The third week of the 2025 Legislative Session has concluded, and we’re staying focused on passing commonsense legislation that puts Georgia families, businesses and communities first.
Last week’s snowstorm may have delayed budget hearings for a few days, but it didn’t slow us down. The General Assembly has been hard at work in joint sessions, carefully reviewing budget requests to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely. Passing a balanced budget is not only our constitutional duty—it’s the foundation of a responsible government that serves its people.
One of the most crucial budget proposals this legislative session is Governor Brian P. Kemp’s plan to return $1 billion in surplus funds directly to taxpayers. Thanks to years of conservative budgeting and fiscal responsibility, we’re in a position to give back to the hardworking Georgians who keep our state running. This is just part of the $2.2 billion in statewide allocations designed to benefit families, businesses and communities across Georgia. I’m proud to support Gov. Kemp’s efforts to strengthen our economy by putting more money back in your pockets.
Another key priority is ensuring communities hit hardest by Hurricane Helene have the resources they need to rebuild. Gov. Kemp has proposed $614.72 million in recovery funding, including $150 million for the Governor’s Emergency Fund to help with debris removal and housing assistance. Another $300 million will go to the Georgia Department of Transportation to restore roads and infrastructure. Many rural counties are still reeling from this storm, and we’re committed to making sure they get the support they need to recover and move forward.
One of the bills I’m proud to sponsor is Senate Bill 43. This legislation aims to update the qualifications for bona fide conservation use property and bona fide residential transition property and would increase the maximum acreage needed to qualify to meet these standards. I’m also proud to sponsor Senate Bill 13, legislation which provides the authority to finance and perform duties in connection with projects relating to natural gas facilities. This legislation is not only important to Senate District 13, but to the entire state.
Finally, I encourage students ages 12 to 18 to apply for the Senate Page Program. This is an excellent way for young people to see firsthand how the General Assembly works. If you know a student who might be interested, they can apply on the Senate website here.
If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about our work at the Capitol, please don’t hesitate to reach out. It’s an honor to serve you, and I appreciate your trust as we work together throughout the remainder of the 2025 legislative session.
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Sen. Carden Summers serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking and Financial Institutions. He represents the 13th Senate District which includes Ben Hill, Berrien, Crisp, Irwin, Lee, Tift, Turner, and Worth County, as well as a part of Coffee County.He may be reached at (404) 463-5258 or by email atcarden.summers@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out toSenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.
Investment in public housing is long overdue. But the current proposal to demolish all 44 of Melbourne’s social housing towers, relocate more than 10,000 residents and redevelop the sites is deeply flawed.
The state government says the old high-rises are being redeveloped to meet modern standards and house more people. But the decision to demolish and rebuild, rather than upgrade, has been challengedrepeatedly.
I coauthored one of the most recent reports from concerned independent architects, urban designers and researchers. Together we argue retrofitting and upgrading existing housing stock, when combined with strategic new building, is technically feasible, cheaper and better for people and the planet.
At the same time, a class action lawsuit is awaiting a legal ruling on whether the government should be forced to release documents justifying demolition over retrofitting.
We know retaining and reusing existing structures saves energy and other resources, ultimately reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Across 44 buildings, this could also save around A$1.5 billion in construction costs.
Playing the numbers game
The federal government has set a national target to build 1.2 million homes by 2029. Victoria has a “bold” target to build 800,000 new homes over the next ten years. But how they go about meeting these targets matters too.
Melbourne’s housing commission towers are home to established communities, where connections between people have developed over a long period. This has immense social value.
The 44 towers also represent substantial embodied carbon. This is the carbon dioxide (CO₂) already emitted in extracting, manufacturing, transporting, installing and eventually disposing of existing concrete, bricks and other reusable materials.
Our analysis of one tower at Atherton Gardens estate revealed a potential saving of 16,000 tonnes of CO₂ through retrofitting. Multiplying this by 44 adds up to more than 700,000 tonnes – roughly equivalent to taking 150,000 cars off the road.
Taking tips from overseas
Overseas, similar postwar housing precincts have been updated and redeveloped in a more careful, considered way. Residents have even been able to stay in place while improvements are made. Such approaches incorporate a mix of renovation and retrofitting of existing buildings, combined with new infill and upgrades to public open spaces.
This approach integrates the precincts into the surrounding city and upgrades facilities to contemporary standards – without wholesale disruption and dislocation of the residents and their established communities.
It’s hard to know whether this work was considered during the decision-making process. The Victorian government and its housing agency Homes Victoria have so far refused to release the relevant reports or documents explaining their reasoning.
Such lack of transparency and consultation led to the launch of the class action. Residents at the Flemington and North Melbourne Estates have come together to argue their human rights were not considered when the decision to demolish their homes was made.
Two reports provide independent analysis
Filling the void, professional groups have undertaken two separate independent studies on a pro-bono basis. These reports analyse the different options based on the available information.
I helped compare three scenarios for a 20-storey tower at Atherton Gardens, Fitzroy. The research analysed two retrofit scenarios for the tower and compared these with a hypothetical equivalent new building.
We established the scope of building works required for each scenario. The team then measured capital cost, embodied carbon and carbon during operation for each case.
We found considerable savings can be made in capital costs (25–30%), embodied carbon (34–36%) and construction time (15–20%) through retrofitting, compared with constructing an equivalent new building.
When multiplied over 44 towers, these savings amount to about A$1.5 billion in raw construction value alone. This is without considering the additional costs of relocating existing residents, providing alternative accommodation during construction, or the social and health and wellbeing costs associated with long-term dislocation of communities.
A separate more detailed report on the Flemington Estate was released in October by charitable not-for-profit design and research practice OFFICE. Both reports independently arrived at very similar solutions for ways to address structural, fire and servicing upgrades.
Breaking down the barriers
Several reasons have been circulated as to why these high-rise towers are unsuitable for retrofitting. The two reports go through each in turn.
The towers are constructed from precast concrete slabs and internal walls are load-bearing. This makes refurbishment difficult, because the majority of walls cannot be moved. The buildings were also designed when the requirement to resist earthquakes was minimal.
A range of other technical hurdles, such as improving acoustic, thermal and fire separation and repairing degraded concrete, would also complicate upgrades. But none of these issues is insurmountable.
Both reports include strategies to address these issues, costed into the estimates. For example, the cost of strengthening to meet earthquake codes has been estimated as $1.73 million in Flemington and $3.85 million for Atherton Gardens. That’s around 3.7% of the total $105 million estimated construction cost for a single Atherton Gardens tower.
Exploring alternatives
The fact a building does not meet current regulatory standards is not in itself a reason for demolition. More than 80% of the city’s buildings would fail to meet these standards, including everything built in the 19th and 20th centuries. Our building codes recognise the value of existing structures and have provisions for renovation scenarios.
Retention and reuse of existing building fabric can achieve results surpassing current legislative standards while minimising waste, retaining the value of existing embodied carbon, and retaining the fabric, character and social memory of the city in the process.
Retrofitting can also avoid the mass displacement of existing residents, who would otherwise need to be accommodated during the construction phase. For instance, construction can allow refurbishment on a floor-by-floor basis, minimising relocation time for residents.
With the right design, skilled consultants, and genuine care for residents, it’s possible to overcome the barriers typically faced when reusing existing building stock.
I am grateful to Simon Robinson of OFFICE for his contributions to this article.
This vaccine is designed to protect young infants from severe RSV (respiratory syncytial virus). It does so by generating the production of antibodies against RSV in the mother, which then travel across the placenta to the baby.
While the RSV vaccine is a new addition to the National Immunisation Program, it’s one of three vaccines provided free for pregnant women under the program, alongside ones for influenza and whooping cough. Each offers important protection for newborn babies.
The RSV vaccine
RSV is the most common cause of lower respiratory infections (bronchiolitis and pneumonia) in infants. It’s estimated that of every 100 infants born in Australia each year, at least two will be hospitalised with RSV by six months of age.
RSV infection is most common roughly between March and August in the southern hemisphere, but infection can occur year-round, especially in tropical areas.
The vaccine works by conferring passive immunity (from the mother) as opposed to active immunity (the baby’s own immune response). By the time the baby is born, their antibodies are sufficient to protect them during the first months of life when they are most vulnerable to severe RSV disease.
The RSV vaccine registered for use in pregnant women in Australia, Abrysvo, has been used since 2023 in the Americas and Europe. Real-world experience there shows it’s working well.
For example, over the 2024 RSV season in Argentina, it was found to prevent 72.7% of lower respiratory tract infections caused by RSV and requiring hospitalisation in infants aged 0–3 months, and 68% among those aged 0–6 months. This research noted three deaths from RSV, all in infants whose mothers did not receive the RSV vaccine during pregnancy.
This was similar to protection seen in a large multinational clinical trial that compared babies born to mothers who received this RSV vaccine with babies born to mothers who received a placebo. This study found the vaccine prevented 82.4% of severe cases of RSV in infants aged under three months, and 70% under six months, and that the vaccine was safe.
In addition to the maternal vaccine, nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody, provides effective protection against severe RSV disease. It’s delivered to the baby by an intramuscular injection, usually in the thigh.
Nirsevimab is recommended for babies born to women who did not receive an RSV vaccine during pregnancy, or who are born within two weeks of their mother having received the shot (most likely if they’re born prematurely). It may also be recommended for babies who are at higher risk of RSV due to a medical condition, even if their mother was vaccinated.
But now we have a safe and effective RSV vaccine for pregnancy, all pregnant women should be encouraged to receive it as the first line of prevention. This will maximise the number of babies protected during their first months of life.
Flu and whooping cough
It’s also important pregnant women continue to receive flu and whooping cough vaccines in 2025. Like the RSV vaccine, these protect infants by passing antibodies from mother to baby.
The whooping cough vaccine, given in combination with diphtheria and tetanus, prevents more than 90% of whooping cough cases in babies too young to receive their first whooping cough vaccine dose.
Similarly, influenza can be deadly in young babies, and maternal flu vaccination substantially reduces hospital visits associated with influenza for babies under six months. Flu can also be serious for pregnant women, so the vaccine offers important protection for the mother as well.
The RSV vaccine is now available for pregnant women under the National Immunisation Program. Olga Rolenko/Shutterstock
We know vaccination rates have declined in a variety of groups since the pandemic, and there’s evidence emerging that suggests this trend has occurred in pregnant women too.
A recent preprint (a study yet to be peer-reviewed) found a decrease of nearly ten percentage points in flu vaccine coverage among pregnant women in New South Wales, from 58.8% in 2020 to 49.1% in 2022. The research showed a smaller drop of 1.4 percentage points for whooping cough, from 79% in 2020 to 77.6% in 2022.
It’s important to work to improve vaccination rates during pregnancy to give babies the best protection in their first months of life.
We know pregnant women would like to receive information about new and routine maternal vaccines early in pregnancy. In particular, many pregnant women want to understand how vaccines are tested for safety, and their effectiveness, which was evident during COVID.
GPs and midwives are trusted sources of information on vaccines in pregnancy. There’s also information available online on Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation, a collaboration led by the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance.
Archana Koirala is the chair of the Vaccination Special Interest Group and an executive member of the Australia and New Zealand Paediatric Infectious Diseases group of the Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases. She has received funding to her institution from the Australian government Department of Health and Aged Care and NSW government for her research activities.
Bianca Middleton is a member of Vaccination Special Interest Group of the Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases. She is an investigator on several research studies funded by NHMRC/ MRFF, and also an investigator on an industry-sponsored clinical vaccine trial. She does not receive any direct funding from industry.
Prof Margie Danchin receives funding from NHMRC, MRFF, Victorian and Commonwealth government and DFAT and WHO. She is a member of Vaccination Special Interest Group of the Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases (ASID), Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI).
Peter McIntyre receives funding from the Health Research Council (New Zealand) and the Otago Medical Research Foundation and until the end of 2024 was a member of the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts for immunisation
Rebecca Doyle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The 2024 US presidential election saw a historic shift to the right, driven by the largest swing of young male voters in two decades. Analysts attribute this partly to podcasters like Joe Rogan, whose unfiltered, conversational content bypassed traditional media to mobilise this demographic.
Our own research shows that Donald Trump’s podcast strategy during the election campaign boosted his support by 1% to 2.6%, with more than half of this linked to Rogan’s platform. In contrast, Kamala Harris’s reliance on traditional, curated media lacked the authenticity that resonated with Trump’s base.
This trend has clear parallels in Australia, where media strategy has long mirrored the US. In 1949, Robert Menzies used radio to reassure the public, much like Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “fireside chats”. In the 1980s, television brought Bob Hawke into voters’ homes, showcasing charisma akin that of John F. Kennedy in his earlier televised debates. Kevin Rudd’s 2007 “Kevin 07” campaign effectively mirrored Barack Obama’s use of social media to engage younger voters. Similarly, Scott Morrison’s 2019 campaign emulated Trump-style microtargeting on Facebook to connect with specific demographics.
Today, podcasts have become the latest battleground for political influence. Their conversational, long-form format enables politicians to address complex issues in a direct, personal manner. This medium resonates particularly with younger voters, who are increasingly turning away from traditional media.
The 2025 federal election will likely see a turning point in the influence of podcasts on election campaigns, and even the outcome.
The Australian podcasting landscape
Podcast consumption in Australia continues to rise, with listenership increasing by 8.7% in early 2024. This comes after reaching a record 43% in 2023, up from 17% in 2017.
Dubbed “the world’s most avid podcast listeners”, Australian men aged 18–34 dominate the audience, drawn to popular news and politics podcasts such as ABC News Top Stories and The Party Room, as well as global hits like The Joe Rogan Experience.
Podcasts appeal through their intimacy and authenticity, fostering a “close-knit friend group” atmosphere. Younger voters increasingly use podcasts to explore issues such as housing affordability and climate change.
Rogan’s podcast exemplifies this appeal, particularly among young Australian men. With 80% of his audience male, and half aged 18–34, Rogan’s unapologetic masculinity and focus on topics such as combat sports, hunting and societal controversies position him as a counterbalance to identity politics. His “living room” style, seen during Trump’s three-hour appearance, makes polarising or extremist ideas more palatable. This reflects a broader cultural shift among young men toward what they see as “traditional values”.
While podcasts often feature diverse viewpoints, their unregulated nature can expose listeners to harmful ideologies, fostering echo chambers or radicalisation. Misinformation spreads more easily in these spaces, as evidenced by the US, where fragmented media contributed to the rise of Trumpism. Although Australia’s stricter campaign finance laws and media regulations reduce such risks, they cannot eliminate them entirely.
As the 2025 election nears, understanding how podcasts shape voter behaviour is critical for balanced political discourse and social cohesion.
Australia’s political landscape
Recent polls show the Liberal-National Coalition leading Labor 53.1% to 46.9% in two-party preferred voting, with 39% of voters preferring Peter Dutton as prime minister compared with Anthony Albanese’s 34%. While the Coalition uses Trump-style strategies, Albanese appears to have a problem with male voters.
Dutton emulates Trump in using podcasts to connect directly with young male voters and amplify culture war themes, anti-woke sentiment, and populist rhetoric.
His Elon Musk-inspired push for a “government efficiency” department mirrors Trump’s populist promises of cutting “wasteful spending”.
The Coalition has tapped into a broader cultural shift among young men. Many of these men have gravitated toward influencers like Andrew Tate – alleged rapist and human trafficker with ambitions to become UK prime minister – whose divisive rhetoric reinforces regressive ideals.
Surveys reveal 28% of Australian teenage boys admire Tate, while 36% find him relatable. Moreover, half of surveyed schools link his influence to negative behavioural changes.
These strategies seem to work, with polls showing increased male voter support for the Coalition (52.7% to Labor’s 47.3%).
Australia’s compulsory voting and multi-party preferential system encourage broad-based appeals. But they also risk amplifying polarisation.
Australia’s concentrated media ownership, dominated by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, further shapes public discourse by amplifying conservative perspectives.
Although younger Australians – especially women – remain a strong progressive base for Labor, the rise of right-wing podcasts and their impact on young male voters poses a significant challenge. The Coalition’s ability to connect with this demographic via podcasts, leveraging dissatisfaction and cultural shifts, could shape the election’s outcome.
Opportunity and risk
Podcasts present both opportunities and risks for Australian politics. They offer a powerful platform for politicians to engage younger voters on crucial issues, fostering deeper connections. However, their unregulated nature enables the spread of misinformation and the normalisation of polarising ideas.
To address this, voters should critically evaluate podcast content, fact-check claims using resources such as RMIT ABC Fact Check and AAP FactCheck, and seek diverse perspectives. Politicians, meanwhile, must use podcasts strategically, balancing authenticity with accountability.
Progressive ideas could better resonate with young male audiences by reframing topics such as climate action, housing affordability and workplace equity as opportunities for leadership, empowerment and responsibility. Partnering with relatable influencers and using accessible, conversational podcast formats can help progressives connect with this demographic.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Many people think of psychology as being primarily about mental health, but its story goes far beyond that.
As the science of the mind, psychology has played a pivotal role in shaping artificial intelligence, offering insights into human cognition, learning and behaviour that have profoundly influenced AI’s development.
These contributions not only laid the foundations for AI but also continue to guide its future development. The study of psychology has shaped our understanding of what constitutes intelligence in machines, and how we can address the complex challenges and benefits associated with this technology.
Machines mimicking nature
The origins of modern AI can be traced back to psychology in the mid-20th century. In 1949, psychologist Donald Hebb proposed a model for how the brain learns: connections between brain cells grow stronger when they are active at the same time.
This idea gave a hint of how machines might learn by mimicking nature’s approach.
Psychologist Frank Rosenblatt designed the perceptron in imitation of the connections in the human brain. Frank Rosenblatt / Wikimedia
The perceptron was the first artificial neural network ever made. It ran on the same principle as modern AI systems, in which computers learn by adjusting connections within a network based on data rather than relying on programmed instructions.
A scientific understanding of intelligence
In the 1980s, psychologist David Rumelhart improved on Rosenblatt’s perceptron. He applied a method called backpropagation, which uses principles of calculus to help neural networks improve through feedback.
Backpropagation was originally developed by Paul Werbos, who said the technique “opens up the possibility of a scientific understanding of intelligence, as important to psychology and neurophysiology as Newton’s concepts were to physics”.
Rumelhart’s 1986 paper, coauthored with Ronald Williams and Geoffrey Hinton, is often credited with sparking the modern era of artificial neural networks. This work laid the foundation for deep learning innovations such as large language models.
In 2024, the Nobel Prize for Physics was awarded to Hinton and John Hopfield for work on artificial neural networks. Notably, the Nobel committee, in its scientific report, highlighted the crucial role psychologists played in the development of artificial neural networks.
Hinton, who holds a degree in psychology, acknowledged standing on the shoulders of giants such as Rumelhart when receiving his prize.
Self-reflection and understanding
Psychology continues to play an important role in shaping the future of AI. It offers theoretical insights to address some of the field’s biggest challenges, including reflective reasoning, intelligence and decision-making.
Microsoft founder Bill Gates recently pointed out a key limitation of today’s AI systems. They can’t engage in reflective reasoning, or what psychologists call metacognition.
In the 1970s, developmental psychologist John Flavell introduced the idea of metacognition. He used it to explain how children master complex skills by reflecting on and understanding their own thinking.
Decades later, this psychological framework is gaining attention as a potential pathway to advancing AI.
Fluid intelligence
Psychological theory is increasingly being applied to improve AI systems, particularly by enhancing their capacity for solving novel problems.
For instance, computer scientist François Chollet highlights the importance of fluid intelligence, which psychologists define as the ability to solve new problems without prior experience or training.
An example question from a test of ‘fluid intelligence’ designed by Francois Chollet. ARC Prize
In late 2024, OpenAI’s o3 model demonstrated notable success on Chollet’s test, showing progress in creating AI systems that can adapt and solve a wider range of problems.
The risk of explanations
Another goal of current research is to make AI systems more able to explain their output. Here, too, psychology offers valuable insights.
Computer scientist Edward Lee has drawn on the work of psychologist Daniel Kahneman to highlight why requiring AI systems to explain themselves might be risky.
Kahneman showed how humans often justify their decisions with explanations created after the fact, which don’t reflect their true reasoning. For example, studies have found that judges’ rulings fluctuate depending on when they last ate — despite their firm belief in their own impartiality.
Lee cautions that AI systems could produce similarly misleading explanations. Because rationalisations can be deceptive, Lee argues AI research should focus on reliable outcomes instead.
Technology shaping our minds
The science of psychology remains widely misunderstood. In 2020, for example, the Australian government proposed reclassifying it as part of the humanities in universities.
As people increasingly interact with machines, AI, psychology and neuroscience may hold key insights into our future.
Our brains are extremely adaptable, and technology shapes how we think and learn. Research by psychologist and neuroscientist Eleanor Maguire, for example, revealed that the brains of London taxi drivers are physically altered by using a car to navigate a complex city.
As AI advances, future psychological research may reveal how AI systems enhance our abilities and unlock new ways of thinking.
By recognising psychology’s role in AI, we can foster a future in which people and technology work together for a better world.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
New Zealand’s superannuation is no longer enough to live on for the country’s retirees. Research has found people need hundreds of thousands in savings to live a comfortable life after work.
But the KiwiSaver scheme, introduced in 2007 to encourage New Zealanders to build their retirement savings, continues to be a political football. Since its creation, there have been multiple tweaks to the scheme, threatening to undermine its core purpose: supporting New Zealanders in their retirement.
In late 2024, the government proposed changes that would make it easier for KiwiSaver managers to invest in private assets.
But the changes required to enable investing in private assets – such as reduced transparency around fees – are concerning and may not be worth the limited benefits it would bring to KiwiSaver members.
Expanding KiwiSaver
At the moment KiwiSaver managers predominantly invest in publicly traded assets, specifically stocks and bonds.
The changes would open up KiwiSaver investors to a wide range of opportunities such as infrastructure projects (for example, toll roads), unlisted companies (KiwiBank has already been suggested by one provider) and property investments, among others.
Increasing private asset exposure from the current 2-3% of funds under management to a level similar to Australian super funds (15%+) could unlock significant investment for infrastructure or business capital.
But while there is definite appeal in using more KiwiSaver money to build roads and other essential infrastructure, the benefits to investors may be more modest.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment argues private assets may increase fund returns and should reduce risk for investors by reducing fund exposure to stock and bond markets.
But to achieve these possible outcomes KiwiSaver members risk being locked into a fund provider or having their funds split across providers when they opt to move. There is also the concern that transparency around the fees being charged by managers could worsen.
Gumming up the works
The advantage of the current system of investing in publicly traded assets is that they are relatively cheap to trade, can be bought or sold quickly and their market value is constantly known.
Private assets are none of these things.
Fund managers are currently required to release your funds within ten days when you opt to switch manager. Large investments in private assets that can not be sold quickly, or even worse, may be distressed (where the value is currently significantly below what it was bought for), could create a liquidity issue for a fund if a lot of investors decide to switch.
To encourage managers to invest in private assets the proposed changes would allow your existing fund manager to hold onto a portion of your investment until private assets could be liquidated if they deemed it in your best interest.
Essentially, you may have to stay with a fund manager for an indeterminate period even if you want to change, presumably while still paying them fees on the funds they are looking after.
New Zealand’s retirees rely on KiwiSaver to top up insufficient superannuation payments. Stramp/Shutterstock
Hiding fees
The government’s changes also suggest allowing managers to change the way the fees they report is calculated.
To encourage managers to invest in private assets, the government has proposed allowing them to exclude the costs associated with private assets from their reported fees. Why? Because private asset investing is significantly more expensive.
Managers may need to build specialised teams to evaluate private asset investments. There are substantial costs (consultants, lawyers, experts etc) incurred when evaluating these investments in the same way that a home buyer faces costs such as builder and valuer reports.
Additionally, managers will need to hire valuers periodically to reevaluate the value of the assets, resulting in more costs.
Removing private asset costs from disclosures will make it harder for New Zealanders to compare the fees on different funds.
Multiple other problems
Several other problems also exist with the plan.
The KiwiSaver market is relatively fragmented with 21 providers, nearly half of which manage less than NZ$1 billion in assets. Many private asset investments would require tens of millions, which means funds run the risk of becoming heavily exposed to just a few large investments. Only a handful of funds currently have the size to effectively use private assets to reduce investor risk.
There is also the difficulty in valuing private assets. Valuers can provide a best guess, but it will depend largely on what the market is willing to pay at the time you come to sell.
What is also unclear is how the value of private assets will be reflected in the unit prices that impact the price at which you buy into or sell out of fund. This introduces yet more opacity to a system that is currently transparent.
KiwiSaver will increasingly become a critical aspect of New Zealanders’ retirement. Changes to it need to be carefully considered and evaluated to avoid undermining confidence in KiwiSaver and to ensure that they support the primary goal, ensuring financial security in retirement. It is not clear that this change meets that threshold.
Aaron Gilbert does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
LONDON, Feb. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BitconeMine, the leading AI-driven cloud mining platform, is making waves in the cryptocurrency industry by offering a limited-time $10 login mining bonus to new users. The initiative aims to lower the barrier to entry for crypto enthusiasts and provide a seamless, cost-effective way to start earning Bitcoin through cloud mining.
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Source: The Conversation – France – By George Kassar, Full-time Faculty, Research Associate, Performance Analyst, Ascencia Business School
Thoughtful netiquette can help create a respectful, clear and productive virtual appraisal experience.Gerd Altmann/Pixabay
As we settle into the new year, one meeting often weighs heavily on the minds of employees: the performance appraisal review. For some, it’s a time of validation and recognition, while for others, it brings a mix of anticipation and uncertainty.
These meetings are a common practice in human resource management and are an important part of the performance management process. Despite some debates on the effectiveness of these systematic assessments, they are still frequently used to help organizations evaluate employee output, provide feedback and set future goals and rewards.
With the rise of modern technologies, the dynamics of these appraisals have changed dramatically, especially in terms of manners and etiquette.
What are performance appraisal reviews?
Performance appraisals are a set of structured evaluations of employees’ job performance against set criteria and organizational goals. These evaluations are essential for managing human resources effectively. They provide insights into employee productivity, help identify training needs and align individual goals with the broader organizational mission. They also play a critical role in career development by offering feedback that helps employees understand their strengths and areas for improvement. And they are a key factor in management decisions about promotions, compensation, and sometimes, terminations.
Employee reactions to performance appraisals can vary greatly depending on multiple factors. Active participation in the appraisal process can lead to more positive perceptions of its fairness and effectiveness. Further, fair and constructive appraisals can boost employee satisfaction and commitment, whereas poorly conducted ones can lead to dissatisfaction and disengagement.
On the other hand, performance appraisals can also be a significant source of stress for employees. The anticipation of critical feedback and the high stakes associated with these evaluations can induce anxiety and tension. In fact, some studies suggests that performance appraisals contribute to employee burn-out.
This stress-inducing aspect of appraisals can greatly influence the manners, attitudes and behaviors of employees during these meetings.
The influence of modern technologies on manners and etiquette
In the last few years, especially during the Covid pandemic, modern technologies have transformed performance appraisal reviews. Video conferencing and communication tools integrated into performance management software have made remote and flexible appraisals possible. These tools have significantly altered communication styles, shifting the focus to digital interactions that often lack non-verbal cues. Some behavioral scientists even noted that while online communication was essential during the pandemic, it lacks the richness of face-to-face interaction, which can affect the clarity and warmth of communication.
Netiquette, or Internet etiquette, consists of the polite behaviors expected in online communications. The importance of netiquette in performance appraisals is basically to ensure clear and respectful communication. Adhering to netiquette helps maintain a professional tone and reduces the risk of misunderstandings in virtual settings.
So while digital communication has led to new norms and expectations for politeness, clarity and respect remain crucial factors. Without physical presence, explicit expressions of politeness and consideration are more important than ever, helping to replicate the nuances of face-to-face communication in a virtual environment.
Theoretical perspectives on manners and etiquette
The late sociologist Norbert Elias’s theories offer a historical perspective on how manners and societal norms evolve. In his book, The Civilizing Process, Elias traces the development of manners from medieval times to the modern era, arguing that societal norms become more regulated and refined over time. This process involves both sociogenetic aspects, which concern social changes over long periods, and psychogenetic ones, which concern the internalization of social norms.
Elias’s theories can also help us understand how manners and etiquette in modern organizations are evolving. His ideas have been shown to apply to organizational behavior, highlighting the importance of self-regulation and refinement in professional settings. As performance appraisals become more formalized, they reflect broader societal trends in these directions.
Further applying Elias’s civilizing process to the digital age involves understanding how manners and etiquette adapt to technological advancements. Developing new norms for digital behavior helps maintain respectful and effective communication; netiquette is a contemporary extension of the civilizing process. As performance appraisals increasingly move online, adhering to netiquette helps ensure positive and constructive experiences.
Implications for performance appraisals
Modern technologies have blurred the traditional boundaries of place, time and organization, affecting employee behavior and manners. These changes challenge traditional notions of hierarchy and authority, encouraging more egalitarian and flexible interactions. This shift requires employees to adapt to the new culture of organizations. Observing the netiquette guidelines that follow can significantly enhance the online appraisal experience for both employees and managers.
Preparation as self-regulation: Testing the Internet connection, camera and microphone reflects Elias’s concept of internalized norms as self-regulatory practices that enhance interactions. Creating a quiet, well-lit space shows respect for the meeting and fosters a focused environment.
Professional presentation: Dressing appropriately and using a distraction-free background reflect Elias’s view of manners as societal refinement markers. A clean, professional setup conveys respect for the occasion and the participants.
Simulated social cues: Making eye contact by looking at the camera, maintaining good posture, and using natural gestures to recreate in-person cues help make for effective communication.
Clarity of speech: Speaking clearly and avoiding vague terminology aligns with Elias’s view that refined language is essential for civilized interactions. Clarity helps overcome the comparative lack of non-verbal cues in virtual settings.
Time management: Joining the meeting a few minutes early and silencing notifications reflect Elias’s ideals of punctuality and order, showing respect for everyone’s time.
Follow-up: A thank-you message after the appraisal supports Elias’s civilizing process by reinforcing professional gratitude and respect.
If your next performance appraisal review is scheduled online, consider these straightforward yet impactful practices. Thoughtful netiquette – when adopted by both managers and employees – can create a respectful, clear and productive virtual appraisal experience, making a real difference on how feedback is communicated and received.
George Kassar ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.
It’s important to study how climate change and human activity affects our lakes.(Shutterstock)
Canada has more lakes than any other country in the world, with a huge diversity of lake sizes, depths, shapes, water chemistries, underlying geologies and hydrologies (the waters that flow in and out of them). Sediments accumulate on lake floors which, at the offshore and undisturbed depths, act as archival records.
Paleolimnology is the study of lake sediments to identify changes in climate and human activity.
When a lake develops algal blooms, fishless conditions or masses of weeds, it is difficult to determine whether this is part of the lake’s natural cycle or the result of human activities. To understand this, we need to know a lake’s history, and particularly what it was like before humans settled in the area in large numbers.
As researchers in paleolimnology, the historical study of freshwater sediments, we examine the sediments that settles at the bottom of lakes. This accumulation of both organic and inorganic matter from within and outside then lake ecosystem helps us understand the history of these lakes and how they may have changed over time.
Seeing through glass walls
One group of microbes that preserve very well in lake sediments is the diatoms. These single-celled algae have delicately ornamented cell walls, of which each species is characterized by its distinct morphology. Because diatom cell walls are comprised of opaline silica — essentially, glass — they remain preserved in sediments even after their organic components have decomposed.
Freshwater diatoms and plankton viewed under a microscope. (Shutterstock)
The shape of diatom cell walls often reflects their habitats in the lake — whether they lived floating in the open water (planktic species) or nearer to the shoreline or lake bottom, often attached to rocks, sediments or vegetation (benthic species). Additionally, different species are adapted to distinct environments, for example high or low nutrient concentrations, different salinity levels or lake acidity. As such, we can use the diatom remains in sediments to reconstruct past lake environments.
Unfortunately, not everything that lives in lakes will be preserved, and much of the cellular material of photosynthetic microbes decomposes over time. The main photosynthetic pigment across all photosynthetic organisms is chlorophyll a, which gradually breaks down over time. However, the molecules into which it degrades are more stable.
By measuring chlorophyll a and its degradation products in lake sediments, we can get a sense of how lake primary production (the amount of photosynthetic biomass produced in the lake) has changed through time. This is done by using spectroscopy to measure how sediments absorb and reflect light, since chlorophyll a and its degradation products absorb light in specific wavelengths.
By examining changes in the diatom species combined with sedimentary chlorophyll a from different core intervals, we can infer how the fundamental “producers” at the base of the lake food web have changed over the centuries, and even millennia.
Collecting sediment cores from lake beds. (D. Akeya), CC BY
At each lake, we collected a sediment core and samples from the upper-most and bottom-most sections of the mud were analyzed. These represented modern (deposited in the last few years) and pre-industrial (laid down more than 150 years ago, before the establishment of industrialized practices) samples. Comparing modern and pre-industrial diatoms in each lake, we found two clear patterns resulting from the impacts of direct human development and climate warming.
The first pattern was that lakes with high concentrations of agriculture or urban development surrounding them showed the biggest changes. Diatom species composition changed to forms better adapted to higher nutrients and salinity. The most pronounced changes occurred in the Prairies, which are currently characterized by intense agricultural development and relatively shallow lakes that are more susceptible to nutrient pollution.
The second pattern that we identified was a general increase in planktic diatoms. During the summer, a pattern known as thermal stratification develops in many lakes, where the upper water is heated by the sun and sits on top of colder water. As climates warm, the period during which lakes are stratified in summer has been getting longer.
Based on earlier research, we know that planktic diatoms thrive in thermally stratified, open water environments. LakePulse researchers noticed an increase of planktic diatoms in the majority of lakes across Canada regardless of the degree of human impacts, which suggested that climate change is having a marked effect on the composition of these primary producers.
Sedimentary chlorophyll a also indicated increased primary production in a majority of Canadian lakes, reflecting longer open-water periods (when most lakes show their maximum production) as ice duration decreases due to climate change.
Manitou Lake, Sask. is a fishless lake in western Saskatchewan that has been severely impacted by drainage for urban, industrial and agricultural purposes. (Shutterstock)
Preserving lakes
Across Canada, the effects of climate change and human activities are changing primary producers in lake food webs. Physical conditions are also changing, with transitions towards stronger and longer periods of stratification for many lakes, and increased nutrients and salinity levels in lakes with high human impacts.
These changes can have major negative consequences. Increased algal production means that as the organisms die and settle to the lake bottom, they are decomposed, which uses up the oxygen in bottom waters. Longer stratified periods can lead to greater oxygen depletion, as the time between episodes of mixing that renew oxygen in cold bottom waters increases.
This can have devastating impacts for cold-water species, such as lake trout, that need high-oxygen cold water to survive through the summer months.
By using paleolimnology to understand how ecosystems have changed over time, we gain valuable insights into the impacts that human activity and climate change may have on Canadian lakes. This knowledge will serve to preserve the health of our freshwater resources for future generations.
Katherine Griffiths of Champlain College Saint-Lambert co-authored this article.
Irene Gregory-Eaves receives funding from Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Fonds de recherche du Québec -nature et technologies (FRQNT) and the Canada Research Chairs (CRC) programs.
Dermot Antoniades receives funding from NSERC, FRQNT, CFI and CRC.
Hamid Ghanbari does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Salmaan Khan, Assistant Professor (LTF), Department of Criminology, Toronto Metropolitan University
The higher education sector continues to grapple with the advent of generative artificial intelligence (genAI), with much of the concern focused on ethical issues around student misconduct.
GenAI models such as ChatGPT offer students untraceable and economic means of churning out answers and term papers on any given subject.
For many instructors, this means traditional forms of course evaluation are now ineffective. The question that faculty and administration across the sector are asking is: how can we effectively assess and evaluate student competence on a given subject?
An equally significant question that needs to be asked — but remains relatively absent in current discussion — is the following: what existing conditions in higher education are shaping the scale and nature of the impact of genAI on learning?
This is not to justify violations of academic integrity codes. Rather, it is to emphasize that only by considering the realities of their milieu can educators contemplate more critical and engaged learning. It is also to underscore that this problem begs more systemic reforms.
The context
Since the mid-1980s, a political ideology that values the free market and the deregulation of government services has continued to inform federal and provincial levels of government — neoliberalism.
In this context of deregulation, higher education has been undergoing what can be described as a “neoliberal turn.” This has happened as successive governments have either initiated or tacitly allowed for consistent funding cuts to public services in the education, health-care and social-service sectors.
Similar trends have been identified for federal and provincial government funding for higher education across the country, which is in steady decline as revenues from tuition fees continue to make up an increasing share.
The impacts of neoliberal policies have, for higher education, translated into a number of effects:
The marketization of education as a private investment for individual students, as opposed to a public good, as public investment shrinks;
A restructuring of academic labour where casual and low-paid contract faculty now make up half the academic workforce.
A 2018 Policy Options report notes a correlation between a decrease in public funding and increased class sizes: “In 2005, just under 25 per cent of first-year Ontario university courses had more than 100 students. By 2018, that number was 32 per cent.” Large classes, the report notes, reduce opportunities for more student-faculty contact, and result in a poorer learning experience for the students.
Institutions have shifted as they increasingly adopt the competitive and cost-cutting measures needed to survive amid receding public funding.
Universities are now more “revenue-driven and expenditure-adverse,” with administrators prioritizing activities that enhance the institution’s revenue, such as research work or the securing of grants. Falling by the wayside is the practice of teaching and the education of students.
A recent report published by Wiley surveyed more than 2,000 undergraduate students at institutions of higher education in North America on the topic of academic integrity in the era of AI.
Of the students surveyed, a majority noted the role of emerging technologies, such as ChatGPT, in making it easier to cheat than before. When asked why more students may turn toward cheating, almost half responded that because education is so expensive, there is an added pressure to pass or attain certain grades.
Thirty six per cent of students said they are more willing to cheat because it is hard to balance going to school with work or family commitments.
Many students face significant hardships in making ends meet while the cost of living rises. (Shutterstock)
Pressures facing students
There are innumerable pressures facing undergraduate students today. Neoliberal cuts to education have drastically increased the cost of education, and many students face significant hardships in making ends meet as wages stagnate while the cost of living rises.
When I ask my students about their employment situation, most are working part-time. Many are working full-time while juggling a full course load and some even take more than a full course load.
When larger numbers of students are batched into lecture halls, there are fewer opportunities for active student-teacher engagement, characterized by dialogue, which is a key ingredient in fostering engaged and critical learning. In this context, should we be surprised if students feel disconnected?
In the same Wiley report, students noted they are more likely to resort to cheating if they do not sense the significance of the course material to either their own lives or to the real world.
A case for structural change
These conditions are not isolated, nor are they the flaw of only one educational institution. They reflect broader structural conditions.
The crisis spurred by concerns with student ethics or of the use of genAI to cheat on assigned work must be understood within this larger context, as opposed to being seen as emerging from features specific to genAI.
However, doing so will require fundamental transformations to the higher education industry, and to its existing pedagogical commitments.
Salmaan Khan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
These crimes are referred to as femicides and, unlike homicides, are not the consequence of private or personal disputes. Instead, they are the result of a culture of oppression and domination that historically has targeted women and perpetuated a patriarchal society.
As a result, femicides in Mexico have been described as “another pandemic” — one driven by a deeply embedded machismo culture of violence against women, combined with a lack of transparency and justice from the state.
In response to this crisis, protests led by feminist groups have gained increasing attention in recent years. They have urged Mexican society to recognize the severity of this problem and called on authorities to act. However, the polarized political climate in Mexico has undermined the demands of these demonstrations.
Polarization shaped public conversation
My doctoral research focused on examining the political and public discourse surrounding protests against gender-based violence in Mexico. More specifically, my work analysed how polarizing narratives, especially on social media platforms, affected these demonstrations.
In 2020, feminist collectives organized the annual International Women’s Day march alongside a silent strike called #UnDiaSinNosotras (#ADayWithoutUs) in which women abstained from all public activities for an entire day.
Initially, then-president Andrés Manuel López Obrador expressed solidarity with feminist groups. However, after refusing to revise his strategy on femicide, he warned that conservative elements could be infiltrating the protests. This created an unusual scenario where conservative groups backed feminist demands while the left-wing federal government dismissed them.
Such a turbulent political climate raises several questions: Did conservative groups suddenly embrace progressive feminist ideals? Did feminist groups align with conservatives despite historically opposing their ideas? Did the left-wing government adopt conservative positions to counter feminist movements? More importantly, how did this scenario impact the calls of the protests against femicide?
A fluid polarization
Polarization is typically framed as a stark and often stagnant political divisions between two dominant and opposing narratives. However, the interactions produced in scenarios like Mexico’s feminist protests suggest more fluid dynamics.
Rather than a rigid conflict between two opposing sets of ideals, polarization here should been seen as a relationship between narratives that are constantly reshaped and defined by each other.
This can be observed in how the narratives aligned with the federal government and those opposing it demonstrated apparent contradictions based on the other’s positioning regarding the protests.
Following this, it can be interpreted that conservative groups backed the protests as a way of reinforcing their opposition to the government. Similarly, the left-wing governing party, typically associated with more progressive ideals, appeared as dismissive of the protests and their demands to distance itself from perceived conservative influences.
Viewing polarization this way helps explain how unlikely allies find themselves on the same side of particular issues. In this context, polarization is less about fixed beliefs and values and more about maintaining a distinct identity relative to the opposing side. In essence, polarization becomes an exercises in being as opposed as possible to the other side.
Obscuring social issues
My analysis of social media comments about the protests revealed they centred on two themes: debates on whether the feminist movement was being co-opted by conservative forces and criticism of López Obrador and his administration.
In both cases, the discussions shifted away from the urgent issue of femicides, ignoring the protests’ central calls. Moreover, these conversations reinforced existing political divisions rather than addressing the root problem. This way, the interplay between the narratives involved created a polarized environment in which political rivalries overshadowed meaningful discussion of the structural violence against women.
In other words, polarized dynamics can obscure urgent and immediate social issues, contributing to impunity and a lack of action.
The Mexican political landscape reveals how forms of violence and oppression can be reproduced and reinforced through the interactions happening around them. In this sense, addressing femicides requires not only structural modifications to current strategies but also changing how this issue is discussed.
It’s also essential to recognize how polarization, as a fluid dynamic, shapes the public space. Doing this can provide insights into how meaningful action can happen in the context of today’s social and political debates framed by stark perceived divisions.
Arturo Tejeda Torres does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Governor Shapiro Unveils “Lightning Plan” to Strengthen Commonwealth’s Energy Leadership, Create Jobs, and Lower Costs for Consumers
Governor Josh Shapiro visited Pittsburgh International Airport to announce the “Lightning Plan” – a comprehensive, all-of-the-above energy plan to secure Pennsylvania’s energy future. Supported by labor and industry leaders, environmental advocates, and consumer groups, Governor Shapiro‘s commonsense energy plan will create jobs, lower costs for consumers, protect Pennsylvania from global instability by building next generation power, and position the Commonwealth to continue to be a national energy leader for decades to come.
The Governor made this announcement at Pittsburgh International Airport, the site of a groundbreaking $1.5 billion proposed partnership between KeyState Energy and CNX Resources. This type of project, aimed at accelerating hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, could position the region as a hub for next-generation energy solutions while supporting 3,000 construction jobs. This project is a prime example of the type of innovation the Lightning Plan will drive all across the Commonwealth.
“Pennsylvania has long been a national energy leader, from Ben Franklin to today, but right now, we’re letting other states outcompete us and we’re losing out on jobs, new investment, and innovation – that has to change,” said Governor Shapiro. “My energy plan will power Pennsylvania forward by incentivizing the building of next generation energy projects in the Commonwealth. We have to meet this moment – and this plan builds on the work my Administration did last year to bring together leaders from the energy industry, organized labor and environmental groups, and consumer advocates to develop a plan for the future. I look forward to working with the General Assembly to get this commonsense plan to my desk so that we can lower costs for consumers, create more jobs, and position the Commonwealth to continue to be a national energy leader for decades to come.”
Speaker list: Christina Cassotis, CEO, Allegheny County Airport Authority Governor Josh Shapiro Congressman Chris Deluzio Gregory Bernarding, Business Manager, Pittsburgh Regional Building and Construction Trades Council Lt. Governor Austin Davis Stefani Pashman, CEO, Allegheny Conference on Community Development David Dardis, Executive Vice President, Constellation Energy Representative Rob Matzie Jackson Morris, Director of State Power Sector Policy, Climate & Energy, Natural Resources Defense Council
Reworld™ and Goodwill Keystone Awarded the William M. Heenan, Jr. Recycling Markets Development Award for Advancing E-Waste Recycling in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Senator Amanda Cappelletti, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley and Montgomery County Commissioner Jamila Winder joined representatives from Reworld™ and Goodwill Keystone. Reworld™ – a leading sustainable waste solutions company – and Goodwill Keystone proudly accepted the William M. Heenan, Jr. Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Development Award. The award recognizes the successful partnership that has expanded access to fee-free electronic waste (e-waste) recycling across 22 counties in Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania.
“The Governor and I believe in the GSD motto – that stands for ‘getting stuff done.’ This partnership truly got stuff done – 1.4 million pounds of electronic waste was recycled and now won’t be going into landfills,” said Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis. “That helps create jobs here in the Commonwealth, with Goodwill Keystone and Reworld, and we’re getting all this done at no cost to consumers.”
“This program provides an avenue for responsibly disposing electronic waste for millions of Pennsylvanians – reusing products that still have some life in them, and keeping the rest out of landfills,” said DEP Acting Secretary Jessica Shirley. “The 1.4 million pounds collected is an amazing accomplishment for Goodwill and Reworld, and is a fantastic outcome for Pennsylvania.”
Speakers Include: Bob Bylone – PA Recycling Markets Center PA Senator Amanda Cappelletti Gordon Burgoyne – Reworld Edward Lada – Goodwill Acting DEP Sec. Jessica Shirley Montgomery County Commissioner Jamila Winder
For Canada, the tariffs on Canadian products will significantly affect Canada’s competitiveness in the U.S. market by driving up prices. Such tariffs could pose serious challenges for various sectors in Canada, given the country’s heavy reliance on the U.S. economy.
Effects on different sectors
The impact of U.S. tariffs on Canadian prices is likely to differ across sectors and products, depending on their reliance on the U.S. market.
Sectors with a higher dependence on U.S. trade are likely to experience more severe disruptions. If the tariffs make certain products uncompetitive, Canadian producers may struggle to secure alternative markets in the short term.
In the agricultural and forestry sector, wood and paper products, along with cereals, are among Canada’s largest exports to the U.S., with the U.S. accounting for 86 to 96 per cent of these exports, according to data from the World Integrated Trade Solution.
When examining the impact on different products, it’s not only the value of trade that matters, but also the share of trade. The share of trade indicates how reliant Canada is on the U.S. compared to other markets.
A high trade share with the U.S. suggests a product is particularly vulnerable to trade disruptions, as Canada depends heavily on the U.S. market for that product. Conversely, a lower share indicates that Canada has diversified suppliers, which reduces its dependence on the U.S.
For instance, in 2023, Canada’s top exports to the U.S. included vehicles and parts, nuclear machinery and plastics, according to data from the World Integrated Trade Solution. The U.S. accounted for 93 per cent of vehicle and parts exports, 82 per cent of nuclear machinery exports, and 91 per cent of plastics exports.
This data highlights Canada’s extreme dependence on the U.S. market, making these industries within the manufacturing sector highly susceptible to the tariff. This could harm jobs in the manufacturing sector, which is vital to employment in Canada, providing jobs for over 1.8 million people.
Canada’s reliance on the U.S. is also evident in imports. In 2023, vehicle imports totalled US$92 billion, with the U.S. accounting for 58 per cent of that amount.
The dependence is also evident in the agri-food and forestry sector, where Canada heavily relies on U.S. imports. This suggests that retaliatory tariffs on agricultural goods from the U.S. could have a substantial impact on food prices in Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says this includes immediate tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods as of Tuesday, followed by further tariffs on $125 billion worth of American products in 21 days’ time to “allow Canadian companies and supply chains to seek to find alternatives.”
This will include tariffs on “everyday items such as American beer, wine and bourbon, fruits and fruit juices, including orange juice, along with vegetables, perfume, clothing and shoes,” and also on major consumer products like household appliances, furniture and sports equipment, and materials like lumber and plastics.
Given Canada’s significant dependence on U.S. imports, the retaliatory tariffs will raise the cost of American goods entering the country, further driving up consumer prices and exacerbating inflation.
In its latest policy rate announcement, the Bank of Canada warned of the severe economic consequences of Trump’s tariffs, highlighting their potential to reverse the current downward trend in inflation.
What should Canada do now?
Canada must extend its economic diplomacy efforts beyond the Trump administration, engaging with the U.S. Congress and Senate to advocate for the reconsideration of tariffs on Canadian goods. The Canadian government should persist in leveraging this channel to push for a reversal of the tariffs. This kind of broader negotiation remains the most effective approach to mitigating trade tensions and ensuring stable economic relations with the U.S.
At the same time, Canada must reduce dependence on the U.S. market by adopting a comprehensive export diversification strategy. While the U.S. remains a convenient and accessible trade partner, expanding into emerging and developing markets would help mitigate risks and create more stable long-term trade opportunities.
One effective way to achieve export diversification is by expanding free trade agreements (FTAs) with emerging and developing economies. Currently, Canada has 15 FTAs covering about 51 countries, but there is room for expansion. However, signing FTAs alone is insufficient; Canada must ensure these agreements translate into tangible trade growth with partner countries.
International politics is increasingly shaping global trade, making it imperative for Canada to proactively manage diplomatic and trade relations. In recent years, tensions have emerged with key partners such as China, India and Saudi Arabia. These countries could all become potential markets for Canadian products. Given that China is Canada’s second-largest export destination, there is significant potential to expand trade ties.
Canada stands at a critical juncture in its trade relationship with the U.S. While diplomatic efforts remain essential to averting harmful tariffs, they cannot be the country’s only line of defence.
Boosting productivity is one of the most effective ways for Canada to improve its competitiveness in global markets. Canadian producers should prioritize innovation and the adoption of advanced technologies to enhance efficiency and maintain a competitive edge, particularly as they seek to expand beyond the U.S.
In response to potential U.S. tariffs, the Canadian government should implement a bailout strategy to provide short-term relief and mitigate revenue losses to firms that will be mostly affected. Additionally, Canada should leverage its embassies and consulates worldwide to promote exports and help affected firms identify and access new market opportunities.
By doing this, Canada can position itself as a more self-reliant and competitive player in the global economy — one less vulnerable to shifting U.S. policies.
Sylvanus Kwaku Afesorgbor receives funding from the OMAFRA and the USDA. He is affiliated with the Centre for Trade Analysis and Development (CeTAD Africa).
Naduni Uduwe Welage and Promesse Essolema do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
J’JO35, the project’s premier solution, is an index of the top 35 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. This index provides users with a simplified way to invest in digital assets through a strategy focused on minimizing risk.
SINGAPORE, Feb. 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — J’JO Finance, a user-centric solution for risk-minimized crypto investing, launches “Market Segment Indexes,” its’ latest feature enabling users to customize their digital asset indexes. This solution offers users, particularly retail investors, a flexible tool to build their own crypto-investing strategy by hand-picking the specific tokens for their portfolio and determining specific allocations per currency.
For new users and retail investors, investing in digital assets can be overwhelming for several reasons. As a nascent industry known for its drastic price swings, crypto investing usually requires a solid understanding of technical jargon and the know-how to navigate a complex landscape of digital wallets and exchange platforms. This learning curve also presents challenges in finding reliable information needed for informed investment decisions. Furthermore, the ever-changing market conditions require investing a lot of time while constantly learning about new technologies with a vast ecosystem, meaning that no matter how much time spent, most users won’t ever fully understand what they are investing in.
J’JO’s core product is the J’JO35 index which provides users with a stable and diversified portfolio of the top 35 cryptocurrencies based on market capitalization, automatically rebalancing each month. New users only need an existing exchange account with one of the supported centralized exchanges to invest in the index. Included among these exchanges are Kraken, Binance, KuCoin, ByBit, Gate.io, and OKX. Users can choose any cryptocurrencies from any of the more than 11 supported centralized exchanges, allocating their funds however they see fit. J’JO automatically manages user funds via an API but never controls custody of the funds, nor will it transfer or withdraw them from an exchange.
By introducing the Market Segment Indexes feature, J’JO aims to expand its user-oriented ecosystem by offering savvy investors greater control over their investing strategy. This feature allows users to not only build customized indexes based on preference but also create an index from a preset based on the market segment, such as DeFi, AI, real-world assets, etc. Market Segment Indexes also enables experienced investors who recognize the potential of a specific segment to leverage J’JO’s dynamism and adaptability to try to maximize their profits. Of course, this approach can provide greater profit potential, but at a higher risk.
J’JO is free for investments of up to $500 as part of its mission to help onboard new users and get them acquainted with the service and empower them to invest confidently and in an informed manner. JJO’s Light plan costs $140 a year, offering unlimited investing amounts while allowing a single user to connect to up to three supported exchanges. Its Pro plan, priced at $188 a year, enables unlimited connections to supported exchanges while granting users access to the new Market Segment Indexes feature. Pro plan users also receive advanced analytics tools to track and compare returns.
“At J’JO we aim to provide a sustainable and secure mechanism for crypto users with the intent of being the primary tool for investing and managing their peer-to-peer finances,” says Andrei Ponomarev, Co-Founder of J’JO. “Market Segment Indexes allows experienced investors to fine-tune their strategies and maximize profits through their market knowledge and valuations. While this new feature enables investors to take more initiative, our top-35 index remains our core offering, providing new users and non-crypto natives with a diversified and user-friendly investing solution. By spreading their investments across the top 35 projects, users avoid putting all their eggs in one basket and don’t have to study blockchain theory or analyze hundreds of projects and market trends to make smart decisions.”
About J’JO: Founded in 2020 and based in Singapore, J’JO offers the J’JO35, an index of the top 35 cryptocurrencies in the market. The service connects users to their exchange of choice and balances their portfolios according to the index. As the S&P 500 of the decentralized economy, J’JO is a service for investing in a market index of cryptocurrencies that allows users to maintain full control over their assets. Since 2020, J’JO35 has outperformed Bitcoin and Ethereum and has an APY of 67 percent. For more information, visit: https://jjo.finance/en
Disclaimer: This content is provided by jjo.finance. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.
Sultan Barakat, a professor at Qatar’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University, says the release of Palestinian prisoners is a “symbolic win” rather than a victory for the Palestinians, primarily showing the inhumane conditions they live under.
“Israel can capture people in the West Bank and Gaza because they all live in a confinement area under the control of Israel,” he told Al Jazeera.
Dr Barakat discussed the way Palestinians were “arbitrarily rounded up, taken to prison and treated badly” by Israel.
A total of 183 Palestinian prisoners were released today from Israeli jails as part of the exchange for three Israeli hostages under the ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel.
They included 18 serving life sentences and 54 serving lengthy sentences, as well as 111 detained in Gaza since 7 October 2023.
Barakat stressed that the release of prisoners also “shows the unity of the Palestinians in the face of occupation”.
“The prisoners are not all necessarily Hamas sympathisers — some were at odds with Hamas for a long time,” the academic said.
“But they are united in their refusal of occupation and standing up to Israel,” he added.
Hamas ‘needs to stay in power’ Another academic, Dr Luciano Zaccara, an associate professor at Qatar University’s Gulf Studies Center, told Al Jazeera that Hamas needed to stay in power for the ceasefire agreement to be implemented in full.
“How are you going to reconstruct Gaza without Hamas? How are you going to make this deal complied [with] if Hamas is not there?” he questioned.
Dr Zaccara also said Israel seemed to have no plan on what to do in Gaza after the war.
“There was never a plan,” he said, adding that Israel did not want Hamas or the Palestinian Authority in the enclave running the administration.
The Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, quoting a security source, reported that the Red Cross had expressed “outrage” at how the Israel Prison Service handled the Palestinian prisoners being released from Ketziot Prison.
Ha’aretz said the Red Cross alleged that the prisoners were led handcuffed with their hands above their heads and bracelets with the inscription “Eternity does not forget”.
The newspaper quoted the Israel Prison Service spokesman as saying that “the prison warders are dealing with the worst of Israel’s enemies, and until the last moment on Israeli soil, they will be treated under prison-like rule.
“We will not compromise on the security of our people.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in conversation with Michelle Grattan.
Anthony Albanese has outlined his pitch to improve his and his government’s standing among men, as he insists he can hold onto majority government at the election to be held in April or May.
In a wide-ranging interview on The Conversation’s Politics podcast, canvassing both his plans and current issues, the Prime Minister addresses the gender voter gap the polls have been showing, which is worrying Labor strategists.
On a two-party basis, a December Essential poll had the Coalition on 51% among men, and Labor on 44%, with 4% undecided. Among women, Labor was on 49% and the Coalition on 46%, with 5% undecided.
In a Resolve poll on preferred prime minister, Peter Dutton polled 40% among men, and Albanese 34%. Among women, Albanese was on 36% and Dutton on 31%.
Albanese tells the podcast: “One of the things that we will be really campaigning very hard on is the impact on blue collar workers of the Coalition promises to get rid of same job, same pay [law], the definition of casual in employment [and] their plan to essentially go back to wages going backwards, not forwards.”
Targeting younger voters
As Labor crafts its election policy, Albanese also flags he is looking to do more for young people.
Asked who he feels is being “left behind” in Australia at the moment, he points to the issue of “intergenerational equity”.
“I think that young people feel like they’ve got the rough end of the pineapple compared with previous generations,” he says. This is “something I’m really conscious of”.
Outlining what the government has done or announced already on student debt, housing supply, schools, the universities accord and free TAFE, he suggests there will be further policies targeted towards younger voters.
The likeliest election dates
Albanese confirms he has not locked in an election date. “We make decisions when we finalise them and I’ll consult,” he says.
“But I’ve always said […] one of the problems with three year terms is that they are too short.”
The speculation is the election will be either April 12, or one of the first three Saturdays in May, with May 17 the last practical date.
April 12 would mean scrapping the scheduled March 25 budget. “We certainly are working to hand down a budget in March,” Albanese says. “The ERC [Expenditure Review Committee] will be meeting this week, as it met last week.”
Asked whether he is confident he could still deliver his program if the election resulted in a minority Labor government, Albanese says: “I’m confident that we can achieve an ongoing majority government at this election. I think there are seats that we currently hold that we have good prospects in.”
He names two Victorian Liberal seats he had just visited – Menzies and Deakin – among those he believes Labor can win from the Coalition. (After the redistribution, Menzies is notionally a Labor seat by a tiny margin.)
Watching for a rate cut and trade wars
Asked when Australia might come out of the present per capital recession, Albanese says things are “heading in a positive direction”, but does not nominate a time.
He sounds confident about interest rates falling soon:
All of the economic commentators are saying that that is the most likely prediction of markets. It’s not up to me as prime minister to tell the independent Reserve Bank what to do, but I’m certain that we have created the conditions through, as well as our responsible economic management, producing two budget surpluses – the massive turnaround that we have seen, compared with what the Morrison 2022 budget handed down by the Coalition […] was predicting.
Prompted about the Reserve Bank’s next meeting on February 18, he says “I’m certainly conscious of that date”.
With United States President Donald Trump slapping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China while foreshadowing wider tariffs, Albanese recalls his phone conversation after Trump was elected, in which he reminded the incoming president that America has a trade surplus with Australia. Australia would “put our arguments forward very clearly” if it faced the threat of tariffs, Albanese says.
Looking ahead
Looking ahead to this fortnight’s parliamentary sitting, Albanese confirmed to The Conversation that he will not proceed with the Nature Positive legislation. It had been strongly opposed by the Western Australian government, which has its election on March 8.
But he hopes the Senate will pass the legislation for political donation and spending caps, indicating the government is willing to compromise to get the bill through.
Looking to a second term, Albanese highlights in particular the opportunities presented by the energy transition.
“We are positioned better than anywhere else in the world to benefit, in my view, from this transition that’s occurring.”
He contrasts Dutton’s energy plan, which he describes as a “myopic vision” to make Australia smaller.
“I want Australia to be more successful, to be enlarged in our optimism and our vision. And I want to lead a government that does that.”
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh arrives in India today [2 February] on a three-day visit, with a focus on championing young people and promoting the benefits of non-formal education across the world.
His Royal Highness will travel to Mumbai and Delhi to promote The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, delivered as The International Award for Young People (IAYP) in India: a non-formal education and learning framework supporting young people to find their purpose, place and passion in the world. Since its inception in India in 1962, the Award has helped more than 150,000 students from 325 schools and educational institutions across the country.
In addition to meeting with members of the government, His Royal Highness is scheduled to undertake varied engagements spanning the breadth of the living bridge that connects the UK and India. This includes discussions with Indian education and business leaders and philanthropists, and joining events that celebrate our shared love for sport and the arts.
Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, said:
I am delighted to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to India. The visit is an important reminder of the vibrant and enduring links between our countries, including through a 1.7 million-strong Indian diaspora in the UK.
The UK-India partnership is helping drive solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues. By investing in our youth today and ensuring they have all the opportunities to succeed, we can continue to build on the shared vision of a better tomorrow.
Kapil Bhalla, National Director, The International Award for Young People, India said:
We are deeply honoured to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to India as part of his continued commitment to inspiring young people worldwide. His visit reaffirms the transformative impact of The International Award for Young People in empowering the youth of India to realise their full potential. His Royal Highness’ presence is a testament to the enduring legacy of this programme and its ability to connect communities across the globe.
At the conclusion of the visit to India, The Duke will travel on to join The Duchess of Edinburgh in visiting Nepal.
Further information
Prince Edward, The Duke of Edinburgh, is His Majesty The King’s brother and the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, The late Duke of Edinburgh.
His Royal Highness last visited India in 2018. This is his first official visit to India after being conferred the Dukedom of Edinburgh in 2023 by His Majesty King Charles III.
Founded by Prince Philip in 1956, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award helps young people build their confidence and develop key life skills in order to reach their full potential. Today nearly half a million young people are actively doing their DofE in the UK, and more than a million are taking on the challenge of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award in more than 130 countries.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, delivered as The International Award for Young People (IAYP) in India, is the world’s leading youth achievement award, available to all young people aged 14-24. To know more about IAYP in India, visit www.iayp.co.in
Media
David Russell, Communications Counsellor and Spokesperson,
British High Commission, Chanakyapuri,
New Delhi 110021. Tel: 24192100
China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the U.S. decision to impose an additional 10-percent tariff on goods imported from China, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Sunday.
In response to the erroneous action by the United States, China will file a lawsuit with the World Trade Organization and take corresponding countermeasures to firmly safeguard its rights and interests, an MOC spokesperson said in a statement.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addresses a celebration of the Chinese New Year in Melbourne, Australia, Feb. 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday expressed the wish to see stronger ties between Australia and China.
Speaking at a Chinese New Year celebration event in Melbourne, Albanese said it is in the interest of both Australia and China to be “great friends and that the Australian government is committed to stabilizing relations and cooperation between the two sides.
The prime minister said that economic ties between the two countries are very important as Australia exports products such as beef, lobsters and wine to China.
He stressed that in comparison with the economic ties, the relationship between the two peoples is even more important.
Tourists attend a celebration of the Chinese New Year in Melbourne, Australia, Feb. 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)
“Chinese culture has enriched Australia and broadened our horizons,” he said, adding that the Chinese New Year celebrations are part of Australia’s cultural heritage.
At the event, Australia’s opposition leader Peter Dutton said the Chinese New Year is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate a connection between Australia and China.
“The future, which is the most important element of this relationship, is brighter than it’s ever been before,” Dutton said.
The event was held by the Asian Business Association of Whitehorse, a non-profit organization to promote and facilitate trade and investment between Australia and China.
A flooded street in TownsvilleJohn Wilkinson/Facebook
Record-breaking floods across north Queensland have now turned deadly, with one woman drowning while being rescued on Sunday morning. And the floodwaters are still rising, with rain set to continue.
Over the 48 hours to Sunday, there were reports of up to 1 metre of rainfall in parts of northeast Queensland. The torrential rain continues, particularly in the Herbert Coast region and north to around Tully.
Major flooding in northern Queensland rivers, as of 12.45pm February 2. Bureau of Meteorology
Residents of Ingham and nearby towns, about 100km from Townsville, are witnessing flooding from the nearby Herbert River. This morning, it was at 15 metres and rising. With more heavy rain forecast for the next 24 hours, the Herbert River is likely to break the 1967 record of 15.2 metres later today.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli – who grew up on his family’s sugar cane farm in Ingham – has said the floods will be a “once in a century” event for the town. To make matters worse, authorities say the town has lost power and an extended outage is likely.
The atmospheric factors behind these floods are very similar to recent floods in the region – and climate change is no doubt playing a role.
The flood level for the Herbert River at Ingham set in 1967 was 15.2 metres. It’s likely to be breached this afternoon (Sunday February 2). Australian Bureau of Meteorology, CC BY
Where are the floods hitting?
For many people in Townsville – the largest city in Northern Australia – the unfolding emergency will bring back memories of the devastating February 2019 floods, which caused A$1.24 billion in damage. Residents have been asked to evacuate from several low-lying suburbs which were inundated in 2019.
Authorities in Townsville asked all residents in the low-lying black zone to evacuate by midday Sunday February 2. Floodwaters could reach second-storey heights in this zone. Residents in pink suburbs have been asked to be on standby. Townsville Council, CC BY
It is too early to say if this flood event will be worse. Fortunately, water levels in the city’s Ross River Dam are much lower than 2019. Townsville Airport has recorded 545mm of rain over the past 48 hours, with many northwest suburbs recording much higher levels. The township of Rollingstone – 60km northwest of Townsville – recorded a whopping 702mm over the 24 hours to 9am Sunday.
Further north in the Cairns to Daintree region, residents are watching with concern, with many still raw after the record-breaking floods of December 2023.
What triggered each of these floods was prolonged heavy rain falling on the southeast flank of a stationary tropical low weather system. Normally, tropical lows bring wind and rain, but move through quite quickly. But in recent years, we have seen a tendency for these systems to stall, sitting in place over or near land and dumping huge volumes of rain.
Last week, the Bureau of Meteorology warned that five tropical lows were forming around northern Australia. Most tropical cyclones form from tropical lows embedded in the region’s monsoon trough, a large low pressure band which forms over summer and draws in warm, moist air from the adjacent tropical seas.
But significant rain events like this one don’t necessarily require a tropical cyclone. Slow-moving deep monsoon lows over land can also deliver huge amounts of rain and widespread flooding.
These atmospheric conditions allow intense rain bands to form between converging winds: warm, moist winds from the northeast and southeast winds originating from the Coral Sea. As the winds collide, they push the moist air up into the cooler parts of the atmosphere where it condenses and falls as torrential rain.
More extreme rainfall and higher frequencies of flooded rivers and flash floods around the world have a clear link to climate change and ongoing global heating.
The main drivers behind these events include warming of the atmosphere. For every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere holds 7% more water vapour. Recent research suggests this figure could be even higher for short duration rainfall.
Hotter oceans hold more energy, meaning they can also amplify the global water cycle when atmospheric conditions are suitable.
This year’s latest ever monsoon
This year, sea surface temperatures in the northwest Coral Sea are 1-2°C above average. Ocean temperatures have risen because of a lack of cloud cover and rain last month. In northwestern Australia, this has given rise to an intensifying marine heatwave.
This ocean heat is likely to be driven by the Australian monsoon’s latest ever arrival. The monsoon brings heavy rains to northern Australia, triggering the wet season. When it arrives, sea surface temperatures generally drop due to a combination of high cloud cover and the cooling effect of rainwater.
After a slow start, the North Australian monsoon season is now in full swing.
The Bureau of Meteorology is monitoring an active monsoon trough for any low pressure systems, which may develop into tropical cyclones over the next week or so. If any cyclone does form, it will gain energy from warmer than usual sea surface temperatures.
What’s next for north Queensland?
The flood emergency in north Queensland is far from over. All global circulation models predict heavy rain to continue in the region, extending up towards Cape York and the Gulf Country as an active monsoon surge moves in from Indonesia.
As river catchments get saturated, more and more water will run off and engorge rivers. Forecasts are for rain to continue well into tonight and the next few days. We are likely to see more flooding in more places this week.
A flooded street in TownsvilleJohn Wilkinson/Facebook
Record-breaking floods across north Queensland have now turned deadly, with one woman drowning while being rescued on Sunday morning. And the floodwaters are still rising, with rain set to continue.
Over the 48 hours to Sunday, there were reports of up to 1 metre of rainfall in parts of northeast Queensland. The torrential rain continues, particularly in the Herbert Coast region and north to around Tully.
Major flooding in northern Queensland rivers, as of 12.45pm February 2. Bureau of Meteorology
Residents of Ingham and nearby towns, about 100km from Townsville, are witnessing flooding from the nearby Herbert River. This morning, it was at 15 metres and rising. With more heavy rain forecast for the next 24 hours, the Herbert River is likely to break the 1967 record of 15.2 metres later today.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli – who grew up on his family’s sugar cane farm in Ingham – has said the floods will be a “once in a century” event for the town. To make matters worse, authorities say the town has lost power and an extended outage is likely.
The atmospheric factors behind these floods are very similar to recent floods in the region – and climate change is no doubt playing a role.
The flood level for the Herbert River at Ingham set in 1967 was 15.2 metres. It’s likely to be breached this afternoon (Sunday February 2). Australian Bureau of Meteorology, CC BY
Where are the floods hitting?
For many people in Townsville – the largest city in Northern Australia – the unfolding emergency will bring back memories of the devastating February 2019 floods, which caused A$1.24 billion in damage. Residents have been asked to evacuate from several low-lying suburbs which were inundated in 2019.
Authorities in Townsville asked all residents in the low-lying black zone to evacuate by midday Sunday February 2. Floodwaters could reach second-storey heights in this zone. Residents in pink suburbs have been asked to be on standby. Townsville Council, CC BY
It is too early to say if this flood event will be worse. Fortunately, water levels in the city’s Ross River Dam are much lower than 2019. Townsville Airport has recorded 545mm of rain over the past 48 hours, with many northwest suburbs recording much higher levels. The township of Rollingstone – 60km northwest of Townsville – recorded a whopping 702mm over the 24 hours to 9am Sunday.
Further north in the Cairns to Daintree region, residents are watching with concern, with many still raw after the record-breaking floods of December 2023.
What triggered each of these floods was prolonged heavy rain falling on the southeast flank of a stationary tropical low weather system. Normally, tropical lows bring wind and rain, but move through quite quickly. But in recent years, we have seen a tendency for these systems to stall, sitting in place over or near land and dumping huge volumes of rain.
Last week, the Bureau of Meteorology warned that five tropical lows were forming around northern Australia. Most tropical cyclones form from tropical lows embedded in the region’s monsoon trough, a large low pressure band which forms over summer and draws in warm, moist air from the adjacent tropical seas.
But significant rain events like this one don’t necessarily require a tropical cyclone. Slow-moving deep monsoon lows over land can also deliver huge amounts of rain and widespread flooding.
These atmospheric conditions allow intense rain bands to form between converging winds: warm, moist winds from the northeast and southeast winds originating from the Coral Sea. As the winds collide, they push the moist air up into the cooler parts of the atmosphere where it condenses and falls as torrential rain.
More extreme rainfall and higher frequencies of flooded rivers and flash floods around the world have a clear link to climate change and ongoing global heating.
The main drivers behind these events include warming of the atmosphere. For every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere holds 7% more water vapour. Recent research suggests this figure could be even higher for short duration rainfall.
Hotter oceans hold more energy, meaning they can also amplify the global water cycle when atmospheric conditions are suitable.
This year’s latest ever monsoon
This year, sea surface temperatures in the northwest Coral Sea are 1-2°C above average. Ocean temperatures have risen because of a lack of cloud cover and rain last month. In northwestern Australia, this has given rise to an intensifying marine heatwave.
This ocean heat is likely to be driven by the Australian monsoon’s latest ever arrival. The monsoon brings heavy rains to northern Australia, triggering the wet season. When it arrives, sea surface temperatures generally drop due to a combination of high cloud cover and the cooling effect of rainwater.
After a slow start, the North Australian monsoon season is now in full swing.
The Bureau of Meteorology is monitoring an active monsoon trough for any low pressure systems, which may develop into tropical cyclones over the next week or so. If any cyclone does form, it will gain energy from warmer than usual sea surface temperatures.
What’s next for north Queensland?
The flood emergency in north Queensland is far from over. All global circulation models predict heavy rain to continue in the region, extending up towards Cape York and the Gulf Country as an active monsoon surge moves in from Indonesia.
As river catchments get saturated, more and more water will run off and engorge rivers. Forecasts are for rain to continue well into tonight and the next few days. We are likely to see more flooding in more places this week.
. Gov. Kelly Announces Winners of 2nd Annual New Venture Competition
LINCOLN, NE – Lieutenant Governor Joe Kelly awarded prizes to three teams of aspiring college entrepreneurs through the 2nd Annual Nebraska Governor’s New Venture Competition. Awardees were announced during Thursday’s Nebraska Business Hall of Fame banquet at the Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel. Ten teams were selected as semi-finalists. The winners, prize amounts and a description of each project follow:
First Place: Golden Garden Compost, UNO, $20,000 prize
Golden Garden Compost creates premium organic compost for home gardeners using efficient production and innovative marketing to maximize profits.
Second Place: brAIn Rot, UNL, $15,000 prize
brAIn Rot is an educational platform that helps developers enhance their coding skills by solving real world puzzles and competing in coding contests.
Third Place: IndoFilm, UNL, $10,000 prize
InfoFilm helps share the impactful stories within the agriculture industry through videography, product photography, branding photography and social media management.
“This program is a great opportunity to publicize and support Nebraska-based ideas with world-changing potential,” said Lt. Gov. Kelly. “This year’s pool of finalists brought a variety of ideas to impact education, healthcare, agriculture, AI and other significant areas. They are risk takers willing to put in the long hours for the potential rewards of starting a new venture and watching it blossom.”
Governor Jim Pillen created the competition in 2023 to showcase and encourage student-led entrepreneurship. The competition is designed for contemplated and pre-seed businesses. Applicants must designate how their business falls into one of nine industry tracks: Agtech, Fintech/Insurtech, Cleantech, Advanced Manufacturing, Biotech/Healthtech, Emerging Media Arts, Sportstech, General Tech and the Bioeconomy. Submissions must have been received by Dec. 15, 2024.
This year, 15 teams – including undergraduate and graduate students – submitted proposals. Participating teams hailed from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln (UNL), University of Nebraska – Omaha (UNO), University of Nebraska – Kearney (UNK) and Metro Community College (MCC). The 15 teams made their initial pitch virtually to a panel of judges representing Flyover Capital, Nebraska Innovation Labs, Nelnet Ventures, Redbud VC and Tech Nebraska. Judges evaluated each project and whittled the group to 10 semi-finalists.
“Starting a business is hard enough but starting a business while also attending college is extremely challenging due to time constraints and academic obligations,” said Dan Hoffman, CEO of Invest Nebraska. “Nebraska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem of startup founders, funders, and service providers are excited to mentor and support these young teams as they begin their entrepreneurial journey.”
Semi-finalist teams were mentored leading up to their final project presentation yesterday during the Nebraska State Chamber of Commerce annual meeting. The judges, from Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, MOVE Venture Capital, Nelnet, Nave Analytics, Nebraska Public Power District andWorkshop, selected the awardees.
“I appreciate that Governor Pillen is prioritizing entrepreneurship as a key economic development strategy,” said Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) Director K.C. Belitz. “The New Venture Competition is a great way to showcase and encourage the inventiveness of Nebraska’s rising generation. Across the state, we’re building an entrepreneurial ecosystem to support young Nebraskans in turning their ideas into successful businesses.”
“Congratulations to the 15 teams of students who shared their ideas for pursuing an entrepreneurial opportunity and competed in the New Venture Competition,” added Nebraska Chamber President Bryan Slone. “We’re always excited to support the next generation of Nebraska business professionals and it was exciting to watch these young entrepreneurs reach new heights.”
Sponsors for the New Venture Competition include the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), Omaha Public Power District (OPPD), Invest Nebraska, Nebraska Diplomats, Nebraska Economic Developers Association (NEDA) and the Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED).
For more information about the Governor’s New Venture Competition, visit the contest’s website: https://negovnewventure.com.
First Place Team Golden Garden Compost of the University of Nebraska – Omaha
Second Place Team brAIn Rot of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Third Place Team InfoFilm of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Trucks transport railway containers at the Kunming cargo terminal of China United International Rail Containers Co., Ltd. (CRIntermodal) in Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, on Jan. 2, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Having long been poring over China’s diversified culture, German vlogger Robert Adolf is particularly fascinated by Yunnan Province, home to over 20 ethnic groups.
This year’s Spring Festival is unique to Adolf and his mother, who traveled by train to Xishuangbanna, a tropical autonomous prefecture in Yunnan Province and one of the stations along the China-Laos Railway route.
Adolf has previously explored this 1,035 km-long route linking Kunming of Yunnan to the Laotian capital of Vientiane with eight stops in between, and felt a surge of excitement over how railroads have expanded to smaller cities and villages.
“It’s now much easier to visit rural areas,” he said.
Dressed in the traditional attire of the Shui ethnic group, Adolf told Xinhua that he felt “more real … and more to the hearts” in smaller towns. “There’s a family atmosphere.”
In Yunnan, Adolf has observed the Dai people’s Water-Splashing Festival and the Munao Zongge Festival (meaning “Dancing together”) of the Jingpo people. During the journey, Adolf posted videos on social platforms like Douyin and YouTube, with his bio describing him “on the quest to film all 56 Ethnic Groups in China.”
He said that people always find ways to keep traditions up to date, and the government helps preserve them by supporting cultural heritage, investing in museums and funding inheritors. “In China, they really keep the culture alive.”
His mother Anna Adolf referred to the journey in Yunnan as an adventure. “Everywhere I look, people are wearing beautiful clothes, singing and dancing.”
During the Spring Festival travel season, thousands of passengers travel home or explore new destinations via the China-Laos cross-border train.
At Kunming South Station, the starting point of the railway, waiting rooms were abuzz with travelers speaking Chinese, Lao, Thai and English, a testament to the cross-border railway’s growing international appeal.
“We’ve always had a good experience on trains in China. I’m sure this time it will be convenient and comfortable,” Susie, an American living in Beijing, told Xinhua, as she queued up for a train heading to Laos.
The railway also benefits Thai travelers, who said that it makes the homebound journey faster.
Since its launch in 2021, the China-Laos Railway, a flagship Belt and Road Initiative project, has handled over 43 million passenger trips and more than 48.3 million tonnes of cargo.
The Kunming-Vientiane D87 train is painted deep green. It might evoke memories of the old-style passenger trains in China, but its designed speed of 160 km/h integrates efficiency with the need to navigate complex terrain, transporting both passengers and freight.
Inside some of the train compartments during the Spring Festival holiday, red paper-cut decorations on the windows added a festive touch, marking the first Spring Festival since UNESCO listed the tradition as intangible cultural heritage.
For Southikiat Thavisouk, a Laotian TV host returning to Vientiane, the railway trip is more than transportation. “It’s a bridge between the Chinese and Laotian people,” he said.
Having studied at Huaqiao University in China’s Fujian Province, Thavisouk recalled the warm hospitality he received there. Now back in Laos, he sees the Chinese New Year celebrated as well.
Soulideth Lavanphone, a Laotian tour guide accompanying a group of Chinese travelers, shared a similar sentiment. “I studied in Sichuan, and China is my second home. I’ll do my best to make sure Chinese visitors have a great time in Laos,” he said.
“Many travelers from Western countries and ASEAN nations have all come to experience the Laos-China Railway firsthand,” said Laotian Consul General in Kunming Pongdong Paxaphacdy with much pride.
“Tickets are often sold out due to high demand, and we are working on solutions to improve capacity,” Paxaphacdy said.
“This railway has boosted investment, tourism and connectivity, bringing real benefits to the people. With strong support from both governments, this railway will only continue to grow,” he added.
The Ministry of Commerce said Japan’s plans for export controls on semiconductors will undermine the stability of the global industrial and supply chains as well as disrupt normal business operations.
“For some time, certain countries have been stretching the concept of national security and abusing export control measures to impose sanctions aimed at suppressing China’s semiconductor and other industries,” a spokesperson with the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.
The spokesperson highlighted that Japan’s plans for export controls on chips will also harm the interests of both Chinese and Japanese companies.
According to the MOC spokesperson, China urges Japan to listen to the rational voices of industry stakeholders and reconsider its course of action. “We hope Japan will take into account the broader picture of international trade rules and China-Japan economic cooperation, and promptly correct these measures to avoid hindering the healthy development of bilateral economic relations.”
As Japan has announced tech and trade curbs including sanctions on some Chinese firms, China made it clear that it reserves the right to take countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests, the spokesperson said. China also reaffirmed its stance on ensuring the smooth functioning of global industrial and supply chains.
Jin Xu, chairman of the China Association of International Trade, said some countries’ efforts to “decouple and sever industrial and supply chains” and build “small yards with high fences” will not benefit the local people and will ultimately harm local businesses.
China, with its robust technological capabilities, solid industrial foundation, and strong government support, is well-positioned to overcome any technological blockades, Jin said.
“I firmly believe China will make breakthroughs in the fields of chips. I am convinced that the suppression by some countries will not last,” he said.
A flooded street in TownsvilleJohn Wilkinson/Facebook
Record-breaking floods across north Queensland have now turned deadly, with one woman drowning while being rescued on Sunday morning. And the floodwaters are still rising, with rain set to continue.
Over the 48 hours to Sunday, there were reports of up to 1 metre of rainfall in parts of northeast Queensland. The torrential rain continues, particularly in the Herbert Coast region and north to around Tully.
Major flooding in northern Queensland rivers, as of 12.45pm February 2. Bureau of Meteorology
Residents of Ingham and nearby towns, about 100km from Townsville, are witnessing flooding from the nearby Herbert River. This morning, it was at 15 metres and rising. With more heavy rain forecast for the next 24 hours, the Herbert River is likely to break the 1967 record of 15.2 metres later today.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli – who grew up on his family’s sugar cane farm in Ingham – has said the floods will be a “once in a century” event for the town. To make matters worse, authorities say the town has lost power and an extended outage is likely.
The atmospheric factors behind these floods are very similar to recent floods in the region – and climate change is no doubt playing a role.
The flood level for the Herbert River at Ingham set in 1967 was 15.2 metres. It’s likely to be breached this afternoon (Sunday February 2). Australian Bureau of Meteorology, CC BY
Where are the floods hitting?
For many people in Townsville – the largest city in Northern Australia – the unfolding emergency will bring back memories of the devastating February 2019 floods, which caused A$1.24 billion in damage. Residents have been asked to evacuate from several low-lying suburbs which were inundated in 2019.
Authorities in Townsville asked all residents in the low-lying black zone to evacuate by midday Sunday February 2. Floodwaters could reach second-storey heights in this zone. Residents in pink suburbs have been asked to be on standby. Townsville Council, CC BY
It is too early to say if this flood event will be worse. Fortunately, water levels in the city’s Ross River Dam are much lower than 2019. Townsville Airport has recorded 545mm of rain over the past 48 hours, with many northwest suburbs recording much higher levels. The township of Rollingstone – 60km northwest of Townsville – recorded a whopping 702mm over the 24 hours to 9am Sunday.
Further north in the Cairns to Daintree region, residents are watching with concern, with many still raw after the record-breaking floods of December 2023.
What triggered each of these floods was prolonged heavy rain falling on the southeast flank of a stationary tropical low weather system. Normally, tropical lows bring wind and rain, but move through quite quickly. But in recent years, we have seen a tendency for these systems to stall, sitting in place over or near land and dumping huge volumes of rain.
Last week, the Bureau of Meteorology warned that five tropical lows were forming around northern Australia. Most tropical cyclones form from tropical lows embedded in the region’s monsoon trough, a large low pressure band which forms over summer and draws in warm, moist air from the adjacent tropical seas.
But significant rain events like this one don’t necessarily require a tropical cyclone. Slow-moving deep monsoon lows over land can also deliver huge amounts of rain and widespread flooding.
These atmospheric conditions allow intense rain bands to form between converging winds: warm, moist winds from the northeast and southeast winds originating from the Coral Sea. As the winds collide, they push the moist air up into the cooler parts of the atmosphere where it condenses and falls as torrential rain.
More extreme rainfall and higher frequencies of flooded rivers and flash floods around the world have a clear link to climate change and ongoing global heating.
The main drivers behind these events include warming of the atmosphere. For every 1°C of warming, the atmosphere holds 7% more water vapour. Recent research suggests this figure could be even higher for short duration rainfall.
Hotter oceans hold more energy, meaning they can also amplify the global water cycle when atmospheric conditions are suitable.
This year’s latest ever monsoon
This year, sea surface temperatures in the northwest Coral Sea are 1-2°C above average. Ocean temperatures have risen because of a lack of cloud cover and rain last month. In northwestern Australia, this has given rise to an intensifying marine heatwave.
This ocean heat is likely to be driven by the Australian monsoon’s latest ever arrival. The monsoon brings heavy rains to northern Australia, triggering the wet season. When it arrives, sea surface temperatures generally drop due to a combination of high cloud cover and the cooling effect of rainwater.
After a slow start, the North Australian monsoon season is now in full swing.
The Bureau of Meteorology is monitoring an active monsoon trough for any low pressure systems, which may develop into tropical cyclones over the next week or so. If any cyclone does form, it will gain energy from warmer than usual sea surface temperatures.
What’s next for north Queensland?
The flood emergency in north Queensland is far from over. All global circulation models predict heavy rain to continue in the region, extending up towards Cape York and the Gulf Country as an active monsoon surge moves in from Indonesia.
As river catchments get saturated, more and more water will run off and engorge rivers. Forecasts are for rain to continue well into tonight and the next few days. We are likely to see more flooding in more places this week.
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,
I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that the sustained influx of illicit opioids and other drugs has profound consequences on our Nation, endangering lives and putting a severe strain on our healthcare system, public services, and communities.
This challenge threatens the fabric of our society. Gang members, smugglers, human traffickers, and illicit drugs of all kinds have poured across our borders and into our communities. Canada has played a central role in these challenges, including by failing to devote sufficient attention and resources or meaningfully coordinate with United States law enforcement partners to effectively stem the tide of illicit drugs.
Drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) are the world’s leading producers of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and other illicit drugs, and they cultivate, process, and distribute massive quantities of narcotics that fuel addiction and violence in communities across the United States. These DTOs often collaborate with transnational cartels to smuggle illicit drugs into the United States, utilizing clandestine airstrips, maritime routes, and overland corridors.
The challenges at our southern border are foremost in the public consciousness, but our northern border is not exempt from these issues. Criminal networks are implicated in human trafficking and smuggling operations, enabling unvetted illegal migration across our northern border. There is also a growing presence of Mexican cartels operating fentanyl and nitazene synthesis labs in Canada. The flow of illicit drugs like fentanyl to the United States through both illicit distribution networks and international mail — due, in the case of the latter, to the existing administrative exemption from duty and taxes, also known as de minimis, under section 1321 of title 19, United States Code — has created a public health crisis in the United States, as outlined in the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025 (America First Trade Policy) and Executive Order 14157 of January 20, 2025 (Designating Cartels and Other Organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists). With respect to smuggling of illicit drugs across our northern border, Canada’s Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre recently published a study on the laundering of proceeds of illicit synthetic opioids, which recognized Canada’s heightened domestic production of fentanyl, largely from British Columbia, and its growing footprint within international narcotics distribution. Despite a North American dialogue on the public health impacts of illicit drugs since 2016, Canadian officials have acknowledged that the problem has only grown. And while U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) within the Department of Homeland Security seized, comparatively, much less fentanyl from Canada than from Mexico last year, fentanyl is so potent that even a very small parcel of the drug can cause many deaths and destruction to America families. In fact, the amount of fentanyl that crossed the northern border last year could kill 9.5 million Americans.
Immediate action is required to finally end this public health crisis and national emergency, which will not happen unless the compliance and cooperation of Canada is assured.
I hereby determine and order:
Section 1. (a) As President of the United States, my highest duty is the defense of the country and its citizens. A Nation without borders is not a nation at all. I will not stand by and allow our sovereignty to be eroded, our laws to be trampled, our citizens to be endangered, or our borders to be disrespected anymore.
I previously declared a national emergency with respect to the grave threat to the United States posed by the influx of illegal aliens and illicit drugs into the United States in Proclamation 10886 of January 20, 2025 (Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border). Pursuant to the NEA, I hereby expand the scope of the national emergency declared in that Proclamation to cover the threat to the safety and security of Americans, including the public health crisis of deaths due to the use of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, and the failure of Canada to do more to arrest, seize, detain, or otherwise intercept DTOs, other drug and human traffickers, criminals at large, and drugs. In addition, this failure to act on the part of Canada constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in substantial part outside the United States, to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. I hereby declare and reiterate a national emergency under the NEA and IEEPA to deal with that threat. This national emergency requires decisive and immediate action, and I have decided to impose, consistent with law, ad valorem tariffs on articles that are products of Canada set forth in this order. In doing so, I invoke my authority under section 1702(a)(1)(B) of IEEPA and specifically find that action under other authority to impose tariffs is inadequate to address this unusual and extraordinary threat.
Sec. 2. (a) All articles that are products of Canada as defined by the Federal Register notice described in subsection (e) of this section (Federal Register notice), and except for those products described in subsection (b) of this section, shall be, consistent with law, subject to an additional 25 percent ad valorem rate of duty. Such rate of duty shall apply with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on February 4, 2025, except that goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, after such time that were loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading or in transit on the final mode of transport prior to entry into the United States before 12:01 a.m. eastern time on February 1, 2025, shall not be subject to such additional duty, only if the importer certifies to CBP as specified in the Federal Register notice.
(b) With respect to energy or energy resources, as defined in section 8 of Executive Order 14156 of January 20, 2025 (Declaring a National Energy Emergency), and as otherwise included in the Federal Register notice, such articles that are products of Canada as defined by the Federal Register notice shall be, consistent with law, subject to an additional 10 percent ad valorem rate of duty. Such rate of duty shall apply with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on February 4, 2025, except that goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, after such time that were loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading or in transit on the final mode of transport prior to entry into the United States before 12:01 a.m. eastern time on February 1, 2025, shall not be subject to such additional duty, only if the importer certifies to CBP as specified in the Federal Register notice.
(c) The rates of duty established by this order are in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, or charges applicable to such imported articles.
(d) Should Canada retaliate against the United States in response to this action through import duties on United States exports to Canada or similar measures, the President may increase or expand in scope the duties imposed under this order to ensure the efficacy of this action.
(e) In order to establish the duty rate on imports of articles that are products of Canada, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall determine the modifications necessary to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) in order to effectuate this order consistent with law and shall make such modifications to the HTSUS through notice in the Federal Register. The modifications made to the HTSUS by this notice shall be effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on February 4, 2025, and shall continue in effect until such actions are expressly reduced, modified, or terminated.
(f) Articles that are products of Canada, except those that are eligible for admission under “domestic status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.43, which are subject to the duties imposed by this order and are admitted into a United States foreign trade zone on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on February 4, 2025, except as otherwise noted in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, must be admitted as “privileged foreign status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.41. Such articles will be subject upon entry for consumption to the rates of duty related to the classification under the applicable HTSUS subheading in effect at the time of admittance into the United States foreign trade zone.
(g) No drawback shall be available with respect to the duties imposed pursuant to this order.
(h) For avoidance of doubt, duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321 shall not be available for the articles described in subsection (a) and subsection (b) of this section.
(i) Any prior Presidential Proclamation, Executive Order, or other Presidential directive or guidance related to trade with Canada that is inconsistent with the direction in this order is hereby terminated, suspended, or modified to the extent necessary to give full effect to this order.
(j) The articles described in subsection (a) and subsection (b) of this section shall exclude those encompassed by 50 U.S.C. 1702(b).
Sec. 3. (a) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall regularly consult with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security on the situation at our northern border. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall inform the President of any circumstances that, in the opinion of the Secretary of Homeland Security, indicate that the Government of Canada has taken adequate steps to alleviate this public health crisis through cooperative enforcement actions. Upon the President’s determination of sufficient action to alleviate the crisis, the tariffs described in section 2 of this order shall be removed.
(b) The Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, shall recommend additional action, if necessary, should the Government of Canada fail to take adequate steps to alleviate the illegal migration and illicit drug crises through cooperative enforcement actions.
Sec. 4. The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Commerce, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including adopting rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to implement this order. The Secretary of Homeland Security may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of these functions within the Department of Homeland Security. All executive departments and agencies shall take all appropriate measures within their authority to implement this order.
Sec. 5. The Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Commerce, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, is hereby authorized to submit recurring and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency under IEEPA declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)).
Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Saturday to impose a 10-percent tariff on goods imported from China. The latest U.S. trade protectionist measure has drawn widespread opposition both domestically and internationally.
The White House said the 10-percent tariff is on all imports from China on top of existing tariffs. Trump says the tariffs dovetail with his embrace of protectionist measures.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning has said that China always believes that there is no winner in a trade war or tariff war, and remains steadfast in safeguarding its national interests. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce He Yadong said China’s position on the tariff issue is consistent. Tariff measures are not conducive to the interests of either China or the United States, nor to the rest of the world, He said.
According to the executive order, the United States also imposed a 25-percent tariff on goods from Mexico and Canada. For energy products from Canada, the administration imposed a 10-percent tariff.
Topics: NDIS; Foundational Supports; The Budget, Antisemitism; Nature Positive bill; Peter Dutton’s proposed investor visa.
ANDREW CLENNELL, HOST: Joining me live is the new NDIS Minister. She replaced Bill Shorten about a month ago, Amanda Rishworth, thanks for your time. Let me start with this news I’ve just revealed. Can you tell us what is the nature of the one-year deal being offered by the PM on Foundational Support money for the NDIS and why is it being tied to the hospital agreement?
AMANDA RISHWORTH, MINISTER FOR THE NATIONAL DISABILTY INSURANCE SCHEME: Firstly, I would say it’s not new that we are working with the states and territories to develop Foundational Supports. In fact, I have been working with my counterparts to work out the design of Foundational Supports, what they might look like and how we might go forward on that in terms of the agreements with states and territories. There are a lot of agreements with states and territories that our government is progressing. Certainly, the health reform is one of those. NDIS reform is another one. So, there is a lot of agreements to land with states and territories and what I’ve been doing is working very hard to put some meat on the bones about what we would be funding with Foundational Supports.
ANDREW CLENNELL: Well, you say it’s not new. The fact it’s a one-year deal is new, isn’t it, that you’re looking at?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: We’ve been working towards Foundational Supports for a long time. I’m not privy to the First Ministers negotiations, but I’ve been working very much with the idea of how we stand up supports outside the NDIS that are there to support people that may not need the intensity that the NDIS provides. So, the First Ministers will continue to have their discussions, but I’m certainly working on what Foundational Support looks like. How do we roll those out and how do we make a difference outside side of the scheme so that there are supports available.
ANDREW CLENNELL: Do you expect states to be providing these Foundational Supports by mid-year as envisioned? Are the states fair dinkum about this or could the deal just collapse?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: It’s never been expected that all the Foundational Supports would be stood up this year. Indeed, as the review outlined, they will have to be rolled out in a progressive way. But we’ve had good cooperation with states and territories. Just one example of a system change that we have with South Australia, for example, is what’s called the Inklings program. And the idea of that is to provide intervention before there is a diagnosis to ensure that children are put on a strong developmental pathway and don’t need the NDIS. There is already work being done around what these systems look like outside the NDIS. But we’ll keep working with the states and territories to start sending these supports up.
ANDREW CLENNELL: What money are you proposing to give the states to deliver these services which can act as a NDIS substitute? Is there a danger of just cost shifting from the NDIS or are there going to be real savings here?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: Let’s be clear. The NDIS is a joint endeavour by states and territories and the Commonwealth, and they co-govern. But what we’re talking about, and the review made it clear, is that for some people, for some children as well, that may have developmental delay, they might be served outside of the scheme with lower intensity supports. So, they don’t require the full individualised plan that is provided by the NDIS. And just in the nature of the way the supports will be delivered, they will be a lower cost. But I have to say, Andrew, when it comes to sustainability of the NDIS, Foundational Supports are not the only element that goes to sustainability. There is a lot of work we’ve been doing and will continue to do to improve the sustainability of the scheme and to hit that 8 per cent growth target which we are on track for.
ANDREW CLENNELL: I’m told, in terms of saving money through the Foundational Support one example is the Federal Government would want schools to have a staff speech pathologist, for example, rather than have say 10 private speech pathologists visit schools to see students one on one. Is that a good example of what you’re trying to achieve here?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I don’t want to be so prescriptive because we’re still working through it, but a good example would be if a child might have some fine motor delay. Rather than an individualised plan that has a range of different supports they might be serviced with, for example, some adaptive technology like some specialised cutlery that helps them with their fine motor skills and perhaps some periodic OT input rather than a full individualised plan that gets reassessed and re put in place every single year. So, they are the types of things that we are looking at. How do you provide much more targeted, much more often episodic or periodic interventions that do not require this sort of individualised plan. I don’t think anyone accepted that for children with developmental delay that they would have an individualised plan for a lifetime. That certainly was not the vision for the scheme which is for significant and permanent impairment. So, we’ve got to work and identify these. Things look different in different states and that’s why systems are different in different states, and we will be working with each state and territory about what that looks like and how it might be delivered.
ANDREW CLENNELL: How did we get to the point where something like 35 per cent of people on this scheme have autism? Could there be closer scrutiny of who gets this support? When this scheme was set up, it was for people with significant and permanent disability. There was even an ANU study in 2023 which suggested there were more autism diagnoses in this country and that could be linked to accessing the NDIS.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: What the review said, Andrew, was that with the NDIS the only level of support, I think the review said is the only lifeboat in the ocean. Of course it has led to people gravitate to get support. That is partly what I said Foundational Supports are about. It’s also partly that there are two pathways in the NDIS. Firstly, the permanent and significant pathway and then there’s the early intervention pathway. And for me, I want to make sure that the early intervention pathway is making a difference, that it is evidence based and that we are seeing interventions that improve the developmental trajectory of a child, so that they don’t need to, on an ongoing basis, actually rely on the NDIS. The NDIS was never designed that it would be diagnosis driven. It was about functional capacity and what supports you need. We need to get back to having a focus on that and also make sure for those that may need a lower intensity of support, that it’s out there in the broader community through different service systems. And that’s what we’re working to. And quite frankly it’s been really left to drift under the previous government. There wasn’t the sustained focus. Now Former Minister Shorten had a sustained focus on this and I will continue that.
ANDREW CLENNELL: When Julia Gillard rose in the Parliament to announce this scheme, she said there were more than 400,000 people living with significant and permanent disabilities. And then 13 years later, we have 650,000 participants of the scheme. How many people do you envisage in say three to five years being on this scheme?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I don’t have those projections, but I have to say what’s driving the scheme is or the costs in the scheme is not only the number of participants on the Scheme. It has been identified that intra-plan inflation also has an impact on the fiscal elements of the Scheme. So, while numbers are important, we’ve got to make sure that eligibility is correct and that it’s significant and permanent. And the supports put in place are about supporting people with supports that are reasonable and necessary. It is not just the numbers that are driving the cost. Here we had a situation where we’ve put some new rules in place to be clear about what’s funded and what’s not. There were grey areas about what is funded, what was not, and so we were seeing some confusion around that. We’ve put very clear guidelines now about what should be funded and what shouldn’t be funded. We’ve also put some clear guidelines about how people manage their budgets and their plans, and also make sure, for example, that there isn’t service providers gouging participants. It’s taken a lot of work to look at how we bring these costs down. Just to give you an example, 2021-22, when the previous government was in charge, there was a 23 per cent growth in the cost of the scheme. 2024-25 we have been able to bring that down to about 12 per cent.
ANDREW CLENNELL: It’s still 12 per cent. Your target’s eight per cent. Let me ask you this, I appreciate your point on the numbers, but Julia Gillard spoke about 400,000. We’ve now got 650,000. Could you envisage a million Australians being on the NDIS? Because it looks like we’re headed that way.
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I don’t think that’s right to characterise the trajectory. I’ll just give you an example. Recently, the numbers were revised of the number of Australians living with disability in this country, and it’s 5.5 million people. So, if we look at the numbers that are on the NDIS, it is certainly not all people living with disability in Australia. And of course, that 5.5 million had been revised, up from over 4.5 million. So, we are seeing the trajectory of people reporting disability increase in this country across the board. Not all of them are on the NDIS. In fact, only a small proportion of people are getting support from the NDIS. And that’s why we’ve got to be continuing to work hard to look at what other supports we can give people to make sure that they don’t need necessarily the NDIS but can get support elsewhere.
ANDREW CLENNELL: Peter Dutton’s spoken about cutting 36,000 public servants. Your predecessor, Bill Shorten, won the budget support to hire another 1,000 public servants in a bid to get the NDIS under control. In particular to look at eligibility for the scheme, what progress have they so far made and what sort of people are now being rejected from the scheme that were being accepted?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I need to be clear in terms of the early intervention pathway, there has always been a reassessment at six years of age and nine years of age, because we’re hoping, of course, that the early interventions has made a difference and those children do not require the scheme anymore. Thee work that’s been undertaken is to make sure that those reassessments have happened. When Peter Dutton talks about cutting public servants, what he’s saying is he doesn’t want those reassessments to happen. He doesn’t want to make sure that plans are done efficiently, effectively and quickly. Is he planning to cut the Fraud Fusion Task Force? Because there was no focus on fraud in the NDIS previously. That requires people from across agencies to make sure that taxpayers money is spent correctly and is not gouged. When it comes to my other hat as Social Services Minister, is he talking about pensioners waiting on the phone for longer? These are frontline public servants that are making a difference. But importantly, when it comes to the NDIS, paying attention to all these elements that the previous government dropped, whether it’s fraud, whether it’s reassessment, whether it’s proper efficient planning, whether it’s responsiveness when people have a query, they are the public servants that Peter Dutton is talking about.
ANDREW CLENNELL: I just want to get through a couple more things. When it comes to a possible budget, we don’t know if it’s happening or during the election campaign the PM, Treasurer and Finance Minister have flagged more cost-of-living assistance. I ask you, in your social services portfolio, do you expect to be promising more in terms of rental assistance or in terms of welfare benefits or pension payments?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: We’ve been working through the budget process and Andrew; you’ll be not surprised. I won’t be announcing what will be in the budget here today, but when it comes to supporting people with cost of living, it’s clear. Two rent assistance increases that have led to the largest rent assistance in over 30 years. Of course we’ve increased other payments, we’ve improved arrangements for the pension, supporting pensioners with cost of living, we’ve supported more pensioners onto the concession card, helping them with cost doctors. Of course, there’s been medicines and a range of other cost of living measures. So, we’ve got a strong record when it comes to supporting people right across the board, including our tax cuts. Look, I’m going to say watch out on budget night. I know you’re an avid watcher of the budget and all will be revealed on budget night.
ANDREW CLENNELL: It sounds like you think there is a budget, Amanda Rishworth. I’m not so confident we’ll see in good time. I wanted to ask now about but this issue of the anti-Semitic attacks and the criticism of the Prime Minister in terms of either he didn’t get briefings, and he should investigate it. That’s what Peter Dutton and the opposition say. Or another version I’ve heard is he’s hearing things but not broadcasting them. There Is a fine balance here, isn’t there? Could it be politically detrimental for the Government if he doesn’t look on top of it? The Prime Minister?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I think this is a ridiculous criticism from Peter Dutton and just shows that all he wants to do is play politics with what is a really serious issue. It is unacceptable that there are people of Jewish faith feeling unsafe in this country. But for the Government it is about being responsible in making sure people are actually safe, not playing politics. And I have to say, ensuring police and security agencies, can do their job and keep the community safe should be, in my view, the number one outcome we all want to see. So, if the leader of the Opposition just wants to play politics with this then he should be condemned, quite frankly, because it is about what leads to safety in our community. That should be a priority of every member of Parliament.
ANDREW CLENNELL: Health Minister Mark Butler made an announcement Friday concerning the establishment of an inquiry into the use of gender changing medicine. Is this a bid to head off Peter Dutton doing a Donald Trump on this issue this year?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: These guidelines have not been reviewed since 2018. It is timely that the guidelines be reviewed with the most up to date evidence, particularly when we’re talking about children. As a mum I would like to know that the guidelines are absolutely up to date, we’ve got proper medical evidence on the table and that young people in this country are getting the best possible medical care. So, it is timely that the evidence is looked at, that the input from research is added and that we have the most up to date medical guidelines in this country.
ANDREW CLENNELL: The Nature Positive bill, it looks dead in this term of Parliament. The Prime Minister is going to pull it. I understand?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I think it’s clear that The Greens keep making more and more extreme demands. Peter Dutton has been incredibly oppositional to this will not even engage. This is despite the Samuel review identifying that both businesses wanted faster approvals, and we needed stronger protections for our environment. But with this type of opposition and people not willing to have discussions and make compromises, I think it’s clear that we won’t be able to pursue this piece of legislation in the Parliament.
ANDREW CLENNELL: What do you make of these comments by Peter Dutton at a fundraiser that he might reintroduce this significant investor visa and him trying to re-establish relations with the Chinese Australian community?
AMANDA RISHWORTH: I would say when it comes to migration, it just shows Peter Dutton likes to talk a lot of political game. But when it comes down to taking action, he failed to support our legislation to put a cap on international students. After being lobbied against that, he has now signalled that he will bring back a visa that we abolished. It really does show that he’s not serious when it comes to tackling our migration system. But we shouldn’t be surprised because he left it in a complete mess when he was in charge. And of course, you know, we’re getting down to the political season. You know, there’ll be a lot of political statements made clearly in the leader of the opposition’s case, it is contradictory from one day to the other, but that’s politics and that’s an election season.
ANDREW CLENNELL: We’ll have plenty more of it. Amanda Rishworth, thanks so much for your time.
Washington, DC: Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement today after news of the death of Mr. Horst Köhler, former IMF Managing Director:
“It is with great sadness that we have learned of the passing of Horst Köhler, who was the eighth Managing Director of the Fund and ably led our institution between 2000 and 2004. Mr. Köhler will be remembered for his many contributions, and in particular for navigating the Fund’s work through the difficult period after September 11, 2001. He mobilized the Fund and the international community to help the low-income and heavily indebted members, championing greater transparency and strong governance.
“During his distinguished career, he played a key role in Germany’s unification in 1990 as Deputy Finance Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany and was instrumental in drafting the legal framework for the introduction of the euro. He served as president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, before joining the IMF as Managing Director. In 2004 he left the IMF to become president of the Federal Republic of Germany, winning the hearts of many for his principled approach. Throughout a large part of his life, he was particularly devoted to drawing the world’s attention to the needs of the African continent – something many of us at the Fund greatly admired.
“On behalf of the IMF, I wish to offer our deepest condolences to Mr. Köhler’s family – his wife Eva, his two children Ulrike and Jochen, and his grandchildren. Mr. Köhler led a life of distinguished public service, and leaves behind a profound legacy of dedication to fairness and justice and an unfailing concern for others.”
