Machinery is seen at a factory specialising in heat treatment on metals, which is out of operation, at an industrial park in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China, September 30, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang
Japan's factory activity grows at slowest pace in 7 months - PMI
S.Korea activity increases but optimism dented - survey
Fallout from China's slowdown seen weighing on Asian economies
TOKYO, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Asia's manufacturing activity was lacklustre in September as signs of slowing Chinese growth and factory shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic weighed on the region's economies, surveys showed on Friday.
Factory activity in September shrank in Malaysia and Vietnam, and grew in Japan at the slowest rate in seven months, as chip shortages and supply disruptions added to the woes of a region still struggling to shake off the pandemic's hit.
China's waning economic momentum dealt a fresh blow, with the official Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI) on Thursday showing the country's factory activity unexpectedly shrank in September due to wider curbs on electricity use. read more
While the private Caixin/Markit Manufacturing PMI fared better than expected after slumping in August, growing signs of weakness in the world's second-largest economy is clouding the outlook for neighbouring Asian countries. read more
"While coronavirus curbs on economic activity may be gradually lifted, the slow pace at which this will happen means Southeast Asian economies will stagnate for the rest of this year," said Makoto Saito, an economist at NLI Research Institute.
The final au Jibun Bank Japan Manufacturing PMI slipped to 51.5 in September from 52.7 in the previous month, marking its slowest pace of expansion since February.
"Supply chain disruption continued to dampen activity and demand," said Usamah Bhatti, economist at IHS Markit, of Japan's PMI survey.
South Korea's PMI for September rose to 52.4 from 51.2 in August, staying above the 50-mark threshold that indicates expansion in activity for a 12th straight month.
But continued supply chain disruptions dented business optimism for manufacturers.
Taiwan's PMI eased to 54.7 in September from 58.5 in August, while Vietnam saw the index unchanged from August at 40.2.
Once seen as a driver of global growth, Asia's emerging economies are lagging advanced economies in recovering from the pandemic's pain as delays in vaccine rollouts and a spike in Delta variant cases hurt consumption and factory production.
Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa
Simone de Beauvoir has a new book out, 35 years after her death: The novel “Inseparable” closely follows the true-life story of Beauvoir’s early childhood friendship with the iconoclastic and doomed Élisabeth Lacoin, a.k.a. “Zaza,” who died at the age of 21. It’s a short book that offers a key to some of Beauvoir’s own political engagement and philosophical development, and it’s one of the books we recommend this week. We also like a couple of memoirs, by Kat Chow and the playwright Sarah Ruhl, along with a close look at the murder trial of the Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, and new fiction from Maurice Carlos Ruffin and Anthony Doerr (his first novel since the Pulitzer-winning “All the Light We Cannot See”). And a couple of books that might have appealed to Beauvoir herself if she were still on the scene: Randall Kennedy’s essay collection “Say It Loud! On Race, Law, History, and Culture” and Amia Srinivasan’s “The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century.”
THE RIGHT TO SEX: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century,by Amia Srinivasan. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $28.) In this quietly dazzling essay collection, Srinivasan wants us to think more fully about sex, as a personal experience with social implications. She writes about pornography and the internet, misogyny and violence, capitalism and incarceration. She also makes space for ambivalence, for idiosyncrasy, for autonomy and choice. “This is, needless to say, fraught terrain, and Srinivasan treads it with determination and skill,” our critic Jennifer Szalai writes. “She coaxes our imaginations out of the well-worn grooves of the existing order. She doesn’t deliver lessons from on high but encourages us to think alongside her — even (or especially) when it feels uncomfortable.”
CLOUD CUCKOO LAND,by Anthony Doerr. (Scribner, $30.) Weaving narratives from three eras across most of a millennium, from Constantinople in the 15th century to a space pilgrimage in the 22nd, Doerr’s first novel since “All the Light We Cannot See” offers a paean to the consolations of storytelling, and to the people who pass down ancient texts. “It’s a humane and uplifting book for adults that’s infused with the magic of childhood reading experiences,” Marcel Theroux writes in his review. “‘Cloud Cuckoo Land’ is ultimately a celebration of books, the power and possibilities of reading.”
THE ONES WHO DON’T SAY THEY LOVE YOU: Stories,by Maurice Carlos Ruffin. (One World, $26.) The stories in Ruffin’s debut collection (following a 2019 novel, “We Cast a Shadow”) present 21st-century New Orleans as a lost old world, at risk of displacement from gentrification, racial strife and the lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina. “Ruffin writes with the clipped motion of the best comic books, and the unsparing tenderness of a poet,” Jeremy Gordon writes in his review. “Readers enamored with the relentless lyricism of his novel may be surprised to find a gentler voice guiding these stories, without judgment. This softness is exactly what binds these patchwork chronicles into a vibrant and true mosaic of a place.”
INSEPARABLE,by Simone de Beauvoir. Translated by Sandra Smith. (Ecco, $26.99.) Written in 1954 but never before published, this brief novel by the great French feminist was inspired by her friendship with a brilliant classmate, who died at 21 of a viral illness. Chronicled with sensitivity and passion, that relationship, Beauvoir’s book suggests, was the formative one of her youth; no wonder Sartre, who read the manuscript, didn’t care for it. “One is reminded of the death of Beth March in ‘Little Women’ (a book Beauvoir read and loved),” Leslie Camhi writes in her review, “or of the saintly orphan Helen Burns in ‘Jane Eyre,’ who accepts her fate with quiet dignity, eyes on the prize of the world to come. Beauvoir’s furious determination to create her own rules for living and loving was forged in this cauldron of loss.”
SAY IT LOUD! On Race, Law, History, and Culture,by Randall Kennedy. (Pantheon, $30.) This collection of essays about racial politics and culture in America offers a full portrait of Kennedy’s thinking as a law professor and public intellectual, demonstrating his commitment to reflection over partisanship, thinking over feeling. Kennedy “doesn’t expect a ‘racial promised land’ in his lifetime,” John McWhorter writes in his review. “He assumes progress will be gradual and, one senses, relatively undramatic. And in this, as in almost everything about his views on race in America, Kennedy is both resolutely temperate and probably right.”
ALPHA: Eddie Gallagher and the War for the Soul of the Navy SEALs,by David Philipps. (Crown, $28.99.) Philipps tells the story of a Navy SEAL who was credibly accused of murdering an Iraqi prisoner of war but won acquittal as well as the widely publicized support of President Donald Trump. Eliot A. Cohen, in his review, calls it a “meticulously assembled and brilliantly written account” that “reveals that the killing was only the culmination of years of indiscipline, recklessness, tactical incompetence and bragging. … But the most interesting part of this remarkable and engrossing book examines the SEALs as an institution and as a subculture within the military.”
SEEING GHOSTS: A Memoir,by Kat Chow. (Grand Central, $28.) Nearly two decades after her mother’s death, when Chow was just 13, her family is still in deep mourning, an experience she documents with wit, poignancy and fresh insight and imagery. “The passage of so much time hasn’t dulled the ache,” Gaiutra Bahadur writes in her review. “A certain kind of sorrow lingers because a part of us wants it and wills it to persist, and Chow artfully and intelligently maps which kind of grief this is.”
SMILE: The Story of a Face,by Sarah Ruhl. (Simon & Schuster, $27.) Soon after the birth of her twins, the award-winning playwright was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, which robs her of something she had taken for granted: her smile. “This is the story of my asking it to come back,” Ruhl writes in this miracle-free but affecting memoir. Mary Pols reviews the book alongside two other memoirs of recovery, and notes that Ruhl “takes detours into theology and her life in the theater, including confronting a sense that the Bell’s palsy marked a dividing line between her early success and later work. … But there’s something pleasing about the memoir’s deliberately slow pace, mimicking Ruhl’s recovery over 10 years. A partial recovery, she realizes, is very much like life itself.”
Coming off their impressive 62-0 win over Vanderbilt, the Georgia Bulldogs will have another SEC showdown when they host the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Both teams come in with perfect 4-0 records and have scored at least 38 points in three of their first four games this season. Georgia had their signature win come against Clemson in Week 1, while Arkansas has defeated a pair of ranked opponents in Texas and Texas A&M.
Georgia Bulldog Key Players
According to head coach Kirby Smart, quarterback J.T. Daniels now has a lat issue after suffering an oblique injury earlier this season. When he has been on the field, Daniels has 569 yards through the air and has thrown five touchdown passes. Stetson Bennett, though, has filled in nicely in his chance with six touchdown passes.
This season, the Bulldogs have used four different running backs, led by Zamir White, who has 207 yards. Georgia also has seven different players that have caught touchdown passes this season. Tight end Brock Bowers leads the team with four.
Defensively, the Bulldogs have not allowed more than 13 points in any game. They also forced nine turnovers and registered 14 sacks through four games.
Arkansas’ Key Players
Like Georgia, the Razorbacks have a terrific quarterback in K.J. Jefferson, who is dealing with a knee injury. He has thrown for 844 and has rushed for an additional 230 yards. Trelon Smith is two yards short of 300 this season, while Treylon Burks has caught 19 passes for 373 yards and a pair of touchdowns. but has also been limited in practice this week.
Bumper Pool, Hayden Henry and Jalen Catalon have combined for 99 tackles, with Catalon leading the team with two interceptions. Defensive linemen Tre Williams is tied for 12th in the nation with four sacks. This will be the 16th meeting between the two programs. Georgia has gone 11-4 and has won the last two games and eight of the past nine meetings. Kickoff for this game will be on Saturday at 12 p.m. on ESPN.
Following this, the Bulldogs will travel to Auburn after this matchup while Arkansas heads to Ole Miss on Saturday, October 9.
(CNN) — Stock traders seek it. Athletes crave it. And it's something that can help tourists as they navigate the pandemic.
It's "the edge" -- a desirable advantage that puts you ahead of the game. And in travel right now, there's one thing that can deliver that boost: a vaccination card. In many important aspects of travel, it pays big dividends to get jabbed and secure that proof of vaccination.
Here are eight ways that fully vaccinated tourists have the edge as we enter the fall travel season of 2021:
1. Access to more foreign destinations
This view shows bridges over the Seine as well as the northeastern Paris skyline.
Alain Jocard/Pool/AFP/Getty Images
Do you want to travel outside the borders of your own country? You have a longer list of nations from which to choose if you're fully vaccinated.
This is especially the case if you're arriving from a place that your host country deems high risk for Covid-19.
US passport holders who are fully vaccinated can gain entry to some of the most popular destinations around the world that their unvaccinated counterparts cannot. As of September 29, that list included favorites such as Canada, France and Turks and Caicos.
All of this remains in a state of flux as the pandemic situation changes weekly. And it's not just Americans itching to go abroad who are affected by vaccination rules.
A visitor looks out over Manhattan and beyond from the Edge, the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere. It's located at Hudson Yards.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images
The United States has barred citizens from key countries around world from going there to vacation. That includes citizens of Brazil, the European Schengen area, Ireland and the United Kingdom, all nations that sent lots of visitors to America before the pandemic.
But the United States will roll out the tourism welcome mat starting in November to these nations -- and people around the rest of the world. The catch? You must be fully vaccinated.
That also means unvaccinated people in places that currently are allowed to visit by air -- Mexico and Panama, for instance -- will lose their travel edge and find that door closing later this fall.
Bottom line: The unvaccinated tourist isn't without foreign travel options, but the edge clearly goes to the fully vaccinated tourist.
2. Fewer Covid-19 tests to take
People rest at a fountain in front of the Karlskirche in Vienna, Austria.
JOE KLAMAR/AFP via Getty Images
This spring and early summer, it looked like vaccination cards were going to liberate travelers from all kinds of things, including Covid-19 tests. Then when the Delta variant surged, we learned that vaccinated people can still contract and spread the coronavirus in "breakthrough" cases.
So how much testing you can avoid when you're fully vaccinated depends on the destination.
For instance, Austria will let people bypass the entry test if fully vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19. France won't let Americans in unless they're fully vaccinated, but no pre-travel test is required. If you're fully vaccinated, you can visit Panama without a test.
And vaccinated people could be exempt in some places from follow-up tests that unvaccinated people have to take while on holiday.
Bottom line: In general, fully vaccinated tourists have the travel edge, but they can't expect to avoid all tests.
3. Shorter or bypassed quarantines
Pleasure boats are moored at the island of Tortola, part of the British Virgin Islands.
Steve Helber/AP
In some places, proof of vaccination can either get you out of quarantine altogether or let you at least shave some time off a mandatory quarantine.
In the former category, the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean currently lets vaccinated guests skip quarantine. In the latter category, Bermuda will require only short quarantines for vaccinated travelers awaiting required arrival test results.
And in St. Lucia in the Caribbean, fully vaccinated visitors have a wider array of lodging options.
Bottom line: Some destinations still require quarantine regardless of vaccination status, such as South Korea and Bolivia, but the vaccinated traveler still maintains a solid travel edge in choices of destinations and time savings.
4. A passport to cruises
Carnival's Mardi Gras cruise ship is docked in the bay of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in August.
Carlos Giusti/AP
Good luck finding a cruise at all if you're not fully vaccinated. Because of the close quarters on ships, the industry is having to be particularly cautious.
And then there are shore excursions to consider even if you manage to find a cruise ship taking unvaccinated passengers. Through at least November 1, the Bahamas will require all cruise passengers 12 and older, including those on islands owned by cruise lines, be fully vaccinated before going ashore.
Norwegian Cruise Line, which currently isn't allowing guests younger than 12, pitches all the benefits of a fully vaccinated ship contingent: no masks, no social distancing, fully opened restaurants and entertainment venues and no capacity restrictions.
Bottom line: Vaccinated travelers have more than a travel edge with cruising; this is total travel domination.
5. Some more resort and hotel options
Elite Island Resorts owns properties throughout the Caribbean, including St. Lucia.
Daniel Slim/AFP/Getty Images
Unlike cruises, resorts and hotels are much more open to all comers. Still, there are land-based lodgings that are starting to enforce their own rules. Some examples:
-- All guests 16 and older at Elite Island Resorts, with properties in Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, the Grenadines and Panama, must show proof of full vaccination.
-- Starting on October 15, hotel company Highgate will require all guests 12 and older to be vaccinated at its seven locations in Hawaii. Mufi Hannemann, president and CEO of the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association, said the move "will resonate. It will set a standard," according to the Honolulu Star Advertiser newspaper.
Bottom line: Fully vaccinated tourists have a small -- and possibly growing -- edge in accessing more resorts and hotels.
6. Access to more entertainment and sports venues
More and more entertainment and sports venues, especially those indoors, are demanding either proof of vaccination or at least a negative result from a very recent Covid test. That includes major entertainment destinations such as:
-- New York City: Proof of vaccination is required to enter movie theaters, music and concert venues, museums, professional sports arenas, indoor stadiums, theaters, arcades and other entertainment venues.
-- Paris: For places such as theaters, museums and concert halls, you'll need a health pass showing either full vaccination or a recent negative test result.
-- London: Want to see some live performances? Show that proof of vaccination or go through the hassle of getting yourself a fresh test. Rules vary by theater.
-- Berlin: Want to burn off some energy in the city's famous dance clubs? You'll need to be jabbed or be recently recovered from Covid to join the crowds.
-- Toronto: They're all business in this Canadian city when it comes to fun. The CBC reports you'll need proof of vaccination to enter sports venues, theater, cinemas and casinos, among other places.
Bottom line: Fully vaccinated tourists score a big travel edge when it comes to fun 'n' games.
7. More dining options
A customer shows proof of vaccination to a host at a restaurant as vaccine requirements are in effect in San Francisco.
David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images
For many tourists, it's all about the food. And in some of the top fine dining cities around the world, you need a vaccine card or a negative Covid-19 test result to enter.
And while an unvaccinated diner can get a Covid test to enter some cities' restricted indoor dining venues, a vaccine card saves you the trouble of getting a fresh one every few days.
You'll encounter the same type of requirements if you want to enjoy some escargots in Paris. The rules apply even on terraces.
And in places such as Atlanta that don't have citywide rules, you might encounter individual restaurants that have their own rules about vaccines and negative tests.
Bottom line: Unvaccinated travelers have a place at the table, particularly outdoors, but fully vaccinated travelers have the edge with a bigger selection of the tastiest choices.
8. Less medical risk and more peace of mind
A nurse administers a Covid-19 vaccine to a client at a clinic in Lakewood, California, earlier this year.
Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
There's the issue of can you go? But there's also the issue of should you go?
Answering that is CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and research professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
"We are at a point in the pandemic where people will be making very different decisions based on their personal medical circumstances, risk tolerance and the value of their activities to them," Wen said last week.
Wen said that fully vaccinated people who have been very cautious throughout the pandemic still might choose not travel because of the risks they perceive. "On the other hand, there are fully vaccinated people who say, 'I'm aware of the risks, but I'm still going to live my life as if there is no pandemic happening.'"
She said "both would be reasonable decisions" for a fully vaccinated adult.
It's a different situation for the unvaccinated adult, she said.
"I don't think it's responsible for people who choose to be unvaccinated to be engaging in travel and interacting in public where they could potentially be infecting other people."
Wen said that fully vaccinated people should "be aware that they could still have a breakthrough Covid-19 infection. Chances are it would be mild, and there's a small chance that they could also be a carrier who could infect other people."
Wen also said fully vaccinated travelers should wear high-quality N95 or KN95 masks in high-risk settings. Even fully vaccinated people should quarantine for at least three days upon returning home and get tested before seeing vulnerable individuals, she said.
What Wen wants people to know: "If you're fully vaccinated, you can travel. Whether you do depends on your own risk calculation. There are ways to reduce your risk and by being careful upon your return."
Bottom line: Fully vaccinated tourists have a significant travel edge when it comes to personal health safety.
Top image: A scene from Los Angeles International Airport. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
From left: Darrell Powell, Toshiko Hasegawa, Jesse Wineberry, Jonathan Sposato, Lua Pritchard, Monique Ming Laven, and Nate Miles. (Photo by George Liu)
Noriko Nasu, a Japanese language high school teacher, was knocked unconscious when an African American man hit her in the face with a rock-filled sock in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID) in February. The man, Sean Holdip, pleaded not guilty to second-degree assault. Nasu’s story of racial violence is one of many against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community that has risen to new levels during the pandemic and further, a grisly reminder of the historically tense relationship between AAPI and Black communities in America.
Five prominent leaders in the fight for AAPI-Black solidarity—Darrell Powell, treasurer of the Seattle King County NAACP; Jesse Wineberry of the Washington EQUITY NOW Alliance; Lua Pritchard, executive director of the Asia Pacific Cultural Center; Toshiko Hasegawa, executive director of Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs; and Jonathan Sposato, chairman and co-founder of GeekWire—spoke on a panel organized by the Northwest Asian Weekly on Sept. 23. Community leader Nate Miles and KIRO 7 anchor Monique Ming Laven facilitated the panel, “Unity in Voices: Where do we go from here?” discussing necessary steps to bridge the gap between these two communities.
Official crime statistics and other studies have revealed that three-quarters of offenders of anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents, from both before and during the pandemic, have been white. But viral videos circulated recently of AAPI being attacked have overwhelmingly featured Black perpetrators—severely obscuring the power of Black-AAPI solidarity in the fight for racial justice, and reigniting distrust between the two communities.
Powell said, “[The Black community knows] those [perpetrators of AAPI hate crimes] are bullies. They’re bullies, and they’re taking advantage of someone weaker.”
Powell also noted that, although police brutality against Black Americans and AAPI stem from a similar place of hate, the two groups experience traumas that are not of racial equivalence, possibly contributing to Black-AAPI strife.
“The African American community has every expectation that, if the police found [the Black Americans responsible for AAPI hate crimes], they would be prosecuted. But when we watched a police officer put his knee on the neck of a man for nine minutes, the [African American community] waited across the world, with bated breath, wondering if the officer would be let off free.”
Hasegawa spoke of another incident that contributed to distrust and misunderstanding.
“Business owners [in the CID] suffering from the first wave of COVID didn’t have insurance when the wave of so-called Black Lives Matter protesters came vandalizing their shops and hurting their businesses [last summer],” said Hasegawa. “They did not have the information to recognize that these were anarchists, and now blame has been associated with a civil rights movement, pitting [Black and AAPI] communities against each other.”
This fundamental misunderstanding between the Black and AAPI communities is reflective of white supremacy, Powell noted.
“White supremacy is a perfected art. It impacts us differently, but until we understand we all are in the same boat, we have tensions that arise between groups that are perceived to suffer more or less.” He pointed to housing segregation through redlining, unjust policing, and the creation of the “model minority” myth to justify denial of resources to Black and AAPI communities as particular examples of white supremacy marginalizing these groups.
“We suffer from the same things,” added Pritchard. “We share the same values. Working together is the only way we can survive in America.”
And despite recent divisions between the two communities, Black-AAPI solidarity has flourished in the United States. The tragedies of the past two years—from the gruesome murder of George Floyd to the many elderly AAPI men and women assaulted on city streets—have served as a means of bringing people of color together in America. Black and AAPI marched side-by-side in the fight for Black lives, and Black activist organizations such as the NAACP were prominent voices against the rising trend in AAPI hate crimes. Younger generations, especially, stand at the forefront of advocacy through their use of social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
“We need to look to the youth, who are much more organized now in activism than just two decades ago,” said Hasegawa. “They are leading thoughtful discussion about these complex race relations through translating their parents’ feelings and promoting open discussion amongst their peers.”
The past year has seen a proliferation of activism accounts such as @soyouwanttotalkabout or @dearasianyouth on Instagram, both of which regularly post short, widely circulated infographical slides about topical social issues to inform social media users. Although this has led to an increase in awareness about sociopolitical issues amongst younger generations, tech veteran Sposato has reservations about the impact of social media advocacy.
“On social media, there is so little room, so little time for complexity, for nuance, and a fuller spectrum of understanding any single issue,” he argued. “People are either canonized or villainized very quickly based on little information, and with social media so heavily used by younger generations, misinformation can be an issue.”
Using social media, though, can also serve as a starting point of conversation between Black and AAPI communities.
“Being visual about the successes we have achieved together is a great place to begin the journey in understanding,” said Wineberry.
Powell also points to larger organizations, such as the technological industry, to make inclusiveness a priority at all points possible.
“The startup industry in tech is the most racist and misogynistic industry that I know. I know what it’s like to come out [of education] and have hope and possibility, only to see mediocre white folks succeed just because their buddies bring them in,” Powell said. “The reason why there aren’t any African Americans on boards is because there were no African Americans in the seed startup, and the white firms that funded those startups didn’t care that there weren’t any Black or Asian people around, and these companies became seeded in this racist and misogynistic environment.”
“Now, these companies have grown and people are urging them to have more [diversity] on their boards. But it’s not in their DNA.”
Indeed, Black people account for approximately 12% of the United States population, but hold only 3.2% of senior leadership roles at large companies, according to an analysis by the Center for Talent Innovation, despite the millions spent on corporate diversity efforts.
Sposato agreed that larger firms have a lot of work to do. He also points to the tech industry in particular as crucial in curbing social polarization in the fight for equal rights.
“We have a responsibility to come up with solutions to address the possible misinformation and demonization of different racial groups that can happen online. It’s incredibly important.”
All the panelists agree—only from a place of understanding and common ground can Black-AAPI communities move towards working together in solidarity.
When asked what actionable steps individuals can take to better encourage understanding between not only Black and AAPI communities, but BIPOC groups in general, the panelists offered up their recommendations.
“It’s not about blaming each other,” Pritchard said. “This is something bigger than any one of us. It’s all of us, and it takes two to tango.”
“Listen louder. Be kind,” said Sposato.
“Go to waequitynow.com,” said Wineberry. “Log on, sign your name, and it will urge Governor Jay Inslee to sign an executive order to unleash economic opportunity in education, jobs, and business in Washington state.”
“Don’t get your news off of social media,” Hasegawa recommended. “There is proactive misinformation intended to steer people in the wrong direction… We all have a role to play in safeguarding the fair treatment of all people.”
“Help facilitate change,” Powell concluded. “Help other folks who may not be as blessed as you… Go out and find a place to serve.”
An apparent gas explosion in Dallas injured four firefighters and four civilians and caused the partial collapse of an apartment building, according to local officials.
As of Wednesday evening, three firefighters were hospitalized in critical but stable condition, and one firefighter had already been discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment. All four civilians are listed in stable condition, Jason Evans, a Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson, said.
Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to a 10:21 a.m. call of a natural gas odor at 5726 Highland Hills Road in South Dallas, officials there said Wednesday.
While firefighters were investigating, an explosion occurred, "causing a partial collapse of the two-story apartment building," Dallas Fire-Rescue said.
"There is no information on what caused the explosion, as this will be a joint investigation involving DFR, along with multiple local, state and federal agencies, to determine exactly what happened," Dallas Fire-Rescue said.
The building that partially collapsed had 10 units and was torn down for safety reasons on Wednesday. The 300 residents of the broader apartment complex are being relocated while gas is turned off and until a safety investigation deems the Highland Hills Road apartments safe for return.
"Currently, the department is working alongside the City’s Office of Emergency Management, the American Red Cross and apartment management to offer accommodations for those impacted," Dallas Fire-Rescue said. "All buildings in the complex will undergo a thorough investigation and inspection process to allow residents’ safe return."
NBC News affiliate KXAS-TV reported from the scene that while the explosion "appears to have damaged at least two other buildings, firefighters were able to put out the fire before it consumed the building or spread to adjacent buildings."
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson tweeted: "Please pray for our firefighters and for the civilians who have been injured."
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Narrowing down our top company for Delta 8 THC in 2021 was no easy task. We had to battle our way through slow websites and sample our way through tasteless products. We scoured lab reports and teased out answers to our questions about customer service.
At the end of the day, we were bruised, beaten, tired, and found ourselves reaching for relief, grasping at a Delta 8 package. That’s when it dawned on us: Our favorite Delta 8 THC brand of 2021 wasn’t hidden behind firewalls or lost in a stack of coffee-stained lab reports. It was the one in our hand.
How did we decide upon our top Delta 8 brand for 2021?
Outside of realizing our favorite Delta 8 THC brand simply by our own desires and actions, we used a series of questions to narrow down our top choices before finally zeroing in.
What does the brand feel like?
The brand feel is about much more than the tactile sensation experienced when handling their products, although we do consider many tactile sensations. For example, we examine:
But feeling a brand can start well before a consumer has a physical product to manipulate. There’s a good chance that people will be introduced to brands at expos or conferences. So, is the brand actively a part of the community? If so, how are they presenting themselves in person? This personality and feel often extends back to any brick-and-mortar establishments, but there’s more still.
Brands project their personality and feel online. Some go hard into social media while others utilize gorgeous websites and online storefronts to sell their products. We appreciate a beautiful online experience, especially in 2021 when so many consumers are still keeping themselves out of retail locations.
How effective are the Delta 8 products on offer?
Speaking of 2021, we want to know how well the Delta 8 THC products are performing. We need relief from the previous year, and potentially as we move into the future. So, we looked for a company with effective Delta 8 products that last a long time.
Of course, the efficacy of a Delta 8 THC product isn’t solely dependent upon how well it provides relief. We’re not looking for relief if we have to plug our noses to achieve it. We’re looking for a flavorful experience, as well. We hover around delectable Delta 8 THC products like bees around flowers, and when we finally swoop in for a dose, we want fragrant, delicious relief.
What x-factor does the Delta 8 company bring to the table?
Any company that wants to truly break through the Delta 8 THC space is going up against other companies that have been previously well-established as CBD and recreational cannabis companies. This can make it difficult to get in front of the eyes of the consumer. So, some companies bring an x-factor that isn’t found elsewhere. What can we find in a company that gives it that outstanding x-factor? We asked ourselves that question as we scoured the industry for our 2021 top choice for Delta 8 THC.
Why Did We Choose Everest as Our Favorite Delta 8 THC Brand of 2021?
When we were exhausted from plodding through a mountain of decisions to make as we stacked up Delta 8 THC companies against each other, we found ourselves reaching for D8 relief. What we found in our hand was our top choice for 2021: Everest.
So, why did we pick Everest as our top Delta 8 THC brand of 2021? We determined that:
They have a gorgeous website design, functional structure, and easy-to-use online shopping experience
Their customer service is easy to interact with, well informed, and polite
Their products are well-constructed and feel solid and modern in the hand
Their Delta 8 THC gummies are incredibly tasty
Potency: Their products are some of the highest, single-dose edible THC gummies on the market
Color: Their products match their website, right down to the gummy itself
Efficacy: Everest’s Delta 8 brings full relief
Sustainably sourced hemp: Everest uses organic growing methods to grow their hemp in the USA
Thoroughly tested products let us know we’re eating something healthy
Vegan Delta 8 created with pure ingredients and no preservatives
Their tinctures are potent, with a refreshing mint taste
With all the positives, it was difficult to pick one thing we love the most about Everest’s Delta 8 THC.
What Do We Love the Most About Everest?
Our love story with Everest started when we first met them. We loved their style and color. Their simple yet elegant nature caught our attention. They’re stylish without being ostentatious. They're luxurious without oversized glamor. We couldn’t help but be attracted to how they presented themselves.
Then we talked to them, bought from them, and found ourselves about to open our first container of blue raspberry gummies, with 20 mg of Delta 8 THC in each piece. We love the feel of the package because it felt so contemporary; it was sturdy and pleasingly textured. We broke it open and smelled the sweet treats with happy noses. As we quickly dove in and tried our first bite, the flavor burst onto our taste buds and satiated our sweetest sweet tooth.
In what seemed like no time, the active ingredients kicked in with a clean, pure feeling. Relief rolled over us like a blanket and wrapped us up for hours. So, it should be no surprise that when we finally finished researching our top Delta 8 company for 2021, we fell right back into the winner’s arms.
How to Infuse Everest’s Delta 8 THC Products into Your Every Day Routine
If we’ve inspired you to join our love story with Everest, we want you to get started right. Their Delta 8 gummies and tincture each taste great and will deliver a full, cannabinoid-filled dose that lasts most of the day.
All in all, Everest’s Delta THC 8 products are something we can use all day, every day. That’s why Everest is our top choice for Delta 8 THC companies in 2021.
One more note: Keep in mind that hemp-derived Delta 8 products are not yet legally available in every U.S. state, so check your state laws before attempting to purchase.
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Westside Gunn’s work, like that of his Griselda Records partners, comes as steadily as an IV drip, though one imagines he would only accept the metaphor if the IV bag were designer and the needle came from Italy. Last week the second half of the eighth installment in his Hitler Wears Hermes mixtape series was released, following a couple of minor delays, roughly a month after the first. For most artists this hitch would be unremarkable—two discs issued in four weeks under the same umbrella title could reasonably be considered one project—but for the confrontationally prolific Buffalo rapper, it has the effect of making the records feel exactly as distinct from one another as all his prior LPs do, which is to say: not very.
Gunn is fond of the term “curator,” which serves to deemphasize the importance of his rapping per se. This is wise. Gunn’s nasally drawl is wonderful as added texture, but loses its power the more central it is forced to become; the writing is reliably OK—imagine a Balenciaga safety net—though prone to cliche and shapelessness. But he is clearly a superb A&R. The Griselda records are smartly sequenced with the in-house producers’ roles expanding and contracting based on who has the hot hand at the moment, and the near-uniform excellence of the guest verses implies both a loyalty among his collaborators and a willingness to ask for rewrites. And every album is stitched together by interludes of wrestling promos, old fashion ads, or audio from art auctions in a way that highlights the artificiality of the world Gunn coaxes listeners into. Each half of Hitler Wears Hermes 8 (the first is maddeningly subtitled Sincerely Adolf, while the second is simply Side B) leans heavily on collaborators and this mise en scene, the sum total being yet another Westside Gunn project that is supremely competent, yet memorable only in fits.
On each disc, Gunn shrewdly cedes space to these guests, who steal song after song: On “Claires Back,” Benny the Butcher doesn’t rap about writing letters in jail as much as he raps about the recipient, and the way she dutifully saves them; Boldy James realizes on “716 Mile” that his watch has Roman numerals where the Arabic digits are supposed to be; Lil Wayne continues his breathless run of features on “Bash Money,” even sliding in a Dash store reference he’s likely had in the chamber since the late W. Bush years. Sincerely Adolf makes a lot of room for the Syracuse rapper Stove God Cooks, whose vignette on “Vogue Cover” about waiting at the plug’s house while he “mowed the lawn, washed all his cars, and watered the flowers” has already earned its own cult fandom online. Gunn allows these guests to play off of him like a generous actor, receding into the background when appropriate—though HWH8 runs a combined 103 minutes, few if any Gunn verses overstay their welcome.
If the broader project does not quite distinguish itself in his catalog, HWH8 does contain some of Gunn’s most accomplished moments. The dreamlike “TV Boy” is one of the finest songs he’s ever recorded, Gunn practically gleeful as he weaves his way through utter grime. And his chemistry with Mach-Hommy—the two recently reconciled after a long feud, collaborating on Mach’s astounding Pray For Haiti—continues to yield songs as gripping as “RIP Bergdorf,” where Mach boasts about spending 30 grand on sweatsuits. Still, these peaks—like the infrequent low points—are momentary blips. Even when the halves diverge (where Sincerely Adolf is relatively precise, Side B sprawls; where B skews toward harder drums and more punishing sounds, Adolf is atmospheric) they feel as if they’re part of one long data dump, a perfectly pleasant stream of 1s and 0s.
Catch up every Saturday with 10 of our best-reviewed albums of the week. Sign up for the 10 to Hear newsletterhere.
Passersby wearing protective masks are reflected on an electronic board displaying stock prices outside a brokerage amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Tokyo, Japan, September 29, 2021. REUTERS/Issei Kato
HONG KONG, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Asian shares found some calm on Thursday following this week's heavy China-driven losses although the dollar sat at a more than one-year high against major peers, upheld by lingering safe-haven demand and expectations for tighter U.S. monetary policy.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) dropped 0.06%, while the Nikkei (.N225) lost 0.36% a day after Japan's ruling party chose softly spoken consensus-builder Fumio Kishida as its new leader and the country's new prime minister. read more
Worries about economic growth in China due to a worsening power crunch combined with fears of a global slowdown, hitting Asian shares on Wednesday. read more
However, the dollar index - which measures the U.S. currency against six major currencies - hit its strongest level in nearly 18 months against the yen and in 14 months against the euro. It held these gains in Asian hours, and was last at 94.314.
"(The dollar) is breaking key levels and there was no real resistance to the break so that tells you there was real underlying strength to that," said Chris Weston, head of research at Melbourne brokerage Pepperstone.
"Sometimes, it can become somewhat of a magical currency," he said, pointing to the fact that it was supported by both global investors seeking safety and the Fed inching closer to reducing its massive asset purchases.
In addition, "the ongoing U.S. debt ceiling stand‑off could briefly amplify financial market jitters and support the USD in the short-term," said analysts at CBA in a note.
U.S. lawmakers continue to wrangle over funding the government but face a Friday deadline to prevent a shutdown approached, something that also capped gains in U.S. equities overnight. read more
In Asian equity markets, Hong Kong stocks (.HSI) fell 1% but these were largely balanced by a 1.1% rise in Australia (.AXJO).
Chinese blue chips (.CSI300) gained 0.5% after data published early on Thursday showed China's services sector returned to expansion in September after COVID-19 outbreaks receded. However, but factory activity unexpectedly shrank as high raw material prices and power cuts continued to pressure manufacturers. read more
"It is likely that the power crunch in China will persist until end-2021, as the local governments are under pressure to fulfil emission reduction goals for this year," said Chaoping Zhu, Global Market Strategist, J.P. Morgan Asset Management in emailed comments.
"Investors might remain cautious on China’s corporate earnings (in the fourth quarter). Meanwhile, the volatile global market is expected to further weigh on investor sentiment in the near term."
The other main drag on investor sentiment in greater China was embattled developer China Evergrande (3333.HK), whose shares swung back and forth, and were last down 2.2% read more
The company was due to pay interest on a dollar bond on Wednesday, but Reuters reported that some offshore bondholders had not been paid interest by the end of the Asian day. read more
Overnight, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) and the S&P 500 (.SPX) both posted small gains but the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) dropped 0.24%.
Oil prices edged lower, extending losses after official figures showed an unexpected rise in U.S inventories.
Brent crude was down 0.14% to 78.53 a barrel, U.S. crude dipped 0.03% to $74.81.
Spot gold traded at $1,731.99 per ounce, near a seven-week low, constrained by a strong dollar.
(CNN)Gunshots that killed an 8-year-old girl and wounded three other people after a suburban Philadelphia high school football game last month were fired "with near certainty" by local police officers, according to the Delaware County District Attorney.
Fanta Bility was killed on August 27 when a verbal confrontation between a group of young men escalated into gunfire near the entrance to the Academy Park High School stadium, Jack Stollsteimer, the district attorney, said in a statement Monday.
The gunfire erupted about the same time that spectators were leaving, and three police officers standing opposite the exit opened fire after a car turned onto the street "directly in front of the officers," Stollsteimer said.
"Our initial ballistics analysis has concluded with near certainty that four of the five gunshot victims, including Fanta Bility, were tragically struck by shots fired by the Sharon Hill police officers. We await final forensic reports," the DA said in a statement after meeting with the Bility family and their attorney.
The DA's criminal investigation division has identified suspects involved in the initial confrontation and arrests were expected. Stollsteimer said he petitioned the county's president judge to impanel an investigative grand jury to consider evidence and possible criminal charges against the officers.
Additionally, Stollsteimer said, the DA's special investigations unit is reviewing the officers' discharge of their weapons. Former Philadelphia District Attorney Kelley Hodge has been hired to investigate police department policies and the conduct of the officers involved.
The three Sharon Hill Police Department officers are on administrative leave pending the investigation.
Bruce Castor Jr., a former prosecutor who represents the Bility family, said they were "very satisfied that the district attorney's is doing everything he should be doing."
Castor said the shooting victims that day included Bility, her 12-year-old sister and a 13-year-old boy. They were wounded in the shooting. Castor also represents a 20-year-old woman who was a passenger in the car and injured by shattered glass.
CNN has sought comment from Hodge, the Sharon Hill Borough Police Department and the mayor.
In a statement, borough solicitor Sean Kilkenny said the mayor and borough council welcomed the decision to impanel an investigative grand jury. "The entire Borough family grieves for Fanta Billity's family and all those affected by the Academy Park High School Football Game Shooting," the statement said.
Stollsteimer said multiple .45 caliber and .9-millimeter shell casings were recovered from the shooting scene.
As the initial gunfire erupted near the stadium that night, Stollsteimer said, "a car turned onto Coates Street directly in front of the officers."
"We have concluded that the gunfire, combined with the movement of the vehicle, precipitated responsive gunfire from the Sharon Hill police officers," the DA's statement said.
During its recent Surface event, Microsoft launched the largest upgrade of its flagship Intel-powered Surface Pro lineup in years: the Surface Pro 8. The new 2-in-1 machine boasts a 120Hz display, Thunderbolt 4 support, and new processors, but all of those improvements come at a cost — literally. Whereas the Surface Pro 7 starts at $549.99, the Surface Pro 8 starts at $1,099.99, meaning it’s nearly double the price. And that’s also before you factor in the cost of Microsoft’s new stylus and detachable keyboard, two add-ons that are more like necessities if you intend to use the 2-in-1 as advertised.
With all that said, is it worth upgrading or picking up the Pro 8 over the last-gen model when it launches on October 5th? To help make your decision a little easier, we’ve put together the comparison below based on specs and our initial impressions of the Surface Pro 8.
What’s improved on the Surface Pro 8?
Two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports
You can double the refresh rate from 60Hz to 120Hz
11th-gen Intel quad-core Core CPUs, starting with i5 instead of i3
10MP rear-facing camera, with 1080p and 4K video
Larger, 13-inch display with higher 2880 x 1920 resolution (up from 12.3-inch)
Double the RAM on the base model (8GB)
Microsoft says the battery should last up to 16 hours
New sensor that adjusts the display temperature based on ambient lighting
LTE support for enterprise users
Preloaded with Windows 11
The Surface Pro 8 is more than just an incremental update. Microsoft’s newest slate features a modernized look with slimmer bezels, making it the Surface Pro’s largest visual redesign in years. Like the Surface Pro X, the Surface Pro 8 features a 13-inch display as opposed to the 12.3-inch found on the Pro 7. In his recent hands-on take, my colleague Dieter Bohn also remarked that the Pro 8 feels slightly nicer to hold, given the corners are softer. And if color matters to you, the touchscreen machine is also now available in graphite instead of black, which is a colorway still available for the Pro 7.
Spec-wise, the display on the Pro 8 is significantly better compared to its predecessor, given there’s now an option to ramp up the refresh rate from 60Hz to 120Hz, which could improve scrolling and make using the stylus easier. Gaming could certainly be more enjoyable on the Pro 8, too, especially given the device comes preloaded with the Xbox app and a one-month trial of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. In addition, the latest Pro supports Dolby Vision and is the first Surface device to come with an ambient color sensor, which automatically adjusts the display’s color temperature and brightness based on the surrounding lighting conditions. The new Pro 8 also boasts a 3:2 display and 2880 x 1920 pixels as opposed to 2736 x 1824, although, technically, both share the same 267 pixels per inch. Regardless, the expanded size still offers you a little more space for, say, multitasking.
The Pro 8 also appears to be superior to the Pro 7 when it comes to performance and battery life. The new 2-in-1 is available with either a quad-core, 11th-gen Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor, and with up to 32GB of RAM. The Pro 8 also comes with a removable SSD in one of four configurations: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB, something you could previously only find on the Pro 7 Plus. It’s important to note, however, that Microsoft says the SSD should be repaired or replaced by a trained Microsoft-authorized technician — they’re “not user removable.”
The Pro 7, meanwhile, comes with a dual-core, 10th-gen Intel Core i3 or a quad-core, 10th-gen Intel Core i5 or Core i7, and with up to 16GB of RAM. It’s available in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB capacities. Overall, Microsoft says the Surface Pro 8 shows a 40 percent improvement over the Pro 7 when it comes to sustained CPU performance; it’s also 74 percent faster on the graphics side, according to Microsoft.
Battery life on the Pro 8 is, at least on paper, greater as well, with Microsoft claiming it can last up to 16 hours on a single charge. The tech giant also says it can charge from 0 to 80 percent in a little over an hour. The Pro 7 was supposed to last up to 10.5 hours on a charge in comparison, though, in our review, we noted it lasted 7-8 hours or less when working with graphically intensive apps and pages. We don’t expect Microsoft’s battery claims regarding the Pro 8 to hold up in real-world usage, though, especially with a 120Hz display.
The Pro 8 additionally stands out in some ways when it comes to connectivity, depending on your needs. Instead of a USB-A port and the integrated microSD card slot featured on the Pro 7, Microsoft went with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, allowing the tablet to support either two 4K displays with a 60Hz refresh rate or a single 8K monitor at 30Hz. The Core i3 and Core i7 models can also be configured with LTE, though the feature is only available to enterprise customers.
The Pro also boasts better cameras than its successor. The new model’s rear camera is a 10MP shooter as opposed to an 8MP, and the rear camera on the Pro 8 can also capture 4K video. The Pro 8’s new face-tracking tech could also improve video calls by keeping you in focus while you walk around and talk. Microsoft says the Windows Hello camera has been upgraded, too, and it pairs with Microsoft Studio mics for audio.
Unsurprisingly, Microsoft also improved the Pro 8’s optional accessories. The new Surface Slim Pen 2 ($129.99) features a sharper tip that allows for better precision and a built-in haptic motor, which helps the stylus better emulate the feeling of writing on paper and makes for a smoother inking experience. You can also charge the pen inductively when you’re not using it via the built-in slot on the detachable Surface Pro Signature Keyboard ($179). The new keyboard is also stiffer thanks to a carbon-fiber core, but not heavier or thicker, which gives it less bounce when typing.
What’s the same on both models?
Both share a similar, flat-edged appearance
Each has a 5MP front-facing camera for Windows Hello facial recognition that can capture video in up to 1080p
Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth support
Each is compatible with both generations of the Surface Slim Pen
Each features a built-in kickstand
Both are compatible with an optional keyboard and stylus
Both have a 3.5mm headphone jack
Besides a larger display and the new Thunderbolt 4 ports, the Surface Pro 8 is otherwise very similar physically to its predecessor. It has a rounded, flat-edged appearance, with a built-in kickstand on the back and physical buttons for volume and power. You can also use both generations of the Surface Slim Pen with either model, but note you won’t be able to enjoy the new haptic functionality afforded by the Surface Slim Pen 2 on the Pro 7. Although slightly heavier at 1.96 pounds, the Pro 8 is still light and measures less than half an inch thick, much like the Pro 7. Both also come in the platinum (read: silver) and a darker colorway.
The front-facing camera and various wireless connectivity are also similar across devices, in addition to select ports. While the Pro 8 has a better rear camera, the 5MP front-facing camera is just like the Pro 7’s and can capture video in up to 1080p. Both models also offer dual far-field studio mics, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth support, and each comes equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack in addition to the usual Surface Connect port.
Finally, both offer support for Windows 11. While the latest model ships with Windows 11, Pro 7 users will be able to download the latest OS update for free when it releases on October 5th. This means both devices will be able to take advantage of features like the new Start menu, widgets, and the operating system’s deeper integration with Microsoft Teams. A new OS update will also bring Android apps to Windows 11 next year.
Why you might want to buy the Pro 8
With a larger display, improved performance, potentially more battery life, and higher-res cameras, Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 8 looks to be a notable step up from the Surface 7 in several key ways. The Pro 8’s support for Thunderbolt also means you can connect the device to multiple monitors, enjoy faster transfer speeds, and, theoretically, use the device with an external GPU. That, along with the display’s 120Hz refresh rate, is helpful if you intend to use the tablet primarily for gaming or as a creative tool. And while the starting price is higher, you’re getting double the RAM and an i5 CPU to start, instead of an i3. If you want closer-to-comparable specs in the older Pro 7, you’re starting at $799.99 instead of $549.99.
If you’re an enterprise customer, the Pro 8 may also be worth considering, as you’ll be able to benefit from LTE support alongside the other aforementioned perks. The LTE model isn’t available yet, however, and Microsoft says it won’t arrive until next year.
Keep in mind that this is all based on Microsoft’s provided hardware specs and our early hands-on impressions with the Pro 8. We won’t know for certain how Microsoft’s latest 2-in-1 performs until we can spend some additional time with it, so if you’re considering the Pro 8, we suggest waiting for our full review.
Why you may want to stick with the Pro 7
If you’re on a tight budget and need a Windows tablet for casual use or everyday tasks, it may be better to stick with the Surface Pro 7. The 2-in-1 also comes with a built-in microSD card slot for transferring data and a USB-A port — a nice perk if you continue to work with older peripherals. The Pro 8 doesn’t have either.
Given the significant improvements in its internals and display, the Pro 8 is naturally more expensive and starts at $1,099 (without accessories). Again, you’ll also have to pay an extra $179 for the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard and $129 for the new Surface Slim Pen 2, though, if you want both accessories, they’re available as a package deal for $280.
In contrast, the Pro 7 is currently on sale starting at $549.99, while the Pro 7’s detachable Surface Pro Type Cover keyboard — something the Pro 8 no longer offers, by the way — and Surface Pen start at $129.99 and $67.99, respectively. Note, as well, that keyboard covers compatible with Surface Pro 7 don’t work with the Pro 8, so you can’t buy yourself a cheaper Pro 7 one.
When you do the math, there’s still a difference of about $600 between the two, assuming you’re buying the base model of each with its accompanying keyboard and stylus. The added expense is substantial, especially if you don’t care for Thunderbolt 4, a 120Hz display, and the other, more premium features that define the Pro 8.
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