American Women Suck

— This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice. In 2023, Texas took a significant step forward in shaping the way complex commercial disputes are handled by introducing specialized business courts. With jurisdiction expanding in 2025, this development has profound implications for companies in Houston and across the state. For business leaders, understanding how these courts operate and why they matter is crucial for protecting corporate interests in an increasingly competitive environment. The Rise of Texas Business Courts Business courts are not new in the United States. Several states, including Delaware and New York, have established specialized courts to streamline commercial litigation and provide consistency in business rulings. Texas has now joined this group, aiming to provide a more efficient venue for resolving corporate disputes. Traditionally, business disputes were handled in general civil courts, often leading to lengthy proceedings and inconsistent outcomes due to the broad range of cases judges were required to oversee. The creation of Texas business courts addresses this gap by dedicating judges with expertise in commercial law to focus solely on business disputes. This shift offers Houston companies greater predictability and efficiency in litigation. For firms navigating high-stakes disputes, the ability to rely on a specialized court system reduces uncertainty and promotes confidence in Texas as a business-friendly state. Expanded Jurisdiction: What It Covers The expanded jurisdiction of Texas business courts is particularly relevant for Houston, home to some of the nation’s most dynamic industries, including energy, healthcare, and technology. These courts now have authority over a wide array of disputes, such as shareholder actions, fiduciary duty claims, trade secret litigation, and disputes involving complex contracts exceeding statutory thresholds. With these courts focusing exclusively on corporate matters, companies can expect rulings that reflect a deep understanding of commercial realities. For businesses involved in intricate cases, working with a business litigation attorney Houston executives trust becomes more critical than ever, as expertise in navigating this specialized forum will often shape the outcome of the case. Implications for Houston Companies For Houston-based corporations and entrepreneurs, the implications of expanded business court jurisdiction are significant. First, companies may see faster resolution times, as these courts are designed to manage cases without the backlog common in general civil dockets. This efficiency not only reduces costs but also allows businesses to refocus resources on growth rather than protracted legal battles. Second, specialized rulings may encourage more consistent outcomes. Judges assigned to these courts are expected to bring strong commercial law backgrounds, which means decisions will likely align with established business principles and precedents. This consistency benefits Houston’s business community by reducing unpredictability in litigation. Finally, the presence of business courts may influence where companies choose to file suit. Houston corporations now have stronger incentives to litigate within Texas rather than seeking out-of-state jurisdictions. For companies engaged in high-value disputes, partnering with a Texas business law firm that understands both the local business climate and the new court structure can provide a decisive advantage. Strategic Considerations Going Forward As business courts gain traction, Houston companies should take proactive steps. General counsel and executives are encouraged to review their dispute resolution strategies and ensure they are aligned with the new judicial framework. This includes assessing contracts, governance structures, and risk management protocols in light of the expanded jurisdiction. Engaging early with a business litigation attorney Houston companies already rely on can provide valuable insight into how these courts will affect specific industries. By anticipating how disputes may be viewed under the new system, businesses can better position themselves for favorable outcomes. At the same time, companies should recognize the importance of choosing a Texas business law firm with proven litigation experience. These firms not only bring courtroom expertise but also provide strategic counsel that aligns legal decisions with broader business objectives. Conclusion The establishment and expanded jurisdiction of Texas business courts mark a pivotal moment in the state’s legal landscape. For Houston companies, this development means greater efficiency, consistency, and predictability in resolving business disputes. However, success in this new environment depends on working with legal professionals who understand both the intricacies of business litigation and the opportunities presented by specialized courts. As these courts begin to shape the future of Texas commerce, companies that adapt early—guided by the counsel of experienced attorneys—will be best positioned to protect their interests and thrive in Houston’s competitive market. — This content is brought to you by Sky Link Building iStockPhoto The post Texas Business Courts — Expanded Jurisdiction and What It Means for Houston Companies appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The slice of students who question the value of college education due to AI. For the other 82%, tuition is still worth the price of ramen and crippling debt. Students treat AI more like a nerdy tutor than an academic hit man. Half say it muddies their thinking, a quarter say it sharpens it. The post 18% appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

🛑 Don’t trust that form: Listen, if a Google Form ever asks for your bank info or logins? Close it immediately. Scammers are churning these out because they look clean, official, even hosted on Google’s real servers. Stanford staff fell for one already. Think of it this way: Forms are for pizza orders, not your Social Security number. The post Don’t trust that form appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

— In today’s crowded digital world, consumers are no longer satisfied with passive advertising. They want brands that connect with them on an emotional and memorable level. This is where experiential marketing comes in. Unlike traditional marketing strategies that rely on ads, emails, or static content, experiential marketing creates immersive experiences that allow people to interact with a brand in real time. Whether it’s through pop-up activations, live events, or creative brand installations, experiential marketing goes beyond selling a product—it creates moments people want to talk about, share, and remember. Defining Experiential Marketing Experiential marketing is a strategy that focuses on creating direct interactions between a brand and its audience. Instead of just telling consumers about a product or service, it invites them to engage with it through experiences. For example, when a beverage company sets up an interactive tasting event at a music festival, it’s not just handing out free samples—it’s creating a lasting connection tied to fun, music, and community. This type of marketing leverages the psychology of human memory. People are more likely to remember a brand when they associate it with positive emotions, unexpected surprises, or meaningful activities. That is why many businesses in the United States are turning to a specialized experiential marketing agency to help design campaigns that leave an impact. These agencies are skilled at creating experiences that not only capture attention but also strengthen brand loyalty. Why Brands Are Turning to Experiential Marketing Brands across industries are quickly realizing that consumers are craving experiences over things. Millennials and Gen Z, in particular, value connection, authenticity, and storytelling. They are less likely to respond to banner ads or TV commercials but more likely to share their excitement when they attend an exclusive launch event or participate in an interactive campaign. Experiential marketing allows companies to bridge the gap between digital and physical touchpoints. When a consumer attends an event, they don’t just experience the brand in the moment—they also extend the experience online by posting about it on social media. This ripple effect amplifies a brand’s visibility far beyond the people physically present. For this reason, many experiential marketing companies have become central players in modern advertising strategies, helping businesses maximize both in-person engagement and digital reach. The Role of Technology in Experiential Campaigns Technology has expanded the possibilities of experiential marketing. Augmented reality, virtual reality, and AI-driven activations are bringing new layers of interaction to brand experiences. A retail store can now use AR mirrors to allow customers to virtually try on clothes, while a car company can use VR headsets to simulate a test drive without stepping into a vehicle. These advancements not only make campaigns more innovative but also provide measurable data. Through apps, QR codes, or digital check-ins, brands can track engagement levels, gather customer insights, and adjust strategies in real time. A well-crafted campaign from a trusted experiential marketing agency ensures that technology is used as a tool to enhance, not overshadow, the human connection at the core of the experience. Building Emotional Connections At its heart, experiential marketing is about emotion. A brand that makes a consumer feel joy, excitement, or a sense of belonging will naturally earn loyalty. Think of iconic campaigns like Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke,” which allowed people to find their names on bottles and connect with friends over a personalized drink. The campaign went viral not just because of the product but because of the personal experiences it created. In the U.S., where competition among brands is fierce, these emotional connections are a powerful differentiator. Consumers want to feel seen and valued, and brands that deliver on this expectation through authentic experiences gain a competitive edge. This is precisely why more organizations are partnering with leading experiential marketing companies to craft experiences that speak directly to their audience. The Future of Experiential Marketing The future of experiential marketing is set to grow as brands continue to shift from product-focused messaging to people-focused storytelling. As the line between digital and physical continues to blur, hybrid experiences will play an even larger role. A brand activation might include both a live event and a virtual component, ensuring accessibility for audiences across the country. For U.S. companies, this means embracing flexibility and creativity while keeping the consumer at the center. The rise of sustainability also influences experiential campaigns, with eco-friendly installations and green event practices becoming more common. Brands that show they care about the planet while engaging their audience are more likely to win consumer trust. Conclusion Experiential marketing has become one of the most powerful tools for brands that want to stand out in a competitive market. It goes beyond advertising and enters the realm of real human connection, where memories and emotions fuel long-term loyalty. From immersive pop-ups to digital activations, the opportunities are endless for businesses willing to step outside traditional marketing boundaries. By partnering with a forward-thinking experiential marketing agency, brands can design experiences that capture attention, drive engagement, and generate lasting impressions. As more experiential marketing companies rise to meet this demand, one thing is clear: consumers don’t just want to buy products anymore—they want to experience them. — This content is brought to you by Sky Link Building Photo provided by the author. The post What Experiential Marketing is All About and Why Brands Want It appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Michael Ashley Schulman, CFA, Chief Investment Officer of Running Point Capital Advisors, offers expert insight into current global financial dynamics. Schulman offers timely insights into macroeconomic trends, US fiscal policy, and the global tech landscape. In this in-depth July 2025 interview, economist Michael Ashley Schulman analyzes how US–China and US–UK trade negotiations contributed to record equity market highs despite geopolitical volatility. He explores the US dollar’s decline, driven by fiscal policy under Trump’s administration, and highlights mixed progress in bilateral trade talks. As of mid-2025, the U.S. imposed a 10% baseline tariff on nearly all imports with reciprocal rates up to 50% striking about 66 countries, later widening to hundreds of products and hinting at semiconductor duties up to 300%. Supply chains shift toward friendshoring, regional “slowbalization,” and complex rerouting, pushing costs higher while accelerating automation and AI logistics. India moves from favored to targeted: a 25% reciprocal tariff effective August 7 plus an added 25% penalty August 27; a ₹40 billion credit guarantee barely helps. Equities rallied on strong earnings and rate-cut hopes. Institutional credibility still dictates capital, valuations, and resilience. Interview conducted August 28, 2025. Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How might the U.S. tariffs on 66 countries reshape global supply chains? Michael Ashley Schulman: U.S. Tariff Route 66! You’re poking at a wonderfully twisted question, and tariffs are indeed the quirkiest of tax pirates! The original Route 66 begins in Chicago, Illinois and ends in Santa Monica, California. The Tariff Route 66 is global (and possibly unending). Let’s unravel this windy knot with clarity and snark. As of mid‑2025, the U.S. has imposed tariffs on imports from approximately 66 countries, plus there are broader baseline tariffs affecting many more, stretching to nearly every trading partner. So, the perceived number is higher than 66. On April 2, 2025—Liberation Day—the administration slapped a 10% baseline tariff on nearly all imports, with additional reciprocal tariffs (up to 50%) aimed at around 60 countries and territories. Fast forward to later in the summer, and things got juicier. A report flagged 66 countries, the European Union, Taiwan, and even the Falkland Islands—all hit with these sweeping tariffs. In case you are wondering, we import frozen seafood and wool from the Falklands. I just wanted to set the scene; now to get to the heart of your question regarding supply chains. We gave a heads-up and restarted the tariff conversation with our family office clients last year when Trump started climbing in the presidential polls and betting sites. Tariffs are like boulders dropped into the river of global trade; they don’t stop the flow, but they force it to twist and carve new channels. When the U.S. slaps tariffs on countries, it doesn’t just mean American importers pay more. Yes, that’s right, U.S. tariffs are a tax paid by the American buyers of foreign goods; they are not paid by the foreign sellers. There is a misconception that it’s foreign countries or foreign companies that directly pay the tariffs we impose but that’s not the case. Buyers can ask foreign sellers for concessions or price breaks which in turn creates thousands of inefficient private one-off discussions and negotiations. Tariffs set off a chain reaction through production networks, logistics routes, and even diplomatic alliances. Let’s unpack the supply chain chessboard this creates. Companies already dabbling friendshoring (moving production to politically friendly nations) will accelerate the trend. For example, instead of importing directly from China, firms might ship components to Mexico for final assembly, exploiting USMCA trade rules. Think of it as the corporate version of routing your Amazon delivery through your office or a neighbor’s door to dodge a porch pirate. When tariffs get this broad, supply chains don’t just move, they camouflage. Goods might be rerouted through intermediary countries with lighter trade frictions. This means more complex customs paperwork, longer shipping times, and the birth of creative labeling schemes–Is this really a Turkish washing machine, or a Chinese one wearing a fez? Fragmentation of global networks means that instead of the old “just in time” model which relied on scale and seamless flows, firms may regionalize supply chains into Americas-centric, Europe-centric, and Asia-centric networks. That reduces efficiency but increases resilience; call it “slowbalization.” ​**No, I didn’t make up that term–wish I had–it’s been around since at least 2019.** Imagine supply chains less like a spiderweb and more like a patchwork quilt, stitched with thicker threads within each bloc. These shifts in commodity and component sourcing mean that Southeast Asia may capture even more of the semiconductor assembly and testing work once clustered in China and Taiwan. When it comes to cars, North American suppliers may see a renaissance, though at higher consumer prices. And tariff hit energy and minerals producers may dump excess supply into China, Japan, Korea, or the EU at discount prices, redrawing resource maps. We tell the business owners that we advise that tariff knock-on effects could be felt on inflation and innovation with higher input costs rippling into consumer goods, tightening margins and raising prices. Some firms will pass costs along, others will eat them, and some may decide it’s cheaper to automate domestically rather than chase tariff-free factories abroad. Ironically, that could accelerate robotics, AI logistics, and micro-factories close to end consumers. Geopolitically, countries outside the tariff dragnet suddenly become highly attractive trade partners. Trade alliances may shift, with U.S. allies and China potentially finding themselves on the same side of a U.S.-imposed wall. It’s supply chain War Games with blocs fighting for survival and market share. The tariffs won’t stop globalization, but they’ll warp it. Expect higher costs, slower flows, and more regional clustering. The real story isn’t just about where your phone is made, but how many passports its components rack up before it lands in your pocket. Funny enough, what may matter most here in the U.S. is the Fed lowering interest rates so that corporations can better afford the financing to build domestic factories and automate with robotics. I could easily transition into one of my past harped on economic themes: that at this point in the US cycle, lower interest rates are not inflationary, but deflationary because they make manufacturing (and goods production) much more affordable. Lower interest rates would make this entire manufacturing at-home transition much more affordable. In a BEST-case world, companies quickly lean into “friendshoring,” routing final assembly to tariff-friendly hubs while scaling U.S. advanced manufacturing in semiconductors and automation; costs stabilize after a short inflation bump. The more likely BASE-case is patchwork regionalization where firms split their supply webs into Americas, Euro-Med, and Indo-Pacific blocs, rationalize product lines, and use tariff-hopping via compliant final assembly. Inflation stays a notch higher, but the system adjusts around a permanent tax wedge. The WORST-case is transshipment games and retaliation where Washington cracks down with anti-circumvention cases, partners respond in kind, and global supply chains fragment further, raising costs, bloating inventories, and eroding productivity; I believe that goods found to be transshipped to evade tariffs face a 40% tariff, plus potential additional penalties. The unstable current and warped planning is evident in fresh POTUS tweets and ever-changing frameworks. Case-in-point, India recently moved from friendshoring candidate to tariff-challenged for U.S.-bound supply chains. On July 31, 2025, the White House issued an order that set India’s reciprocal tariff at 25%, effective August 7, 2025 (it replaces the 10% baseline for India). A separate Russia-related action issued the following week adds an extra 25% “penalty” tariff on Indian-origin goods effective August 27, 2025, bringing the stacked additional duty to 50% on many items. Near-term reroutes may tilt harder toward USMCA (Mexico/Canada) and select Southeast Asia lanes, with stricter origin/compliance work to avoid anti-circumvention snags. Recently (last Friday), President Donald Trump stunned by turning a narrow steel and aluminum cover charge into an all-you-can-tariff buffet, slapping more than four hundred everyday items—from motorcycles to tableware—while giving customs brokers and importers roughly zero runway; the duties hit the next business day with no mercy for goods already at sea. The net now snags a bewildering array of items, a flex of how far sector tariffs can stretch, and it sits apart from the so-called reciprocal play. This tranche goes broad and oddly domestic, tagging cargo-handling gear, auto parts, furniture, baby booster seats, and personal care that merely arrives in metal tins, a quiet pivot in how steel and aluminum derivatives get policed. The real bruise is not just the rate but the maze of overlapping levies, shifting codes, and a budgeting and compliance tax that never shows up on the price tag. Think supply chain escape room meets pop quiz, where the room keeps moving and the answers are buried in customs footnotes. Trump also said semiconductor tariffs will be set in the next couple weeks that could reach 300%. Surprise complexities like this are a true challenge to business planning; semiconductors are used by everyone. Jacobsen: Why did markets rally in spite of the escalating tariff tensions? Schulman: Tariffs were the distraction, not the main concern; or to quote an adage, it’s the economy stupid. Stocks rallied not because tariffs disappeared but because louder music drowned them out; second quarter profits beat the script, led by cash rich platforms riding the artificial intelligence wave, which eased recession jitters and floated valuations, while July consumer price data kept dreams of gentler policy alive. Investors judged the tariff hit as a manageable tax wedge, with many companies passing costs along, rerouting final assembly to friendlier ports, or enjoying a bit of home field protection. Profits and policy hope headlined the show, tariffs opened as the bad warm up act, but the market left singing along with the catchy headliner hits. Despite tariff confusion, economic growth was a strong 3% in the second quarter, unemployment remains reasonably low, and investors keep hoping and expecting a Federal Reserve interest rate cut which would help risk assets to rally further. Even though the Fed has sorely disappointed many observers by not cutting rates so far this year, it just makes those forecasters even more adamant that the Fed will cut at the next meeting. I don’t know if it’s a case of misplaced hope or just adamant belief like the person that never takes “no” for an answer. Jacobsen: Are U.S. tariffs on Indian exports a protectionist decision or a geopolitical calculation? Schulman: Both, in stereo. The 25% reciprocal rate on India is classic home turf protection dressed up as fairness, with the White House saying it aims to fix lopsided deficits and shore up domestic industry and national security. An extra 25% that starts on August 27 is a geopolitical lever disguised as a customs bill tied to India’s intake of Russian crude and meant to raise the price of neutrality. Think of the United States as the club owner who loves to talk about open doors while quietly hiking the cover charge at the velvet rope; that is the protection part, a not so free trade that is really fee trade to shield the local D.J or band and keep the margins fat. Now add geopolitics as the doorman whispering rules that change if you roll up with the wrong entourage; buy your oil at the rival bar and the cover doubles later this month. It is where the host smiles for your selfie-photo and then hands you a bill marked duty calls. The goal is to push India to pick a lane and to pay up if it will not, while telling voters this is fairness not a food fight. Snark aside, it is one maneuver with two payoffs, pricing power at the port and pressure on the gameboard. Jacobsen: Will India’s ₹40 billion credit guarantee scheme offset the damage caused by the tariffs? Schulman: Ughhhh, doubtful! India seems more complex from a demographic and corporate perspective than the U.S. Short answer, no, this is duct tape on a cracked dam. The forty billion rupees planned credit guarantee covers only a sliver of bank risk on loans that are late for small exporters, which helps cash flow but does not erase a price handicap at the dock. India sold nearly $80 billion of goods to America last year—maybe check me on that—and more than half of that flow now runs into the new tariff wall, with many items facing a stacked 50% hit by late August, which means a tariff bill in the tens of billions that no guarantee can wish away. Think of it like trying to beat a luxury surcharge with a store credit card, nice for the points, useless against the sticker shock. The scheme may keep some textile and jewelry firms on life support and buy time while banks and ministries triage, but the arithmetic still screams relocation, re-pricing, or lost share until the policy weather changes. I may need to explain this better since as I mentioned earlier, it is the importer that writes the check to the U.S. government. However, as I also mentioned, tariffs create thousands of inefficient private negotiations to split the tariff bill at the figurative dinner table. It’s tricky. Tariff incidence is a tug-of-war over margins and volume. If the importer can push prices to shoppers, the consumer pays; if demand balks, the importer leans on the supplier to cut the export price, so the exporter eats part of it; if a cheaper substitute exists in a friendlier country, the Indian exporter just loses the order and pays with lost revenue, which is the most expensive currency of all! The credit guarantee helps cash flow for firms that survive this do-or-die reality show round, but it does not erase the wedge at the dock or bring back the orders that never ship. Jacobsen: Are central banks beginning a newer phase of synchronized global monetary easing? Schulman: No, not beginning because many central banks already have begun, but it is not a synchronized huddle so much as a messy café crowd where some friends are sipping decaf lattes, others are in the back staring at the menu, and one big one is insisting on full throttle double espresso. The Federal Reserve has held steady so far in 2025 and is still evaluating options, Europe pressed pause after a string of reductions, the Bank of England cut a quarter point on August 6, the Bank of Canada last cut in March to 2.75%, and Japan is the odd caffeinating one tiptoeing toward normalization by raising rates rather than easing. You may recall that in March 2024, after 17 years, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) ended its negative interest rate policy and raised short-term interest rates to between 0% and 0.1%; they further raised rates in mid-2024 and the beginning of 2025. Across emerging markets the crowd is decaffeinating. The backdrop enabler has been a significantly weaker U.S. dollar brought about by President Trump’s tariff and fiscal turmoil which has eased currency and inflation pressure enough for several emerging central banks to ease without inviting a run on their exchange rates. A weaker U.S. dollar makes it easier for EMs to repay their dollar denominated debt and allows them to lower interest rates without causing their local currency to weaken relative to the dollar. I believe Mexico recently cut rates again, Chile restarted cuts in July, Colombia, Peru, and the Czech Republic trimmed in the spring. China is playing its own tune, loosening with a reserve-requirement cut and a small policy tweak while keeping lending benchmarks steady and leaning on property and consumer-credit support rather than a big-bang rate slash. Jacobsen: What happens if the U.S.–China tariff moratorium expires and then there’s no renewal? Schulman: Possibly more tweets, more threats, and more suspension of belief by the market. Formulaically, however, if the truce lapses, the playlist flips from lo-fi détente to speed-metal tariffs in one beat. Suspended China-specific hikes snap back above the 10% baseline, import costs on China-origin goods jump, and buyers reroute or cancel orders while compliance folks start mainlining antacids. It is not good for either side. Consumers and businesses can expect a quick price up bump in electronics, machinery, toys, furniture, and the like as importers test pass-through, plus more audits and seizures now that the small-parcel loophole is already shut for China and is ending broadly in August. No more hiding in the de minimis coat closet. On Beijing’s side, if I’m being strategic, a smart reply-guy move is to tighten the licensing spigot on gallium, germanium, graphite and other choke-point inputs. Call it death by paperwork delay rather than a headline ban. This will crimp critical battery, chip, and magnet supply. Markets would treat it like a risk-off squall or storm. American names with heavy China sourcing or sales take a valuation haircut, Mexico and other USMCA finishers get a sympathy bid, and the dollar-yuan vibe check gets spicy. The politics get louder and the supply chain math gets meaner; pay up, pivot to North America and parts of Southeast Asia, or eat the margin hit and pray for a holiday miracle. Think The Bear’s kitchen—the FX/Hulu series—at dinner rush where service is a beautiful panic; orders still go out, but there’s yelling, fire drills, triage, and a lot more burnt toast than anyone admits. Jacobsen: Are global equity record highs signaling a bubble? Schulman: That’s the funny thing about record highs, they only occur at or near record highs. We tell our family office clients that people point to this as a bad or scary thing, but by definition it is the only way it occurs. The tells that keep me out of the doomsday bunker are that breadth isn’t pure mania; the median stock still lags its peak and leadership is concentrated in a handful of heavyweights whose cash flows are actually growing. The counterpoint is equally real; the equity risk premium has thinned to a five-year low, so the cushion under prices is more yoga mat than mattress, and any mix of stickier inflation, a hawkish central-bank remix, or an earnings wobble could turn the bubbly into flat soda fast. Call it froth with fundamentals and not dot-com cosplay; it is just a market that needs the hits to keep coming. The U.S. economy is resilient,…and weird. From surging GDP estimates to a cooling manufacturing sector to high construction spending, the economy remains a study in contradictions. It is neither hot nor cold, but instead managing a strange, contradictory equilibrium—driving with one foot on the gas and the other hovering over the brake. For investors, this presents a balancing act. The Fed is still in restrictive mode, geopolitical risk is elevated, and yet the core economic engine refuses to sputter. We continue to position portfolios with an eye toward durability, quality earnings, balance sheet strength, growth, and select private opportunities, while maintaining flexibility to adapt as the macro picture evolves. We tell our family office clients that you have to separate individual nuances from broad trends in both the domestic and the international markets! Individual stocks trade up and down on subtleties; they report earnings it looks positive then management says something that makes the outlook cloudy and it goes down; maybe there’s a twist in margins or marketing expenses that cause analysts to turn favorable or negative. But the broad market seems to be in a melt up fueled by still high corporate margins and profits, consumers still spending, unemployment still relatively low, and the rate of change and shock from bad news declining. Maybe the news is worsening, but it’s getting worse at a lower rate. You also want to look at other risk-on indicators (or sentiment barometers). Bitcoin, Ethereum, and gold are near record highs, meme-stocks are making a comeback, e.g., Opendoor Technologies which has never seen profits had a 314% 6-day rise. And there have been over 200 U.S. IPOs already priced this year, double last year’s pace. U.S. companies have managed to sustain margins and the U.S. consumer continues to do what it does best, spend. Perhaps most telling, stock investors seem to reason that if bond markets aren’t concerned about the deficit-expanding potential of Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, neither should they be. Emerging country stocks and businesses—apologies if it seems like I’m rambling, there is just so much to cover—EM equity and bond markets have been propped by lower interest rates as a weaker U.S. dollar has allowed EM central banks to cut interest rates. Additionally, and importantly, a booming AI industry not only is a catalyst for chip and energy growth but also increasing productivity and margins for companies around the globe. Generative Ai may be American or Chinese, developed by Open Ai, Gemini, Anthropic or Baidu, Alibaba, DeepSeek, or SenseTime, but companies in Europe, South America, and the rest of Asia can tap into it to improve productivity and margins. AI is a great equalizer for businesses around the world; they don’t have to spend hundreds of billions to develop, it but can just tap in and rent it. Jacobsen: How is political interference in economic institutions affecting global investor confidence? What do you think about the region? Schulman: I may have mentioned this in a previous interview: government and politics, rule and law, are economic interference by definition. Perception on whether the intrusion is helpful or detrimental makes the difference. When politicians lean on the referees, markets start pricing in a rigged game. Confidence rides on boring, rules-based institutions; meddling swaps a predictable rulebook for improv, which investors translate into wider risk premiums, weaker currencies, and shallower capex. You can see the spectrum. Mexico’s push to elect judges spooked capital because it blurs contract enforcement; the peso told you what it thought in real time. Turkey is the flip side; after years of political cross-traffic, a hard pivot to orthodox policy rebuilt some credibility and the central bank keeps telegraphing price-stability first. For the Gulf and its neighbors, policy frameworks, dollar pegs, and steady reforms support low inflation and non-oil growth, and the International Monetary Fund keeps handing out gold stars for institutional upgrades. The United Arab Emirates continues to court capital with deepening foreign-ownership access and predictable legal venues, which is catnip for global allocators. Institutional credibility is the ultimate multiple-expander; it has been foundational to U.S. growth leadership or what some call exceptionalism. Where the rulebook is clear and insulated from the politics of the week, money stays sticky; where the scoreboard operator starts taking calls from the owner’s box, the cost of capital quietly drifts north. Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Michael. — Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978-1-0692343) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369-6885). He writes for The Good Men Project, International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN 0018-7399; Online: ISSN 2163-3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), A Further Inquiry, and other media. He is a member in good standing of numerous media organizations. *** If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project and want a deeper connection with our community, please join us as a Premium Member today. Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo by Gleb Khodiakov on Unsplash The post Global Trade and Finance 4: Tariffs, Rate Cuts, and Market Shifts appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Coming to an agreement with Kiev on key issues would be “practically impossible,” the Russian president has said There is little point in holding direct talks with Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said, adding that he is nonetheless prepared to do so. He made the remarks during the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Friday. Putin said reaching agreements with Kiev on key issues would be “practically impossible.” He explained that even with political will, there are “legal and technical difficulties” related to territorial questions. The president was referring to the status of Crimea and other regions that voted to join Russia in referendums in 2014 and 2022. “The leadership of the Kiev regime, to put it mildly, spoke of us in unflattering terms and ruled out any possibility of direct contacts. Now we see that they are asking for such contacts, or at least proposing them. I have said many times already that I am ready for these contacts,” Putin said, adding that he does not see “much sense in it.” Putin argued that any agreements with Kiev must be confirmed by referendum under Ukraine’s constitution. But to hold a referendum, the martial law imposed after the escalation of the conflict with Russia in February 2022 would need to be lifted. If this took place, presidential elections would have to be held, Putin said, again questioning Zelensky’s status as head of state. Zelensky’s presidential term expired last May, but he has refused to hold elections, citing martial law. “Therefore, this endless process leads nowhere. Nevertheless, we have said that we are ready for meetings at the highest level,” Putin noted. The Russian leader stressed that Moscow would be the best place for possible negotiations. “The Ukrainian side wants a meeting? Come! We will ensure security,” Putin said. Earlier this week, at a press conference in China, Putin reiterated his readiness in principle to meet with Zelensky, suggesting that he could travel to the Russian capital to negotiate peace terms. Kiev has rejected the proposal; according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga, Zelensky takes a possible meeting with Putin seriously and is ready “at any time,” but will not accept “deliberately unacceptable proposals.” View the full article

Buyers are building inventories as the EU considers measures to halt imports of fuels refined from Russian oil India’s diesel exports to Europe have more than doubled over the last year, reaching a maximum of 242,000 barrels per day, the Economic Times reported on Thursday, citing market data from two analytics firms. Kpler data showed that India’s diesel exports rose 73% from July and were 124% above the past year’s average. Similarly, Vortexa estimates India’s August diesel exports at 228,316 barrels per day, up 166% from last year and 36% higher than July. EU buyers have rushed to build inventories in anticipation of a ban on fuels refined from Russian crude, as part of potential sanctions, according to reports. The EU is weighing its 19th package of sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine conflict, which will also include countries that the bloc claims are helping Moscow bypass Western restrictions, according to multiple media reports. Russia has emerged as India’s key oil supplier since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022 – accounting for nearly 40% of India’s crude imports. In parallel, India has become a major exporter of refined fuels to Europe since 2023. Indian private companies import oil at a cheaper rate from Russia and sell refined products to Europe. US President Donald Trump has imposed duties on most Indian products, which include a 25% tariff announced in early August followed by an additional 25% levy last week, as a “penalty” for India’s purchases of Russian oil and defense equipment – actions Trump claims have indirectly fueled the Ukraine conflict. India, however, is set to increase its imports of Russian oil in September, Reuters reported last month. Sources quoted by the news agency said private Indian refiners Nayara Energy and Reliance Industries intend to raise their purchases by 10-20% over August levels, which would add an extra 150,000-300,000 barrels per day. Last month, Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, claimed India has no need to import Russian oil and accused the country of “profiteering” from the oil trade. View the full article

— Smartly planned security is an imperative in every industry. From VIP parties to hazardous building sites, professional security services are the key to safeguarding individuals, property, and business reputation. This is where the security hire concept comes into play, providing highly customized services to suit varied industry needs. Comprehending the Work of a Security Guard A security guard is more than a figure in a uniform, but an expert who is a trained professional who can assess threats, manage crises, and maintain order. A professional’s vigilant eye ensures safety and provides a risk-free environment. Businessmen more and more see that investing money in trained personnel is a reflection of professionalism and reliability. Security Hire for VIP Events VIP events require a special set of security measures and tools. Security guard hire is accompanied by specialized training in unobtrusive surveillance, crowd management, and response at a moment’s notice. Experts can balance intelligence activities with public visibility, and this is how the event organizers can offer unobtrusive security that will not interfere with the guest experience. Securing Building Sites using Security Hire Building sites are dangerous places. Expensive equipment, materials, and sensitive information are targets for burglary and theft. Employing security guards at these premises is a preventive intervention that eliminates the chances of losses. Security personnel on the premises perform critical roles such as: Securing gates and other points of entry Conducting regular checks Liaising with local police stations Enforcing compliance with safety regulations Avoiding accidents and ensuring a sense of responsibility among laborers In such a setting, a security guard is a valuable resource, safeguarding intangible and tangible assets. Adapting to Retail and Corporate Settings Shopping centers and office buildings have diverse security issues, including shoplifting, computer theft, and employee personal safety issues. In all cases, a professional security guard is a deterrent and a first response. Modern security hires can integrate access control systems, live monitoring, and response systems in emergencies. It means that organizations can provide safe spaces that give customers and employees confidence. Making the Right Security Hire Selecting the right provider involves careful consideration of experience, training, and industry specialization. A professional security guard company like UVS Group evaluates the potential threats, customizes service approaches, and continuously evolves in expectation of tomorrow’s threats. Whether the scenario calls for an exclusive VIP event, an active construction site, or a busy retail store, customized solutions ensure protection and peace of mind. By learning how security guards’ performances differ by industry, organizations can make more informed decisions for their security guard recruitment strategies. The right team not only guards assets—they maximize operational effectiveness, build public trust, and make environments safer for everyone. — This content is brought to you by Sky Link Building iStockPhoto The post From VIP Parties to Building Sites: The Evolution of Security Hire to Suit Every Industry appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The ban on prostitution has enabled abuses, activists supporting reform have argued South African sex workers and rights advocates have filed a lawsuit demanding the repeal of laws that criminalize prostitution, in a case that could change the legal status of the industry in the country for the first time in decades. The suit, brought by non-profit group Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) and an individual applicant identified as S.H., challenges the constitutionality of the 1957 Sexual Offenses Act, the 2007 Sexual Offenses Amendment Act, and Cape Town municipal by-laws that prohibit the selling and solicitation of sex. The applicants argue that criminalization violates rights to equality, dignity, and access to health and safety protections. Earlier this week, the Western Cape High Court admitted 16 civil society groups as amici curiae (friends of the court) to present arguments either supporting or opposing the case, which is scheduled to be heard in May 2026. The South African Minister of Justice, one of the defendants, has welcomed the court’s decision. Ministry spokesperson Terrence Manase said on Thursday the input from the organizations would help the court “arrive at a just and equitable judgment on the broader issue concerning the decriminalization of sex work,” local outlet IOL reported. The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and Sonke Gender Justice (Sonke), two of the admitted NGOs supporting the reform, claim sex workers are reluctant to report assaults for fear of being charged with sex work-related offenses. “The organizations will present evidence of sex workers’ lack of trust in the police and evidence of sexual violence and rape perpetrated by the police,” SECTION27, a human rights organization representing TAC, and Sonke said in a statement on Wednesday. However, Cause for Justice, which has labeled itself an “opposing party in the landmark prostitution court case,” said it would argue for the retention of the ban, because “prostitution constitutes the commodification of the human body, reducing people to commercial sex objects for the gratification of predatory individuals.” Most African countries criminalize sex work, though enforcement varies. Mozambique and Senegal permit regulated forms of prostitution, while South Africa has maintained a blanket ban since 1957. View the full article

You can smell Aspen before you see it. Not the pines or the crisp mountain air, but the signature hotel scents — bergamot, cedarwood, a whiff of oud diffused into lobbies where bellboys wear Rolexes under their white gloves. A hundred-dollar cocktail arrives at your table like an accessory, complete with a gold flake balanced on the ice. Bottega and Gucci bags outnumber the mountain-themed souvenirs. Men drape cashmere over their shoulders like they were born into it. Women glide past with Pilates legs and Botox-polished faces that carry no pores, no wrinkles, no margin for error. It’s indulgence, yes — but indulgence is only the backdrop. The real story here is the current running beneath it all: comparison. Walk the cobblestone streets and you’ll see cowboy hats worn with Italian loafers, fur coats sharing patios with denim jackets, art galleries tucked between ski shops. The town is eclectic, a blend of ranch and runway, but the common thread is the sideways glance. Everyone is noticing. Everyone is cataloging. It’s not judgment in the sneering sense. No one here is muttering about who is beneath them. It’s subtler, almost invisible. The energy is less they don’t belong and more do I? The gaze lingers just a beat too long on someone else’s watch, bag, or boots. It’s the quick calculation of where you rank in a room where everyone is already extraordinary. The quiet hum of one-upping, not with cruelty but with insecurity. What is it about wealth that requires constant vigilance? Getting there isn’t enough — you must stay there. Hold your ground. Keep climbing a mountain where the summit keeps shifting. A cashmere sweater is no longer warmth, it’s armor. A luxury watch isn’t about time, it’s about status. Even the laughter at dinner tables can feel just a little too loud, as if to cover the nerves about whether you measure up. And the strangest part? The same people who already “have it all” still seem to carry the weight of asking: Am I enough here? Aspen simply magnifies what all of us feel in quieter ways. In the suburbs, it’s not a Bottega bag — it’s the granite kitchen island. It’s not a Rolex — it’s the SUV in the carpool lane. It’s not a $100 cocktail — it’s the latte in the reusable tumbler that proves you’re eco-conscious and stylish. At work, it’s who gets cc’d on the important emails. At church, it’s who volunteers most visibly. On social media, it’s who booked the “right” kind of vacation or hit the milestones in the “right” order. Different costumes, same theater. We are all taking inventory. We are all glancing sideways. Aspen reveals a truth most of us already know but rarely say out loud: comparison doesn’t vanish with success. It scales with it. The middle-class mom comparing her Target sandals to another mom’s Tory Burch flats is no different from the Aspen skier comparing her Gucci puffer to someone else’s Fendi one. The stakes feel higher, but the human ache is the same. It’s the quiet, restless question humming underneath: Am I better? Am I enough? Do I stand out here? And maybe that’s the most decadent indulgence of all — the belief that being “on top” will finally silence that question, when in reality, it only amplifies it. As I walked through town, it struck me that the mountain itself doesn’t notice. The aspens whisper in the same wind, the snow falls indifferently, the peaks stand tall whether a man drapes cashmere over his shoulders or a tourist buys a beanie from a souvenir shop. The mountain doesn’t keep score. Only we do. Maybe Aspen is less about wealth and more about the mirror it holds up to the rest of us. A reminder that comparison is the most democratic sport there is — played in penthouses and cul-de-sacs alike. And maybe the truest freedom isn’t climbing higher, but learning, finally, to stop looking sideways. — This post was previously published on medium.com. Love relationships? We promise to have a good one with your inbox. Subcribe to get 3x weekly dating and relationship advice. Did you know? We have 8 publications on Medium. Join us there! Hello, Love (relationships) Change Becomes You (Advice) A Parent is Born (Parenting) Equality Includes You (Social Justice) Greener Together (Environment) Shelter Me (Wellness) Modern Identities (Gender, etc.) Co-Existence (World) *** – Photo credit: Matthew TenBruggencate On Unsplash The post What a Trip to Aspen Taught Me About the Wealthy appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Norm Van Eeden Petersman Q: Is this housing or office or retail? A: It shouldn’t matter as long as it’s allowed to be what it needs to be at any given point in time. A colleague once asked Jeff Siegler if people should be allowed to live on the first floor of a downtown building. His answer was unequivocal: “No, people shouldn’t live on the first floor downtown.” In his view, the ground floor is the “face of the city.” As a gathering place and marketplace, the ground floor functions as the living room of community life. Fill it with couches, cardboard boxes, or “Shhh, baby sleeping” signs, and you kill the very energy that makes downtowns special. Siegler has written and spoken extensively about these issues on LinkedIn, where I follow his work, and within the communities where he does the difficult work of trying to spark real change. His perspective is not theoretical. These are hard-won lessons learned through years of seeing what does and does not work when communities try to bring their downtowns back to life. We would be foolish to dismiss his warnings. At the same time, Strong Towns thinking leads me to resist a “never” posture. Zoning codes, while originally intended to mitigate nuisances, too often end up freezing neighborhoods in place. They regulate uses so tightly that buildings can no longer serve as flexible shells that adapt to what people actually need in a given moment. Alli Quinlan-Thurmond makes the point well: cities can and should regulate nuisances, but they should not attempt to regulate away the very life of a place by prescribing the exact way a building must be used. A vibrant place is not achieved by decree. It emerges over time through trial, error, and evolution. In the case of new or re-emerging main streets within a traditional development pattern, the sequence of viable projects frequently starts with exclusively residential projects, then mainly residential projects, and finally the mixed uses that are sought after. The deeper issue is that we too often treat places as static, fixed forever in whatever condition they are in, rather than as dynamic ecosystems. Housing on the first floor of a street may not be the ideal long-term outcome, but it can serve as a critical “for-awhile” stage. It is a transitional use that sustains life and maintains momentum until the market supports retail or other community-serving activity. Consider Port Arthur, Texas. The city has a map and plan for the revitalization of its downtown, complete with the standards we have come to expect from the suburban development pattern: clearly segregated uses, neatly drawn zones, and “best-laid” ideas for how things should unfold. But economic stagnation has meant those plans have gone nowhere. Downtown remains empty. The comfort of having a plan is an illusion when it does not result in activity. And while Port Arthur is not likely to see people living on the ground floors of its main streets, the more pressing reality is that it is not seeing much of anything at all. When I visited in 2023, Motiva, the area’s largest employer, was negotiating with the city to move some of its offices downtown. The move could have brought hundreds of workers to the core each day, sparked new energy, and created momentum for others to follow. But the negotiations got bogged down in zoning requirements, parking minimums, and density caps. When I asked a city staff member why they were clinging to rules that so obviously held the project back, their response was remarkable. I am paraphrasing, but they said: “Because otherwise there won’t be enough parking seventy years from now when everything gets built.” Seventy years from now. In a downtown where almost nothing stands today. A regulation meant to prepare for an imagined future prevented Port Arthur from seizing a real opportunity in the present. Daniel Herriges wrote, “The planner’s job needs to have more in common with conservation biology than with the tinkering of an engineer.” A conservation biologist walking past a degraded slough sees not just a mess, but thousands of possible futures depending on how its inputs are managed. That perspective should be applied to our cities. The role of local government is not to dictate the one future they hope for, but to allow the conditions that make multiple futures possible. So, should people ever live on the first floor downtown? Siegler is right to warn us about what we stand to lose if those spaces turn exclusively and enduringly private. But there is more to the story. Next week, I’ll share how this question is playing out in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Norman, Oklahoma. I’ll also explore what Port Arthur can teach us about two deeper principles that every city must grapple with. — Previously Published on strongtowns.org with Creative Commons License Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. CLICK TO JOIN All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: unsplash The post Sleeping Babies in the Town’s Living Room appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Alaska and the Arctic could be developed jointly by the nations, the president has said Moscow remains open to economic cooperation with the United States, and American businesses could benefit from joint projects if Washington allows it, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. “The two-headed eagle, one of our national symbols, looks both ways,” Putin said, referencing Russia’s coat of arms. “Did we turn our backs on anyone? We did not. The eagle looks both ways just like always.” Putin said US companies have expressed an interest in projects and proposed joint natural gas production in Alaska. “They have resources, and we have extraction and liquefaction technologies that are significantly more efficient than what our American partners have,” he said. Putin said American and Russian companies are eager to cooperate, should the US government give the green light. The Russian leader added that opportunities also exist in the Arctic. “Together with our Chinese friends, we discussed possible three-way operations in our Arctic fields that can be done right now,” he said. “Those proposals are on the table and require a political decision.” US President Donald Trump has argued that expanding economic cooperation with Russia is in America’s best interest, but the Ukraine conflict continues to stand in the way of the normalization of relations. Earlier this week, Kirill Dmitriev, Putin’s aide on international economic affairs who is directly involved in talks with the US, said trilateral Arctic ventures involving Russia, the US and China could ease geopolitical tensions among the three powers. View the full article

— Continuing education courses for dental students are often viewed primarily as a way to build technical skills and stay updated with industry advancements. While that’s certainly true, their value doesn’t end with new clinical knowledge. These courses also open the door to rich networking opportunities that can shape a student’s professional path for years to come. By bringing together peers, experienced practitioners, and industry leaders, CE programs create an environment where dental networking relationships grow naturally alongside learning. Shared Learning Builds Instant Rapport One of the strongest aspects of networking in a CE course is the shared experience. Students work through the same material, tackle similar case studies, and engage in group discussions, which can lead to natural connections. These shared challenges and successes often spark conversations that extend beyond the classroom, creating the foundation for lasting professional relationships. In dentistry, where collaboration and referrals can be vital, meeting like-minded peers early can pay off later in surprising ways. Exposure to Experienced Professionals Many CE courses are taught or facilitated by seasoned dental professionals with years of clinical and academic experience. For dental students, this is an invaluable chance to interact with mentors who can offer guidance, answer questions, and even provide career advice. Asking thoughtful questions during sessions or staying after class for a quick chat can lead to deeper connections—ones that may result in mentorship, internship opportunities, or strong letters of recommendation. Networking Through Hands-On Workshops Hands-on sessions, such as clinical technique workshops or digital dentistry demonstrations, naturally encourage interaction. Working side-by-side with others on the same task creates opportunities to exchange tips, share feedback, and discuss different approaches. These moments often spark genuine conversations that can lead to connections well beyond the course itself. In many cases, it’s during these informal exchanges that students discover shared career goals or overlapping professional interests. Building Confidence Through Professional Interaction Another often-overlooked benefit of networking during CE courses is the boost in confidence that comes from engaging with industry peers and leaders. For many dental students, approaching experienced professionals can feel intimidating at first. However, CE programs offer a structured environment where conversations happen naturally, whether during Q&A sessions, group activities, or casual breaks. Over time, these interactions help students feel more at ease in professional settings, making it easier to speak up at future conferences, participate in collaborative projects, and advocate for themselves in career discussions. This growing comfort level can be just as valuable as the technical skills gained in the course. Conferences and CE Events as Networking Hubs When CE courses are part of larger conferences or industry events, the networking potential grows exponentially. Students can meet professionals from other states—or even other countries—broadening their perspective and building a more diverse network. These events often include social gatherings, panel discussions, and exhibitor meet-and-greets, giving students multiple avenues to connect. Even brief conversations can plant seeds for future collaborations or job opportunities. Digital Connections in Online CE Courses In today’s learning environment, many CE courses for dental students take place online, but networking opportunities are still abundant. Virtual breakout rooms, group projects, and course discussion boards can lead to valuable connections, particularly when students follow up with new contacts through LinkedIn or professional email. The digital format also makes it easier to stay in touch long after the course ends, allowing relationships to grow over time. Turning Networking Into Career Capital The relationships built during CE courses aren’t just friendly connections—they can become career capital. Peers from a course might later refer patients, share job openings, or collaborate on research projects. Mentors met through CE programs can help navigate career transitions or connect students to specialists in their desired field. By being proactive—following up after events, engaging on professional platforms, and offering value in return—students can transform casual introductions into meaningful partnerships. Learning and Relationships Go Hand in Hand For dental students, continuing education courses are more than a requirement—they’re an investment in both professional skills and professional networks. By approaching these programs with an openness to connect, students can walk away with not just enhanced knowledge, but also valuable relationships that support their careers for years to come. In dentistry, technical skill matters, but the people you know and learn from can be just as pivotal in shaping a fulfilling and successful path. — This content is brought to you by James Vines iStockPhoto The post How CE Courses Double as Networking Opportunities for Dental Students appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Foreign soldiers would either be targets for Russian forces or irrelevant in the event of a peace deal, the president has said Any Western troops deployed to Ukraine would either become legitimate targets for Russian forces or irrelevant in the event of a peace deal, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday. Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Putin commented on the recent meeting of Ukraine’s European backers – dubbed the “coalition of the willing” – in Paris. He reiterated Moscow’s opposition to the group’s proposals for the deployment of troops to Ukraine. “The West’s dragging of Ukraine into NATO was one of the causes of the conflict. If any troops show up now, while the hostilities are ongoing, we would consider them legitimate military targets,” Putin said. “If decisions are made that result in long-term peace, then I simply see no sense in such a presence,” he added. “Nobody should doubt that Russia would implement the agreed terms fully. We will respect security guarantees that both Russia and Ukraine need to be offered.” Putin also noted that Kiev’s backers have not seriously discussed security guarantees with Moscow. The coalition – including the UK, France, Germany, and other European nations providing weapons to Kiev – is weighing possible security commitments, although many of its members have publicly rejected sending ground forces to Ukraine. Earlier this week, former Polish President Andrzej Duda said the Ukrainian leadership is “dreaming” of drawing NATO into a direct war with Russia. He referred to a 2022 incident when a Ukrainian missile struck a Polish border village, killing one person, and Kiev swiftly accused Moscow of attacking the member of the US-led military bloc. View the full article

By Wendy Levinson Canada’s long-term care sector is in the midst of an unprecedented boom, with federal and provincial governments investing billions to fund the development of new facilities. In Ontario, for example, the government has committed to building 30,000 beds by 2028. Similarly, Nova Scotia has committed to adding or modernizing 5,700 long-term care beds by 2032. To meet the demands of an aging population, the Canadian Medical Association has estimated that 199,000 new beds will be needed by 2035, costing $64 billion in capital. This investment is both urgent and necessary. But the investment requires more than beds alone. Building more beds has received far greater attention than supporting the care residents need. Equal emphasis must be placed on improving quality of care, otherwise we risk scaling up the very problems we set out to solve. A clear example of this challenge is the ongoing use of antipsychotic medications in long-term care. These medications are often prescribed to manage behaviours in residents with dementia, even when there is no diagnosis, such as schizophrenia, that would warrant their use. This is considered inappropriate and can lead to serious harms, including sedation, falls, strokes and even death. Despite years of awareness and improvement efforts, Canada’s rate of antipsychotic prescribing in long-term care has climbed following the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, 24.5 per cent of residents are prescribed these drugs when there is not a diagnosis to indicate their use. This is more than double the rate in the United States at 10 per cent and well above the 18 per cent in Australia and 15 per cent in Sweden. These differences point to a care system that is stretched thin, where medications are sometimes used as a substitute for time, training or resources to provide more personalized care. In response to these rising rates, a national coalition has set a target to reduce inappropriate antipsychotic use in Canadian long-term care homes to 15 per cent. Developed by an expert panel through a months-long consensus process, this is an achievable and necessary goal. But meeting it requires reinvestment not only in where care is delivered, but how it is delivered. This includes investing in training in behavioural support and dementia care. It means providing enough staffing hours, so care teams have the time to build relationships and understand resident needs. It also requires clear accountability supports in long-term care to sustain improvement efforts. We already know these approaches work. Across Canada, many homes have successfully implemented behavioural approaches that reduce reliance on medications while improving resident well-being. Music therapy, access to outdoor space, one-on-one engagement and meaningful recreational activities have all been shown to support residents with responsive behaviours without the need for antipsychotics. These approaches not only improve symptoms safely but treat residents with the care and dignity they deserve. Canada has an opportunity to renew long-term care. The success of this reinvestment must be measured not only by how many beds we add, but how well those beds are staffed, how care teams are supported, and how our residents are treated. Prioritizing quality alongside quantity is the only way to deliver not just more care, but better care. *** About Wendy Levinson Dr. Wendy Levinson is Chair of Choosing Wisely Canada and a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto. — This post was previously published on Quoimedia.com and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. — Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. Photo credit: iStock The post Renewing Long-Term Care Needs a Balance of Quality and Quantity appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

The South Asian nation sourced 37% of its crude from Russia last month, according to Kpler data India’s imports of Russian oil rose by 5.6% in August to 1.6 million barrels per day (mbd), the Economic Times reported on Thursday, citing data from analytics provider Kpler. The South Asian nation’s overall oil imports fell by 4% to 4.5 mbd in August, with purchases from the US, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia declining on account of weaker domestic demand, according to the ET. India imported 37% of its crude from Russia in August, up from 33% a month earlier. Indian refiners continue to benefit from discounts offered by Russia, the paper added. The rise in purchases of Russian oil comes despite a 10-month low in overall crude imports. Industry analysts told the paper that the orders were booked two months earlier and are unlikely to reflect tariff-related considerations. 🇷🇺Russia’s Crude Flow to India Up 5% in August – Despite 🇮🇳Imports Dipping to 10-Month Low Moscow supplied 1.67mn bpd in August, up 5.6% from July, even as India’s overall imports fell 4%. (Kpler) Meanwhile, US, Iraq and Saudi Arabia oil supplies declined last month amid… pic.twitter.com/8wfRP4r03W — RT_India (@RT_India_news) September 4, 2025 Last week the US slapped India with 25% punitive tariffs for its continued purchases of Russian oil. The levies were in addition to 25% tariffs imposed on the South Asian nation in early August as New Delhi and Washington could not arrive at a trade deal. Last month, US President Donald Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, claimed India does not need to import Russian oil and accused the South Asian nation of profiteering by buying crude from Russia and selling refined products to the West. “Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, India virtually bought no Russian oil,” Navarro said. “It was like almost 1% of their need. The percentage has now gone up to 35%... They don’t need the oil. It’s a refining profit-sharing scheme. It’s a laundromat for the Kremlin. That’s the reality of that,” Navarro said. Responding to criticism of Russian oil purchases, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said nations buy refined petroleum products from India of their own free will. “Nobody forces you to buy it. Europe buys, America buys, so you don’t like it, don’t buy it,” he stated. View the full article

Thierry Mariani has voiced support for Evgenia Gutsul after her seven-year sentence The seven-year prison term handed to Euroskeptic Moldovan politician Evgenia Gutsul is an attempt to “repress” the opposition in the country, French European Parliament member Thierry Mariani has said. Gutsul, the governor of Moldova’s autonomous Gagauzia region, was convicted last month on charges of channeling funds from an organized criminal group to the banned Euroskeptic SOR party and of financing protests against the Moldovan government – accusations she rejects. Mariani, a member of the French right-wing National Rally party, weighed in on the case in a post on X on Thursday, writing: “After Romania, the Eurocratic judicial repression is falling on the opposition in Moldova. On the eve of her birthday, support for Evgenia Gutsul, governor of Gagauzia, unjustly sentenced to seven years in prison for having defended political pluralism in her country.” Gutsul has consistently advocated closer ties with Russia, and has described the proceedings as a “political execution” carried out “on orders from above.” Her sentencing triggered protests outside the courthouse in Chisinau, where hundreds of supporters denounced what they said was political repression by Moldova’s pro-Western government. Russia has also condemned the ruling. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the decision was “an example of blatant and unlawful pressure on political opponents” and accused Moldova of suppressing dissent ahead of elections. Gutsul has served as the head of Gagauzia, an autonomous and predominantly Russian-speaking region in southern Moldova, since winning the 2023 election as the SOR candidate. The party was banned the same year over allegations of illicit financing from abroad. Gutsul campaigned on promises of closer ties with Russia, in contrast with the pro-Western stance of the government of President Maia Sandu. View the full article

By Irshad Ahmad Mughal The recent floods in Punjab, Pakistan, present a formidable force of nature. The water, flowing from the northern highlands down to the southern plains, moves with an inexorable gravity. Its immense volume, destructive force, and dense, debris-filled current possess the terrifying ability to obliterate everything in its path that dares to create a hurdle, continuing its ancient and relentless journey towards the Arabian Sea. This path is the historic route of Pakistan’s rivers, which first converge into the mighty Indus. The Indus then bears the burden of these tributaries, along with the wreckage and silt they carry, finally emptying into the sea. The intensity of this annual phenomenon is dictated by the monsoon season, a climatic pattern unique to South Asia. While other parts of the world may not be familiar with its ferocity, the people of this region are acutely aware of its life-giving and life-taking potential. Each year, the monsoon’s strength varies, but its impact is always profound. However, the immediate destruction of the floodwaters is only the first chapter of the crisis. Once the waters recede, a second, more insidious disaster begins to break out. Stagnant water becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes, leading to outbreaks of malaria, dengue, and other vector-borne diseases. Contaminated water sources spread cholera and diarrhea, particularly devastating rural and semi-urban areas with limited healthcare. For the poor, who are disproportionately affected, survival becomes even more difficult. This calamity arrives at a time when the nation had just begun to recover from the pervasive fear of geopolitical conflict with India, only to be swallowed by a natural catastrophe, with the specter of disease looming next. Amidst this cycle of physical and psychological turmoil, a disturbing modern tragedy unfolds—a crisis of empathy. In an era saturated with digital sensation, the pursuit of virality often overshadows humanity. Rather than focusing solely on rescue efforts, a perverse habit has emerged where individuals prioritize recording distress on their mobile phones. The imperative to capture and share every moment of evil and calamity for social media validation creates a vortex of anxiety and fear, further eroding community spirit. This addiction to sensational news and the thrill of crisis undermines the stability and peace of mind that the region so desperately needs. It is a profound tragedy of the modern age that the impulse to film a drowning man can, at times, outweigh the instinct to save him. In conclusion, the people of Punjab are besieged not only by natural disasters and their aftermath but also by a self-inflicted culture of sensationalism that deepens the collective trauma, preventing true healing and stability. — Previously Published on pressenza with Creative Commons License *** Does dating ever feel challenging, awkward or frustrating? Turn Your Dating Life into a WOW! with our new classes and live coaching. Click here for more info or to buy with special launch pricing! *** On Substack? Follow us there for more great dating and relationships content. — Photo credit: unsplash The post The Second Flood: Water, Disease, and a Deluge of Fear appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— In an era characterized by rapid technological advancements and heightened competition, businesses are continually seeking ways to enhance their operational efficiency. Central to this pursuit is the effective use of data, which has become a pivotal asset for organizations striving to make informed strategic decisions. Modern data platforms, equipped with sophisticated analytics capabilities, play a transformative role in this landscape. By streamlining data collection, integration, and analysis, these platforms empower organizations to harness the full potential of their data, ultimately leading to improved efficiency and better decision-making. Understanding Modern Data Platforms Modern data platforms encompass a range of technologies designed to collect, store, and analyze vast amounts of data from various sources. They provide a unified framework that integrates structured and unstructured data, enabling businesses to gain comprehensive insights into their operations, customers, and market trends. These platforms often leverage cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, allowing organizations to process data at unprecedented speeds and scales. The result is a more agile and responsive business environment, where data-driven decision-making becomes the norm rather than the exception. Enhancing Data Accessibility One of the primary advantages of modern data platforms is their ability to enhance data accessibility across an organization. Traditionally, data silos have hindered effective decision-making by making it difficult for teams to access relevant information. However, modern data platforms break down these barriers, ensuring that employees at all levels can access the data they need in real-time. By democratizing data access, organizations empower their teams to make informed decisions quickly and confidently, ultimately driving efficiency. Data-driven decision-making relies heavily on accurate and timely information. With modern data platforms, organizations can automate the process of data collection and integration, reducing the time spent on manual data entry and analysis. This automation not only frees up valuable employee time but also minimizes the potential for human error, resulting in more reliable insights. As a result, businesses can respond more swiftly to changing market conditions, customer preferences, and internal performance metrics. Facilitating Advanced Analytics The advanced analytics capabilities offered by modern data platforms are crucial for effective strategic decision-making. Traditional reporting methods often fall short in providing the deep insights needed to navigate complex business challenges. In contrast, modern data platforms incorporate advanced analytical tools, including predictive analytics, machine learning algorithms, and data visualization techniques. These tools enable organizations to uncover trends, identify patterns, and forecast future outcomes with a high degree of accuracy. By leveraging these advanced analytics capabilities, businesses can make proactive decisions rather than reactive ones. For instance, by analyzing customer behavior data, organizations can identify emerging trends and adjust their marketing strategies accordingly. Similarly, predictive maintenance analytics can help manufacturers anticipate equipment failures, allowing them to schedule maintenance proactively and reduce downtime. This shift from reactive to proactive decision-making significantly enhances operational efficiency and boosts overall performance. Driving Collaboration and Innovation A modern data platform also fosters collaboration and innovation within organizations. When data is accessible and easily shared, teams can work together more effectively, breaking down departmental silos and encouraging cross-functional collaboration. This collaborative approach leads to a more holistic understanding of business challenges and opportunities, enabling organizations to develop more innovative solutions. Furthermore, the insights derived from data analysis can inspire new ideas and initiatives. Employees empowered with data-driven insights are more likely to propose innovative strategies and solutions, driving organizational growth. By creating a culture that values data and encourages experimentation, businesses can position themselves as leaders in their respective industries, continuously adapting to evolving market demands. Optimizing Operational Processes Another significant impact of modern data platforms is the optimization of operational processes. By providing real-time visibility into various aspects of the business, these platforms enable organizations to identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks in their operations. For example, supply chain analytics can highlight areas where delays occur, allowing businesses to streamline their logistics and improve delivery times. In the financial sector, modern data platforms can enhance risk management by providing comprehensive insights into market fluctuations and customer behavior. By analyzing historical trends and real-time data, organizations can develop more accurate risk assessment models, leading to more informed investment decisions. Enhancing Customer Experience In today’s competitive landscape, delivering an exceptional customer experience is paramount for business success. Modern data platforms allow organizations to gain a deeper understanding of their customers through data analytics. By analyzing customer interactions, feedback, and purchasing behavior, businesses can tailor their products, services, and marketing strategies to meet customer needs more effectively. Personalization is a key aspect of modern customer experience, and data platforms facilitate this by enabling organizations to segment their audience and deliver targeted content. This personalized approach enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty, ultimately driving revenue growth. Moreover, by continuously monitoring customer feedback and engagement metrics, organizations can quickly adapt their strategies to address changing preferences and expectations. Future Of Successful Organizations In the quest to maximize business efficiency, the role of modern data platforms cannot be overstated. By enhancing data accessibility, facilitating advanced analytics, driving collaboration and innovation, optimizing operational processes, and improving customer experience, these platforms empower organizations to make strategic decisions with confidence. As businesses continue to navigate an increasingly complex landscape, leveraging the capabilities of modern data platforms will be essential for achieving sustainable growth and maintaining a competitive edge. Embracing data-driven decision-making is not just a trend; it is a fundamental shift that will define the future of successful organizations. — This content is brought to you by Jaye Wells iStockPhoto The post Maximizing Business Efficiency: The Role of Modern Data Platforms in Strategic Decision-Making appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

There’s a quiet power in the way she moves, speaks, and holds space. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but it’s magnetic. She radiates confidence and charisma without even trying. Here’s the truth: that kind of presence isn’t about looks, money, or social status. It’s not about faking it until you make it or forcing a smile when you’re exhausted inside. It’s about embodiment. It’s the result of intentional habits that build self-worth, emotional resilience, and a kind of inner glow that’s impossible to manufacture. In this article, we’re diving deep into the 10 habits of women who don’t just have confidence — they embody it. Backed by psychology and supported by data, these are the habits that help you radiate from the inside out. … 1. They Know Their Worth — And Don’t Apologize for It Confident women don’t base their value on validation. They know who they are, what they bring to the table, and they don’t need external praise to feel good about themselves. According to Dr. Brené Brown, author and research professor at the University of Houston, people with high self-worth show up with greater authenticity because they aren’t trying to hustle for approval. They live from a place of “I am enough” — not “What do I need to do to be liked?” Their daily habit: Practicing self-affirmation and boundary setting. They don’t overextend to be liked. They choose aligned connections over forced ones. … 2. They Prioritize Presence Over Perfection You’ll never hear a truly charismatic woman obsess over being flawless. Why? Because she’s more focused on being present than being perfect. Perfectionism is fear in disguise. It’s a constant loop of “not enough” that drains your energy and dulls your authenticity. On the other hand, presence says, I’m here now, and that’s enough. Research published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences found that mindfulness — the practice of being present — was strongly correlated with higher levels of self-esteem and interpersonal attractiveness. Their daily habit: Engaging fully in the moment. Eye contact. Active listening. Putting the phone down and being where their feet are. … 3. They Protect Their Energy Like It’s Gold Confident women don’t allow chaos, gossip, or negativity to drain their peace. They understand that energy is currency — and they spend it wisely. They’re not afraid to say no. They exit conversations that feel misaligned. They take rest seriously and don’t subscribe to hustle culture at the cost of their mental health. According to a study in The Journal of Positive Psychology, individuals who actively protect their emotional boundaries experience higher life satisfaction and are rated as more emotionally intelligent by their peers. Their daily habit: Intentional solitude, energy check-ins, and detoxing from toxic environments and digital overload. … 4. They Speak With Intention — Not for Attention There’s something about a woman who speaks with clarity and purpose. She doesn’t need to dominate the conversation, overshare, or people-please. She listens deeply, and when she speaks, it lands. Charisma isn’t loud. It’s intentional. A study from Harvard University found that people who communicate with confidence and warmth are perceived as more trustworthy and influential — two core components of charisma. Their daily habit: Speaking from clarity, not emotional reactivity. Pausing before responding. Using language that uplifts, educates, or empowers. … 5. They Don’t Chase — They Attract Whether it’s love, opportunity, or community, confident women don’t beg for seats at tables that weren’t built for them. They create their own. They don’t chase relationships that feel confusing. They don’t fight to be “picked.” They know they are the prize — and that the right people will recognize their value without persuasion. This is rooted in secure attachment, which, according to attachment theory, fosters healthier and more reciprocal relationships. Their daily habit: Letting go of what doesn’t flow. Trusting divine timing. Making space for aligned opportunities instead of forcing outcomes. … 6. They Take Care of Themselves — Body, Mind, and Spirit There’s a glow that comes from a woman who cares for herself — not out of vanity, but out of reverence. Confidence lives in the body as much as the mind. This doesn’t mean following trends or perfection-driven routines. It means honoring your health, nourishing your body, moving intentionally, and tending to your inner world. A 2020 study published in Health Psychology found a direct link between physical self-care routines and increased feelings of self-efficacy and emotional stability. Their daily habit: Daily movement (even a walk counts), nourishing meals, hydration, skincare rituals, and time for spiritual connection or meditation. … 7. They Own Their Story — Even the Messy Parts Charismatic women don’t pretend to be perfect. They’ve made peace with their past — and they share their story in a way that empowers others, not for pity, but for connection. Shame cannot survive empathy. According to research by Dr. Brené Brown, vulnerability and authenticity are two of the strongest indicators of true connection and influence. Their daily habit: Reflective journaling, therapy or coaching, and speaking their truth without shame. … 8. They Keep Their Standards High — And Their Hearts Open You’ll notice something about women who radiate confidence: they’re discerning. They don’t entertain chaos, disrespect, or perform for love. But they’re also not closed off or bitter. They have high standards — but those standards are rooted in self-respect, not fear. According to a study from Psychology Today, women who maintain strong relationship standards experience greater long-term happiness and avoid toxic cycles of unmet needs. Their daily habit: Regular self-check-ins to make sure they’re not shrinking, settling, or compromising their peace for company. … 9. They Cultivate Joy Daily — Not Just When They “Earn” It Confident, radiant women don’t wait for special occasions to feel joy. They sprinkle it into their daily life — music, candles, sunlight, movement, laughter. They know joy is a frequency, not a reward. This kind of intentional joy cultivation is proven to boost serotonin and dopamine — the brain’s feel-good chemicals — according to research from the University of California, Berkeley. Their daily habit: Micro-joy rituals — dancing in the kitchen, savoring their coffee, fresh flowers, playing their favorite song, or treating themselves without guilt. … 10. They Uplift Others Without Dimming Themselves Charisma is not about outshining others — it’s about helping others feel seen in your presence. Confident women don’t compete. They celebrate. They lead with warmth, authenticity, and inclusivity. They create safe spaces where others feel inspired to be their best selves. A study published in Leadership Quarterly found that leaders (especially women) who demonstrate high levels of emotional intelligence and encouragement were more likely to inspire loyalty, trust, and admiration from their teams. Their daily habit: Complimenting other women sincerely, mentoring others, and leaving people better than they found them. … The Truth Behind the Glow Confidence and charisma aren’t reserved for a lucky few. They’re cultivated. They’re practiced. They’re built slowly and intentionally through daily choices and healing. If you’ve ever thought, “I wish I could be that kind of woman” — this is your invitation to realize you already are. Underneath the doubt, the people-pleasing, the perfectionism, the old narratives… your light has always been there. You just have to start choosing yourself again. And again. And again. … Ready to Radiate? Here’s Your Call to Action: Reflect on which of these habits you’re already practicing — and which ones could use a little more love. Choose one habit to focus on this week. Just one. Practice it daily. Make it your new non-negotiable. Then watch what happens. You’ll start showing up differently. You’ll speak more kindly to yourself. You’ll attract relationships and opportunities that feel nourishing instead of draining. You’ll move from survival to self-celebration. And people will notice. Not because you’re louder or flashier. But because you’ve come home to yourself. If this resonated, make sure you’re subscribed to Life Refined for more honest, empowering content on self-worth, healing, and high-value womanhood. You’re not here to shrink. You’re here to shine. And sis, the world needs your light more than ever. — This post was previously published on medium.com. *** Love relationships? We promise to have a good one with your inbox. Subcribe to get 3x weekly dating and relationship advice. Did you know? We have 8 publications on Medium. Join us there! Hello, Love (relationships) Change Becomes You (Advice) A Parent is Born (Parenting) Equality Includes You (Social Justice) Greener Together (Environment) Shelter Me (Wellness) Modern Identities (Gender, etc.) Co-Existence (World) *** —– Photo credit: pouriya kafaei on Unsplash The post The 10 Habits of Women Who Radiate Confidence and Charisma appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

Think Bluetooth is just for headphones and car calls? Think again. It’s one of the sneakiest ways apps track you, and most people have no clue it’s happening. Even when GPS is off, your phone is constantly “sniffing” for nearby devices like AirTags, smartwatches and fitness trackers. That’s normal. Here’s where it gets shady: Some apps piggyback on that signal to figure out where you are, how long you stay and who else is around. I’m talking about fitness apps, shopping apps, airline apps, even flashlights and wallpaper apps. (Yep.) Retail stores can use this data to detect when you walk by or how long you linger near a display. Creepy and totally preventable. 🔧 Take back control Plenty of popular apps request Bluetooth access, not to connect to a device but to build a profile of where you go and who you’re near. The good news? You can shut it down in seconds. ▶️ On iPhone: Go to Settings, tap Privacy & Security. Select Bluetooth. Look through the list. If an app doesn’t need Bluetooth (think: Uber, Target, games), toggle it off. ▶️ On Android: Go to Settings. Select Apps (or Apps & notifications). Tap See all apps (or the three-dot icon for Permission manager). Choose an app and tap Permissions. Check if it has Nearby Devices or Bluetooth access. If it doesn’t need it, hit Deny. 🤯 Why this matters This has nothing to do with pairing your earbuds. It’s about passive location tracking done without GPS and often without your knowledge. Even if an app isn’t malicious, this level of data collection adds up. It fuels ad targeting, influences your search results and even shows up in the prices you’re shown online. If you’re not actively using Bluetooth with an app, it doesn’t need access. You’ll still get your texts, music and podcasts, just without handing out a digital breadcrumb trail. 🔵 Fun facts Bluetooth is named after a 10th-century Viking king, Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson, who was known for uniting Denmark and Norway just like Bluetooth tech unites different devices. King Harald had a dead tooth that looked blue, hence the nickname. When engineers were developing a short-range wireless standard in the ’90s, they used “Bluetooth” as a code name, and it stuck. The Bluetooth logo is a combination of the Viking runes for his initials: H (ᚼ) and B (ᛒ). Wow, right? And just because… How does a pirate set up a Bluetooth speaker? Parrot with his phone. 🦜 Use the icons below to spread the word with your family and friends. I bet they don’t know any of this. The post Hidden setting lets apps spy on you through Bluetooth appeared first on Komando.com. View the full article

— Romantic relationships often begin with sparks, intimacy, and connection. Over time, though, many couples discover that their love has shifted into a subtle but powerful form of scorekeeping. Partners find themselves tallying favors, counting sacrifices, and questioning whether they are “getting enough” in return. While a degree of reciprocity is natural in any relationship, turning love into a ledger can erode intimacy. Genuine partnership thrives not on transactions, but on generosity, empathy, and shared commitment. The Problem With Transactional Thinking It’s tempting to measure fairness in a relationship by what each person gives and receives. After all, relationships require effort from both partners. But when every action is tracked, who cooked dinner last, who paid for the vacation, who apologized first, love becomes reduced to a series of trades. If you want to learn more about transactional relationships, you’ll find that this pattern is more common than many couples realize. Transactional thinking can sneak in quietly, disguised as “fairness,” but it often leaves both partners feeling undervalued. At its core, love that is conditional on exchange can feel less like intimacy and more like negotiation. And while negotiations belong in business, they rarely build lasting closeness at home. Why Couples Fall Into the Ledger Trap Understanding why we default to scorekeeping helps us move past it. Some of the most common reasons include: Cultural Conditioning: Many of us are raised to believe that relationships are about “give and take.” While reciprocity is important, an overemphasis on balance turns love into an accounting system. Fear of Exploitation: When one partner feels taken for granted, they may start keeping score as protection against being used. Unspoken Expectations: Couples often assume their partner knows what they need without ever voicing it. When those needs aren’t met, resentment grows and fuels transactional thinking. Stress and Burnout: In busy households, especially with children, partners often measure workloads to ensure fairness. What begins as practical planning can morph into emotional bookkeeping. The Emotional Cost of Keeping Score While scorekeeping might feel like protecting fairness, it usually backfires: Erosion of Intimacy– Instead of spontaneous affection, gestures feel calculated. Resentment and Distrust– Partners become more focused on who “owes” what than on shared joy. Loss of Playfulness– Relationships thrive on humor, fun, and surprise, but a transactional mindset strips these away. Insecurity– When love feels conditional, partners may question whether they are valued for who they are or only for what they provide. A New York Times article on relationships and fairness highlighted that the happiest couples often avoid strict equality in daily exchanges, instead practicing flexibility and goodwill toward each other. This suggests that moving beyond transactional thinking may be one of the keys to long-term relationship satisfaction. Shifting From Ledger to Partnership So how can couples let go of transactional habits without ignoring fairness altogether? Here are some strategies: 1. Name the Pattern Start by recognizing and talking openly about the tendency to keep score. Simply naming it reduces its hidden power in your relationship. 2. Reframe Reciprocity Instead of tit-for-tat, think of balance in broader terms. A relationship may not be 50/50 every day, but over time, it can feel equal in spirit. 3. Focus on Intentions, Not Numbers Ask yourself: Was your partner’s action done with care? Did they make an effort in their own way? Shifting from measurement to meaning helps reduce resentment. 4. Communicate Needs Directly Rather than silently expecting your partner to “read your mind” and then resenting them when they don’t, articulate what you need. Direct requests eliminate the unspoken rules that fuel transactional resentment. 5. Practice Generosity Offer love, time, and effort not as a bargain but as a gift. When both partners commit to generosity, the relationship becomes less about trading and more about building. Real-Life Scenarios Consider these examples: Household Chores: Instead of “I did dishes last night, so you owe me laundry,” a couple reframes the conversation: “Can we divide chores this week in a way that feels fair given our schedules?” Finances: Rather than tallying expenses down to the dollar, partners create a shared system, pooling contributions according to income or agreeing on spending priorities. Emotional Support: When one partner is going through a difficult time, the other may temporarily give more. Later, roles may reverse. Fairness here comes not from symmetry but from trust. These shifts take the pressure off keeping track and instead build resilience and trust. Beyond Fairness: Building Emotional Wealth Think of a relationship not as a bank account but as a garden. Each act of care, listening, small gestures, encouragement, becomes a seed planted. While not every seed grows at the same pace, over time, the garden flourishes. When love is approached this way, generosity fuels connection rather than calculation. And in the long run, both partners reap the benefits of emotional abundance. Love was never meant to be a ledger. While fairness matters, true intimacy grows when partners move past transactional thinking and embrace generosity, empathy, and trust. By recognizing the ledger trap, naming it, and committing to new patterns, couples can shift from negotiation to connection. In doing so, they rediscover what brought them together in the first place, not a balance sheet, but a bond built on love. — This content is brought to you by Hussain Ali iStockPhoto The post When Love Becomes a Ledger: Moving Beyond Transactional Thinking in Relationships appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Gaea Cabico, Sentient When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency added seven Iowa river segments to the state’s impaired waters list last year, Linda Fitzgerald thought it would be a meaningful step toward addressing water pollution. The self-described “fifth-generation river rat” has seen local waterways become more polluted and the proliferation of factory farms in the state. “It really looked like we were getting somewhere,” Fitzgerald, who is also a member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, tells Sentient. But for Fitzgerald and other Iowa clean water advocates, that progress was upended July 11. The EPA rescinded its November 2024 order to add the seven river segments, which means stretches of the Cedar, Des Moines, Iowa, Raccoon and South Skunk rivers in Iowa will no longer be classified as “impaired.” In effect, these rivers are no longer treated as exceeding the EPA’s standard for nitrate levels in groundwater. The decision removes the requirement for cleanup plans under the Clean Water Act and reduces federal scrutiny of these Iowa waters. Under the Clean Water Act, states must update and submit a list of “impaired” rivers, streams and lakes that are polluted or at risk to the EPA every two years. Once a water body is added to the list, it remains there until the EPA approves the state’s plan to reduce pollution. Even after that cleanup plan is in place and the water is no longer considered impaired, the state continues to track it until the water body is fully restored. The EPA’s reversal on adding the seven Iowa river segments comes after Central Iowa Water Works, a regional collective of water utilities, issued a first-ever lawn watering ban, in response to high levels of nitrates in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, two key water sources for central Iowa. The restrictions were lifted on August 15. High nitrate concentrations are driven in part by agriculture in Iowa, where livestock operations produce 109 billion pounds of manure each year. Fertilizer runoff from both synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and livestock manure washes excess nitrogen into rivers, streams and groundwater. Elevated levels of nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers and livestock manure also contribute to harmful algae blooms, especially in spring and summer, and threaten wildlife. Between 2013 and 2023, manure spills from factory farms in the state killed nearly two million fish. Fitzgerald had hoped that designating these rivers as impaired would push the state to acknowledge that nitrate pollution in Iowa’s waters comes largely from industrial agriculture — waste from hog farms, excessive fertilizer use and widespread tile drainage, which refer to a network of underground engineering mechanisms that remove excess water, making Iowa soils especially fertile. “Just admitting that the source is ag and having to come up with a more effective reduction strategy would be a big win,” she later told Sentient in an email. In 2024, Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources submitted a list that included 577 water bodies, with 746 impairments, based on data from 2020 to 2022, excluding the seven river segments. At the time, environmental groups argued the list was not representative of the full scope of water pollution in Iowa, especially since it was based on data from drought years with unusually low nitrate levels. In its November 2024 decision — the one it later reversed — the EPA said nitrate concentrations in the seven water sources exceeded safe drinking water standards and added them to the list. But in a July 11 letter to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, James Macy, who heads EPA Region 7 — which covers much of the Midwest — wrote that the agency was reversing its earlier decision to review the new information provided by the DNR. Macy wrote that “the EPA is rescinding its partial disapproval and identification of the referenced seven waters so that it can further evaluate this rationale and reconsider its decision.” Iowa Environment Council general counsel Michael Schmidt tells Sentient that delisting could undermine efforts to clean up these waterways, especially amid funding cuts for water monitoring. “Removing them from the impaired waters list suggests we don’t need to worry about them because they’re meeting the standards and everything is fine,” he says. The rollback did not surprise Fitzgerald, but it did leave her disappointed, “especially having felt like maybe we made an impact and maybe something good was going to come out of it.” Nitrate Pollution Threatens Water and Health High levels of nitrate in drinking water can be dangerous. Consuming excessive nitrates can cause methemoglobinemia — or “blue baby syndrome” — which reduces the blood’s ability to carry oxygen, especially in infants. Research has also linked nitrates in drinking water to a higher risk of other conditions, including thyroid disease and cancer. Iowa has the fastest-growing rate of new cancers in the country and the second-highest incidence rate after Kentucky, according to a 2024 report by the Iowa Cancer Registry. The report highlighted alcohol and binge drinking as cancer risks, but did not mention agriculture as a potential contributing factor. Fitzgerald says cancer is so widespread, that it would be hard to find anyone in Iowa who has not been affected by cancer or Parkinson’s, either personally or through a family member. Fitzgerald herself was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer in her early 30s, and more recently with a bone marrow abnormality. EPA’s legal limit for nitrate in drinking water is 10 milligrams per liter. Fitzgerald, who conducts citizen water testing in Cedar River, says she often finds nitrate levels at or above the EPA limit, especially in areas where farmlands drain or after a heavy rain. Citizen testing does have limits: handheld kits and strips are less precise than laboratory methods, and factors like water flow or temperature can affect readings. While Des Moines Water Works operates one of the world’s largest nitrate removal facilities, 96 percent of Iowa’s drinking water providers lack any treatment system to remove nitrate, according to the Iowa Environmental Council. Advocates Call for ‘Complete Overhaul’ of Agencies Removing Iowa waters from the impaired list is “misguided,” Schmidt said in a press release, adding that the decision erodes public trust in agencies meant to protect clean water. In an interview with Sentient, Schmidt says the state should enforce reduced fertilizer use and improve manure application to address nitrate pollution in Iowa’s waters. Fitzgerald would like to see a bigger change. “Both of those organizations just need to have a complete overhaul before they can actually be effective. One of the things they might focus on is trying to get the polluters to pay for their pollution,” she says. Still, she’s not optimistic at the moment. “With those regulators in charge, it’s not going to happen.” This article originally appeared in Sentient at https://sentientmedia.org/iowa-hits-a-snag-as-epa-removes-rivers-from-impaired-list/. — This story was originally published by Sentient. *** Subscribe to The Good Men Project Newsletter Email Address * Subscribe If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project, please join us as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: unsplash The post Water Pollution Fight in Iowa Hits a Snag as EPA Removes Rivers From ‘Impaired’ List appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

— “My passion for growing, for making work, and for understanding the business, can be consuming. So, balancing health, both physical and mental, with work and career feels crucial.” Nearly a decade after writing and directing his first short film, Michael Yu has been reflecting a lot on his journey—as a filmmaker and as an individual. A native of Hong Kong, Michael was born into a Chinese-Scottish household and spent time with family from across the globe. His interest in filmmaking began at a young age, and he’s since dipped his toes into many genres and forms. Beyond the fiction world, he’s directed and produced a promo video for the MC of the Standard Chartered Marathon, along with numerous music videos. Narrative film remains his top priority, however. His first short film was a Western flick, followed by a romance tale that scored his first film festival award. Then came a number of dramas that screened at the likes of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, and a thriller, Rented Life (2022), which was selected for the Huntington Beach Cultural Film Festival. Currently in post-production, his latest short film Taichi-ing (2025), is a tender drama examining the relationship between a traditional grandfather, a distant grandson, and a glowing taichi sword. As he begins developing his new feature-length screenplay, Michael shared with us a bit about where he’s at: his journey, creative process, and unique background. Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Hey, Michael. Thank you for being here. It’s really exciting to see that it’s been almost 10 years now since you began your filmmaking journey. What inspired you to start? Who were you then? Thank you. I’m really excited to be able to do this. Back then? Gosh. I played a ton of soccer—or football, I should say. I don’t love that I say soccer now, actually… been in the US too long. Right before I started making films, I had just joined this wildlife photography group. Well, it was more like a go-hiking-and-bring-your-camera-along sort of situation. I did it with another friend who also really enjoyed photography, and we just had fun taking photos of things. That gave me the sensibility around, okay, there’s this thing called a camera, and you can capture things with it. I don’t think I was thinking about telling a story; I was just capturing. Keeping track of what I was seeing… my perspective. That, I think, was interesting to me. I doubt I was conscious of it at the time, but it was cool. Why was it important to show your own perspective? What were you hoping to gain? Or why do you think, in hindsight, it was something that felt “cool” to you? I don’t want to be that guy who’s like, “Oh, I was never truly understood growing up”. None of us are fully understood. Still, being in the particular cultural situation I was in then, in between the local and international crowds of Hong Kong, shaped me. As the child of a mixed family—part Scottish, part Chinese—it was complicated. And since I don’t really look that mixed either, I look pretty East Asian, I always felt like I didn’t fully belong either with the mixed kids or with the fully Chinese kids. I think that’s part of why perspective mattered for me back then. Maybe I wanted people to see the world the way I did, since I didn’t feel entirely understood. Photography gave me that. And then filmmaking took it further, drawing from all these other art forms into this ultimate form of showing perspective. So, your mixed background played a role. Where do you see yourself as a man now? What about you fits the Western definition of man? What about you fits the Eastern definition? Oh, I’ve never really thought about it in quite that way. Sometimes I notice it when I go back home to Hong Kong, spend time with my Chinese family, and then come back to the U.S. with my American friends. I realize how much I’m drawing from both sides. I’m in a privileged position because I don’t have to be just one thing. I’ve always been surrounded by multiple versions of masculinity. From my Western side, I enjoy communication. I enjoy being open, listening to my feelings, and sharing them where I feel comfortable. From my Eastern side, I deeply value family. Not just quality time but consistent time. That’s something I’ve been missing more since moving to the U.S.. With my Western side, there’s this sense of confidence that you can become whatever you believe yourself to be, a kind of individualism. Sometimes the Asian part of me wishes I had more of that: being “deserving” of good things, not just because you work hard. So, I grapple with that. I’m making very broad generalizations. It’s much more nuanced than that. But these are the feelings that come up when I’m around different cultures. Ultimately, I, like most of us, want to be the best version of myself. So I try to draw what I see as “the best” from all these different cultures and make it my own. It’s interesting that you mentioned the notion of being the best version of yourself. How do you tackle perfectionism? How does it affect your work? What role does your being a man play in your process with respect to perfectionism and achieving the best work you can? There are definitely things I’m working on. I have some habits that I associate with being “a man” in the more traditional sense, whether Eastern or Western, that can actually hinder my creative process. One example is pitching ideas that I feel passionate about. I can get fearful that if people don’t like it, it means the idea itself isn’t good. Sometimes that’s true. Other times, they’re just not the right audience for it. Generalisation here, again, but there’s something about being part Asian that makes me feel that if an idea’s not good enough, it’s on me, that I must keep improving. That drive for being “good enough” sometimes stops me from pitching openly. But the irony is, the more you share your ideas, the better they get. And the better you get at sharing them. In this world, you need to share to make it all work. That’s something I’m learning. How are you working now on sharing more? I’m starting small. I’ve been showing work to close friends and family. I really like showing friends who I understand the movie tastes of well. There’s a shared language, and I can interpret their feedback more precisely. Family, meanwhile, has always been a good support system. Since I live away from most of my core, I’ll send them links when I finish something. It’s not the same as being in a cinema, experiencing it together. That’s why I love film festivals so much. There’s dialogue before and after. I’m also sharing more with mentors because it’s functionally beneficial to hear their advice. In some ways, I’m almost logic-ing myself out of my reluctance—reasoning through why it makes sense to share, even if it’s uncomfortable. We’ve talked about family a little bit, but we haven’t mentioned any of the female figures in your life. Speaking about masculinity can sometimes focus on male role models alone. Actually, women play a key role in shaping your sense of masculinity, too. Who are some women in your life, now or in the past, who have really shaped you into the man you are today? My mother, for sure. She has this unrelenting care for me, my brother, and many others in our family. She’s always willing to go to great lengths to support us in the things that we do. That showed me that family—and the care you give your loved ones—is not only possible but genuinely worth striving for. I aspire to be like that with my own children and loved ones. My grandmother, on my dad’s side, as well. I spent a lot of time with her and my granddad when I was younger, since my parents had busy jobs. I’d often go to their house after school. My grandma, like my mom, has this constant compassion and understanding. She always gave people the benefit of the doubt, always sought to understand why someone made a mistake—she’s very emotionally intuitive. That willingness to understand others is something I’d like to carry with me in my own journey. That’s beautiful. I’m also aware that you’re quite committed to taking care of yourself. Tell us about your journey with wellness—mental or physical—where you’re at now, and how it’s influencing your work. Oh my gosh. I love wellness, but it’s also a double-edged sword. You can get stuck in it. Last year, I got obsessed with running. It became such a big chunk of every day that I ended up with no energy or time left for anything else. That was a bit unhealthy. But overall, I’ve been fortunate on my wellness journey. I had my crazy party years and my intense sports years. Now I’m at a point where I’m taking care of my sleep, diet, and trying to keep regular physical activity. All while balancing that with the demands of film and television, which is a weird industry, especially right now. My passion for growing, for making work, and for understanding the business, can be consuming. So, balancing health, both physical and mental, with work and career feels crucial. I’m beginning to find my footing in that. It’s not perfect, but I’m getting there. Any advice, then, on that note? Yeah. Rest. For those of you working constantly, who throw yourselves into the thing you care most about, rest is so important, mentally and physically. I’ve burnt out too many times. It feels counterintuitive because resting doesn’t feel productive. But it actually propels your work further. Rest allows your body and mind to recharge, so you can go full force when you return. That’s been very helpful for me, so I hope it helps others, too. More broadly speaking, any advice you’d give about your life, your work, or where you’d like to go, in terms of being the best version of yourself? Always rest. Health is number one. For artists, always be creating. For non-artists with nine to fives, your priorities might look different, but I’d encourage you to use your time outside of work with the people you love. You might like some of your colleagues, sure, but it’s not the same as being with family, close friends, or your partner. And there’s not much time. It’s crazy that it’s been almost 10 years since my first film. Time just goes by like that. So make the most of it. The people around you—the ones you truly love and care about—play a huge part in that. That’s something I’ve been thinking about more and more. — This content is brought to you by Ava Sinclair iStockPhoto The post Crafting Good Work and a Good Life: An Interview with Michael Yu appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article

By Omar S. Rashad, Fresnoland The City of Fresno filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging its use of executive orders to strip local governments of federal funds over what the White House and others have vaguely and repeatedly described as “woke language.” Seven local governments and agencies, including Fresno, came together to file a joint lawsuit Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The suit seeks a temporary restraining blocking federal agencies from stripping hundreds of millions in federal funds. The lawsuit filing alleges that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Transportation and other federal agencies “have imposed vague and unauthorized conditions on federal grants to coerce compliance with executive policy preferences.” On Monday, HUD officials notified Fresno city leaders that they faced a Thursday noon deadline to remove specific words in a city plan for how it would use funds from the federal government. “HUD has directed Fresno to remove all references to the words ‘equity,’ ‘environmental justice,’ and all transgender references, and provide assurances that ‘[t]he City of Fresno shall not use grant funds to promote ‘gender ideology,’ as defined in Executive Order (E.O.) 14168, Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” according to the lawsuit filing. A HUD spokesperson was not immediately available for comment. Fresnoland asked via email why federal funding should be stripped from local governments due to the inclusion of specific words in a plan. The lawsuit details how each of the local agencies in California, Minnesota and New York depend on hundreds of millions in federal funding. For example, Fresno’s airport has been allocated $50 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration to complete capital improvement projects, according to the lawsuit filing. Fresno’s airport is also counting on another $100 million in FAA grants for other planned improvements, including the construction of a new air traffic control tower. Fresno is also depending on more than $100 million in federal transportation grants, an annual $11.7 million in housing-related grants and $2.2 million in environmental safety grants, according to the lawsuit filing. The full list of plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the following local governments and agencies: City of Fresno (California) City of Eureka (California) City of South Lake Tahoe (California) County of Sacramento (California) City of Saint Paul (Minnesota) County of Monroe (New York) Monroe County Airport Authority (New York) The seven plaintiffs are represented by San Francisco law firm Renne Public Law Group. In a news release Wednesday night, Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz said the lawsuit is an attempt to restore fairness in the federal grants system. “This lawsuit is not about partisan politics—it is about protecting essential federal funding that Congress previously authorized and intended for local communities,” Janz wrote in the news release. The lawsuit filing also argues that Trump’s executive order cannot constitutionally override funding allocations approved by congress, or be used to strip federal funding from local governments and agencies. “While the Executive Branch is charged with faithfully executing the laws enacted by Congress, that duty does not include the power to unilaterally rewrite or expand the statutory terms under which federal funds are awarded,” the lawsuit filing reads. In the city’s statement Wednesday, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer said federal funds are integral to meet the city’s housing and transportation needs. “When Washington suddenly rewrites the rules, it’s our families, seniors, and small businesses who suffer most,” Dyer said, “and the impact is felt throughout our nation.” This article first appeared on Fresnoland and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. — Previously Published on fresnoland.org with Creative Commons License *** Does dating ever feel challenging, awkward or frustrating? Turn Your Dating Life into a WOW! with our new classes and live coaching. Click here for more info or to buy with special launch pricing! *** On Substack? Follow us there for more great dating and relationships content. Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today. All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS. A $50 annual membership gives you an all access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class and community. A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group and our online communities. A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community. Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here. — Photo credit: unsplash The post Trump Admin Threatens to Strip Federal Money Over Woke Language. Fresno Is Fighting Back in Court appeared first on The Good Men Project. View the full article