Author: Tyler Jorge Barrett

The ringgit opened slightly higher against the US dollar on Tuesday after the release of the United States (US) ISM manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) which came in lower than expected at 46.0 points in June, said an economist. At 9 am, the local unit rose marginally to 4.6635/6670 versus the greenback compared to 4.6640/6690 at Monday’s close. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist and social finance head Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the ringgit is well supported as the data indicate that the Federal Reserve may not be so hawkish although it may be inclined to maintain higher…

The US and its allies can deter China from invading Taiwan so long as they retain military superiority, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley said. Voice of America quoted Milley as telling the National Press Club in Washington on Friday that Beijing can be dissuaded from launching military action against Taiwan as long as the US and its allies are able to maintain their military advantage over China. “The faster we move out, the faster we can retain military superiority, then I believe the theory of the case is we are more likely than not to deter…

The U.S. government is preparing evacuation plans for American citizens living in Taiwan, three sources told The Messenger.  The planning has been underway for at least six months and “it’s heated up over the past two months or so,” said a senior U.S. intelligence official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss the planning. The official said a “heightened level of tension” had driven the preparations. “It’s nothing you wouldn’t read in the news,” he told The Messenger. “Forces building up. China aligning with Russia on Ukraine.” A source familiar with the matter cited Russia’s February…

On Thursday, revisions to first quarter economic data showed the economy grew faster than initially expected despite inflation coming in higher than first noted. In the labor market, revisions resulting in part from fraudulent data in Massachusetts show jobless claims aren’t piling up as previously anticipated. Together, the data points add to a growing narrative that current economic data doesn’t match the pessimism of some economists warning about a recession. “The argument that we’re definitely going into a recession is dubious,” Blackrock’s CIO of fixed income Rick Rieder told Yahoo Finance Live. “The question is, can inflation come down enough to hit the target, and that’s the…

The city of Los Angeles celebrated the grand opening of the Dolores Huerta Apartments Thursday, the first completed permanent supportive housing building funded by the $185 million SDS Supportive Housing Fund. Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Councilman Curren Price and Veronica Lewis, executive director of Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care Systems joined Deborah La Franchi, CEO and founder of SDS Capital Group, for the unveiling of the building. The 40-unit permanent supportive housing project at 5215 S. Figueroa St. was built with a $6.6 million investment from the SDS Supportive Housing Fund. “In order to…

Hilton, N.Y. (WHAM) — Police said two bomb threats targeting the Hilton Central School District this week appear to be part of a series of automated overseas emails. Friday’s email, sent from a Russian email domain, demanded the school remove “pornographic materials” from school libraries. “We have not found any connection or local suspects to this threat,” said Captain Pat Rojas from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. “If we do, we will track you down. We will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.” Wednesday’s email threat condemned a book available in the Hilton High School library entitled…

WASHINGTON (AP) — When an Iranian drone struck a U.S. base in northeastern Syria, killing a contractor and wounding several U.S. troops, it was just the latest in a growing number of attacks on American forces in Syria. But its lethality was rare. In most recent cases, no U.S. forces have been hurt in such attacks. The strike on Thursday — by a small, suicide drone — set off a series of retaliatory bombings, and the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, Gen. Erik Kurilla, quickly warned that the U.S. was prepared to launch more attacks if needed. American troops have…

NEW YORK – The five-alarm headlines dominating conservative media this week predicted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into Donald Trump was on the brink of collapse after the grand jury took two days off from hearing evidence. “Hannity: Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump crumbles,” blared a report from Fox News. “Is Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg getting cold feet?” asked Republican Sen. Ted Cruz on his podcast, Verdict. “Why Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump is falling apart,” an opinion piece in the New York Post sought to explain. The grand jury’s period of quietude this week drew outsized attention after a procession…

South Korean law prohibits the export of weapons to countries in active conflict. With this, Seoul found it difficult to deliver weapons directly to Kyiv. South Korea is quiet favorite of gun buyers around the world. And this was achieved during the country’s decades of efforts to protect itself from North Korea. The threat that never goes away forces Seoul to build a domestic arms industry. And in the end, this sector achieves economies of scale obtained from large export sales. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), there has been a drastic increase in South Korea’s ranking…

School of Medicine withdraws from the news organization’s “Best Medical Schools” survey and rankings, citing methodology limitations. January 23, 2023 Dear community, I am writing to share that the Stanford School of Medicine will withdraw from U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Medical Schools” survey and rankings. We made this decision after extensive deliberation about the methodology with colleagues and members of our community. Ultimately, we believe that the methodology, as it stands, does not capture the full extent of what makes for an exceptional learning environment. As educators, we have a profound responsibility to honor and support those weighing…