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☆ Elon Musk downsized Big Tech. Can he do the same to Big Government?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-17 | by ( Amanda Hoover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

And to run the new cost-cutting department, Trump tapped the businessman he calls the world's "greatest cutter" — Elon Musk. If you're looking to take a chainsaw to the federal government, Musk seems perfectly suited to the job. When it comes to federal spending, one person's waste is another person's bread and butter. And his massive investments in electric vehicles and social media are dependent on all sorts of federal spending and oversight. Musk has acknowledged that Americans will feel "hardship" as a result of the cuts he wants to see implemented.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Elon Musk, Musk, cochair, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ronald Reagan —, There's, Michael Morris, Morris, it's, Andy Wu, Linda Bilmes, Ronald Reagan, Joel Friedman, Brian Hughes, DOGE, Reagan, Ramaswamy, It's, Sam, Uncle, Elon Organizations: Department of Government, Twitter, Tesla, SpaceX, Defense Department, IRS, Columbia Business School, Harvard Business School, Government, Harvard Kennedy School, Office, GAO, Fox News, Budget, Federal Aviation Administration, Veterans Administration, — Locations: Ecuador, Independence

After Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s dramatic performance with Latino voters, a coalition of Democratic-leaning Latino groups is grappling with the shift and trying to reconcile it with the policies they say many Hispanics support. Along with UnidosUS, Latino-focused advocacy groups such as Voto Latino, Somos Votantes, Hispanic Federation and La Brega y Fuerza Fund sponsored a poll of Latino voters. The coalition rejected national exit poll findings showing that Trump won the majority of Latino men — 55% — to Harris’ 43%. Edison Research, which conducts national exit polling for NBC News and other news organizations, surveyed 2,750 Latino voters nationally. Thirty-seven percent of male participants in exit polling identified as white, while 6% identified as Latino in the Latino groups’ poll.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, —, Clarissa Martinez de Castro, Kamala Harris, ” Martinez de Castro, ”, Somos, Donald Trump, Anna Moneymaker, Martinez de Castro, Trump, Harris, Matt Barreto, “, Rob Farbman, Latinas, Joe Biden, Starr County, Gary Segura, ” Segura, Barreto, Carlos Odio, Vanessa Cardenas, ” Cardenas Organizations: Republican, Democratic, Democratic Party, Latino, UnidosUS, Republicans, Hispanic Federation, Brega, Fund, American Civil Liberties Union, Advancing Justice, Climate Power, Nations Development Institute, Trump, Harris ’, BSP Research, African American Research, Harvard University, American, NBC, Edison Research, NBC News, Edison, Biden, Dade, Equis Research, America’s Locations: Doral, Fla, Miami, Florida, South Texas, Rio Grande, Starr, U.S

☆ China on track to record lowest number of new marriages since 1980, official data shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-04 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Some 4.74 million Chinese couples registered their marriages in the first three quarters of 2024, a decrease of 16.6% from the 5.69 million recorded in the same period last year, according to data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Friday. A rebound in marriages last year after stringent Covid restrictions were lifted appears to be an anomaly largely driven by pent-up demand. Many are postponing marriage and childbirth – and a growing number of young people even choose to eschew them entirely. The stubborn downward trend is also a result of changing attitudes to marriage, especially among young women who are becoming more educated and financially independent. In the first nine months of this year, some 1.96 million couples registered for divorces, a slight decline of 6,000 year-on-year, according to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

Persons: ”, Cai Jingyu, – Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Association, China isn’t Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, People’s Republic, India, Shenyang Imperial, Shenyang, Japan, South Korea

☆ China's Ministry of Finance is taking aim at local debt problems before tackling broader economic challenges
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-14 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesBEIJING — China's Ministry of Finance press briefing over the weekend underscored how it is focused on tackling local government debt problems, instead of the stimulus markets have been waiting for. In his opening remarks on Saturday, Minister of Finance Lan Fo'an laid out four measures, starting with increasing support for local governments in resolving debt risks. China's real estate market slump has cut into a significant source of revenue for local governments, many of which struggled financially even before needing to spend on Covid-19 measures. He added that a large plan to address local governments' hidden debt would be announced in the near future, without specifying when. Historically, local governments were responsible for more than 85% of expenditure but only received about 60% of tax revenue, Rhodium Group said in 2021.

Persons: Finance Lan Fo'an, Lan, Robin Xing, Morgan Stanley Organizations: Goldin Finance, Nurphoto, Getty, BEIJING, China's Ministry, Finance, Ministry of Finance, International Monetary Fund Locations: Tianjin, China, Covid

☆ Monster storms Milton and Helene prove climate change is a national security issue
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

This comes two weeks after Hurricane Helene significantly damaged communities like Asheville, North Carolina, hundreds of miles inland, that were seemingly immunized from the worst effects of climate change. Treating climate change as a national security problem is not a liberal position but a hardheaded realist one. This framing of national security also endured after the 9/11 attacks. After Hurricane Milton, Americans should ask themselves: Are they safer now from threats like climate change and pandemics? And if not, isn’t it time for a real discussion of what truly constitutes national security to begin?

Persons: Milton, Helene, Defense Lloyd Austin, It’s, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Peter Roady, ” Roosevelt, Roosevelt, —, George W, Bush, “, … Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, Defense, Key US Navy, Security, Welfare, Social Security, Federal Government, Hurricane Milton Locations: Florida, Asheville , North Carolina, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Sudan, Europe, Soviet Union

☆ China’s ‘whatever it takes’ moment? Investors hope for hundreds of billions in new stimulus
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-11 | by ( Anniek Bao | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

China's Ministry of Finance, pictured here in Beijing in 2021, is refunding taxes and cutting fees to support economic growth. China's Finance Minister Lan Fo'an is set to hold a press conference at 10 a.m. on Saturday local time on "intensifying" fiscal stimulus policies, the country's State Council Information Office said. Authorities are likely to affirm that at the press conference on Saturday, Zhao said. At the time, Chinese major indexes began to rally, surging over 25% as investors cheered on the slate of stimulus measures. Lan Fo'an, China's Minister of Finance, attends a press conference during the second session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on March 6, 2024.

Persons: Cong, Lan Fo'an, NDRC, Zheng Shanjie, Chen Zhao, CNBC's, Zhao, Chetan Ahya, Morgan Stanley, Wang Zhao Organizations: of Finance, Bloomberg, Getty, China's Finance, Beijing, Investors, National Development, Reform, Authorities, China's Ministry, Finance, China's, National People's Congress, Afp Locations: Beijing, country's, Shanghai, Asia

☆ Analysis: China is celebrating National Day but with the economic downturn not everyone is in the party spirit
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-30 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Tourists visit an ancient city gate in Beijing, China ahead of National Day. The stock market may be in the midst of one of its most remarkable turnarounds, but economists say reversing China’s economic downturn will require much more work. “Stimulating the stock market doesn’t really do much for the real economy in China. Very few people invest in the stock market compared to other major markets,” said Logan Wright, director of China markets research at Rhodium Group. Property woesThe outlook for the real estate industry, which makes up about a quarter of the Chinese economy and 70% of household wealth, remains dim.

Persons: Japan’s “, Xi Jinping, Xi, Xu Tianchen, Hong, David Tepper, ”, Logan Wright, Wright, There’s, ” Wright, “, hasn’t, Alfred Wu, Lee Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Economist Intelligence Unit, Reuters, Shenzhen bourses, Securities Times, Tourists, Management, CNBC, Barclays, Communist Party, Lee Kuan Yew, of Public, National University of Singapore Locations: Hong Kong, China, People’s Republic, United States, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, China’s, Xi’s

☆ Chinese adoptees say they feel conflicted after China announces end to international adoptions
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-28 | by ( Kimmy Yam | Kimmy Yam Is A Reporter For Nbc Asian America. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

It comes after China greenlit international adoption in 1992, leading to roughly 160,000 Chinese children being adopted to other countries, with half going to the U.S. The slowed international adoption coincides with a 2016 reversal of China’s one-child policy, which limited each Chinese family to one child in order to control population growth. With the door closed on international adoption, Newton emphasized that in order for those currently in Chinese social welfare institutes to thrive in their birth country, they also need more support. “The situation truly is a little bit more complicated for these kids with intense disabilities, especially with the rising costs of living in China,” Newton said. Newton said adoptees are often seen as “perpetual children” whose points of view don’t need to be considered.

Persons: Maze Felix, ” Felix, they’re, Grace Newton, ” Newton, Newton, “, ’ ”, Mao Ning, ”, it’s, Monaco, adoptees, ” Monaco, didn’t, Katelyn Monaco, Felix, there’s, There’s Organizations: China, NBC News, Foreign, U.S, Research, Katelyn, Monaco, “ Locations: China, Cleveland, Beijing, Katelyn Monaco, Quincy , Massachusetts, Monaco, Los Angeles, Yangzhou, ’

☆ Fearful of the 'middle-income trap,' Indonesia pushes for major policy reform
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-26 | by ( Shafi Musaddique | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Incoming President Subianto has promised to continue the charge toward making Indonesia a high-income economy. Economic reforms passed through by the outgoing president will make the achieving Indonesia's grand vision easier. "Widodo put in place a bunch of economic reforms, the most noticeable being making it easier to hire and fire new workers. Indrawati hopes to avoid "the middle-income trap" — an economic development situation where growing economies stagnate at middle-income levels and are unable to advance to the ranks of high-income countries. Major policy reforms, she believes, will help Indonesia sidestep that.

Persons: Sri Mulyani Indrawati, CNBC's, Joko Widodo, Prabowo Subianto, Subianto, Widodo, Gareth Leather, Indrawati Organizations: Afp, Getty, country's Finance, International Monetary Fund, Defense, Capital Economics, CNBC, Lowy Institute Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Washington, Australian, China, Asia

☆ Adoption fraud was widespread for many South Koreans adopted into Western countries, AP finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-23 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Ap-Live-Blog-Byline-Image.Png | The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +22 min

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — As the plane descended into Seoul, Robert Calabretta swaddled himself in a blanket, his knees tucked into his chest like a baby in the womb. The South Korean government has accepted a fact-finding commission under pressure from adoptees, and hundreds have submitted their cases for review. Western governments turned a blind eye, sometimes even pressuring South Korea for children, while promoting the narrative that they were saving orphans with no other options. Robert Calabretta, right, and his biological father, Lee Sung-soo, during a visit in Daegu, South Korea, in August 2020. Laurie Bender was approached by a strange woman while playing in the front yard in South Korea in 1975.

Persons: Robert Calabretta swaddled, they’d, “, ”, —, doesn’t, Robert Calabretta, Lee Sung, Calabretta, “ You’re, Patricia Nye, ” Nye, Holt, weren’t, ” Michaela Dietz, Robyn Joy Park, Rae, hasn't, Jae, Lee, ” Lee, Lee Moo, wasn’t, David Goldman, she’d, Laurie Bender, Bender, Han Tae, Philsik Shin, Helen Noh, Noh, ” Noh, he’d, Susan Soonkeum Cox, Kim Jin Sook, Francis Carlin, ” Carlin, …, Carlin, ” Bender, you’ve, Han Organizations: The Associated Press, South, AP, Frontline, International Social Service, University of Minnesota, ISS, BBC, ”, Holt Children’s Services, Eastern Social Welfare Society, Korea Welfare Services, Korea Social Service, Records, Health Ministry, Red Cross Hospital, U.S, Korea’s Anyang University, Seoul’s Soongsil University, Holt International, Catholic Relief Services, South Korean, FRONTLINE, PBS Locations: SEOUL, South Korea, Seoul, United States, South, Western, adoptees, U.S, Australia, Daegu, Korean, West, Korea, Geneva, “, Asia, Europe, North America, Pasadena , Calif, Boryeong, American, New York, ”, Oregon, Holt, Holt Korea

The historic endorsement of the Democratic presidential ticket is the first for the civil rights group, which formed in 1929 to protect the rights of Americans of Mexican descent. LULAC leaders announced the endorsement first to NBC News and plan to join Harris and Walz at a rally in Las Vegas on Saturday. The Trump campaign never replied. In 1956, LULAC President Felix Tijerina personally endorsed the Eisenhower-Nixon ticket. LULAC members were active in Viva Kennedy clubs in 1960 and members have supported local Mexican American candidates, such as El Paso Mayor Raymond Telles.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, Harris, Walz, “, ” Domingo Garcia, LULAC, Donald Trump, Juan Proaño, ” Garcia, ”, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, They've, Chavez Rodriguez, Cesar Chavez, Proaño, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, ” Proaño, Felix Tijerina, Nixon, Raymond Telles Organizations: of United Latin, Minnesota Gov, Democratic, NBC News, LULAC, Trump, Eisenhower, Viva Kennedy, El Paso, NBC Locations: Las Vegas, Viva

CNN —Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota as her running mate, elevating the former teacher and Army National Guard veteran to join the Democratic ticket and help lead the party’s fight to defeat Donald Trump. The vice president held in-person interviews with Walz, Shapiro and Kelly on Sunday. In March, Walz accompanied Harris when she became the first sitting vice president to visit a clinic that performs abortions. During recent remarks at a “White Dudes for Harris” fundraiser, Walz made a rough-and-ready case for the vice president before would-be small-dollar donors.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, Donald Trump, Harris, Walz, MAGA, Josh Shapiro, Arizona Sen, Mark Kelly, Shapiro, Kelly, “, ”, we’ve, Joe Biden, energizing Walz, ” Shapiro, Trump, Karoline Leavitt, Walz “, Biden, Picking Walz, –, Trump and Ohio Sen, JD Vance, Harris ”, ” Walz, Biden’s, Brandon, Gwen, Walz –, Jeff Blodgett, Sen, Paul Wellstone, Barack Obama, we’re, ” “, he’s, ” Blodgett, it’s, Angie Craig, Pramila, “ Tim Walz doesn’t, Kevin Poindexter, Trump’s, Ohio Sen, Raghu Devaguptapu, “ He’s, …, ” Devaguptapu, CNN’s Arit John, Arlette Saenz, Alayna Treene Organizations: CNN, Army National Guard, Democratic, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Naval, Democratic Party, Trump, Hamas, Golden State, Democratic Governors Association, Republicans, Trump and Ohio, Democrats, MAGA Republicans, National Rifle Association, Farmer, Labor Party, state’s Democratic Party, Minnesota Democrats, Progressives, Washington Rep, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Minnesota Republican, Midwest Locations: Minnesota, Israel, Midwest . Minnesota, Trump and, Congress, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Democratic

☆ Forced marriage: She wanted ‘the world’ for her daughter. Instead, she got a landmark prison sentence
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Jan is the first person in Australia to be convicted of forced marriage since it was criminalized in 2013. Sakina Muhammad Jan was the first person convicted under Australia's forced marriage laws. Some of the measures borrow from forced-marriage laws in Britain, where hundreds of people take out protection orders each year to thwart an impending forced marriage. Other countries such as France, Canada and Germany also have specific laws against forced marriage. A month before Jan’s sentencing, the immigration minister circulated a directive specifically naming the crime of forced marriage as serious enough to warrant the removal of a visa.

Persons: Australia CNN — Ruqia Haidari, Sakina Muhammad Jan, Haidari, Jan, “, ”, Fran Dalziel, Helena Hassani, Boland Parwaz, she’s, ” Helena Hassani, Haidari’s, Mohammad Ali Halimi, Ruqia Haidari, Facebook Halimi, ’, Halimi, he’d, ” Hassani, Wakil Kohsar, Jennifer Burn, Andrew Buckland, it’s, Dalziel, Hassani, It’s, “ I’m Organizations: Australia CNN, Victoria County Court, Australian Federal Police, University of Technology Sydney, UTS, AFP, Facebook, “, Getty, Slavery, Refugee Convention, United Nations, Afghanistan Association Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Shepparton, Victoria, Hazara, London, Perth, Western Australia, Baharak, Badakhshan province, AFP, Slavery Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Britain, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Germany, Melbourne, Australian, Goulburn

☆ I’m a 30-year-old American living in Norway: 5 reasons ‘I’m so much happier’ here
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Gabriella Mikiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

There's a joke in Norway that people move here for two reasons: a job or love. I'm much happier in Norway. Better work-life balanceIn Norway, there's a big departure from the work-centric mentality that I'm used to in the U.S. Free time, family time and personal well-being are prioritized. For me, I think I'm still a bit governed by my American roots when it comes to work-life balance. Happiness in Norway is often less about feeling constant joy and more about taking care of myself and others.

Persons: I'm, I've, Gabriella Mikiewicz, it'll, it's Organizations: Intercultural Relations, U.S ., fireside Locations: Norway, Europe, U.S, Oslo, Lofoten, Gabriella Mikiewicz Norway, Chicago, there's, it's, Loen, panicking, Rjukan

☆ China economy: Key meeting offers few clues on how to tackle worsening downturn
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

While it offered few clues on how to tackle economic difficulties, the meeting did provide further insight into a shake-up of high-level personnel over the past year. If past sessions are a guide, a more detailed report may be released in the following days, but for now, “the plenum communique is light on specifics,” Evans-Pritchard added. That came days after China released disappointing economic data for the second quarter of this year. Analysts say that the coming months could offer more details on how Xi plans to revive the economy. Emphasizing short-term economic policies is rare in the history of the third plenums, said Larry Hu, chief China economist for Macquarie Group.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN — China’s, Xi Jinping, Xi, ”, Julian Evans, Pritchard, Qin, Li Shangfu, Li Yuchao, Jinming, Evans, “, ” Evans, Mao, Larry Hu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Communist Party, Capital Economics, Central, Defense, Liberation Army Rocket Force, of America, National Bureau, Statistics, Analysts, Macquarie Group Locations: Hong Kong, party’s, Beijing, China, policymaking, outflows, United States, Mao China

☆ As Many South Koreans Shun Marriage, Two Women Try to Redefine Family
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The event was to celebrate and discuss the book written by Hwang Sunwoo and Kim Hana, both 47, about their life together as single women in South Korea. He told the two women that they were making the country’s birthrate, already the world’s lowest, even worse. But with millions of South Koreans shunning the institution of marriage, the family-centered support system is rapidly unraveling. The nation’s quality of support network — measured by whether people have someone to rely on in a time of need — is the lowest among developed nations. South Korea also has the highest suicide rate among those nations.

Persons: Hwang Sunwoo, Kim Hana, ” Ms, Hwang, “, ” Locations: South Korea

☆ China’s biggest policy meeting in six years kicks off this week. How investors can play it
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-14 | by ( Evelyn Cheng | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The more dire predictions for China's highly anticipated "Third Plenum" that kicks off Monday hint at constraining the financial sector, despite slowing economic growth. Policy has long been an important guide for investors in China's top-down economy. The official English summary listed four measures, the third of which called for developing the "real economy," and "guarding against a shift from the real economy toward the financial economy." Goldman Sachs on July 11 published a lengthy report on China solar in anticipation the industry is nearing a bottom. One of the Goldman Sachs analysts' newly initiated, buy-rated China solar stocks is Daqo New Energy , a U.S.-listed manufacturer of polysilicon for solar power companies.

Persons: it's, Dan Wang, Han Wenxiu, Goldman Sachs, bode, Jacqueline Du, Daqo, Si Fu, Wang Organizations: Hang Seng Bank, ” Finance, Central Committee's Office, Financial, Economic Affairs, CNBC, Communist Party's, Committee, Bank of America, Energy, Goldman Locations: China, Beijing, China's, U.S, Shanghai

☆ Parisian cafés are a cherished part of French culture. Here’s why they might be in trouble
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Xiaofei Xu | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A job French people don’t want? Half of the 86,000-plus chefs in the French capital are immigrants, according to data published by the French National Institute of Statistic and Economic Studies in 2022. Often in Paris, the kitchens are very small, so it’s a very strenuous job,” Mousson said. “For a small business like us, we cannot afford to hire multiple people in the kitchen,” Mousson said. While it remains to be seen if the party can capture an absolute majority in the French National Assembly, it will almost certainly become the biggest force in the new parliament.

Persons: Pinardier, It’s, Sazal Saha, Saha, He’s, ” Saha, “, I’m, ”, Xiaofei Xu, Olivier Dussopt, Florian Mousson, Le Pinardier, Mousson, ” Mousson, Le, he’s, Mousson’s, ‘ Organizations: Paris CNN —, Bretagne, Le, Curie School, CNN, European Union, French Labor, French National Institute, Studies, Rassemblement National, Mousson’s, Craigslist, –, Saha, National, French Interior Ministry, French National Assembly Locations: Paris, Kuhlna, Bangladesh, Joliet, France, Europe, Sri Lanka, Marseille, South Asia, Comoros, French

☆ The reclusive billionaire who's spent $75 million on Trump and $25 million on RFK Jr.
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-22 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

He has since given $25 million to the super PAC, including $10 million in April. At the same time, Mellon has contributed handsomely to the pro-Trump super PAC "Make America Great Again Inc.," pouring $25 million into the PAC from July 2023 to April 2024. But he's given millions of dollars to GOP causes and campaigns in recent years, including $20 million to a pro-Trump super PAC in 2020, $45 million to a super PAC tied to GOP House leadership, and $30 million to a super PAC associated with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. "MAGA Republicans are hellbent on propping up RFK Jr. to be a spoiler for Trump in this race," Corridoni said in a statementat the time. "This is even more proof that a vote for RFK Jr. is a vote for Trump."

Persons: —, Timothy Mellon, Donald Trump, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Kennedy, — Mellon, Mellon, Trump, Andrew Mellon, he's, Greg Abbott, Mitch McConnell, Joe Biden's, Matt Corridoni, MAGA, Corridoni Organizations: Service, GOP, Business, Democratic, Trump, Inc, PAC, MAGA Inc, Federal, Forbes, Pan Am Systems, Bloomberg, Republican Gov, GOP House, Democratic National, MAGA Republicans, RFK Jr Locations: Kennedy's, Manhattan, Texas, Mexico, propping

☆ Throwing money at plunging birth rates won't solve the issue, demography experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Lancet study forecasts that by 2100, over 97% of countries will have fertility rates below the population replacement level. AdvertisementThe Japanese government has also tried to boost fertility rates by offering up to a year of parental leave and even cash incentives. In South Korea, the least fertile country in the world, Seoul is offering people money to reverse their vasectomies or untie their tubes. However, according to Trent MacNamara, a Texas A&M professor whose work has focused on fertility rates, throwing money at the problem can only do so much. Harper said that instead of throwing money at the issue, the biggest chance for success is through promoting gender equity.

Persons: —, isn't, Trent MacNamara, MacNamara, Sarah Harper, Harper, Philip N, Cohen, it's Organizations: Service, Business, gerontology, Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, University of Maryland Locations: Tokyo, South Korea, Seoul, Texas

☆ This fintech configures expense cards to block misuse — and investors just backed it with millions
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-14 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

CleverCards, a Dublin-based firm, uses a digital platform linked to configurable expense cards to give companies control over how their employees use their corporate payment cards. CleverCards CEO Kealan Lennon says his platform aims to tackle exactly that. Lennon said that CleverCards' funding round stood out in what has been a brutal market for dealmaking and fundraising in fintech. CleverCards will use the fresh funds to expand its business, scale its products and explore broader opportunities, it said. In addition to the fundraise, CleverCards appointed five new non-executive directors to its board with experience in payments technology.

Persons: Robert Half, Kealan Lennon, Lennon, CleverCards, CleverCard, It's, we've, Patrick Waldron, Donal Daly, Marc Frappier, Garry Lyons, Viktoria Otero del Val Organizations: CNBC, eBay, Accenture, Microsoft, Apple, Stripes Locations: Dublin, France, Adyen, Betfair, fintech

The building was being used by a rival political party, she believes. A few miles east along the border, CNN met several more Mexican families who had been sheltering for days in a tent erected by a local humanitarian group. Intimidation was particularly pervasive in local-level elections, experts told CNN, where races could hand the winners broad control over small communities’ police and fiscal resources. Immigrant rights advocates warn closing the border to asylum seekers endangers vulnerable people and ultimately makes the border less safe. They were treated with respect by the US agents, she told CNN, who swabbed them for DNA – likely to ensure that the children were really hers.

Persons: Norma, Norma doesn’t, Strange, Joe Biden, ”, Norma Galeana, Carin Zissis, Zissis, “ We’re, Yolanda Sánchez Figueroa, Salvador Guerrero, Andres Manuel Lopez, Lopez, Morena, ” Zissis, Claudia Sheinbaum, Lopez Obrador, Norma’s, “, Joe Biden’s, It’s, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez, Tara John, David Shortell Organizations: Arizona CNN, CNN, Border Patrol, Homeland Security, Americas Society, Legal Clinic, National Guard, AS, Border Locations: Sasabe, Arizona, Mexico City, ”, Mexico, United States, Cotija, Michoacán, North America, Hermosillo

☆ Guess Who’s Angry at China’s Real Estate Bailout: Homeowners
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Daisuke Wakabayashi | Claire Fu | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For much of the past decade, China’s efforts to curb speculation on real estate grew broader and more extensive. In Chengdu, in western China, only local residents who paid social welfare taxes and drew a winning ticket in a lottery could buy a new place. Those restrictions, along with limitations in other regions, have been lifted as China tries to revive a severe property downturn. Since last year, more than 25 Chinese cities have eliminated all restrictions on real estate purchases, as many local governments scrapped rules that prevented developers from cutting prices. It lowered down-payment requirements and relaxed mortgage rules, and urged local governments to buy unsold homes and convert them into public housing.

Organizations: Shanghai Locations: Chengdu, China, Tangshan

CNN —The woman mayor of a town in western Mexico was shot dead Monday, authorities said, just hours after the country elected its first female president in a race marred by deadly attacks on candidates. Yolanda Sánchez Figueroa, mayor of Cotija in Michoacán state, was walking from a gym back to her house with her bodyguard when they were shot by people in a white van, the state attorney general said in a statement. Both Sánchez Figueroa and her bodyguard later died in hospital, it said, adding that an investigation has been launched. According to the think tank Mexico Evalua, around 95% of all crimes nationwide went unsolved in the country in 2022. Sánchez Figueroa had previously been kidnapped in September 2023 in the city of Zapopan, and was released three days later.

Persons: Yolanda Sánchez Figueroa, Sánchez Figueroa, Sánchez, Claudia Sheinbaum, Claudia Sheinbaum's, Pedro Pardo, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Morena, “ Organizations: CNN, Getty, state’s Ministry of Public Security Locations: Mexico, Cotija, Michoacán, AFP, Zapopan

☆ Preliminary results project Claudia Sheinbaum to become Mexico’s first female president
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Mexico is set to elect its first female president, with preliminary results showing Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico City’s former mayor and climate scientist, is on track to win the country’s largest election in history. The 61-year-old rode the wave of popularity of her longtime political ally, the outgoing leftist Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and their Morena party. Not only is she set to be Mexico’s first female president, Sheinbaum will also be the country’s first leader of Jewish heritage, although she rarely speaks publicly about her personal background and has governed as a secular leftist. Supporters of Claudia Sheinbaum celebrate during an election rally in Mexico City on June 2, 2024. If the court validates the election, Sheinbaum will take office on October 1.

Persons: Claudia Sheinbaum, Sheinbaum, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Xóchitl Gálvez, Jorge Álvarez Máynez, Sheinbaum’s, Luis Antonio Rojas, Jesús María Tarriba Unger, López Obrador, coy Organizations: CNN, National Electoral Institute, National Action, Institutional Revolutionary, Democratic Revolution, Citizens ’ Movement, Bloomberg, Getty, Morena, Mexico City, Judicial, Federation Locations: Mexico, Morena, Mexico City

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