Every American I know wants to visit Australia. It’s sometimes called “The Land of Milk and Honey” and it is. Next to Canada, Australia is more like the U.S. than any other country I can think of.

The organisation, which has 160 employees, says it is still trying to understand how staff will be affected

NPR's Steve Inskeep asks the Brookings Institution's Jon Valant about President-elect Trump's campaign promise to close the Department of Education.

Nancy O'Brien Simpson Death by a thousand cuts.  There are as many postmortem reasons for the Trump landslide as there are pundits.  It was a historic comeback with inroads in every demographic group.  However, Trump did not win by millions of new voters joining the Trump Train he won because Democrats stayed home and did not vote for Kamala Harris.  Trump gained about 300,000 new voters and Democrats lost three million voters from the 2020 election.   This is my take on the top five reasons why the Democrats did not show up for Harris.

(Stock photo); Credit: Meathead Movers/flickr Creative Commons

As of today, KPCC is moving Breakdown coverage to our main business page, where you will find KPCC’s ongoing news and information about Southern California business and the economy.

As a result, the Breakdown blog will no longer be updated. All previous Breakdown posts will remain available here as an archive.

Please let us know if there are issues you feel merit coverage. You can comment below, by email, on our Facebook page or on our Twitter feed (just "@" mention @KPCC).

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

The partial federal government shutdown is one week old, but economists are still saying that its impact in Southern California and elsewhere will be limited.

Susanne Whatley: Business analyst Mark Lacter, why is that?

Mark Lacter: If you look back on the history of these things, Susanne, you see that the disputes are resolved before too much damage gets done.  As for Southern California, I notice that KPCC's Alice Walton was asking around over the weekend about the shutdown, and most folks gave it a shrug.  The regional economy is just too diversified - and not especially tied to federal employment.  You have about 46,000 federal workers employed in L.A. County in one capacity or another - that's out of a workforce of nearly 5 million.  And, now it appears as if the federal employees who have been furloughed are going to receive their back wages whenever the shutdown finally ends.

Whatley: That still might make things dicey when it comes time to pay the monthly mortgage...

Lacter: ...but at least money will be available before most folks run into serious liquidity issues.  That's what the shutdown really comes down to - inconvenience rather than dislocation.  And, you see this with the various government services affected: the E-Verify website is down - that lets business owners know whether the people they're wanting to hire can work legally in the U.S., which obviously is important.  The Small Business Administration has stopped processing loan applications, and the Federal Housing Administration is reporting delays in its loan processing, which could mean a home buyer might not complete his or her paperwork all that quickly.

Whatley: But, what if this were to go on for months?

Lacter: Well, then it would create problems, but nobody really thinks that's going to happen.  The real issue, not just nationally and regionally - but globally - is the refusal by Congress to raise the debt ceiling.  The deadline is a week from Thursday, and - of course - there's been all sorts of debate about what this would mean for the economy.

Whatley: All right, so what would this mean for the economy?

Lacter: Well, no one knows exactly.  But, then again, no one knows exactly what would happen if you fell out of a airplane without a parachute.  I just wouldn't want to test it out.  And, of course, let's keep in mind that these are manufactured crises - not reflective of anything that's going on with the real economy.  It's certainly not reflective of anything that's going on in L.A., which saw a big jump in payroll jobs for 2012 - actually it was the sharpest increase since 2005, and nearly double the national rate (that's despite an unemployment rate that remains very high in certain parts of Los Angeles).

Whatley: What about some of the big locally based companies?

Lacter: Well, if your company is publicly traded, there's a good chance your shares took a dip these past few days.  Going back to September 18, the Dow has lost almost 700 points, which - percentage-wise - is not very much, but it is reflective of how uneasy Wall Street has become.  Public companies based in the L.A. area are taking it on the chin - Disney, Amgen, Mattel, DirecTV - their stock prices are all down going back to the middle of September.

Whatley: Even so, hasn't this been a good year for the stock market?

Lacter: It has - those local companies are up anywhere from 13 percent 30 percent year to date, and the Dow is up 14 percent year to date.  Of course, the stock price of a company doesn't always match the amount of money it makes, and this year, even before worries about the debt ceiling, the numbers haven't been as good as they should be at this stage of a recovery.  And, that's why there's particular concern about next week.  You do have to wonder whether a default could have ripple effects involving trade, consumer spending, the dollar - who knows what?  Now, it's still a pretty good bet that saner heads will prevail, although there are no guarantees - and again, if worse came to worse, do you really want to be jumping out of that plane?  Guess we'll find out.

Mark Lacter writes for Los Angeles Magazine and pens the business blog at LA Observed.com.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

City bacteria versus country bacteria when it comes to drugs

The Mad Hatter Holiday Festival attracts thousands of people to the historic downtown district of Vallejo with its creative lighted and fire shooting Wonderland recreations that turns the city into a fantasy world for children and adults alike.

Wacoal Holdings has reported revenue of ¥90,167 million (~$586.1 million) in H1 2024, down by 5.2 per cent YoY. Gross profit fell 4.9 per cent to ¥51,056 million (~$331.86 million). Domestic revenue dipped 4.8 per cent to ¥45,006 million, while overseas revenue declined 1.4 per cent to ¥34,549 million. The company’s business profit was ¥2,304 million, down 39.6 per cent YoY in its overseas segment.

GENEVA / VIENNA, 28 July 2016 – Two top holders of media freedom mandates of the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) today condemned the ongoing crackdown on journalists and the media launched by Turkish Government in the wake of the attempted coup.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye, and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, expressed alarm at recent measures adopted by the Turkish authorities. Dozens of journalists have been reportedly arrested and a large number of media outlets closed in the past twenty-four hours.

“The simultaneous arrests of independent journalists and shutdowns of print and broadcast media strike a major blow against public debate and government accountability,” the experts warned. “We strongly urge the Turkish authorities to reconsider these decisions and confirm their obligations to media freedom.”

Reports indicate that the Government ordered the closure of three news agencies, 16 TV channels, 23 radio channels, 45 papers and 15 magazines. Since the attempted coup, authorities have issued arrest warrants against 89 journalists and have already arrested several of them, blocked access to more than 20 news websites, revoked the licenses of 29 publishing houses, and cancelled a number of press accreditations.

Numerous academic institutions, schools, civil society organizations were also ordered to close down by decrees issued after the adoption of the “Statutory Decree Regarding Measures to be Taken Within Scope of State of Emergency and Regulation of Certain Institutes and Institutions” on 23 July.

“It is quite clear that this wave of restrictions against media groups does not meet the basic international standards concerning restrictive measures even in times of emergency,” Mijatović said. “The disregard for any assurance of due process is flagrant and only contributes to the extreme levels of insecurity affecting all those working to inform people of the ongoing crisis in the country.”

“The attempted coup cannot justify such a broad attack against almost all voices, not just critical ones but analytic and journalistic,” Kaye said. “The widespread and abrupt nature of the measures, lacking even the basic elements of due process, is shocking and unprecedented in recent times in Turkey.”

“The Government’s purging of personnel and institutions of what it perceives as being dissenting and critical voices, solely on the basis of allegations of membership in the Gülen movement, clearly violates standards of international human rights law,” he noted.

Both experts expressed their continued willingness to discuss their concerns with Turkish authorities. UN Special Rapporteur Kaye will be visiting Turkey on an official visit in November, at the invitation of the Government. OSCE Representative Mijatović reiterated her Office’s assistance in improving media freedom, including a visit to the country. 

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.  

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• OSCE Representative mourns photojournalist killed in Turkey, expresses concern for media freedom
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• OSCE Representative condemns incidents directed at journalists and independent voices in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Two Myanmar men working in Samut Sakhon were found dead from gunshot wounds in Suan Phung district of Ratchaburi province early Thursday.

It's no secret the Magic have relied on Franz Wagner in Paolo Banchero's absence, and Wednesday night vs. the Pacers was no different.

Amazon is shutting down Freevee, its ad-supported video streaming platform formerly known as IMDb TV. All of its content is already available on Prime Video.

The post Amazon is Shutting Down Freevee After Moving its Content to Prime Video appeared first on Thurrott.com.

Onion prices in India are anticipated to decrease further due to the arrival of the new kharif crop. The government has been selling onions from its buffer stock at subsidized rates to combat recent price increases. Over 4,850 tonnes of onions have been transported via railway to major cities, including Delhi, to enhance supply and stabilize prices.

Donald Trump moved one step closer to beating Alvin Bragg’s lawfare against him on Tuesday as Justice Juan Merchan rescheduled ruling on motions to set aside the politically motivated New York convictions.

The post Juan Merchan Delays Ruling on Trump Prosecution, Either Backing Down or Setting Trap appeared first on Breitbart.

The company’s 83-year-old chairman, John Malone, will be the interim CEO.

It feels a little Fear Factory-ish.

PinkSand Entertainment will be hosting “Wine Down Wednesdays – Scandal Edition” on Wednesday September 24th from 6:30pm at Muse Restaurant SkyBar featuring a Scandal quiz with prizes, video recaps, predictions for this season, conversation and more. The promo flyer said, “This month will see the return of ABC network’s hit primetime drama Scandal starring Kerry […]

Amazing Spider-Man launches into a new era and new story arc. Plus reviews of Psylocke and Uncanny X-Men.

The women’s division finally receives a mid-card title

Solomon Ball stole a pass and took it all the way for a transition dunk to extend the Connecticut Huskies' lead over the Le Moyne Dolphins.

Russian air defense systems shot down two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) overnight on Thursday, TASS reported, citing the country's defense ministry. "One Ukrainian unmanned aeria...

Scott Johnson hopes to support more men as his mental health initiative expands across London.

The special counsel has led two federal criminal cases against Donald Trump.

Amazon has discontinued its secretive "Encore" project to develop an at-home fertility tracker, resulting in layoffs for around 100 employees. The project, part of Amazon's Grand Challenge division, aimed to launch a device and app that would predict fertility through saliva testing but was ultimately terminated to control costs. CNBC reports: The project was born out of the company's 2020 acquisition of Wisconsin-based startup bluDiagnostics, the sources said. BluDiagnostics was founded in 2015 by Weibel, Katie Brenner and Jodi Schroll, all of whom joined Grand Challenge. The startup had developed a thermometer-like device, called FertilityFinder, to help women track their fertility from home by testing their saliva and measuring two key hormones, estradiol and progesterone. The results of the test were viewable through a corresponding app. Business Insider reported on aspects of the fertility device in 2022, when its codename was Project Tiberius. The team was working to develop its own saliva collection device and mobile app, which could predict when a user might be in the fertile window. Users could also log their period symptoms, sexual activity and other data to assist with tracking their fertility. There are similar offerings on the market from companies including Inne, Oova, Ava and Mira, along with fertility and ovulation tracking apps such as Flo, Clue and Max Levchin's Glow. Amazon initially aimed to release the product this year, but the timing was pushed out after the team encountered technical issues with the device, one of the people said. It was a costly endeavor and required significant upfront investments for lab research and development, in addition to the high salaries for scientists and engineers, the sources said, adding that the team's weekly overhead was roughly $1.5 million. Amazon didn't comment on the figure. Only one project now remains active within Grand Challenge. Its focus is on health tech, the people said. "We regularly review our businesses to ensure we focus on areas where we can make the biggest difference for customers," said Amazon spokesperson Margaret Callahan. "Following a recent review, we've decided to discontinue this project within Grand Challenge, and we're working directly with employees whose roles are impacted to support them through the transition and help them find other opportunities within Amazon."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

BBC Sport previews Saturday's "box office" showdown between the Women's Super League's top two sides - Chelsea and Manchester City.

The authoritarian country is spending billions on international athletics, from Formula 1 to combat sports, to boost its bottom line and image.

The following article, Putin Prepares For Showdown With Trump As 50,000 Russian Troops Move Into Position, was first published on Conservative Firing Line.

Now that Donald Trump has won the election, he is going to have to deal with Vladimir Putin and Russia, and that isn’t going to be easy.  The Russians have no incentive to end the conflict because they are steadily gobbling up territory in eastern Ukraine.  As long as the Russians are making progress toward …

Continue reading Putin Prepares For Showdown With Trump As 50,000 Russian Troops Move Into Position ...

Jonathan Lekkerimäki made his NHL debut in the Vancouver Canucks' 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames.

Carbon emissions across the territory continue to rise, states the Yukon government's latest progress report on Our Clean Future, its climate change strategy. But per-person emissions have gone down.

Written eviction notices handed out to residents of the encampment in Guelph's St. George Square in late October took effect on Wednesday. Unoccupied tents were removed and bylaw officers were waiting for the remaining few residents to leave voluntarily. Doug Godfrey, the general manager of Guelph's operations department, said in an emailed statement that bylaw officers may issue trespass notices to those who choose not to comply with the eviction order. Reporting by Cameron Mahler/CBC.

Postbank has said that it has reached a profit in the first two quarters of the financial year, with reported cases of fraud down 80% year-on-year.

South Africa lost by only 11 runs to India in the third T20I in Centurion.

The N Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh has launched a massive crackdown against social media posts targeting political leaders and their family members.

The N Chandrababu Naidu government in Andhra Pradesh has launched a massive crackdown against social media posts targeting political leaders and their family members.

brussels — As China and Peru prepare to sign an updated free-trade agreement at this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to inaugurate a Chinese-financed mega port in Peru, known as Chancay, while attending the APEC meetings. China promotes the Chancay port on Latin America's Pacific coast as a key hub to boost trade connectivity with South America. The plan includes using infrastructure projects to link Chancay, reducing shipping times for goods. A senior U.S. official downplayed the port’s implications for the United States, stating that it does not complicate U.S. relationships in the region and that it is natural for Latin American countries to have diverse trade and investment partnerships beyond the U.S. Matt Murray, the U.S. senior official for APEC, spoke to VOA on Wednesday from Lima, Peru, outlining the U.S. agenda for this year’s APEC meetings. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. VOA: Could you unpack for us the agenda of APEC 2024? Matt Murray, U.S. senior official for APEC: APEC, as you know, is a multilateral forum with 21 member economies that account for half of global trade and 60% of global GDP. Each year, APEC is hosted by a different member economy. The United States was delighted to host in 2023, and this year, the forum has moved to Peru for 2024. APEC always focuses on three key areas: trade and investment, innovation and digitalization, and sustainable, strong, secure, inclusive and balanced growth. Peru has continued these priorities by bringing APEC economies together to discuss these issues and make progress on specific initiatives, including a renewed focus on sustainability. This year, during the energy ministerial meeting in August, Peru launched the Just Energy Transition Initiative within APEC. They have also supported new programming, focused on curbing food loss and waste in the region, which is crucial for the sustainability of our agricultural sectors. VOA: Chinese President Xi Jinping will sign an updated free-trade agreement with Peru and inaugurate a new mega port north of Lima, called Chancay. Can you talk about the implications for the United States? Murray: I think we expect countries, including APEC economies like Peru, to engage in trade and investment relationships with a variety of partners, including the People’s Republic of China. As President Xi arrives in Lima, attention will be given to areas where China has invested in Peru, as well as the trade and investment ties between the two countries. However, from the U.S. perspective, our primary focus is on our own relationship with Peru and with Latin America, particularly in terms of trade, investment and broader engagement. I don’t necessarily see this as complicating our relationship in the region. We view it as a natural part of business that Latin American countries will have diverse trade and investment partners. VOA: Given President-elect Donald Trump's stance on tariffs and the potential withdrawal from the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, and with several IPEF members also part of APEC, how might the U.S. reassure global leaders about its commitment to deepening economic ties with other nations? Murray: Since 1989, both Democratic and Republican U.S. administrations have engaged with APEC. We view it as an opportunity to engage a wide range of partners in a consensus-based, nonbinding way. One of the key ways we reassure leaders is simply by showing up. This week, we’re showing up in a big way. The best way to demonstrate our commitment to deepening economic ties with the region is by having the president, secretary of state and U.S. trade representative all come to Lima to participate in APEC Economic Leaders Week. That, I think, demonstrates leadership and our willingness to continue engaging. VOA: What does the future look like for APEP, or Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, an economic initiative for Latin America, and IPEF? Murray: I don't think I can speculate on the future of these particular arrangements. As you know, this is part of our democracy. We have administrations in power that transition to new ones, which may make different or sometimes similar decisions. There are, in fact, areas where we've seen continuity from the Obama administration to the Trump administration and then to the Biden administration, and there may continue to be such continuity. So, I don’t think it's possible to speculate on any one particular issue.

British shoppers faced renewed pressure on their budgets in October after grocery price inflation edged higher for the second month in a row, industry data showed this week. Market researcher Kantar said annual grocery price inflation was 2.3 per cent in the four weeks to Nov. 3, having been 2.0 per cent in the previous […]

Nadhmi Al-Nasr’s successor, Aiman al-Mudaifer, currently head of PIF's Local Real Estate Division, will serve as Neom’s acting CEO.  

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., didn't hold back in his criticism of Rep. Matt Gaetz being nominated to serve as attorney general in President-elect Trump's second administration.

Shares of Hyundai Motor India, that were listed at Rs 1,931 apiece, have slipped more than 10 per cent from its IPO price.

Sai Pallavi's portrayal of Rosie Maithreyi in the 2021 romantic period drama Shyam Singha Roy left a lasting impression among her fans. This was her second film appearance with Natural Star Nani, as they had previously worked on the film MCA, and the audiences love seeing them together on screen.

The local government also reported knee-high floods across Santiago, a city of 1,50,000 people along an upper bank of the Cagayan river