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National Geographic
11-07-2025
- National Geographic
Teotihuacan
It was massive, one of the first great cities of the Western Hemisphere. And its origins are a mystery. It was built by hand more than a thousand years before the swooping arrival of the Nahuatl-speaking Mexica or Aztec people in central Mexico. But it was the Aztec, descending on the abandoned site, no doubt falling awestruck by what they saw, who gave its current name: Teotihuacan. A famed archaeological site located fewer than 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Mexico City, Teotihuacan reached its zenith between 100 B.C. and A.D. 650. It covered 8 square miles (21 square kilometers) and supported a population of a hundred thousand, according to George Cowgill, an archaeologist at Arizona State University and a National Geographic Society grantee. "It was the largest city anywhere in the Western Hemisphere before the 1400s," Cowgill says. "It had thousands of residential compounds and scores of pyramid-temples ... comparable to the largest pyramids of Egypt." Oddly, Teotihuacan, which contains a massive central road (the Street of the Dead) and buildings including the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon, has no military structures—though experts say the military and cultural wake of Teotihuacan was heavily felt throughout the region. Who built it? Cowgill says the site's visible surface remains have all been mapped in detail. But only some portions have been excavated. Scholars once pointed to the Toltec culture. Others note that the Toltec peaked far later than Teotihuacan's zenith, undermining that theory. Some scholars say the Totonac culture was responsible. No matter its principal builders, evidence suggests that Teotihuacan may have hosted people from a patchwork of cultures including the Maya, Mixtec, and Zapotec. One theory says an erupting volcano forced a wave of immigrants into the Teotihuacan valley and that those refugees either built or bolstered the city. The main excavations, performed by Professors Saburo Sugiyama of Aichi Prefectural University in Japan and Rubén Cabrera, a Mexican archaeologist, have been at the Pyramid of the Moon. It was there, beneath layers of dirt and stone, that researchers realized the awe-inspiring craftsmanship of Teotihuacan's architects was matched by a cultural penchant for brutality and human and animal sacrifice. Inside the temple, researchers found buried animals and bodies, with heads that had been lobbed off, all thought to be offerings to gods or sanctification for successive layers of the pyramid as it was built. Since 2003, archaeologist Sergio Gomez has been working to access new parts of the complex, and has only recently reached the end of a tunnel that could hold a king's tomb. It's unclear why Teotihuacan collapsed; one theory is that poorer classes carried out an internal uprising against the elite. For Cowgill, who says more studies are needed to understand the lives of the poorer classes that inhabited Teotihuacan, the mystery lies not as much in who built the city or in why it fell. "Rather than asking why Teotihuacan collapsed, it is more interesting to ask why it lasted so long," he says. "What were the social, political, and religious practices that provided such stability?" Editor's note: This story was updated on April 17, 2025, to clarify that while the urban complex may have had connections with Maya cities, Teotihuacan was not ruled by the Maya. Archaeologists study a colossal Olmec stone head in La Venta, Mexico in this 1947 National Geographic photo. The Olmec civilization, the first in Mesoamerica, offers valuable clues into the development of the rest of the region. Photograph by Richard Hewitt Stewart, National Geographic
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Bradford set for 'Bantams Boost' after League One promotion
Bantams boost the 'icing on the cake' for city 11 minutes ago Share Save Aisha Iqbal BBC News, Yorkshire Reporting from Bradford Share Save BBC Bradford City players soaked up the atmosphere during Tuesday evening's celebrations Businesses will enjoy a "huge" economic uplift after Bradford City's dramatic promotion to League One, a commerce leader has said. The Bantams' last-gasp promotion, secured in the 96th minute of the final game of the season against Fleetwood Town, sparked celebrations across the city, with thousands gathering for an open-top bus parade on Tuesday. City centre bars and restaurants already benefit from rises in footfall on matchdays, especially in areas like North Parade which have become popular pre and post-match destinations for fans. And Mark Cowgill, president of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, said the "Bantams boost" could be massive for the wider local economy. "It means a huge amount," said Mr Cowgill - himself a lifelong Bradford City fan. "With the challenges that Bradford's had and with everything else that's gone on in the city this year - the City of Culture, the city centre being transformed, Bradford Live opening imminently - what we needed for that icing on the cake was City to get promoted. "And that's happened. "It drives business into the city and to the surrounding businesses. And it's the difference between some of those businesses surviving and thriving or struggling." Mr Cowgill hopes the club's new League One status will attract more visitors - and their cash - to the district. Larger away followings from visiting clubs will also boost revenue for transport companies and other sectors, he said. Mark Cowgill Mark Cowgill, president of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, with wife Linzi, pictured at Bradford City's stadium Valley Parade Mr Cowgill said many opportunities for further growth lay in the "knock-on effect" of sporting success as well as the boost from City of Culture. "How do we continue to make culture the heart of what we do? Sport is absolutely culture, football's culture, and bringing that into the city is just huge." Mr Cowgill said the "feel-good factor" would have a wide impact on businesses in the short term, but could reap even bigger rewards long term. "What we've got to do now is double down on the transformation that's happened in the city centre, and not only get people to come to the match, but stay afterwards, go see something at Bradford Live or the Alhambra or St George's Hall - and drive that economy harder and faster continuously." PA/Ian Hodgson It is hoped Bradford's promotion will encourage more children to take up football He pointed to other football clubs helping boost their local areas to the tune of "tens of millions" through promotion - and said Bradford's economy could "absolutely" expect a significant uplift. "Whenever something positive happens in your local area, people celebrate that and they want to go out and do more. The hospitality sector does - by a long way - boost most significantly compared to any other. "But maybe it'll also persuade people to start playing five-a-side in an evening or join a local club - which in turn, people then need to buy kit or new boots. "It's all those other bits that it brings in from the supporters and connected, but not necessarily directly connected, businesses." Fans flocked to City Park and Centenary Square on Tuesday evening as the Bantams celebrated with a bus parade. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
CBC
28-01-2025
- Business
- CBC
Trump bump: U.S. citizenship renunciation inquiries surge in Canada, lawyers say
For more than a decade, Wisconsin native Douglas Cowgill has helped Americans in Canada navigate the complex task of renouncing their U.S. citizenship, cutting themselves loose from that nation's Internal Revenue Service in the process. But it was only in 2023 that Cowgill — a dual citizen at the time with a Canadian wife and family — took the plunge himself. The lawyer based in Surrey, B.C., has no regrets. "I had to look at it from the perspective of what lies ahead of me for the next 20 to 30 years, and definitely that is a life here in Canada," said Cowgill, 39. "I look at it more from the lens of choosing to be Canadian only, and am happy to focus on my life here in Canada." He's far from alone, and lawyers in Canada involved in U.S. citizenship renunciation say inquiries have spiked sharply since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump last November. Cowgill, a lawyer with Cross Border Visas, says monthly inquiries nearly doubled in December and he expects applications will rise this year. Alexander Marino, director of U.S. tax law at Moodys Tax Law in Calgary, said that most people renounce U.S. citizenship for tax reasons — the U.S. is one of the few countries that imposes tax based on citizenship, not residency. This often involves expensive reporting and filing obligations that include estate and gift taxes, even after death. Marino is also expecting a Trump bump in business. "I can't deny that most U.S. expats, in my experience, tend to be more left-leaning than right-leaning. For a lot of people, the election results are a bit of the straw that broke the camel's back," Marino said. "We're seeing a bump due to the election results." Marino said he has seen year-over-year demand increase since specializing in renunciation 12 years ago. He said the spike in interest now is greater than in 2017 after Trump's first presidential win, and he expected 2025 to see a record number of people try to give up U.S. citizenship. Moodys typically offers five to seven renunciation information webinars each year for U.S. citizens living in Canada; this year, they may schedule up to 12, Marino said. Anyone giving up U.S. citizenship shouldn't expect the matter to be secret — the U.S. Federal Register publishes quarterly lists of everyone who has surrendered their citizenship. In May 2014, the list named singer Tina Turner, and in February 2017, future British prime minister Boris Johnson. There were only a few hundred names on the lists in 2005, but numbers have risen sharply since 2014, when the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act went into full effect. It requires that foreign financial institutions report on the foreign assets held by U.S. account holders. In 2016, about 4,100 names were listed, but the next year, in Trump's first year in the White House, numbers jumped by more than 50 per cent to about 6,900 names. Last year, the number of people who expatriated had dipped to 5,500. The process of renouncing U.S. citizenship can be complicated, involving immigration filings, tax-compliance submissions and a $2,350 US administrative fee to obtain a Certificate of Loss of Nationality. Some applications result in an exit tax or immigration issues, so many people hire lawyers to ensure they take all the right steps. The process also involves a formal interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate general, where an applicant is asked why they want to surrender their citizenship, and must take an oath or affirmation of renunciation. "I hereby absolutely and entirely renounce my United States nationality together with all rights and privileges and all duties and allegiance and fidelity thereunto pertaining," it reads. Wait times for an interview in Vancouver are around four or five months, Cowgill said. But in 2023 the Canadian queue was up to 12 months long. So he flew to Reykjavik, Iceland, for his in-person interview. He had moved to B.C. in 2012 on a work permit, becoming a dual citizen in 2019. It was during the pandemic, when it was difficult for his Canadian wife to join him across the border to visit his parents in Washington State, that he decided he no longer wanted or needed to be American. "I'm probably more logical and financially motivated. A lot of clients might be more politically motivated and so if they really don't see themselves in the United States anymore and they see it going in a direction that they're not satisfied with, that could be a huge driver for a lot of people," Cowgill said. "It feels different when I return to the U.S. When I was a citizen, I crossed the border armed with knowledge that I could never be refused entry. Whereas now, the agents have discretion to refuse my entry, if they believe I am not merely visiting the U.S."
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump bump: U.S. citizenship renunciation inquiries surge in Canada, lawyers say
For more than a decade, Wisconsin native Douglas Cowgill has helped Americans in Canada navigate the complex task of renouncing their U.S. citizenship, cutting themselves loose from that nation's Internal Revenue Service in the process. But it was only in 2023 that Cowgill — a dual citizen at the time with a Canadian wife and family — took the plunge himself. The lawyer based in Surrey, B.C., has no regrets. "I had to look at it from the perspective of what lies ahead of me for the next 20 to 30 years, and definitely that is a life here in Canada," said Cowgill, 39. "I look at it more from the lens of choosing to be Canadian only, and am happy to focus on my life here in Canada." He's far from alone, and lawyers in Canada involved in U.S. citizenship renunciation say inquiries have spiked sharply since the election of U.S. President Donald Trump last November. Cowgill, a lawyer with Cross Border Visas says monthly inquiries nearly doubled in December and he expects applications will rise this year. Alexander Marino, director of U.S. tax law at Moodys Tax Law in Calgary, said that most people renounce U.S. citizenship for tax reasons — the U.S. is one of the few countries that imposes tax based on citizenship, not residency. This often involves expensive reporting and filing obligations that include estate and gift taxes, even after death. Marino is also expecting a Trump bump in business. "I can't deny that most U.S. expats, in my experience, tend to be more left-leaning than right-leaning. For a lot of people, the election results are a bit of the straw that broke the camel's back," Marino said. "We're seeing a bump due to the election results." Marino said he has seen year-over-year demand increase since specializing in renunciation 12 years ago. He said the spike in interest now is greater than in 2017 after Trump's first presidential win, and he expected 2025 to see a record number of people try to give up U.S. citizenship. Moodys typically offers five to seven renunciation information webinars each year for U.S. citizens living in Canada; this year, they may schedule up to 12, Marino said. Anyone giving up U.S. citizenship shouldn't expect the matter to be secret — the U.S. Federal Register publishes quarterly lists of everyone who has surrendered their citizenship. In May 2014, the list named singer Tina Turner, and in February 2017, future British prime minister Boris Johnson. There were only a few hundred names on the lists in 2005, but numbers have risen sharply since 2014, when the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act went into full effect. It requires that foreign financial institutions report on the foreign assets held by U.S. account holders. In 2016, about 4,100 names were listed, but the next year, in Trump's first year in the White House, numbers jumped by more than 50 per cent to about 6,900 names. Last year, the number of people who expatriated had dipped to 5,500. The process of renouncing U.S. citizenship can be complicated, involving immigration filings, tax-compliance submissions and a US$2,350 administrative fee to obtain a Certificate of Loss of Nationality. Some applications result in an exit tax or immigration issues, so many people hire lawyers to ensure they take all the right steps. The process also involves a formal interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate general, where an applicant is asked why they want to surrender their citizenship, and must take an oath or affirmation of renunciation. "I hereby absolutely and entirely renounce my United States nationality together with all rights and privileges and all duties and allegiance and fidelity thereunto pertaining," it reads. Wait times for an interview in Vancouver are around four or five months, Cowgill said. But in 2023 the Canadian queue was up to 12 months long. So he flew to Reykjavik, Iceland, for his in-person interview. He had moved to B.C. in 2012 on a work permit, becoming a dual citizen in 2019. It was during the pandemic, when it was difficult for his Canadian wife to join him across the border to visit his parents in Washington State, that he decided he no longer wanted or needed to be American. "I'm probably more logical and financially motivated. A lot of clients might be more politically motivated and so if they really don't see themselves in the United States anymore and they see it going in a direction that they're not satisfied with, that could be a huge driver for a lot of people," Cowgill said. "It feels different when I return to the U.S. When I was a citizen, I crossed the border armed with knowledge that I could never be refused entry. Whereas now, the agents have discretion to refuse my entry, if they believe I am not merely visiting the U.S." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2025. Marcy Nicholson, The Canadian Press
