Latest news with #Pandemic
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Army deletes video of DC parade tanks with 'Hang Fauci & Bill Gates' graffiti
A now-deleted Army video of tanks being loaded onto a train to Washington, D.C., to appear in the massive June 14 military parade for the Army's 250th anniversary showed a graffitied message spray-painted on the side of the train car – "Hang Fauci & Bill Gates." The video, posted to the Army's X account on Saturday, has since disappeared. It showed an M1A2 Abrams – a 70-ton battle tank – rolling onto a train car at Fort Cavazos in Texas. The death threat to Fauci and Gates – two people who have drawn the ire of President Donald Trump's MAGA base – was painted on a train car marked DODX, property of the Defense Department. Steve Warren, an Army spokesperson, said the Army has no plans to investigate. "We removed the post once notified of graffiti on the train that didn't align with Army values," he said. "We are excited to celebrate 250 years of service to the nation next week." Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the government's response to COVID during Trump's first term, and Bill Gates, the billionaire Microsoft founder, are frequent targets of criticism from Republicans and Trump's supporters. Fauci has said he received a deluge of death threats and harassment since he became a magnet for right-wing outrage as the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the Pandemic, making him the public face of many pandemic social distancing policies and the COVID vaccine. Republicans have accused him of funding the Chinese government to create the virus and conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said he "belongs in prison." "I still think deep down that there's a possibility that somebody's going to kill me," Fauci told USA TODAY in a 2024 interview. Former President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon for Fauci before he left office, anticipating that Trump would seek revenge against the doctor. Days into his second term, Trump pulled federal funding for Fauci's security detail. Gates, a Democratic Party donor who contributed millions to Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, also frequently pops up in some conspiracy theories. He has funded vaccination campaigns in poor countries, fueling online speculation that his vaccines contain microchips to track people. The tank in the video was one of 28 tanks and more than two dozen armored vehicles making the weeks-long, cross-country journey to appear in the Army's 250th anniversary parade in the nation's capital on June 14. The tanks and vehicles will be unloaded from the train cars on June 9 in Jessup, Maryland, and transported to downtown Washington by truck. More: Trump's getting his military parade. Here's what they look like from France to Russia The Army is also laying down steel plates on spots in the parade route where the tanks will turn to protect the roads and has said it will pay for any damage they sustain. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said on May 29 she is still "concerned" about road damage. The parade has faced scrutiny for conspicuously falling on President Donald Trump's birthday – also June 14. Trump pushed for a military parade during this first term but canceled his plans after pushback from Democrats and local politicians over the cost and logistics. This time around, the parade is estimated to cost as much as $40 million. Around 7,000 soldiers will also arrive in Washington for the occasion, which will also feature historic warplanes, helicopters, parachutists, and a bevy of events and entertainment. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Army scrubs vid of parade tank with 'Hang Fauci & Bill Gates' graffiti
Forbes
12-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Unofficial #1 On Forbes' 2025 World's Most Influential CMOs List
Wondering if and when the other shoes will drop getty The Unofficial #1 designation is given to a person, force, or condition with outsized influence over CMOs and their ability to influence growth. — Stepping back 125 years to early 20th-century New York City, and you find the origins of an almost apt metaphor for the current state of global affairs and global marketing alike. Returning to your tenement apartment after a day in the factory, you'd sit on your bed and begin getting out of your work clothes. As you took off your first shoe and it dropped to the floor, your downstairs neighbor couldn't help but hear its thud through the tenement's thin ceiling. Then they'd wait for the thud of your other shoe dropping. While these are certainly 'other shoe' times, the metaphor is only almost apt because then, there was a certainty the other shoe would ultimately drop. Today however, nothing is certain, little is inevitable or predictable, most everyone is on edge, and seemingly any crazy thing could happen (or not) in any given moment. In fact, in April and across 142 countries, The International Monetary Fund's World Uncertainty Index, recorded the single highest level of global uncertainty—higher than during the Pandemic or the 2008 economic crisis—since tracking began 17 years ago. While much is uncertain, regardless of your politics or nationality, what's not is that no one and nothing has greater influence over the ripple effects of what happens next from shoes that do or don't fall than the current American president. And so—and not because by any objective measure he is a marketing savant—for his outsized influence on global uncertainty, its near and long-term consequences, and thus on what CMOs and the brands and companies they help steward do and don't next, I've named Donald Trump The Unofficial #1 on the 2025 Forbes World's Most Influential CMOs list. No one and nothing thrive on uncertainty, and the discomfort, wariness, volatility and the should-we-or-shouldn't-we vacillation it creates is good for neither one's best laid marketing plans nor buying behavior. Whether by design or disposition, from Wall Street to Main Streets, China to Chicago, the chaos and radical uncertainty sown by the President's words and deeds finds consumer and corporate sentiment jumpier than Elon at a Trump rally before their break-up. Any semblance of predictability around tariffs, interest rates, taxes, retaliatory taxes, prices, jobs, inflation, recession, geo-political alliances, trade wars and military ones, is confounding capital markets, forecasts, budgets, supply chains, human brains and emotions in real-time. Willingness to spend by consumers and companies alike whose expectations are tossed-about by contradictory signals and volatile moods is throttled. So, corporate guidance and forecasts are being cut, as costs and prices remain in limbo. No small part of why Global GDP is expected to grow at its slowest rate in almost 20 years, and why The World Bank anticipates this being the weakest decade of economic growth in almost 60. Admonishing anyone getty As quick to publicly admonish and/or punish stalwarts of the global economy from Apple to Walmart to Los Angeles as he is to threaten Presidents Zelensky, Ramaphosa and Xi, Greenland and NATO, his all-caps proclamations can have as much near-term impact on global markets—and thus marketing—as any actual policy that may or may not follow. CEOs and CFOs want growth without risk and savings without sales impacts, as if that were a thing. Legal wants safety. Boards want clarity. And no one wants to be wrong. All of which delays corporate actions and decisions, and equally, makes the creative and bold-ideas so essential to value creation and capture feel riskier than they'd otherwise be. While self-help books are replete with counsel about not obsessing over that which you can't control, that's not advice CMOs can heed (at least professionally) at a time when distracted audiences are harder to predict, reach and influence; when longer-term strategies seem disposable, and most everyone is doomscrolling their feeds on the regular to see what was or wasn't said and how this might affect what they do or don't next. Over the past five years, CMOs have learned that this year's plan could become this week's fire drill or act of triage in any given moment. But, thanks to the President, this has never been more so. And so, chief marketers are pushed to 'do more with less,' (not unreasonable in and of itself) and to just 'wait and see.' Yet so it goes during this second Trump presidency, and so it goes for CMOs wondering when another all-caps tweet will drop. Or not. As Tom Petty sang, 'the waiting is the hardest part,' which is why this year, for his outsized influence on markets, marketers and marketing (to say nothing of humanity), Donald Trump is The Unofficial #1 on the 2025 Forbes World's Most Influential CMOs list. Thank you for your attention to this matter. ... Note. I'd finished writing this when reminded that Mr. Trump was also named Time's Person of the Year, in December. Reminded, I considered going in another direction but, despite the redundancy, decided no one/nothing is a more appropriate choice. Under no illusion about the difference in attention the two designations get; I also hope to offer a reminder to the CEOs, CFOs and Board Directors reading this that anyone or anything influencing global conversations and sentiment influences what CMOs do and don't in turn. ... For those interested, in 2022, I named 'Anyone' the Unofficial #1 because 'Anyone' with a keyboard can change the trajectory of a brand and business in an instant. In 2023, Sam Altman was recognized as proxy for the then (and still) TBD implications of GAI on marketing. Last year, 'The CEO' was the Unofficial #1 for their oft unwitting and unintentionally but ultimately marketing-ignorant influence over the expertise and actions of CMOs.
Bloomberg
12-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
The Fed Can Now Declare Victory Over Inflation
When it comes to inflation, America has reached a ' Mission Accomplished ' moment. Rule No. 1 of inflation reports is never to read too much into one report, but there have now been several months of fairly low inflation, so it seems safe to call it: The Fed did its job. Pandemic inflation is over. Note that I do not say, 'Inflation is over.' Between tariffs and lower immigration, higher inflation is likely. But even if the next inflation report shows a big uptick, this week's is an important marker. It bolsters the Fed's credibility, showing that it is capable of fulfilling its mandate — and it gives the Fed more policy options if inflation returns.
The Hindu
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Artistic Folklore: A global Instagram hub that helps people connect, learn and create folk art
It began with a single hashtag. Two hobby artistes, Aishwarya Magesh and Lakshmi Radhakrishnan posted works for a themed Instagram challenge, organised by another creator, Megha Mocherla. Admiring one another's pieces, they struck up a conversation and discovered a shared love for Indian folk traditions. Hence, they decided to set themes of their own and invited anyone, novice or seasoned, to join in. Together they created Artistic Folklore (@artisticfolklore), an Instagram hub, where folk art challenges run quietly, yet persistently, week-after-week. Their experiment soon needed an extra pair of hands and that is when Jyoti Navin Sharma joined in. What began as individual pursuits soon evolved into a shared space where artists and enthusiasts explored themes, learnt new techniques and celebrated together India's artistic heritage. Indian folk art carries centuries of tradition, deeply rooted in regional customs, storytelling and religious symbolism. In today's rapidly evolving artistic landscape, folk art is finding a new momentum through online platforms, spearheaded by passionate artists, who seek to reconnect with their heritage. Virtual handlers The three founders come from varied backgrounds — Aishwarya, originally from Tiruchi in Tamil Nadu is a fashion designer with a degree in Costume Technology, now lives in the U.K.; Lakshmi, a medical data scientist from Kerala, grew up in Chennai and now lives in the U.S., while Jyoti Navin Sharma, from Mumbai, has a Masters in Biochemistry. Similarly, the trio also had artistic leanings, as in, Aishwarya, works as a freelance artist educator in London, conducting workshops for children and adults on mental wellbeing using art. Besides this, her personal works have been displayed at the Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, U.K. Lakshmi leaned towards Kerala aural art and Thanjavur art and delved deep into the folk arts during the Pandemic. Jyoti comes backed with a business in the textile industry. When her daughter joined the business, Jyoti returned to her long-desired passion and learnt various artforms from reputed artists such as Alok Ranjan Sahoo (Pattachitra), Mohan Prajapati and Dhani Ram (Kangra miniature), and Ajit Dilipbhai Chitara (Mata ni Pachedi). The trio are undeterred by the different continents they live in and the different time zones, but found a way to collaborate virtually to plan strategies and workflows. Rooted in tradition Historically, folk art was a community-driven practice — be it murals on temple walls, intricate storytelling through scroll paintings or ritualistic symbols adorning homes. Today, in a world dominated by contemporary art and digital illustration, traditional folk art is finding new relevance. Online collaborations allow artists to engage in cross-regional interactions and explore styles beyond native traditions. Through these collaborations, many were introduced to lesser-known forms. While Madhubani remains familiar to most, the group's initiatives have inspired artists to explore lesser-known traditions such as Mata ni Pachedi (Gujarat) and Bhil tribal art (Madhya Pradesh). Bridging the old and the new An interesting part is the modern touch artists lend to these art forms. While some recreate them as digital paintings, others take up contemporary topics. For instance, 'Phad on Wheels,' a recent theme saw artists paint people on bicycles, buses, even skateboards using Rajasthan's Phad style. Lakshmi says, 'Over time, the collaborations have not only expanded the artistic awareness, but led to significant improvement in technique and execution.' Breaking barriers 'n' boundaries The initiative has drawn participants from all walks of life — homemakers, students, working professionals and senior citizens. They find this platform as a way to create and connect with others. Aishwarya, who works with people with dementia, believes, folk art, with repetitive patterns, is calming. Anukrati Chauhan, a data engineer from Noida, describes the experience as therapeutic and credits the initiative for broadening her artistic horizons. She also finds the mentoring very unique in this group. For Sonam Bansal, a software professional from Indore, the platform was all about rediscovering folk art and allowing her to reconnect with India's cultural roots. Similarly, Chennai-based homemaker Shyamala Devi ventured into the initiative with Kolam (rangoli), an intricate ground art drawn in front of homes. The collective has also attracted artists from across the globe. Deepti Chinni, a doctor based in the U.S., creates different art and craft works. 'When I participate in a theme, I know I am creating art alongside a group, and not in isolation.' The initiative remains non-commercial, as in, no entry fee is collected, but all one needs to do is pin a schedule and tag #artisticfolklore, say the founders.
The Herald Scotland
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Army scrubs vid of parade tank with 'Hang Fauci & Bill Gates' graffiti
The death threat to Fauci and Gates - two people who have drawn the ire of President Donald Trump's MAGA base - was painted on a train car marked DODX, property of the Defense Department. Steve Warren, an Army spokesperson, said the Army has no plans to investigate. "We removed the post once notified of graffiti on the train that didn't align with Army values," he said. "We are excited to celebrate 250 years of service to the nation next week." Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the government's response to COVID during Trump's first term, and Bill Gates, the billionaire Microsoft founder, are frequent targets of criticism from Republicans and Trump's supporters. Fauci has said he received a deluge of death threats and harassment since he became a magnet for right-wing outrage as the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the Pandemic, making him the public face of many pandemic social distancing policies and the COVID vaccine. Republicans have accused him of funding the Chinese government to create the virus and conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said he "belongs in prison." "I still think deep down that there's a possibility that somebody's going to kill me," Fauci told USA TODAY in a 2024 interview. Former President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon for Fauci before he left office, anticipating that Trump would seek revenge against the doctor. Days into his second term, Trump pulled federal funding for Fauci's security detail. Gates, a Democratic Party donor who contributed millions to Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, also frequently pops up in some conspiracy theories. He has funded vaccination campaigns in poor countries, fueling online speculation that his vaccines contain microchips to track people. Dozens of tanks to roll through Washington streets The tank in the video was one of 28 tanks and more than two dozen armored vehicles making the weeks-long, cross-country journey to appear in the Army's 250th anniversary parade in the nation's capital on June 14. The tanks and vehicles will be unloaded from the train cars on June 9 in Jessup, Maryland, and transported to downtown Washington by truck. More: Trump's getting his military parade. Here's what they look like from France to Russia The Army is also laying down steel plates on spots in the parade route where the tanks will turn to protect the roads and has said it will pay for any damage they sustain. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said on May 29 she is still "concerned" about road damage. The parade has faced scrutiny for conspicuously falling on President Donald Trump's birthday - also June 14. Trump pushed for a military parade during this first term but canceled his plans after pushback from Democrats and local politicians over the cost and logistics. This time around, the parade is estimated to cost as much as $40 million. Around 7,000 soldiers will also arrive in Washington for the occasion, which will also feature historic warplanes, helicopters, parachutists, and a bevy of events and entertainment.
