International Court of Justice to begin hearings in landmark climate change case started by Pacific Islander students
“The air traffic control tower, the departure lounge — just a few metres from where we were — and the runway were damaged,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on the social media platform X. He added that he and UN colleagues were safe. “We will need to wait for the damage to the airport to be repaired before we can leave,” he said. UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay later said the injured person was with the UN Humanitarian Air Service. Our mission to negotiate the release of @UN staff detainees and to assess the health and humanitarian situation in #Yemen concluded today. We continue to call for the detainees' immediate release. As we were about to board our flight from Sana’a, about two hours ago, the airport... pic.twitter.com/riZayWHkvf — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 26, 2024 Israel’s army later told The Associated Press it was not aware that the WHO chief was at the location in Yemen. The Israeli strikes followed several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel. The Israeli military in a statement said it attacked infrastructure used by the Iran-backed Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports in Hodeida, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib, along with power stations, asserting they were used to smuggle in Iranian weapons and for the entry of senior Iranian officials. Israel’s military added it had “capabilities to strike very far from Israel’s territory — precisely, powerfully, and repetitively”. The strikes, carried out over 1,000 miles from Jerusalem, came a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned” as his military has battled those more powerful proxies of Iran. The Houthi-controlled satellite channel al-Masirah reported multiple deaths and showed broken windows, collapsed ceilings and a bloodstained floor and vehicle. Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the strikes. The US military has also targeted the Houthis in recent days. The UN has said the targeted ports are important entry points for humanitarian aid for Yemen, the poorest Arab nation that plunged into a civil war in 2014. Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, while other missiles and drones have been shot down. Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeida, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor in what it says is an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The UN Security Council has an emergency meeting on Monday in response to an Israeli request that it condemn the Houthi attacks and Iran for supplying them with weapons.
NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani wins his third MVP and first in the NL following a historic offensive season with the Los Angeles Dodgers.Reforms in Nigeria will improve Africa’s economic prospects – Tinubu
California could offer state EV subsidy if federal credit is axedAs open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans continues through Jan. 15, you’re likely seeing fewer social media ads promising monthly cash cards worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars that you can use for groceries, medical bills, rent and other expenses. But don’t worry. You haven’t missed out on any windfalls. Clicking on one of those ads would not have provided you with a cash card — at least not worth hundreds or thousands. But you might have found yourself switched to a health insurance plan you did not authorize, unable to afford treatment for an unforeseen medical emergency, and owing thousands of dollars to the IRS, according to an ongoing lawsuit against companies and individuals who plaintiffs say masterminded the ads and alleged scams committed against millions of people who responded to them. The absence of those once-ubiquitous ads are likely a result of the federal government suspending access to the ACA marketplace for two companies that market health insurance out of South Florida offices, amid accusations they used “fraudulent” ads to lure customers and then switched their insurance plans and agents without their knowledge. In its suspension letter, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) cited “credible allegations of misconduct” in the agency’s decision to suspend the abilities of two companies — TrueCoverage (doing business as Inshura) and BenefitAlign — to transact information with the marketplace. CMS licenses and monitors agencies that use their own websites and information technology platforms to enroll health insurance customers in ACA plans offered in the federal marketplace. The alleged scheme affected millions of consumers, according to a lawsuit winding its way through U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale that seeks class-action status. An amended version of the suit, filed in August, increased the number of defendants from six to 12: — TrueCoverage LLC, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based health insurance agency with large offices in Miami, Miramar and Deerfield Beach. TrueCoverage is a sub-tenant of the South Florida Sun Sentinel in a building leased by the newspaper in Deerfield Beach. — Enhance Health LLC, a Sunrise-based health insurance agency that the lawsuit says was founded by Matthew Herman, also named as a defendant, with a $150 million investment from hedge fund Bain Capital’s insurance division. Bain Capital Insurance Fund LP is also a defendant. — Speridian Technologies LLC, accused in the lawsuit of establishing two direct enrollment platforms that provided TrueCoverage and other agencies access to the ACA marketplace. — Benefitalign LLC, identified in the suit as one of the direct enrollment platforms created by Speridian. Like Speridian and TrueCoverage, the company is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. — Number One Prospecting LLC, doing business as Minerva Marketing, based in Fort Lauderdale, and its founder, Brandon Bowsky, accused of developing the social media ads that drove customers — or “leads” — to the health insurance agencies. — Digital Media Solutions LLC, doing business as Protect Health, a Miami-based agency that the suit says bought Minerva’s “fraudulent” ads. In September, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection from creditors in United States Bankruptcy Court in Texas, which automatically suspended claims filed against the company. — Net Health Affiliates Inc., an Aventura-based agency the lawsuit says was associated with Enhance Health and like it, bought leads from Minerva. — Garish Panicker, identified in the lawsuit as half-owner of Speridian Global Holdings and day-to-day controller of companies under its umbrella, including TrueCoverage, Benefitalign and Speridian Technologies. — Matthew Goldfuss, accused by the suit of overseeing and directing TrueCoverage’s ACA enrollment efforts. All of the defendants have filed motions to dismiss the lawsuit. The motions deny the allegations and argue that the plaintiffs failed to properly state their claims and lack the standing to file the complaints. The Sun Sentinel sent requests for comment and lists of questions about the cases to four separate law firms representing separate groups of defendants. Three of the law firms — one representing Brandon Bowsky and Number One Prospecting LLC d/b/a Minerva Marketing, and two others representing Net Health Affiliates Inc. and Bain Capital Insurance Fund — did not respond to the requests. A representative of Enhance Health LLC and Matthew Herman, Olga M. Vieira of the Miami-based firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, responded with a short message saying she was glad the newspaper knew a motion to dismiss the charges had been filed by the defendants. She also said that, “Enhance has denied all the allegations as reported previously in the media.” Catherine Riedel, a communications specialist representing TrueCoverage LLC, Benefitalign LLC, Speridian Technologies LLC, Girish Panicker and Matthew Goldfuss, issued the following statement: “TrueCoverage takes these allegations very seriously and is responding appropriately. While we cannot comment on ongoing litigation, we strongly believe that the allegations are baseless and without merit. “Compliance is our business. The TrueCoverage team records and reviews every call with a customer, including during Open Enrollment when roughly 500 agents handle nearly 30,000 calls a day. No customer is enrolled into any policy without a formal verbal consent given by the customer. If any customer calls in as a result of misleading content presented by third-party marketing vendors, agents are trained to correct such misinformation and action is taken against such third-party vendors.” Through Riedel, the defendants declined to answer follow-up questions, including whether the company remains in business, whether it continues to enroll Affordable Care Act clients, and whether it is still operating its New Mexico call center using another affiliated technology platform. The suspension notification from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services letter cites several factors, including the histories of noncompliance and previous suspensions. The letter noted suspicion that TrueCoverage and Benefitalign were storing consumers’ personally identifiable information in databases located in India and possibly other overseas locations in violation of the centers’ rules. The letter also notes allegations against the companies in the pending lawsuit that “they engaged in a variety of illegal practices, including violations of the (Racketeer Influenced & Corrupt Organizations, or RICO Act), misuse of consumer (personal identifiable information) and insurance fraud.” The amended lawsuit filed in August names as plaintiffs five individuals who say their insurance plans were changed and two agencies who say they lost money when they were replaced as agents. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of 55 counts of wrongdoing, ranging from running ads offering thousands of dollars in cash that they knew would never be provided directly to consumers, switching millions of consumers into different insurance policies without their authorization, misstating their household incomes to make them eligible for $0 premium coverage, and “stealing” commissions by switching the agents listed in their accounts. TrueCoverage, Enhance Health, Protect Health, and some of their associates “engaged in hundreds of thousands of agent-of-record swaps to steal other agents’ commissions,” the suit states. “Using the Benefitalign and Inshura platforms, they created large spreadsheet lists of consumer names, dates of birth and zip codes.” They provided those spreadsheets to agents, it says, and instructed them to access platforms linked to the ACA marketplace and change the customers’ agents of record “without telling the client or providing informed consent.” “In doing so, they immediately captured the monthly commissions of agents ... who had originally worked with the consumers directly to sign them up,” the lawsuit asserts. TrueCoverage employees who complained about dealing with prospects who called looking for cash cards were routinely chided by supervisors who told them to be vague and keep making money, the suit says. When the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began contacting the company in January about customer complaints, the suit says TrueCoverage enrollment supervisor Matthew Goldfuss sent an email instructing agents “do not respond.” The lawsuit states the “scheme” was made possible in 2021 when Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in the wake of the COVID pandemic. The act made it possible for Americans with household incomes between 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level to pay zero in premiums and it enabled those consumers to enroll in ACA plans all year round, instead of during the three-month open enrollment period from November to January. Experienced health insurance brokers recognized the opportunity presented by the changes, the lawsuit says. More than 40 million Americans live within 100% and 150% of the federal poverty level, while only 15 million had ACA insurance at the time. The defendants developed or benefited from online ads, the lawsuit says, which falsely promised “hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars per month in cash benefits such as subsidy cards to pay for common expenses like rent, groceries, and gas.” Consumers who clicked on the ads were brought to a landing page that asked a few qualifying questions, and if their answers suggested that they might qualify for a low-cost or no-cost plan, they were provided a phone number to a health insurance agency. There was a major problem with the plan, according to the lawsuit. “Customers believe they are being routed to someone who will send them a free cash card, not enroll them in health insurance.” By law, the federal government sends subsidies for ACA plans to insurance companies, and not to individual consumers. Scripts were developed requiring agents not to mention a cash card, and if a customer mentions a cash card, “be vague” and tell the caller that only the insurance carrier can provide that information, the lawsuit alleges. In September, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the claims. In addition to denying the charges, they argued that the class plaintiffs lacked the standing to make the accusations and failed to demonstrate that they suffered harm. The motion also argued that the lawsuit’s accusations failed to meet requirements necessary to claim civil violations of the RICO Act. Miami-based attorney Jason Kellogg, representing the plaintiffs, said he doesn’t expect a ruling on the motion to dismiss the case for several months. The complaint also lists nearly 50 companies, not named as defendants, that it says fed business to TrueCoverage and Enhance Health. Known in the industry as “downlines,” most operate in office parks throughout South Florida, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit quotes former TrueCoverage employees complaining about having to work with customers lured by false cash promises in the online ads. A former employee who worked in the company’s Deerfield Beach office was quoted in the lawsuit as saying that senior TrueCoverage and Speridian executives “knew that consumers were calling in response to the false advertisements promising cash cards and they pressured agents to use them to enroll consumers into ACA plans.” A former human resources manager for TrueCoverage said sales agents frequently complained “that they did not feel comfortable having to mislead consumers,” the lawsuit said. Over two dozen agents “came to me with these complaints and showed me the false advertisements that consumers who called in were showing them,” the lawsuit quoted the former manager as saying. For much of the time the companies operated, the ACA marketplace enabled agents to easily access customer accounts using their names and Social Security numbers, change their insurance plans and switch their agents of record without their knowledge or authorization, the lawsuit says. This resulted in customers’ original agents losing their commissions and many of the policyholders finding out they suddenly owed far more for health care services than their original plans had required, the suit states. It says that one of the co-plaintiffs’ health plans was changed at least 22 times without her consent. She first discovered that she had lost her original plan when she sought to renew a prescription for her heart condition and her doctor told her she did not have health insurance, the suit states. Another co-plaintiff’s policy was switched after her husband responded to one of the cash card advertisements, the lawsuit says. That couple’s insurance plan was switched multiple times after a TrueCoverage agent excluded the wife’s income from an application so the couple would qualify. Later, they received bills from the IRS for $4,300 to cover tax credits issued to pay for the plans. CMS barred TrueCoverage and BenefitAlign from accessing the ACA marketplace. It said it received more than 90,000 complaints about unauthorized plan switches and more than 183,500 complaints about unauthorized enrollments, but the agency did not attribute all of the complaints to activities by the two companies. In addition, CMS restricted all agents’ abilities to alter policyholders’ enrollment information, the lawsuit says. Now access is allowed only for agents that already represent policyholders or if the policyholder participates in a three-way call with an agent and a marketplace employee. Between June and October, the agency barred 850 agents and brokers from accessing the marketplace “for reasonable suspicion of fraudulent or abusive conduct related to unauthorized enrollments or unauthorized plan switches,” according to an October CMS news release . The changes resulted in a “dramatic and sustained drop” in unauthorized activity, including a nearly 70% decrease in plan changes associated with an agent or broker and a nearly 90% decrease in changes to agent or broker commission information, the release said. It added that while consumers were often unaware of such changes, the opportunity to make them provided “significant financial incentive for non-compliant agents and brokers.” But CMS’ restrictions might be having unintended consequences for law-abiding agents and brokers. A story published by Insurance News Net on Nov. 11 quoted the president of the Health Agents for America (HAFA) trade group as saying agents are being suspended by CMS after being flagged by a mysterious algorithm that no one can figure out. The story quotes HAFA president Ronnell Nolan as surmising, “maybe they wrote too many policies on the same day for people who have the same income or they’re writing too many policies on people of a certain occupation.” Nolan continued, “We have members who have thousands of ACA clients. They can’t update or renew their clients. So those consumers have lost access to their professional agent, which is simply unfair.” Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.
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The Bangladesh stock (equity) market has experienced significant fluctuations since the 2010 market crash, reflecting a challenging macroeconomic and political environment. Analysing the post-crash period from 2011 onwards provides insights into the volatility and recovery patterns of the market. In 2011, the market experienced a dramatic loss of 32.2 percent (total return), driven by a sharp capital loss of 36.6 percent following the speculative bubble that burst in late 2010. This was compounded by high inflation (10.7 percent), leading to a substantial negative real return of 42.9 percent. Investor confidence remained low in 2012, with a further decline in market returns (by 16.1 percent) and inflation staying elevated (8.7 percent), resulting in another negative real return of 24.9 percent. However, the market began to stabilise from 2013 onwards. Although capital gains were modest at 4 percent, dividend yields provided some cushion, and total market return rose to 7.8 percent. With inflation beginning to taper (7.5 percent), the real return turned positive at 0.3 percent, signalling a tentative recovery. From 2014 to 2017, the market gradually improved, with total returns averaging around 15 percent per year. The highest total return during this period was 26.7 percent in 2017, despite inflation averaging around 5-7 percent, leading to consistent positive real returns. A major setback occurred in 2018 when the market saw a loss of 10.8 percent (total return), coupled with inflation at 5.7 percent, resulting in a negative real return of 16.4 percent. This trend continued into 2019 as the market struggled to recover, with a further 13.1 percent decline in total return. The market showed a sharp recovery in 2020 and 2021, with total returns of 24.4 percent and 29.1 percent, respectively, as post-pandemic optimism boosted performance. However, high inflation and corporate-led corruption have led to a decline in 2022 and 2023, and in 2024 YTD, the market is down by 16.2 percent (capital loss), facing significant headwinds like macro instability, high inflation, and weak investor sentiment. The overall post-crash analysis shows a pattern of recovery but is marked by periods of volatility, inflationary pressure, and ongoing political and economic risks. The Bangladesh stock market typically rebounds after 2-3 consecutive years of correction, as historical patterns suggest. Based on past trends, one might expect a recovery in or by 2025. However, the current situation presents unique challenges, as the market's trajectory is increasingly intertwined with the country's macroeconomic conditions and political landscape. Given these dynamics, the projection for the next two years remains cautious. The Bangladesh stock market is poised to encounter substantial headwinds due to a confluence of macroeconomic and political uncertainties, which could significantly impact its performance. Below is a detailed analysis of the key challenges expected to shape market outcomes in the coming years. To provide a more comprehensive understanding, the article includes historical context that sheds light on the underlying causes of anxiety among minority investors in Bangladesh's stock market, ensuring these issues are neither overlooked nor ignored. Bangladesh's stock market is under strain as high interest rates on government bonds (11-13 percent) pull institutional investors toward safer, risk-free returns, weakening liquidity and investor confidence. Rising inflation, projected to hover around 10 percent for at least the next two years, exacerbates economic instability by eroding consumer purchasing power and corporate profitability while also increasing borrowing costs. Additionally, declining foreign exchange (FX) reserves, driven by reduced export competitiveness, supply chain disruptions, and rising business costs, further undermine economic stability. The weakening taka adds to the strain, raising import prices, feeding inflation, and deterring foreign investment due to the risk of currency losses. Compounding these challenges is Bangladesh's rising foreign debt burden, which is becoming increasingly expensive to service due to the taka's depreciation, diverting resources away from critical development projects and infrastructure investments. Without effective fiscal management, investor confidence and stock market growth are likely to remain subdued. High global interest rates, particularly in the US, are drawing investment flows away from emerging markets like Bangladesh. With US bonds offering safer, more attractive returns, foreign investors are less likely to invest in Bangladesh's stock market, exacerbating capital outflows. Additionally, capital flight driven by export-import manipulation and corruption in large project financing, involving major corporations like S Alam Group, Summit Group, and BEXIMCO Group, continues to deplete foreign exchange reserves. Hopes of recovering these siphoned funds are unrealistic, as they are often held in tax havens with little incentive to cooperate. This capital flight and lack of international legal recourse further weaken the country's economic stability and stock market performance. Bangladesh's stock market faces significant challenges due to weak regulatory leadership, institutional failures, and unresolved margin loan issues. The Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) remains under scrutiny. Compounding these concerns, the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB), once a major stabilising force in the market, is now struggling under a portfolio of junk stocks and questionable investments. Years of mismanagement and corruption, including dubious investments have left ICB in a weakened financial state, severely limiting its ability to intervene in market downturns. Moreover, the persistent issue of margin loans continues to burden financial institutions. Merchant banks and brokerage firms, plagued by bad debts from margin loans extended during previous market bubbles, are unable to provide fresh loans, stifling market liquidity. The total outstanding margin loans, including interest, have reached Tk 250 billion ($2 billion), with a significant portion in negative equity. Despite efforts to address these issues, powerful individuals with political and social connections have manipulated the system, obtaining unauthorised loans and evading accountability. Without decisive action from the BSEC and a comprehensive cleanup of financial institutions' balance sheets, Bangladesh's stock market will remain vulnerable, limiting its growth potential and undermining investor confidence. Bangladesh's stock market is grappling with a significant lack of "smart capital," as wealthy investors and corporations either move funds abroad or hold back investments due to uncertainty. This absence of new, well-capitalised investors leaves the market dependent on a small group of players, increasing the risk of manipulation and volatility. Foreign investors, too, are deterred by poor transparency, particularly under the previous leadership of the BSEC, further stalling capital inflows. Additionally, tax policies provide little incentive for companies to list on the stock exchanges, with the tax differential between listed and non-listed firms being too narrow to justify the costs of going public. As a result, many well-established companies avoid the stock market, depriving it of the quality listings needed for growth and stability. Combined with the regulatory failures that allow debt-ridden companies to remain listed, these factors prevent the market from attracting both local and international long-term investors, ultimately stifling its development. Without reforms, the Bangladesh stock market will struggle to achieve sustainable growth and liquidity. Given these challenges, a conservative investment strategy focusing on government bonds is advisable. Allocating 60-70 percent of funds to government bonds ensures capital preservation in uncertain times. Until a stable government is established and market conditions improve, focusing on low-risk investments is a prudent approach. It's important to remember that in a stormy sea, keeping your ship steady is far more vital than rushing toward the horizon. In such dangerous waters, ensuring your vessel stays afloat matters more than chasing quick profits.NoneSpaid, Winner of CES Innovation Awards for Redefining the Future of Geospatial with AI, to Unveil AI Solution and OpenAI Platform at CES 2025With the Detroit Lions set to play against the Chicago Bears on Thursday this week, the team released its first injury report on Monday and a total of six players did not take part in practice. The injury report was an estimation, as the Lions only held a walkthrough. The six players who did not take part are cornerback Carlton Davis (knee, thumb), left tackle Taylor Decker (knee), running back David Montgomery (shoulder), wide receiver Kalif Raymond (foot), defensive lineman D.J. Reader (illness) and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee). The only player listed on the initial injury report as a full participant was cornerback Terrion Arnold (groin), who missed the Week 12 game against the Indianapolis Colts . The estimated full session puts Arnold on track to return in Week 13. After practice, head coach Dan Campbell addressed the media and revealed that of those aforementioned six players, Decker, Davis and Raymond have a chance to sit out the Thanksgiving contest against Chicago. Dan Campbell says there may be three of the guys listed below who could miss this week: Decker, Davis, Raymond. Says St. Brown is a little banged up, too. https://t.co/Gak7b9Q1ho Amon-Ra St. Brown injury update St. Brown was the only real surprise on the injury report, but knowing how tough he is, it would take an act of God to prevent him from playing. "Saint is a little banged up," Campbell said. "We'll see how he recovers." Campbell also noted he doesn't think most of the injuries will be long-term issues. After the game on Sunday, Campbell said Raymond was likely to miss time. David Montgomery injury update Raymond, Davis, Decker and Montgomery all exited Sunday's contest due to injury, but Decker was able to return to the game. Montgomery said he could have returned but was held out as a precaution and he expects to suit up on Thursday. Decker was also positive about his outlook . MORE DETROIT LIONS NEWS NFL power rankings: Did Lions to enough to stay at No. 1? Lions break multiple franchise records in win over Colts Photo of Aaron Glenn just chillin' on Lions sideline goes viral
In a way, tariffs, sanctions and bans all boil down to one word: no. We’ve just had a month of “no”. No-vember, you could even say. But not all noes are the same. Tariffs, sanctions and bans are designed to achieve different things. This November, the words became confused, a scrambled negation. So it is with Donald Trump’s tariffs , promised during the election campaign as a way to protect American manufacturing interests in the face of competition from global trade. These promises spoke to the towns and cities gutted and citizens rendered jobless and hopeless as corporates offshored their business. They painted a picture of resurgent industry and innovation in America, leading to prosperity for working people. Trump’s tariff announcement wiped billions from the Australian sharemarket. Credit: The idea of tariffs has economists in a flap. As you are sure to have heard them patiently, if condescendingly, explain by now, tariffs are really taxes on consumers in the country that imposes them. They make imported goods more expensive, lowering the overall buying power of the average punter. In an economists’ paradise, our interests would be best served by removing trade barriers entirely and letting every country produce according to its ability and sell to others according to their need. Unfortunately, humanity has proven unworthy of this lofty ideal. In the real world, there are wars and chaos. In this world, a tariff can serve a strategic purpose – for instance, a country might put a tariff on the import of milk to protect its local milk producers. This ensures it always has access to the nutritious comestible, even if supply chains are cut off or relations with the supplying nations sour. Loading Trump isn’t yet president again, but he’s already described the tariffs he actually plans to make policy. When he gains office, at the end of January next year, he will slap a 25 per cent tariff on all goods imported from Canada and Mexico, along with another 10 per cent tariff on China. But here’s the perplexing thing: the purpose of these so-called tariffs is not to protect US industry (at least not any legal one) from cheaper goods from overseas. The tariffs Trump has announced since winning have been focused on curbing the importation of illegal drugs and stopping immigrants entering the US without permission. Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, that his tariffs “will remain in effect until such time as Drugs, in particular Fentanyl, and all Illegal Aliens stop this Invasion of our Country!” Which reveals the problem: the word tariff doesn’t mean what Trump thinks it means. A tariff levied on all goods for the purposes of forcing a country to comply with international rules, such as respect for borders and prohibitions on narcotics, is not a tariff at all. It’s a sanction. Sorry, not sorry, for splitting that hair. Confounding tariffs and sanctions is a serious matter, which will lead to poor policy outcomes and worse living conditions for your average world citizen. Only pedantry can save us now. Loading It could save sex, too, and the joy of human relations. To celebrate this No-vember, American women unhappy with Donald Trump’s win imported the 4B movement from South Korea. The name translates to the Four Noes – because adherents say no to dating men, no to marrying men, no to having sex with men, and no to having children with men (which presumably means no entirely to the last, given the tricky gamete situation faced by our dioecious species). This is a classic case of imposing a sanction where a tariff would be better suited. It must be assumed that the women committing themselves to 4B are heterosexual women (otherwise there’s nothing to give up) who have decided, on the basis that some men have political or social attitudes that they disagree with, to place sanctions on the entire gender. Not only is this a neat illustration of the fact that sanctions can also have consequences for the sanctioning party – these women are denying their own urges to inflict a punishment on others – but it demonstrates the importance of choosing the right tariff, sanction or ban to achieve your objective. In this case, a tariff would be more beneficial. Instead of swearing off men entirely, heterosexual women (who want those things) could impose an extra cost on sex, dating, marriage and children by only engaging in those activities with men who treat women well and respect their physical autonomy. There are no rules that tariffs have to be levied in dollars and cents. Loading You could say that, before social norms changed, the tariff levied on sex used to be marriage; selecting for character was called being choosy. Sure, it’s harder to find a decent man than settle for one who’s handy, randy and willing. But as we’ve already established, while tariffs might protect something we consider desirable, they do it by making goods dearer for the consumer. At least, unlike sanctions, tariffs don’t render them unavailable entirely. So the power of pedantry to clarify the different types of “no” is crucial to getting the best out of national and social relations. But it could also create a better conversation around the so-called social media bans for under 16s. This legislation has been rammed through parliament just in time for parents to spend Christmas trying to explain it to their children. The trouble is, the ban is not a ban – it’s an attempt to respond to the damage that autoplay and algorithms are doing to attention spans and to discourage a scrolling spiral of harmful content. And that needs, somehow, to stop. Most people don’t necessarily want to ban social media; we want it to be better. Targeted modifications could help, but even more powerful would be a subscription fee that would force platforms to verify users through a credit card payment. So, yes, it would cost the consumer to fix social media. But if there’s one thing we can learn from this November, it’s that saying no – whether through tariffs, sanctions or bans – can, in the right circumstances, be worth the price. Parnell Palme McGuinness is managing director at campaigns firm Agenda C. She has done work for the Liberal Party and the German Greens. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. License this article Trade wars Opinion Donald Trump Trump diplomacy China Parnell Palme McGuinness is managing director at campaigns firm Agenda C. She has done work for the Liberal Party and the German Greens. Most Viewed in Business LoadingLaurie Essig started receiving texts this year asking whether she was the gender studies professor at Middlebury College. When she responded that she was and then asked who was sending the messages, the replies startled her. “They were texting me to tell me that although men had temporarily lost the sex war, they were going to win it,” she said. Professor Laura Essig, of Middlebury College, received a couple messages a week from young men, some of whom blasted her views on gender, sexuality and feminism. Essig’s cellphone had been doxed on Reddit following comments she made to the New York Times about men struggling and falling behind in college. The unwelcome texts were just one of a growing number of misogynistic incidents on campuses at a time when more college men are embracing the Republican Party and its brand of masculinity. Over the next few months, Essig received a couple messages a week from young men, some of whom blasted her views on gender, sexuality and feminism. Others showed genuine curiosity about her comments. “They didn't call me names and it wasn’t the worst trolling in my life,” noted Essig, who formerly taught gender studies in Russia. “I think they were kind of young and lost and sad.” BETRAYAL AND FEAR The spike in sexist behavior on college campuses surfaced during a heated presidential campaign in which gender took centerstage. President-elect Donald Trump often came under fire for wielding sexist insults against Vice President Kamala Harris and courting misogynistic speakers at his rallies. At a Madison Square Garden rally in October, one speaker compared Harris to a prostitute, declaring she “and her pimp handlers will destroy our country.” In Greensboro, North Carolina, after a rally attendee yelled that Harris “worked on the corner,” Trump laughed and said, “This place is amazing.” Harris and other Democratic candidates also used gender to paint Republicans as anti-woman and present a bleak future for reproductive rights and other women’s issues if Trump won a second term. Essig noted at Middlebury College, following the Harris’ election loss, comments such as “your body, my choice” and “shouldn’t you be getting fitted for your Handmaid’s outfit?” appeared on the social media site Yik Yak, which allows students to make anonymous posts only viewable by others at the college. The Vermont school wasn’t alone. The day after the election, the terms “your body, my choice” and “get back in the kitchen” saw a 4,600% spike on X, according to a study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. One parent said her daughter was told three separate times on campus “your body, my choice,” and another group of boys told her to “sleep with one eye open tonight,” according to the study. At the University of New Mexico, a Reddit user reported women were being harassed by gangs of men in MAGA gear telling them to “go home where they belong.” In another incident at Texas State University, two men not affiliated with the college were escorted from campus for holding signs that said “Women Are Property” and “Homo Sex Is Sin.” Witnessing the surge in misogynistic behavior and reading sexist comments online have left some young women feeling disillusioned and alone, according to Rebecca Ewert, a Northwestern University sociologist who teaches a class on masculinity. “There’s kind of this feeling of betrayal,” she said. “They’re expressing fear, anger and feeling alienated from people they consider to be close, people from home or even friends on campus.” POLITICS TURNS MASCULINE Sylvia Slotkin, a Northwestern sophomore and Democrat studying journalism, said she experienced those feelings after the election. One conservative male friend mockingly told her “Sorry, Trump won” as a way to insult her. Sylvia Slotkin, a Northwestern sophomore and Democrat studying journalism, said she experienced those feelings after the election. “Others were posting like, ‘Boohoo, the liberals are crying’ and just being so tasteless,” she said. “When people think of toxic masculinity, they think of bottling up emotions, so they’re making fun of these people crying because their candidate lost. That was definitely jarring.” That kind of condescending behavior from men is becoming more mainstream at her campus, Slotkin explained, and the culprit can be found in the kinds of social media that college men consume. Slotkin pointed specifically to Joe Rogan, a hugely popular podcaster with millions of listeners, and social-media personality Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports media. Both appeal to a bro-culture, male-centric sensibility sometimes associated with college Greek life. During his campaign, Trump courted those influencers, giving interviews that ranged from discussions about policy to speculation about the existence of UFOs. Others asked Trump whether he’d ever been in a fist fight. Boosting his appeal to young men, Trump attended testosterone-fueled events such as Ultimate Fighting Championship competitions. He was introduced to the Republican National Convention by Dana White, head of the UFC. Hulk Hogan attended and tore off his shirt. Such campaign strategies tap into a growing male perception of politics as an expression of masculinity. The Survey Center on American Life found in 2022 that 54% of Republicans described themselves as “very masculine,” compared to 33% of Democrats. Hulk Hogan speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) In 2022, nearly 40% of college men identified as Republican compared to just 21% who considered themselves Democrat, according to College Pulse's Future of Politics survey that included interviews with over 1,500 undergraduate students. Men in the 18-29 age range, in particular, say it’s personally important that others perceive them as masculine or manly. Nearly half reported feeling that way and also reported they believe American society has become “too soft and feminine,” according to the Survey Center. The fallout of those views was clear after the election. About 56% of young men voted for Trump. The number was even higher, 63%, among young white men. Daniel Cox, director of the Survey Center, believes the survey findings are tied into Republicans’ attempts to reassert aggressive, unapologetic and dominant politics — the kind of masculinity defined by Trump. “I don’t have a hard time believing that certain Republican candidates can attract support from young men,” he wrote in a survey analysis. “... Young men today are adapting to behavioral requirements foreign to older generations of men. It can be disorienting.” Andre Rocker, a Northwestern junior wrestler studying political science, said for college guys who might feel insecure about their masculinity, right-leaning social media influencers provide a playbook on how to be a man. Andre Rocker, a Northwestern junior wrestler studying political science, said for college guys who might feel insecure about their masculinity, right-leaning social media influencers provide a playbook on how to be a man. The influencers' support for Trump and his sexist behavior made it easy for many male students to vote for him. For Slotkin, the journalism student, the connection between Trump and the rise in misogynistic comments and incidents on college campuses is even clearer. “Trump's presidency will impact so many women so negatively,” she said. “I think, just inherently, if you voted for Trump, that is a sign of toxic masculinity. There's no other way to slice that.” ‘A DEAFENING SILENCE’ The impulse of some liberals to define all male Trump voters as toxic is actually causing serious harm to young men, argued Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men. The notion that college males have shifted their views on gender equality and become more sexist isn’t supported by data or surveys, he maintained, and it’s a “fatal mistake” to think those who voted for Trump now are more likely to denigrate women. Richard Reeves, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, said the notion that college males have shifted their views on gender equality and become more sexist isn’t supported by data or surveys, he maintained, and it’s a “fatal mistake” to think those who voted for Trump now are more likely to denigrate women. “I think it's incredibly important that we don't let the exception get characterized as the rule,” he said. “We are in danger of throwing a generation of men under the bus completely falsely as a new generation of misogynists.” For many young men, the left’s rhetoric about "mansplaining" and patriarchy is unwelcoming and sometimes feels like a personal attack, argued Reeves. That carries over to their perception of college, which some view as liberal bastions where men are blamed for society’s inequities. Today, fewer men than women enroll in or finish college, and men are far more likely to kill themselves while at college, yet university leaders have done little to reach out or support them, according to Reeves. “There has been such a huge blind spot on the left and at progressive institutions, including colleges, towards the genuine challenges of men,” he said. “The deafening silence on men's issues on the left has made ... college-age men feel somewhat politically homeless and up for grabs.” Enter Republicans, whose messaging during the campaign was crystal clear: They like the things most men like, and they like men, Reeves explained. Rocker, the Northwestern wrestler, said when that messaging is packed with not-so-subtle sexist undertones, it can normalize bad behavior toward women. He sees it happening with some of his peers. “I do feel like, generally, our youth is not going in the right direction,” he said. “I think that direction is sort of reverting on our treatment of women as human beings.” Trump and other Republicans have also used gender issues to generate deep concern among conservatives that colleges are attempting to "turn kids gay" and promote what some call deviate behavior, argued Essig, the Middlebury professor. That fear played out in Indiana last year when the GOP-controlled legislature stripped state funding for Indiana University’s Kinsey Institute, which researches sex, gender and relationships. In Florida, new legislation eliminated diversity programs and severely restricted gender, race and sexuality studies at state-funded colleges. Women who don’t live by traditional gender roles — including college women — are increasingly targeted by male misogyny and sexism, argued Essig. That’s why she found it jarring, but not unsurprising, when anonymous texters began attacking her work in gender studies this year. “It’s a really easy way of tapping into very fragile and wounded masculinity,” she said. “I think about how compelling that rhetoric is for young men, because actually naming the real problems they face is far more complicated.”Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now Scores and stats from Orange County games on Thursday, Dec. 26 Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register. The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday. THURSDAY’S SCORES BOYS BASKETBALL DAMIEN CLASSIC Diamond Division Foothill 61, Washington Prep 52 Foot: Davidson 16 pts, 2 blks. Nixon 15 pts, 7 rebs, 7 asts. Turner 14 pts, 4 rebs. Kennard 12 pts, 10 rebs. ESTANCIA COAST CLASSIC Elsinore 99, Villa Park 95 (2OT) VP: Johnson 36 pts (5 3-ptrs), 6 rebs, 4 stls. Griffin 14 pts. Harris 14 pts, 5 rebs. NONLEAGUE Canyon 71, Prescott 56 Can: Benjamin 29 pts. Yilmazturk 14 pts. Kim 10 pts. Haugen 8 pts. Cypress 63, Del Norte 53 Cyp: Gov 17 pts (all in first half). Birdsong 11 pts. Kroll 9 pts. Brea Olinda 68, La Sierra/Riverside 34 Brea: Severson 20 pts, 5 rebs, 3 stls. Tayag 10 pts, 7 asts GIRLS BASKETBALL DESERT HOLIDAY CLASSIC St. Margaret’s 72, Xavier Prep 39 ORANGE HOLIDAY CLASSIC Laguna Hills 47, Fullerton 28 LH: McDermott 12 pts, 8 rebs. Olsen 10 pts SUNNY HILLS TOURNAMENT Los Alamitos 57, Lakewood 49 LosAL: Tam Yoshida 13 pts. 7 rebs, 5 asts. Asumbrado 12 pts. SO CAL HOLIDAY PREP CLASSIC (SAN DIEGO) NCAA Premier San Juan Hills 41, Victory Christian 25 NCAA Gold Santa Margarita 61, Cathedral Catholic 51 NCAA Bronze Glen Wilson 39, University 30 WNBA Premier Gold Lincoln 62, Mater Dei 45 WNBA Silver El Capitan 47, Dana Hills 40
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shut down access to the Affordable Care Act marketplace to two health insurance agencies. Here's a look at what's happened.
Xbox Cloud Gaming Down? Users Report 'Request Is Blocked Error'OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Tuomas Uronen scored at 1:46 of overtime to give Finland a 4-3 victory over the defending champion United States on Sunday in the world junior hockey championship. Uronen, who plays for the Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League, came down the right side on a rush and beat goalie Trey Augustine high to the glove side. The Americans lost for the first time in three games. They'll finish Group A play Tuesday night against Canada. Finland has won two straight after an opening loss to Canada. In the late game at Canadian Tire Centre, Carter George made 18 saves to help Canada rebound from an overtime loss to Latvia with a 3-0 victory over Germany. Jesse Kiiskinen, Julius Miettinen and Arttu Alasiurua also scored for Finland, and Petteri Rimpinen made 41 saves. Carey Terrance of the Erie Otters of the OHL, Cole Hutson of Boston University and Brody Ziemer of Minnesota scored for the United States. Augustine, from Michigan State, stopped 29 shots. For Canada, Oliver Bonk opened the scoring midway through the first period, Caden Price made it 2-0 with 4:58 left in the game and Mathieu Cataford added an empty-netter. In Group B at TD Place, Sweden and Czechia each improved to 3-0 ahead of their showdown Tuesday night in the round-robin finale. Tom Willander had two goals and assist in Sweden's 7-5 victory over Switzerland. Eduard Sale scored twice to help Czechia beat Slovakia 4-2. ___ AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports The Associated Press
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