Latest news with #Crump
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How Britain's biggest companies are preparing for a Third World War
The year is 2027 and a major global conflict has erupted. Perhaps China has launched an attempted invasion of Taiwan, or Russian forces have crossed into the territory of an eastern European Nato country. Whatever the case, Justin Crump's job is to advise big companies on how to respond. And with tensions rising, a growing number of chief executives have got him on speed dial. The former Army tank commander, who now runs intelligence and security consultancy Sibylline, says his clients range from a top British supermarket chain to Silicon Valley technology giants. They are all drawing up plans to keep running during wartime, and Crump is surprisingly blunt about their reasoning: a global conflict may be just two years away. 'We're in a world which is more dangerous, more volatile than anything we've seen since the Second World War,' he explains. There are lots of crises that can happen, that are ready to go. 'Chief executives want to test against the war scenario, because they think it's credible. They want to make sure their business can get through that environment.' He rattles off a series of smouldering international issues – any one of which could ignite the global tinderbox – from Iran's nuclear ambitions, to China's threats to Taiwan, to Vladimir Putin's designs on a Russian sphere of influence in Ukraine and beyond, as well as Donald Trump's disdain for the post-1940s 'rules-based international order'. Against this backdrop, planning for war is not alarmist but sensible, Crump contends. With all these issues building, 2027 is viewed as the moment of maximum danger. 'The worst case scenario is that all these crises all overlap in 2027,' he explains. 'You've got the US midterms, which will have taken place just at the start of that year, and whatever happens there will be lots of upset people. It's also the time when a lot of the economic disruption that's happening now will have really washed through the system, so we'll be feeling the effects of that. And it's also too early for the change in defence posture to have really meant anything in Europe.' Putin and Xi Jinping, the president of China, are acutely aware of all this, he says, and may conclude that they should act before the US and Europe are more fully rearmed in 2030. 'In their minds now, the clock is ticking,' he adds. He also points to major British and Nato military exercises scheduled to take place in 2027, with American forces working to a 2027 readiness target as well. 'There's a reason they're doing it that year – because they think we have to be ready by then,' Crump says. 'So why shouldn't businesses also work off the same thinking and plan for the same thing?' He is not alone in arguing that society needs to start expecting the unexpected. In 2020, the Government established the National Preparedness Commission to ensure the UK was 'significantly better prepared' for the likes of floods, power outages, cyber attacks or wars. It has urged households to keep at least three days' worth of food and water stockpiled, along with other essential items such as a wind-up torch, portable power bank, a portable radio, spare batteries, hand sanitiser and a first aid kit. 'In recent years a series of high-impact events have demonstrated how easily our established way of life can be disrupted by major events,' the commission's website says – pointing to the coronavirus pandemic, recent African coups, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and turmoil in the Middle East. Britain is also secretly preparing for a direct military attack by Russia amid fears that it is not ready for war. Officials have been asked to update 20-year-old contingency plans that would put the country on a war footing after threats of attack by the Kremlin. All of this has led major businesses to conclude that perma crisis is the new normal, Crump says. In the case of Ukraine, Western sanctions on Russia forced companies to choose between continuing to operate heavily-constrained operations in Russia, selling up, or walking away entirely. Crump recalls speaking to several clients including a major energy company in the run-up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He and his colleagues urged the business to evacuate their staff, at a point when it was still received wisdom that Putin wouldn't dare follow through with his threats. 'I had almighty arguments with some people in the run-up, because I was very firmly of the view, based on our data and insights, that the Russians were not only invading, but they were going for the whole country. But other people in our sector were saying, 'No, it's all a bluff'. 'Their team came to me afterwards and said: 'After that call, we were convinced, and we got our people out'. They got a lot of grief for that at the time, from people who were saying it was all nonsense. 'But then on the day of the invasion, they told me they got so many calls actually saying 'thank you for getting us out'.' Yet even in Ukraine, much of which remains an active war zone, life must go on – along with business. 'I've been to plenty of war zones,' says Crump. 'And people are still getting on with their lives, there's still stuff in supermarkets, and things are being made in factories – but that certainly all gets a lot more difficult.' In the case of a major British supermarket, how might executives plan for, say, a Chinese invasion of Taiwan? The first question is how involved the UK expects to be, says Crump. But if Britain, as might be expected, sides with the US at least in diplomatic terms, 'we're not buying anything from China'. That immediately has implications for a company's supply chains – are there any parts of the supply chain that would be crippled without Chinese products? But as the recent cyber attack on Marks & Spencer has demonstrated, attacks on critical digital infrastructure are also a major risk to supermarkets in the event of a war with China or Russia. 'If you look at a retailer, the vulnerability is not necessarily whether or not they can transport stuff to the shop, even in a war zone,' says Crump. 'The problem becomes when you can't operate your systems. 'If you can't take money at the point of sale, or if you have no idea where your stock is because your computer system has been taken down, you've got major problems and you can't operate your business.' In a scenario where Britain becomes involved in a war itself, Crump says employers may also suddenly find themselves with gaps in their workforces. He believes things would need to get 'very bad indeed' for the Government to impose conscription, which applied to men aged 18-41 during the Second World War. But he points out that the calling up of British armed forces reservists would be very likely, along with the potential mobilisation of what is known as the 'strategic reserve' – those among the country's 1.8 million veterans who are still fit to serve. There are around 32,000 volunteer reservists and an undisclosed number of regular reserves, former regular members of the armed forces who are still liable to be called up. 'There's a big pool of people we don't tap at the moment who are already trained,' explains Crump. 'But there would be consequences if the entire reserve was called forward, which would have to happen if we entered a reasonably sized conflict. It would certainly cause disruptions. 'The medical services are hugely integrated with the NHS, for example, and we saw the effects of them being called forward with Iraq and Afghanistan.' The sort of supermarket chaos that erupted during the Covid-19 pandemic would also return with a vengeance if a significant conflict broke out. During that crisis, grocers had to limit how many packs of loo rolls and cans of chopped tomatoes shoppers were allowed to take home, among other items, because of supply chain problems. 'If we're in a conflict, that sort of supply chain activity would increase,' notes Crump. 'So you don't necessarily have rationing imposed, but there might be issues with food production, delivery, payment and getting things to the right place. 'In a world where we don't have our own independent supply chains, we're reliant on a lot of very interconnected moving parts that have been enabled by this period of peace. 'We've never been in a conflict during a time where we've had 'just in time' systems.' Crump brings up the recent blackouts in Spain and Portugal. British grocers initially thought their food supplies would be completely unaffected because truck loads of tomatoes had already made their way out of the country when the problem struck. But the vehicles were electronically locked, to prevent illegal migrants attempting to clamber inside when they cross the English Channel and could only be unlocked from Spain – where the power cuts had taken down computer systems and telecoms. 'People in Spain couldn't get online, so we had locked trucks full of tomatoes sitting here that we couldn't open because of technology,' Crump says. 'No one had ever thought, 'But what happens if all of Spain goes off the grid?' And I'm sure the answer would have been, 'That'll never happen' anyway.' This tendency towards 'normalcy bias' is what Crump tries to steer his clients away from. While it isn't inevitable that war will break out, or that there will be another pandemic, humans tend to assume that things will revert to whatever the status quo has been in their lifetimes, he says. This can mean we fail to take the threat of unlikely scenarios seriously enough, or use outdated ways of thinking to solve new problems. 'We've had this long period of peace and prosperity. And, of course, business leaders have grown up in that. Military leaders have grown up in it. Politicians have grown up in it. And so it's very hard when that starts to change. 'People have grown up in a world of rules. And I think people are still trying to find ways in which the game is still being played by those old rules.' Unsurprisingly, given his line of work, Crump believes businesses must get more comfortable contemplating the unthinkable. 'Go back a decade and most executives did not want to have a crisis because a crisis is bad for your career, so they didn't want to do a test exercise – because you might fail,' Crump adds. 'But the whole point is that you can fail in an exercise, because it's not real life.' At least, not yet. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘Scary times': Ben Crump and Rep. Jasmine Crockett speak to Miami Gardens residents
Attorney Ben Crump and Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas had a message for South Floridians. Before a crowd of about 500 people at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Miami Gardens, both leaders urged the crowd to stay focused on local politics, build community and to stay engaged. Crockett and Crump spoke as part of the People's Meetup Townhall on Saturday, hosted by Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami Gardens, a gathering that brought together Black leaders from across the country and Florida with the hope that this meetup leads to more. Crockett, a rising star in the Democratic party, is known for being an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump. Ben Crump, who is often referred to as 'Black America's Attorney General,' is widely known for representing families who lost loved ones to police brutality. 'We are in a moment in this country where we all need some reteaching in how to get back out there and fight,' Jones said. ' I think the people are sick of politicking, and I think the people are sick of politics.' The meetup comes at a time when the Democratic party is still reeling from the 2024 election and trying to regroup after losing ground in several key demographics, including Black men. Black voters overwhelmingly vote Democratic, but in 2024, Trump made surprising gains in that group of voters. President Trump was rarely mentioned but was still ever-present at the Meetup. Since his inauguration he has unleashed a fire hose of policies targeting diversity, equity and incIusion, education, immigration and federal workers that have all affected the Black community. In the state of Florida, Black communities have been dealing with laws limiting the way Black history can be taught — even finding different ways to teach history— and Gov. Ron DeSantis' campaign against DEI, which is much of the reason the panelists stressed the importance of being engaged in local politics. The event, moderated by former state Sen. Dwight Bullard and journalist Janey Tate, also featured comments from local elected politicians including Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, who implored the audience to be involved in making change. 'History is going to be written, not just by the people in the front seats here, but the people from this building,' Gilbert said. Crockett and Crump emphasized that Black history needed to be taught at home and the dangers of ignorance. 'The enemies of equality will not win this war for justice and equality as long as we make sure that our children are more intelligent than those who seek to oppress them,' Crump said. Without referring to him by name, Crockett repeatedly criticized the Trump administration's policies and noted that 'someone' prefers people who are uneducated and wants to attempt to ensure future generations have less access to education. Crockett said education isn't just about knowing history, it's also about understanding policies and how they affect communities, referring to Trump's tariffs. 'There were people that were hurting, and they just wanted to believe there has to be something better, because the economy had not fully recovered from the global pandemic, but now we are starting to understand these global supply chains,' she said. 'We cannot be so limited to where our education is only in our city or our county or our state or our country,' she continued. 'We have to become educated, worldly citizens. That is when we can make the best decisions for us and future generations.' And as national policies ripple through local communities Crockett said constituents should lean on their local elected officials. 'Yes, you may be in Florida, and lord knows we need to pray for y'all, but the bright spots are your local officials,' she said. Crockett also said people have to have faith in the courts, as she painted a bleak picture of what she's seeing in congress: 'The Republicans have decided that they are going to abdicate their duties,' she said. 'So, they are not protecting the people's house, which is where I work. They are not protecting the Senate. They are not protecting their own constituency, but one area that has not fallen at this point has been our courts.' Both she and Crump noted that youth also need to be engaged in local and national politics, with Crump reminding the audience that young people led and played pivotal roles in the Civil Rights Movement, adding that he's proud of Crockett's courageousness to speak out even when it's unpopular and despite the criticism she's faced. 'I really do understand it's some very scary times out here, and they attack you for speaking up,' Crump said. 'Fear is contagious…but just like fear is contagious, courage is contagious, and if you stand up for yourself first, there's a second person to stand up, then a third person to stand up, then a fourth person, then a community will stand up, then a city will stand up, then a state will stand up, then a whole nation of our people will stand up. But it just takes us first to stand up on faith and courage like our ancestors did.' Crockett urged attendees to reach those that are feeling disenfranchised. And, she said, that starts by speaking with people you typically wouldn't talk to: 'We've got to start to reconnect with one another and see the humanity in one another.' Crump, whose rise came in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, said Black people should also seek to be unapologetic in their existence. 'They are unapologetic in their White supremacist beliefs,' he said. 'So just like they are unapologetic, we gotta be unapologetic in defense of Black life, Black liberty and Black humanity.'
Axios
25-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
College graduates are anxious about entering a rocky job market
The Class of 2025 is begrudgingly entering a job market that is not welcoming them with open arms. Why it matters: New grads are pessimistic entering the workforce, as the economy could slow. History shows that people who started their careers during economic downturns struggle throughout their lives. "I'm excited to graduate and I worked really hard and I've loved these four years of college, but it does make me wish that I had more security," said Emma Crump, a senior studying sociology at the University of California Santa Barbara. Crump, 22, is enrolled in a class where she has to apply for three jobs weekly. She's heard back from three, and all were rejections. Zoom out: "It's a little paradoxical, where for the last several years there was this talent shortage, so candidates have this power," Lindsey Zuloaga, chief data scientist for Utah-based hiring platform HireVue, said. "But it's shifted in some ways and not others. Because of economic uncertainty, there's a lot less moving around happening, and that's tightening things up." State of play: American pessimism about a looming U.S. recession is high, even if the economy doesn't reach that point. Historical data shows that graduating into a recession can have lasting negative effects on salaries and health. Graduating into economic turmoil is nothing new for Gen Z. The pandemic upended post-grad plans for the classes of 2020 and 2021. Case in point: Sohan Bhakta, a computer science senior at the University of Arizona, applied to more than 600 jobs during the school year, with few interviews. "The talk was, you'd be guaranteed a gig," Bhakta, 22, said. "And I don't know why I expected that. From this world, you should never expect anything because anything can change." If he doesn't land a computer science role at the end of his six-month internship in September, he's considering pivoting to data engineering or data analytics to work more closely with AI. Sabrina Valencia, 30, pivoted her human resources job hunt from full-time roles to internships after applying for about 70 jobs to no avail. "I didn't realize how hard it was going to be just to get into even an entry level at that point," said Valencia, who graduated from Western Governors University in April. She's also exploring an extra certification. Driving the news: More than half of current college seniors are pessimistic about the job market, per an April report from Handshake, an entry-level job platform. As of March, the average class of 2025 student had submitted 21% more job applications on the platform than their 2024 counterparts. That upswing "reflects heightened anxiety and urgency around the early-career job search, while simultaneously contributing to increased competition for jobs," the report said. Threat level: Young adults who enter the workforce during recessions have historically had lower long-term earnings, higher rates of disability, fewer marriages, less successful spouses and fewer children, according to a 2023 National Bureau of Economic Research report. In middle age, they have had higher mortality caused by lung, liver and heart disease. "The bad luck of leaving school during hard times can lead to higher rates of early death and permanent differences in life circumstances," a 2019 Stanford report said.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local teen testifies about vaping
ASHLAND At 14, Delanie Crump has appeared before a Senate committee to testify about something she believes in. The Boyd County High School ninth-grader spoke to the General Assembly's Senate committee on education and the licensing and occupations committee in February about the negative impact vaping can have on youth using statistics to explain the urgency of the issue. She was urging the Senate to pass SB 100, which further enforces Tobacco 21, the law prohibiting those younger than 21 from purchasing tobacco or e-cigarette products. Crump, daughter of Daniel Crump and Brianna Davis, said the bill, which passed and will become law in January 2026, requires tobacco retailers to have a license to sell products and requires the use of a database to keep track of sellers; it also requires compliance checks on retailers and harsher penalties on those who violate the laws. These measures aim to enforce compliance, which would decrease underage sales. "This isn't just about lung cancer 30 years down the line. It's about kids dropping out of sports because their lungs can't keep up. It's about the anxiety and depression that nicotine addiction fuels. It's about academic distraction and under-performance. It's about an entire generation being stolen before they've had a chance to live fully," she said in her speech to the committees. Crump's mother said she was shocked to learn her daughter would speak to lawmakers. "It's not every day you see a 14-year-old who is brave enough to do that, especially on something as important as underage vaping," Davis said. "I'm so proud of her using her voice to make a difference." Crump said she enjoys public speaking, but she was nervous about speaking to the committee. "I've never spoken in a setting like that," she said. "However, once I was in the hearing room and on the stand, the nervousness went away, as I was focusing on what I was saying and how to say it in a way that would be most impactful. Following the speech, I was satisfied with the way it went, and I felt that the anxiousness leading up to it was worth it." Vaping wasn't an issue on her radar, but Crump said she joined the Youth Advisory Board for #icanendthetrend, a program through the University of Kentucky that aims to prevent vaping. Davis said joining the youth advisory board was a whim, but it turns out Crump found her passion. "They've really challenged all the students on the board and she made great friends in the process. She realized she wants to major in health care, thanks to this opportunity," Davis said. "I'm so grateful the program exists. I was also so impressed with the amount of respect the senators showed to her during her testimony. They were very encouraging and supportive. Senate Bill 100 is now becoming a law, thanks to these kids and the adults who believed in their bill." Crump's knowledge about vaping has grown, and learned some important facts, including: • Nearly one in 10 middle school students and one in five high school students uses e-cigarettes. • Flavored tobacco products, like menthols and sweet, fruity vapes, are directly designed to appeal to youth. • Nicotine can permanently damage developing brains. "These changes aren't radical. They're necessary. Every delay costs more lives. Every loophole in legislation lets addiction thrive," Crump said of the new law. Crump said the experience of speaking to the General Assembly was enriching. "I believe the most important lesson I learned was that anyone can make a difference, and the power of communities coming together," she said. "It was incredible to see so many other young people from around the state who are passionate about the issue coming together to make a change and actually seeing changes in progress. It taught me to never underestimate what can be done when people come together toward change." (606) 326-2661 | lward@
Geek Culture
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
'Gears of War: Reloaded' Remaster Goes Multi-Platform, Debuts On PlayStation In Aug
Microsoft has announced Gears of War: Reloaded , a remaster of the original 2006 cover shooter by The Coalition in partnership with Sumo Interactive and Disbelief, bringing not only enhanced visuals and all the DLC from the original game, but also marking the title's debut on PlayStation when it launches on 26 August this year. The original game had already seen a previous remastering effort in 2015 in the form of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition , but this latest edition promises to take its visuals one step further, with its announcement post listing a host of graphical improvements such as 4K resolution, 4K assets and remastered textures, improved shadows and reflections, super resolution with improved anti-aliasing, alongside both High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) support. 'As we approach the 20th anniversary of Gears of War in 2026, we're reflecting on what this franchise means,' wrote The Coalition studio head Mike Crump. 'It's about the stories we've told, the friendships we've built, and the unforgettable moments we've shared together. With Gears of War: Reloaded , we're opening that door to more players than ever.' Marking the first time the title has launched on a PlayStation platform, Gears of War: Reloaded will also support cross-play across all platforms. ' Gears of War: Reloaded is built for shared play — whether you're teaming up in split-screen or jumping online.' Crump added, 'The Campaign supports two-player co-op, and Versus Multiplayer allows up to 8 players. With cross-play across all platforms, you and your friends can squad up no matter where you play — no Microsoft account required.' However, it was clarified that signing into the game with a Microsoft account would unlock 'full cross-platform functionality', specifically enabling cross-progression to save both campaign and multiplayer progress across devices, and the ability to send invites to friends across platforms. In addition, Gears of War: Reloaded will be a free upgrade for players who purchased the digital version of Gears of War: Ultimate Edition prior to the announcement, with a game code delivered directly to those eligible via a direct message on their Xbox accounts in the days leading up to its launch. Gears of War: Reloaded will launch on 26 August 2025 on the PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with a day one release on Game Pass. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Gears of War Gears of War: Reloaded Microsoft The Coalition
