Sophia Lewis, Author at - Page 244 of 260

California’s Economy Pinched by Unemployment

02

Mar

Investments and Business

California’s Economy Pinched by Unemployment

For decades, California’s behemoth economy has outpaced those of most nations, holding an outsize role in shaping global trends in tech, entertainment and agriculture.While that reputation remains, the state has a less enviable distinction: one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates.Nationwide, the rate is 3.7 percent, and in January, the country added 353,000 jobs. California’s job growth has been slower than the nationwide average over the last year, and the unemployment rate remains stubbornly high — 5.1 percent in the latest data, a percentage point higher than a year earlier and outpaced only by Nevada’s 5.4 percent.With layoffs in the…

Adaptation of Panama’s big cats to climate change

29

Feb

By Sophia Lewis

Social Responsibility

Adaptation of Panama’s big cats to climate change

Preserving Panama's large feline species, including the jaguar (Panthera onca), the puma (Puma concolor), and the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), is essential for maintaining the nation's biodiversity and ecological equilibrium. Max van Rijswijk, an advocate for conserving regional biodiversity, highlights that these carnivores are vital in sustaining ecosystem integrity and promoting the welfare of nearby communities.Control of Prey PopulationsCats are regarded as apex predators, indicating their essential role in managing the numbers of other creatures, including herbivores and smaller carnivores. Through this regulation, they help avert excessive grazing on plants, thereby preserving ecological balance. In the absence of these predators, an…

Biden Issues Executive Order to Restrict Personal Data Sales to China and Russia

29

Feb

By Sophia Lewis

Science and Technology

Biden Issues Executive Order to Restrict Personal Data Sales to China and Russia

President Biden issued an executive order Wednesday seeking to restrict the sale of sensitive American data to China, Russia and four more countries, a first-of-its-kind attempt to keep personally identifying information from being obtained for blackmail, scams or other harm.The president asked the Justice Department to write rules restricting the sale of information about Americans’ locations, health and genetics to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela, as well as any entities linked to those countries. The restrictions would also cover financial information, biometric data and other types of information that could identify individuals and sensitive information related to…

China Has Thousands of Navalnys, Hidden From the Public

29

Feb

By Sophia Lewis

Investments and Business

China Has Thousands of Navalnys, Hidden From the Public

After watching “Navalny,” the documentary about the Russian opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny, a Chinese businesswoman messaged me, “Ren Zhiqiang is China’s Navalny.” She was talking about the retired real estate tycoon who was sentenced to 18 years in prison for criticizing China’s leader, Xi Jinping.After Mr. Navalny’s tragic death this month, a young dissident living in Berlin posted on X, “Teacher Li is closest to the Chinese version of Navalny.” He was referring to the rebel influencer known as Teacher Li, who used social media to share information about protests in China and who now fears for his life.There…

Want to Feel Bad? Ask TikTok How Old You Look.

27

Feb

By Sophia Lewis

Science and Technology

Want to Feel Bad? Ask TikTok How Old You Look.

Cherri Gervais got her first gray hairs as a teenager.“It’s genetic,” she said.Her hair color, a striking shade of silver, is the first thing people on TikTok noticed when she asked them to tell her how old she looked in a recent video.The guesses ranged wildly. Many were correct, or close enough, Ms. Gervais said. (She turned 34 this month.) Other suggested she was in her 60s or 70s.Ms. Gervais, who lives in Kansas and works for a part-time beauty company, said she had decided to post her video after coming upon similar TikToks.“I saw someone Gen Z do it…

An Emboldened F.T.C. Bolsters Biden’s Efforts to Address Inflation

27

Feb

By Sophia Lewis

Investments and Business

An Emboldened F.T.C. Bolsters Biden’s Efforts to Address Inflation

An independent federal agency has become one of the most reliable executors of President Biden’s attempts to fight inflation, at a time when the White House has few weapons of its own to quickly bring down stubbornly high prices of consumer staples like groceries.The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit on Monday, joined by several state attorneys general, to challenge a merger between the supermarket giants Kroger and Albertsons. The agency’s rationale in many ways echoed Mr. Biden’s renewed attempts to blame corporate greed for rising prices and shrinking portions in grocery aisles.“If allowed, this merger would substantially lessen competition,…