If our universe is truly isotropic, there should be no inherent bias in the rotational directions, which means that almost equal numbers of galaxies should rotate clockwise (50 percent) and anticlockwise (50 percent) — but this isn’t the case.
The researchers discovered that nearly one-third of the galaxies in the survey rotated anticlockwise, and over two-thirds showed clockwise movement.
“The analysis of the galaxies was done by quantitative analysis of their shapes, but the difference is so obvious that any person looking at the image can see it. There is no need for special skills or knowledge to see that the numbers are different. With the power of the James Webb Space Telescope, anyone can see it,” Lior Shamir, study author and professor at Kansas State University, said.
This finding suggests that our universe has a favored galactic spin direction — but why?
There are two possibilities
According to the researchers, the difference in rotational directions suggests that the universe has been spinning since the time of its existence. It may have inherited its spin from a black hole inside which it resides.
“One explanation is that the universe was born rotating. That explanation agrees with theories such as black hole cosmology, which postulates that the entire universe is the interior of a black hole. But if the universe was indeed born rotating, it means that the existing theories about the cosmos are incomplete.” Shamir said.
However, there’s another factor that could be at play here. When an object moves away or towards you, there’s a change in the frequency of sound or light emitted by the object. This phenomenon is called the Doppler shift.
China is also developing a larger variant of the Type 05, with modified road wheel spacing and a redesigned hull. The vehicle, marked with hull number 005, features an updated turret and a partially faceted barrel, suggesting upgraded armament and an expanding amphibious combat vehicle family that may include assault tanks or support variants.
Thus, Beijing’s strategy may involve securing air superiority before deploying these IFVs and amphibious tanks in armored landing operations. Developed in the early 2000s to replace the aging Type 63A amphibious tank, the Type 05 amphibious combat vehicle family was designed to meet the PLA’s need for a high-speed, over-the-horizon deployment vehicle with enhanced firepower.
Built by China’s state-owned defense corporation Norinco to strengthen the country’s amphibious assault capabilities, the Type 05 entered service in 2005, with multiple variants introduced for different missions. Likely influenced by the canceled U.S. Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) program, the Type 05 remains a key asset in China’s amphibious forces.
China’s Type 05 reshaped amphibious warfare
Made for amphibious assaults, the Type 05 features a streamlined hull, an extendable bow, and a retractable suspension system, allowing speeds of up to 18.6 m/h (30 km/h) in water. It is powered by two rear-mounted water jets and a diesel engine that generates 1,500 hp in waterborne mode and 550 hp on land.
Its aluminum alloy construction keeps it lightweight while providing limited protection against small arms fire and shell fragments. A composite armor reinforces key areas like the turret. The fire-control system includes thermal imaging, a laser rangefinder, and independent sights for the commander and gunner, improving target detection and engagement. Optimized for coastal operations, the Type 05 enables rapid amphibious landings.
Bruno Romeira, PhD, a researcher at INL and the study’s corresponding author, highlighted the neuron’s role in advancing efficient computing and optical sensing. “This is possible because we are using quantum phenomena,” he says
The system is a III–V semiconductor structure, created by combining elements from Group 3 (B, Al, Ga, In) and Group 5 (N, P, As, Sb) of the periodic table.
These materials are widely used in photonics and high-speed electronics and are specifically designed to respond directly to incoming near-infrared light, enabling efficient detection and signal processing at the nanoscale.
A closer look at the research
Bejoys Jacob, PhD candidate at INL and lead author of the study, explains that when the light intensity surpasses a certain threshold, the device enters a state called negative differential resistance.
This triggers large amplitude voltage oscillations, meaning the incoming light signal is converted into rhythmic electrical bursts, mirroring the firing patterns of biological neurons.
According to Jacob, conventional neuromorphic hardware relies on intricate circuits that integrate separate memory components and oscillators to mimic how biological neurons process information, which in turn increases the system’s size, power consumption, and complexity.
Future potential and real-world uses
Another fundamental reason why the device stands out is that its behavior mimics processes found in living organisms. The scientists compared this to the rhythmic bursts of neuronal activity that help dragonflies track prey and the oscillatory bursts in mammals essential for sensory processing and brain coordination.
They believe that by replicating these natural burst firing patterns in hardware, they are paving the way for bioinspired artificial vision systems which allow machines to see, understand, and respond to their surroundings, powered by miniaturized, energy-efficient technology.
This led to the birth of the Miller-Urey hypothesis, which suggests that life on Earth began when simple chemicals in the ocean came in contact with energy sources like lightning. According to the hypothesis, the reaction may have led to the formation of the first organic molecules which formed the basis of life on our planet.
Life from lightning—this may sound baffling, but a new study also provides evidence suggesting Miller and Urey may have been right. Researchers who undertook the study argue that when scientists think about the Miller-Urey hypothesis, what comes to their mind is big lightning strikes, but this may not have been the case. Instead, tiny sparks of light from waterfalls or crashing waves gave birth to life.
The power of tiny flashes
To capture the microlightning resulting from chemical reaction—which are too faint for the human eye to see—the team used high-speed cameras. Despite their small size, these flashes or sparks held a lot of energy.
Next, the researchers tested their effect. They sprayed room-temperature water into a mixture of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ammonia, and methane (gases believed to have existed on early Earth). As expected, microlightning naturally occurred when the water droplets interacted with the gas mixture
Tensions between Brussels and Beijing have grown since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the EU accusing China of backing the Kremlin, the FT said. Last year, the European Union also imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports.
China's Foreign Ministry and the EU did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
"Informal discussions are ongoing, both about setting the date for the EU-China summit this year and the level of representation," an EU official told the newspaper, while the Chinese ministry was quoted as saying it did not have any information to provide on the matter.
But Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized this month that it is the "net effect" of policy changes that will matter for both the economy and monetary policy.
Analysts widely expect the central bank to hold the benchmark lending rate steady at 4.25 percent to 4.50 percent, after similarly doing so in January.
"Recent Fed commentary has reinforced a wait-and-see approach, with officials signaling little urgency to adjust policy as they assess the economic impact of recent policy shifts," said EY chief economist Gregory Daco.
The Fed has previously kept rates elevated to tamp down inflation. Cutting rates, conversely, typically stimulates economic activity, providing a boost to growth.
"It's a bit of a dilemma for the Fed," Pearce said, as there could be conflicting signals.
ING analysts expect the Fed to signal its base case remains two 25 basis point cuts this year, noting "there is no pressing need for additional rate cuts given that unemployment is low and inflation is still tracking hot."
In February, government data showed that the unemployment rate was a relatively low 4.1 percent, with the labor market remaining stable.
The consumer price index -- a gauge of inflation -- came in at 2.8 percent for February as well, cooler than expected but still some distance from officials' two percent target.
This boosts expectations that the Fed would proceed cautiously as it seeks to lower inflation sustainably.
Inflation is "likely to remain above target through the rest of the year given the impetus from tariffs," ING analysts expect.
They warned in a recent note that the use of levies could "escalate significantly" as Trump seeks to bring manufacturing back to US shores, potentially triggering price hikes.
"Powell may find it difficult to reaffirm that the economy is 'holding up just fine,' and that it 'doesn't need us to do anything,'" Daco added in a note.
Looking ahead, he warned that the Fed's policy stance could shift rapidly with economic conditions.
"A reactionary monetary policy stance means policy direction could rapidly turn more dovish on weaker economic and labor market data, just like it could turn hawkish with hotter inflation readings," he said.
But Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized this month that it is the "net effect" of policy changes that will matter for both the economy and monetary policy.
Analysts widely expect the central bank to hold the benchmark lending rate steady at 4.25 percent to 4.50 percent, after similarly doing so in January.
"Recent Fed commentary has reinforced a wait-and-see approach, with officials signaling little urgency to adjust policy as they assess the economic impact of recent policy shifts," said EY chief economist Gregory Daco.
Powell himself has said that policymakers are focused on separating signal from noise as the outlook evolves.
"We do not need to be in a hurry, and we are well positioned to wait for greater clarity," the Fed chief added in a recent speech in New York.
'No pressing need' -
Economist Michael Pearce at Oxford Economics said he expects the Fed will not want to "overreact" to early signs that inflation may pick up, or to indications that the economy is weakening more quickly than anticipated.
The Fed has previously kept rates elevated to tamp down inflation. Cutting rates, conversely, typically stimulates economic activity, providing a boost to growth.
"It's a bit of a dilemma for the Fed," Pearce said, as there could be conflicting signals.
ING analysts expect the Fed to signal its base case remains two 25 basis point cuts this year, noting "there is no pressing need for additional rate cuts given that unemployment is low and inflation is still tracking hot."
In February, government data showed that the unemployment rate was a relatively low 4.1 percent, with the labor market remaining stable.
The consumer price index -- a gauge of inflation -- came in at 2.8 percent for February as well, cooler than expected but still some distance from officials' two percent target.
This boosts expectations that the Fed would proceed cautiously as it seeks to lower inflation sustainably.
Inflation is "likely to remain above target through the rest of the year given the impetus from tariffs," ING analysts expect.
They warned in a recent note that the use of levies could "escalate significantly" as Trump seeks to bring manufacturing back to US shores, potentially triggering price hikes.
'Volatility' -
Pearce of Oxford Economics expects that the economy is strong enough to weather a downturn from tariffs -- meaning the Fed will unlikely be forced to respond to weakening conditions.
But there remains a risk that more weakness comes through, he said, and that the Fed "will react to a growth scare and loosen policy sooner."
Daco of EY said Powell "will have to tap dance around policy uncertainty and its cousin market volatility" in a press conference after the Fed's rate decision is announced Wednesday.
“The Trump factor is the reason for the trip. The Trump factor towers over everything else Carney must deal with,” said Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.
The 59-year-old former central banker will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday and later travel to London to sit down with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in an effort to diversify trade and perhaps coordinate a response to Trump's tariffs.
He will also meet with King Charles III, the head of state in Canada. The trip to England is a bit a homecoming, as Carney is a former governor of the Bank of England, the first noncitizen to be named to the role in the bank’s 300-plus-year history.
Carney then travels to the edge of Canada's Arctic to “reaffirm Canada’s Arctic security and sovereignty” before returning to Ottawa where he's expected to call an election within days.
Carney has said he’s ready to meet with Trump if he shows respect for Canadian sovereignty. He said he doesn’t plan to visit Washington at the moment but hopes to have a phone call with the president soon.
Sweeping tariffs of 25% and Trump’s talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have infuriated Canadians, and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can.
Carney's government is reviewing the purchase of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets in light of Trump’s trade war.
The governing Liberal Party had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared economic war and repeatedly has said Canada should become the 51st state. Now the party and its new leader could come out on top.
Béland said Arctic sovereignty is also a key issue for Canada.
“President Trump’s aggressive talk about both Canada and Greenland and the apparent rapprochement between Russia, a strong Arctic power, and the United States under Trump have increased anxieties about our control over this remote yet highly strategic region,” Béland said.
A main question for Republican senators is whether they can meet or exceed the $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade laid out in the budget blueprint for the Trump agenda that squeaked through the Republican-controlled House of Representatives last month.
"We have a lot of people who would like to go a lot farther, some who would like not to go that far," Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota told reporters.
Hardline House Republicans say they are ready to block any Senate budget blueprint that does not safeguard their spending cuts.
Hanging in the balance is the future of Medicaid, a politically risky source of savings for Republicans that benefits more than 35 million Americans in states Trump won in the 2024 election, a Reuters analysis of Medicaid data shows.
The program, funded jointly by federal and state governments, covers one in five Americans. It cost the federal government $618 billion last year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, making it the third largest line item after the Medicare program for older Americans and the Social Security retirement program.
Some Republicans think adequate spending cuts can be achieved only by overhauling Medicaid, vowing to improve the program rather than cut benefits. Others would rather see social safety net programs preserved - especially at a time of a growing recession risk.
Senator Ron Wyden, top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said Trump talked often about helping the middle class while on the campaign trail. “When the campaign is over, they’re back to helping people at the top and paying for it by sticking it to folks of modest means,” said the Oregon Democrat. He described the Republican tax-cutting plans "back to supercharging trickle-down.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to get the Trump agenda through Congress by early May, giving the Senate little time to agree on a budget blueprint that can pass muster with Johnson's narrow 218-214 House majority.
MEDICAID DIVIDE
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, who is responsible for producing the Senate blueprint, said matching the House on spending would require a Medicaid overhaul.
"If you don't reform Medicaid, I don't think you'll get there," Graham, of South Carolina, told reporters. "It needs to be reformed."
While a majority of House Republicans appear to be on board with changes to Medicaid, especially those in deeply conservative districts, Republican senators who serve broader statewide constituencies that include independents and Democrats have been slower to join the band wagon.
One proposal would scale back a 90% federal matching rate for Medicaid recipients covered through the Affordable Care Act to medical assistance rates available to traditional Medicaid beneficiaries, which vary between 50% and 77%.
"I'm in conversation right now with my state to see what kind of impacts that might have," said Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito, adding that she is wary of Medicaid changes.
About 28% of Capito's home state, West Virginia, is enrolled in Medicaid or a related program for low-income children, according to the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation.
Republicans have also discussed limiting Medicaid spending growth to the rate of medical inflation and limiting federal involvement to financial contributions with benefits defined by states.
"Medicaid needs to be looked at more systematically," said Tillis, who favors imposing work requirements on able-bodied adults.
"The concern that I have, that people say don't touch it, is they are literally creating a cliff for the beneficiaries who need it," the North Carolina Republican said. "It has to get on sound fiscal footing, and it can be done in a way that is not any of the doom and gloom that I've heard."
Newsom's podcast soared to the No. 3 Apple podcast spot after he disavowed men in women's sports in the Kirk interview. The podcast is now No. 2.
"I can't comprehend what he’s trying to accomplish if he's going to run for president as a Democrat," California Democrat strategist Steven Maviglio told the Post. "How do you win over Democratic voters by coddling the ultraright?"
It would be fine if it was "a thoughtful exchange of ideas and contrast of philosophies," Maviglio added, "but that's not what we’re getting.
"We’re getting somebody who's bragging about how close he is to the Republicans on issues. How that helps him in a Democratic primary is lost on me."
But conservatives know what it is: A way for him to look presidential after years of deep-seated resentment from the right, Savage told Newsmax earlier this week.
Newsom's pitch comes as Democrats are in disarray, struggling to catch up with the fast-moving first 100 days of President Donald Trump's return to the White House. This week there was a quiet revolt against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for his refusal to shut down the government on Trump.
Critics have noted for weeks that Democrats are "leaderless" and "rudderless," as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at this week's weekly House GOP press briefing.
California Republican strategist Rob Stutzman said Newsom's anti-Trump stance needed a hard pivot, because Trump remains popular not only in his base but the often-forgotten middle.
"Newsom has a history of being a politician that will adapt to changing circumstances,” Stutzman told The Hill. "I think he's figured out the way forward for a politician like him, if he's going to run for president, is probably to start exploring, will anyone follow him into a lane that is more dismissive, particularly on culture, of where the Democrats have been for the past decade?"
Newsom clearly knows the Democrats' ways the past few cycles did not work.
"It's an opportunity to communicate with people directly," Newsom told reporters this week. "The world's changed. We need to change with it.
"We've got to do things differently, keep iterating."
Democrats' favorability has dropped 20 points since January 2021 when Biden first took office after Jan. 6, falling now to 29% – a record low dating back to 1992 when former President Bill Clinton came in to defeat sitting President George H.W. Bush. The Republican Party had held the White House for three full terms through former President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush before Clinton was elected in 1992.
Democrats and Democrat-siding independents give their own leaders just 63% favorability, which is down from 72% in January and 81% at the start of the Biden administration.
Republicans are far more happy with their leaders, as 79% of Republicans and GOP-siding independents have a favorable view of Republicans.
!summarize #politics #democrats #party #leadership
If our universe is truly isotropic, there should be no inherent bias in the rotational directions, which means that almost equal numbers of galaxies should rotate clockwise (50 percent) and anticlockwise (50 percent) — but this isn’t the case.
The researchers discovered that nearly one-third of the galaxies in the survey rotated anticlockwise, and over two-thirds showed clockwise movement.
“The analysis of the galaxies was done by quantitative analysis of their shapes, but the difference is so obvious that any person looking at the image can see it. There is no need for special skills or knowledge to see that the numbers are different. With the power of the James Webb Space Telescope, anyone can see it,” Lior Shamir, study author and professor at Kansas State University, said.
This finding suggests that our universe has a favored galactic spin direction — but why?
!summarize #rachelzegler #southpark #hollywood #snowwhite
There are two possibilities
According to the researchers, the difference in rotational directions suggests that the universe has been spinning since the time of its existence. It may have inherited its spin from a black hole inside which it resides.
“One explanation is that the universe was born rotating. That explanation agrees with theories such as black hole cosmology, which postulates that the entire universe is the interior of a black hole. But if the universe was indeed born rotating, it means that the existing theories about the cosmos are incomplete.” Shamir said.
However, there’s another factor that could be at play here. When an object moves away or towards you, there’s a change in the frequency of sound or light emitted by the object. This phenomenon is called the Doppler shift.
!summarize #supercar #automotive
China is also developing a larger variant of the Type 05, with modified road wheel spacing and a redesigned hull. The vehicle, marked with hull number 005, features an updated turret and a partially faceted barrel, suggesting upgraded armament and an expanding amphibious combat vehicle family that may include assault tanks or support variants.
Thus, Beijing’s strategy may involve securing air superiority before deploying these IFVs and amphibious tanks in armored landing operations. Developed in the early 2000s to replace the aging Type 63A amphibious tank, the Type 05 amphibious combat vehicle family was designed to meet the PLA’s need for a high-speed, over-the-horizon deployment vehicle with enhanced firepower.
!summarize #irish #washingtondc #stpatricksdays
Built by China’s state-owned defense corporation Norinco to strengthen the country’s amphibious assault capabilities, the Type 05 entered service in 2005, with multiple variants introduced for different missions. Likely influenced by the canceled U.S. Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) program, the Type 05 remains a key asset in China’s amphibious forces.
China’s Type 05 reshaped amphibious warfare
Made for amphibious assaults, the Type 05 features a streamlined hull, an extendable bow, and a retractable suspension system, allowing speeds of up to 18.6 m/h (30 km/h) in water. It is powered by two rear-mounted water jets and a diesel engine that generates 1,500 hp in waterborne mode and 550 hp on land.
Its aluminum alloy construction keeps it lightweight while providing limited protection against small arms fire and shell fragments. A composite armor reinforces key areas like the turret. The fire-control system includes thermal imaging, a laser rangefinder, and independent sights for the commander and gunner, improving target detection and engagement. Optimized for coastal operations, the Type 05 enables rapid amphibious landings.
!summarize #dmt #consciousness #metaphysics
Bruno Romeira, PhD, a researcher at INL and the study’s corresponding author, highlighted the neuron’s role in advancing efficient computing and optical sensing. “This is possible because we are using quantum phenomena,” he says
The system is a III–V semiconductor structure, created by combining elements from Group 3 (B, Al, Ga, In) and Group 5 (N, P, As, Sb) of the periodic table.
These materials are widely used in photonics and high-speed electronics and are specifically designed to respond directly to incoming near-infrared light, enabling efficient detection and signal processing at the nanoscale.
A closer look at the research
Bejoys Jacob, PhD candidate at INL and lead author of the study, explains that when the light intensity surpasses a certain threshold, the device enters a state called negative differential resistance.
This triggers large amplitude voltage oscillations, meaning the incoming light signal is converted into rhythmic electrical bursts, mirroring the firing patterns of biological neurons.
According to Jacob, conventional neuromorphic hardware relies on intricate circuits that integrate separate memory components and oscillators to mimic how biological neurons process information, which in turn increases the system’s size, power consumption, and complexity.
!summarize #disney #shopping #entertainment
Future potential and real-world uses
Another fundamental reason why the device stands out is that its behavior mimics processes found in living organisms. The scientists compared this to the rhythmic bursts of neuronal activity that help dragonflies track prey and the oscillatory bursts in mammals essential for sensory processing and brain coordination.
They believe that by replicating these natural burst firing patterns in hardware, they are paving the way for bioinspired artificial vision systems which allow machines to see, understand, and respond to their surroundings, powered by miniaturized, energy-efficient technology.
!summarize #germany #tesla #ev #fires
This led to the birth of the Miller-Urey hypothesis, which suggests that life on Earth began when simple chemicals in the ocean came in contact with energy sources like lightning. According to the hypothesis, the reaction may have led to the formation of the first organic molecules which formed the basis of life on our planet.
Life from lightning—this may sound baffling, but a new study also provides evidence suggesting Miller and Urey may have been right. Researchers who undertook the study argue that when scientists think about the Miller-Urey hypothesis, what comes to their mind is big lightning strikes, but this may not have been the case. Instead, tiny sparks of light from waterfalls or crashing waves gave birth to life.
The power of tiny flashes
To capture the microlightning resulting from chemical reaction—which are too faint for the human eye to see—the team used high-speed cameras. Despite their small size, these flashes or sparks held a lot of energy.
Next, the researchers tested their effect. They sprayed room-temperature water into a mixture of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ammonia, and methane (gases believed to have existed on early Earth). As expected, microlightning naturally occurred when the water droplets interacted with the gas mixture
!summarize #billmaher #tariffs #trump
Tensions between Brussels and Beijing have grown since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the EU accusing China of backing the Kremlin, the FT said. Last year, the European Union also imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports.
China's Foreign Ministry and the EU did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
"Informal discussions are ongoing, both about setting the date for the EU-China summit this year and the level of representation," an EU official told the newspaper, while the Chinese ministry was quoted as saying it did not have any information to provide on the matter.
!summarize #snowwhite #piersmorgan #hollywood #disney
But Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized this month that it is the "net effect" of policy changes that will matter for both the economy and monetary policy.
Analysts widely expect the central bank to hold the benchmark lending rate steady at 4.25 percent to 4.50 percent, after similarly doing so in January.
"Recent Fed commentary has reinforced a wait-and-see approach, with officials signaling little urgency to adjust policy as they assess the economic impact of recent policy shifts," said EY chief economist Gregory Daco.
!summarize #snowwhite #movie #hollywood #disney
The Fed has previously kept rates elevated to tamp down inflation. Cutting rates, conversely, typically stimulates economic activity, providing a boost to growth.
"It's a bit of a dilemma for the Fed," Pearce said, as there could be conflicting signals.
ING analysts expect the Fed to signal its base case remains two 25 basis point cuts this year, noting "there is no pressing need for additional rate cuts given that unemployment is low and inflation is still tracking hot."
In February, government data showed that the unemployment rate was a relatively low 4.1 percent, with the labor market remaining stable.
The consumer price index -- a gauge of inflation -- came in at 2.8 percent for February as well, cooler than expected but still some distance from officials' two percent target.
This boosts expectations that the Fed would proceed cautiously as it seeks to lower inflation sustainably.
Inflation is "likely to remain above target through the rest of the year given the impetus from tariffs," ING analysts expect.
They warned in a recent note that the use of levies could "escalate significantly" as Trump seeks to bring manufacturing back to US shores, potentially triggering price hikes.
!summarize #msnbc #joyreid #rachelmaddow #media #cablenews
"Powell may find it difficult to reaffirm that the economy is 'holding up just fine,' and that it 'doesn't need us to do anything,'" Daco added in a note.
Looking ahead, he warned that the Fed's policy stance could shift rapidly with economic conditions.
"A reactionary monetary policy stance means policy direction could rapidly turn more dovish on weaker economic and labor market data, just like it could turn hawkish with hotter inflation readings," he said.
But Fed Chair Jerome Powell emphasized this month that it is the "net effect" of policy changes that will matter for both the economy and monetary policy.
Analysts widely expect the central bank to hold the benchmark lending rate steady at 4.25 percent to 4.50 percent, after similarly doing so in January.
"Recent Fed commentary has reinforced a wait-and-see approach, with officials signaling little urgency to adjust policy as they assess the economic impact of recent policy shifts," said EY chief economist Gregory Daco.
Powell himself has said that policymakers are focused on separating signal from noise as the outlook evolves.
!summarize #newtgingrich #politics #left #history
"We do not need to be in a hurry, and we are well positioned to wait for greater clarity," the Fed chief added in a recent speech in New York.
Economist Michael Pearce at Oxford Economics said he expects the Fed will not want to "overreact" to early signs that inflation may pick up, or to indications that the economy is weakening more quickly than anticipated.
The Fed has previously kept rates elevated to tamp down inflation. Cutting rates, conversely, typically stimulates economic activity, providing a boost to growth.
"It's a bit of a dilemma for the Fed," Pearce said, as there could be conflicting signals.
ING analysts expect the Fed to signal its base case remains two 25 basis point cuts this year, noting "there is no pressing need for additional rate cuts given that unemployment is low and inflation is still tracking hot."
In February, government data showed that the unemployment rate was a relatively low 4.1 percent, with the labor market remaining stable.
The consumer price index -- a gauge of inflation -- came in at 2.8 percent for February as well, cooler than expected but still some distance from officials' two percent target.
This boosts expectations that the Fed would proceed cautiously as it seeks to lower inflation sustainably.
Inflation is "likely to remain above target through the rest of the year given the impetus from tariffs," ING analysts expect.
They warned in a recent note that the use of levies could "escalate significantly" as Trump seeks to bring manufacturing back to US shores, potentially triggering price hikes.
Pearce of Oxford Economics expects that the economy is strong enough to weather a downturn from tariffs -- meaning the Fed will unlikely be forced to respond to weakening conditions.
But there remains a risk that more weakness comes through, he said, and that the Fed "will react to a growth scare and loosen policy sooner."
Daco of EY said Powell "will have to tap dance around policy uncertainty and its cousin market volatility" in a press conference after the Fed's rate decision is announced Wednesday.
“The Trump factor is the reason for the trip. The Trump factor towers over everything else Carney must deal with,” said Nelson Wiseman, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto.
The 59-year-old former central banker will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Monday and later travel to London to sit down with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer in an effort to diversify trade and perhaps coordinate a response to Trump's tariffs.
He will also meet with King Charles III, the head of state in Canada. The trip to England is a bit a homecoming, as Carney is a former governor of the Bank of England, the first noncitizen to be named to the role in the bank’s 300-plus-year history.
Carney then travels to the edge of Canada's Arctic to “reaffirm Canada’s Arctic security and sovereignty” before returning to Ottawa where he's expected to call an election within days.
!summarize #japan #worldwar2 #history #war
Carney has said he’s ready to meet with Trump if he shows respect for Canadian sovereignty. He said he doesn’t plan to visit Washington at the moment but hopes to have a phone call with the president soon.
Sweeping tariffs of 25% and Trump’s talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have infuriated Canadians, and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can.
Carney's government is reviewing the purchase of U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets in light of Trump’s trade war.
The governing Liberal Party had appeared poised for a historic election defeat this year until Trump declared economic war and repeatedly has said Canada should become the 51st state. Now the party and its new leader could come out on top.
Béland said Arctic sovereignty is also a key issue for Canada.
“President Trump’s aggressive talk about both Canada and Greenland and the apparent rapprochement between Russia, a strong Arctic power, and the United States under Trump have increased anxieties about our control over this remote yet highly strategic region,” Béland said.
A main question for Republican senators is whether they can meet or exceed the $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion in spending cuts over the next decade laid out in the budget blueprint for the Trump agenda that squeaked through the Republican-controlled House of Representatives last month.
"We have a lot of people who would like to go a lot farther, some who would like not to go that far," Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota told reporters.
Hardline House Republicans say they are ready to block any Senate budget blueprint that does not safeguard their spending cuts.
Hanging in the balance is the future of Medicaid, a politically risky source of savings for Republicans that benefits more than 35 million Americans in states Trump won in the 2024 election, a Reuters analysis of Medicaid data shows.
!summarize #china #students #college #visa
!summarize #ellendegeneres #robschneideer #megynkelly #hollywood
The program, funded jointly by federal and state governments, covers one in five Americans. It cost the federal government $618 billion last year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, making it the third largest line item after the Medicare program for older Americans and the Social Security retirement program.
Some Republicans think adequate spending cuts can be achieved only by overhauling Medicaid, vowing to improve the program rather than cut benefits. Others would rather see social safety net programs preserved - especially at a time of a growing recession risk.
Senator Ron Wyden, top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said Trump talked often about helping the middle class while on the campaign trail. “When the campaign is over, they’re back to helping people at the top and paying for it by sticking it to folks of modest means,” said the Oregon Democrat. He described the Republican tax-cutting plans "back to supercharging trickle-down.”
!summarize #ai #software #technology #datainteroperability
House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to get the Trump agenda through Congress by early May, giving the Senate little time to agree on a budget blueprint that can pass muster with Johnson's narrow 218-214 House majority.
MEDICAID DIVIDE
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, who is responsible for producing the Senate blueprint, said matching the House on spending would require a Medicaid overhaul.
"If you don't reform Medicaid, I don't think you'll get there," Graham, of South Carolina, told reporters. "It needs to be reformed."
Not all Republicans agreed.
While a majority of House Republicans appear to be on board with changes to Medicaid, especially those in deeply conservative districts, Republican senators who serve broader statewide constituencies that include independents and Democrats have been slower to join the band wagon.
One proposal would scale back a 90% federal matching rate for Medicaid recipients covered through the Affordable Care Act to medical assistance rates available to traditional Medicaid beneficiaries, which vary between 50% and 77%.
"I'm in conversation right now with my state to see what kind of impacts that might have," said Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito, adding that she is wary of Medicaid changes.
About 28% of Capito's home state, West Virginia, is enrolled in Medicaid or a related program for low-income children, according to the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation.
Republicans have also discussed limiting Medicaid spending growth to the rate of medical inflation and limiting federal involvement to financial contributions with benefits defined by states.
"Medicaid needs to be looked at more systematically," said Tillis, who favors imposing work requirements on able-bodied adults.
"The concern that I have, that people say don't touch it, is they are literally creating a cliff for the beneficiaries who need it," the North Carolina Republican said. "It has to get on sound fiscal footing, and it can be done in a way that is not any of the doom and gloom that I've heard."
!summarize #deepseek #openai #ai #model #opensource
Newsom's podcast soared to the No. 3 Apple podcast spot after he disavowed men in women's sports in the Kirk interview. The podcast is now No. 2.
"I can't comprehend what he’s trying to accomplish if he's going to run for president as a Democrat," California Democrat strategist Steven Maviglio told the Post. "How do you win over Democratic voters by coddling the ultraright?"
It would be fine if it was "a thoughtful exchange of ideas and contrast of philosophies," Maviglio added, "but that's not what we’re getting.
"We’re getting somebody who's bragging about how close he is to the Republicans on issues. How that helps him in a Democratic primary is lost on me."
But conservatives know what it is: A way for him to look presidential after years of deep-seated resentment from the right, Savage told Newsmax earlier this week.
Newsom's pitch comes as Democrats are in disarray, struggling to catch up with the fast-moving first 100 days of President Donald Trump's return to the White House. This week there was a quiet revolt against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., for his refusal to shut down the government on Trump.
Critics have noted for weeks that Democrats are "leaderless" and "rudderless," as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at this week's weekly House GOP press briefing.
California Republican strategist Rob Stutzman said Newsom's anti-Trump stance needed a hard pivot, because Trump remains popular not only in his base but the often-forgotten middle.
!summarize #jimmybutler #goldenstate #warriors #nba #miami #heat
"Newsom has a history of being a politician that will adapt to changing circumstances,” Stutzman told The Hill. "I think he's figured out the way forward for a politician like him, if he's going to run for president, is probably to start exploring, will anyone follow him into a lane that is more dismissive, particularly on culture, of where the Democrats have been for the past decade?"
Newsom clearly knows the Democrats' ways the past few cycles did not work.
"It's an opportunity to communicate with people directly," Newsom told reporters this week. "The world's changed. We need to change with it.
"We've got to do things differently, keep iterating."
Democrats' favorability has dropped 20 points since January 2021 when Biden first took office after Jan. 6, falling now to 29% – a record low dating back to 1992 when former President Bill Clinton came in to defeat sitting President George H.W. Bush. The Republican Party had held the White House for three full terms through former President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush before Clinton was elected in 1992.
Democrats and Democrat-siding independents give their own leaders just 63% favorability, which is down from 72% in January and 81% at the start of the Biden administration.
Republicans are far more happy with their leaders, as 79% of Republicans and GOP-siding independents have a favorable view of Republicans.