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Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘Significant Step': New Photos Reveal North Korean Warship Update
North Korean workers have succeeded in pulling a capsized warship upright, new analysis suggests, after Pyongyang condemned the failed launch of its new destroyer last month as an international embarrassment. North Korea, increasingly allied with Russia and broadcasting its intensive military build-up, has swerved away from long-held policies of reconciliation with South Korea and adopted a more aggressive tone toward the U.S., a key ally for Seoul. Pyongyang has forged ahead with its weapons development, including nuclear warheads, and pushed for a more formidable navy. North Korea's attempt to launch a second Choe Hyon-class destroyer at its northeastern Chongjin port on May 21 ended in a "serious accident," North Korean state media reported at the time. The first of this new type of warship was successfully launched in April. The second 5,000-ton warship was damaged "due to inexperienced command and operational carelessness," state media reported, an unusually candid public assessment for the secretive nation seeking to exude military strength. The country's supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, was present for the bungled launch. "North Korea's failed ship launch was a huge embarrassment to Kim Jong Un, especially since it happened in front of his eyes," said Andrew Yeo, a senior fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based Brookings Institution's Center for Asia Policy Studies. Kim, who called the launch failure a "criminal act," ordered the warship to be restored. State media reported shortly after the incident that authorities had arrested four people over the botched launch. It would take up to three days to pump seawater from flooded parts of the ship, and roughly 10 days to pull the ship upright, according to state media. Satellite imagery published by the 38 North project, which focuses on North Korea and is run by the Washington, D.C.-based Stimson Center nonprofit, from Monday showed that the warship was upright for the first time in several weeks, the analysts said. Personnel at the dock have taken a "significant step" toward restoring the vessel, they added. The warship was significantly damaged," the U.K.-based Open Source Centre nonprofit said last month. The vessel "will not be entering service anytime soon and may ultimately prove to be a complete loss," experts with the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Beyond Parallel project said in late May. North Korea launched the first of its Choe Hyon-class destroyers in late April at its Nampho shipyard southwest of Pyongyang, which analysts said was the largest warship the country had ever produced. This new type of destroyer will be able to launch advanced weapons, including cruise and ballistic missiles, North Korea has said. "Kim has taken a deep personal interest in promoting the country's ongoing naval modernization," Yeo told Newsweek. The failed launch at the Chongjin shipyard "not only undermined the narrative of North Korea's powerful naval build-up, but it also cast doubt on whether North Korea has the actual means and capabilities to build a new fleet of ships as quickly as it hopes." North Korean state media, on May 23: "The accident is an unpardonable criminal act. Those responsible for it can never evade their responsibility for the crime." Related Articles Nuclear Arms Race Warning as Warheads IncreaseNorth Korea Celebrates Triplets Amid Birth Rate CrisisUS Allies Stage War Games Near ChinaNorth Korean Soldiers Praised by Russia for Fighting Ukraine 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Working Ohioans will lose health insurance under Medicaid work requirements
(Stock photo via Getty Images) If you know anyone who works in the service industry, you should be very familiar with the problem of hour volatility. When work hours aren't set, worker schedules can vary greatly from week to week and from month to month. This can make a steady stream of income difficult to achieve for service workers. It can also affect eligibility for public benefits. The Ohio Department of Medicaid is currently working with the federal government to implement work requirements for Ohio's 'Medicaid expansion' population–the 760,000 Ohio residents who receive health insurance through the Kasich Administration-era expansion of Medicaid. These work requirements would apply to households at 138% of the federal poverty level and below. Low-income households tend to be headed by people who work in the service industry. My colleague Michael Hartnett estimates that cooks and waiters are the second- and fifth-most common jobs among people in the bottom 20% of income in Ohio. A new analysis by Brookings Institution researchers looks at how the volatility of hours for service workers will impact eligibility for benefits like Medicaid and SNAP. One of the things they look at is the mental model that undergirds the current work requirement system. In 1976, only 26% of low-income employees worked in the service sector. By 2024, that number had risen to 38%. This means that 50 years ago, the contours of an unsteady sector had less of an impact on month-to-month hours than it does today. These researchers used data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to estimate that 64% of service workers worked less than 80 hours in at least one month in 2022. A third (34%) of workers who work an average of 80 hours a month had at least one month that year that they worked less than 80 hours. That means that a monthly work requirement of 80 hours would have disqualified a third of service workers at some point during 2022 from benefits like Medicaid or SNAP. The researchers also find these volatile work hours are largely outside of the control of the workers. According to their analysis, three-quarters of service workers with irregular schedules say their schedules are at the request of their employers, not their own. This is also a high rate among non-service workers, where over 3 in 5 low-income workers with irregular schedules are conforming to employer requirements. So what does this mean? It means tens of thousands of low-income workers in Ohio could lose their health insurance because of work hour volatility out of their control. The labor market has changed a lot over the past fifty years, especially for low-income workers. This has led to less certainty about hours, which makes thresholds like monthly hours not as effective for gauging whether people are participating in the labor force. There are a lot of reasons to be worried about work requirements. The fact that working people will lose health insurance because lack of control over work hours is just another one to add to the list. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Newsweek
a day ago
- Business
- Newsweek
States Expecting the Biggest Layoffs in June
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Roughly 138 employers plan to lay off thousands of workers in June, some states seeing more workforce reductions than others. Why It Matters Trepidation toward the U.S. economy, due in part to tariffs heavily enforced by the Trump administration on China and industries like aluminum and steel, has caused some American businesses of varying size and valuation to consider future expenses and consumer sentiment. What To Know California has had the highest number of layoffs scheduled for this year, totaling 29,400 as of June 3, according to Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notices that show which companies around the country plan to lay off employees and how many are estimated to lose their jobs. Following The Golden State in terms of layoffs for 2025 so far are the following states: Texas (10,065), Florida (9,843), Georgia (8,520), Maryland (7,580), Illinois (7,110) and New Jersey (6,787). The following is a list of states where companies have provided notices to lay off workers throughout June. The list includes approximate layoff ranges, using the higher end of estimates—for example, in a range of 51 to 100 layoffs, the number 100 is used. Alabama—100 California—13,290 Colorado—300 Connecticut—20 Florida—3,630 Georgia—4,140 Idaho—250 Indiana—1,300 Iowa—4,150 Louisiana—100 Maryland—3,700 New Jersey—950 New York—8,330 Ohio—1,920 Oregon—1,150 Tennessee—2,100 Texas—1,670 Washington—1,700 Wisconsin—560 Harry Holzer, a public policy professor at Georgetown and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told Newsweek on Tuesday that the layoffs that have occurred and remain planned reflect a growing cloudiness of where the economy is heading. "There's enormous uncertainty," Holzer said. "And when businesses face uncertainty, they are reluctant to invest in their plants or equipment, and they are reluctant to hire new workers. So, the first impact will be on new hiring rather than layoffs. "And if they're convinced that there's a downturn, then you might see layoffs following. Yeah. Every company owner and company manager's going to have to look at what they see in the labor market. If it's only uncertainty right now, it's unlikely that they'll lay off people a lot until they see drops in sales or things like that." Another indication is new job numbers slated to be released this Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, he said, mentioning recent, smaller declines in federal workers and scientific professionals likely related to the loss of government contracts and grants. There was also a small decline in retail employment, which Holzer said could potentially be a byproduct of a dip in consumer confidence. Even with the pandemic and the economic turmoil of that time, he said the U.S. economy has bounced back strong and continued that way into 2025. Tariffs have thrown a wrench into broader expectations; companies aren't quite sure how to fully respond. "The last couple of months in very specific sectors, you saw these slowdowns in hiring, or even a little bit of job loss," he said. "But you didn't see widespread slowdowns in hiring. You really didn't see widespread job loss. "The question now: is that going to change because of all of this uncertainty? Tariffs, even though they've been scaled way back, the tariffs will raise the prices of goods and services, and that means people will be buying fewer of them. ... We just don't know how big those factors are going to be. I think we know the direction; I think we know employment growth will decline and unemployment may rise." What People Are Saying John Tamny, founder and president of the Parkview Institute, told Newsweek: "Layoffs are a brutally painful, but also a very healthy aspect of a growing economy. The alternative is much, much worse, whereby extraordinary talent is suffocated. Some people are quite simply in the wrong job, which is why layoffs in the millions are an annual reality—in which case layoffs can't be said to be an exact effect of tariffs. They happen no matter what. "Just the same, when we make it more difficult for producers in foreign countries to sell to us, by definition it's more difficult for them to buy from us. To export is to import and vice versa. In that case, tariffs will lead to layoffs. China is a huge market, and reduced sales there and around the world due to tariffs will harm U.S. earnings, followed by job loss." What Happens Next President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday doubling tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to 50 percent, effective June 4. It aims to protect U.S. national security by curbing what the administration describes as a threat from excessively low-priced metal imports that undermine domestic industries.
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
From ‘Tudo bem?' to ‘Gracias,' a growing share of US residents speak a language other than English
Spanish may be the most spoken language at home behind English, except in three U.S. states, but the second most-popular, non-English languages used in each state show off the diversity of the United States in unexpected places, whether it's Korean in Alabama or Vietnamese in Kansas. Almost 22% of U.S. residents age 5 and older spoke a language other than English at home, double the share from four decades ago, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau, and it varied by state. In California, 44% of residents spoke a language other than English at home, while it was 2.5% in West Virginia. The United States is a multilingual nation due to immigration, despite recent crackdowns by the Trump administration, said William Frey, a demographer at The Brookings Institution. 'This is a big part of who we've been over a long period of time,' Frey said. President Donald Trump earlier this year issued an executive order designating English as the official language in the U.S. Spanish was spoken at home by 13.2% of speakers, and it was the top non-English language spoken at home in every state but Hawaii, Maine and Vermont. In Maine and Vermont, home to French Canadian communities, French was the most popular non-English language, and in Hawaii, it was Iloko, a Filipino language. Here's a look at where languages are spoken in the United States. Arabic Outside of English and Spanish, Arabic was the most spoken language at home in Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. The Detroit, Michigan, area has more Arabic speakers than any other metro area. Central Yup'ik About 1 out of 7 Alaskans who speak a language other than English at home did so in Central Yup'ik, making the native language the second most common non-English language behind Spanish in Alaska. Chinese Chinese was the second-most common non-English language spoken at home in Delaware, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington. If all Chinese dialects are combined, it would be the third most spoken language in California behind English and Spanish. French Although it was the dominant non-English language in Maine and Vermont, French was the second most-common non-English language in Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire and North Carolina. German German was the most spoken language behind English and Spanish in eight states — Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Wyoming. In total, more than 871,000 people over age 5 spoke German at home in 2021, compared to 1.6 million in 1980. Haitian Florida had almost a half million Haitian speakers, making it the most common language behind English and Spanish. The Sunshine State has the nation's largest Haitian population. Hmong In Minnesota and Wisconsin, Hmong was the second-most spoken non-English language at home. Many Hmong people settled in the Upper Midwest states after fleeing Southeast Asia in the mid-1970s following the Vietnam War. Korean Korean was the most spoken language in Alabama and Virginia behind English and Spanish. Lakota In South Dakota, the Lakota dialect of the Sioux people was the most common language spoken behind English and Spanish. Marshallese The language of the Marshall Islands was the second-most spoken non-English language in Arkansas, where the community is concentrated in the northwest part of the state. Navajo Arizona and New Mexico had the most Navajo speakers in the United States. The Navajo Nation extends into Arizona and New Mexico, where the indigenous language was the second-most popular non-English speech in those two states. Polish Despite a nationwide decline in speakers, Polish was Illinois' second-most common non-English language behind Spanish, primarily due to the Chicago area having one of the nation's largest Polish communities. Portuguese Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island have some of the largest concentrations of Portuguese speakers in the U.S., making it the most spoken language in these states behind English and Spanish. It also is the second-most common non-English language in Utah, which is home to missionaries who served in Brazil and explains its popularity, according to the University of Utah. Tagalog The Filipino language was prevalent in California, Hawaii and Nevada, where it was the second-most popular non-English tongue. Vietnamese In Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon and Texas, Vietnamese was the most popular language behind English and Spanish, reflecting that people who speak different languages are no longer concentrated in big cities that serve as entry points for immigrants. 'People of different backgrounds are dispersed to different parts of the country,' Frey said. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @
Fast Company
a day ago
- Business
- Fast Company
AI governance's next act: More reality check than retreat
At this phase of AI's emergence in business, leaders are facing the risk of trying to regulate before they've gained enough experience deploying AI at scale. It's like drafting traffic laws before the first car hits the road—when theory meets reality, everything changes. AI is very much in its 'dress for the job you want' moment. That brings both promise and precaution. A recent Brookings Institution report on balancing innovation and regulation warns that 'regulation that intends to prevent risky AI by limiting the size of the model may […] inadvertently prevent the development of the very technology that would solve that problem.' That's why now is the time to shift from reactive, fear-based frameworks to proactive, calculated experimentation. The winners will be those who manage risk without smothering innovation. Let's unpack what that looks like. AI must be treated as a business strategy, not a compliance checkbox. The earliest AI success stories didn't emerge from the biggest models—they came from businesses that turned innovation into impact. Generative AI rollouts follow a familiar pattern: test, learn, iterate. That approach is a hallmark of resilient organizations. A McKinsey report described AI as moving from a productivity enhancer to a 'transformative superpower.' But that evolution only happens when companies move past basic automation to unlock new business value. Their conclusion? The biggest barrier to scaling AI isn't talent or tech—it's leadership. Specifically, the courage to act. THE POWER OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR According to S&P Global, the U.S. is leading the world in private AI investment. From 2013 to 2023, U.S. firms invested three times more than any other country. More than 5,500 AI companies were founded in that decade, and projections suggest private AI investment could hit $900 billion by 2027—close to 0.7% of global GDP. That's momentum you don't pause. Regulation must protect people—but not at the cost of progress. Innovation depends on the freedom to experiment. And right now, we're just scratching the surface of what AI can unlock. HOW ENTERPRISES CAN GAIN AND MAINTAIN AN EDGE AI leadership isn't about drafting better rules. It's about executing at scale. That takes three things: sound governance, bold experimentation, and relentless execution. Sound governance within an organization defines how AI is applied, what's allowed and what's off limits, and which data is fair game. The key is finding balance—policies shouldn't control development, but rather provide safeguards so innovation can steer. One way to do this is ranking AI projects by risk level. At the recent AI Action Summit in France, the tone was unmistakable: innovation first, safety second. That's a controversial stance—but it could be an inevitable one. As the UK navigates its proposed AI Act, serious questions remain about whether regulation will stifle AI innovators or enable them. Safety still matters. But if you lead with caution and forget ambition, you'll be sidelined. The real risk isn't recklessness—it's irrelevance. In AI, you're either building the future or waiting for someone else to. 'If you build it, they will come.' But if you regulate it before it gets off the ground, you'll never govern what never existed. The future belongs to those who move. Those who use AI, scale it, learn from it. That's where the breakthroughs will come from. Because at the end of the day, ethics without execution is just theater—and no one wants to star in that show.
