
Lil Wayne, GloRilla, Camila Cabello to perform at College Football National ChampionshipHarley-Davidson, Inc. Declares Dividend
Presidents Biden, Trump, and Clinton laud the legacy of former President Jimmy CarterMost Americans, from both parties, say the government needs to increase the supply of affordable housing. For President-elect Donald Trump, that should offer a good opportunity to summon his instincts for development — and self-promotion — to get America building again. Call it the “Trump building boom.” The problem is clear: For more than a decade, housing construction has failed to keep up with U.S. population growth and household formation. This has helped drive a nearly 50% increase in the median sales price of houses and a similar jump in rents, outstripping an 18% gain in real median household income. The income required to afford a new single-family home is now almost twice what it was five years ago, and nearly half of renting households spend more than 30% of their income on rent. By some measures, homelessness is at a record level. Normally, rising prices should spur construction, and that is starting to happen. But why not faster? For one thing, in many of the cities with the most severe housing shortages, local zoning restrictions, land-use regulations, rent controls, affordable-housing mandates and permitting requirements — among other burdens — limit development. Sustained attention to complex problems does not come naturally to Trump. But as a second-generation real estate developer, he has had plenty of personal experience with the bureaucratic obstacles and political opposition that housing plans often encounter. This might offer him an advantage in helping the U.S. build the estimated 2.5 million homes the country needs. Success would depend on three things. First, the administration should encourage a wave of rezoning and deregulation at state and local levels, which is the source of most of the friction. In his first term, Trump established a council to study the problem. This time around, he should act on its recommendations, including by helping local governments dial back costly requirements such as parking minimums and minimum lot sizes and speed up permitting. Perhaps the “freedom cities” Trump says he wants to build on federal land (details TBD) might be exemplars in this regard. More prosaically, the administration should change federal policies that needlessly raise the cost of construction. This could include reducing certain tariffs — such as those on Canadian lumber, which were sharply increased during the Biden administration — as well as expediting environmental reviews and reducing red tape. To help address the 288,000 job openings in construction, up from an average of 190,000 since 2000, Trump could create incentives for community colleges and vocational schools to provide relevant training and offer more visas for qualified immigrants. Finally, Trump has promised to reduce interest rates , which would certainly help make housing more affordable . A commitment to respect the Federal Reserve’s independence would cost him little but help a lot. So might a pledge to cut spending and to moderate the many tax cuts he has talked about. Trump’s record suggests that any such compromise is a long shot. Then again, if there’s one consistency in Trump’s career, it’s that he defies expectations. Providing an ample supply of housing — and making life more affordable — should be a goal of every policymaker. Trump will arrive in office with an opportunity to achieve that goal. “Build, baby, build,” you might say. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Morning Briefing: Top stories from The Straits Times on Nov 26, 2024Kevin Warren shows he's in charge as Bears try to find the right coach to lead teamThe headline signing of IPL auction day two is ... a 13-year-old
Social media firms raise 'serious concerns' over Australian U-16 ban
AP Trending SummaryBrief at 6:06 p.m. ESTAs we enter the holiday season many young people are no doubt beginning to consider their future options. With a range of paths to pursue, a high rate of youth unemployment in Canada and a higher education sector facing unprecedented challenges it may seem logical to wonder if university is worth it. In my role as president of York University I see these issues play out every day in the lives of my students and faculty. However, I can say with certainty that, yes, university is worth it for both students and society. And while you might think that I might be biased, there is real data to back it up. Simply put, going to university enriches both students and society over the long term. We must ensure that students and universities are supported to help ensure as broad access as possible. While many students entering the market fresh out of university will make entry-level wages, the reality is that over the longer term their earning potential has more room to expand . Those with a bachelor’s degree earn 24 per cent more than the national average. The more education, the higher the earning potential. Students with a university degree are more likely to have stable employment even amidst economic disruption, as the COVID-19 pandemic revealed . Graduates are also more likely to gain employment that offers a wider range of benefits. Simply put, an education increases one’s chances of finding fulfilling employment and living a longer and healthier life. Beyond individual benefits, there are also key benefits to society. Canada relies disproportionately on universities compared to other OECD countries to drive the research and innovation central to a productive and prosperous economy . Further research has shown that education is central to a healthy, democratic society To quote Nelson Mandela: “ education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world .” The world faces a host of wicked problems ranging from economic inequality to climate change, geopolitical conflict and ongoing wars. Universities and graduates play a key role in addressing these challenges. Technology is not going away and it is not slowing down. A recent study revealed that the jobs of more than 60 per cent of Canadians may be at risk to AI . Moreover, an estimated one out of 10 employees in Canada could be at a high risk of automation-related job redundancy. Canada’s already volatile job market will continue to be impacted. Those with higher levels of education are the best equipped to benefit from technologies in ways that complement the work they do . Graduates are also more likely to have the transferable skills needed to withstand workforce disruption. According to the OECD , AI technologies pose less of a risk for highly-skilled workers. In fact, their jobs are less likely to be replaced by automation because they possess the critical thinking skills needed to provide oversight to tasks that use AI and automation. While these technologies are sophisticated and becoming even more so each day, they currently cannot replicate human cognitive, critical and decision-making skills. There is also compelling research that shows students with higher education are more likely to pursue continuing education to upgrade and reskill, a quality that makes students more agile in a shifting labour market. Universities have also been increasing micro-credentials , programs which help learners re-skill while they are holding employment and balancing familial obligations, to support lifelong learning and build a more resilient Canadian workforce. If Canada is to meet the expanding needs of students and of the country then we must invest now in higher education. Access is something I worry deeply about to ensure that we are not leaving any talent behind. Data from the 2017 National Survey of Engagement indicates that 48 per cent of first- and fourth-year undergrad students at York came from households where neither parent held a bachelor’s degree. What’s more, York’s 2020 Economic and Social Impact Report revealed that 59 per cent of students could not have attended university without financial support. Creating accessible educational opportunities for diverse learners to develop responsive skills is critical for a vibrant future workforce and for resilient communities. York and other universities in Canada have a good track record for this. At the same time, social mobility and productivity have been declining in Canada in recent years . Continuing to ensure that eligible students have access to university education including at the graduate level is imperative to address these trends. The significant numbers of Canadian students leaving the country to study medicine overseas while Canada is facing a significant gap in primary care physicians is just one example . These are troubling trends which Canadian universities are committed to addressing. While the commitment and innovation of universities is evident, the unfortunate truth is that universities across much of Canada have seen a steady decline in real dollar funding for years. In Ontario, recommendations from the government’s blue-ribbon panel strongly advocated for the urgent increase in financial support for universities . To meet the changes in Canada’s labour market, universities have developed new programs to meet the talent needs in areas such as science, technology, engineering and health . We have also worked to enhance access through flexible teaching formats and strengthened international and cross-sector research collaborations to tackle complex societal problems . Universities have also increased supports for students including activities to help them connect with careers and become more entrepreneurial and efficient . In short, universities in Canada are one of the country’s most important assets. If we are to continue delivering the high-quality education for which we are known and serving the needs of the communities who rely on us, especially given fierce global competition for talent, it is essential that we secure a financially sustainable model for universities. Canada’s high youth unemployment has many people anxious about how they will fare in a job market that bears a striking resemblance to the Hunger Games. Expanding employment opportunities is necessary and will require collaboration across all sectors. But the data are clear. A university education will provide our youth with a running start and the ability to adapt as they go. Rhonda Lenton is chair of the Council of Ontario Universities.
Feeling rich needn’t cost major money. Bethenny Frankel spotlighted Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm ( $69 $48) in a TikTok highlighting “expensive” items that are “worth it” — but with Cyber Monday bringing major markdowns, the bestselling balm’s not so expensive right now. “I am partial to the original one because it makes me feel like I’m in a botanical spa,” Frankel said of the combination cleanser, makeup remover and moisturizer, which is currently a whopping 30% off during Amazon’s major Cyber Week sales . Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm She also shouted out the rose-scented version — which is swiftly selling out right now — saying it makes her “feel rich and romantic.” Should you prefer something fragrance-free, the brand’s Naked Cleansing Balm ( $69 $48) is on sale as well. Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Cleansing Balm Elemis Pro-Collagen Naked Cleansing Balm It’s far from the first time Frankel’s praised the brand’s cleansing balms; she’s shared snaps on her Instagram Stories on multiple occasions and even called the original version “the bomb dot com” in another TikTok . Amazon reviewers are just as obsessed with the multitasking skincare staple, given it’s got a 4.5-star average out of over 15,000 total ratings. “I love this product! It leaves my skin hydrated and soft like no other cleanser,” one satisfied shopper raved, while another dubbed it “worth every penny.” Frankel’s not the only star who swears by the stuff, either, as Catherine Zeta-Jones once included it in a shelfie (a shelf selfie, that is) of her go-to beauty products. And Khloé Kardashian’s wrapping some up for the holiday season, as she featured a trio of cleansing balms in a gift guide with Today last year. Whether you’re treating yourself or stuffing stockings with skincare, now’s the time to click “add to cart” before these — and other top Cyber Monday beauty deals — sell out. Black Friday FAQs for savvy shoppers Get ready to online shop ’till you drop on Monday, December 2 , 2024. Keep an eye out for many Cyber Monday deals dropping as early as Saturday or Sunday before. It depends! Some, though not all, retailers approach Black Friday and Cyber Monday differently, offering discounts on varying brands and products over the post-Thanksgiving weekend. Some stores use Cyber Monday as an opportunity to drop further discounts on on-sale items. But beware: if you wait for Cyber Monday to make your purchases, you do risk the chance of products selling out. Right here, at Page Six ! If you’re in the market for celebrity-worthy styles on a budget, luxury beauty and skincare for less, or gifts so good you’ll want to keep them for yourself, check out our expert-curated Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for the best of the best. Why Trust Page Six Style Shopping This article was written by Hannah Southwick , Commerce Writer/Reporter for Page Six Style. Hannah spies deals on actually affordable celebrity-worn styles , puts Hollywood’s favorite labels to the test and finds the beauty products that keep stars red carpet-ready. She consults stylists and industry pros — including celebs themselves — for firsthand product recommendations, trend predictions and more. In addition to writing for Page Six since 2020, her work has been featured in USA Today and Parade.
Dutton promises teen ban won’t mean people need passports to log on
New Zealand and England will honour the late Martin Crowe and Graham Thorpe with a trophy named in the pair's honour, when the three test series starts in Christchurch. The Crowe-Thorpe Trophy will be unveiled by Deb Crowe (Martin's sister) and former England Test captain Michael Atherton on the ground ahead of the national anthems on Thursday. Both players were hugely successful during their time in test cricket. Crowe, a former Black Caps captain played 77 tests and died of cancer in 2016. He was 53. He averaged 45.36 in his test career scoring 17 centuries - the last of which was against England at Old Trafford in 1994. His higest test score was 299, scored against Sri Lanka at the Basin Reserve in Wellington in 1991. Thorpe played 100 tests for England. He took his own life in August this year, his family said . He was 55 Thorpe scored 16 test centuries averaging 44.66. His highest score was 200 not out - against New Zealand in 2002. The trophy is made from wood from a bat from each player. The bat gifted by the Thorpe family (a Kookaburra) is the one with which Graham scored his first two centuries against New Zealand, in consecutive Tests in 1997, while the one donated by the Crowe family was the GM with which Martin scored his century at Lord's in 1994. New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Scott Weenink said it was fitting the stories and memories of both players would be kept alive through the newly named trophy. "Today's generation of players are standing on the shoulders of those who went before them, players like Graham and Martin," said Weenink. "Both were seriously good batsmen who understood the game intimately - they commanded respect wherever they went." Richard Gould, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said "it's heart-breaking to have lost both men so early, but by honouring them in this way I hope we can help ensure the memories and legacies of two of our nations' finest cricketers live on long into the future."
Election impossible to call as latest poll puts ‘big three’ neck and neck
Authored by Joshua Stylman via substack, Author's Note : For years, I understood advertising was designed to manipulate behavior. As someone who studied the mechanics of marketing, I considered myself an educated consumer who could navigate rational market choices. What I didn't grasp was how this same psychological architecture shaped every aspect of our cultural landscape . This investigation began as curiosity about the music industry's ties to intelligence agencies. It evolved into a comprehensive examination of how power structures systematically mold public consciousness. What I discovered showed me that even my most cynical assumptions about manufactured culture barely scratched the surface. This revelation has fundamentally altered not just my worldview, but my relationships with those who either cannot or choose not to examine these mechanisms of control. This piece aims to make visible what many sense but cannot fully articulate - to help others see these hidden systems of influence. Because recognizing manipulation is the first step toward resisting it. This investigation unfolds in three parts: First, we'll examine the foundational systems of control established in the early 20th century. Next, we'll explore how these methods evolved through popular culture and counterculture movements. Finally, we'll see how these techniques have been automated and perfected through digital systems. In 2012, Facebook conducted a secret experiment on 689,000 users , manipulating their news feeds to study how changes in content affected their emotions. This crude test was just a glimpse of what was coming. By 2024, algorithms would not be used to simply shape what we feel, but what we believe it is even possible to think. Social media platforms are now able to predict and modify behavior in real-time, while streaming services automatically and continuously curate our cultural consumption, and digital payment systems track every single transaction. What began as simple emotional manipulation has become comprehensive consciousness control. This power to mold human perception didn't emerge overnight. The mechanisms of cultural control we see today were built over more than a century, evolving from Edison's physical monopolies to today's invisible digital chains. To understand how we arrived at this point of algorithmic consciousness control - and more importantly, how to resist it - we must first trace the historical foundations of these systems and the deliberate architecture of control that shaped them. The psychological manipulation revealed by the Facebook experiment may seem like a modern phenomenon, but its roots stretch back to the earliest days of mass communication. One of the first architects of cultural control was Thomas Edison, whose establishment of the Motion Picture Patents Company in 1908 laid the groundwork for a century of systematic influence. When Thomas Edison established the Motion Picture Patents Company in 1908, he created more than a monopoly – he demonstrated how five key mechanisms could systematically control information and shape consciousness: infrastructure control (film production equipment), distribution control (theaters), legal framework (patents), financial pressure (blacklisting), and legitimacy definition ("authorized" vs "unauthorized" content). These same mechanisms would evolve and reappear across industries and eras, becoming increasingly sophisticated tools for engineering public consciousness and controlling the boundaries of possible thought and expression. While Edison was establishing control over visual media, a broader system of institutional power was rapidly taking shape. The early 20th century would witness an unprecedented convergence of concentrated control across multiple domains. When antitrust action broke up the Edison Trust in 1915, control simply shifted from Edison's patent monopoly to a small group of studios. While presented as creating competition, this "breakup" actually consolidated power in an oligarchy of studios that could more effectively and subversively coordinate content control and messaging - a pattern that would repeat in future antitrust actions. While the Trust's breakup appeared to create competition, new forms of control quickly emerged. The Motion Picture Production Code ( Hays Code ) established in 1934 demonstrated how moral panic could justify systematic content control. Just as Edison had controlled film distribution, the Hays Code controlled what could be depicted on screen, establishing templates for narrative manipulation that would persist into the digital age. Edison's template for controlling visual media would soon be replicated across other domains. As I detailed in ‘The Information Factory ’, Rockefeller deployed an identical template in medicine: infrastructure control (medical schools), distribution control (hospitals and clinics), legal framework (licensing), financial pressure (strategic funding), and legitimacy definition ("scientific" vs "alternative" medicine). This wasn't just about eliminating competition – it was about controlling what constituted legitimate knowledge itself. This wasn't a coincidence. The early 20th century witnessed unprecedented bureaucratic convergence, as formerly separate domains - medicine, media, education, finance, entertainment, and scientific research - began operating with remarkable coordination. The walls between public institutions, private industry, and government agencies became increasingly permeable. Major foundations played a crucial role in this convergence. The Rockefeller and Ford Foundations , while presenting themselves as philanthropic organizations, effectively shaped academic research priorities and social science methodologies . Through strategic grant-making and institutional support, they helped establish and maintain approved frameworks for understanding society itself . By determining what research got funded and which ideas received institutional backing, these foundations became powerful gatekeepers of acceptable knowledge—extending Rockefeller's medical model into the broader intellectual sphere. This unprecedented administrative alignment represented more than coordination - it established interlocking systems for controlling both physical reality and public consciousness. From Edison's control of visual media to Rockefeller's definition of medical knowledge to the Federal Reserve's monetary control, each piece contributed to a comprehensive architecture of social control. What made this system so subtly pervasive was its masterful packaging - each erosion of autonomy was presented as progress, each restriction as protection, each form of control as convenience. The public not only accepted but eagerly embraced these changes, never recognizing that their choices, beliefs, and very understanding of reality were being carefully engineered through institutions they trusted. The power of this converged system was first demonstrated at scale in profoundly reshaping America's global role. The narrative of American 'isolationism' emerged as one of the most influential shapers of public consciousness. While America had long projected power through banking networks, corporate expansion, and gunboat diplomacy, this reality was gradually reframed and cunningly marketed to an unsuspecting public By establishing a story of American withdrawal from world affairs, advocates for military intervention could position themselves as reluctant modernizers guiding a hesitant nation toward global responsibility. J.P. Morgan's simultaneous acquisition of major newspapers , controlling 25% of American papers by 1917, helped establish this narrative framework. It wasn't just about profit – it was about establishing the machinery of public consciousness management in preparation for coming conflicts desired by the ruling class. By the 1950s, Operation Mockingbird formalized this influence as the CIA systematically infiltrated major media organizations . The program demonstrated how thoroughly intelligence agencies understood the need to shape public perception through seemingly independent channels. Building on methods refined during wartime propaganda efforts, Mockingbird's techniques would influence everything from news coverage to entertainment programming, establishing templates for information manipulation that continue to evolve today. What Operation Mockingbird achieved through human editors and planted stories, today's platforms accomplish automatically through content moderation algorithms and recommendation systems. The same principles of narrative control persist, but the human intermediaries have been replaced by automated systems operating at breathtaking speed on a global scale. This media-intelligence nexus was exemplified by William S. Paley, who transformed CBS from a small radio network into a broadcasting empire. During World War II, Paley served as supervisor of the Office of War Information (OWI) in the Mediterranean theater before becoming chief of radio in the OWI's Psychological Warfare Division. His wartime experience in psychological operations directly informed CBS's postwar programming strategy, where entertainment began to serve as an effective vehicle for social engineering. Under Paley's leadership, CBS became known as the 'Tiffany Network,' masterfully blending entertainment with subtle manipulation techniques refined during his psychological warfare service. This fusion of entertainment and social control would become the template for modern media operations. This machinery of mass influence would adapt to emerging technologies. By the 1950s, the payola scandal revealed how record companies shaped public consciousness through controlled exposure. Presented as a controversy about DJ bribes, payola actually represented an evolved system for shaping popular taste. The companies controlling these cultural channels maintained deep institutional ties - Paley's CBS Records continued its military contractor relationships, while RCA's role in shaping mass culture traced back to its 1919 formation as a Navy-coordinated communications monopoly . Created to maintain domestic control of strategic communications, RCA's expansion into broadcasting, records and consumer electronics preserved these foundational connections to military and intelligence networks. These methods of cultural control didn't develop in isolation - they were part of a broader system of social engineering that expanded dramatically during periods of global conflict. While historians typically treat the World Wars as discrete conflicts, they are better understood as phases in a continuous expansion of social control mechanisms. The infrastructure and methods developed between these conflicts reveals this continuity - the wars provided both the justification and testing grounds for increasingly sophisticated systems of mass psychological manipulation. Military installations like Lookout Mountain Air Force Station in Laurel Canyon weren't just bases – they were centers for psychological warfare operations, perfectly positioned near the heart of the entertainment industry. Lookout Mountain alone produced over 19,000 classified films, while maintaining high-level connections to Hollywood production By 1943, this system was so well established that the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) explicitly outlined its strategy in a now-declassified document . Their assessment was unequivocal: motion pictures represented 'an unparalleled instructional medium' and 'a patent force in attitude formation' that could 'stimulate or inhibit action.' The document further stated that the US must 'exploit the potentialities of the motion picture as a weapon of psychological warfare.' This wasn't just about controlling information—it was about fundamentally altering how people understood and experienced reality itself. While Edison and Rockefeller were establishing physical control systems in America, the entertainment industry was already being integrated into intelligence operations. This pattern stretched back to the industry's earliest days - Harry Houdini is rumored to have collaborated with British intelligence during World War I, using his performances as cover to gather information in German enclaves. From Charlie Chaplin's films being analyzed for propaganda potential to Mary Pickford's war bond drives setting the precedent for celebrity messaging, World War I marked the birth of systematic coordination between Hollywood and intelligence agencies. During World War II, these connections were formalized through the OSS, evolving into today's Entertainment Liaison Office , through which agencies like the Department of Defense actively shape desired military-themed film narratives. While American industries were perfecting control of physical infrastructure and entertainment, British intelligence was developing something even more fundamental - methods to control consciousness itself. Understanding that territorial control was temporary but the power to shape beliefs, desires, and worldviews could be permanent, their innovations would transform social engineering forever. In 1914, they established what began as an innocuous sounding entity called ' Wellington House ,' which would evolve into increasingly bold bureaucratic iterations - the 'Department of Information,' and finally the explicitly Orwellian sounding ' Ministry of Information .' Through this organization, they systematized mass psychological manipulation based on new principles - that indirect influence through trusted voices works better than direct propaganda, that emotional resonance matters more than facts, that people trust peer sharing over authority. These psychological principles would become the foundational algorithms of social media platforms a century later. These insights didn't fade with time - they evolved. When Facebook conducts A/B testing on emotional contagion or social media algorithms promote peer-to-peer sharing over institutional sources, they're deploying Tavistock's psychological principles in real-time. This work evolved through the treatment of shell-shocked soldiers at the Tavistock Clinic (later the Tavistock Institute), where Dr. John Rawlings Rees and his colleagues discovered how psychological trauma could be used to reshape not just individual consciousness, but entire social systems. Through systematic study of trauma and group psychology, they developed methods to shape not just what people could see, but how they would interpret reality itself. The Institute's work revealed how psychological vulnerability could be used to reshape both individual and group behavior - insights that would prove invaluable as mechanisms of influence evolved from overt censorship to subtle manipulation of perception. Though largely unknown to the public, Tavistock would become one of the most influential organizations in shaping modern social control methods. While most people today know Tavistock only through recent controversies over gender-affirming care , the institute's influence extends back generations, shaping cultural narratives and social transformation since its inception. Their current work represents not an anomaly but a continuation of its long-standing mission to reshape human consciousness. Former MI6 intelligence officer John Coleman's seminal work The Tavistock Institute of Human Relations provided an insider's view of its operations. More recently, researchers like Daniel Estulin , Courtenay Turner and Jay Dyer have further examined its profound impact. The Institute's most refined achievement was transforming psychological theories into practical tools for cultural engineering, particularly through popular music and youth culture. By embedding their principles into seemingly spontaneous cultural trends, they created a template for social programming invisible to its subjects. These methods would first be tested through music. The State Department's jazz diplomacy program of the 1950s-60s revealed how power centers understood music's potential for cultural design. While Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie toured as 'jazz ambassadors,' another powerful influence was shaping the jazz scene from within. The Baroness Pannonica de Koenigswarter - born into the Rothschild banking dynasty - became a crucial patron of bebop artists like Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker, both of whom would die in her homes years apart . While her passion for jazz may have been genuine, her deep involvement in the scene coincided with the era when the U.S. State Department and CIA were actively using jazz as a tool of cultural diplomacy. This patronage, whether intentional or not, foreshadowed a pattern of European banking aristocracy's involvement in supposedly revolutionary musical movements. In Part Two, we'll explore the next phase of consciousness control which operated through culture itself. The early experiments in jazz would evolve into an invisible and systematic program of cultural engineering. Institutions would design and ignite cultural movements that appeared organic and by doing so, governing bodies would shape not just what people thought, but their entire framework for understanding anything and everything.