariff-reliant US steel industry faces price of protectionism",
        "id": "d-153",
        "link": "https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/Tariff-reliant-US-steel-industry-faces-price-of-protectionism",
        "snippet": "NEW YORK -- Nippon Steel's pursuit of U.S. Steel is entering the final stages, underscoring how an American industry protected by tariffs...",
        "source": "Nikkei Asia",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "NEW YORK -- Nippon Steel's pursuit of U.S. Steel is entering the final stages, underscoring how an American industry protected by tariffs fell behind in technological innovation and is now paying the consequences.\n\nU.S. President Donald Trump last week indicated his approval of a deal that includes Nippon Steel's massive investment in U.S. Steel amid the broader context of an ailing American steel industry."
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump’s tariff disaster: How protectionism has crippled America’s economy",
        "id": "d-154",
        "link": "https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2025/04/trumps-tariff-disaster-how-protectionism-has-crippled-americas-economy",
        "snippet": "Trump's first round of tariffs in 2019 led to an annual cost increase of approximately $831 per household, according to economists at the New York Federal...",
        "source": "The Daily Cardinal",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAkGBwgHBgkIBwgKCgkLDRYPDQwMDRsUFRAWIB0iIiAdHx8kKDQsJCYxJx8fLT0tMTU3Ojo6Iys/RD84QzQ5OjcBCgoKDQwNGg8PGjclHyU3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3Nzc3N//AABEIAEIAdwMBEQACEQEDEQH/xAAbAAADAAMBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAEBQYCAwcBAP/EAD8QAAIBAwMBBAYGCAUFAAAAAAECAwAEEQUSITEGEyJBFFFhcYGRIzJSkqGxBxUWM0JiwdEkcrLh8DU2RHSi/8QAGwEAAgMBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwQBAgUABgf/xAAxEQACAgEDAgQFAwMFAAAAAAABAgADEQQSITFRExRBYQUiMlKRM3GhI0KBBhUkscH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AOZID5ederxMuIr4YvZB/NXn9UMagzQq+gTZAu6RR7aepQluZRzgQx4thxnJpspiLhszwJUhZOZkq7TuHUVYLIJldHaNdyRWzXBjeGFEwABvOM846nnrVNPwCx7wd55C+03T2EtrKouCuwjCyHgH/emlYEcRUrGVnY291Ew2bZlHDrVHYqZZQCIEsAS9lgk4kAG4Ho3tFE3ZGZXBBjPRojbzPD9a3l6r9k+yg28jPrCIfSNNxhlWO6IwP3ch6N7/AG0DGRlYTOOsJfayeFgSeBg1UCTMpbRJ02soyOVP2T66gMQZbaDBibhX5LTRqcEbQozVsCRzOUzz9yndp9dvwpm18cCciZOTEVy264Zm5YnrXnrzm45mggws3252uD7a16OOsC4yIe/jOcYNN9YsOITZ2pk3ZHGODVwsFZZibre0VryGEHJaRVPxNVf5VJkqxYiW09qg1uzUn98wX4jgfmKzUsddJYydQIw6Kb0DdDK5tMjWAgwd6X4MbqP615cX3btxY5/ebhqrxgDiRYtZrQlrdi1o7nC7uYxn155r2elv8apWbrieevp2uQsFnDXl05jkzNGg2sD+FOAACLZOeYJNc6jaXq96zIjcgq3FCde0IuMRtp+tq1wsd5N3kMnhYOM49RoBrYdJfIlpBplijK8aAEDIINKG1zwYwKlgt5cej3HcqpfgEHpRUG5cwbfKcQS4aaRwyMqIByvXmrqF9ZU59Jx2GJ7qfA6k5Y+oVdRvPEMx2iL9SRY9QkReFU4FZGsULqcD2h6STWCZuiXxr762K0g2PEZKlNhcRQmMLJ2VSMFiSAqjzNWgWGTxDNMRRrEBkBTa/jDDkEeXzoN/NJI7S9QIsAMoe0MsllYx6hHsEqMFV3z4CefLB8j5/wBqwzcEqdPu4mjsJZX7Sv7Kyzdq4lktElhs1BEk7tt8yPDjHqPq6c1gHTvvwZrG9AmRJaDtJ2dnvLu2O2FRK6Qyzt9FPHu4bcPqkjnmvRaPUbEFZOMTGur3MXxMntreG+le227GRfq9K3FJZBmZzLhoNqNk97aP3KFpI/EuPP2VBIHWSoJ6SXZHTJlIQe01BZR1MvtMtNG1m7nsUzOxeP6MggHOOnlQ206Z6SwtfvGE14biZZHUK2MHbVBTtGBJL7jkz0neOHK/A1AT2k5E55a2oAWOFVGB7s08tS1qFX0gnck5Ml9ajMesTI3UMPyrzmuH/L/E0dOf6Qh+m2Ynv7aJzhHkCsa9B4ZVdwgN2eJfSdkbMwt3UkgfyJOcfClhqWzzKmoYirQbG1/WaR3kYliWYKwZio64ycVfWNb4JNRwcSunVPEG/pK+xitf24kmijR0W3/xSHrnozgfLPtzWBTqy+hKMeQeP2mk+nHmdw9R/MXfpFDXV/pvZ62CidFCl8cMGYbGPuUMT76WXuZew5IVfX094TfakvZzsFeeheCbVJvQ7U/xLbooDE//AEP8z59dBoG9i5j/AMTQUFNOv9o5/c8mctuGTczRoVU/VUtnHx4puZUrv0eOLmKeC5lO2JxtJGdoI6e7INa/w+1jUy9cRLUIu8HvOhpYqojQArtBGdvx5oxsJyZwUCJ+1PZn9Z6Y24qwV1cFF8QyQOvtBOaDdsdNpEugZWyDNy6bIjFVj4B4NOixcRYqczemnSnqFWqlxJCmEJpyj94/yoZs7S22c3hh3YJ4rX2wEkO0LBtcnIGBuH5CvL/ERjWD/E0tOP6MMtHdZI3U4ZWBUjyNerWrKcxRjjpKm11rUo5AXmMq/ZcDFAOlrI6QQtfPWYJKV7wttV5MnODxml9VbTSNjtgkccZl6wzHIER6vDqtzq7X8MsKOT9H6MzRCJcY2qOoGPaa8o1S1nCnImmLC3JhmhLdQXs1xqLs7uDh2kLsxKOhyevRvwodisUIAjegtqr1KWWngHPfp0/mMO1s76m+mwWRDW1nZhOfDmVjukOD7SBn+WpqQouDK67UDUal7B0J4/b0/iJLTs7q2o3EiWiQu0cJk7ozAMwBGcevqKs7beT0iyjdwIf2BlEGuy28ibTLGfC3HjQ9Me7d8q0Ph74sK9xFtQMrntOltcyskik8SHJx5GtYIoIMVLmePckWrx7ceEc59RoVqZBMuj84jR8qeBkk+VDEmfc5wKnMmZIig5PPvqCZ055FZBRjeflT3nG7RfEWXXY63vruS4a7lRm5wFGKzdRUt1vit1jFdrKu0Q+z7IIV3o80ioecLWn/ALoUG0gQewtzDl0OI9C/wFVPxBuwlPDifW7cWl6IVLcID4vbmsbX3m60E+gjdC7VhXZjT4tRv3F0Ga3t4jNIqnG4AgBc+WSRz76y7nKqNvU8RlACeZZNBaGwiabT7R7eU7e6SEKVHrDDnPIpXac/KxzDenIGJDazZrp2rXVmjl1icBWPUqQGGfbginKrPEQN3gHXaxEAk1C601vSbFgk5jaNWPlnHP4VZ0DjBnI5RsiOew+hWkdtDrPeyzXMyMMMRtQ7sHHnng859daGlQKA/rFrmJ+WWEdv3xxvIx6vOnvGMX2zVfWTJZzsrEsqk81xtyMSQuDDfTE3bZtykcELXFe0kN3ngvYVfliB6sc1BUydwn3pkZ6BuvmanaZ24RSml2RZdusW23AzuznPnS/jWfYZ2xPunlxZwW0e6G+huCeCqZyKlbGc8riQVAHBzHuhahbRWEiM6K3d7RuxlG5y3tpW+py/SMVWDbGmla/pUFmscxw+9znuycZ/vQbNNaWyJdLUAnMu3t9FqPau8ntyTEAiIcY4Cj+uaFtKfKestuDciCdm9V/U2pekPEZYXjMU0YxllODxnjOQDz+FCtTeuB1l0bBlUdd7PW1opiu57gKWKW6wyBzn+ElvCBwPP50sFt6Bce+YXKAdZGX95NqN/cXtwFEs7l2C9B5AD3AAfCm0QIoUQDMWJMXakPoVP839KIsqZf8A6OfQH7IJ35+ljnmQ4fkeMkcfGj0tb0XpKuE6mb7/AFZdKj78w7wzbQoPStJKjZxmJPZs5xE2p9qI77T7m3EEkbSoVDrKQVJHXj8q67TMtbHPQSK9QGcDEV6N2icaLZLKkksqx4eRpSS/J65q2krLUqxPWRqLdtpXEMHaUrz6KPad1MeB7wQv9pn+0y4JW08XrL1HgHvO8f2mCTKPtfdNDI95Pz/YfwZuiuo1J3buQf4TVSJYFvtP4M2pdxfzfdNdidlvtP4MzF7EPNvumo2+8nc32n8GTHaGGRr3v7MyFJfrL02t/v8A3rK1wFP9QngzQ0ge75ApyO4xFX+LBwSwrO81X3jvlLe0zCXjAEF8fGo83V3k+Tt7TLur7GSXx8a7zlXed5O3tF2qT3EaBXdsDk/0o6WqwyIJ6WQ4aVnYK5ks9LljvY5kaSffGCh5BUf2rU0iNsJbiZ+pcBgACf8AEptQsjqUKwyLLByHy6YPyNN1WBDnrFLQWGMYii87OxW1pNO1ySIkLkbOuBmiXX7qmGPQylSYsU59Yu7Ndn1vNBtLj0kpvUnbt6eI0PR3BaFGIXVLm5jGR7Keq7P3aZ8yO0BsM8/ZUj/yz9yu8yO07YYpDt9o/OvmW9u8+77V7TLe32j867e3ecFXPSeh2+0fnUb27ywVe093tj6x+dRvbvI2r2nwJJGSTz51dWJ6mZXxcAUDHcf+wOUfT0yvSeYPWbI/qD40M/VLjpNx/ck/86iq/wB0n0k32g+u3uX8hWtpf05lav6jOrdhoozZTTFFMqQZR8eJfcfKg/DjuvO7nmbn+oWZNKoU44H/AFCFJZiWJJJ5Jr1uMAT53nMC1v8A6Rff+vJ/pNVf6DLJ9Qi3sZ/2tp/+Rv8AUaHpv0lhNR+qY98qPAzHzrp0/9k=",
        "content": "President Donald Trump's tariff policies have significantly harmed the United States economy, burdening American consumers, businesses and workers while dramatically failing to achieve their intended goals.\n\nDespite Trump's bold assertions that tariffs would rejuvenate American industry and restore fairness in global trade, economic research unequivocally demonstrates that these policies have backfired, imposing significant and lasting economic damage on the nation.\n\nAt their core, tariffs function as direct taxes on American consumers, raising the cost of imported goods and ultimately hitting the wallets of working and middle-class families hardest. Trump's first round of tariffs in 2019 led to an annual cost increase of approximately $831 per household , according to economists at the New York Federal Reserve. This price surge disproportionately impacts lower-income families, undermining their financial security and increasing economic inequality.\n\nIn 2025, Trump escalated his tariff strategy dramatically by declaring trade deficits a national emergency. He imposed an unprecedented 10% baseline tariff on nearly all imported goods, accompanied by significantly higher tariffs on key trade partners such as China, Mexico and the European Union. Rather than stabilizing the economy by creating jobs, this escalation immediately spiked consumer prices for everyday goods and essentials — whether it be food prices or clothing and textiles — exacerbating inflationary pressures and placing even greater financial stress on American households.\n\nThe damage extends far beyond rising consumer costs. Trump's aggressive tariff policies have provoked retaliatory actions from other nations, severely harming U.S. exporters, particularly in the agricultural sector. Retaliatory tariffs from China resulted in annual losses exceeding $10 billion for American farmers, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Soybean exports, once a cornerstone of U.S. agriculture, plummeted, forcing many farmers to rely heavily on government subsidies rather than market-driven revenues.\n\nAdditionally, industries beyond agriculture, such as technology and automotive sectors, faced severe disruptions due to retaliatory tariffs and increased input costs. Companies have been forced either to absorb higher costs, thus reducing profitability and investment potential, or pass these costs on to consumers, further driving inflation.\n\nThe manufacturing sector, heavily championed by Trump as a beneficiary of his tariffs, has also suffered substantial setbacks. A comprehensive 2020 Federal Reserve study confirmed that manufacturing employment actually declined in industries dependent on imported components due to rising production costs, decreased global competitiveness and weakened demand.\n\nMoreover, Trump's unpredictable tariff approach has injected damaging uncertainty into the U.S. economy. This unpredictability deters business investment and slows economic growth. Harvard Business Review highlights how companies have delayed or canceled investment plans in response to unpredictable trade policy shifts, hindering innovation and job creation. Perhaps most striking is Trump's complete failure to address the very trade deficits his tariffs sought to reduce. A report by The Commerce Department revealed that the U.S. trade deficit not only persisted but widened during Trump's administration. Far from strengthening America's economic position, Trump's protectionist stance has isolated the U.S. internationally, eroding trust and damaging relationships with vital trading partners, such as Mexico, China and the European Union.\n\nBy pursuing a confrontational stance rather than engaging in constructive dialogue, Trump’s tariffs have diminished America’s ability to influence global economic standards positively. Our allies abroad have increasingly begun to view the U.S. as an unreliable partner, weakening America's strategic economic position globally.\n\nUltimately, Trump's tariffs represent an economically indefensible policy driven more by political symbolism than genuine economic rationale. They punish American families, damage key industries and fail to achieve even the basic objectives of job creation and trade deficit reduction. The economic costs far outweigh any perceived benefits.\n\nMoving forward, policymakers must decisively reject Trump's protectionist approach. Returning to evidence-based international trade practices is crucial for America's economic recovery and long-term prosperity. By abandoning harmful tariffs, the U.S. can restore consumer purchasing power, stimulate business investment and reestablish itself as a reliable and respected trade partner.\n\nOwen Puckett is an Opinion Editor and a member of the Editorial Board. He is a senior studying political science. Do you agree President Trump's tariff policies have harmed the United States economy? Send all comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com\n\nEnjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Daily Cardinal delivered to your inbox"
      },
      {
        "title": "Tariff troubles: Could protectionism revive stagflation?",
        "id": "d-155",
        "link": "https://www.ey.com/en_us/insights/strategy/macroeconomics/macro-tariff-playbook-reciprocal-tariffs",
        "snippet": "President Donald Trump issued a memorandum on reciprocal trade and tariffs February 13, 2025, saying there is an economic and national security threat posed by...",
        "source": "EY",
        "imageUrl": "data:image/jpeg;base64,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",
        "content": "Our Strategy Consulting teams help CEOs achieve maximum value for stakeholders by designing strategies that improve profitability and long-term value.\n\nWhat other tariffs were announced?\n\nThe administration confirmed it is imposing automotive tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act (for which the original investigation concluded in February 2019), starting on April 3, citing national security concerns.\n\nThe 25% tariff affects imported passenger vehicles, including sedans, SUVs, crossovers, minivans and cargo vans, and light trucks. Key automobile parts such as engines, transmissions, powertrain parts and electrical components also fall under the tariff.\n\nThe US imported a total of US$247b of motor vehicles in 2024 plus US$143b of automotive parts. Assuming 90% of Canadian auto imports would eventually become USMCA-compliant and 95% of Mexican auto imports would become USMCA-compliant, that would represent a total of nearly US$300b of imports subject to the tariffs.\n\nAssuming the tariffs are permanent, we estimate their impact to be a loss of 0.3% of GDP relative to a baseline in 2025, and a loss of 0.4% of GDP relative to a baseline in 2026. The impact on Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation would +0.2% in 2025. For the EU, Canada and Mexico, the GDP loss relative to the baseline would be 0.1% in 2025 and 0.4% in 2026. For Japan, it would be 0.1% in 2025 and 0.3% in 2026. For mainland China, it would be 0.1% and 0.2% in 2025 and 2026, respectively.\n\nWhat would the impact be of ending the ‘de minimis’ exemption for goods from mainland China and Hong Kong?\n\n\n\nPresident Trump is ending duty-free de minimis treatment for covered goods from mainland China and Hong Kong. Starting May 2, these goods will be subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or US$25 per item (increasing to US$50 per item after June 1, 2025).\n\nThe de minimis tariff exemption allows shipments bound for US businesses and consumers valued under US$800 (per person, per day) to enter the US free of duty and taxes. In 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection estimated a total of over 1 billion such shipments worth around US$54b entered the US if shipped through the international postal network. Covered goods shipped from mainland China and Hong Kong are subject to the reciprocal duties and all other applicable duties.\n\nWhile the total value of these shipments is modest compared to total US imports of over US$3t, research suggests that the elimination of the de minimis exemption would lead to a reduction in aggregate welfare around US$12b, disproportionately hurting lower-income consumers. Since roughly US$18b of de minimis shipments come from mainland China, mostly via e-commerce platforms, we estimate the loss of welfare from eliminating the mainland China exemption to represent around US$4b.\n\nWhat will the impact be on our baseline forecast and what are the recession odds?\n\nAs described above, our initial assessment of the economic impact of the new tariff measures points to a substantial hit to the US and global economy, with consumer spending possibly retrenching and a risk that the economy could fall into a recession.\n\nOn the growth front, the US economy could enter a recession in the second half of the year with a real GDP growth drag averaging 0.8ppt in 2025, bringing our average growth forecast from 1.5% down to 0.7%. By Q4 2025, real GDP could be contracting 0.5% y/y.\n\nOn the inflation front, the new reciprocal tariffs could raise US consumer price inflation by 0.8ppt by Q4 2025, with the inflationary impulse concentrated in the second quarter of the year.\n\nGiven the uncertainty surrounding the duration of the new tariffs and potential retaliation measures from targeted economies, we will adjust our baseline in the coming week to account for the latest developments. One thing is for sure though, the likelihood of a recession in the next 12 months has risen from 40% just two weeks ago to around 60% today.\n\nHow will the Fed react?\n\n\n\nFed policymakers will maintain a reactionary stance in the coming month and will want to avoid front-running the impact of tariffs on output and inflation. We will likely see a growing fracture between those that are more concerned about the negative impact of tariffs on growth and employment and those more concerned about the risk of a de-anchoring of inflation expectations and persistently higher inflation.\n\nHow much certainty do we have about the permanence and breadth of these tariffs?\n\n\n\nThere will be latent uncertainty in the coming months surrounding the breadth of the tariffs and their duration. In terms of breadth, the administration has already started discussing the possibility of exemptions and exclusions at the country and sector levels. We will be producing a follow-up note with product-level analysis using the EY UPGRADE CGE model.\n\nSimilarly, we shouldn’t discount the possibility of some tariffs being imposed for a short period and then removed or reduced. Many economies have already begun to seek negotiations with the Trump administration to lower the tariffs.\n\nOn the flip side, it remains to be seen how the US administration will address certain products like pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, lumber, energy and critical minerals that were excluded from the recent tariff announcements but have been identified by President Trump as targets for future sectoral tariffs.\n\nWhat is the risk for US consumers and businesses?\n\n\n\nBeyond immediate cost pressures, higher tariffs will undermine corporate and household sentiment on the economy while diverting production resources to resilience building. With consumers and businesses increasingly worried about the economic outlook, a wait-and-see approach is likely to be favored, and both groups could scale back future spending and investment intentions. This is particularly true as trade uncertainty has fed market volatility, with the US equity market underperforming. The ensuing negative wealth effect is likely to further constrain business investment and consumer spending.\n\nTo offset both the challenges around trade uncertainty and the higher cost of doing trade, businesses will adjust their strategies. Some will diversify supply chains, shifting sourcing to economies less impacted by the tariffs, while others may invest in automation and cost take-out exercises to cut costs and reduce dependence on imports.\n\nBeyond the short-term risks, what would the long-term (5- to 10-year) impact of reciprocal tariffs be?\n\nWe anticipate that the US economy will be among the economies most adversely affected by reciprocal tariffs, with the long-term impact on real GDP expected to be negative 0.7% — worth around US$200b annually."
      },
      {
        "title": "Tariffs News Highlights: Tariffs Send Wall Street Tumbling to Worst Day Since Pandemic",
        "id": "d-156",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/04/03/business/trump-tariffs",
        "snippet": "The S&P 500 fell almost 5 percent on Thursday, its worst drop since June 2020, as allies and adversaries alike criticized President Trump's...",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT75MWYIDomeBgXAjsMjl-sl9q9D6P94_LIkWrakgaQU_trKgl9qBrb0OMOSA&s",
        "content": "The tariffs announced by President Trump on Wednesday apply to most of the world.\n\nPresident Trump announced what could be one of the most drastic economic policy changes in decades on Wednesday, when he substituted America’s longstanding system of taxing imports with a new tariff system of his own devising.\n\nThe president said the tariffs would reverse decades of what he called unfair treatment by the rest of the world and result in factories and jobs moving back to the United States.\n\n“The markets are going to boom” and “the country is going to boom,” Mr. Trump said on Thursday, as global financial markets suffered their biggest rout in years. He added that other countries “have taken advantage of us for many, many years.”\n\nEconomists’ estimates have been far more grim, with most predicting that the president’s sweeping tariffs and likely retaliation will slow U.S. economic growth, push up costs for consumers and make life difficult for businesses that depend on international supply chains.\n\nThe president’s measure is both consequential and complicated.\n\nWhat did the president just do?\n\nMr. Trump announced two big tariff plans that apply to most of the world. One component is a “base line” tariff of 10 percent that will apply broadly to nearly all U.S. imports, except for products coming from Canada and Mexico.\n\nThe second measure is what the president is calling a “reciprocal” tariff. That levy will apply to 57 countries that Mr. Trump says have high tariffs and other unfair economic practices that have hurt American exporters. He said this is a reciprocal tariff because it will match the way other countries treat the United States.\n\nBut the tariff that Mr. Trump announced is not actually based on other countries’ tariffs or other economic barriers to U.S. trade. The number is calculated based on the U.S. trade deficit, which is a measure of the difference between what the United States sells to a country and what it buys from it.\n\nThe reciprocal tariffs range from 1 percent to 40 percent and will be added to the 10 percent base line tariff.\n\nThe 10 percent tariffs will go into effect on Saturday, and the reciprocal rates next Wednesday.\n\nWhich countries were targeted most by the tariffs?\n\nThe tariffs put a heavy burden on some of America’s biggest trading partners, including China, Japan, Germany, India, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam.\n\nNotably, Canada and Mexico were not included. Mr. Trump hit those countries with a 25 percent tariff on many of their exports last month, though he also provided an exception for products that qualify for the trade agreement he signed in 2020, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The countries are also subject to tariffs Mr. Trump has applied globally on cars, steel and aluminum, and the administration appears to have decided that America’s closest neighbors did not need further tariffs.\n\nBut the new tariffs will hit other allies with substantial levies. European goods will face a 20 percent tariff, Japanese goods will face 24 percent and South Korean products 26 percent.\n\nBecause of the way the tariff was calculated, Asian countries that send the United States a lot of exports but don’t buy much in return will see some of the highest rates.\n\nChinese exports face an extra 34 percent tariff. That is on top of a 20 percent tariff Mr. Trump applied in recent months and other levies from his first term. As a result, some products from China will face a tariff of 79 percent.\n\nVietnam — where many companies moved their factories after Mr. Trump put tariffs on China in his first term — will now face a 46 percent tariff on its exports, while Cambodian exports will be taxed at 49 percent.\n\nThe White House also did not apply tariffs to Russia, North Korea, Cuba and Belarus, arguing that these countries are already subject to heavy sanctions. But U.S. imports from Russia were $3 billion last year; small compared to many countries, but far larger than tiny countries like Lesotho and the Falkland Islands, which Mr. Trump chose to hit with substantial tariffs.\n\nWhat is the president’s goal?\n\nImage Mr. Trump said the tariffs will reverse decades of unfair treatment by the rest of the world and result in factories and jobs moving back to the United States. Credit... Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times\n\nThe president and his advisers say their goal is to make the tariffs so painful that they force companies to make their products in the United States. They argue that this will create more American jobs and push up wages.\n\n“If you want your tariff rate to be zero,” Mr. Trump said outside the White House on Wednesday, “then you build your product right here in America.”\n\nOne of the biggest questions is whether the president sees these tariffs as a negotiating tactic, and would be willing to remove them in return for concessions from other countries.\n\nThe administration has given mixed signals on that front. It seems unlikely that the president will remove the 10 percent base line tariff he has issued globally. And if the administration is truly looking for U.S. trade deficits with other countries to be eliminated, that may be difficult, if not impossible.\n\nBut in the executive order he signed, the president said that if countries eliminate their unfair trade practices, or the U.S. trade deficit with them drops, the reciprocal tariffs could be rolled back.\n\nHoward Lutnick, the commerce secretary, described other countries’ trade barriers as “the monster that needs to be slayed.”\n\n“Our teams are talking to all the great trading partners today,” Mr. Lutnick said Thursday on Bloomberg Television. “It is time for them to do deep soul-searching on how they treat us poorly and how to make it right.”\n\nHow did they come up with the numbers?\n\nMr. Trump said Wednesday that each nation’s tariff rate would be calculated based on “the combined rate of all their tariffs, non-monetary barriers and other forms of cheating.” But it turned out that their methodology revolved around something more straightforward: the gap between what America exports to a country and what it imports.\n\nThe White House put out a complicated-looking formula, but it boiled down to a simple ratio. Countries that send the U.S. more goods than they buy were deemed to have “unbalanced” trade and will face higher tariffs.\n\nThis formula doesn’t account for any comparative advantage, or the idea that countries trade goods because some are better at making some products than others, and that countries can trade to maximize their benefits. Instead, the administration’s point of view appears to be that any trade deficit is bad, and tariffs will be applied until it is eliminated.\n\nHow do the tariffs work?\n\nAs they go into effect over the next week, the tariffs will immediately increase the cost for importers bringing goods into the country. Typically, those importers are U.S. companies.\n\nFor example, if Walmart brings in a $10 shoe from Vietnam — which faces a 46 percent tariff — Walmart will owe $4.60 in additional tariffs to the U.S. government.\n\nIt’s less clear what happens next. Walmart could try to force the cost onto the Vietnamese shoe manufacturer, by telling it Walmart will pay less for the product. Walmart could cut into its own profit margins and absorb the cost of the tariff. Or, it could raise the price it sells shoes for at its stores, to make up the cost.\n\nEconomists found that, when Mr. Trump put tariffs on China in his first term, most of that cost was passed on to consumers. But economic studies found that the tariffs on steel were a bit different; only about half of those costs were passed on to customers.\n\nEstimates vary, but given the scale of Mr. Trump’s new tariffs, American households could see thousands of dollars of additional costs annually. An estimate released by the Yale Budget Lab, a research group, found that American households on average would pay an additional $2,100 because of the April 2 announcement, with poorer households paying a larger share of their income.\n\nThe particularly high tariffs that the Trump administration applied to many Asian countries means that the price of many consumer items will likely increase, including shoes, clothing and electronics.\n\nThe government will earn a lot more revenue from tariffs that the Trump administration has promised to channel into tax cuts. The value of tariffs for all the goods imported by the United States last year was $78 billion. With the new tariffs announced on Wednesday, the figure would skyrocket to more than $1 trillion, according to an analysis by Trade Partnership Worldwide, a research firm based in Washington.\n\nWhat happens next with the economy?\n\nThe tariff announcement triggered a global meltdown in stock markets, indicating that investors see it as significantly harmful for listed companies.\n\nIt is not yet clear whether, or how, other countries will retaliate. But if they impose their own tariffs on U.S. products, that will likely hurt U.S. exporters and could spark escalating trade wars.\n\nMany analysts quickly downgraded their forecasts for economic growth, saying that tariffs would push up prices for consumers and costs for businesses, slowing demand and economic activity.\n\nNancy Lazar, chief global economist at Piper Sandler, estimated the U.S. economy might contract 1 percent in the second quarter. She had previously expected a flat quarter. “It’s an immediate hit to the economy,” she said.\n\nEconomists at Fitch Ratings said in a note Thursday that the tariffs had significantly raised the risk for a recession in the United States. It said that tariffs would result in higher consumer prices that would squeeze real wages and weigh on consumer spending.\n\nThe tariffs would also lead to lower corporate profits, which, along with policy uncertainty, would drag on business investment in the United States. Altogether, the effect would “likely outweigh the benefits U.S. companies might gain from increased protection against foreign competition,” Fitch economists said.\n\nLazaro Gamio and Colby Smith contributed reporting."
      },
      {
        "title": "Donald Trump updates: World on edge as reciprocal tariffs deadline looms",
        "id": "d-157",
        "link": "https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/4/1/donald-trump-live-news-countries-markets-on-edge-as-tariff-deadline-looms",
        "snippet": "US Senate will likely vote on Wednesday on a bill to halt Trump's tariffs on Canadian imports amid economic uncertainty.",
        "source": "Al Jazeera",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQuNS8QruchDwxC6EyE94zBAhsgYSINZmryB85ClbfRpx8WEWHLm-AhyanEqA&s",
        "content": "Donald Trump updates: World on edge as reciprocal tariffs deadline looms\n\nUS Senate will likely vote on Wednesday on a bill to halt Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports amid economic uncertainty."
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump to announce tariffs April 2: Why he's calling it 'liberation day'",
        "id": "d-158",
        "link": "https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/31/trump-liberation-day-april-2-auto-tariffs/82739773007/",
        "snippet": "President Donald Trump has been calling Wednesday \"liberation day,\" the day he has promised to announce and thereafter enact widespread tariffs.",
        "source": "Detroit Free Press",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRNDKBhHvLnPKMOK5HxnoX4mnwfYzL8uBqgixakEZo6N8tr_njlBCBXtEllgg&s",
        "content": "Trump to announce tariffs April 2: Why he's calling it 'liberation day'\n\nShow Caption Hide Caption Sweeping import tariffs have some worried Here's what to know as Trump's sweeping tariffs arrive.\n\nPresident Trump has referred to April 2 as \"liberation day,\" marking the day he plans to impose new tariffs on imported goods.\n\nTrump argues that tariffs will create a more balanced economic playing field for U.S. exports and encourage domestic manufacturing.\n\nEconomists generally agree that tariffs lead to higher consumer prices, retaliatory tariffs from other countries, and negative impacts on consumer sentiment and stock prices.\n\nFor some weeks now, President Donald Trump has been calling Wednesday \"liberation day,\" the day he has promised to announce and thereafter enact widespread tariffs on the nation's global trading partners.\n\nTrump's motive, as he has made clear since his first term in office from 2017-21, is to use tariffs — which is a term for a tax a country places on imported goods — as a way to force other countries to lower their own tariffs on U.S. goods and services, so as to create a more balanced economic playing field for U.S. exports, and to create a strong incentive for companies to manufacture goods (like cars, for instance) inside the U.S. to avoid paying the tax.\n\nProblem is, economists widely agree that tariffs, if applied broadly, result in higher prices for consumer goods regardless of where they are being made, push other countries to raise their own tariffs instead of lowering them and, generally, hurt consumer sentiment and drive down stock prices at home, hurting investment.\n\nWith that in mind, let's take a closer look at what this new \"liberation day\" is all about.\n\nThe idea of 'Liberation Day' isn't anything new\n\nA lot of the \"Liberation Day\" celebrations around the world are linked to the end of World War II in Europe and elsewhere. The French celebrate the liberation of Paris from the Nazis on Aug. 25, 1944, and the Italians celebrate the beginning of the popular uprising and general strike that overthrew the Fascists and Mussolini on April 25, 1945.\n\nWhen did Trump begin referring to a 'liberation day?'\n\nIt grew over several weeks in March of this year, though the formulation had a much longer run-up than that. Trump referred to several days as \"liberation day\" during his last presidential campaign. In February 2024, he told a conservative audience that Election Day, Nov. 5, \"will he our liberation day\" and repeated it several times after that. Then, Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2025, became \"liberation day,\" with Trump repeating that at his inaugural address.\n\nDuring a speech to a joint session of Congress on March 4, Trump said, \"We are achieving the great liberation of America but there still is much work to be done\" and spoke about his plans to implement what he called \"reciprocal tariffs\" on other nations, adding \"Whatever they tax us, we tax them.\" By St. Patrick's Day on March 17, Trump was telling reporters, according to the Washington Post, that April 2 \"is a liberation day for our country because we’re going to be getting back a lot of the wealth that we so foolishly gave up to other countries.\"\n\nWhat's going to happen on this 'liberation day?'\n\nAs of this writing, on March 31, no one knows. Trump has already announced a lot of tariffs — on imported steel and aluminum, which are already in effect; on imported autos and auto parts, which are set to go into effect at midnight April 3, and have Detroit automakers extraordinarily concerned about the additional pressures and costs to Canadian and Mexican supply lines they rely on; on Chinese goods generally and any country buying oil from Venezuela — but the new set of taxes or tariffs are a mystery for now.\n\nTrump first talked about a broad series of import tariffs that would not only match the tariffs charged by other countries but also account for other economic obstacles to U.S. trade, such as quotas that might limit the level of imports allowed into a country, or value-added taxes like those in Europe and elsewhere that can add to the price of imported goods. Then, as recently as last week, he was talking about being more lenient, saying otherwise his plans might be too tough and it looked like it might be restricted to certain trading partners. On Sunday night, he was again talking about them being broader and the Wall Street Journal said he was pushing aides to be more aggressive in applying them.\n\nStill, there seemed to be some room for compromise. After imposing the auto tariffs last week, Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had a call after which Trump suggested negotiations were possible, adding, \"I think things will work out very well between Canada and the United States.\"\n\nDoes Trump have a point on trade and tariffs?\n\nThe United States runs a deficit in terms of its trade in goods and services with the rest of the world. In January of this year, that deficit — meaning the value of imports compared with the value of U.S. exports — was about $131 billion, up from about $98 billion in December. The U.S. hasn't run a trade surplus, however, since the mid-1970s.\n\nTrump has consistently argued that is proof the U.S. is treated unfairly by its trading partners, and some labor leaders, including the UAW's Shawn Fain, have agreed, in part, saying tariffs will result in more work for U.S.-based manufacturing. And there are some claims that the U.S. may be more vulnerable financially or militarily if it doesn't protect its ability to make things.\n\nBut there is another argument that in a world with global supply chains, it makes more sense economically and diplomatically for the U.S. to spend less than it otherwise might on some consumer goods by using imports to lower prices on some items, freeing up more for wages, savings, investment and other goods. It is hard for economists to imagine U.S. wages falling to a level where they would meet those in some other parts of the world and provide an advantage for U.S. exports. Meanwhile, there are questions as to what damage could be done to businesses; major manufacturers are not able to willy-nilly change product lines, open factories and alter supply chains, circumstances that can take years to plan and execute, lasting longer than a president's term.\n\nIf Trump is able to use tariffs as a way to pull more business into the U.S. and negotiate better access to foreign markets for American-made goods, while raising some revenue for the federal government to offset promised tax extensions, he may be widely praised. If, on the other hand, his actions lead to a possible recession — after what had been a period of stock market and job expansion, despite higher prices — it could lead to strong reaction among the public, if history is any guide.\n\nContact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler."
      },
      {
        "title": "Expert predicts what will happen if Trump imposes sweeping tariffs",
        "id": "d-159",
        "link": "https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/30/business/video/gps0330-trump-tariffs-froman-economy",
        "snippet": "Fareed Zakaria speaks with the former US Trade Representative and current Council on Foreign Relations President Michael Froman on what Americans can expect.",
        "source": "CNN",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcThgbK1BUf7OSJnSgaqis5Lfw6d0V-QBRI1NFcm_j3pLSBxYWfKNq-4C7N78Q&s",
        "content": "1. How relevant is this ad to you?\n\nVideo player was slow to load content Video content never loaded Ad froze or did not finish loading Video content did not start after ad Audio on ad was too loud Other issues"
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump has touted Gilded Age tariffs, an era which saw industrial growth together with poverty",
        "id": "d-160",
        "link": "https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-has-touted-gilded-age-tariffs-an-era-which-saw-industrial-growth-together-with-poverty",
        "snippet": "WASHINGTON (AP) — In President Donald Trump's idealized framing, the United States was at its zenith in the 1890s, when top hats and...",
        "source": "PBS",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQsZiPZKzfQi7e-NKERmBSOQGJli64YfhG73hc96VAeWP0ND88lW3uP5rnIkQ&s",
        "content": "WASHINGTON (AP) — In President Donald Trump’s idealized framing, the United States was at its zenith in the 1890s, when top hats and shirtwaists were fashionable and typhoid fever often killed more soldiers than combat.\n\nIt was the Gilded Age, a time of rapid population growth and transformation from an agricultural economy toward a sprawling industrial system, when poverty was widespread while barons of phenomenal wealth, like John D. Rockefeller and J.P. Morgan, held tremendous sway over politicians who often helped boost their financial empires.\n\n“We were at our richest from 1870 to 1913. That’s when we were a tariff country. And then they went to an income tax concept,” Trump said days after taking office. “It’s fine. It’s OK. But it would have been very much better.”\n\nThe desire to recreate that era is fueled by Trump’s fondness for tariffs and his admiration for the nation’s 25th president, William McKinley, a Republican who was in office from 1897 until being assassinated in 1901.\n\nThough Trump’s early implementation of tariffs has been inconsistent — with him imposing them, then pulling many back — he has been steadfast in endorsing the idea of 21st century protectionism. There have even been suggestions that higher import tariffs on the country’s foreign trading partners could eventually replace the federal income tax.\n\nREAD MORE: Trump doesn’t rule out recession while downplaying business concerns about his tariffs\n\nExperts on the era say Trump is idealizing a time rife with government and business corruption, social turmoil and inequality. They argue he’s also dramatically overestimating the role tariffs played in stimulating an economy that grew mostly due to factors other than the U.S. raising taxes on imported goods.\n\nAnd Gilded Age policies, they maintain, have virtually nothing to do with how trade works in a globalized, modern economy.\n\n“The most astonishing thing for historians is that nobody in the Gilded Age economy — except for the very rich — wanted to live in the Gilded Age economy,” said Richard White, a history professor emeritus at Stanford University.\n\nTrump says high tariffs and low interest rates, like those the U.S. had after the Civil War, can hastily pay down today’s federal debt and fatten government coffers while boosting domestic manufacturers and enticing foreign producers to move to the U.S.\n\nIt’s not a new theme for him.\n\n“I am a Tariff Man,” Trump declared in a 2018 online post. Campaigning for a second term last fall, Trump said of the McKinley era, “We were a very wealthy country, and we’re going to be doing that now.” Today, he says “tariff” is his favorite word and represents “a very powerful weapon that politicians haven’t used because they were either dishonest, stupid or paid off in some other form.”\n\nThe White House has rushed to raise tariffs on imports from China and on aluminum and steel made abroad while promising that import levies will soon increase on the European Union, as well as new, foreign-made cars, microchips and pharmaceuticals. Trump also increased tariffs on Canada and Mexico, though he later delayed most of them.\n\nHe has similar plans for potentially every country the U.S. does business with, saying broad “reciprocal” import taxes are coming April 2nd and will be consistent with levies other countries charge U.S. manufacturers to export their goods.\n\nDartmouth College economics professor Douglas Irwin said Trump advocating for modern tariffs by pointing to the 1890s is flawed.\n\n“We did grow rapidly in the late 19th century,” he said. “But it’s a stretch to attribute it to tariffs.”\n\n“The president is more accurate when he paints with a broader brush and says, ’Look, this entire period with fiscal surpluses we grew rapidly.’ That’s true of this 40-year period,” added Irwin, author of “Clashing over Commerce: A History of U.S. Trade Policy.”\n\n“But, when you dig down to the details and say, ‘We raised tariffs in this instance,’ that’s where things go awry. Or the story doesn’t quite hold together as well,” Irwin said.\n\nREAD MORE: 5 things to know about tariffs and how they work\n\nWas America really at its wealthiest from 1870 to 1913?\n\nThe Gilded Age featured extraordinary wealth for a small class of people that largely obscured rampant poverty for many other Americans. The name comes from a 1873 novel, co-written by Mark Twain, which satirized the greed and deceit of the era’s government and politicians.\n\nMany contemporary leaders were openly influenced by the famed robber barons, builders of monopolies who stoked industrialization while shaping the way millions of other Americans lived and worked.\n\nRockefeller became the exemplar of the era when his Standard Oil empire made him the world’s first billionaire. Morgan was an investment banker and legendary financier of industrial interests. Cornelius Vanderbilt amassed a breathtaking fortune through shipping and railroads, while steel magnate Andrew Carnegie was also a dedicated philanthropist who argued the rich had a moral responsibility to use their wealth to better a deeply unequal society.\n\nOverall, the U.S. economy grew rapidly between 1870 and 1913, though there were dips and recessions, too.\n\nSome historians call it the second industrial revolution because of major increases in manufacturing and factory output. New industries like steel, electricity and petrochemicals boomed, as did sectors including construction and machinery.\n\nBut White said those years were marked by erratic economic growth, and those upturns were mostly fueled by millions of immigrants joining the U.S. workforce. Indeed, the number of U.S. residents jumped from 38.5 million-plus in 1870 to more than 106 million by 1920.\n\nAnother factor was the seizing of land from Native Americans during U.S. expansion west. That meant exploiting natural resources along the way — including gold, silver, timber, grazing and farmland, as well as coal, copper and oil, especially after the discovery of the Spindletop geyser in Texas in 1901.\n\nAverage wages rose, but so did inequality, with almost no social safety net. Working conditions were often so abhorrent, meanwhile, that the labor movement began gaining strength, as did progressive politicians clamoring for breaking up monopolies.\n\n“This is the height of antimonopoly, political turmoil, the rise of labor in the United States,” said White, author of “The Republic for Which it Stands: The United States during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896.” “And the reason was, people did not regard this as a particularly healthy economy.”\n\nIn fact, despite the growth, standards of living fell, including life expectancy and key health indicators, White said.\n\nCould tariffs replace the federal income tax?\n\nThe modern federal income tax came into fruition with the ratification of 16th Amendment in 1913, ending the 43-year era when Trump says the country was wealthiest. He has not expressly detailed plans to end a national income tax since retaking the White House, and he can’t do so without an act of Congress and upending the federal budget in almost incalculable ways.\n\nIn fiscal year 2024, the federal government collected about $4 trillion in individual income tax and tax withholdings, according to the Treasury Department, compared with customs duties accounting for around $76.4 billion.\n\nBut the president nonetheless signed a Day 1 executive order calling for the creation of the External Revenue Service to “collect tariffs, duties, and other foreign trade-related revenues.” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested Trump’s goal there was “to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and let all the outsiders pay.”\n\nRepublican strategist Karl Rove, author of “The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters,” has defended the notion of low, reciprocal tariffs on U.S. foreign trading partners.\n\nBut Rove also says that tariffs can’t realistically replace a federal income tax. He noted in a February op-ed that from 1863 to 1913 tariffs brought in nearly half the U.S. government’s revenue but last year they accounted for less than 2% of federal revenue.\n\nWhy does Trump so revere McKinley?\n\nIn his inaugural address, Trump called McKinley a “great president” and “natural business man,” who he said “made our country very rich through tariffs and through talent.” Hours later, he signed an executive order overturning an Obama administration directive and renaming America’s tallest peak Mount McKinley.\n\nBut today’s economy is immeasurably different than in McKinley’s time.\n\nGlobal communication is now virtually instantaneous. Back then, communication was cumbersome and products were often fully assembled before being exported. Shipping could take months. Today’s goods often contain raw material components or parts that need to be assembled that are sourced all over the world and then built in places different from where they are ultimately sold.\n\nThe disruption of such carefully calibrated, multinational logistical systems by the coronavirus pandemic was a key reason why everything from leather couches to flooring to microchips for new cars suddenly became scarce. And that helped feed record inflation beginning in 2021 that continues to dog the U.S. economy today.\n\nRobert W. Merry, author of “President McKinley: Architect of the American Century,” said McKinley was the leading voice on tariffs at a time when they dominated policy discussions because they were the federal government’s chief source of revenue, given that no income tax existed.\n\nBut Trump differs with McKinley in using tariffs as a “bludgeon to get other countries to do our bidding on efforts that have nothing to do with revenue, or economic matters or trade.” The president has done that with Canada and Mexico, using tariff threats to try to force those countries to take harder lines against drug smuggling and illegal immigration.\n\n“Nobody would have even considered such a thing in McKinley’s day,” Merry said.\n\nMcKinley champions the Tariff Act of 1890\n\nMcKinley hailed from Canton, in northeast Ohio and was son of an iron foundries owner who was especially sensitive to overseas competition. He won a seat in Congress representing a steel-producing district and so promoted tariffs that one humor magazine used a cartoon on its cover to unflatteringly dub him the “Napoleon of Protectionism.”\n\nAs chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, McKinley championed the Tariff Act of 1890, which set the then-highest import tax in U.S. history, raising taxes to 49.5% on 1,500-plus items — everything from glass to tin plates to cayenne pepper. The results were quickly poor for the economy and for Republicans.\n\n“It led to an increase in prices, a kind of inflation, even before the bill took effect,” Merry said. “The argument was, it was carte blanche for retailers and industrialists who basically jacked up their prices unnecessarily.”\n\nAmericans dealt Republicans landslide congressional defeats during the 1890 midterms, voting scores of incumbents out of office — including McKinley. The tariff fallout also helped Grover Cleveland win the White House for Democrats in 1892, after he lost his reelection the previous cycle.\n\nMcKinley rebounded, though. He was elected Ohio governor and eventually won the presidency in 1896 on a campaign slogan Trump has repeated: “I am a tariff man standing on a tariff platform.” His campaign also got boosts from big donations by major industrialists like Rockefeller, who were strongly opposed to McKinley’s populist Democratic opponent, William Jennings Bryan.\n\nJust as in McKinley’s time, today’s business titans have worked to ingratiate themselves to Trump. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was among the technology leaders who traveled to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, where Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, was already a fixture, before Inauguration Day.\n\nMeta, Google and Microsoft joined other major firms donating $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee, while Amazon Prime Video is set to distribute a documentary about first lady Melania Trump. Some business interests are hoping Trump will usher in a new era of antitrust, in which the government does less to block highly profitable corporate consolidation.\n\nWhat was the ‘great tariff commission’?\n\nIgnoring some of the political problems tariffs created for Republicans in his favored era, Trump instead has focused on repeating how import taxes after the Civil War helped the U.S. pay off debts it incurred during the fighting — and eventually achieve government budget surpluses.\n\nFrom 1866 to 1893, the U.S. ran nearly three straight decades of budget surpluses, fueled largely by tariffs and high domestic taxes on things like alcohol and tobacco, as well as the sale of federal lands. Paying down debt helped lower interest rates.\n\nTrump has even begun trumpeting what he calls the “great tariff commission of 1887,” which the president says was tasked with helping the government spend all those surpluses.\n\nIrwin said there was a tariff commission, but it was actually convened five years earlier in 1882. It also recommended reducing tariffs, which Congress didn’t do.\n\n“It’s hard to say it was a political success. It’s hard to say it was an economic success,” Irwin said. “Because we spent a lot of the 1890s with double digit unemployment.”\n\nThat’s because federal budget surpluses eventually began to effectively decrease the U.S. money supply and cause deflation. Meanwhile, higher tariffs increased the cost of living for many Americans, which, coupled with a financial crisis in Great Britain, helped trigger the Panic of 1893.\n\nThat resulted in railroad bankruptcies, a stock market crash and a crushing recession in which unemployment reached 25% nationally. Then-President Cleveland’s lack of solutions was a key factor in voters turning on him and the Democrats and toward McKinley three years later.\n\nMcKinley also differed with Trump on key issues\n\nTrump has used his opening weeks back in office to champion U.S. expansionism in ways unseen in the modern era.\n\nHe’s refused to rule out U.S. military forces seizing back control of the Panama Canal and suggested buying Greenland from Denmark, making Canada the 51st state and even working with Israel to put American developers in charge of turning the Gaza Strip into a seaside “Riviera.”\n\nThere are echoes of McKinley there, because, as president, he moved to expand the reach of the U.S. The Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico became American territories as part of the treaty that ended the Spanish-American War in December 1898.\n\nBut the comparison is not so easy. McKinley was also skeptical of U.S. expansionism, even writing himself a note at the start of the war and carrying it as a reminder, Merry said.\n\n“While we are conducting war, and until its conclusion, we must keep all we get,” the note said. “When the war is over, we must keep what we want.”\n\nShortly after winning reelection in 1900, meanwhile, McKinley began rethinking tariffs, as a stronger and still-growing U.S. manufacturing base made him more appreciative of foreign markets.\n\n“McKinley began to see that, if we were going to be able to sell our goods overseas — as we were going to need to do because we would have more goods than we’d have a market for — we were going to have to accept goods as well,” Merry said.\n\nHe said that McKinley gave a speech in Buffalo, New York, outlining “this concept of reciprocity, which was: I’m prepared to bring down tariffs. Even me. Even William McKinley.”\n\n“That was his first big initiative after being reelected,” Merry said.\n\nIn that speech on Sept. 5, 1901, McKinley said, “A policy of goodwill and friendly trade relations will prevent reprisals. Reciprocity treaties are in harmony with the spirit of the times. Measures of retaliation are not.”\n\nTrump is now promising that similar, reciprocal tariffs will take effect next month. But actually successfully pulling that off will be another difference from McKinley, who never got the chance.\n\nThe day after his Buffalo speech, McKinley was shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz. He died on Sept. 14, 1901."
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump will not impose 50% Canadian steel, aluminum tariffs tomorrow, says top trade advisor",
        "id": "d-161",
        "link": "https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/11/trump-raises-canadian-steel-aluminum-tariffs-to-50percent-in-retaliation-for-ontario-energy-duties.html",
        "snippet": "President Donald Trump also declared that if Canada does not lift other tariffs on the U.S., he will \"substantially increase\" auto import...",
        "source": "CNBC",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRdhqrCql-HqTCUA1-m9WPhJTUkdP50VzqCdsze624QfZWy9PDe3RA1TdA2Xg&s",
        "content": "President Donald Trump no longer plans to raise tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports to 50% on Wednesday, top White House trade advisor Peter Navarro told CNBC on Tuesday afternoon. The reversal came six hours after Trump announced his plan to double import duties on the Canadian metals in response to Ontario's decision to slap a 25% tax on electricity exports to the U.S. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said earlier Tuesday afternoon that he was pausing that surcharge following discussions with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Navarro was asked on CNBC's \"Closing Bell: Overtime\" if the developments meant that \"we're not going to see 50% tariffs come tomorrow.\" Navarro replied, \"Correct.\" Lutnick \"did a beautiful job negotiating that,\" he said. Ford's threat to add a surcharge on electricity exports to Michigan, New York and Minnesota came in retaliation for the sweeping 25% tariffs that Trump had placed on imports from Canada. The premier earlier in the day had vowed to keep his countermeasures on the U.S. in place, warning, \"There's one person to be blamed if we go into a recession, it will be called the Trump recession.\" But he and Lutnick had a \"productive conversation\" later in the day, and they agreed to meet in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to discuss a \"renewed\" trilateral trade agreement, according to a joint statement from the two men.\n\nTrump's new trade threats\n\nThe moves marked the latest twists in an escalating and increasingly unpredictable trade war between the U.S. and Canada. On Tuesday morning, Trump threw gas on the smoldering conflict with a Truth Social post announcing the new tariffs, while also repeating his calls for Canada to be absorbed into the U.S. as the \"Fifty First State.\" Trump said he was imposing the latest tariffs in response to Ontario's decision to slap a 25% tax on electricity exports to the U.S. That move by Ford was itself issued in retaliation for the sweeping 25% tariffs that Trump had placed on imports from Canada. \"Based on Ontario, Canada, placing a 25% Tariff on \"Electricity\" coming into the United States, I have instructed my Secretary of Commerce to add an ADDITIONAL 25% Tariff, to 50%, on all STEEL and ALUMINUM COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA, ONE OF THE HIGHEST TARIFFING NATIONS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD,\" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday morning. \"This will go into effect TOMORROW MORNING, March 12th,\" he wrote.\n\nThe Dow Jones Industrial Average extended its losses after Trump's announcement, falling more than 500 points, while the S&P 500 dropped 0.8% and the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.4%. Markets were already reeling from the impact of Trump's tariffs and broader fears of a recession. Minutes after Trump's announcement, Ford said he would keep his countermeasure on U.S. energy in place. \"We will not back down. We will be relentless,\" Ford said on MSNBC. \"I apologize to the American people that President Trump decided to have an unprovoked attack on our country, on families, on jobs, and it's unacceptable.\" In an interview on CNBC's \"Money Movers\" later Tuesday morning, Ford said he would be willing to shut off his province's energy supply to the U.S. if Trump \"continues to hurt Canadian families.\" \"I won't hesitate to do that,\" Ford said, adding, \"that's the last thing I want to do.\" Trump imposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico in early February, before delaying them for one month and then reimposing them — and then partially delaying them again.\n\nFord had vowed to keep Ontario's tax in place, despite Trump's latest reprieve. \"There's one person to be blamed, and that's President Trump,\" Ford said on CNBC. \"There's one person to be blamed if we go into a recession, it will be called the Trump recession. No one else.\" A senior administration official told CNBC at the time that Trump had not signed the formal paperwork to raise tariffs on Canada's steel and aluminum, but that the order was \"in the works.\" The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the president's thinking, said Trump's escalation was intended to \"lay down the gauntlet\" in response to Ford's action.\n\nwatch now\n\nSeparately in the Truth Social post Tuesday morning, Trump demanded that Canada \"immediately drop\" an \"Anti-American Farmer Tariff\" on certain U.S. dairy products. He also warned that he \"will shortly be declaring a National Emergency on Electricity within the threatened area.\" \"This will allow the U.S to quickly do what has to be done to alleviate this abusive threat from Canada,\" Trump wrote. The president also declared that if Canada does not lift other \"egregious, long time Tariffs\" on the U.S., he will \"substantially increase\" tariffs on auto imports on April 2. Doing so will \"essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada,\" Trump wrote. Trump, who frequently praises tariffs as an economic multitool, has hyped April 2 as the date when he will impose widespread \"reciprocal tariffs\" on other countries that have their own duties on U.S. goods. Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs on Canada and Mexico have inflamed tensions with both U.S. neighbors. But they have stoked special ire in Canada, where movements have sprung up to boycott U.S. products and political leaders have forcefully denounced Trump's trade war."
      },
      {
        "title": "Markets News, March 11, 2025: Stocks Close Lower to Extend Sell-Off Amid Fresh Concerns About Tariffs, Economic Uncertainty",
        "id": "d-162",
        "link": "https://www.investopedia.com/dow-jones-today-03112025-11694543",
        "snippet": "Stocks closed lower Tuesday after another volatile session of trading as investors digested new developments on tariffs and fresh signs of an economic slowdown.",
        "source": "Investopedia",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS8Y5jjIe8Dg9cdpuCIgyuC2u1dITbNhEtPQM4NpXepTBiNKUfT8HqRdpuVxg&s",
        "content": "Palantir Price Levels to Watch After Recent Sell-Off Palantir Technologies (PLTR) shares gained ground on Tuesday as the stock took a breather from a three-week slump that has seen the AI investor favorite lose more than a third of its market value. The company, a key software contractor to the U.S. Government, has seen its shares come under significant pressure in recent weeks after a report surfaced last month that the Pentagon plans a reduction in military spending. More recently, broader selling across tech stocks amid tariff uncertainty and talk of a potential recession have dented investor confidence. Still, some analysts remain bullish on Palantir’s outlook, arguing that the company’s suite of AI-powered analytics software places it in a position to benefit from efforts by the Trump White House to improve government efficiency. Palantir shares rose 2.2% to close at $78.05 on Tuesday, rebounding from the previous session's 10% decline. The stock has fallen 38% since hitting a record high three weeks ago, but the price is still three times what it was a year ago. After a bearish engulfing pattern signaled a record high in the stock last month, Palantir shares have moved lower on increasing trading volume, with bearish price action continuing into this week. Source: TradingView.com. Despite the recent decline, the relative strength index (RSI) index remains above the key 50 threshold and sits in a location that has generally corresponded with the low of several key retracements on the chart dating back to early 2023. Investors should watch crucial support levels on Palantir's chart around $66, $44 and $30, while also monitoring important overhead areas near $85 and $121. Read the full technical analysis piece here. -Timothy Smith\n\nViking Stock Falls as Cruise Operator Warns of Slower Bookings Viking Holdings (VIK) shares sank Tuesday as executives warned of macroeconomic \"uncertainties\" on the cruise operator's fourth-quarter earnings call.\n\nAfter a record month in January for booking revenue, \"we are seeing that February is a little bit slower,\" Viking CFO Leah Talactac said on the call, according to a transcript provided by AlphaSense. \"This is probably a reflection of the uncertainties in the world.\" A Viking cruise ship in Naples, Italy last August. Ivan Romano / Getty Images Viking reported solid Q4 results, with revenue of $1.35 billion, in line with Visible Alpha estimates. Its adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of 45 cents surpassed expectations. As of Feb. 23, the company had recorded $5.3 billion in advance bookings year-to-date for 2025, up 26% year-over-year. \"These are very good trends for 2025,\" Viking CEO Tor Hagen said on the call. \"I will highlight that depending on the market conditions we might not want to be booked too far out as we look to optimize pricing.\" Viking shares closed 6.1% lower on Tuesday. The stock is still up 67% from the company's initial public offering price of $24 last spring.\n\n-Aaron Rennie\n\nAsana Plunges as CEO Moskowitz Steps Down Shares of Asana (ASAN) lost nearly a quarter of their value on Tuesday following news CEO Dustin Moskovitz would step down, as the work management platform provider gave a weak fiscal 2026 outlook. The company announced late Monday that company co-founder Moskovitz has decided to leave as soon as a new CEO is named. Asana added that Moskovitz will continue as board chair and plans to retain his shares. The San Francisco-based Asana was founded 17 years ago by Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein, who met while both were leading engineering teams at Facebook, now part of Meta Platforms (META). The two came up with the idea of creating a technology that would make it easier for employees to coordinate their work. Along with the Moskovitz news, the company reported that it expects fiscal 2026 revenue of $782 million to $790 million, while analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha were looking for $803.6 million. Asana shares closed 24% lower at $12.64 on Tuesday. The stock, which started trading in 2020, is a far cry from its late-2021 record high of around $145. -Bill McColl\n\nAI Stocks Rebound with 'Fundamentals Still Intact' Many of the biggest AI investor plays rebounded on Tuesday. Super Micro Computer (SMCI) was the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 on Tuesday, up 10.7%. Several other popular AI stocks were among the day’s best performers, including nuclear power provider Vistra (VST), up 5.4%, and AI chip giant Nvidia (NVDA), up 1.7%. AI stocks may have found some support on Tuesday by investors willing to buy the dip after a dramatic pullback. Shares of AI software company Palantir (PLTR) lost about 40% of their value between hitting a record high in mid-February and yesterday’s close. The stock rebounded 4% today. Applovin (APP), which surged more than 700% last year on AI-fueled growth, was down more than 50% from its mid-February record high before rebounding about 8% today. Tesla (TSLA), which tumbled 15% yesterday to close 53% off its post-election high, advanced nearly 4% on Tuesday. Sky-high valuations were one major reason AI stocks have been hit particularly hard by the tariff sell-off. But the AI trade had already lost momentum before Trump’s tariffs shook the broader stock market. Concerns about overspending on AI infrastructure, slowing growth at AI bellwether Nvidia, and competition from Chinese competitors led the AI rally to stall in late January and early February. UBS analysts in a note on Tuesday expressed optimism that the current sell-off will play out like a similar rout in 2018. The analysts argued that the tech slump during Trump's first term, in which geopolitics and “fundamentals-related noise” briefly clouded investors’ view of an otherwise strong outlook, resembles today’s. There are risks around escalating trade wars, the analysts note. “But with AI fundamentals still intact, investors should not lose sight of the long-term risk-reward and should take advantage of extreme volatility through buying-the-dip in quality AI stocks and structured strategies.” -Colin Laidley\n\nInvestors are Watching This Key Indicator as S&P 500 Slumps The S&P 500 on Monday fell below its 200-day moving average—a \"key technical indicator\" and gauge of market momentum—for the first time since 2023. An index crossing below its 200-day moving average can reflect either short-term volatility or the beginning of a prolonged slump. Citi analysts wrote in a recent note that falling stocks and economic uncertainty could encourage companies to put cash toward stock buybacks rather than capital investments, potentially offering support to stock prices. Read the full article here. -Colin Laidley\n\nTesla Surges After Sell-Off Tesla (TSLA) shares jumped Tuesday, after losing more than 15% of their value a day earlier. The stock was up 5% at around $233 in late trading, making back a small fraction of what it’s lost amid an extended sell-off since President Trump took office. The stock is on pace to fall for the eighth consecutive week, even after the uptick on Tuesday. TradingView Tesla's stock price had surged to a record close of $479.86 about a month after Trump’s election victory, but since Musk started working in the cost-cutting Department of Government Efficiency in January, the EV maker's shares have lost almost half their value. Recent losses have come amid worries about slowing sales in China and declining registrations in Europe, as well as widespread market uncertainty about tariffs. However, Tesla’s precipitous slide could be an opportunity for investors to buy low, analysts at Morgan Stanley told clients Monday. The analysts reiterated a price target of $430, calling Tesla its “top pick” among U.S. automakers, bolstered by artificial intelligence and robotics potential. The consensus price target for Tesla stock is about $366 among analysts who follow Tesla and are tracked by Visible Alpha. -Andrew Kessel\n\nSmall Business Owners' Confidence Drops as Uncertainty Rises Small business owners, who largely cheered Donald Trump's election, are starting to feel uncertain about the future amid the president's rapid policy changes.\n\n\n\nOptimism among small businesses fell in February, according to a monthly survey by the National Federation of Independent Businesses released Tuesday. An index measuring uncertainty rose to its second-highest level in the survey's 50-year history. Despite the downtick, business optimism remained above its historical average. Small businesses have historically applauded Trump and his policies. The confidence index hit what at the time was its highest point ever in 2016, the first time Trump was elected. And after Trump won re-election last year, the index surged. The survey highlighted the uncertainty taking hold in the business community. Trump's on-again, off-again threats to impose tariffs on U.S. trading partners have made planning for the future cloudier and raised concerns about rising costs and inflation reigniting. Business owners are responding to the developments by raising prices, according to the survey. The net percentage of businesses raising prices rose 10 percentage points to 32%, the biggest jump since 2021, and the third-highest level on record.\n\n\n\n\"Although economic perceptions remain much more constructive than in recent years, the recent flurry of tariff activity appears to have dented economic expectations and put upward pressure on small business prices,\" Charlie Dougherty, Jackie Benson, and Ali Hajibeigi, economists at Wells Fargo Securities, wrote in a commentary. -Diccon Hyatt\n\nAirlines Scale Back Outlooks as Demand Softens Three of the largest U.S. airlines—Delta Air Lines (DAL), Southwest Airlines (LUV), and American Airlines (AAL)—have lowered their projections for the first quarter of the year, citing weakening travel demand amid an uncertain economy. Delta said it expects first-quarter revenue to rise 3% to 4% rather than the 7% to 9% growth it projected previously, citing a \"recent reduction in consumer and corporate confidence caused by increased macro uncertainty, driving softness in Domestic demand.\" Southwest and American Airlines have also cut their revenue outlooks. American projected a larger loss than previously expected and Southwest announced a slate of new revenue-generating measures like charging for checked luggage. American cited \"softness in the domestic leisure segment\" along with a negative impact on bookings after the January Washington, D.C., crash involving one of its planes. Southwest cited the impact of the January wildfires in Los Angeles—but also \"softness in bookings and demand trends as the macro environment has weakened.\" The trend is also hitting smaller airlines. JetBlue (JBLU) lowered its first-quarter projection for available seat miles because of more weather disruptions and \"demand choppiness due to mixed macroeconomic indicators.\" \"We believe airline industry demand will likely bounce along the trough until macro stability is reached,\" Bank of America analysts wrote Monday. -Aaron McDade\n\nTeradyne Plunges as Company Warns on Impact of Tariffs Shares of Teradyne (TER) plummeted to lead S&P 500 decliners Tuesday, as the maker of testing equipment for chips and electronics updated its guidance in response to the potential impact of Trump administration trade moves. In a presentation ahead of its Investor Day, the company said that it sees short-term volatility \"mainly in SemiTest business,\" as well as new uncertainty around tariffs and trade restrictions. It added it doesn’t expect cancellations, \"but some push outs and capital reviews.\" Teradyne didn't forecast any changes to its outlook for the current quarter but anticipates second-quarter revenue to be flat to down 10% from the first quarter and full-year revenue up 5% to 10% year-over-year. For fiscal 2026, the company predicts earnings per share (EPS) and revenue \"trending toward the low end of the previous 2026 earnings model.\" In addition to the update, Teradyne also announced it bought privately held Quantifi Photonics for an undisclosed price. Quantifi manufactures photonic integrated circuit testing devices. TradingView Teradyne shares, which entered Tuesday little changed over the past year, were down 18% in recent trading, at their lowest level in more than a year.\n\n\n\nSouthwest Jumps After News of Baggage Fees Southwest Airlines (LUV) shares surged Tuesday after the airline announced its latest revenue-generating changes amid pressure from activist investor Elliott Investment Management. The airline said it would introduce a basic economy ticket option and baggage fees, ending some of Southwest's trademark perks. Certain members of the airline's rewards program will still be eligible for one or two free checked bags once the policy changes for flights booked on or after May 28. The introduction of baggage fees are the newest change for Southwest, which in July announced an end to its famed open seating policy and introduced overnight flights, which started last month. The airline has since said it plans to start booking assigned seating flights in the second half of this year and roll out the changes in 2026. “What’s changed is that we’ve come to realize that we need more revenue to cover our costs,” Southwest COO Andrew Watterson told CNBC Tuesday. “We think that these changes that we’re announcing today will lead to less of that share shift than would have been the case otherwise.\" The changes follow months of disputes with Elliott, which built a stake in Southwest last year and pushed for changes at the executive and board level. In October, the sides agreed to a settlement that saw five Elliott-backed candidates added to Southwest's board. Also on Tuesday, Southwest lowered its projected growth for first-quarter revenue per available seat mile to a year-over-year increase of 2% to 4%, from 5% to 7% previously. TradingView Southwest shares were up more than 6% in recent trading. Despite Tuesday's gains, they've lost about 10% of their value since the start of the year. -Aaron McDade\n\nKohl's Stock Plunges on Disappointing Outlook Shares of Kohl's (KSS) plunged in early trading after the struggling retailer's forecasts fell short of analysts' expectations. For fiscal 2025, Kohl's projects net sales to fall 5% to 7%, comparable sales to fall 4% to 6%, and earnings per share (EPS) of between $0.10 and $0.60. Analysts were looking for 2025 net sales to decline by about 2%, comparable sales to decline by 1.83%, and EPS of $1.26, according to Visible Alpha data. The department store chain's fiscal fourth-quarter results were mixed, with profits lagging analysts' projections. It posted EPS of $0.43 on net revenue of $5.4 billion. (After adjusting for one-time costs like store closures, Kohl's adjusted EPS of $0.95 topped estimates.) Analysts polled by Visible Alpha had expected $0.71 and $5.38 billion, respectively. Last year, Kohl's registered profit of $1.67 per share and sales of $5.96 billion. Comparable store sales fell by 6.7%, a bit better than the 6.9% decline that analysts had projected. Kohl's missed estimates last quarter, when its said craft store chain Michaels Cos. CEO Ashley Buchanan would be replacing Tom Kingsbury as chief executive. TradingView Kohl's shares were down 15% in recent trading and have lost more than 60% of their value over the past year. The stock dipped below $10 for the first time since 1997 this morning. -Aaron McDade\n\nTesla Prices to Watch After Stock's 50% Decline from Record Tesla (TSLA) shares moved slightly higher in premarket trading after tumbling 15% on Monday to lead S&P decliners, closing below their Election Day level for the first time. Since hitting a record high in mid-December, Tesla shares have fallen 55% amid investor concerns about potential fallout from Musk's extensive involvement in the Trump administration and weak sales figures. Tesla shares fell below the closely watched 200-week moving average in Monday’s trading session. Moreover, increasing volumes have accompanied the recent drop, signaling selling participation by larger market players, such as institutional investors and hedge funds. Source: TradingView.com. While the relative strength index confirms bearish momentum with a reading below 50, the indicator has moved into a region that has typically corresponded with bounces in the stock stretching back to May 2022. Investors should monitor key support levels on Tesla's chart around $215 and $165, while also watching major resistance levels near $265 and $300. The stock was up 0.4% at $223 in recent premarket trading. Read the full technical analysis piece here. -Timothy Smith"
      },
      {
        "title": "Trump’s Tariffs Set Off Day of Anger, Retaliation and Market Unease",
        "id": "d-163",
        "link": "https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03/04/us/tariffs-us-canada-mexico-china",
        "snippet": "Global markets fell after steep U.S. tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico went into effect, and as the possible ramifications of a global...",
        "source": "The New York Times",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRXdo0BksjdXv7HI0xba_758o3fByzuIGiehyoBvs804ohY-Syi4i6CQ9fUAA&s",
        "content": "the new new world\n\nAs the United States grapples with the upheaval unleashed by the Trump administration, many Chinese people are finding they can relate to what many Americans are going through.\n\nThey are saying it feels something like the Cultural Revolution, the period known as “the decade of turmoil.” The young aides Elon Musk has sent to dismantle the U.S. government reminded some Chinese of the Red Guards whom Mao Zedong enlisted to destroy the bureaucracy at the peak of the Cultural Revolution. Upon hearing President Trump’s musing about serving a third term, they joked that China’s leader, Xi Jinping, must be saying, “I know how to do it” — he secured one in 2022 by engineering a constitutional change.\n\nThe United States helped China modernize and expand its economy in the hope that China would become more like America — more democratic and more open. Now for some Chinese, the United States is looking more and more like China.\n\n“Coming from an authoritarian state, we know that dictatorship is not just a system — it is, at its core, the pursuit of power,” Wang Jian, a journalist, wrote in an X post criticizing Mr. Trump. “We also know that the Cultural Revolution was about dismantling institutions to expand control.”\n\nFor these Chinese, who strive for democratic values but contend with an authoritarian state, their role model is tearing itself down. They are expressing their alarm in interviews, articles and social media comments that range in emotion from disappointment and anger to sardonic.\n\n“Beacon of democracy, 1776-2025,” wrote a commenter on a post by the official Weibo social media account of the U.S. Embassy in China.\n\nThey’re witnessing things they thought could happen only in China: sycophantic official announcements, intimidation of the media and top entrepreneurs vying for favor from the leadership, not to mention a president who calls himself a king.\n\n“I’m overwhelmed with a sense of familiarity — it feels so much like China,” Zhang Wenmin, an investigative journalist known by her pen name, Jiang Xue, told me. Ms. Zhang was forced to leave China because of her work and moved to the United States in 2023. “I’ve just gotten out of the frying pan and into the fire,” she said.\n\nOf course, the two countries are fundamentally different.\n\nChina is a one-party state lacking in three pillars of the American system: liberty, democracy and the rule of law. Millions of Chinese died during the Cultural Revolution, and tens of millions were persecuted. What’s happening in the United States is far from that. “It’s not exactly parallel,” Ian Johnson, an American journalist who has been writing about China for decades, told me. “But historical parallels are never exact because history doesn’t really repeat itself.” The American system is tearing itself apart with no outside pressure, he said, and this is similar to what the Communist Party did at the peak of the Cultural Revolution in 1966.\n\nAfter the Cultural Revolution, which destroyed nearly all institutions in China, the country tried to build something like those American foundations. Despite official restrictions, lawyers, journalists and entrepreneurs built a budding civil society that tried to hold the government accountable.\n\nThese are the Chinese who suffered the most when Mr. Xi smothered efforts to make China a more open and democratic society, and they’re also the most disappointed at what’s happening in the United States.\n\nThey have been shocked by the abrupt changes in U.S. policy under President Trump. Most striking is the language government agencies have used in social media postings. The tone, people say, sounds like Chinese Communist Party propaganda.\n\n“Even the CCP’s embassy posts, with all its propaganda, doesn’t spend every single day obsessively praising Xi Jinping,” Deng Haiyan, a former police officer turned critic of the Chinese government, wrote on X.\n\n“You’d think People’s Daily had moved into the U.S. Consulate,” he wrote, referring to the official newspaper for the Chinese Communist Party.\n\nThe official Weibo account of the U.S. Embassy in China, which has 3.5 million followers, used to be a platform for the U.S. government to spread American values and reliable information. Chinese who share those values would sometimes use the comment sections of the account to vent about their own government.\n\nR. Nicholas Burns, who was the U.S. ambassador in China until January, talked about the importance of using social media to interact with the Chinese public. “One of the major preoccupations of our mission,” he said in a speech in 2023, “is to try to tell the truth about American society, American history, U.S.-China relations to the Chinese people.”\n\nThat truth telling, he added, was meant to counter a distorted version of the United States from the Chinese official media. The Weibo account was intended as a Chinese-language bulletin board about American values.\n\nImage Mao Zedong with Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution, in 1966. Credit... Universal History Archive/UIG, via Getty Images\n\nIn the past month, many of the embassy’s Weibo posts, which overlap with some of the posts on its X account, were flooded with angry comments from Chinese users expressing disappointment.\n\n“Shame on you!” many Weibo users with IP addresses in China commented on posts about the U.S. policies toward Ukraine.\n\nOn a post about remarks Mr. Trump made about human rights, one user wrote: “And you think you’re worthy of talking about human rights? You betrayed Ukraine!”\n\nThe changes of both content and style on the Weibo account led one commenter to tease the account’s social media editor: “Blink twice if you’ve been kidnapped.” The embassy press office declined to comment.\n\nFor many Chinese, the chaos in Washington is driven by a familiar impulse.\n\n“The only way to dismantle America’s ‘deep state’ is through a ‘Cultural Revolution,’” Zhang Qianfan, a professor of law at Peking University, wrote in a widely circulated article about the erosion of American democracy. “The Cultural Revolution brings neither honesty nor efficiency — only the demolition of the rule of law essential to everyone’s survival.”\n\nThe characteristics of authoritarian leaders, such as surrounding themselves with loyalists and trying to control the media, are not unique to China.\n\nDuring the Cultural Revolution, Mao promoted a semiliterate peasant to the office of vice premier and a low-level cadre at a textile mill to be his deputy at the age of 38.\n\nFor his third term, Mr. Xi has surrounded himself with loyalists, many of whom did not go to elite Chinese universities. Neither do they have lengthy experience working in the central government, unlike members of the previous two Chinese administrations.\n\nLast week, when the U.S. Embassy in China posted on its Weibo account that the White House would pick the media outlets allowed to participate in the presidential press pool, a user in the southwestern city Chongqing commented, “Selectively allowing certain media outlets to conduct interviews — such a familiar tactic.”\n\nFor Chinese, one of the most astonishing aspects is how fast Mr. Trump seems to be building a cult of personality.\n\nAfter he showed off hats that said “Trump was right about everything,” a user on X wrote in Chinese: “Mao Zedong of America has been born! Long live the great leader Chairman Trump — long live, long live, long long live!”\n\nLi Weiao, a Beijing-based journalist, posted a video clip on Weibo that shows Mr. Trump enjoying a standing ovation at his first cabinet meeting in his second term. “I think I truly underestimated the dark side of human nature,” he wrote on Weibo.\n\n“The rhythm of this applause feels so familiar,” a lawyer commented on Mr. Li’s post. Another commenter wrote: “Just like North Korea and its friend,” referring to China.\n\nIn a comment on an episode of my Chinese-language podcast, a YouTube viewer wrote a parody of a White House announcement in the style of Communist Party propaganda.\n\n“The entire Republican Party and all of America must unite even more closely around the White House Central Committee with President Trump at its core, holding high the great banner of American-style capitalism,” the user wrote. “We must fully implement Trump’s New Era American Capitalism Thought, stay united in purpose, uphold tradition while innovating, forge ahead with determination, and fight tirelessly to achieve the great MAGA goal!”"
      },
      {
        "title": "Tariff-wielding trade warrior Trump is taking on the world, and the world is fighting back",
        "id": "d-164",
        "link": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-15/tariff-trade-warrior-trump-takes-on-the-world/105055634",
        "snippet": "As Donald Trump goads the US' partners and allies into a worldwide fight, there are signs Americans are losing faith in the president they...",
        "source": "Australian Broadcasting Corporation",
        "imageUrl": "https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRJ4ZvIkgumYk8FMPyC-ynE7e5ZK3Rj-VRpEv-3bXh2ovRnmoIAuOwT2E545w&s",
        "content": "In the countdown to last year's American election, those of us tasked with taking the pulse of voters repeatedly heard the same two words:\n\n\"The economy.\"\n\nIt's a catch-all term, meaning different things to different people. But, as we straw-polled Donald Trump supporters on our travels, it was frequently cited as their top vote motivator.\n\nNow, eight weeks into Trump's presidency, talk about \"the economy\" is dominated by words like \"chaos\", \"uncertainty\" and a possible \"recession\".\n\nTeam Trump prefers euphemisms like \"transition\", \"disturbance\" and \"detox\", and argues any short-term pain will lead to long-term gain.\n\nBut the indices that measure business certainty, investor confidence and market stability are flying off the charts in the wrong direction.\n\nThis is the direct result of Trump's backwards-and-forwards tariffs policy.\n\nAs the US president slams hefty taxes on imports and constantly threatens more, goading long-time partners and allies into ugly fights, a global trade war is erupting.\n\nIt's America versus the world.\n\n## Two types of tariffs\n\nTrump is using tariffs for two different purposes.\n\nThe first type of tariff is designed to advance his \"America First\" trade policy.\n\nThese tariffs are fiscal levers. Traditional protectionist measures to disadvantage foreign producers and stimulate local manufacturing.\n\nThe tariffs placed on aluminium and steel, which angered Australia this week, fit into this category.\n\nLoading...The second type of tariff is designed to pressure world leaders to bend to Trump's will.\n\nRather than fiscal levers, these tariffs are bargaining chips — or, in some cases, bludgeoning clubs.\n\nAn example is Trump's snap decision to slap tariffs on Colombia.\n\nWhen that country's president refused to accept military plane-loads of handcuffed deportees, Trump said he was immediately imposing 25 per cent tariffs on Colombian imports, with more to come.\n\nColombia's president talked tough, but up against the threat of a crippled national economy, he ultimately relented.\n\n## Trade power plays\n\nSome of the tariffs appear to straddle both categories. It's not always clear what is protectionism, and what is power playing.\n\nThat could be said of the tariffs on America's biggest trading partners — China, Canada and Mexico.\n\nTrump has complained about uneven trade relationships with those countries, and talked about tariffs as a way to reverse the deficits.\n\nBut most of his rhetoric, and the official White House orders, say he's using those tariffs to force the three countries to do more about fentanyl smuggling and illegal immigration.\n\nWhen they were imposed, China responded with retaliatory tariffs. But Canada and Mexico played ball, announcing measures to toughen up border controls.\n\nSo Trump postponed their tariffs — then implemented them (with some exclusions) a month later, and told both countries to expect more.\n\nCanada's now accusing him of using the tariffs to cripple its economy to a point where the US could take over the country.\n\nIndeed, Trump posted this week: \"The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished fifty-first state.\"\n\nLoading...His treatment of Canada has led to sweeping retaliatory tariffs that will hurt American exporters.\n\nChina's revenge tariffs on meat, grains and fruit won't be good for stateside farmers.\n\nMexico says it will retaliate too, but its plans aren't yet clear.\n\n## A bruising battle\n\nIn this America-versus-the-world trade war, much of the world is aggressively fighting back.\n\nAnd in the US, the bruises are becoming visible.\n\nIn response to widespread investor uncertainty and tariff-fuelled fears of recession, American stocks have tanked (dragging Australia's down with them).\n\nFor American consumers, the cost-of-living impacts are coming into view too.\n\nSome breweries, for example, are talking about having to increase their prices to cover costlier cans made from imported aluminium.\n\nThat's small beer, though, compared to the price increases on European alcohol if Trump follows through on his threat of 200 per cent tariffs on drinks from the European Union (EU) — a response to the EU's retaliatory tariffs on American whiskey.\n\nOf course, the cost increases caused by tariffs will be felt well beyond bars and bottle shops.\n\nThe metal tariffs alone have prompted warnings of price increases from industries ranging from car-making to construction.\n\n## Confidence crashes\n\nAfter Trump won the White House in November last year, there were celebrations among those Americans who told us they were worried about the economy.\n\nThe University of Michigan's consumer sentiment survey — which measures how Americans feel about their finances and broader economic conditions — showed bumps in optimism in the couple of months after the election.\n\nAt the beginning of the year, though, the sentiment started to turn.\n\nThen on Friday, it crashed.\n\nThe fall to a score of 57.9 represents an 11 per cent drop in a month, to a level significantly lower than even the darkest days of COVID (but still higher than during points of rampant inflation in 2022 and 2023).\n\nOn this measure, a sizeable chunk of Americans look to be losing faith in the president they trusted to bring them boomtimes.\n\nLoading...Polls had already been reflecting widespread worries about hip-pocket hits.\n\nIn a Reuters/Ipsos poll, released on Wednesday, local time, 70 per cent of Americans said they expected tariffs would push up grocery costs and other consumer prices. Fifty-seven per cent felt his moves to shake up the economy were too erratic. Only 32 per cent approved of the job he was doing on cost-of-living issues.\n\nFor now, though, Trump is unfazed. He sees his tariffs fight as a longer-term project to right the world's wrongs and make things fairer for America.\n\nHis administration continues to argue — against the views of many economists — that the pros will outweigh the cons.\n\n\"We've been ripped off for years, and we're not going to be ripped off anymore,\" Trump said earlier this week.\n\n\"I'm not going to bend at all.\"\n\nLoading"
      }
    ]
  }
]