1625: Call me Bill

This week we made it clear –

the Everything App – is closer than everyone thinks! Nothing can slow us down. X is part of a constellation of companies working for the betterment of humanity. We're moving fast for our communities, creators, and businesses!!

Big themes for X

this year? Freedom of Speech, a new Video Ecosystem, and the Power of AI. It's all coming to life in plain sight and in real time. Here's what we discussed this week:

– X is an app for everyone. We're building an information independence that's essential for society. From our live stream collaboration with CES to new content partnerships with

@TulsiGabbard

@donlemon

and

@jimrome

, we’re expanding perspectives on X and unlocking new commercial opportunities.

– We're building a new video ecosystem with our partners. There's never been more economic opportunity on X. New shopping experiences, financial partnerships for payments, AI collaborations, and a recruitment product are just the beginning. Our new partnerships with

@Shopify

and

@integralads

hint at our ambitions for e-commerce and video.

– AI is revolutionizing X. With 500 million searches daily, we're making information more relevant and useful. AI offers new opportunities for advertisers – better targeting to content creation. Imagine

@grok

as a concierge for all businesses!

If 2023 was foundational, 2024 will be completely transformational for X!

The Santa Fe Institute is the world headquarters for complexity science, operated as an independent, not-for-profit research and education center located in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Our researchers endeavor to understand and unify the underlying, shared patterns in complex physical, biological, social, cultural, technological, and even possible astrobiological worlds. Our global research network of scholars spans borders, departments, and disciplines, unifying curious minds steeped in rigorous logical, mathematical, and computational reasoning. As we reveal the unseen mechanisms and processes that shape these evolving worlds, we seek to use this understanding to promote the well-being of humankind and of life on earth.

Form 990 2022

A dream team of scientists — prize-winning ecologists, physicists, biologists and others from Harvard to Vienna.

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SCOTUS just granted cert to the City of Grants Pass, Oregon. From what I can tell, a homeless woman sued the city under the Eighth Amendment’s “cruel and unusual punishment” clause and the Fourteenth Amendment’s “equal protection” clause. The reason: The city fined homeless for “camping” on public property, removed park benches from that property, and failed to supply warming and cooling stations. It also voted against “affordable housing.”

Here’s where things get nuts. The federal district court certified a class action against the city. A class action! And the full Ninth Circuit affirmed that decision in a split decision. Without being intimately familiar with the case, it seems to me that SCOTUS is poised to reverse the Ninth Circuit (as it often does), but who knows.

I do know this: A bunch of cities filed amicus briefs in support of Grants Pass, including San Francisco.

The announced cuts follow the layoffs on Wednesday of hundreds of employees in Amazon’s Prime Video, MGM Studios and Twitch livestreaming units.

“We did not take this route without considerable thought,” Audible CEO Bob Carrigan wrote in a memo to staffers that was viewed by CNBC. “But getting leaner and more efficient is the way we will need to operate now — and in the foreseeable future — in order to continue delivering best-in-class audio storytelling to our customers around the world.”

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The coverage on this continues to be poor so I've decided to put together my own package.

On the CVR, it looks like the crew were too rattled and forgot to pull the circuit braker on the CVR after they landed and maintenance did not get to it until it was too late. https://youtu.be/0jeO5fwRXLo?t=1184

Regarding the cockpit door, according to Boeing, it is designed to open during rapid decompression. On previous model they had blow-out panels that would open during rapid decompression. Boeing did not update the manual or let pilots know that this is how it's supposed to work on the max. https://youtu.be/kGWLBLb9Pm4?t=455

From the manual: https://youtu.be/kKSNdqtG3dY?t=948

It sounds like they might not have fastened the locking bolts correctly or all together forgotten to put them in https://youtu.be/kGWLBLb9Pm4?t=1051

Good overview of how the plug door works https://youtu.be/kKSNdqtG3dY?t=166

From the reports and pictures about the loose bolts found by United, they're talking about the bolts that hold the hinges to the door and not the locking bolts. Concerning but won't cause the same problem.

I didn't see this covered in the current cycle but the 737 MAX quality issues go back quite a bit. Loose fasteners everywhere. https://youtu.be/td2pvT1k6dw?t=742

These all come from Boeing trying to scale up the 737 MAX production. They've even switched the 747 line in Everett to produce 737 MAX now. This bit is not mentioned anywhere, but apparently one of the airline won't take 737 produced in South Carolina: https://youtu.be/td2pvT1k6dw?t=989

The accident airplane was produced in Washington but unclear if it's from Renton (OG 737 line) or Everett.

What happened to the quality control at Boeing: https://youtu.be/td2pvT1k6dw?t=852

They laid off 900 inspectors in 2019 and subsequently re-hired some of them in 2021:https://leehamnews.com/2021/05/18/boeing-rehires-aircraft-inspectors/

It's interesting to note that the current CEO (Dave Calhoun) came from GE. The CEO that greenlit the 737 MAX (James McNerney) also came from GE. The CEO they made to take the fall for the 737 MAX crashes (Dennis Muilenburg) came from the defense side of Boeing and have engineering background.

The quality problems extend to Spirit Aero (used to be a division of Boeing) who manufactures the fuselage. There's an ongoing class action lawsuit from former quality inspector: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pzxFhXIxXWUjZkAaLGICuyR8Vi-u1HN6/view?pli=1

Coverage from Amy Goodman: https://youtu.be/_suvi96dum4?t=32

And interview with former Renton 737 production manager: https://youtu.be/fOp6j3zBGRM?t=172

For the pilots looking to switch to Airbus, Spirit Aero also manufactures the majority of parts for the A220 and wings for the A320.

Miscellaneous updates:

Picture of the iPhone that was found: https://x.com/SeanSafyre/status/1744138937239822685

He also lost his shoes and socks: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/man-seated-behind-gaping-fuselage-hole-on-socal-bound-alaska-air-flight-speaks-out/

In 1971 US TV producer Norman Lear took up the relinquished rights to the show. Lear had previously created a huge hit out of another British sitcom; Till Death Us Do Part which he took to America and adapted as All In The Family. In Archie Bunker America had an iconic television character. Now Lear was on the lookout for another series that would duplicate this success. Lear set about making a pilot starring Bernard Hughes and Paul Sorvino. But like the previous pilot in 1964, this one was also considered a failure and never aired. Nevertheless, Lear persevered and decided to rewrite the characters as a black father and son and set it in Los Angeles. When Galton and Simpson told him that's what they'd suggested in 1967 they were told "Ah, but you couldn't do that then. You can now."

Link

Some amicus briefs have trickled in to Trump Colorado case, but I haven’t been bombarding you with them. Today, however, I caught the attached one, filed by your buddy Vivek Ramaswamy. As you might guess, he’s supporting Trump. I’ve attached it.

Anyway, what makes this interesting (besides the name attached) are the arguments. He starts with this Trump-like rhetoric (lots of ass-kissing here):

There is an obvious reason why President Trump is the only presidential candidate in American history to face a challenge to his qualifications under Section 3: Democrats fear the potential consequences of Trump’s election in 2024 more than any party has ever feared the victory of an opposing candidate. Histrionic screeds warning of a potential Trumpian dictatorship have proliferated in the pages of mainstream publications. And thanks to a deluge of worsening polls, Democrats now lack confidence that they can beat President Trump in a free and fair election. So, they have resorted to grasping for any tool that might allow them to avoid the humiliation of defeat at his hands.

It’s a great read and the SCOTUS clerks will have a good time consuming it. 😆

From there, the arguments get more traditional. An interesting one is that many previous presidents’ political decisions could be viewed as “insurrections”—Carter’s and Regan’s enabling of the Taliban, Clinton’s sentence-commutation for Puerto Rican FALN terrorists, Obama’s arming of cartels in Operation Fast and Furious, and Biden’s support of some of these operations. Vivek says that these are all political decisions not subject to SCOTUS review (think separation of powers).

The remaining arguments are technical, but one stands out because we’ve already discussed it: In the last section of the brief, Vivek tackles how Section 3 should be interpreted—specifically whether Section 3 includes the president. He cites some hand-picked canons of construction. If SCOTUS decides to interpret Section 3, they’ll do this same kind of analysis. His textual arguments are good; but like I said, it’s a dark art and Trump’s opponents will have plenty of their own canons to cite.

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Archived Version

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 18:18

Included in TimeMagazine's 2007 list of "100Best Shows of All Time", Sanfordand Son was based on the BBC Galton and Simpson sitcom Steptoe and Son. However, had a plan to make an American version ofthe award winning Britcom come to fruition as early as 1964, Sanford and Son aswe now know it might never have been made.

In the UK, by 1964 Steptoeand Son had already secured its place in television history winning awardsfor the series itself, the actors Harry H. Corbett and Wilfrid Brambell, andthe scriptwriters Alan Simpson and Ray Galton. Lauded by critics and fans alike,the original scripts had been adapted for radio and Pye Records had released aseries of best-selling albums. The stars themselves had been enticed to the bigscreen, Corbett making the Galton and Simpson penned The Bargee, and Brambell, perhaps more famously, appearing as PaulMcCartney's granddad in what was then seen as the ground-breaking pop-culturemovie A Hard Day's Night.

Such was Steptoe's high profile that a US film producer,Joseph E. Levine, founder of Embassy Pictures, decided to invest in a pilotepisode for NBC. The US remake (for that's exactly what it was) was to retainits British title and two actors were cast for the roles of Harold and Albert:Aldo Ray and Lee Tracy respectively. The setting for the series was Chicago. Inspite of filming the pilot, it was never shown on US television. Despite that,Levine retained the rights for an American version right up until 1971. Evenbefore then, discussions took place to try another pilot, this time for ScreenGems, but the programme makers could not make up their minds on how to bestportray the characters. "We spent two months writing a pilot." SaidAlan Simpson. "But they couldn't cast it. They said it was too ethnic anddidn't know where to set it. 'We can't set it in New York - they'd be Italianor Jewish. We can't set it in Chicago - they'd be Italian, too. We can't set itin Los Angeles, they'd be Mexicans. So it's a bit of a problem, really.' Thewriters suggested they do it with an all-black cast. "They said, 'that's awonderful idea but if they are poverty stricken the network won't wear it.Black people have to be doctors or lawyers.'"

In 1971 US TV producer Norman Lear took up the relinquishedrights to the show. Lear had previously created a huge hit out of another Britishsitcom; Till Death Us Do Part whichhe took to America and adapted as All InThe Family. In Archie Bunker America had an iconic television character.Now Lear was on the lookout for another series that would duplicate thissuccess. Lear set about making a pilot starring Bernard Hughes and PaulSorvino. But like the previous pilot in 1964, this one was also considered afailure and never aired. Nevertheless, Lear persevered and decided to rewritethe characters as a black father and son and set it in Los Angeles. When Galtonand Simpson told him that's what they'd suggested in 1967 they were told"Ah, but you couldn't do that then. You can now."

Actor Redd Foxx was cast as Fred G. Sanford, a 65-year-oldwidower and junk dealer living at 9114 S. Central Avenue in the Wattsneighbourhood of South Central Los Angeles, California; alongside DesmondWilson as his 30-year-old son, Lamont Sanford. Foxx portrayed Sanford as asarcastic, irascible schemer who's frequent get-rich-quick ideas routinelybackfire. Like his British counterpart, when things were not going well forFred he'd feign a heart attack - 15 before the end of the first episode! Hemade a catchphrase out of his announcement to his long-deceased wife "I'mcoming Elizabeth, I'm coming. This is the big one!" In his more melancholymoments he'd make long speeches to Elizabeth but in his more aggressive moodshe'd take up the stance of a fighter, clenching his fists in the face ofauthority and muttering: "How would you like one across your lips?"

His son Lamont longs for independence, but, as in theBritish version in the same way that Harold Steptoe feels about Albert Steptoe,Lamont loves his father too much to move out on his own and leave thetrouble-prone Fred unsupervised. Though each owns an equal share in thebusiness, Fred is the boss, Lamont often finds himself doing all the work. Fredoften insults his son, usually calling him a "big dummy." Lamont alsoinsults his father, referring to him as an "old fool." However, the twoshare a close bond and regularly come to each other's aid. Unlike the Britishseries Sanford and Son is not a two-hander and a regular supporting cast wouldoften infringe on the two central figures. Ray Galton admitted: 'Ourcontribution to Sanford and Son was very limited. The first series wassomething like 14 programmes, 11 of which were based on our show. But afterthat it was turned into a gang show. They brought in aunties, friends,next-door neighbours...'

First airing on 14 January 1972, as a mid-season replacementto Jack Webb's failed show The D.A.,Sanford and Son was an instant hitwith US audiences. After its first 13 episodes, the show was picked up foranother season. By its second season, the show ranked number two behind All in the Family in the all-importantAmerican TV ratings. However, by the end of the third season, there werealready problems brewing behind the scenes.

By 1976, with a number of familiar faces having departed Sanford and Son, a clutch of new oneswere drafted in. The final programme in the series, broadcast Friday 2September 1977, ended with Lamont getting engaged to his sweetheart, Janet. Thewedding was planned as the opening episode of the following season. But itnever came about. Redd Foxx had made a firm commitment to a variety show forABC, informing NBC, quite unceremoniously, that he would not be available foranother season of Sanford and Son. NBC decided to continue the series promotingDesmond Wilson to solo star status, but this led to another pay dispute. Withthe prospect of becoming the main star of Sanfordand Son Wilson demanded a huge increase in wages that NBC simply felt wasmore than he was worth. Rather than pay up, NBC simply cancelled the series.

However, NBC were still keen to continue with the Sanfordfranchise, especially as the show was still doing well in the ratings when itwas cancelled. To this end, they created a spin-off. The Sanford Arms took some of Sanford and Son's best-lovedsupporting characters and promoted them to the forefront in a sitcom that foundthem running the Sanford Arms hotel. NBC were hoping that fans loyal to Sanfordand Son would tune in and make the new show a hit. The series aired just twoweeks after the last episode of Sanfordand Son. It was off the air in less than a month. Determined not to writethe franchise off completely, NBC enticed Redd Foxx back as Fred Sanford, butDesmond Wilson, still in dispute over salary, did not return.

The series lasted for three short seasons before the Sanfordfranchise finally came to a close in 1981. Redd Foxx passed away in 1991.During a break in rehearsals for his last sitcom, The Royal Family, he had a heart attack. The rest of the cast andcrew thought he was doing his classic routine from Sanford and Son. But sadly, this time 'the big one' had come forreal. Foxx never regained consciousness. Sanford and Son remains one of themost beloved sitcoms in American television history successfully crossing anyracial barriers to be enjoyed by all audiences. When a US version of Steptoe and Son was first suggested inthe 1960s the BBC said they would never show any other version other than theoriginal. To this day Sanford and Sonhas never aired in the UK.

Published on May 24th, 2019. Written by Marc Saul (2014) for Television Heaven.

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Archived Version

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 18:13

The Audible application is displayed on a smartphone in an arranged photograph taken in Arlington, Virginia, on May 21, 2020.

Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Amazon 's Audible division is cutting approximately 5% of its staff in an effort to position the unit "for continued success," the executive overseeing the division told employees Thursday.

The announced cuts follow the layoffs on Wednesday of hundreds of employees in Amazon's Prime Video, MGM Studios and Twitch livestreaming units.

"We did not take this route without considerable thought," Audible CEO Bob Carrigan wrote in a memo to staffers that was viewed by CNBC. "But getting leaner and more efficient is the way we will need to operate now '-- and in the foreseeable future '-- in order to continue delivering best-in-class audio storytelling to our customers around the world."

Business Insider reported on the cuts earlier.

Amazon acquired Audible, which hosts audiobooks and podcasts, in 2008 for roughly $300 million. The unit has remained largely independent since the deal but is not immune to broader cuts underway at its parent. Beginning at the end of 2022 and continuing through 2023, Amazon initiated the largest layoffs in its history, cutting more than 27,000 jobs across almost every area of the company.

Representatives from Audible didn't respond to CNBC's requests for comment.

Here's the full memo from Carrigan:

All,

Today I have some difficult news to share with you. As we begin a new year, we've made the tough decision to reduce roles within our organization.

I want to acknowledge the strong year we had in 2023, in which we delivered amazing listening experiences for our customers thanks to outstanding collaboration with creators and partners. Our business is in good shape, and that is because of the hard work of each and every one of you. However, to position us for continued success in the coming year and into the future, given the increasingly challenging landscape we face, we have to take this difficult decision now. As a company driven by our People Principles and in particular Activate Caring, we did not take this route without considerable thought. But getting leaner and more efficient is the way we will need to operate now'--and in the foreseeable future'--in order to continue delivering best-in-class audio storytelling to our customers around the world.

A big part of what makes working at Audible so special is our many talented and dedicated employees who bring their passion to work each and every day. It's also what makes it even harder to say goodbye to people we care about.

Approximately five percent of our workforce is impacted by this reduction. Those employees have already received a meeting invite for a conversation with their HR business partners and team leaders.

I recognize the impact this will have on those transitioning out of Audible as well as all of you who remain. Thanks to all who are leaving us for their valuable contributions. Please be assured we will be supporting our departing colleagues as they look for their next opportunity. This is a hard moment, and many of you understandably feel uncertainty about the future. I want you to know that we're making these decisions to strengthen our business for the long term.

We are well positioned to continue our momentum and sustain the global growth that will keep us the leader in audio storytelling. I will be sharing more about the road ahead, and answering your questions, at January's Global Allofus meeting.

WATCH: Amazon has a lot of confidence in its ability to monetize

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Archived Version

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 15:30

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Infrastructure investment fund

Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) is an infrastructure investment fund making equity and selected debt investments. GIP's main headquarters are located in New York City and its equity investments are based on infrastructure assets in the energy, transport and water & waste sectors. GIP employs approximately 150 investment and operational professionals and has offices in New York, London, Stamford, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore and Hong Kong.[3][4] In total as of 2018, its portfolio companies employ approximately 21,000 people.

History [ edit ] Global Infrastructure Partners was established in May 2006. Two founding investors in its first fund, GIP I, were Credit Suisse and General Electric. Both committed approximately 9% of the US$5.64 billion of GIP I's committed capital.

The firm's first investment was announced in October 2006. It was a 50:50 joint venture between GIP and American International Group (AIG) to acquire London City Airport for an undisclosed sum. GIP announced the sale of the asset in February 2016 for a significant multiple of its acquisition price.

GIP has made two additional notable airport investments: the October 2009 acquisition of Gatwick Airport, the second largest airport in the United Kingdom by passenger traffic, for £1.5 billion from BAA[5][6] and the 2012 acquisition of Edinburgh Airport for £807 million.[7][8]

GIP has made a cross section of investments in other areas of the transport sector as well as the natural resource and power generation areas of the energy sector. These assets include seaports, freight rail facilities, midstream natural resources and power generation businesses.

Global Infrastructure Partners' first fund, GIP I, completed its fund raising in May 2008 with $5.64 billion in investor capital commitments. The fund became fully invested during 2012.

In September 2012, GIP's second fund, GIP II, completed fund raising with US$8.25 billion in investor capital commitments, making it the largest independent infrastructure fund in the world at that time.[9] Exceeding what it had initially projected,[10] GIP's third fund'--GIP III'--completed fund raising in January 2017 with approximately $15.8 billion in investor capital commitments. GIP's fourth equity Fund, GIP IV, completed fund raising in December 2019, raising $22 billion.

GIP also manages several other Funds which focus on investments in infrastructure in other asset classes or target specific regions. GIP's Credit business manages over $4 billion across three Funds: GIP Capital Solutions I and GIP Capital Solutions II and GIP Spectrum.

In January 2024, investment management corporation BlackRock announced that it would acquire Global Infrastructure Partners for $12.5 billion.[11][12][13]

Current investments [ edit ] As of December 2020, Global Infrastructure Partners had aggregate assets under management of approximately US$75 billion, such investments being concentrated in OECD countries. Its portfolio specifically included investment in the following assets:[14]

ADNOC Gas PipelinesAtlas Renewable EnergyBorkum Riffgrund 2ChannelView CogenerationClearway EnergyCompetitive Power VenturesEdinburgh AirportEnLink MidstreamEast India Petroleum Ltd.Empresa El(C)ctrica Guacolda S.A.Eolian EnergyFreeport LNGNaturgy (fka Gas Natural SGD, S.A.)Gatwick AirportGode Wind 1Guacolda EnergiaHess Infrastructure PartnersHornsea 1London City AirportMedallion Gathering & ProcessingNuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori[15]Pacific NationalPort of MelbournePort of Brisbane CorporationSaeta Yield/Bow PowerSignature AviationTerra-Gen PowerTransitGas AGTerminal Investment LimitedVena EnergyReferences [ edit ] External links [ edit ] Global Infrastructure Partners

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Archived Version

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 15:23

In his surprise visit to Kyiv, Rishi Sunak had two pieces of good news for Ukrainians: another £2.5 billion in military aid and an agreement to sign a bilateral defence deal. Ukraine isn't going to join Nato any time soon, so the country's leader Volodymyr Zelensky has been trying to build a next-best alternative: a series of deals with allies. Britain is the first.

The UK says it will provide intelligence sharing, cyber security, medical and military training and defence industrial cooperation. And post-war, if Ukraine is ever attacked by Russia again, the UK will agree to provide 'swift and sustained' assistance. The Ukrainian government has been negotiating such agreements with 30 other countries; Sunak's decision to sign a deal '' which he confirmed as he met Zelensky in his presidential palace this afternoon '' could potentially set a trend. The agreement lasts ten years and is extendable. If Ukraine joins Nato before the term ends, security obligations will transfer to Nato.

Sunak is well-regarded in Ukraine

The Prime Minister is well-regarded in Ukraine and the £2.5 billion is a larger amount than anyone else has offered, other than the US. It means long-range missiles, air defence, artillery ammunition and maritime security. At least £200 million has been set aside to fund the production of drones, including surveillance, long-range strike and sea drones.

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Archived Version

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 15:22

New footage has emerged of a group of women who dined-and-dashed after ordering a £425 meal congratulating their waitress on the 'to die for' prawns.

The 'despicable group' of four women and eight children were caught ordering hundreds of pounds worth of food and drink at the La Bella Vista restaurant in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, which they never paid for.

They can be heard racking up a huge bill, which included six portions of roast beef and five portions of kids bolognese, before one of the women then compliments the waitress on the restaurant's prawns, saying they are 'to die for'.

La Bella Vista has since taken to social media to thank locals 'for the incredible support' following the 'disgraceful' incident, which it also revealed took place just days after another group did the same.

Deborah Esposito, joint owner of La Bella Vista, said that she found vomit on the pavement outside the restaurant afterwards.

New footage has emerged of a group of women who dined-and-dashed ordering a £425 meal

One woman (pictured far right) from a group who dined-and-dashed can be heard complimenting the waitress on the 'to die for' prawns

They can be heard racking up a huge bill, which included six portions of roast beef and five portions of kids bolognese

'It looked like there was a lot of sick up [on] the street outside,' she said. 'The whole experience was pretty awful.'

'It looked like they had thrown up all the food they had eaten in the restaurant,' she added. 'It was like somebody had put their fingers down their throats and brought it all back up.'

Deborah told MailOnline the restaurant was scammed 'about a week before' by a group of people they believe are members of the same family.

Deborah said: 'About a week before, another group of four came in. After gorging themselves on starters, they ordered a load of mains then asked if their food had chilli in it.

'One of them said they were allergic and they all had to go to hospital immediately. They left without paying. Their bill was about £150.'

She believes they were from the same family who turned up on Sunday evening.

She said: 'The large group phoned ahead to ask if we had space for six. When they arrived, there were 12 of them - four adults and eight children.

'They made quite an entrance and were so loud right from the start. I put them downstairs and decided to keep an eye on them.'

Deborah said she was wary and wanted to make sure she could prove the group were asked if they had any allergies before they ordered food.

The second group had another idea. Deborah said: 'One of the women said she had found something in her food and they refused to pay. There's no way something like that could happen but they refused to pay.'

'Even the children were shouting they weren't paying. We called the police and managed to keep one of the women in the restaurant.

'They were banging on the windows and shouting, it was very intimidating.'

Another one of the women (centre) who left without paying the bill can be seen tallying their order on her fingers as they amass a £400 bill

Pictured: La Bella Vista in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex

The restaurant serves a variety of Italian food including this Arancini

The restaurant also offers the slow cooked cod fillet croquette, with potatoes, parsley and an extra virgin olive oil and mint emulsion

This Baked seabass, white wine mussel velout(C), with cherry tomatoes and potato puree dish is also on La Bella Vista's menu

Police arrived and the remaining adult was taken to an ATM where she drew out £60, which she claimed was 'all she had'.

Another video shows the woman being questioned by police inside the restaurant.

'Their drinks bill was £88 on its own,' Deborah said. 'The really sad thing was the children. There were eight of them all aged between about three and 10.

'They will grow up thinking this is normal. It took the staff half an hour to clean up after they had gone.'

Deborah said other local businesses needed to be aware and they posted pictures on Facebook.

She said: 'It was very intimidating but we decided to go public because it gets to a point where you have to say No more.'

'The response was unbelievable. We've heard how they just swept through the town last weekend.

'They went to another restaurant and we even heard they trashed the hotel they were staying in.'

Another video shows one of the women being questioned by police inside the restaurant

She was taken to an ATM where she drew out £60, which she claimed was 'all she had'

The restaurant also posted on its Facebook on Friday thanking locals 'for the incredible support' and the police for investigating the incident.

It said: 'In the midst of the whirlwind this week, we wanted to take a moment to express our genuine gratitude for the incredible support you've all shown us at La Bella Vista.

'A special thanks to the media for amplifying and supporting our story, it has truly made a difference to raising awareness of these types of scams. Also a big thank you to Sussex Police for attending so quickly and following up later this week.

'We look forward to a fantastic year, providing more delightful experiences and meals together!'

A Sussex Police spokesperson previously said: 'We can confirm we are investigating a report of a group of people making off without payment from a restaurant in St Leonards.

'The group are alleged to have left La Bella Vista in Grand Parade around 5pm on Sunday 7 January without paying for their meal.

'A member of staff also reported being assaulted.

'Officers have attended the premises and engaged with staff and enquiries are ongoing.

'Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to report it online or call 101, quoting serial 748 of 07/01.'

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Archived Version

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 15:19

The Davos summit comes after warnings from experts that a hypothetical new pandemic named 'Disease X' could kill 20 times more people around the world than Covid-19

Scientists have long warned of the deadly risk posed by a 'Disease X' pandemic (stock image) ( Image: Getty Images)

World leaders are to discuss preparation for the next pandemic at a major Davos summit next week.

Officials from across the globe will be heading to the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Switzerland - with the risk posed by what's known as 'Disease X' one of the key items on the agenda.

It comes after warnings from experts that a hypothetical new pandemic could kill 20 times more people than the recent coronavirus outbreak. It is hoped that with the correct research framework in place and enough knowledge in place on a global level, a future pandemic could be eliminated in just 100 days.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned of a potential Disease X since 2017, a term indicating an unknown pathogen that could cause a serious international epidemic. Speaking to the WEF on its Radio Davos podcast last year, author Kate Kelland said that extensive research into already-known families of viruses would help humanity prepare and create a vaccine quickly for the the next outbreak.

She said: "Because scientists were working for decades or more on Sars vaccines and also on Mers vaccine, they found out some very key pieces of information about coronaviruses. If we do that kind of homework on every one of the 25 or so viral families that we already know have the potential to cause disease in humans '... then we can actually gain a lot of knowledge ahead of time about something that doesn't exist yet."

Ms Kelland added that an example of this preparedness had already been seen with monkeypox, which already had a vaccine in place before the outbreak in 2022 because it was from the same family as smallpox. Dame Kate Bingham, who was on the UK's vaccine panel in 2020, has also previously warned that Disease X could be capable of producing 20 times as many fatalities as Covid-19 - about 50 million fatalities.

Public speakers at the 'Preparing for Disease X' event next Wednesday include Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, Brazilian Minister of Health Nisia Trindade Lima, and Michel Demar(C), chair of the board at AstraZeneca.

In their first post-pandemic meeting held in November 2022, the WHO brought over 300 scientists to consider which of over 25 virus families and bacteria could potentially create another pandemic. The list the team came up with included: the Ebola virus, the Marburg virus disease, Covid-19, SARS, and the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Others included lassa fever, nipah and henipaviral diseases, zift Valley fever, and zika - as well as the unknown pathogen that would cause "Disease X".

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Archived Version

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 15:15

Hertz said it will sell 20,000 EVs - citing low demand and expensive repairsListings have started appearing on its Hertz Car Sales website for as low as $18k It is a departure for the company which was previously confident in electric carsBy Neirin Gray Desai Consumer Reporter For Dailymail.Com

Updated: 15:26 EST, 11 January 2024

Car rental giant Hertz is selling 20,000 EVs - a third of its electric fleet - due to a lack of demand and expensive repairs.

The proceeds from those sales will be reinvested in gas cars, the company said in its most recent filings.

Hertz's electric fleet is mostly Teslas but also features Chevrolet Bolts and Polestars.

On Thursday the company had more than 550 Tesla Model 3s and 120 Model Ys listed on its Hertz Car Sales website, with mileage ranging from 10,000 to 100,000.

Some 2021 Model 3s were listed for around $20,000 but on Wednesday prices as low as $17,700 were spotted.

Hertz will sell approximately 20,000 electric vehicles, or a third of its electric fleet, due to a lack of rental demand

On Thursday morning Hertz had more than 700 EVs listed for sale. On Wednesday 2021 Tesla Model 3s were listed for less than $18,000

Sale of the vehicles began last month and additional models will trickle out for sale over the course of the year, the company said. EVs held for sale will still be available for rental during the sales process.

The sale of Hertz's EVs marks a departure from its previous target that 25 percent of its overall fleet would be electric by the end of 2024.

In 2022 it said it would buy up to 65,000 EVs over five years from Polestar. That was just months after it ordered 100,000 cars from Tesla.

Many of the Teslas it purchased were leased to Uber as part of a scheme that enabled drivers to rent them for the job, starting at around $330 a week.

Although Teslas are a popular choice among cab drivers, there are various complications when it comes to renting one for a trip, such as limited range and a potential lack of access to charging stations.

The selling of the EV fleet aligns with a broader trend in the US auto market in which demand for electric cars appears to have fallen.

According to Hertz, the sale is to 'better balance supply against expected demand of EVs' and to 'eliminate a disproportionate number of lower margin rentals and reduce damage expense associated with EVs'.

Less than an hour after markets opened on Thursday the rental company's share price had fallen by more than 5 percent.

Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr (pictured) has previously said that Tesla cutting the cost of its new cars negatively impacted the value of its EV inventory

In 2022, Hertz ordered 100,000 cars from Tesla. Months later it placed an order for 65,000 EVs from Polestar

In its filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) it noted that the decision to sell the cars would likely cost around $245 million due to differences between their value at the end of 2023 and the prices for which they eventually sell.

Depreciation of its electric vehicle fleet in recent years is another phenomenon Hertz has previously alluded to.

Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr described the issue during the company's third-quarter earnings call in October, in which it announced it fell short of profit estimates.

'The MSRP declines in EVs over the course of 2023, driven primarily by Tesla, have driven the fair market value of our EVs lower as compared to last year, such that a salvage creates a larger loss and, therefore, greater burden,' he said.

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Sun, 14 Jan 2024 13:28

Critical conversations for the future of human civilization.The Consilience Project publishes novel research at the leading edges of global risk mitigation, governance design and culture. Our content explores the key challenges and existential threats facing humanity, and the underlying problems with current approaches for addressing them. We outline how our social systems and institutions need to be redesigned if free, open, non-authoritarian societies are to survive.

Our ContextAt no other point in history has humanity faced such a wide range of novel catastrophic risks. Our civilization has never been more vast, complicated, and fragile. This systemic fragility is exacerbated by new technologies, geopolitical instability, an ecological crisis and a reliance on global economic supply chains. These interlocking, interrelated problems are known collectively as the metacrisis. The Consilience Project's primary aim is to clarify and reveal the nature of the metacrisis to enable comprehensive solutions to global problems. Our work recognizes the interconnectedness of humanity's challenges: any solution must factor the underlying drivers of each one.

Our ProjectWe publish research and analysis to help guide decision-makers and leaders towards the critical paths necessary to address the unique challenges of our time. The content published here is for any individual, group or institution trying to innovate around global coordination challenges, catastrophic risks and social technologies.

The Consilience Project is a publication of the Civilization Research Institute (CRI), a charitable think tank focused on reducing systemic fragility and advancing new forms of governance and coordination. CRI seeks to inform the next era of human collaboration and collective intelligence to ensure human and ecological thriving.

Our TeamThe Consilience Project consists of a core team of passionate people from a wide range of disciplines.

Daniel SchmachtenbergerProject StrategySocial philosophy, collective intelligence, risk mitigation.

Samo BurjaGeopolitical Intelligence Founder, Bismarck Analysis, Research Fellow, Long Now Foundation.

Zak Stein EdDPsychometrics & Education Expert in psychology and philosophy, previous Co-Founder at Lectica Inc.

Jess WebbSocial Network Intelligence, Founder, Aizle Analytics, Former All Source Intelligence, JSOC, NSWDG.

Ben Landau-TaylorEconomic IntelligenceSenior Researcher at Bismarck Analysis, focus on industrial economics.

Thomas ErmacoraFuture-Oriented DesignAward-winning urbanist, architect, and futurist, Skoll Fellow, Fellow at Singularity Institute.

Mia GrableOperationsProject management, software, finance, operations.

Sammi FischerExecutive AdministratorScheduling, administration, and back office.

Julia PopeStrategic communications & PartnershipsOutreach and campaign specialist, Founder of Hylo, former CBC Radio journalist.

Bob GrayVisual Design & BrandFounder of Red & Grey design and brand agency. Partner at Adaptive cultures design strategy firm.

Paul HughesBranding, Design, InnovationStrategic Director, Adaptive Cultures design strategy firm.

Alex Randall PhDEditorial & PolicyPublic policy, defence & security, neuroscience, art. Former UK Government, Cambridge Fellow.

Christopher EddyPhilosophy & Social TheoryGovernance, catastrophic risk, humane tech, cognitive science, logic, metaphysics

Deepa PurushothamanDiversity, Equity, & InclusionAuthor, speaker, and researcher on systemic racism and the advancement of women of color in corporate America.

Tristan HarrisTechnology EthicsCo-Founder at the Center for Humane Technology. Technology ethicist, philosopher, systems thinker.

Nate Hagens PhDNatural Resource Economics and RiskFocuses on the interrelationship between debt-based financial markets and natural resources.

R.P. EddyIntelligence & National SecurityCEO of Ergo, Fmr Director at the White House National Security Council, Senior Diplomat. Economics, natl. security and geo-politics. Investor. Best selling author.

Tyson Yunkaporta PhDCultural ResearchLecturer and Author on Indigenous Knowledge, academic, researcher, educator, art critic.

Peter SforzaGeospatial Intelligence AnalystDirector, Center for Geospatial Information Technology. Complex systems, resilience, regenerative systems.

Sanjiv SidhuBusiness & Supply Chain IntelligenceCofounder and Chair of 09 Solutions. Supply chain management, artificial intelligence.

Dan Shalmon PhDNational Security PolicyResearch experience employing qualitative and quantitative methods for clients in national security, education and public policy.

Liv BoereeGame Theory & Existential RiskScience Broadcaster, Astrophysics, game theory, existential risk.

Jamie WhealCultural ArchitectureExecutive Director of the Flow Genome Project and Co-Author of the Global Bestseller Stealing Fire.

Evelyn GosnellBehavioral EconomicsApplies behavioral economics insights in product design, with a focus on technology.

Jim RuttComplexity and TechnologyChairman, Santa Fe Institute. Former CEO of Network solutions. Complexity science, politics, economics.

Adam RobinsonMarket IntelligencePresident at Robinson Global Strategies, Founder at Princeton Review, Chess Master, Top Financial Advisor.

Rob SchuhamCo-Founder of Undercurrent, COMMON, and Fearless; former Chief Digital Advisor, Al Gore's Climate Reality Project.

Fernanda IbarraCollective IntelligenceEconomics, currency design, organizational architecture, regenerative culture.

Ryan WalshDirected product strategy across Apple Media Divisions.

John Mattison MDMedical StrategyFormer Chief Medical Information Officer and Associate CMO at Kaiser Permanente.

Justin RosensteinTechnology and GovernanceCo-founder of Asana, programmer of software, organizations, cultures, & systems in service of love. Co-Founder, One Project.

Tomas BjorkmanFinancial IntelligenceFounder, Investment Banking Partners AB, Chairman, EFG Investment Bank. Member, Club of Rome.

Raj VaswaniTechnology & DataInnovation, product development, and product management. Data science, IoT, global utilities, information technology.

Nora BatesonComplex SystemsDirector of research at the Bateson Institute, transcontextual research, in ecology, economy, social change, health, education, and art.

Alex GladsteinOpen SocietiesChief Strategy Officer at Human Rights Foundation. Faculty at Singularity University. Advisor at Blockchain Capital.

Michael SlabyDigital StrategyCTO & CIO Obama campaign. Chief strategist, Harmony Labs. Technology, politics, and impact strategies.

Gilbert MorrisProfessor, Financial Centre Expert, Economist, Diplomat, Historian, Author.

John RobbMilitary IntelligenceAir Force, Special Ops, Military Intelligence. Expertise in counterterrorism and unconventional warfare.

Molly Maloof MDMedicine & BiosciencesIntegrative physician and medical researcher in the areas of longevity and human potential.

Jordan Hall JDStrategic IntelligenceFounder at DivX, Founder of Game B,trustee, Santa Fe Institute.

Peter Demitry MDResearch & StrategyRet. Colonel, Associate Surgeon General of the US Air Force, fighter pilot. Director of NFIM.

Michel BauwensPeer-to-Peer Social Dynamics & TechnologyFounder of the Foundation for Peer-to-Peer Alternatives, and the Peer-to-Peer Cooperative.

Jeffrey LadishSecurity ResearchCybersecurity and biosecurity; Existential risk expert.

Andrew Huberman PhDNeuroscienceTenured Professor of Neurology at Stanford Medical School; brain dev., brain plasticity, and neural regeneration.

Phoebe TickellDecentralization & Democratic PracticeDecentralization, distributed governance, horizontal practices. Collaborative and transparent decision-making and financing.

Kunal SoodImpact EntrepreneurXFellow, CEO of #WeThePlanet, impact entrepreneur, disruptive innovator & curator.

Jamie DavesMedia StrategyFounder Current TV, Entrepreneur, Venture Capitalist, Investor.

Kyle Gresham PhDMaterials ScienceRet. Colonel, Director of US Air Force Research, nanotech, bioweapons containment.

Greg ThomasCultural IntelligenceCEO Jazz Leadership Project, Senior Fellow at Institute for Cultural Evolution, author, educator.

Jenny StefanottiDesign thinkingFounder, Dent. Public policy, philanthropy, design, technology, behavioral economics, design methodology, and venture capital.

Bill TwistEnvironmental LawCo-Founder of Pachamama, Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.

Eric Mathur PhDBiosciencesSenior scientist at the Human Genome Project; leader in molecular biology.

David FullerJournalism & MediaChannel 4 News (UK), BBC Newsnight, Guardian, Buzzfeed. Founder, Rebel Wisdom.

Marc Collins ChenFuture of Cities Founder, Board Member, and former CEO of Oceanix: Sustainable Floating Cities. Former Minister of Tourism for French Polynesia.

Isaac LeeMediaFormer Chief Content Officer of Univision and Televisa.

John Vervaeke PhDCognitive Psychology and ScienceProfessor of cognitive psychology and science at the University of Toronto.

Rob GoldmanSocial MediaFormer VP of Advertising at Facebook.

Scott Barry Kaufman PhDSocial PsychologyCognitive Psychologist, Professor at Columbia University, author, Former Scientific Director at The Imagination Institute.

Matt EllisonDiplomacy & International SecurityHoover Institution, Stanford. Associate Editor, Palladium. Advisor, Bismarck Analysis.

Bill MeltonTechnology and Economics Founder and CEO of CyberCash. Founder of VeriFone, Inc. Former Board Member of the Santa Fe Institute.

Jonathan Rowson PhDPhilosophy and Strategy Co-founder and Director at Perspectiva, Chess Grandmaster, 1999. Author.

Alexander BardPhilosophyCo-Author of Futurica Trilogy, Music Producer, Co-founder of Stockholm Record.

Mihaela Ulieru PhDIntelligent Systems & Organic GovernanceFounder of the International Industrial Informatics, President of IMPACT Institute for the Digital Economy, Technology Alchemist Innovating at the nexus of AI/IoT/Blockchain.

Arthur BrockEconomics & SystemsCo-founder of Holochain, Software Architect, decentralized social and technological systems.

John PerkinsEconomic IntelligenceAuthor of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man; Former Advisor to the World Bank, United Nations, U.S. Treasury Department. Founding member of The Pachamama Alliance; Activist and lecturer.

Yasmine El BaggariEconomic and International IntelligenceFounder and CEO at Voyaj, US State Department ''Engage America'' Ambassador, and Researcher at Harvard University; Blogger and speaker at international conferences.

Aneel Chima PhDClinical Psychology & Human SystemsDirector of Health and Human Performance at Stanford's Flourishing Project, Co-founder of At The Core.

Rachel Howard PhDBiological Research Microbiology, interdisciplinary biosciences, epistemics.

Joseph RomeroCulture, News & Journalism Editor-in-chief of Culturekiosque, journalist for Le Monde & Wall Street Journal Europe.

Eugenio BattagliaProduct EngineeringWeb3 Researcher at curvelabs.eu, Director at meaning.systems

Lucian TarnowskiCollaboration & CoordinationExecutive Director of Civana, Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum.

Alex Morrise PhDMachine LearningTheoretical physics, string theory, machine learning, data science, deep learning, adaptive learning.

Advisor and Team DisclaimerAligned with the principle of Consilience and the mission of this project, we seek earnest and well-considered perspectives on topics from all sides of an issue and through the lens of different disciplines. Our advisors all support the project's central aim of better public education and dialogue: that does not mean they agree with or endorse every perspective in each article we write, nor does the Consilience Project necessarily agree with or endorse all the perspectives on issues each of them may have shared in other places.

Similarly, while everyone on the team contributes to the project and is aligned with the mission as a whole, that does not mean each piece represents the view of each team member, nor that the personal posts of team members elsewhere online represent the views of the project.

The views expressed in the articles are those of The Consilience Project as an organization, which assumes full responsibility for the content.

Helena is a problem-solving institution that addresses urgent global issues through non-profit, for-profit, and legislative projects.

Bismarck is a firm that analyzes institutions, from governments to companies, focusing on the causes of societal decay and flourishing.

The Center for Humane Technology is an independent nonprofit organization whose aim is to drive a comprehensive shift toward humane technology by changing the way technologist think about their work and how they build products.

Ergo delivers tailored intelligence and advisory services to help our private and public clients overcome multifaceted challenges and capture opportunities in over 200 nations.

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Universal access to information is foundational to a functioning open society. For the duration of this project, none of our content will ever be behind a paywall.

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The anonymity of authorship means readers are engaging with the content itself rather than the personality of its author, circumventing writer preference or mistrust on the basis of perceived content ''ownership''.Anonymity allows our writers to be as truthful as possible without concern for professional, personal, or political repercussions or retribution.Anonymity insulates our writers from motives of individual ego by eliminating any incentive to alter content to maximize an article's popularity.Anonymity encourages the entire research and writing team to support all work rather than having preferential focus on pieces for which they are lead author. We will continue to seek out team members and advisors from across the spectrum of political perspectives, industries, epistemic disciplines, as well as cultures and regions of the world. This multiplicity of viewpoints provides a more complete picture of any given issue. It also serves as a mitigating factor against our own human susceptibility to bias and group reinforcement.

In our ''Under the Hood'' sections, we will show the evidence and methods of analysis we used to arrive at our conclusions. Rather than guarding our methods like trade secrets in a competitive environment, we will open-source all of our resources and processes in the hope that others will replicate, adapt and improve upon our methods of sensemaking and reporting.

Our FinancialsWe will be filing and publishing our 2020 990 form in November of 2021 on our website and GuideStar. You can view our federal extension application here.

Our Legal Position(C) 2021 by the Civilization Research Initiative The Civilization Research Initiative owns all copyrights to the work of The Consilience Project.

The articles on this web site may be redistributed in other media and non-commercial publications as long as the following conditions are met. The redistributed article may not be abridged, edited or altered in any way without the express consent of The Consilience Project. The redistributed article may not be sold for a profit or included in another media or publication that is sold for a profit without the express consent of The Consilience Project.

Critical conversations for the future of human civilization.The Consilience Project publishes novel research at the leading edges of global risk mitigation, governance design and culture. Our content explores the key challenges and existential threats facing humanity, and the underlying problems with current approaches for addressing them. We outline how our social systems and institutions need to be redesigned if free, open, non-authoritarian societies are to survive.

Our ContextAt no other point in history has humanity faced such a wide range of novel catastrophic risks. Our civilization has never been more vast, complicated, and fragile. This systemic fragility is exacerbated by new technologies, geopolitical instability, an ecological crisis and a reliance on global economic supply chains. These interlocking, interrelated problems are known collectively as the metacrisis. The Consilience Project's primary aim is to clarify and reveal the nature of the metacrisis to enable comprehensive solutions to global problems. Our work recognizes the interconnectedness of humanity's challenges: any solution must factor the underlying drivers of each one.

Our ProjectWe publish research and analysis to help guide decision-makers and leaders towards the critical paths necessary to address the unique challenges of our time. The content published here is for any individual, group or institution trying to innovate around global coordination challenges, catastrophic risks and social technologies.solution must factor the underlying drivers of each one.

Our TeamThe Consilience Project consists of a core team of passionate people from a wide range of disciplines.

Eugenio BattagliaProduct EngineeringWeb3 Researcher at curvelabs.eu, Director at meaning.systems

Lucian TarnowskiCollaboration & CoordinationExecutive Director of Civana, Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum.

Kyle Gresham PhDMaterials ScienceRet. Colonel, Director of US Air Force Research, nanotech, bioweapons containment.

Jamie DavesMedia StrategyFounder Current TV, Entrepreneur, Venture Capitalist, Investor.

Jordan Hall JDStrategic IntelligenceFounder at DivX, Founder of Game B,trustee, Santa Fe Institute.

Alex Morrise PhDMachine LearningTheoretical physics, string theory, machine learning, data science, deep learning, adaptive learning.

Christopher EddyPhilosophy & Social TheoryGovernance, catastrophic risk, humane tech, cognitive science, logic, metaphysics

Matt EllisonDiplomacy & International SecurityHoover Institution, Stanford. Associate Editor, Palladium. Advisor, Bismarck Analysis.

Alex Randall PhDEditorial & PolicyPublic policy, defence & security, neuroscience, art. Former UK Government, Cambridge Fellow.

Aneel Chima PhDClinical Psychology & Human SystemsDirector of Health and Human Performance at Stanford's Flourishing Project, Co-founder of At The Core.

Yasmine El BaggariEconomic and International IntelligenceFounder and CEO at Voyaj, US State Department ''Engage America'' Ambassador, and Researcher at Harvard University; Blogger and speaker at international conferences.

John PerkinsEconomic IntelligenceAuthor of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man; Former Advisor to the World Bank, United Nations, U.S. Treasury Department. Founding member of The Pachamama Alliance; Activist and lecturer.

Arthur BrockEconomics & SystemsCo-founder of Holochain, Software Architect, decentralized social and technological systems.

Mihaela Ulieru PhDIntelligent Systems & Organic GovernanceFounder of the International Industrial Informatics, President of IMPACT Institute for the Digital Economy, Technology Alchemist Innovating at the nexus of AI/IoT/Blockchain.

Alexander BardPhilosophyCo-Author of Futurica Trilogy, Music Producer, Co-founder of Stockholm Record.

Jonathan Rowson PhDPhilosophy and Strategy Co-founder and Director at Perspectiva, Chess Grandmaster, 1999. Author.

Bill MeltonTechnology and Economics Founder and CEO of CyberCash. Founder of VeriFone, Inc. Former Board Member of the Santa Fe Institute.

Scott Barry Kaufman PhDSocial PsychologyCognitive Psychologist, Professor at Columbia University, author, Former Scientific Director at The Imagination Institute.

Rob GoldmanSocial MediaFormer VP of Advertising at Facebook.

John Vervaeke PhDCognitive Psychology and ScienceProfessor of cognitive psychology and science at the University of Toronto.

Isaac LeeMediaFormer Chief Content Officer of Univision and Televisa.

Marc Collins ChenFuture of Cities Founder, Board Member, and former CEO of Oceanix: Sustainable Floating Cities. Former Minister of Tourism for French Polynesia.

David FullerJournalism & MediaChannel 4 News (UK), BBC Newsnight, Guardian, Buzzfeed. Founder, Rebel Wisdom.

Eric Mathur PhDBiosciencesSenior scientist at the Human Genome Project; leader in molecular biology.

Bill TwistEnvironmental LawCo-Founder of Pachamama, Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.

Jenny StefanottiDesign thinkingFounder, Dent. Public policy, philanthropy, design, technology, behavioral economics, design methodology, and venture capital.

Greg ThomasCultural IntelligenceCEO Jazz Leadership Project, Senior Fellow at Institute for Cultural Evolution, author, educator.

Kunal SoodImpact EntrepreneurXFellow, CEO of #WeThePlanet, impact entrepreneur, disruptive innovator & curator.

Phoebe TickellDecentralization & Democratic PracticeDecentralization, distributed governance, horizontal practices. Collaborative and transparent decision-making and financing.

Andrew Huberman PhDNeuroscienceTenured Professor of Neurology at Stanford Medical School; brain dev., brain plasticity, and neural regeneration.

Jeffrey LadishSecurity ResearchCybersecurity and biosecurity; Existential risk expert.

Michel BauwensPeer-to-Peer Social Dynamics & TechnologyFounder of the Foundation for Peer-to-Peer Alternatives, and the Peer-to-Peer Cooperative.

Peter Demitry MDResearch & StrategyRet. Colonel, Associate Surgeon General of the US Air Force, fighter pilot. Director of NFIM.

Jamie WhealCultural ArchitectureExecutive Director of the Flow Genome Project and Co-Author of the Global Bestseller Stealing Fire.

Molly Maloof MDMedicine & BiosciencesIntegrative physician and medical researcher in the areas of longevity and human potential.

John RobbMilitary IntelligenceAir Force, Special Ops, Military Intelligence. Expertise in counterterrorism and unconventional warfare.

Michael SlabyDigital StrategyCTO & CIO Obama campaign. Chief strategist, Harmony Labs. Technology, politics, and impact strategies.

Alex GladsteinOpen SocietiesChief Strategy Officer at Human Rights Foundation. Faculty at Singularity University. Advisor at Blockchain Capital.

Nora BatesonComplex SystemsDirector of research at the Bateson Institute, transcontextual research, in ecology, economy, social change, health, education, and art.

Tyson Yunkaporta PhDCultural ResearchLecturer and Author on Indigenous Knowledge, academic, researcher, educator, art critic.

Raj VaswaniTechnology & DataInnovation, product development, and product management. Data science, IoT, global utilities, information technology.

Tomas BjorkmanFinancial IntelligenceFounder, Investment Banking Partners AB, Chairman, EFG Investment Bank. Member, Club of Rome.

Justin RosensteinTechnology and GovernanceCo-founder of Asana, programmer of software, organizations, cultures, & systems in service of love. Co-Founder, One Project.

John Mattison MDMedical StrategyFormer Chief Medical Information Officer and Associate CMO at Kaiser Permanente.

Fernanda IbarraCollective IntelligenceEconomics, currency design, organizational architecture, regenerative culture.

Adam RobinsonMarket IntelligencePresident at Robinson Global Strategies, Founder at Princeton Review, Chess Master, Top Financial Advisor.

Jim RuttComplexity and TechnologyChairman, Santa Fe Institute. Former CEO of Network solutions. Complexity science, politics, economics.

Evelyn GosnellBehavioral EconomicsApplies behavioral economics insights in product design, with a focus on technology.

Nate Hagens PhDNatural Resource Economics and RiskFocuses on the interrelationship between debt-based financial markets and natural resources.

Liv BoereeGame Theory & Existential RiskScience Broadcaster, Astrophysics, game theory, existential risk.

Dan Shalmon PhDNational Security PolicyResearch experience employing qualitative and quantitative methods for clients in national security, education and public policy.

Sanjiv SidhuBusiness & Supply Chain IntelligenceCofounder and Chair of 09 Solutions. Supply chain management, artificial intelligence.

Peter SforzaGeospatial Intelligence AnalystDirector, Center for Geospatial Information Technology. Complex systems, resilience, regenerative systems.

R.P. EddyIntelligence & National SecurityCEO of Ergo, Fmr Director at the White House National Security Council, Senior Diplomat. Economics, natl. security and geo-politics. Investor. Best selling author.

Tristan HarrisTechnology EthicsCo-Founder at the Center for Humane Technology. Technology ethicist, philosopher, systems thinker.

Deepa PurushothamanDiversity, Equity, & InclusionAuthor, speaker, and researcher on systemic racism and the advancement of women of color in corporate America.

Ryan WalshDirected product strategy across Apple Media Divisions.

Gilbert MorrisProfessor, Financial Centre Expert, Economist, Diplomat, Historian, Author.

Rob SchuhamCo-Founder of Undercurrent, COMMON, and Fearless; former Chief Digital Advisor, Al Gore's Climate Reality Project.

Paul HughesBranding, Design, InnovationStrategic Director, Adaptive Cultures design strategy firm.

Bob GrayVisual Design & BrandFounder of Red & Grey design and brand agency. Partner at Adaptive cultures design strategy firm.

Julia PopeStrategic communications & PartnershipsOutreach and campaign specialist, Founder of Hylo, former CBC Radio journalist.

Sammi FischerExecutive AdministratorScheduling, administration, and back office.

Mia GrableOperationsProject management, software, finance, operations.

Thomas ErmacoraFuture-Oriented DesignAward-winning urbanist, architect, and futurist, Skoll Fellow, Fellow at Singularity Institute.

Ben Landau-TaylorEconomic IntelligenceSenior Researcher at Bismarck Analysis, focus on industrial economics.

Daniel SchmachtenbergerProject StrategySocial philosophy, collective intelligence, risk mitigation.

Jess WebbSocial Network Intelligence, Founder, Aizle Analytics, Former All Source Intelligence, JSOC, NSWDG.

Zak Stein EdDPsychometrics & Education Expert in psychology and philosophy, previous Co-Founder at Lectica Inc.

Samo BurjaGeopolitical Intelligence Founder, Bismarck Analysis, Research Fellow, Long Now Foundation.

Joseph RomeroCulture, News & Journalism Editor-in-chief of Culturekiosque, journalist for Le Monde & Wall Street Journal Europe.

Rachel Howard PhDBiological Research Microbiology, interdisciplinary biosciences, epistemics.

Advisor and Team DisclaimerAligned with the principle of Consilience and the mission of this project, we seek earnest and well-considered perspectives on topics from all sides of an issue and through the lens of different disciplines. Our advisors all support the project's central aim of better public education and dialogue: that does not mean they

Helena is a problem-solving institution that addresses urgent global issues through non-profit, for-profit, and legislative projects.

Bismarck is a firm that analyzes institutions, from governments to companies, focusing on the causes of societal decay and flourishing.

Our Ethical CommittmentsIn an effort to address the erosion of trust in the media and guard against the biasing forces that arise from perverse incentives and human fallibility, we have implemented the following commitments:

Politicians, journalists, and everyday people on all sides intentionally mislead with facts, mischaracterize opposing views, and dehumanize those with whom they disagree. Social media has started to change our basic habits of communication by amplifying and incentivizing bad faith tactics.

Politicians, journalists, and everyday people on all sides intentionally mislead with facts, mischaracterize opposing views, and dehumanize those with whom they disagree. Social media has started to change our basic habits of communication by amplifying and incentivizing bad faith tactics.

Our FinancialsWe will be filing and publishing our 2020 990 form in November of 2021 on our website and GuideStar. You can view our federal extension application here.

Our Legal Position(C) 2021 by the Civilization Research Initiative The Civilization Research Initiative owns all copyrights to the work of The Consilience Project.

The articles on this web site may be redistributed in other media and non-commercial publications as long as the following conditions are met. The redistributed article may not be abridged, edited or altered in any way without the express consent of The Consilience Project. The redistributed article may not be sold for a profit or included in another media or publication that is sold for a profit without the express consent of The Consilience Project.

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Sun, 14 Jan 2024 13:22

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Commentators opposed to identity politics

The intellectual dark web (IDW) is a term used to describe some commentators who oppose identity politics, political correctness, and cancel culture in higher education and the news media within Western countries.[1][2]

Individuals and publications associated with the term reject what they view as authoritarianism and ostracism within mainstream progressive movements in Western countries, especially within universities and the news media. This includes opposition to deplatforming, boycotts, and online shaming, which are seen as threats to freedom of speech. Those who have been labelled as being part of the IDW include both liberals and conservatives. The validity of the term is contested by some it has been applied to due to the range of beliefs it encompasses.

Definition [ edit ] Sources differ on the nature of the IDW, with some describing its members as "small-l liberals" and others as "reactionaries" and ideologically diverse.[3] Shared beliefs include opposition to political correctness, but focus areas vary.[4] Those who have been linked to the IDW are generally critical of what they perceive as "conformist" liberals, and some have been associated with the alt-lite and the alt-right of the political spectrum.[5] Writers for Psychology Today characterized it as "generally concerned about political tribalism and free speech",[6] or as a rejection of "mainstream assumptions about what is true".[7] Writers for Salon dubbed it a politically conservative movement united more over a rejection of American liberalism than over any mutually shared beliefs.[8][9] Alternatively, Christian Alejandro Gonzalez, writing for the National Review, posited that, despite comprising "all political persuasions", the IDW was united in a particular conservative-leaning conceptualization of injustice and inequality specifically.[10]

In his book Against the Web: A Cosmopolitan Answer to the New Right, progressive author and political commentator Michael Brooks lists a "devotion to affirming capitalism", a "shared obsession with campus and social media controversies" and an "intense interest in IQ and other innate justifications for systemic inequalities" as defining features of the group.[11]

Origin and usage [ edit ] Eric Weinstein in 2010Eric Weinstein, mathematician and former director of Thiel Capital, stated that when he coined the term he was "half-joking".[1] This occurred after Weinstein's brother, biologist Bret Weinstein, resigned in 2017 from his position as professor of biology at the Evergreen State College in response to protests against his criticism of a campus event that asked white students to stay off campus, as opposed to the previous annual tradition of black students voluntarily absenting themselves.[12] The website Big Think has argued that other controversies, dating back to 2014, should also be viewed as antecedents to the IDW. These include a debate between Sam Harris and Ben Affleck on Real Time with Bill Maher in October 2014, the publication of "Google's Ideological Echo Chamber" by James Damore in August 2017, and Cathy Newman's interview of Jordan Peterson on Channel 4 News in January 2018, each of which related to controversial topics such as Islamic extremism and workplace diversity policies.[13]

The term gained popularity after a May 2018 opinion piece by then staff editor Bari Weiss in The New York Times titled "Meet the Renegades of the Intellectual Dark Web". Weiss characterized individuals she named as associated with the intellectual dark web as "iconoclastic thinkers, academic renegades and media personalities", who have been "purged from institutions that have become increasingly hostile to unorthodox thought", and who have instead taken to social media, podcasting, public speaking, and other alternative venues outside "legacy media".[1][14]

Reception [ edit ] Weiss's article sparked a number of critiques. Jonah Goldberg, writing in the National Review, said the "label is a bit overwrought", writing that it struck him "as a marketing label '' and not necessarily a good one. ... It seems to me this IDW thing isn't actually an intellectual movement. It's just a coalition of thinkers and journalists who happen to share a disdain for the keepers of the liberal orthodoxy."[15] Henry Farrell, writing in Vox, expressed disbelief that conservative commentator Ben Shapiro or neuroscientist Sam Harris, both claimed to be among the intellectual dark web by Weiss, could credibly be described as either purged or silenced. Weiss' fellow New York Times columnist Paul Krugman noted the irony of claiming popular intellectual oppression by the mainstream, while publishing in the Times, among the most prominent newspapers in the nation,[16] although Weiss did not herself claim to be part of the IDW[1] and would depart the Times almost exactly one year later over the same issues central to figures in it.[17] David French contended many of the critics were missing the point, and were instead inadvertently confirming "the need for a movement of intellectual free-thinkers."[18]

In 2019, a study from the Federal University of Minas Gerais found a pattern of migration of viewers who comment on YouTube videos, from commenting on clips associated with the IDW and the "alt-lite" to commenting on more algorithm-defined "right-wing and/or alt-right" videos. The study looked at over 331,000 videos that an algorithm had classified as right-wing, analyzed 79 million YouTube comments, and found a group that migrated from IDW channels to "alt-lite" channels, and then the alt-right channels. The subjects who left comments at an IDW channel were more likely to graduate after a few years to leaving significantly more comments on alt-right channels than the control group. The study's authors said they were not intending to "point fingers", but to draw attention to the effects of YouTube's recommendation algorithm, calling it an "almost totally algorithm-driven process."[19][20]

Associated individuals [ edit ] In a New York Times editorial, Bari Weiss listed individuals associated with the intellectual dark web, including Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Sam Harris, Heather Heying, Claire Lehmann, Bill Maher, Douglas Murray, Maajid Nawaz, Camille Paglia, Jordan Peterson, Steven Pinker, Joe Rogan, Dave Rubin, Ben Shapiro, Michael Shermer, Christina Hoff Sommers, Bret Weinstein, and Eric Weinstein.[1][21][22]

Although those associated with the IDW primarily criticize the political left,[4][23][24] some describe themselves as liberal, but criticize what they perceive as the excesses and indifference of the American Left, while others lean to the right.[1][4][25] Nick Fouriezos of Ozy magazine describes IDW as "a growing school of thought that includes a collection of mostly left-leaning professors, pundits and thinkers united in their criticism of the modern social justice movement as authoritarian and illogical."[25] Liberals who have been labelled as being part of the IDW often credit the Enlightenment with vast improvements in human welfare since the 18th century, and see Enlightenment values such as freedom of speech and individual rights as threatened by both political correctness on the left, and Trumpism and religious conservatism on the right.[25] Criticism of the IDW has come primarily from the left and support from the right.[1][4][26] The Guardian characterized the IDW as "strange bedfellows" that comprise the "supposed thinking wing of the alt-right".[27] The Los Angeles Review of Books described the members as identifying with both the left and the right, but united against "primary adversaries" including political correctness, progressives, left-wing politics, and "the neo-fascist alt-right".[4]

The characterization of it being an alt-right group (for example, in The Guardian) has been rejected by members of the IDW.[28]

Regarding the organization of the IDW, Daniel W. Drezner observed that it is essentially leaderless, and may be individually beholden to their audiences, unable to progress a coherent agenda.[29]

Internal disagreement [ edit ] Some writers, including Cathy Young, have expressed uncertainty over whether they belong in the intellectual dark web.[30] Historian of medicine and science Alice Dreger expressed surprise in being told she was a member of the IDW at all. After she was invited to be profiled in the New York Times article, she stated that she "had no idea who half the people in this special network were. The few Intellectual Dark Web folks I had met I didn't know very well. How could I be part of a powerful intellectual alliance when I didn't even know these people?"[31]

In November 2020, Harris distanced himself from the movement, saying that he was "turn[ing] in [his] imaginary membership card to this imaginary organization", because some unidentified members of the group were propagating President Donald Trump's false claims that the 2020 US presidential election was stolen through voter fraud.[32] He later described the focus on COVID-19 vaccines by Bret Weinstein as being "completely crazy".[33]

In 2021, Dave Rubin described a growing ideological split among the early IDW. According to Freddie Sayers, Rubin includes Bari Weiss, Sam Harris, and Bret Weinstein among "those who believe the tools of liberalism can still be deployed to persuade the Woke Left to change their mind", while Rubin believes that isn't possible, and that he is "better off building bridges with the Right".[34]

See also [ edit ] Culture warHeterodox AcademyReferences [ edit ] ^ a b c d e f g Weiss, Bari (May 8, 2018). "Meet the Renegades of the Intellectual Dark Web". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 31, 2020 . Retrieved May 8, 2018 . ^ Farrell, Henry (May 10, 2018). "The "Intellectual Dark Web," explained: what Jordan Peterson has in common with the alt-right". Vox . Retrieved August 14, 2023 . ^ "A Better Way to Understand the Intellectual Dark Web". Merion West. September 23, 2020 . Retrieved November 20, 2021 . ^ a b c d e Hamburger, Jacob (July 18, 2018). "The "Intellectual Dark Web" Is Nothing New". Los Angeles Review of Books. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019 . Retrieved November 12, 2018 . ...the movement does tend to think of liberals, progressives, and leftists as its primary adversaries. ^ Finlayson, Alan (September 6, 2021). "Neoliberalism, the Alt-Right and the Intellectual Dark Web". Theory, Culture & Society. SAGE Publications. 38 (6): 167''190. doi:10.1177/02632764211036731 . ISSN 0263-2764. S2CID 239690708. ^ Blum, Alexander. "The Intellectual Dark Web Debates Religion". Psychology Today. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020 . Retrieved June 25, 2019 . ^ Baker, Jennifer. "The "Intellectual Dark Web" and the Simplest of Ethics". Psychology Today. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020 . Retrieved June 25, 2019 . ^ Everson, Ryan (June 13, 2019). "Jordan Peterson announces new social media platform amid Pinterest controversy". The Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on July 30, 2019 . Retrieved July 30, 2019 . ^ Link, Taylor (September 2, 2018). "The Intellectual Dark Web conservatives fear". Salon. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019 . Retrieved June 25, 2019 . ^ Alejandro Gonzalez, Christian (May 16, 2018). "Inequality and the Intellectual Dark Web". National Review. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018 . Retrieved June 25, 2019 . ^ Brooks, Michael (2020). Against the Web: A Cosmopolitan Answer to the New Right. Hampshire: Zero Books. ISBN 9781789042306. ^ Svrluga, Susan; Heim, Joe (June 1, 2017). "Threat shuts down college embroiled in racial dispute". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019 . Retrieved July 1, 2018 . ^ Beres, Derek (March 27, 2018). "5 key moments that led to the rise of the Intellectual Dark Web". Big Think. Archived from the original on March 26, 2019 . Retrieved September 11, 2019 . ^ Lester, Amelia (November 2018). "The Voice of the 'Intellectual Dark Web' ". Politico. Archived from the original on November 12, 2018 . Retrieved November 12, 2018 . ^ Goldberg, Jonah (May 8, 2018). "Evaluating the 'Intellectual Dark Web' ". National Review. Archived from the original on July 15, 2020 . Retrieved June 25, 2019 . ^ Bonazzo, John (August 5, 2018). "NY Times 'Intellectual Dark Web' Story Savaged on Twitter'--Even by Paper's Staffers". The New York Observer. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019 . Retrieved June 25, 2019 . ^ Pompeo, Joe (July 14, 2020). "In Dramatic Exit From the Times, Bari Weiss Makes Bid for Woke-Wars Martyrdom". Vanity Fair . Retrieved October 29, 2022 . ^ French, David A. (May 11, 2018). "Critics Miss the Point of the 'Intellectual Dark Web' ". National Review. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019 . Retrieved June 25, 2019 . ^ Dickson, EJ (August 28, 2019). "Study Shows How the 'Intellectual Dark Web' Is a Gateway to the Far Right". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 21, 2019 . Retrieved September 25, 2019 . ^ Ribeiro, Manoel Horta; Ottoni, Raphael; West, Robert; Almeida, Virg­lio A F; Meira Meira, Wagner (2020). "Auditing radicalization pathways on YouTube". Proceedings of the 2020 Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency. pp. 131''141. doi:10.1145/3351095.3372879 . ISBN 9781450369367. S2CID 201316434. ^ Burgis, Ben (March 22, 2022). "Bill Maher Didn't Change. He's Always Been a Cringe Centrist". The Daily Beast . Retrieved May 21, 2023 . ^ Murray, Douglas (February 21, 2018). "Inside the intellectual dark web". The Spectator . Retrieved July 15, 2023 . ^ Weiss, Bari; Winter, Damon (May 8, 2018). "Opinion | Meet the Renegades of the Intellectual Dark Web". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved November 7, 2021 . ^ Link, Taylor (September 2, 2018). "The Intellectual Dark Web conservatives fear". Salon . Retrieved November 7, 2021 . ....the Intellectual Dark Web (IDW), a quasi-informal group of political commentators... who've gained traction for its hostility towards American liberalism ^ a b c Fouriezos, Nick (August 10, 2020). "American Fringes: The Intellectual Dark Web Declares Its Independence". OZY. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020 . Retrieved September 5, 2020 . ^ Bowden, Blaine (May 6, 2019). "Yes, The Intellectual Dark Web Is Politically Diverse". Areo. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019 . Retrieved July 30, 2019 . ^ "The 'Intellectual Dark Web' '' the supposed thinking wing of the alt-right". May 9, 2018. Archived from the original on June 10, 2019 . Retrieved June 25, 2019 . ^ Lester, Amelia. "The Voice of the 'Intellectual Dark Web' ". POLITICO Magazine. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020 . Retrieved May 30, 2019 . ^ Drezner, Daniel W. (May 11, 2018). "The Ideas Industry meets the intellectual dark web". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 29, 2019 . Retrieved June 25, 2019 . ^ Young, Cathy (May 20, 2018). "Who's afraid of the "Intellectual Dark Web"?". Arc Digital Media. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020 . Retrieved September 10, 2019 . ^ Dreger, Alice (May 11, 2018). "Why I Escaped the 'Intellectual Dark Web' ". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Archived from the original on June 25, 2019 . Retrieved June 25, 2019 . ^ Sam Harris (November 19, 2020). "Republic of Lies". samharris.org (Podcast). Sam Harris. Event occurs at 0:03.48. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020 . Retrieved November 19, 2020 . Insofar as I've noticed what others in the so called Intellectual Dark Web have been saying, it's generally not something I want to be associated with. I don't want to single anyone out in particular, but allow me to take this moment to turn in my imaginary membership card to this imaginary organization. I mean, the IDW was always tongue-in-cheek from my point of view. It was the name for a group of people who were willing to discuss difficult topics in public mostly on podcasts, but it never made sense for us to be grouped together as though we shared a common worldview. I never saw much downside to it, and I didn't much think about it, but in the aftermath of this election with some members of this fictional group sounding fairly bonkers, I just want to make it clear that I'm not part of any group. ^ Anthony, L. Fisher (January 19, 2023). "The Intellectual Dark Web's Descent Into Paranoia and Trumpism". The Daily Beast . Retrieved July 12, 2023 . ^ Sayers, Freddie (April 6, 2021). "Dave Rubin: why the 'Intellectual Dark Web' split up". UnHerd . Retrieved July 12, 2023 .

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A woman who will suffer diarrhea for the rest of her life after using Ozempic is among dozens of patients who are suing the maker of the blockbuster weight loss drug over claims it left them with crippling stomach paralysis, a DailyMail.com investigation reveals.

Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, is facing lawsuits from patients across America who say they experienced extreme side effects which they were allegedly not warned about.

Thousands more patients have also come forward to claim they suffered adverse reactions to the drugs and attorneys say many more could join the growing legal campaign.

Most of the patients claim they suffered from gastroparesis, which is the medical name for paralysis of the stomach. The condition, which can be life-threatening, causes a build-up of food in the gut and symptoms include nausea, vomiting and severe pain.

DailyMail.com reviewed more than a dozen lawsuits filed since November by patients who were diagnosed with gastroparesis after using Ozempic and Wegovy, including some who suffered 'life-threatening' bowel injuries and face lifelong consequences.

In all of the lawsuits, Novo Nordisk is accused of failing to properly warn about the risk of gastroparesis on the drugs' packaging.

Brea Hand, 23, told DailyMail.com she required five hospital visits before doctors diagnosed her with gastroparesis which was allegedly caused by Ozempic

Zakareeya Gregory was hospitalized for four weeks and had her gallbladder removed because of complications which were allegedly caused by her use of Ozempic

At least ten lawsuits have also been filed against Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro, a diabetes drug which works in a similar way to Ozempic and Wegovy and is also prescribed off-label for weight loss. Eli Lilly is also accused of failing to include proper warnings about Mounjaro's risks.

In one case, a woman who used Ozempic and Mounjaro claims she was diagnosed with gastroparesis which caused her to vomit so much that some of her teeth feel out.

In another, a woman was diagnosed with a 'life-threatening bowel injury' after using Ozempic and underwent surgery which last nearly nine hours. Doctors said she would be in pain 'for the rest of her life' and 'will never have a solid bowel movement again'.

A third case brought by a woman who used Wegovy claims she was diagnosed with 'severe gastroparesis' and was hospitalized with symptoms including going a week without bowel movement.

More than 40 cases have been filed in federal courts across America and attorneys are reviewing thousands more. The cases are expected to be grouped together later this month into a multidistrict litigation (MDL), which will centralize them before a single judge.

Cameron Stephenson, an attorney at Levin Papantonio Rafferty, told DailyMail.com his firm currently has around 100 clients who were diagnosed with gastroparesis after using the drugs, and it is investigating 1,000 more.

'There's no doubt in my mind that there are going to be 1000s of cases that will be filed in the MDL over time,' said Stephenson, who floated the possibility that the number of individuals could run into the tens of thousands.

The legal action is focused on patients who were 'medically diagnosed with obstruction or gastroparesis and required emergency treatment or hospital intervention', he added.

Stephenson said there is 'no doubt' that the drugs are highly effective for many patients who want to lose weight or control diabetes.

Be he added: 'The point is that if these drugs carry with them a potentially permanent side effect or a side effect that can have extreme effects on someone's health and their life... you have to put that in the warning label.'

Ozempic has FDA approval for the treatment of type 2 diabetes but has been prescribed off-label for weight loss to millions of Americans. Mounjaro also has approval for diabetes but can also be prescribed off label for weight loss.

Novo Nordisk said it believes the allegations against the company are 'without merit' and that it will defend itself 'vigorously'. The drug maker is the most valuable company in Europe. Pictured: Novo Nordisk's corporate headquarters in Denmark

Ozempic has FDA approval as a diabetes drug but it has been prescribed off label for weight loss to millions of Americans

Novo Nordisk's Wegovy has FDA approval for chronic weight management.

Stephenson alleged that the companies sought initial approval for the drugs as diabetes treatments with the intention of promoting them for weight loss.

'I expect to see documents to suggest that there was going to be off-label marketing and promotion outside of diabetes,' he said.

'I expect that the clinical trials and the things that they did in the various phases to come up with these drugs before they filed with the FDA, I think that they're going to show that there was a risk of gastroparesis, and it's not in the label, and it's still isn't in the label.'

Novo Nordisk said it believes the allegations in the lawsuits are 'without merit' and that the company will 'vigorously defend against these claims'.

Eli Lilly said 'patient safety is Lilly's top priority' and also added that it will 'vigorously defend against these claims'.

Brea Hand, 23, from Ponca City, Oklahoma, told DailyMail.com that she started using Ozempic in May 2023 and within weeks began to suffer from nausea, vomiting and constipation.

Hand, a mother-of-two who was prescribed the drug to control her fluctuating weight and pre-diabetes, required five hospital visits before physicians diagnosed her with gastroparesis and diabetic ketoacidosis, which can be life-threatening.

On her final hospital visit, she was admitted to intensive care.

'They said my body was so acidotic that if I would have waited one more day that I wouldn't have made it through,' said Hand, whose lawsuit was filed on December 28.

'It was scary. It was painful. I have not ever experienced that kind of pain in my entire life and I do not ever want to go through that again.'

Hand, a behavior science student, said she was not made aware of the side effects she suffered and wants to warn others about the risks of Ozempic.

'I wouldn't recommend it to anybody, personally. Just taking that risk would be too much for me from what I went through,' she said.

'I think they should definitely advertise more of the risks it does have.'

Brea Hand, 23, told DailyMail.com that doctors said she almost died because of the complications which were allegedly caused by Ozempic. She said she was not warned about the side effects

Robin Kelly, 49, filed a suit against Novo Nordisk in her home state of Mississippi on November 28, alleging that she became violently ill with gastroparesis after using Ozempic. She said she was not made aware that the condition was a possible side effect.

Kelly, a teacher's assistant, told DailyMail.com that within weeks of beginning the treatment in December 2021, she began suffering with vomiting and diarrhea. She continued using Ozempic for months, unaware it was the cause of her symptoms.

'You can pretty much set your watch that if I took my injection on Sunday, that on Tuesday, I was going to be sick with vomiting and diarrhea,' she said.

Kelly was prescribed Ozempic to treat type 1 diabetes, which she has had since fourth grade and was treating with an insulin pump. She said her endocrinologist encouraged her to take Ozempic through an off-label prescription even though its FDA approval is for treatment of type 2 diabetes.

'Every doctor's visit that I went to, she kept telling me, 'I really wish you would take this Ozempic',' Kelly said.

She initially believed the adverse symptoms were acid reflux, but after an emergency room visit, a gastroenterologist diagnosed her with gastroparesis and she stopped taking the Ozempic in September 2022.

Cameron Stephenson, an attorney at Levin Papantonio Rafferty, told DailyMail.com that thousands of lawsuits could be filed

'The worst thing that it did for me was caused me almost to lose my job, because I was so sick with it that I could not go to work. I was so physically ill that I could not go to work.

'There were days that I would go to work, I would try and go to work, stay at work. And I couldn't and the reason why [was] because I would be at work and I would soil my clothes.

'I would just soil my clothes, and I would be sick. And I would have to come home. It got to the point where I had to pack a bag with a change of clothes so if I got sick at work, I could change clothes.'

Kelly's suit alleges she suffered 'severe and permanent personal injuries, pain, suffering, and emotional distress, and incurred medical expenses'.

Novo Nordisk 'knew or should have known that Ozempic was unreasonably dangerous' and 'did not adequately warn of the risk of gastroparesis', the suit added.

'I still have flare ups of gastroparesis even after coming of Ozempic,' Kelly said. 'I just think it's going to be something I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life.'

Kelly is represented by Morgan & Morgan, which has a leading role in the action against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and has more than 13,000 clients under retainer across the country.

Paul Pennock, a litigator for the firm, told Reuters it has also turned away 40,000 more people whose alleged injuries were not deemed severe enough to partake in the action.

He said the labels 'don't say clearly what could happen to you' and that clients have continued to suffer after ending treatment, with some feeling 'constantly nauseous'.

The first case under the growing action is believed to have been filed last August by Jaclyn Bjorklund, 45, from DeRidder, Louisiana. She was prescribed both Ozempic and Mounjaro off label and took them for about a year-and-a-half, before stopping last summer.

Ozempic, Wegovy other drugs for weight loss have exploded in popularity and celebrity users include Elon Musk (pictured in July 2022) , who has said he used Wegovy to lose weight

Sharon Osbourne has opened up about her own use of Ozempic, which caused her weight to drop below 100lb. She has warned about the dangers of extreme weight loss

She suffered 'severe gastrointestinal events, which resulted in, for example, severe vomiting, stomach pain, gastrointestinal burning, being hospitalized for stomach issues on several occasions including visits to the emergency room, teeth falling out due to excessive vomiting,' according to the legal complaint.

Pennock said: 'Ms. Bjorklund put her trust in Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly and Company, and we believe that as a result she has gone through a hell that no one should have to endure.'

He said injuries faced by some patients 'may be permanent'.

Zakareeya Gregory, 46, from Walker Mill, Maryland, told DailyMail.com that her gallbladder was removed after she suffered side effects which were allegedly caused by Ozempic, which she used for seven months until February 2020.

Gregory, who was prescribed Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes, said Ozempic initially helped her drop from 220lb to 170lb and lowered her blood sugar, while only causing minor complications such as stomach pain.

The severe side effects like extreme stomach pain started 'all of a sudden' at the end of 2022, more than two years after she stopped taking Ozempic. Her legal complaint said she also used Rybelsus, a tablet form of the drug also made by Novo Nordisk, for a period of time during 2022.

Gregory was taken to the emergency room in December, where scans revealed an issue with her gallbladder, which surgeons removed during her four-week hospital stay.

'I went home with a tube in my side that I had to keep changing [for] drainage. I kept that in for maybe like two weeks,' said Gregory, who also needed a blood transfusion.

'It was very horrible, it was horrible to have your gallbladder taken out. I never thought I would have to have my gallbladder taken out. I never had any issues with that. It was a dramatic change in my life.'

She has since regained the weight that she lost and said she also suffers from gallbladder attacks, crippling pains which can still occur after the organ has been removed.

'I was never told [about the side effects]. All I [was told] is that it will make me healthy, it will make my A1C [blood sugar] go down, which it did. And I was never told the rest. I just know, I will look good. I was gonna be healthy. And I was excited about it.'

Novo Nordisk's Wegovy is approved by the FDA for chronic weight management

Her lawsuit states that her injuries were caused by Ozempic.

Billie Farley, 47, filed a suit against Novo Nordisk in December after using Ozempic for around three months. She was prescribed the drug off label for weight loss in October 2022 after seeing marketing for the drug, her lawsuit states.

'Approximately three months after she began Ozempic, she started vomiting and having intense abdominal pain,' according to her complaint.

Farley was hospitalized in January 2023 and a CT scan revealed 'a life-threatening bowel injury' which required extensive surgery that lasted nearly nine hours.

'She was told by the doctors that Ozempic had been the probable cause of her bowel injuries and to stop taking it immediately,' the suit said.

Farley was told that the pain she continued to suffer 'would be permanent for the rest of her life'.

The suit added: 'She has not had a solid bowel movement since her surgery and has been advised by her medical professionals that she will never had a solid bowel movement again for the rest of her life.'

Her complaint also claims the label and marketing 'failed to adequately warn [her] and her medical provider of the true risks of taking Ozempic'.

'Her life is forever changed because of her usage of Ozempic,' the suit said.

The current lawsuits are expected to be combined intro a multidistrict litigation at a hearing in California on January 25. Attorneys say further cases will be added to the MDL as they are filed.

Many of the lawsuits include details about Novo Nordisk's 'aggressive' marketing of its diabetes and weight loss drugs, including $884 million spent on television adverts across a five-year period. The complaints also refer to the company's multi-million dollar lobbying campaign aimed at physicians in the US.

The suits also refer to Eli Lilly's extensive marking of Mounjaro, including through digital and television advertisements.

The active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic is semaglutide, which mimics the actions of GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone in the brain that regulates appetite.

Eli Lilly has also been sued over claims it failed to warn that Mounjaro, another diabetes drug which is also prescribed for weight loss, can cause gastroparesis

Eli Lilly, which is headquartered in Indianapolis, said XXX

Mounjaro's active drug is tirzepatide, which also works on GLP-1 receptors.

The drugs are typically taken as weekly injections and studies have shown they are highly effective at spurring weight loss and treating diabetes.

The FDA told DailyMail.com it does not comment on ' possible, pending or ongoing litigation' but said it monitors drugs ' throughout their life cycle, including post-approval'.

'If newly identified safety signals are identified, the FDA will determine what actions are appropriate after a thorough review of the body of evidence,' the FDA said.

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Novo Nordisk said: 'Novo Nordisk believes that the allegations in the lawsuit are without merit, and we intend to vigorously defend against these claims.

'Patient safety is our top priority at Novo Nordisk, and we work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to continuously monitor the safety profile of our medicines.

'GLP-1 medicines have been used to treat type 2 diabetes (T2D) for more than 18 years, and for the treatment of obesity for 8 years. This includes Novo Nordisk GLP-1 products such as semaglutide and liraglutide that have been on the market for more than 13 years.

'Semaglutide has been extensively examined in robust clinical development programs, large real world evidence studies and has cumulatively over 9.5 million patient years of exposure.

'The known risks and benefits of semaglutide and liraglutide medicines are described in their FDA-approved product labeling. Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and efficacy of all of our GLP-1 medicines when they are used as indicated and when they are taken under the care of a licensed healthcare professional.'

Eli Lilly said: 'Patient safety is Lilly's top priority, and we actively engage in monitoring, evaluating, and reporting safety information for all our medicines.

'Our FDA-approved label clearly warns that tirzepatide may be associated with gastrointestinal adverse reactions, sometimes severe. The label further states that tirzepatide has not been studied in patients with severe gastrointestinal disease, including severe gastroparesis, and is therefore not recommended in these patients.

'These risks were communicated to and widely known by healthcare providers. We will vigorously defend against these claims.'

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Santa Fe Institute Board of directors as of03/21/2023SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Board chair

Ms. Katherine Collins

Putnam Investments

Ross Buhrdorf

ZenBusiness, Inc

John D. Chisholm

John Chisholm Ventures

John Hagel III

Deloitte Consulting LLP, Center for the Edge

Mari Kooi

Wolf Asset Management (retired)

Robert R. Maxfield

Maxfield Foundation

Jerry Murdock

Insight Venture Partners

Gerry Ohrstrom

Ohrstrom Foundaton

Pierre Omidyar

Omidyar Network; eBay

William N. Sick

Business Resources International

Gary F. Bengier

eBay (retired)

Katherine Collins

Putnam Investments; Honeybee Capital Foundation

Ian McKinnon

Sandia Holdings

Sam Peters

ClearBridge Investments

Fredrick J. Dotzler

De Novo Ventures

Eugene Stark

Arlington Industries

James Pallotta

Raptor Group

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Type of dagger

A man wearing a Yemeni jambiyaA jambiya, also spelled janbiya, jambya, jambia and janbia (Arabic: جنبيØ(C) janbiyyah), also known as a shibriyeh (Arabic: شبريØ(C) shibriyyah) in the Levant, is a specific type of dagger with a short curved blade with a medial ridge that originated from Yemen.[1][2] They have spread to other countries in the Middle East, to other countries in the Arab world, and to parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia.[3][4] Men typically above the age of 14 wear it as an accessory to their clothing.[5]

Types [ edit ] Ottoman jambiya (khanjar), walrus ivory hilt, Damascus steel blade, spiral stitched velvet covered scabbard, 19th centuryA member of the Jordanian Desert Force in Petra, Jordan wearing a shibriyeh, which is typically uncurved unlike the Yemeni jambiya.The jambiya were taken by travelers to other cultures including the Ottoman Empire, Persia and India,[6] where they were adopted with slight differences to the blade, hilt and scabbard.

Hilt or handle [ edit ] A significant part of a jambiya is its hilt (handle). The saifani hilt is made of rhinoceros horn, which can cost up to $1500 per kilogram; poaching of Black Rhinos for this purpose has led them to become critically endangered. It is used on the daggers of wealthier citizens. Different versions of saifani hilts can be distinguished by their colour. Other janbiya hilts are made of a different types of horn, wood, metal and ivory from elephants and walrus. Apart from the material used for the hilt, the design and detail is a measure of its value and the status of its owner.[7]

Blade, sheath and belt [ edit ] The double edged blade of the jambiya is constructed of steel which in some cases is damascus or wootz steel. The blade is stored in a sheath known as 'Asib (Arabic: اÙعØ"يب ), usually made of wood covered with metal, leather or cloth. The sheath can be decorated with various ornaments that signify status. These include silver work, semi-precious stones, and leather. The sheath can be fixed to a leather belt, which is normally 2''3 inches (5.1''7.6 cm) wide. The belt is usually worn around the lower abdomen. There are often other items attached to this belt, such as a silver purse for containing money and change.[7] Sometimes, Jambiyas are made from shrapnel left over from missiles in a war.[8]

Use [ edit ] Jambiya from Yemen in its sheathDespite the cultural significance of the jambiya, it is still a weapon. Although people have used it in times of dispute, there are societal norms that must be followed in order to avoid defamation. The jambiya should only come out of its sheath in extreme cases of conflict. It is also commonly used in traditional events, such as dances.

Like with some other curved knives, as the blade bends towards the opponent, the user need not angle the wrist, which makes it more comfortable as a stabbing weapon than straight-bladed knives. Its heavy blade enables the user to inflict deep wounds.[5]

Yemeni jambia [ edit ] Men in Saadah, Yemen with janbiyas drawn, 1986Janbiya from HadhramautA jambia is a short dagger worn by men in Yemen. The handle of a jambiya tells the status of the man who wears it.

Structure and make [ edit ] The jambia was given its name because it is worn on the side of a person '' the word jambia is derived from the Arabic word janb (Arabic: جنب , lit.'‰'side'). A jambia is constituted of a handle, a blade, and a sheath in which the blade is held. It is made of a certain sort of wood, to hold the blade that is fixed to the waist from underneath with an upward curved sheath. The belt that holds the jambia is made of tanned leather, or some thick cloth. There are specialised markets and handicraft markets that decorate it with golden wires.

The jambia handle often tells of the social status of the man who wears it. Jambias were often made with ivory handles. The manufacturers most often receive this material through smugglers, due to the international ban on the substance. As ivory has only ever had ornamental merit in such an application, those that recognize the jambia as a tool and/or weapon tend to prefer a hardwood handle anyway. Many street-side charlatans will proclaim to sell ivory-handled jambias whilst actually selling poorly-made blades with white plastic handles.

Qualities [ edit ] The most famous sort of the jambia is that which has a "saifani" or ivory handle. It has a dim yellowish lustre. The more translucent ivory will turn a yellow colour with age. This is called "saifani heart". Some of the ivory handles are called "asadi", when they turn into greenish yellow. When the handle becomes whitish yellow, it is called "zaraf". There is also an albasali (onionish), kind whose colour resembles that of a white onion.

The ivory handle jambia is often worn as a sign of high social status. They are typically used by most Yemeni people, except those in the city of Aden where most of them have given up using it because it was banned during the rule of the Marxist government of south Yemen.[9] The Jambiya hasn't been specialized for a particular person in the country, but the valuable ones can be found with a particular persons, like judges, famous merchants and businessmen.

Antique jambias that have been worn by historic persons can fetch exorbitant prices, like that of the Sheikh of the Bakils, Sheikh Al-Shaif, which goes back to Imam Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din and was reported to have cost US$1,000,000 when bought in 1992.[10][11]

Popular culture [ edit ] T. E. Lawrence was famous for using a jambiya knife historically. He was portrayed using one in the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia, the 1989 book Lawrence of Arabia: The Authorised Biography of T. E. Lawrence, the 1990 television film A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia, and the documentary Deadliest Warrior.Aladdin owns a jambiya left by his father, and uses it to fight Sa'Luk in the 1996 film Aladdin and the King of Thieves.Geralt of Rivia owns a dagger that resembles a jambiya in the 2007 game The Witcher.Ezio Auditore wields a jambiya in Assassin's Creed: Revelations.Kratos can find a Jambiya in God of War: Ragnar¶k.In Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Harbingers of Death wield daggers similar to jambiyas.In Battlefield 1 Ottoman medic and scout classes are seen carrying a jambiya on their belt.See also [ edit ] KhanjarKerisJileLawrence of ArabiaReferences [ edit ] ^ " "اÙجنابي اÙصينيØ(C)".. ØªØ±Ø§Ø ÙŠÙ…Ù†ÙŠ مØ"تÙرد". ^ Vigne, Lucy; Martin, Esmond (2008-06-30). "Yemen's attitudes towards rhino horn and jambiyas". Pachyderm. 44: 45''53. ISSN 1026-2881. ^ Cammann, Schuyler V. R. (1977). "Cult of the JambÄya. Dagger wearing in Yemen". www.penn.museum . Retrieved 2022-03-07 . ^ Gustainis, Justin (26 March 2013). Play with fire & midnight at the oasis: Morris and Chastain investigations. Solaris. ISBN 9781849975001. ^ a b Gama, Vasco Da; Ames, Glenn Joseph (2009). Em Nome De Deus: The journal of the first voyage of Vasco Da Gama to India, 1497-1499. BRILL. p. 56. ISBN 978-90-04-17643-0. ^ Shackleford, Steve (January 2010). Blade's guide to knives & their values. Krause Publications. p. 405. ISBN 9781440215056. ^ a b Shackleford, Steve (5 January 2010). Blade's Guide to Knives & Their Values. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 405. ISBN 978-1-4402-1505-6. ^ Michael, Maggie (9 October 2018). "Yemeni smiths beat missiles into knives, not ploughshares". Associated Press . Retrieved 2021-04-12 . ^ Vigne, Lucy; Martin, Esmond (2008-06-30). "Yemen's attitudes towards rhino horn and jambiyas". Pachyderm. 44: 45''53. ISSN 1026-2881. ^ Hassan Al-Zaidi. "History of Yemeni Jambia - Yemen Times". www.yementimes.com. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29 . Retrieved 2008-06-09 . ^ Richard Ellis (22 February 2013). Tiger Bone & Rhino Horn The Destruction of Wildlife for Traditional Chinese Medicine. Island Press. ISBN 9781597269537 . Retrieved 2021-04-09 . Sources [ edit ] Friedman, David; Cook, Elizabeth (1992). "Cariadoc's Miscellany: Notes on Islamic Clothing". www.pbm.com . Retrieved 2008-06-09 . "Ethnographic Arms & Armour - The Yemeni Jambiya". www.vikingsword.com . Retrieved 2008-06-09 . External links [ edit ] Wikimedia Commons has media related to

Jambiyas

.

Heinze, Marie-Christine (January 2014). "The Yemeni 'jambiya' and its various parts". Jemen-Report 45 (1/2). Noblie, Collectibles (5 May 2022). "Jambiya - Arab dagger".

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Sat, 13 Jan 2024 21:09

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leader of the Houthi movement since 2004

Abdul-Malik Badruldeen al-Houthi (Arabic: عبد اÙمÙك بدر اÙدين اÙØ­ÙØي , romanized: Ê>>Abd al-Malik Badr al-DÄn al-ḤÅthÄ ), also known as Abu Jibril, is a Yemeni politician and religious leader who serves as the leader of the Houthi movement, a revolutionary movement principally made up of Zaidi Muslims. His brothers Yahia and Abdul-Karim are also leaders of the group, as were his late brothers Hussein, Ibrahim,[2] and Abdulkhaliq.[3][4][5][6][7] Abdul-Malik al-Houthi is the leading figure in the Yemeni Civil War which started with the Houthi takeover in Yemen in the Saada Governorate in northern Yemen.

Personal life [ edit ] Al-Houthi was born in Saada, northern Yemen, into the Houthi family on 22 May 1979.[8][9] He follows the Zaidiyyah branch of Shia Islam. His father, Badreddin, was a religious scholar of Yemen's minority Zaydi Shia sect. Abdul-Malik was the youngest among his eight brothers.[10] His older brother, Hussein, was politically active and a member of the parliament of Yemen, as well as being a prominent critic of the former President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Hussein founded the Houthi movement to promote Zaidi thought, "rise against the oppressors ruling Yemen", and to provide educational and social services. After Hussein was killed, Abdul-Malik succeeded him by taking control of the movement.

Political activity [ edit ] Abdul-Malik al-Houthi criticized the Yemeni government for maintaining a status quo in the country, which he said had plunged people into poverty, and accused the government of marginalizing the Zaidi community.[citation needed ] The Yemeni government of president Ali Abdullah Saleh accused al-Houthi's group of trying to reestablish the "clerical imamate" (Shia Islamic government), which al-Houthi denied.[11]

Al-Houthi was reported to have been badly injured during an air raid in December 2009, a claim denied by a spokesman.[citation needed ] On 26 December 2009, two days after a heavy air strike from the Royal Saudi Air Force, it was claimed that Al-Houthi had been killed.[12][13] However, the claim was refuted by the Houthis, who then released video evidence showing he was alive.[citation needed ]

Al-Houthi addressed the nation on Yemen TV in a late-night speech on 20 January 2015, after troops loyal to him seized the presidential palace and attacked the private residence of president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi in Sana'a. He demanded Hadi implement reforms giving the Houthi movement more control over the government.[14] Although it was initially reported that Hadi conceded to al-Houthi's demands,[15] the president resigned from office on 22 January, saying the political process had "reached a dead end".[16] The UN Security Council then imposed sanctions on al-Houthi.[17] He was praised by Iranian conservative politician Mohsen Rezaei, in a statement of moral support and defense of "real Islamic awakening".[18]

During the bombing of the Sanaa airport by Saudi-led coalition warplanes in 2015, missiles pounded al-Houthi's hometown of Marran.[19]

Al-Houthi condemned the UK military cooperation and arms sales to Saudi military.[20] According to a Sky News analysis, The UK has sold at least £5.7bn worth of arms to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen since 2015.[20]

On 10 May 2020, al-Houthi criticized the show Um Harun for promoting normalization of ties with Israel.[21]

Following the Israel-Hamas conflict, Al-Houthi's spokesperson Yahya Saree stated that the Houthis had launched a large number of missiles and drones towards Israel, however not explicitly declaring war on the country.[22][23]

[ edit ] The UN announced a travel ban on al-Houthi in November 2014 after the Houthi takeover of Sana'a.[24] On 27 April 2015, the US Treasury Department added Abdul-Malik to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list.[25][26]

During a visit to the northern province, Jamal Benomar, the former UN envoy to Yemen, met with al-Houthi and said he supported the Houthi group in their rejection of moving the talks between Al Houthi and the current government outside of Yemen, in spite of the complaint of Hadi, the Yemeni legitimate president.[27]

On 10 January 2021, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced plans to designate Abdul Malik al-Houthi, Abd al-Khaliq Badr al-Din al-Houthi and Abdullah Yahya al Hakim as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.[28] A month later, Antony J. Blinken revoked the designation of the trio as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.[29]

References [ edit ] ^ Peterson, J.E. (2008). "The al-Huthi Conflict in Yemen" (PDF) . Arabian Peninsula Background Note . Retrieved 23 January 2013 . ^ "Clashes in southern Yemen; rebels leader's brother killed". Globe and Mail. Associated Press. 9 August 2019 . Retrieved 14 May 2020 . ^ "Brother of Houthis' top leader believed dead after air strike". The National. 1 September 2018 . Retrieved 14 May 2020 . ^ "Yemeni rebel leader denies seeking Shi'ite state". Mail & Guardian. 29 September 2009. ^ Almasmari, Hakim (6 September 2009). "My Group, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi". Yemen Post. ^ "Iran urges all sides to end Yemen conflict". Ä°slmi Davet. 24 November 2009. Archived from the original on November 29, 2009. ^ Esposito, John L.; Kalin, Ebrahim, eds. (2009). "Abdul-Malik al-Houthi". The 500 Most Influential Muslims. Amman, Jordan: Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre. p. 166. ^ "Abdul Malik Al Houthi: The Shiite Thorn on Yemen's side". www.albawabaeg.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-18 . Retrieved 27 April 2015 . ^ "Yemen's Abd-al-Malik al-Houthi". BBC. Archived from the original on 2 March 2015 . Retrieved 29 April 2015 . ^ Finn, Tom (13 February 2015). "Abdel-Malek al-Houthi: from shadow rebel leader to kingmaker". Middle East Eye . Retrieved 27 April 2015 . ^ The World Almanac of Islamism. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 27 October 2011. ISBN 9781442207158. ^ Increasing reports over death of terrorist al-Houthi. Yemen News Agency. 27 December 2009. ^ "In a slip of the tongue'...Abdul-Malik al-Houthi confirmed dead". 10 February 2013. Archived from the original on 10 February 2013. ^ "Yemen leader expected to accept demands of Houthis who defeat his guards". Reuters. 21 January 2015 . Retrieved 22 January 2015 . ^ "PRESIDENT APPROVES HOUTHI DEMANDS". The Yemen Times. 21 January 2015. Archived from the original on 25 March 2015 . Retrieved 22 January 2015 . ^ "Yemen president quits, throwing country deeper into chaos". Reuters. 22 January 2015 . Retrieved 22 January 2015 . ^ "Jordan: UN Security Council to review position on Yemen next week". Middle East Monitor - The Latest from the Middle East. Archived from the original on 2015-07-23 . Retrieved 2015-04-23 . ^ "Critical Threats". Critical Threats. ^ "Coalition Raids Pound Houthi Targets Sanaa Saada". Al Jazeera America. 9 May 2015. ^ a b Quinn, Ben (10 April 2019). "Dozens of Saudi military cadets trained in UK since Yemen intervention". theguardian.com. The Guardian . Retrieved 10 April 2019 . ^ "Houthi Leader Slams Saudi, UAE for Promoting Ties with Israel - World news". Tasnim News Agency. ^ Dahan, Maha El (2023-10-31). "Yemen's Houthis enter Mideast fray, hardening spillover fears". Reuters . Retrieved 2023-11-03 . ^ "Yemen hasn't declared war on Israel, contrary to online claims. Houthi rebels have launched missiles". AP News. 2023-11-01 . Retrieved 2023-11-03 . ^ "Yemen's ex-president attempts to leave country, fails: sources". ASHARQ AL-AWSAT. Archived from the original on 2015-05-05 . Retrieved 2015-04-29 . ^ "Federal Register :: Request Access". unblock.federalregister.gov . Retrieved 2023-02-24 . ^ "Abdul Malik, AL HOUTHI". sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov . Retrieved 2023-02-24 . ^ "UN envoy Benomar sought to legitimize Houthi coup: Yemen FM". ASHARQ AL-AWSAT. Archived from the original on 2015-05-05 . Retrieved 2015-04-29 . ^ "Pompeo says intends to designate Yemen's Houthi movement as foreign terror group". Reuters. 11 January 2021. ^ "Revocation of the Designations of Ansarallah, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, Abd al-Khaliq Badr al-Din al-Houthi, and Abdullah Yahya al Hakim (and Their Respective Aliases) as Specially Designated Global Terrorists". federalregister.gov. 11 February 2021. External links [ edit ] Video of al-Houthi addressing his supporters

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Sat, 13 Jan 2024 20:48

Chilean-American blogger Gonzalo Lira has died in a Ukrainian prison, Russian news agency TASS said on Saturday, citing a response it received from the US Department of State. The blogger's death was first announced by his family on Friday.

Lira, 55 at the time of his death, lived in Kharkov and blogged as 'CoachRedPill,' but switched to YouTube commentary after Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. He was arrested by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) last May and accused of ''discrediting'' the Ukrainian leadership and the military.

''I cannot accept the way my son has died. He was tortured, extorted, incommunicado for 8 months and 11 days and the US Embassy did nothing to help my son. The responsibility of this tragedy is the dictator Zelensky with the concurrence of a senile American President, Joe Biden,'' his father Gonzalo Lira Sr. wrote in a note published by The Grayzone.

Lira Sr. also reached out to X host Tucker Carlson, confirming the death of his son in Ukrainian custody. He had spoken to Carlson about the case in early December.

Lira resurfaced from custody in late July with a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), revealing his torture in jail and attempts by the SBU to extort him for money. He said he was trying to flee to Hungary and seek asylum. ''Either I'll cross the border and make it to safety, or I'll be disappeared by the Kiev regime,'' he wrote, in his last public message.

Two days later, a source confirmed to RT that Lira had been caught and imprisoned by Ukrainian authorities.

According to a handwritten note Lira's sister received on January 4, provided to the Grayzone by her father, Gonzalo Lira Jr. had severe health problems caused by pneumonia and a collapsed lung, which began in mid-October. Ukrainian prison authorities only acknowledged the issue on December 22, and stated he would undergo surgery.

BREAKING: It is with great sadness I must announce that Gonzalo Lira @GonzaloLira1968, passed away in a hospital according to his father, who has been fighting to get his son much-needed medical attention for the past weeks.Here is a hand-written note from Gonzalo which I'... pic.twitter.com/jY8Mh0xQV3

'-- Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) January 12, 2024Following his father's appearance on Carlson's show, X owner Elon Musk personally inquired about Lira's case with both US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, apparently to no effect.

Lira was a national of both the US and Chile. According to his thread from last July, the Chilean Embassy in Kiev at least tried to help him, while the US mission gave him only ''empty bromides.'' Lira suggested that this was because Victoria Nuland '' currently the acting deputy to Secretary of State Antony Blinken '' hated him personally.

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Sat, 13 Jan 2024 20:32

WASHINGTON (AP) '-- From his hospital room, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin first orchestrated and then watched in real time as the U.S. retaliatory attack on Yemen-based Houthi militants unfolded Thursday night.

Austin's hospital-room leadership was the latest in a series of actions the defense chief has carried out from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he has been recovering from complications due to treatments for prostate cancer. Austin only revealed he had prostate cancer on Tuesday '-- the same day that the Houthis launched their most aggressive onslaught to date of 18 drones and missiles at commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea. That attack that set the stage for Thursday's military operation.

Austin is now in his 12th day of hospitalization at Walter Reed and the Pentagon does not know what day he will be released.

On Friday, President Joe Biden said it was a lapse in judgment for Austin to keep his hospitalization and prostate cancer diagnosis a secret, but said he still has confidence in the Pentagon chief.

In the days since, Austin has turned his room into a secure communications suite. He's called top military leaders, talked to the president, considered options and later ordered the strikes, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Friday.

Austin's hospital room setup is not unlike when he is on the road, where full security and communications teams accompany him with all of the secure, classified equipment needed to keep him connected. Austin's aides and support staff have been with him all week at Walter Reed as well.

So on Tuesday, as the Houthis launched 18 one-way attack drones and anti-ship missiles, Austin was watching the attacks and the U.S. and British response intercepting those drones by secure video in real time, as were Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. CQ Brown and U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Erik Kurilla. The three have remained in contact and been in regular calls with the National Security Council over the past few days.

The Houthis' Tuesday attack occurred after the U.S. and a host of international partners had already issued an ultimatum to cease the attacks or face severe consequences.

Shortly after that attack, Austin recommended to the White House that military action was necessary. On Thursday, President Joe Biden approved the response and Austin gave the order to strike.

That evening, Austin again monitored real-time operations from his hospital room, this time the strikes he'd ordered. Brown was also watching via secure communications from inside his official residence, where he'd been hosting a reception, a U.S. official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details that have not been publicly released.

Shortly after, Austin issued a statement on the operation, which involved F/A-18 fighter jets and E-2C Hawkeye radar planes launching from aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. Air Force warplanes, a U.S. submarine and several other U.S. and British ships firing more than 150 missiles at 28 locations involving more than 60 targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

Following the strikes, Austin spoke with the National Security Council, the Joint Chiefs chairman and the head of U.S. Central Command for an initial post-strike assessment. While the Pentagon has not released a damage assessment, multiple officials have said they believe that the Houthis' ability to conduct another round of ship attacks has been degraded.

Austin has been hospitalized since Jan. 1, when an ambulance took him to Walter Reed. The defense secretary was conscious at the time but in severe pain, and was admitted to the intensive care unit. A surgery he'd undergone Dec. 22 to address his prostate cancer had resulted in an infection including an abdominal fluid collection, and it had to be drained by placing a tube through his nose to drain his stomach. For days, few knew he was in hospital or in intensive care '-- the White House only learned on Jan. 4 that he was at Walter Reed.

Austin's delays in disclosing his prostate cancer and his hospitalization have roiled the administration , Pentagon and Congress. Pentagon officials have repeatedly said that Austin has been performing his duties for the last week, even as he remains hospitalized.

Speaking to reporters Friday as he toured local businesses outside Allentown, Pennsylvania, Biden said ''yes'' when asked if it was a lapse in judgment for Austin not to tell him about his condition. He replied, ''I do,'' when asked if he still had confidence in Austin's leadership.

'---

Seung Min Kim reported from Emmaus, Pennsylvania.

Seung Min is a White House reporter.

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Sat, 13 Jan 2024 20:18

The airline industry might not be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for decades because most solutions are not yet viable.

A recently announced United Airlines deal will result in the airline's buying about 3.4 million gallons of sustainable fuel this year. Credit... Sebastin Hidalgo for The New York Times Published May 28, 2021 Updated June 2, 2021

The worst of the pandemic may be over for airlines, but the industry faces another looming crisis: an accounting over its contribution to climate change.

The industry is under increasing pressure to do something to reduce and eventually eliminate emissions from travel, but it won't be easy. Some solutions, like hydrogen fuel cells, are promising, but it's unclear when they will be available, if ever. That leaves companies with few options: They can make tweaks to squeeze out efficiencies, wait for technology to improve or invest today to help make viable options for the future.

''It's a big crisis, it's a pressing crisis '-- a lot needs to be done soon,'' said Jagoda Egeland, an aviation policy expert at the International Transport Forum, a unit of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. ''It's a hard-to-abate sector. It will always emit some carbon.''

Experts say commercial air travel accounts for about 3 to 4 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. And while planes become more efficient with each new model, growing demand for flights is outpacing those advancements. The United Nations expects airplane emissions of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, to triple by 2050. Researchers at the International Council on Clean Transportation say emissions may grow even faster.

Before the pandemic, a ''flying shame'' movement, which aims to discourage air travel in favor of greener options like rail, was gaining ground globally thanks to Greta Thunberg, a Swedish climate activist. There were early signs that it may have reduced air travel in Germany and Sweden. Now French lawmakers are considering a ban on short flights that can be replaced by train travel.

Investors are pushing businesses to disclose more about their efforts to lobby lawmakers on climate issues, too. And some large corporations, whose employees crisscross the globe and fill plush business class seats, are reviewing travel budgets to reduce expenses and emissions.

The urgency isn't lost on the industry. Scott Kirby, the chief executive of United Airlines, speaks often about the need to address climate change, but even he acknowledges that it will be difficult for the industry to clean up its act. He wants United and other airlines to try different things and see what works.

''It is the biggest long-term issue that our generation faces. It is the biggest risk to the globe,'' Mr. Kirby said in a recent interview. ''There are plenty of things we can compete on, but we all ought to be trying to make a difference on climate change.''

There are efforts to electrify small planes for short flights '-- including one backed by United '-- but doing the same for longer, larger flights will be tough, maybe impossible. Commercial planes like the Boeing 787 and Airbus A320, which can carry a few hundred passengers, require an immense amount of energy to reach cruising altitude '-- more energy than modern batteries can efficiently supply.

Someday, hydrogen fuel cells and synthetic jet fuel could help to decarbonize the industry, and pilot projects have already begun, mainly in Europe, where Airbus says it plans to build a zero-emission aircraft by 2035. Boeing has put its emphasis on developing more fuel-efficient planes and is committed to ensuring that all of its commercial planes can fly exclusively on ''sustainable'' jet fuel made from waste, plants and other organic matter.

'It's going to be a real stretch.' Image A Texmark refinery plant in Galena Park, Texas, has been retrofitted to refine renewable jet fuel. Credit... Christopher Lee for The New York Times At a petrochemical plant outside Houston, Neste U.S. and Texmark Chemicals are converting imported undistilled diesel into renewable jet fuels. The undistilled diesel is made from used cooking oil and waste from vegetable and animal processing plants.

Neste, a Finnish company, is the world's largest producer of renewable jet fuel. Its U.S. customers include American Airlines, JetBlue and Delta Air Lines.

United, which buys renewable jet fuel from Fulcrum BioEnergy and World Energy, recently announced a deal with more than a dozen major corporate customers, including Deloitte, HP and Nike, that will result in the airline's buying about 3.4 million gallons of sustainable fuel this year. American has an agreement to buy nine million gallons of such fuel over several years, and Delta says it plans to replace a tenth of its jet fuel with sustainable alternatives by 2030.

''There is huge growth potential for sustainable aviation fuel,'' said Jeremy Baines, president of Neste U.S. ''It's a niche market today, but it's growing very rapidly. Between today and 2023 we are going to increase our production at least 15-fold.''

Neste produces 35 million gallons of renewable aviation fuel and hopes to reach 515 million gallons annually by the end of 2023 by ramping up production at refineries in Singapore and Rotterdam, the Netherlands. That is enough to fuel close to 40,000 flights by wide-body aircraft between New York and London, or well over a year's worth of prepandemic air travel between the two cities.

But it is important to put those numbers in perspective. U.S. airlines used more than 18 billion gallons of fuel in 2019, and the country as a whole consumes more than 100 billion gallons of petroleum products annually.

Rystad Energy, a Norwegian consulting firm, predicts that renewable fuels will become increasingly economical after 2030 and supply 30 percent of all aviation fuel by 2050. But IHS Markit, a U.S. consulting firm, estimates that sustainable jet fuel will make up only 15 percent of all jet fuel by 2050.

Renewable jet fuel has its limits, too. The fuel reduces carbon emissions by only 30 percent to 50 percent compared with conventional jet fuel, according to Daniel Evans, the global head of refining and marketing at IHS Markit. What's more, production of the fuel can cause deforestation when the raw materials are farmed.

Image Undistilled diesel is made from used cooking oil and waste from vegetable and animal processing plants. Credit... Christopher Lee for The New York Times Some companies want to get around those problems by avoiding agricultural crops. Fulcrum, in which United is invested, is planning to build a plant in Britain to produce jet fuel out of waste from landfills and other trash. Red Rock Biofuels, a Colorado company, hopes to use waste woody biomass.

But development of renewable fuels from waste or substances like fast-growing algae and switch grass has been frustratingly slow.

''It's going to be a real stretch,'' Mr. Evans said. ''Even if you are burning 100 percent biofuel, it's still not going to be getting you to carbon neutral.''

Biofuels are also about 50 percent more expensive to make than conventional fuel, according to Michael E. Webber, chief science and technology officer of Engie, a French utility working on advanced jet fuels.

Hydrogen offers another possibility, although probably not for several decades. Instead of batteries or fuel engines, the potential hydrogen-powered aircraft of the future would operate with hydrogen tanks and fuel cells, though the technology would need to be advanced to reduce the size of the tanks and cells. The hydrogen could be made with renewable power sources like the wind and sun to reduce planet-warming emissions. But such fuels cost two to three times more than conventional fuel, experts say.

Several European countries also require refiners to produce and blend renewable jet fuel. The European Union is financially supporting Airbus's development of a hydrogen-fueled aircraft, and the French government is encouraging Air France to research a synthetic jet fuel.

In the United States, federal support is minimal, so far. Renewable jet fuel producers receive a $1 per gallon subsidy under existing federal tax credits for biodiesel, but a bill introduced this month in the House would provide a tax credit starting at $1.50 per gallon. A tax on carbon emissions could help make alternative fuels more competitive against conventional jet fuel in the future.

Should airlines offset or store carbon? Image A 3-D computer rendering and projection tool for the main tower that boils and refines the renewable jet fuel at a Texmark refinery. Credit... Christopher Lee for The New York Times Another option that many airlines have turned to is carbon offsets. By buying an offset, a company or individual effectively pays somebody else to plant or not cut trees or to take other steps to reduce greenhouse gases.

But the benefits of some offsets are difficult to measure '-- it's hard to know, for example, whether landowners would have cut down trees had they not been paid to preserve woods, a common type of offset. Mr. Kirby, the United chief executive, is skeptical that such offsets are effective.

''Traditional carbon offsets are a marketing initiative; they're greenwashing,'' he said. ''Even in the few cases where they are real and are making a difference, they're just so small that they can't scale to solve the global problem.''

United helps passengers and corporate customers buy offsets, but Mr. Kirby said the company was focusing more on sustainable fuel and removing and storing carbon in perpetuity.

In December, the airline said it was investing in 1PointFive, a joint venture between Occidental Petroleum and a private equity firm that plans to build plants that suck carbon dioxide from the air and store the gas deep underground. This approach would theoretically allow United and other airlines to remove as much carbon from the atmosphere as their planes put into it.

''It's the only solution I know of that can help get us as a globe to zero, because the others, if you understand the math, they just don't work,'' Mr. Kirby said.

Such efforts had long been dismissed as impractical, but corporations are increasingly pouring money into them as investors and activists pressure businesses to decarbonize. Mr. Kirby said such investments would help to drive down costs. But some experts warn that while direct air capture can help industries that are difficult to decarbonize, the ultimate aim should be to attack the problem at the source.

''If you can avoid the emissions in the first place, it's so much cheaper and easier than having to pull it back out,'' said Jennifer Wilcox, an Energy Department official and expert on direct air capture.

Despite the formidable challenges, Mr. Kirby is optimistic that investments in alternative fuels and carbon capture technology will yield a breakthrough.

''In the near term, it's about getting them to work economically,'' he said. ''Once you cross that threshold, you will have an exponential increase.''

Clifford Krauss is a national energy business correspondent based in Houston. He joined The Times in 1990 and has been the bureau chief in Buenos Aires and Toronto. He is the author of ''Inside Central America: Its People, Politics, and History.'' More about Clifford Krauss

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TORQUE THIS '-- Researchers identify 23 vulnerabilities, some of which can exploited with no authentication. Dan Goodin - Jan 9, 2024 2:00 pm UTC

Enlarge / The Rexroth Nutrunner, a line of torque wrench sold by Bosch Rexroth.

Bosch Rexroth

Researchers have unearthed nearly two dozen vulnerabilities that could allow hackers to sabotage or disable a popular line of network-connected wrenches that factories around the world use to assemble sensitive instruments and devices.

The vulnerabilities, reported Tuesday by researchers from security firm Nozomi, reside in the Bosch Rexroth Handheld Nutrunner NXA015S-36V-B. The cordless device, which wirelessly connects to the local network of organizations that use it, allows engineers to tighten bolts and other mechanical fastenings to precise torque levels that are critical for safety and reliability. When fastenings are too loose, they risk causing the device to overheat and start fires. When too tight, threads can fail and result in torques that are too loose. The Nutrunner provides a torque-level indicator display that's backed by a certification from the Association of German Engineers and adopted by the automotive industry in 1999. The NEXO-OS, the firmware running on devices, can be controlled using a browser-based management interface.

Enlarge / NEXO-OS's management web application.

Nozomi

Nozomi researchers said the device is riddled with 23 vulnerabilities that, in certain cases, can be exploited to install malware. The malware could then be used to disable entire fleets of the devices or to cause them to tighten fastenings too loosely or tightly while the display continues to indicate the critical settings are still properly in place. B

Advertisement Bosch officials emailed a statement that included the usual lines about security being a top priority. It went on to say that Nozomi reached out a few weeks ago to reveal the vulnerabilities. "Bosch Rexroth immediately took up this advice and is working on a patch to solve the problem," the statement said. "This patch will be released at the end of January 2024."

In a post, Nozomi researchers wrote:

The vulnerabilities found on the Bosch Rexroth NXA015S-36V-B allow an unauthenticated attacker who is able to send network packets to the target device to obtain remote execution of arbitrary code (RCE) with root privileges, completely compromising it. Once this unauthorized access is gained, numerous attack scenarios become possible. Within our lab environment, we successfully reconstructed the following two scenarios:

Ransomware: we were able to make the device completely inoperable by preventing a local operator from controlling the drill through the onboard display and disabling the trigger button. Furthermore, we could alter the graphical user interface (GUI) to display an arbitrary message on the screen, requesting the payment of a ransom. Given the ease with which this attack can be automated across numerous devices, an attacker could swiftly render all tools on a production line inaccessible, potentially causing significant disruptions to the final asset owner.Enlarge / A PoC ransomware running on the test nutrunner.

Nozomi

Manipulation of Control and View: we managed to stealthily alter the configuration of tightening programs, such as by increasing or decreasing the target torque value. At the same time, by patching in-memory the GUI on the onboard display, we could show a normal value to the operator, who would remain completely unaware of the change.A manipulation of view attack. The actual torque applied in this tightening was 0.15 Nm.

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On Aug. 29, 2023, during the latter half of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's four-day trip to Beijing and Shanghai, Huawei Technologies Co. quietly released a new phone called the Mate 60 Pro. Despite its inconspicuous introduction, the Mate 60 Pro proceeded to dominate the American news cycle the following week, after a bombshell teardown of the phone concluded that it was powered by a Kirin 9000s semiconductor chip fabricated in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation'-- in other words, that China can produce 7-nanometer chips in spite of U.S. restrictions, and possibly on a massive scale.

This technological breakthrough sparked panic throughout Washington, leading many to conclude that U.S. efforts to constrain China's semiconductor development were ineffective. In reality, though, the significance of the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation breakthrough was greatly overstated: China was already well on its way to 7-nanometer chip fabrication.

Rather than discredit the Biden administration's approach, the Huawei breakthrough should help to recalibrate it going forward. Even though the current ''small yard, high fence'' strategy is working, it is not infallible. China will continue its efforts to become self-reliant in semiconductor production. Its semiconductor supply chain can be reorganized over time, generating chokepoints in countries other than the United States, including China and its allies. As a result, winning the chip war with China requires retaining dominance in advanced semiconductors (chips of 8 nanometers or smaller) and reducing dependencies on Chinese ''legacy chips'' (those 28 nanometers or larger). Moreover, Washington should monitor and respond to China's growing competitiveness in the legacy chip sector. And if policymakers decide to further tighten chip controls in the near term, they should ensure these measures do not threaten the success of American semiconductor firms.

How Did China Achieve Its ''Breakthrough''?

Last year, in October 2022, the Biden administration imposed sweeping export controls on China, prohibiting the sale of certain advanced semiconductor chips, the sophisticated equipment required to manufacture them, and semiconductor expertise from the United States. U.S. export controls were meant to freeze China's semiconductor suite at the 14-nanometer level. The controls specifically included a 14-nanometer threshold for logic chips and licenses for exports to 14-nanometer and sub-14-nanometer semiconductor fabrication plants in China, effectively prohibiting the sale of any U.S. goods or expertise to these facilities. This, however, was an unrealistic goal.

For a start, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation achieved its 7-nanometer breakthrough months, if not a full year, before the Biden administration imposed export controls on China. In a July 2022 report, TechInsights, a Canadian semiconductor analysis firm, concluded that the company had been able to produce 7-nanometer chips since 2021. It further concluded that they took the technological leap from 14-nanometer to 7-nanometer chips in two years, faster than both Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Samsung. Such leapfrogging, while unusual, is certainly plausible. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation's co-CEO, Liang Mong Song, was previously an executive at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world's largest contract manufacturer of semiconductor chips. There, Liang had been found guilty of leaking secrets to Samsung, including 28-nanometer process technology. Indeed, TechInsights said in its July 2022 report that ''there are many similarities in process technologies, designs and innovations between Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation's 7nm and TSMC's 7nm.''

In general, semiconductor firms can use either extreme ultraviolet lithography machines or deep ultraviolet lithography machines to achieve sub-10-nanometer chip production. These machines are extremely expensive and highly sophisticated, with extreme ultraviolet lithography machines being the most advanced. The market for these technologies is also highly concentrated; Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography, the Dutch chip manufacturing equipment giant, has a monopoly over extreme ultraviolet lithography machines and a near monopoly over deep ultraviolet lithography machines. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation manufactured its 7-nanometer chips using imported chipmaking equipment from abroad. However, the company has been prohibited from importing extreme ultraviolet lithography machines since December 2020, after it was placed on the U.S. Entity List. Instead, it was forced to rely on less-advanced deep ultraviolet lithography machines to achieve its breakthrough.

China's access to foreign deep ultraviolet lithography machines is not in violation of current U.S. export controls. Though the United States struck a deal with Japan and the Netherlands in late January 2023 to restrict exports of advanced chip manufacturing equipment to China, the actual implementation of this agreement did not come until months later. Japan's new export control rules were issued in May 2023 and took effect in July 2023, while the Netherlands' new export control rules were issued in September 2023 and will not take effect until Jan. 1, 2024, almost a full year after the original agreement was made. To manufacture the 7-nanometer Kirin 9000s chips for Huawei, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation could have therefore either manufactured the chips using foreign deep ultraviolet lithography machines legally procured prior to the October 2022 export controls (i.e., a ''stockpile'' scenario) or in the 9''10 months following the controls (in accordance with new Japanese and Dutch export controls, respectively).

A Win for the United States, Not China

Knowing that Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation could produce 7-nanometer chips in 2022 (if not 2021) using less sophisticated equipment, it was unrealistic to presume that imposing export controls (particularly export controls that were initially uncoordinated with allies) could cause the company to technologically regress. We should instead judge China's domestic advancements in semiconductor production by how well they adhere to the objective of U.S. export controls '-- namely, by how well they are impeded.

By that criteria, the launch of the Huawei Mate 60 Pro phone cannot be considered an extraordinary win for China. While Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation is certainly capable of producing 7-nanometer chips, the likelihood that it can mass-produce these chips is low. The Mate 60 Pro sales themselves are evidence of this: The phone sold out almost immediately and seems only to have been available in limited quantities, suggesting limited inventory. Jeffries analysts believe that Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation can produce only a ''very small'' volume of 7-nanometer chips and that Huawei may be powering some Mate 60 Pros with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company chips stockpiled prior to the 2022 U.S. export controls. The inclusion of these stockpiled chips is definitely possible: Some early users of the Mate 60 Pro reported it using NAND flash memory chips made by SK Hynix (a South Korean chipmaker that suspended chip sales to Huawei after the Chinese firm was hit by U.S. sanctions). SK Hynix has since opened an investigation into the use of its chips in the new Huawei phone.

For the chips that Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation did manufacture, analysts are currently trying to determine the ''yield,'' or efficiency, of China's 7-nanometer chip production. Some research firms forecast the company's manufacturing process yield rate at below 50 percent while TechInsights analysts predict above 50 percent, considering the good condition of the 7-nanometer chips they have examined. Compared to the industry norm of 90 percent or more, however, both yields are very low. As China did have the capacity to manufacture, but not mass produce, 7-nanometer chips prior to U.S. export controls, this implies that Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation was intent on improving its 7-nanometer yield at the time the controls were imposed. Evidence of minimal improvement in this area is a win for the United States, not for China.

In short, Huawei's chip progress does not necessarily mean that U.S. export controls are failing. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation's ability to eventually scale 7-nanometer production was never guaranteed, but it was always a possibility. This is particularly true as the co-CEO has a history of leaking technology secrets and the company had relatively unfettered access to Japanese and Dutch chipmaking equipment for months following U.S. export controls in October 2022. Rather than bemoan the ''defeat of U.S. chip sanctions,'' U.S. lawmakers should be pleased that Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation is focused on trying to scale production at 7 nanometers and that China has asked Raimondo to ease export controls. It would be far more alarming if, for example, the company were pursuing 5-nanometer chip production today. And even if it is secretly pursuing 5-nanometer chip production now, 3-nanometer production is almost certainly out of reach because China is prohibited from purchasing extreme ultraviolet lithography machines from Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography, the world's sole producer.

Implications for the United States

What should be of concern to U.S. lawmakers is China's significant investments in legacy chip manufacturing. The majority of China's manufacturing capacity today is concentrated in ''legacy chips'' '-- chips of 28 nanometers or larger. Over the next 3 to 5 years, China is expected to add ''nearly as much new 50-180 nanometer wafer capacity as the rest of the world'' as well as construct 26 fabrication plants through 2026 that use 200-millimeter and 300-millimeter wafers '-- 10 more plants than in the Americas. China's ambition to dominate global legacy chip production poses a grave economic and national security threat to the United States, as legacy chips underpin everything from dishwashers to military weapons systems. Just as it did with solar, China could box out foreign competitors through dumping, rendering the United States '-- and the rest of the world '-- dependent on China for mature chips.

There is also China's increasing self-reliance in chip production. TechInsights found that, in addition to the 7-nanometer chip, half to two thirds of the silicon used in the new Huawei phones was produced domestically in China. Previously, this amount was only one third. Similarly, four of the eight central processing units, the graphics processing unit, and the neural processing unit of the Mate 60 Pro's ''system on a chip'' were designed and adapted by Huawei. Previously, all of these components relied entirely on designs by Arm, a British semiconductor and software design company. China is clearly becoming increasingly self-reliant in developing its own chipmaking capacity, and at a very rapid pace. But the extent to which China is sacrificing performance and cost efficiency to be self-reliant is unclear.

Though the new Huawei phones seem to show that the Biden administration's ''small yard, high fence'' approach is working, it is wrong to assume that U.S. export controls will effectively hobble China's semiconductor ambitions for years. China has launched a whole-of-nation plan to become self-reliant in semiconductor production, and U.S. export controls are merely supercharging this development. It is true that current export controls make it very difficult for China to advance in chip technology, but the Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation breakthrough is evidence that Chinese chip foundries can produce better semiconductors with older tools. Further, as time progresses and China's stockpile of chips, chipmaking equipment, and spare parts runs low, industrial espionage will become increasingly important to the success of China's whole-of-nation mission. It is reasonable to assume that American technology is at risk of being stolen or replicated.

The U.S. Department of Commerce issued updated implementing rules for chip export controls on Oct. 17, 2023, slightly over one year after the original controls were first announced. The updated rules largely build on the originals, adding firms to the Entity List and strengthening restrictions on both select advanced semiconductors and semiconductor manufacturing equipment to correct for unexpected loopholes and address leakage. If the United States decides to impose even more chip restrictions on China over the coming year, it needs to be careful not to cut off its nose to spite its face. Some lawmakers, notably Rep. Mike Gallagher (chair of the House select committee on China), has called for an end to all U.S. technology exports to Huawei and Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation. While there is nothing wrong with investigating whether the Huawei phone bypassed U.S. sanctions, if the United States wants to win the chip war with China, it cannot just cripple China's semiconductor sector '-- it needs to also ensure the success of American semiconductor companies. Placing very extreme, blanket restrictions on China would do the opposite of that.

Moreover, the further export controls get from the cutting edge of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the less indispensable U.S. semiconductor technology becomes. This means that new controls will be less effective because China can simply import controlled technologies from producers other than the United States. Though the United States has so far been able to align its controls with the Netherlands and Japan, this alignment was not without considerable delay, and similar alignments are not guaranteed going forward. Issuing additional export controls on less indispensable U.S. technology also means that U.S. semiconductor companies miss out on revenue in the near term, even if they enjoy an initial revenue spike from China stockpiling equipment. Whereas companies could theoretically divert chip sales to countries other than China to make up for lost sales, in reality these sales are unlikely to match massive Chinese market demand. Today, the COVID-19 semiconductor boom has faded, as higher interest rates have dampened purchases of products that use semiconductors. The U.S. government should therefore have strong justification before cutting off these companies' main source of revenue at a time when they are bracing for uncertainty.

Megan Hogan is the Eranda Rothschild Foundation Junior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. She works on international trade issues, including digital trade, semiconductor export controls, and U.S.-Chinese relations. She is also the founder of DisinfoLab, a student-led disinformation research lab based at the College of William & Mary's Global Research Institute.

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Anti-Israel protesters and rioters gathered outside the White House on Saturday night, with some demonstrators damaging security fencing and hurling objects at police.

The demonstrators were heard chanting "Ceasefire Now" and "Free, Free Palestine," with many waving Palestinian flags. "Yemen, Yemen make us proud / Turn another ship around," was also recited at the demonstration, hours after strikes were launched against the Houthis in Yemen.

The U.S. Secret Service told Fox News Digital that some fences were damaged outside the White House, and that staff members and journalists were "relocated" as a result. The White House also said on Saturday that President Biden is currently at Camp David.

"During the demonstration near the White House complex Jan. 13, a portion of the anti-scale fencing that was erected for the event sustained temporary damage," the statement read. "The issues were promptly repaired on site by U.S. Secret Service support teams."

PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS SHOUT 'ALLAHU AKBAR' OUTSIDE WORLD TRADE CENTER SITE

The U.S. Secret Service told Fox News Digital that some fences were damaged outside the White House, and that staff members and journalists were "relocated" as a result. (Fox News)

"As a precaution, some members of the media and staff in proximity to Pennsylvania Avenue were temporarily relocated while the issue was being addressed," the statement continued. "The Secret Service made no arrests associated with the march and there was no property damage to the White House or adjacent buildings."

Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith blasted illegal behavior from protesters in a press release on Saturday night.

Police keep guard behind special riot barriers placed near the White House during the "March on Washington for Gaza" in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. (Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images)

"The right to peacefully protest is one of the cornerstones of our democracy, and the Metropolitan Police Department has long supported those who visit our city to demonstrate safely," Smith's statement read. "However, violence, destructive behavior, and criminal activities are not tolerated."

PRO-PALESTINIAN CARAVAN SNARLS NEW YORK TRAFFIC AROUND JFK, LAGUARDIA AIRPORT

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators march to a rally in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. (Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The police chief added that some officers were assaulted by the demonstrators in Lafayette Park.

"While a majority of today's demonstration remained peaceful, there were instances of illegal and destructive behavior in Lafayette Park, including items being thrown at our officers," Smith explained. "We are supporting our partners at the United States Park Police as they investigate and hold those found responsible accountable for their actions."

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