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How to End the Democratic Recession - Foreign Affairs On August 5, following weeks of mass student protests, a dictator fell in the world’s eighth most populous country. Amid wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the escalating danger of a wider conflict in the Middle East, and the twists and turns of the U.S. presidential race, the sudden resignation and flight into exile of Bangladesh’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, drew slight global attention. But the significance of her ouster could prove substantial. Hasina, the daughter of the independence leader and first president of Bangladesh, first served as prime minister from 1996 to 2001 and was elected to the office again in 2008. In three successive terms over the next 15 years, she ruled with mounting ruthlessness and resolution. She asserted personal control over the courts, prosecutors, government agencies, and the police, using them to silence the media, persecute her opponents, cow private business, and subvert the institutions and traditions that previously allowed for reasonably free and fair elections. By the time Bangladeshis voted again, in 2014, Hasina had so trampled on constitutional norms that most opposition parties chose to boycott the election, accelerating the country’s descent into autocracy and misrule.
Yet Bangladesh’s civil society refused to remain silent in the face of a rising tide of arrests and disappearances. In January 2024, as Hasina prepared to glide into a fourth consecutive term in another unfair election (which also was boycotted by the opposition), popular protest intensified. In June, the dam burst.The trigger was a seemingly modest issue: the reinstatement of a quota system for government jobs that was seen to favor Hasina’s political base. Bangladeshi university students took to the streets, angered by the prospect of a spoils system. Hasina responded with repression: her party’s shock troops joined the fray, and she sent in the police and the military. Over the next two months, hundreds of civilians were killed, more than 20,000 injured, and more than 10,000 arrested. The government’s brutality turned a limited protest movement into a nationwide civil disobedience campaign against tyranny and corruption. In the end, after losing the support of the military, Hasina fled to India.
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WorkWorkTrump rally speaker calling Puerto Rico 'pile of garbage' sparks furyA comedian's controversial performance at former President Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden (MSG) rally has ignited widespread backlash after he referred to Puerto Rico as a "floating island of garbage" and made a series of racist remarks targeting Latino and Black attendees.
WorkThe Architect: Stephen Millers dark agenda for a second Trump termAt Vox, our mission is to explain the world, so we can all help shape it. While some publications focus on their own interests, were focused on what matters to you. Because we know the stakes of this election are real, and you deserve to understand how the outcome will affect your life. This work isnt easy, so we need your help. WorkIs Venting Healthy, Or Does It Make Things Worse?You may think it's healthy to rant about that annoying work assignment or rude comment, but research suggests otherwise. Venting is the worst thing you can do when youre mad, says Brad Bushman, a professor of communication at the Ohio State University who studies the topic. Its "adding more fuel to the fire.
WorkWorkInside Amazons AI cloud strategy When Matt Garmantook over as chief executive of Amazon Web Services in June, one challenge stood out among the rest. He is now responsible for directing the efforts of the cloud-services businessthe main driver of Amazon.coms profitsto harness the potential of artificial intelligence for its customers. In doing so, he has to compete with powerful rivals like Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet.
WorkWorkA close-up look at the presentand futureof humanoid robots - WSJ Joanna Stern, senior personal-technology columnist at The Wall Street Journal, talked about that future with Peggy Johnson, chief executive of Agility Robotics, at the recent WSJ Tech Live conference. They were joined onstage by one of the companys Digit robots, a humanoid that demonstrated its potential to learn to perform tasks.
WorkUnlocking the potential of brain-computer interfaces - WSJ Imagine being able to control a computer with your thoughtseven more easily and quickly than using your hands. That is the goal of Precision Neuroscience. Using brain-computer interfaces, it aims to transform the lives of people with physical challenges. WorkHow Israel pulled off its largest-ever strike on Iran - WSJ TEL AVIVShortly before 2 a.m. on Saturday in Israel, airmen and women wearing bomber jackets bearing the Star of David climbed into the cockpits of about 100 jet fighters, spy planes and refueling aircraft at an Israeli military base. They were following commands from an underground bunker known as the pit.
WorkWorkThis star chefs tools include knives, pans and this Royal Enfield motorcycle - WSJ My restaurants are relatively close to each other, maybe a mile apart. To get from one to anotherif I have a meeting, or I need to taste something, or if theres a guest I want to seecan take a long time. I found myself on the subway, taking Ubers, or walking as fast as I could. It was taking over my life. I was spending way too much on Ubers every day.
WorkWorkJesse Eisenberg Has a Few Questions - The New Yorker Vanessa Redgrave once compared Jesse Eisenberg to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, because of his inquiring mind. Seventeen minutes into my recent lunch with Eisenberg, in Chelsea, I had yet to ask him a question, but hed peppered me with plenty of his own. Where was I from? How did I know So-and-So? Did I get to consult on my New Yorker cartoon avatar? When I first glimpsed him, as I crossed the street to the restaurant, hed been fist-bumping a postman. People are so nice if youre famous, I guess, he reasoned, sounding apologetic. Or maybe not. I dont know. He glanced at his menu. What are you going to get?
WorkWorkHow Gamefam's Founder Taps His 'Inner Child' to Bring Brands to the Metaverse - Inc Gamefam, Ferenczs development studio, is one of the biggest names in the rapidly growing market of video games that exist solely within metaverse platforms like Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft. Gamefams games have been played billions of times, and see an average of 18.1 million global players on a daily basis. The companys success in the space propelled it to #40 on the 2024 Inc. 5000, growing by 6,390 percent over 3 years. This makes Ferencz one of just a handful of entrepreneurs who have actually built a sustainable business in the metaverse. WorkNovartis, Seagen veteran David Epstein is back, leading a new cancer startupOttimo’s aim is to run a Phase 1 trial starting perhaps late next year, the data from which will hopefully be promising enough to attract an acquisition offer for the company, Epstein said. The company will consider types of cancer, such as non-small cell lung cancer, where other anti-VEGF/PD-1 drugs have shown promise, and cancer types that could appeal to potential suitors, he said. WorkTheres a better way to walk for exercise - WSJ We all need to move more. The sedentary behavior of the average American presents a health risk. One of the simplest and least expensive ways to get more active is just putting one foot in front of the other. WorkTheyre close friendsand stars in Americas biggest succession dramas - WSJ Over the next two decades, the two friends rose to the upper echelons of their careers while staying close during million-dollar fundraisers, a life-changing blind date and New Years Eve parties. Now the two women, both 60 years old, born seven days apart, find themselves in remarkably similar situations amid two high-stakes succession dramas. WorkThe SpaceX advantage that rivals are trying to emulate - WSJ Developing reusable boosters for its Falcon vehicles has been key to SpaceXs efforts to cut the cost of space flight. Advancing the technology with Starshipthe bigger and more powerful rocket it is developingcould extend the Elon Musk-led companys cost advantage versus rivals, especially in launches to low-Earth orbit, where SpaceX and others operate satellites. WorkNew Nasal Spray Vaccines, Puffs Up the Nose, Can Give Stronger Protection from DiseaseNo More Needles - Scientific American Alyson Velasquez hates needles. She never liked getting shots as a kid, and her anxiety only grew as she got older. It really ballooned in my teens and early 20s, she says. It became a full-blown phobia. She would panic at the sight of a needle being brought into an exam room; more than once she passed out. Velasquez says that she took an antianxiety medication before one appointment yet still ran around the room screaming inconsolably like I was a small child; I was 22. After that episode Velasquez, now a 34-year-old financial planner in southern California, quit needles completely. No vaccinations, no bloodwork. For all of my 20s it was a no-go for me, she says. WorkAmericas glorious economy should help Kamala Harris - The Economist America was supposed to be in recession. When the Federal Reserve began to raise interest rates at the fastest pace since the early 1980s, few economists expected the economy to be heading into a presidential election in this state. Indeed, even a few months ago few thought things would be this good. Inflation-adjusted quarterly growth in annualised terms has averaged 2.9% since the start of 2023, above its long-term trend. On October 30th America will publish its GDP figure for this years third quarter. According to a usually reliable model from the Atlanta Fed, the economy probably expanded at an annualised pace of 3.3%, nearly twice as high as the median forecast in July, at the start of the quarter. Work5 questions about the next U.S. dietary guidelines, and the impossible restriction on them - STAT The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, reviewed and issued by the federal government every five years, have broad impact on what goes into federal nutritional assistance programs, from WIC for women and young children to school lunches to meals for veterans or seniors. Yet 63% to 90% of people in the United States, depending on the nutrient, exceed recommended levels for added sugar, saturated fats, and sodium; 75% fall below standards set for vegetables, fruits, and dairy. WorkTrump at MSG: A Closing Carnival of Grievances and RacismThe rally served as a capstone to an escalating series of remarks from Mr. Trump, who has repeatedly said in recent days that one of the gravest threats that America faces is “the enemy within.” Democrats have cranked up warnings of Mr. Trump’s descent into authoritarianism as John F. Kelly, the former Marine general who was his longest-serving chief of staff, warned that Mr. Trump met the definition of a fascist. WorkWorkHow Beijing Tamed a Lawless Industry and Gained Global InfluenceIn northern China, groundwater laced with the industry’s radioactive waste began seeping toward the Yellow River. Thousands of square miles of pasture were closed to grazing because of contamination by radioactive dust from refineries, which was blamed for the deaths of thousands of goats. WorkWorkWorkClark Art Institute Receives 'Princely' Collection of European TreasuresTavitian, a philanthropist who died in 2020 at age 80, was born in Bulgaria of Armenian descent, immigrated to the United States in 1961 and made a fortune in software. He lived in New York City and Stockbridge, Mass., also in the Berkshires, and developed a deep relationship with the Clark. Tavitian, who began collecting in 2004, served on the Clark’s board of trustees and showed some of his personal holdings there in a 2011 exhibition. WorkTrump fills Madison Square Garden with anger, vitriol and racist threatsThe Trump campaign reacted furiously to the accusations, describing Clinton’s comments as “disgusting”. One of the few people to reference the 1939 rally on Sunday was Hulk Hogan, who emerged to wrestling music, spent several seconds struggling to rip off his shirt, then claimed: “I don’t see no stinkin’ Nazis in here”. WorkIs AT&T a Buy Now?America's leading telecom providers have a lot in common, but only one can be the best. WorkIn Western North Carolina, Helene's Devastation Is Threatening Health Care AccessThe storm is among the deadliest in the nation’s history. After making landfall in Florida’s Gulf Coast in late September, Helene tore through the Southeast, killing more than 200 people and decimating hundreds of homes and businesses. The devastation is particularly acute in western North Carolina, where floodwaters swept away entire communities and destroyed much of its mountainous infrastructure. WorkWorkHow Taxpayers Are Helping Health Insurers Make Even Bigger ProfitsFrom southern Florida to the Pacific Northwest, local governments have paid similar fees, often with little awareness that their taxpayer dollars have become a lucrative revenue stream for some of the nation’s largest insurers, according to a review of documents obtained in two dozen public records requests and interviews with city and county officials and benefits consultants. WorkWorkMicrosoft earnings are this week. Here's what Wall Street expectsIn November, the company will make a public preview available for customers to build their own autonomous agents in Copilot Studio that can “understand the nature of your work and act on your behalf.” The company also announced 10 new autonomous agents for its enterprise platform, Dynamics 365. The new agents are designed for workers in “sales, service, finance, and supply chain,” but the company plans to develop more agents, it said. The 10 autonomous agents will become available for public preview later this year and into early 2025. WorkShould there be a ban on teenage popstars?Whether Chambers' idea is actionable in practise or not, many believe the entertainment industry could take further measures to help prevent future tragedies. "The music industry is littered with casualties," says Herbert. "We tragically lose recognised stars to these pressures of fame and fortune, and every time this happens we all take a sobering moment of thought where we recognise the need for change. However, sooner or later we seem to resort back to how it was before. WorkWorkWorkWorkMexico economyHer key election promise – to extend López Obrador’s social programmes in pensions, family stipends and student grants, and build what she calls the “second floor” of his political project – secured her the backing of millions of Mexicans. WorkIf You Think You Can Hold a Grudge, Consider the CrowRenowned for their intelligence, crows can mimic human speech, use tools and gather for what seem to be funeral rites when a member of their murder, as groups of crows are known, dies or is killed. They can identify and remember faces, even among large crowds. WorkWorkHow Trump and Harris Compare on Climate ChangeAlthough congressional Republicans may block new laws and the conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court has hemmed in the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency, a President Harris would be likely to try to use regulatory power to cut the emissions that are driving climate change. She is also expected to try to reduce the air and water pollution that is prevalent in marginalized communities. 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