Wall Street Times

Scottish parliament vote Humza Yousaf

Humza Yousaf has been chosen to take over as leader of the SNP and first minister of Scotland from Nicola Sturgeon. He was seen by many, including Ms. Sturgeon, as the SNP establishment’s favorite candidate.

More MSPs and MPs supported the health secretary than any of his rivals. John Swinney, also the Deputy First Minister, said that Mr. Yousaf would “finish our journey to independence.”

He has more experience than the other two leaders-to-be. Since 2012, he has worked for the government in positions such as justice secretary and transport minister.

His supporters say that he is a good communicator and best suited to unite the party and keep the power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens after a very tense leadership race.

Humza Yousaf, who is known as the “continuity candidate,” is a close friend of Ms. Sturgeon and is usually seen as the person who would try to carry on the work of the outgoing first minister.

He is one of three candidates who has said he would go to court to stop the UK government from blocking Ms. Sturgeon’s controversial gender recognition reforms. He said that the party can only win independence if it keeps pushing “progressive values.”

But he has made it clear that he won’t go to court unless an attorney tells him he has a chance of winning.

Humza Yousaf has separated himself from Ms. Sturgeon’s plan to use the next election as a de facto referendum. Instead, he said that he would try to build a “consistent majority” in favor of independence because it “isn’t good enough” for polls to show that 50% or 51% of people support independence.

But he has tried to reach out to more impatient supporters of independence by saying he might hold a special Holyrood election to see how many people want to leave the UK.

Mr. Yousaf also denied that the party leaders were doing everything they could to ensure he won the leader race. This was in response to people who said the shorter campaign was done to help him win.

He has also said he would be willing to hear concerns about controversial policies like plans for a new national care service and the bottle return scheme.

“Do it as I say”

During the competition, Humza Yousaf told BBC Scotland’s Sunday Show that he was “his own man” and would do things in his way.

Critics say that Mr. Yousaf has “failed upwards” and has little to show for his time in government. Jackie Baillie of Labour called him “the worst health secretary in history” and said he now wants to be “the worst first minister in history.”

But his fellow SNP candidate for leadership, Kate Forbes, was the harshest. She told Mr. Yousaf during a live STV debate, “When you were in charge of transportation, the trains were always late. When you were in charge of justice, the police were so busy that they were about to break. And now that I’m in charge of health care, we have the longest wait times ever.”

A big part of the race was the fights between Mr. Yousaf and Ms. Mr. Yousaf said that his opponent’s views on social issues like gay marriage, transgender rights, and abortion would cause the party to “lurch to the right.”

But Humza Yousaf has also asked why he didn’t vote in the final gay marriage vote in 2014. He said it was because he had to attend a very important meeting about a Scot on death row in Pakistan for blasphemy.

Alex Salmond, the first minister at the time, said on Sky News that Mr. Yousaf missed the vote because a Glasgow mosque put religious pressure on him. Mr. Yousef has strongly denied this claim.

Humza Yousaf is first Muslim to head a major party in the UK

When the 37-year-old is confirmed as Scotland’s first minister, he will be the first Muslim to lead a major party in the UK and the first person from an ethnic minority to lead a devolved government.

His father was born in Pakistan, and in the 1960s, he moved to Scotland with his family. His mom was born in Kenya to parents who were from South Asia. Humza Yousaf has talked a lot about the racist things people have said to him.

At the start of the race for leader, he said he was threatened, so he had to call the police. A man, 25, and a woman, 35, were taken into custody and charged.

Humza Yousef went to Hutchesons’ Grammar, a private school in Glasgow. When he was there, he was two years behind Anas Sarwar, the leader of the Scottish Labour Party.

After studying politics at Glasgow University, he worked briefly in a call center before becoming Bashir Ahmad’s and then Alex Salmond’s assistant in parliament.

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Humza Yousaf was chosen as a listed MSP for the Glasgow area in 2011. A year later, Mr. Salmond made him minister for Europe and international development.

He was the first person from a minority group to win a seat in the Scottish Parliament. Then, in 2016, he became the minister of transport. He did this by winning the Glasgow Pollok race against a Labour candidate.

Economist say Global Economy will Slump in the Next Decade

According to economists, the globe will see a decade of moderate growth. However, Daniel Lacalle, the author and head economist of Tressis Gestion, predicts that the global financial system will undoubtedly suffer and experience an unparalleled recession in the next years.

Experts claim that this prognosis is very plausible in light of the numerous catastrophes that have occurred in recent years, starting with the Covid-19 epidemic. Lockdowns and quarantine procedures have caused the global economy to collapse. Moreover, companies and other organizations fail to recover due to various issues, even with lenient Covid restrictions. For instance, Russia’s February invasion of Ukraine had an impact on the world supply chain. A third of the world’s wheat is supplied by Russia and Ukraine together. Only other products’ prices will skyrocket as a result of this.

In the meantime, inflation has worsened in the US and other global heavyweights like China and the UK. As a result, the cost of things has increased, putting pressure on consumers, businesses, and the government. The International Monetary Fund predicts that, as a result, global GDP growth will slow from 6% in 2021 to 2.7% in 2023. Except for the global financial crisis and the severe stage of the Covid-19 outbreak, the IMF claims that the prediction has “the lowest growth profile since 2001.”

“Global economic activity is experiencing a broad-based and sharper-than-expected slowdown, with inflation higher than seen in several decades. The cost-of-living crisis, tightening financial conditions in most regions, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the lingering COVID-19 pandemic all weigh heavily on the outlook,” said the IMF in a report.

“Global inflation is forecast to rise from 4.7 percent in 2021 to 8.8 percent in 2022 but to decline to 6.5 percent in 2023 and to 4.1 percent by 2024. Monetary policy should stay the course to restore price stability, and fiscal policy should aim to alleviate the cost-of-living pressures while maintaining a sufficiently tight stance aligned with monetary policy,” it added.

“Structural reforms can further support the fight against inflation by improving productivity and easing supply constraints, while multilateral cooperation is necessary for fast-tracking the green energy transition and preventing fragmentation.”

 Read Also: Managers think the supply chain will not recover until 2024

Global market happy with China

In an unexpected move, the Chinese government relaxed its Covid prohibitions despite a recent increase in Covid cases nationwide. The choice was made after the Chinese leadership received harsh criticism from its people and other world leaders. China’s recent shift toward pragmatism may herald the end of the country’s strident zero-Covid policy, which has harmed both the domestic economy and, indirectly, the global economy. The openness of China’s economy to the world, according to Lacalle, is a positive development that may reenergize markets in 2023.

“We have been looking at a very bleak picture for the Chinese economy, which is essential not just for the growth of the rest of the world but particularly for Latin America and also for Africa,” he said.

“The reopening of the Chinese economy is certainly going to give a significant boost to growth all over the world, but also — and I think it is a very important factor — German exporters, French exporters have felt the pinch of the lockdown and the weakening of the profit environment in China, and this is certainly going to help a lot.”

The openness of China’s economy, according to Lacalle, does not guarantee that the country would see the same level of development as it had in the years before the epidemic. The Chinese government’s move will have a good impact, but it is still very possible that the world economy will slow down.

“I think that we are probably going to move into a decade of very, very poor growth in which developed economies are going to find themselves lucky with 1% growth per annum if they are able to achieve it, and what is more unfortunate than everything else is with elevated levels of inflation,” he explained.

“I think that we are living the backlash of massive stimulus packages that were implemented in 2020 and 2021. That has not delivered the kind of potential growth that many economists expected.”

“I think that markets are starting to price that environment in which the situation globally is not of a buoyant level of growth and economic development, but [is] one that avoids a financial crisis, and if that happens, it is certainly positive.”

Read Also: Black entrepreneurs must be given more government support 

IMF and its report

The IMF underlined several other elements in its study, such as international policy, the outlook, and the labor market. For example, the group noted that how nations changed their fiscal policies would affect the prospects for the global economy. Additionally, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and China’s growth pace would have an impact.

“Risks remain unusually large: monetary policy could miscalculate the right stance to reduce inflation; diverging policy paths in the largest economies could exacerbate the US dollar’s appreciation; tightening global financing could trigger emerging market debt distress; and a worsening of China’s property sector crisis could undermine growth,” it adds.

“Policymakers should focus on restoring price stability and alleviating cost-of-living pressures. Multilateral cooperation remains necessary to fast-track the green energy transition and prevent fragmentation.”

The agency also issued a warning about the rising cost of living. People would require a larger budget if prices rose. As a result, several unions have begun to lobby businesses to raise pay. Companies are under pressure to comply when this occurs, forcing them to look for alternative ways to make money to pay their staff. As a result, some businesses adopt price increases and similar tactics.

“Analysis highlights that more backward-looking expectations require stronger and more frontloaded monetary tightening to reduce risks of inflation de-anchoring. Risks of a sustained wage-price spiral appear limited since underlying inflation shocks come from outside the labor market and monetary policy is tightening aggressively,” the IMF said.

 

Layoffs and how it affects work output

Image Source: HR Exchange Network

In the last year, there have been layoffs all over the world, especially in the last four months. People who thought they would always have the same job have lost them. For example, layoffs say that more than 150,000 people will lose their jobs at tech companies in 2022. This year, nearly 76,000 more jobs have been lost. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup have all laid off tens of thousands of people in the finance industry. There have also been layoffs in many other areas, like the consumer retail, media, healthcare, and pharmaceutical industries.

In the past, layoffs were common because the economy was always going up and down. But experts say that this wave is different in a few ways.

The first is how big and wide they are, which is important because the economy is getting better at its core. During the Great Recession, however, a huge drop in the value of assets around the world directly caused the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. People died because of this for a long time, and the value of international stock markets dropped by trillions of dollars. But that’s not the case now, even though there are a lot of layoffs and jobs that need to be safer.

In the US, for example, the financial crisis of 2008 and the recession caused the unemployment rate to hit a high of 10%, with about 15 million people on the unemployment rolls. This happened because the whole economy slowed down for a long time. Because of this, about 3.5% of people currently need jobs. During the eurozone crisis in 2011, the unemployment rate in the European Union went up to over 11.5%, but it is now less than 6.5%.

How the workplace feels right now is another reason why layoffs are necessary. Anna Tavis, a professor at New York University, says that managers pushed for a leadership style that put employees’ physical and mental health first during the pandemic. “We were told to bring ourselves to work,” she says.

Because of this, many workers, both those laid off and others like Kara, who fear they will be next, feel cognitive dissonance. Tavis says they were told one thing during Covid-19, but now they know that story isn’t true. Moreover, she says, “It makes leadership look fake, which is bad because it hurts employees’ trust in leadership.”

Some experts say that organizational cultures could also get worse if waves of layoffs like the ones we’ve seen recently keep happening, or even if they’re just a possibility. This could not be good for everyone’s health, including their physical and mental health. Even worse, these problems may affect people who will live in the future.

Layoffs takes a toll

Especially importantly, losing a job can have a direct effect on health. But a lot of research also shows that losing a job makes you more likely to have several health problems.

One of the most thorough summaries of more than 300 studies shows that unemployed people are more stressed, less happy with their lives, marriages, and families, and more likely to have mental health problems than those working. Also, after a few decades, being laid off has been linked to a much higher risk of suicide and a higher death rate.

Research from 2009 shows that employees who didn’t have any health problems before being laid off are 83% more likely to get sick in the first 15 to 18 months after being laid off. Stress is the main cause of diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, and arthritis.

But in an economy with many layoffs, not just the people who lost their jobs will suffer. Kara and other workers know that even before layoffs are announced, the possibility and fear of losing a job can affect mental health and productivity. For instance, executive coach and author melody Wilding wrote in Harvard Business Review that job insecurity could make people less motivated and lead to anxiety and depression.

Mixed messages about worker health’s importance have also confused and hurt workers.

Employees showed that their priorities and professional goals had changed during the pandemic. Most importantly, they started to care more about their mental health. Employers often heard these calls for more help, and many leaders started talking about making policies, programs, and tools to help employees who were having trouble.

Companies also started talking about how to make sure that words like “burnout,” “stress,” and “depression” aren’t seen as signs of weakness or shame in the workplace. For younger people who just got their first job in the past few years, the employee-centered company that says it cares about mental health and well-being may be their only impression of the working world.

The problem, though, is that this focus on personal health differs greatly from what many workers are going through right now. For example, a recent global survey of 35,000 workers showed that 52% are worried about how economic uncertainty will affect their job security and that more than a third are worried about losing their job.

Research by Maureen Dollard, a professor of work and organizational psychology at the University of South Australia, shows that employees in less psychologically healthy environments—places where emotional well-being is not ignored—took 43% more sick days per month. Her research has also shown that stress makes you more likely to get hurt at work.

Read Also: Jobs surges in the US despite slowdown

Other experts, like Bentley University professor of management and psychology Aaron Nurick, say that people who don’t lose their jobs can still be affected by layoffs through what he calls “survivor’s guilt,” or the feeling that “I could be next.”

Managers think the supply chain will not recover until 2024

Most logistics managers from large companies and trade groups think the supply chain will return to normal in 2024 or later.

In a survey conducted by a media site, more than half of the managers, or 61% of them, say that the supply chain is not functioning normally. Meanwhile, 32% say otherwise.

When the managers were asked when they expected the condition to return to normal, around 22% were unsure, 19% said next year, and 30% thought it would be normal in 2024. Finally, the remaining 29% said it should return to normalcy in 2025, with some saying it could never revert to the norm.

This dismal outlook from trade managers is the result of the supply chain disruption that started roughly three years ago when Covid-19 began in Wuhan, China. Since then, the world has been facing tremendous pressure and difficulty in reviving the countries’ economies.

However, strict Covid policies among countries have impeded the exchange of goods and services across countries. The survey included American Apparel and Footwear Association members, the Pacific Coast Council, the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, the National Retail Foundation, and the Coalition of New England Companies for Trade.

“The administration needs to remain focused and continue to convene the right supply chain stakeholders to discuss ways to improve supply chain operations and expand data sharing to create a truly 21st century supply chain,” said Jon Gold, the NRF supply chain and customs policy vice president.

Read Also: Black entrepreneurs must be given more government support

The government must work with managers

Many managers, precisely 59%, think that the Biden administration must be aware of the supply chain challenges. However, managers said it would help the supply chain if the government and logistics managers shared their data. This would help freights to move faster.

“The carriers have arbitrarily imposed such charges on customs brokers, even though we may not have had any role in booking or managing the transportation,” added Eduardo Acosta, Pacific Coast Council of Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association president.

“The survey provides data supporting the imperative for the Federal Maritime Commission to advance its proposed rule to end this unreasonable carrier practice,” Acosta added.

“Hard data is the backbone of effective supply chain management, especially amidst the uncertainty shown in this survey. Intelligence about real-time cargo flows is essential. The survey highlights the need for the industry to rally around better data-sharing solutions,” said Karen Kenney, CONECT chair.

“Now is the time to double down on bringing all stakeholders together to create and implement real solutions to structural problems so that we don’t end up skipping from crisis to crisis,” said AAFA senior vice president Nate Herman.

Problems faced by logistics managers

According to the majority of the logistics manager, they lack raw materials, which worsen their situation. Moreover, port congestion, shortage of workers, and reduction of warehouse spaces do not help their case. Other factors managers face are cancellations of sailings, excessive fees, and strict terminal rules.

“US agriculture and forest products industries are being rendered less competitive in the global marketplace, driving inflation in domestic food costs,” explained AgTC executive director Peter Friedmann.

“The survey’s inventory of impacts of ocean carrier practices accurately reflects the experiences of AgTC membership – the agriculture sector nationwide. Detention and Demurrage Billing Practices determine the cost of exporting and importing a vast amount of goods crossing our seaport docks, and thus a significant driver of inflation,” he added.

For years, warehouse spaces have been filled with inventories, brought by the slowing down of purchase among Americans. When warehouse spaces decrease, the price for renting a space increases. According to the managers, they have seen a 400% rise in warehouse prices. This leads many retailers to offer discounted prices to buyers in hopes of clearing out the warehouses they intend for other incoming products.

“Customers are shopping discounts and we are seeing that in the items we are moving. It’s the higher value products like tennis shoes over a lower cost t-shirt,” said DHL Supply Chain CEO Scott Sureddin.

“I have never seen inventory levels like this, and after the first of the year, retailers can’t continue to sit on this inventory, so the discounts they’ve been pushing will have to continue,” he added.

Read Also: Opinion: Raskin says Trump needs to take accountability

Inflation in the US

Logistic costs are even higher due to inflation in the US. Higher energy and labor costs mean companies must spend more on these services. Coupled with the higher costs of warehouses and other constraints, managers need help managing the finances of supply chain companies.

Moreover, the war between Russia and Ukraine impeded several global markets and products like wheat and grain. In terms of laborers, managers are growing more concerned about the mental health of their workers in the face of worker shortage which can contribute to burnout and strain.

And now, as the holiday season kicks in, several freights are having problems getting in and out states due to the winter storm. Many airline companies and couriers have said delays would happen as streets are covered with inches of snow. In addition, several people have died as government services are stranded due to impassable roads.

“International logistics is still a business driven by people. “The survey highlights all sorts of challenges in the supply chain, but none of those will get solved without the right talent and expertise,” explained Kenney.

 

CEO Anna Diamantakos Is Making A Mark: Helping Women Feeling Their Best With Her Unique Lymphatic Drainage Techniques

In the health, wellness, and medical industry Anna Diamantakos is an pre & post operative expert who helps women’s bodies look and feel better with her signature lymphatic method.

The lymphatic system plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy body. Whether you are an athlete, a busy professional, or simply looking to improve your health and quality of life, incorporating lymphatic drainage into your routine benefits significantly. According to a study by NIH (National Library of Medicine), it is estimated that nearly 5,000,000 Americans suffer from lymphedema of the extremities or genitalia. In these cases, chronic interstitial fluid accumulation leads to fibrosis, persistent inflammation, and adipose deposition, often resulting in massive hypertrophy of the affected area. 

Lymphatic massage and drainage are crucial to the body’s immune system. The lymphatic system is key for maintaining overall health and wellness because it eliminates extra fluids, waste products, and toxins from the body. Lymphatic drainage is critical before and after surgery, as it can help to reduce swelling, pain, and inflammation and promote faster healing.

 In this interview, we have a groundbreaking specialist and master in lymphatic massage, a pre and post-operative care specialist Anna Diamantakos, the founder of Liquid Sculpt. We will explore the importance of staying healthy with lymphatic massage and drainage for everyone who wants a great life.

Liana Zavo: What is the secret behind this pre & post-operative care that many patients don’t know about?

Anna Diamantakos: The secret is simple yet so involved – healing another is something we do not take lightly at LS (Liquid Sculpt). A lot of love and skill goes into every interaction. It’s a very personal service. Our client is highly vulnerable, and we have mastered making them feel safe and comfortable. Of course, our unique, secure, and effective approach, techniques, and modalities are more than just a bonus. They are board-certified surgeons recommended and approved.

LZ: What are the most popular services at Liquid Sculpt?

AD: “Our most popular services are lymphatic drainage and our signature ice and wood combo session, a fan favorite. It is a form of holistic cryotherapy, which puts your body in a state of thermogenesis to burn calories. Whether you have had surgery or not, this treatment is an excellent investment that aids in weight loss, inch loss, and overall sculpting of the body and face.” 

LZ: Please elaborate on the mission of LS:

AD: The mission of LS is “Leaving You A Bit Better Than We Found You.” We are not just a treatment/recovery facility. We are an experience. One of my favorite lines I hear from clients repeatedly is, “Wow. I have had “lymphatic drainage before, but nothing compares to the feeling I have after my LS session.” That, along with “I have never felt so good and empowered by a body treatment as I have with LS.”

LZ: What is the future of post-operative care?

AD: The future of post-operative care is endless as trends indicate procedures are becoming safer, less invasive, and more effective to choose from. People are much more willing to discuss it and share their stories now. Social media is also responsible for setting all sorts of trends. There is more of a demand as well as advanced technological advancements. After surgery, lymphatic drainage is even more critical. Surgery can cause significant trauma to the body, and the resulting inflammation and swelling can be both painful and debilitating. Lymphatic drainage can help to reduce these symptoms by promoting the flow of lymphatic fluid and reducing the buildup of excess fluid in the affected area. This can help to reduce swelling and pain and promote faster healing and recovery.

LZ: Liquid Sculpt is best known for: 

AD: LS is best known for its expertise and effectiveness in seeing visible results from your first session. We are result-driven, and our work and client testimonials speak for themselves. We work very closely with board-certified surgeons worldwide, who choose and prefer our techniques, methods, and company culture.

LZ: What is unique about Liquid Sculpt?

AD: What makes LS unique is that all of our services are done manually. No technology can replace the power of our hands. We strongly believe that and witness the results of it day in and day out. We have honed in on our niche, therefore, focusing, educating, and continuing to evolve in our craft and specialty.

LZ: Tell me about your new services you are excited to offer:

AD: As a brand, we are currently working on several projects that will take us to the next level, which include products, expansion of our current locations, as well as new territories. We have been invited to many cities to discuss our services and why and how we do what we do. I am very particular about the services I bring to the company, as I will only practice treatments that I am fully confident will produce results and the client’s best interest. “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” I am a big believer. It hasn’t failed me yet.

LZ: An underrated service that doesn’t receive as much press as it should:

AD: We are so well known for our post-operative care and are so busy with it that we want our clients and future clients to know that what we offer is essential whether you are pre-op, have had a procedure some time ago, or are not ready for surgery for whatever the reason may be. Our ice and wood therapy combo treatment is based on natural thermogenesis (a process when the body temperature rises by exposure to cold and an increase of energy production occurs); our certified technician uses a frozen block of organic clay infused with natural herbs, minerals, and essential oils to break down and burn fatty tissue deposits and calories. This holistic technique increases blood flow, firms, tones, tightens the skin, collagen, and elastin production, and smoothes out and reduces cellulite.

You burn anywhere between 300-800 calories through non-invasive and effective treatment, all while reducing water retention throughout the body, speeding up your metabolism, sculpting and defining the arms, legs, and waistline, and molding buttocks and firm thighs. This is a safe and effective wellness treatment for most people and a reset/detox for your lymphatic, digestive, and immune systems. In conjunction with proper nutrition and exercise, our clients report inches and weight loss. This type of procedure is a necessity before a vacation or significant life event as well.

Anna DiamantakosAnna Diamantakos and her team at Liquid Sculpt are exceptional at what they do in all of their locations in the Tri-state area. Helping so many women with their lymphatic drainage is an essential component of the body’s immune system, and it plays a critical role in maintaining overall health and wellness.

By incorporating lymphatic drainage techniques and healthy lifestyle habits into their pre- and post-surgery routines, patients can help to optimize their recovery and achieve the best possible outcomes from their procedures.

Written in partnership with ZavoMedia PR Group

Black entrepreneurs must be given more government support

Many people view the United States as a nation of opportunity. The country receives a lot of domestic and international travelers due to the favorable market conditions for businesses. Simply said, owning a business is the fastest route to becoming a billionaire in the US. Nevertheless, according to a survey by the Alliance for Entrepreneurial Equity, just 2% of all national corporate leaders are Black.

The underrepresentation of Black individuals in the business sector deepens the country’s racial wealth inequality. According to a 2019 Federal Reserve report, just 16% of the US population is owned by Black people, who control only 3% of the overall wealth in the country. Meanwhile, white households account for 87% of the population and 68% of net income.

The issue is not black entrepreneurship because several Black-owned companies provide various services. Instead, the problem is systematic racism, which prevents the funding and assistance necessary to grow Black-owned enterprises. According to analysts, Black Americans face a significant gap due to this ongoing problem.

“The issue is not starting the business, but being able to keep the businesses afloat, being able to help the businesses grow and scale over time,” said Brandon Andrews, an entrepreneur.

Black entrepreneurs held only 1.2% of total venture money in the first half of the fiscal year. According to Gayle Jennings O’Byrne, the lack of financial assistance is due to “all the -isms and prejudices that have grown up over the 400 years that we’ve been a part of this country.” O’Byrne noted that racism is not overt; rather, it is implicit.

“It looks like, ‘Hey, great job. That’s an awesome idea. Keep going. Come back to me, you know, a year from now. I’d love to see how you’re doing. Hey, stay in touch,'” she said.

Read Also: Study found that coffee could help decrease the risk of other health ailments

How to support Black entrepreneurs

According to experts, the problem lies with the shortage of capital for Black entrepreneurs to assist them in launching a corporation. Another area for improvement is the absence of ongoing support for the companies.

“How do we empower those micro businesses? How do we ensure that they have access to capital? How do we ensure they have access to business education?” Andrews posed a question.

“We know that Black business owners and Black entrepreneurs tend to hire from their community, hence spreading the economic benefit,” said Kenneth Ebie, a director and officer of Black Entrepreneurs NYC.

Alfa Demmellash, the CEO of Rising Tide Capital, said, “We don’t just need a handful of successful millionaire-billionaire entrepreneurs. Communities of color are enabling communities. We saw this during the pandemic.”

“It’s like if you are sitting at home and you need that food to be brought to you, who’s cooking the food? Who’s driving that truck? Who’s bringing it to your home? Who’s cleaning your home? Who’s taking care of sanitation? It’s literally our livelihoods.”

“They’re the essential workers, and they’re essential entrepreneurs. They create culture. They create livelihoods. [But they] are invisible and are never invested in because that’s not seen as having great [investor] return.”

The minorities

Other money-earning techniques are open to US residents, such as investing in a start-up firm. The accredited investor regulation, on the other hand, is favorable to Black Americans.

“Most people in our communities are legally barred from doing it in the United States because of that accredited investor definition,” an entrepreneur said.

The Securities and Exchange Commission enforces a law that states that to participate in a start-up, a person must have a net worth of at least $1 million, an annual income of $200,000 for two years before the investment, and proof that the payment will continue.

“So there’s, again, systemic oppression that’s there that keeps our communities from having access to even spend our money on our businesses in the way that we might do otherwise,” added Andrews.

Read Also: Opinion: Raskin says Trump needs to take accountability

The importance of the Black community in policies

According to a recent report, Black people grew less likely to vote during the midterm elections—the poll polled respondents of various ages, genders, races, and economic levels. Black male voters account for a sizable proportion of Democratic votes. Furthermore, Black women make up a significant portion of the party’s Black voters. As a result, persuading them to vote will lead to improved conditions for the democratic party.

Even though data indicate that a sizeable chunk of Black voters support the Democrats over the Republicans, people claim that this trend goes beyond numbers. Instead, it will come down to how politicians treat and appreciate the nation’s diversity and their views on abortion rights, according to voters like Al Heartley and Donnell Brunson.

“At the end of the day, it comes down to the choice [of] abortion rights …as well as voting rights. Black men have a voice and a perspective. But, you have to acknowledge where I am as a Black person first. To me, that’s what Warnock and Abrams really do,” said Heartley.

“It’s clear to me that they don’t have minorities or people of color in their inner circle advising them. So they’re assuming what we want. And we want the same things other voters want: jobs, economics, education,” Brunson explained.

“What’s unique about Black male voters is that they were Democratic voters; they were supporting Barack Obama at 90%+ margins,” said Terrence Woodbury, CEO of the polling firm HIT Strategies.

“Now that we’ve seen that decline to 79% or 80%, it is enough to make the marginal difference in states like Georgia, Wisconsin and North Carolina, where they have diverse candidates at the top of the ticket,” the CEO added.

Bridging the Gaps: Understanding the Impact of British Colonialism in India and Beyond with Fazle Chowdhury

In the last decade, more writers in Britain and the United States are describing colonial history and contemporary postcolonial culture, offering a rich history to balance the accounts to, at the very least, bridge the gaps in understanding between the past and how it has impacted the understanding of the present.

Since 2015 some of the books on the British Raj written by a host of authors, including William Dalrymple’s The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire, Shashi Tharoor’s Inglorious Empire: What the British did to India, or Vivek Chibar’s The Debate on Postcolonial Theory and the Specter of Capital are debating some of the myths associated with democracy and state structure which are supposedly remnants of what the British left behind. The subject took a different turn in what looked like “Rebranding Colonialism” as a result after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September of 2022. Since then, a host of writers and activists, including Carnegie Mellon University professor Uju Anya and Atlantic writer and former ESPN host Jemele Hill, have expressed their views.

The temperature in the Indian subcontinent media took a wild turn when an American anchor voiced his opinion saying, “Britain had civilized India.” To any Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi not only was this untrue, but it demonstrated the very gaps of understanding of British rule of India in America.

With Blood and Flame: What the British Empire did to Bengal, Fazle Chowdhury (Fabrezan & Phillipe, 17 August 2023)

Fazle Chowdhury, whose previous works on Iran and his recent publication of Why Ukraine Matters, sheds light on the importance of doing everything possible to avoid a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and the consequences of conflict that may consume Europe and others, now is providing that sharp rebuttal in his new book With Blood and Flame: What the British Empire did to Bengal. Readers will find what happened in the province of Bengal, then the richest province in the subcontinent and after nearly-200 years, went from riches to rags. Of the fifteen chapters in the book, the fourth chapter is entirely dedicated to this subject, while other aspects that surround the issue are mentioned in the remaining parts of the book.

Chowdhury unashamedly directs a host of episodes during the British Raj as well as the present conditions that led the Tory government in Britain to not doing enough to prioritize their past colonial subjects nor providing a workable solution in the criteria of immigration. By avoiding such measures, political circumstances have worked against the Tories. The book is a shrewd analysis from just a few episodes before the 1757 Battle of Plassey to how West Bengal and more of Bangladesh are now faring better economically than they had in their earlier years after Indian independence. Chowdhury is known to be a fantastic researcher, and his facts are spot on. If you want to understand the circumstances of British colonial rule, particularly directed at India’s once richest province, Bengal and further events after Indian independence where the recovery from British occupation remained a struggle, then this is the book you can’t afford to not read.

Author of eight published works of fiction and non-fiction, Northeastern University graduate Chowdhury is an accomplished historian and novelist, and With Blood and Flame, he makes a convincing case of the horrors of British rule that was especially and uniquely harmful to Bengal unlike any other.

The opportunity to speak in respectful terms for the British monarchy is something he does not shy away from. What is apparent in his writing is his respect for King George V and his son, George VI, the late Queen Elizabeth II’s father, where the admiration shifts are directed at the British administrators and, most particularly, the Tory politicians during and after colonial rule.

Chowdhury’s complicated views do have particles of simplicity in his conclusion. As he blames the British colonial administrators for leaving Bengal sliced in two when India and Pakistan became independent, with one side going to India and the other constituting the eastern wing of Pakistan, he does not stop short of blaming the treatment of Indian soldiers in both world wars, the 1943 Bengal famine, the Indian partition, the three wars fought between India and Pakistan between 1947 and 1971 but also the genocide which Britain too should bear responsibility.

Chowdhury ends the book on a good note in his final chapter, “The New Revival,” describing how nice it is for the post colonial generation to see that if Bengal’s past is the fault of British rule, then West Bengal’s geographic significance and Bangladesh’s economic rise was unstoppable. A satisfactory reality despite the horrors of British colonial rule.

About Fazle Chowdhury

Fazle Chowdhury studied at Northeastern University and at the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University. He has written several op-eds connected to Europe and the Middle East. He is a former contributor to Lisbon-based Expresso Newspaper, a fellow at the Global Policy Institute, an agile management consultant and currently spends his time between Montreal and Washington D.C.

Niamh Kavanagh: An Example on How to Inspire Others to Do Good in the World

Niamh Kavanagh is a woman on a mission. As an editor and leader in her field, she has always been passionate about using her platform to inspire others to reach out and help others, and to chase after their dreams.

“When I first started as an editor, I had no idea what I was doing,” said Kavanagh. “But I knew that I wanted to learn and grow, and I was willing to put in the work to get there. And I did.”

Through her hard work, dedication and perseverance, Kavanagh climbed the ranks and now holds a position of great responsibility and influence. But she hasn’t forgotten the lessons she learned along the way.

“My experience has been invaluable to me, and I want to share it with others. I believe that anyone can achieve their dreams, no matter where they start. The key is to not be afraid to start. Even if it’s small, just taking that first step can be the most important thing.”

Kavanagh is a shining example of how one person can make a difference in the world. She encourages others to do the same, and to remember that it’s better to do life scared, than be scared to do life.

“I believe that it is our responsibility to help others and make the world a better place,” she said. “And I believe that we can all make a difference, no matter how small it might seem. So don’t be afraid to start. Take that first step, and keep putting one foot in front of the other. You never know where it might lead.”

Today, Niamh Kavanagh is leading the impact on the world through her work as Head of Marketing and Content for Charlie Rocket and The Dream Machine Foundation. With her expertise in social media and her ability to tell powerful stories through videos, Niamh has helped grow the foundation’s following to a combined 10 million across four platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

In just three months, the foundation’s YouTube channel has hit 700,000 subscribers with 30 million monthly views. Instagram has grown from 150,000 followers to 1,000,000 followers in a year, and TikTok to 7 million. TikTok especially ranges from 30-80 million views every month and with Facebook, Niamh and her team now have a partnership with Steve Harvey who distributes all their videos.

Niamh’s proprietary editing formats, her knowledge of social media expertise and trends, her relationships with PR and media and the fact that Niamh use her skills to change lives and help make an impact on the world through social good.

Opinion: Raskin says Trump needs to take accountability

After months of interviews, meetings, and evidence gathering, the House Select Committee has closed its investigation by implicating former President Donald Trump on four felony offenses. Representative Jamie Raskin said that Trump must respond to these accusations.

The panel’s indictments include conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction of an official process, supporting individuals engaging in an insurgency, and conspiracy to defraud the United States of America. The committee will bring these before the Department of Justice and other members of Congress for not responding with court subpoenas. However, analysts believe that the ethics committee would take no steps to involve the members of Congress. Representative Raskin stated that it must be enacted. Otherwise, “a terrible precedent for the future” would be formed.

“It’s of special concern when there’s an attempt to overthrow our election and essentially subdue our constitutional order and have someone seize the presidency who didn’t win it,” Raskin said.

“And if members of Congress have knowledge of that and may have been involved in it but refuse to say anything about it, we’re setting a precedent for future attacks on democracy itself. And that’s really the burden of our committee, to make sure that we prevent coups, insurrections, electoral sabotage and political violence in the future,” he added.

Raskin noted that Trump needs to explain the issues he is responsible for. He underscored that there is adequate evidence to convict Trump on all of the charges that the panel would refer to the Department of Justice. Raskin believes Trump should be made liable for all of these.

“In a society where all of us are treated equally under the law, the fact that he’s a former president would make no more difference than the fact that he’s a former businessman or TV star,” he adds.

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The ethics committee must act

Raskin believes that the ethics committee should act on the evidence. Many professionals, however, believe that because the Republicans now control the House of Representatives, the panel would quash the suit brought against them.

“The ethics committee is split between Democrats and Republicans, and they’re facing a pretty profound question, which is: If members of Congress get subpoenaed to testify about their knowledge of a criminal offense, and this one an attack on the constitution itself, can they just blow off the subpoena?”

“We’re not able to take them to court, likely because of the Speech or Debate Clause, which says that we can’t hold people to account who are members of Congress outside of Congress; We have to hold them to account within the channels of Congress. And so all we really could do is refer them to the ethics committee. And I trust and hope that the members of the ethics committee on a bipartisan basis will consider this very serious problem.”

Raskin stated that he planned to share the committee’s conclusions with the rest of the country. He said that it is one opportunity to convey that the US government is promoting democracy for the future generation.

“The work of our committee is an open book. We want the whole country to see all of the transcripts, all of the interviews, everything that took place, so we’re going to try to make it public as quickly as possible.”

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Trump must be held liable

The representative also stated that Trump must pay for all of his crimes, as enabling him to go free would be destructive to the aim of American democracy. He then asks questions about the disparity between the wealthy and the poor, who are charged with crimes. And, in most cases, the latter gets condemned more than the former.

“More than 900 people have been prosecuted for crimes like assaulting federal officers, destroying federal property, seditious conspiracy, and attempt to overthrow or put down the government. Why should the foot soldiers be going to jail and not the ringleaders and the masterminds of this scheme to defeat American democracy?”

“Look, if Donald Trump had succeeded, he’d be bragging about it, how he was the one who came up with the whole plan. It’s very clear to those of us who’ve given two years of our lives to studying this that none of it would have happened without the will of Donald Trump.”

“I think most of the public understands that Donald Trump’s own attorney general said that his claims in the big lie are, quote, “BS.” They understand that Donald Trump wanted to wave in all of the armed people that he was perfectly aware were in the crowd.”

“They understand that he took no concern to try to protect us against the mob that he unleashed against us — so he didn’t call the Army, he didn’t call the National Guard. He sat there in his little dining room, watching this unfold like a perfect bystander or someone from another country or another planet. He showed no interest in trying to defend us. I think that story is indelibly imprinted in the public imagination.”