Commodity markets face a greater risk of fragmentation in the event of another Donald Trump presidency, an HSBC economist noted on Friday. At the first U.S. presidential debate on June 27, President Joe Biden had a weak start, leading to increased speculation about the possibility of the former president returning to the White House. This concern also takes into consideration Trump's policies and the proposed tariffs on China. While commodity markets must contend with high prices driven...

Iowa’s Supreme Court on Friday allowed a six-week ban on abortion to take effect, one of the latest rulings to restrict abortion access since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision ending federal protections for the procedure. The measure restricts the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, the point when fetal cardiac activity can be detected. Planned Parenthood and others had sued to block the law and won a preliminary injunction from a lower court, keeping abortion temporarily...

Potentially upending scores of Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot prosecutions — including the case against former President Donald Trump — the Supreme Court on Friday narrowed the use of a charge of obstructing an official proceeding. In a 6-3 decision that deviated from ideological lines high court concluded that prosecutors need to hang closer to the statutory language of the obstruction charge used in a slew of Jan. 6 prosecutions. “The Government must...

There's an old saying that luck happens when preparation meets opportunity.There's no better example of that than a 2016 discovery at the University of California, Irvine, by doctoral student Mya Le Thai. After playing around in the lab, she made a discovery that could lead to a rechargeable battery that could last up to 400 years. That means longer-lasting laptops and smartphones and fewer lithium ion batteries piling up in landfills.A team of researchers at UCI had been experimenting with nanowires for potential use in batteries, but found that over time the thin, fragile wires would break down and crack after too many charging cycles. A charge cycle is when a battery goes from completely full to completely empty and back to full again.But one day, on a whim, Thai coated a set of gold nanowires in manganese dioxide and a Plexiglas-like electrolyte gel."She started to cycle these gel capacitors, and that's when we got the surprise," said Reginald Penner, chair of the university's chemistry department. "She said, 'this thing has been cycling 10,000 cycles and it's still going.' She came back a few days later and said 'it's been cycling for 30,000 cycles.' That kept going on for a month."This discovery is mind-blowing because the average laptop battery lasts 300 to 500 charge cycles. The nanobattery developed at UCI made it though 200,000 cycles in three months. That would extend the life of the average laptop battery by about 400 years. The rest of the device would have probably gone kaput decades before the battery, but the implications for a battery that that lasts hundreds of years are pretty startling."The big picture is that there may be a very simple way to stabilize nanowires of the type that we studied," Penner said. "If this turns out to be generally true, it would be a great advance for the community." Not bad for just fooling around in the laboratory.This article originally appeared 12.22.22

You always stole my thunder. You gave them everything they wanted. You never said no when they asked for anything. Tina Platamura A second helping of dessert. Candy before dinner. A few more minutes in the bath. Money for the ice cream truck.I struggled to show you respect and appreciation while trying to make sure you didn't spoil my children. I thought you would turn them into “selfish brats" by giving them everything they wanted. I thought they might never learn to wait, to take turns, to share, because you granted their wishes as soon as they opened their mouths and pointed.You held each one of my babies long after they fell asleep. Didn't you understand that I needed them to learn to fall asleep on their own?You ran to them as soon as they made the tiniest sound. How would they ever learn to self-soothe?I resented you for buying the best and most expensive gifts on their birthdays and on Christmas. How could I possibly compete with you?"I thought they might never learn to wait, to take turns, to share, because you granted their wishes as soon as they opened their mouths and pointed."And how they loved afternoons spent with you. You made their favorite things for dinner — three different meals for three different boys. And you always had a little surprise. A present, candy, or a special treat. I didn't want them to associate you with gifts and sweets. I thought they should love you for you. I tried to tell you this, but you wouldn't listen.I spent a lot of time wondering why you did all these things and how I could get you to ease up. I know grandmothers are supposed to “spoil the kids" then send them home, but you were ... ridiculous.Until you were gone.I had to hold my boys and tell them that their grandma died. It didn't seem possible — you were supposed to be there for all the other special moments: proms, graduations, weddings. But they lost their grandma too soon and too suddenly. They were not ready to say goodbye.During those years when I wished you'd stop spoiling them, I never thought about how much you loved them. So much that you showed it in every way possible. Your cooking. The gifts. The candy and sweets. Your presence. The way you could recount every detail of a special moment, whether it was a perfect catch in the outfield or a sweet and slightly off-key note sung at a school concert. Your grandmotherly love for them knew no bounds. Your heart poured love from every place possible — your kitchen, your pocketbook, your words, and your tireless arms.It's pointless to dwell on regrets, but I often think about how I had it all wrong. I was so wrong in how I perceived your generosity.My kids, now in their teens, miss you dearly. And they don't miss your gifts or your money. They miss you.They miss running to greet you at the door and hugging you before you could step in. They miss looking up at the bleachers and seeing you, one of their biggest fans, smiling and enthralled to catch their eye. They miss talking to you and hearing your words of wisdom, encouragement and love.If I could speak to you one more time, I would tell you that every time a precious moment steals my heart, every time I watch them arrive at a new milestone, and every time they amaze me with their perseverance, talents, or triumphs, I think of you. And I wish that they could have you back.Come back and love them one last time, like no one else in the world but a grandmother could. Bring your sweets and surprises. Reward them with gifts for the smallest accomplishments. Painstakingly prepare their favorite meals. Take them anywhere they want to go. All and only because you love them.Come back and see how much they've grown. Watch each boy becoming his own version of a young man. Be in awe with me as we admire how family, friendship, time, and love helped them grow so beautifully over the years.The more I long for you to come back, though, the more I realize that in a way, you never left.I understand now. I know you loved them in every way you could. I know that being their grandma gave you joy and purpose. And of course I know that you can't come back, but I do know that your love for them will always remain. Your love built them and sheltered them in ways that cannot be described. Your love is a big part of who they are and what they will become as they grow. For this, and for every treat and gift, and every time you held them too long or consoled them too much or let them stay up too late, I will always thank you.And I will wish a million times that you could do it all again.This article was written by Tina Plantamura and originally appeared on 04.14.16

Saving old text messages from exes can sometimes be an asset when you need to remember exactly why you left them. Alternately, sometimes digital relics from old relationships are a good reminder of how much good we have in our lives currently.At least, they did for the Twitter user May Larsen, who recently posted screenshots of two text threads with two very different men.The conversation on the left shows how an old conversation went down with an emotionally manipulative ex. While the other screenshot is a prime example of what communication in a healthy partnership looks like. \u201cDifference between a boy and a man.\u201d — Mayc (@Mayc) 1533704969 The emotional dynamics of this exchange are full of red flags.This ex (boyfriend, hookup, whatever he was) went from 0-100 in no time. In fact, the ONLY way this kind of freak out would be excusable would be if they had prior plans she ditched on. Alternately, if he was doing a performance art bit where he embodied Drake's 0-100 via text message. Outside of those possibilities, this type of reaction is nothing short of manipulation and emotional abuse.The second text message showed how Larsen's current partner responds to a simple night out.The difference between these responses to a simple night out on the town is night and day. When comparing the two messages, the red flags really pop.People on Twitter had a LOT of thoughts about the texts. Difference between a man and a cuckboi — paxil (@paxil) 1533870240 Some women shared similar experiences with possessive partners. You\u2019re reminding the one on the left not to cheat. He already has his guard up. The one on the right is just doing the minimum — X \u00c6 A-12 Musk (@X \u00c6 A-12 Musk) 1533905239 A lot of people assumed the texts were from two guys she's currently dating. SO IS EVERYONE IGNORING SHAWTY TALKING TO TWO GUYS AT THE SAME TIME????? — Not Josh (@Not Josh) 1533864031 Nah dude check the first one she cropped the time and allat out of it. You was right at first — Dee (@Dee) 1533873487 That quickly got shut down. Don\u2019t get pressed over a joke B. — Dee (@Dee) 1533877627 Meanwhile, others were caught up with the fact that her current dude wears a cowboy hat. You can tell which one is the man by the cool hat. — Adam Dane (@Adam Dane) 1533867124 YEEHAWW — \u2764\ufe0f\ud83e\udd0d\ud83d\udc7c \u0142\u2c64\u0142\u0246\u20ae\u2c64\u0142\u2c60\u2c60\u0142\u0246 (@\u2764\ufe0f\ud83e\udd0d\ud83d\udc7c \u0142\u2c64\u0142\u0246\u20ae\u2c64\u0142\u2c60\u2c60\u0142\u0246) 1533883789 Regardless of whether the rest of us are pro cowboy hat (I'm pro if you can pull it off), it seems they've got a healthy situation going. Communication is key, in any kind of relationship.This article originally appeared on 04.10.19

Heidi Johnson's son was 13, deeply in adolescence, and in that stage where he lashes out.He told her he shouldn't have to deal with her rules and should be independent.So she wrote a strict but loving "Mom's not a fool" letter.She wrote on Facebook how her son reacted to the letter:"He came home, saw the note, crumpled it on the floor, and stormed out of the apartment. I have always encouraged him to take a walk when he is upset so that he can collect his thoughts so when we try to talk, we are able to talk, and not just yell at each other. I do the same thing — sometimes, I just need to walk away and collect myself. I am not above admitting that. He was still livid when he got home. He decided to stage a 'sit in' in my room, where he did laugh at me and repeat, 'Really? What are you going to do? You can't take my stuff,' etc. He was asked to leave my room, and when he could be respectful, and I was more calm, we would discuss it further. He went to his room, and after about an hour, he had removed some electronics and items I missed that he felt he should have to earn back for his behavior. He apologized, and asked what could he do to make things better and start earning items back. He earned his comforter and some clothes right back. I did leave him some clothes to begin with, just not the ones he would want to wear every day. He also had some pillows and sheets, just not his favorite ones.”She decided to post it on Facebook, the way one does to friends for a laugh and connection. She neglected to make it "private," and soon comments and shares proliferated, including admonishments from strangers who thought she was a bad parent.Now she had to deal with a bigger teenager: the internet and its commentariat. But Johnson remained level-headed and wrote another Facebook post, clarifying."It's out there; and I am not ashamed of what I wrote... I am not going to put my 13-year-old on the street if he can't pay his half of the rent. I am not wanting him to pay anything. I want him to take pride in his home, his space, and appreciate the gifts and blessings we have.” She explains that he is more grateful because of it, and also that he has slowly earned back things and dealt with sacrificing others. Then she lists her very organized and succinct rules of the house:1 – Do your best in school! I don't expect a perfect 100%, but I do expect that you do your best and ask for help when you don't understand something.2 – Homework and jobs need to be done before you can have screen time.3 – Jobs are emptying the trash, unloading the dishwasher, throwing away trash you make in the kitchen, rinsing dirty dishes, making your bed daily, pick up bedroom nightly, and cleaning your bathroom once a week.4 – You must complete two chores a day. Each day of the week with the exception of Sunday has a room that we work on cleaning. He has to pick two chores for that room. For example, if it is the living room he can choose two of the following options: dust, vacuum, polish furniture, clean windows, mop the floor.5 – Be respectful and kind with your words — no back talking, no cussing at me.6 – Keep good hygiene.7 – Make eye contact when being spoken to, and be an active listener.8 – Use proper manners."You know what.. this hasn't hurt our relationship. He and I still talk as openly as ever. He has apologized multiple times... And… he is trying harder." Her son is earning things back little by little, and appreciating it more than he did before."This came down to a 13-year-old telling his mother she had no right to enforce certain rules, and had no place to 'control' him. I made the point to show what life would look like if I was not his 'parent,' but rather a 'roommate.' It was a lesson about gratitude and respect from the very beginning. Sometimes, you have to lose it all to realize how well you really had it."This article originally appeared on 8.16.21

"It's unbelievable." The post The Jeff Beck track Brian May calls “the most beautiful bit of guitar music ever recorded” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

Different genres but same DNA. The post No Genre Boundaries: Björk names her favourite hip-hop album first appeared on Far Out Magazine.