Latest news with #heartland
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
The rare bipartisan movement to block China's under-the-radar land grab amid growing fears about the creeping adversary on the hunt
A coalition of senators from both sides of the aisle is sounding the alarm about what they see as a quiet but dangerous trend across America's heartland: Acres of farmland falling into foreign hands, with China leading the seizures. The urgency behind their concern is driven by a stark trendline: Chinese agricultural investments in the U.S. have skyrocketed tenfold over the past decade, according to Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, who has sponsored the 'Farmland Act.' The legislation is designed to stymie Chinese influence over U.S. land by giving the federal government more oversight of agricultural property owned by foreign countries. It's an effort with one overarching goal in mind: Curtail the creeping ambitions of one of our top adversaries. Ernst explicitly calls out China, which 'in particular has increased agricultural investments tenfold over the past decade.' Ernst told the Daily Mail that 'limiting the opportunities for foreign entities, especially adversaries like China' to purchase farmland is critically important. China 'will come in and purchase that land, so that we're not able to put it into production, and in turn they are,' Ernst noted. There is bipartisan consensus that China is a threat to the United States in areas such as intellectual property and global competitiveness, but Democrats and Republicans typically disagree on the best ways to deal with the adversarial nation. Republicans are raising concerns about insufficient oversight in government programs that fund research and technological innovation, particularly when foreign nationals are leading projects financed by U.S. taxpayers. Democrats, on the other hand, are blaming the Trump administration for cutting funding to research initiatives they say are critical to maintaining America's competitiveness in emerging technologies. Despite the disagreements, Ernst has been able to draft two Democrats to support the bill: Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. Republicans Rick Scott of Florid a and Ted Budd of North Carolina have also signed on, giving it wide geographical support. Opposition to the Farmland Act centers on concerns about expanded federal oversight and regulatory burdens for foreign investors in acquiring U.S. agricultural property. Legitimate investments could see their transactions disrupted or delayed, these critics argue. Still, many states have already taken steps to limit foreign purchases of their land, including Ernst's Iowa. 'But, if you go back and look across the United States at what we already have sold to foreign entities, if you put all those acres together, its going to be larger than the state of Tennessee,' Ernst told the Daily Mail. In Budd's state of North Carolina, China owns nearly 50,000 acres of farmland, some of it near critical sites such as us military bases. Scott's home state of Florida is home to nearly 13,000 acres of farmland owned by China. Ernst's bill isn't the only one in the works that aims to stop China's efforts to buy up American agricultural land. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley has introduced the Protecting Our Farms and Homes from China Act, and Representative Mary Miller introduced a House compliment to his bill this week. Twelve Republican members have co-sponsored Miller's bill in the House. The Trump administration claimed back in February that overall, China owns over 350,000 acres in 27 states. Foreign entities and individuals own roughly 43 million acres of U.S. agricultural land, nearly 2 percent of all U.S. land, according to government data. A Government Accountability Office report from 2024 determined that foreign acquisitions of U.S. land are difficult to identify. It also determined that a prior report from 2021 - claiming that foreign entities owned 40 million acres - was inaccurate. Trump's Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced recently that the Department of Agriculture (USDA) would not allow 'Chinese nationals' or other foreign adversaries to purchase farmland in the United States. 'American agriculture is not just about feeding our families but about protecting our nation and standing up to foreign adversaries who are buying our farmland, stealing our research and creating dangerous vulnerabilities in the very systems that sustain us,' Rollins said.
News.com.au
21-07-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
The black plague is still killing people in 2025
President Donald Trump was swept into office promising to Make America Healthy Again. Now his controversial Health Secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, must contend with the return of the Black Death. The plague that killed millions in Medieval Europe and Asia has claimed a life in Arizona. It's the first fatality for the condition in that state for more than 18 years. And it's a stark reminder that the bacteria behind the deadly disease is deeply entrenched in the US heartland. It involved the plague's most deadly incarnation. 'The recent death is concerning, as it involves the airborne pneumonic form of the disease, the only form that spreads easily from person to person,' says Western Sydney University microbiology expert Thomas Jeffries. 'But there's no evidence of further spread of the disease within the US at this stage.' Only 14 people have died of plague in the US in the past 25 years. But pneumonic plague is the most severe of the plague's three forms. All are caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria. Bubonic plague presents with flu-like symptoms and swollen lymph nodes in the groin, armpit and neck. Septicaemic plague puts the body into shock and is characterised by blackening of the fingers, toes, and nose. Both are usually caused by bites from fleas carrying the bacteria, and fatality rates vary between 30 and 60 per cent. Pneumonic plague is caused when tiny airborne droplets carry the bacteria into the lungs. There, it reproduces rapidly while attacking its host's immune system. If left untreated, the fatality rate can be as high as 100 per cent. But modern medicine has advanced considerably since medieval times. 'Plague can evoke a very emotional reaction, as many people associate plague with the Black Death, which ravaged Europe and killed millions in the 1300s,' infectious disease expert Dr Shirin Mazumder told US media. 'Although plague-related fatalities can occur, they are very uncommon, and we have highly effective antibiotic therapy to treat plague if diagnosed early.' Historic potential The 2020 COVID pandemic was caused when the SARS-CoV-2 virus mutated enough to find humans to be hospitable hosts. Similar mutations have emerged among Yersinia pestis strains over the centuries. 'This disease is one of the most important in history,' argues Jeffries. 'The Plague of Justinian (541–750CE) killed tens of millions of people in the western Mediterranean, heavily impacting the expansion of the Byzantine Empire. 'The medieval Black Death (1346–53) was also seismic, killing tens of millions of people and up to half of Europe's population. 'The third and most recent plague pandemic spanned the years 1855 until roughly 1960, peaking in the early 1900s. It was responsible for 12 million deaths, primarily in India, and even reached Australia.' However, the discovery that the cause was a flea-inhabiting bacterium has resulted in the disease being largely suppressed. 'As Y. pestis is not found in Australian animals, there is little risk here,' Jeffries states. 'Plague has not been reported in Australia in more than a century.' However, sporadic outbreaks persist in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Peru, India, Central Asia, and the US, as the disease is entrenched in local rodent populations. And a fresh outbreak of plague would be a severe test of Health Secretary Kennedy's MAHA agenda. Kennedy has a long history of supporting unsubstantiated health conspiracies. He has argued that COVID-19 discriminated between ethnic groups. He has linked tap water to transgender children. He has claimed 'miasma' (a medieval term for pollutants and bad smells) is just as deadly as viruses and bacteria. 'Miasma theory emphasises preventing disease by fortifying the immune system through nutrition and reducing exposures to environmental toxins and stresses,' Kennedy wrote in his book, The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health. Since taking office in February, the former environmental lawyer has cut thousands of jobs in his Department of Health and Human Services and shut down several advisory bodies and health programs at the Centres for Disease Control (CDC). Known unknowns 'The only means to fight a plague is honesty,' Kennedy, 71, stated in The Real Anthony Fauci. But few details about the Arizona plague fatality have yet been released. 'Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the deceased. We are keeping them in our thoughts during this difficult time,' a Coconino County Board of Supervisors spokeswoman told media. 'Out of respect for the family, no additional information about the death will be released'. The incubation period of pneumonic plague, once it settles in the lungs, can be as little as one day. An intense course of common modern antibiotics is an effective treatment - if administered quickly. Was the patient suffering from untreated bubonic or septicaemic plague, where the bacteria spread to the lungs? Or was it contracted from infectious droplets coughed up by an animal or a person? And was it caught in the countryside, or an urban environment? 'Plague infects an average of seven people a year in the west of the country (United States), due to being endemic in groundhog and prairie dog populations there,' writes Jeffries. 'The last major outbreak was 100 years ago.' Prairie dogs are easy targets for the fleas that carry Yersinia pestis. But they tend to die quickly once infected. As such, a sudden spate of Prairie dog deaths can be an early warning sign of an outbreak of the bacteria. 'The source of the exposure is still under investigation; however, the death is not related to a recent report of a prairie dog die-off,' the Coconino County's health service has told US media. But other animals regularly handled by humans can get infected. Especially cats. They can contract the bacteria by eating infected rodents or being bitten by fleas. The CDC warns that this can then be transmitted to owners when the cat sneezes.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
11 best stalls at Redhill Food Centre to keep on your red-dar
One of the loveliest things I've come to realise is that heartland hawker centres are home to some of the best eats islandwide. Case in point: Redhill Food Centre. Nondescript as it is, this food centre in the heart of Redhill is packed with a star-studded line-up of stalls that have made it onto the Michelin Guide, best-of listicles and even the ex-PM's radar (read on and you'll see). Here are the 11 best stalls at Redhill Food Centre that'll keep you returning time and again. 1. Fu Ming Cooked Food (#01-49) Despite its unassuming name, Fu Ming Cooked Food serves up a mean plate of fried carrot cake that many foodies swear by. Don't believe us? Its Michelin Bib Gourmand should do the convincing. Keep an eye out for their iconic ultra-retro signboard, adorned with hilarious stickers of a drooling Mickey Mouse. I'm already tempted to swear that no Redhill Food Centre trip is complete without their Black Carrot Cake (S$3/S$4/S$5). This glorious dish features soft, supple radish cake cubes stir-fried with eggs, a generous amount of chye poh and plenty of sweet black sauce — which gets drizzled on once more before serving. The result is a perfectly sweet-savoury dish, rich with wok hei that keeps you going for bite after bite. The White Carrot Cake (S$3/S$4/S$5) isn't too shabby either, with a pronounced smokiness balanced out by umami chye poh bits. Their meat-loaded Bak Zhang (S$2) and Nyonya Zhang (S$2) are worth a try, too. +65 9641 0565 Wed to Fri: 11am – 7.30pm Sat: 12.30pm – 8pm Sun: 7.30am – 1.30pm Closed on Mon & Tue 2. Hong Seng Curry Rice (#01-74) Sometimes, happiness really is as simple as a plate of wonderfully messy Hainanese curry rice. You can get your daily dose from Hong Seng Curry Rice, which serves up an indulgent rendition made with love. Founded by a family matriarch to feed her family of 7, this stall has called Redhill Food Centre home since 1995. The stall offers a selection of 10 curry rice sets,with the most popular options including their signature Fried Chicken (S$4.70), classic Braised Pork Belly (S$5.50) and the fuss-free Value Meal (S$5.30) — piled with essentials like pork chop, braised cabbage, fried egg and a generous ladle of curry. Hong Seng's curry gravy is undoubtedly the star of the show, with its moreish aroma and luscious consistency that pairs well with — trust us — everything. Another must-try is the crispy pork chop, crusted with a layer of cream crackers and deep-fried to golden perfection. +65 9876 2288 Mon to Thu: 11am – 8.30pm Fri: 11am – 4pm Closed on Sat & Sun Facebook | Instagram 3. Yan Fried Bee Hoon (#01-19) Ah, here's the one with the stamp of approval. Yan Fried Bee Hoon, more famously known as Eng Kee Chicken Wings, shot to fame in 2014 when it became the subject of SM Lee Hsien Loong's patronage. Yes, their chicken wings are so good he had to get them personally. And if that's not enough to pique your interest, I don't know what will. While this may look like your run-of-the-mill economic bee hoon stall, its perpetual queues show it's anything but. Start with a base of Bee Hoon (S$1.20/S$1.40) and Kway Teow Mee (S$1.20/S$1.40), then go wild with the usual suspects: Luncheon Meat (S$0.70), Seafood Ngoh Hiang (S$1.20), Egg (S$0.70), Xiao Xi Dao Fishcake (S$0.80) and perhaps some greens like Long Bean (S$0.90) and Cabbage (S$0.80). Of course, if you've only got space for one item, let it be the Chicken Wing (S$1.60). These fried delights boast a crispy golden brown skin that gives way to tender, well-seasoned flesh — one bite and you'll see why customers order them by the 10s and 20s. Mon to Fri: 11am – 7.30pm Sat: 9.30am – 6pm Closed on Sun Facebook | Instagram | Website 4. Redhill Pork Porridge (#01-90) You can always count on a simple bowl of piping hot porridge to perk you up when you're down, and that's exactly what Redhill Pork Porridge offers. This Michelin-recognised stall is a crowd favourite for the comforting dish, with folks in the area waking up as early as the crack of dawn for a bowl. It also closes by the early afternoon, so be sure to arrive early to secure your share. The menu is straightforward as can be, with just one offering: their titular Pork Porridge, priced at an affordable S$4 and S$5 for Regular and Large portions respectively. Great news if you like your porridge with a little bite — the grains in this rendition hold their form, although it's simmered long enough for each spoonful to hold a robust porky flavour. It comes studded with an ample portion of ingredients, including liver, tender pork balls and pork slices, along with several ginger slices that lend a welcome kick. Oh, don't forget to add on an Egg (S$0.50) for that extra pop of creaminess, plus some doughy You Tiao (S$1.20) for good measure and a satisfying textural contrast. Mon to Sat: 6am – 1pm Sun: 6.30am – 1pm Facebook | Instagram 5. Hock Shun Traditional Home Made Curry (#01-66) Yes, we already have a curry spot on this guide, but I had to include Hock Shun Traditional Home Made Curry. Their incredible speciality of old-school homemade chicken curry oozes flavour as much as it does nostalgia; too good to exclude, if you ask me. What's most interesting about this stall is that their gobsmacking curry comes bubbling in claypots, served in 5 variations: Curry Chicken Drumstick (S$5.50), Curry Chicken Wing (S$5), Curry Veg (S$4), Assam Curry Fish (S$6) and Curry Yong Tau Foo (S$4.50). We highly recommend the Curry Chicken Drumstick, which features a huge, fall-off-the-bone-tender chicken drumstick and a sizable hunk of breast meat, all cloaked in that luscious, thoroughly aromatic curry. For something with a little more variety, the Yong Tau Foo version comes packed with a variety of fish paste-stuffed items that'll certainly keep each bite interesting. You can also complete your meal with a carb of choice from 3 options: White Rice (S$0.80), Turmeric Rice (S$0.80) and Bread (S$0.80) — the latter of which we recommend sopping up the gravy with for maximum satisfaction. +65 9145 8876 Sun, Mon, Wed to Fri: 9am – 9pm Closed on Tue & Sat 6. Bak Kee Teochew Satay Bee Hoon (#01-40) Teochew satay bee hoon is a delicious yet sorely underrated dish — and a pretty rare find these days at that. Lucky for you, Bak Kee Teochew Satay Bee Hoon is still going strong as one of Singapore's best spots for a solid plate, and its snaking queues agree wholeheartedly. Their titular Satay Bee Hoon (S$4.50/S$5.50/S$6.50) is prepared with a recipe that dates back to the 1960s, when the stall first started out as a humble roadside establishment. The dish features bee hoon studded with goodies like pork slices, pork liver, taugeh, kangkong, taupok and cuttlefish, all cloaked by a rich peanut sauce made with over 20 ingredients and spices. So moreish you'll be licking your crockery clean. In fact, the peanut sauce became such a hit that the stall's owners eventually started a factory business to manufacture and sell it. +65 8380 7745 Mon to Fri: 7.30am – 7.45pm Sat: 7.30am – 6pm Sun: 7.30am – 3pm Facebook 11 best stalls in Mei Ling Market & Food Centre for ling-ering bites 7. Rong Xing La Mian Xiao Long Bao (#01-77) Every food centre needs a xiao long bao stall, if I do say so myself. Well, thank goodness for Rong Xing La Mian Xiao Long Bao — Redhill Food Centre's resident Chinese la mian and dumpling stall. It's run by folks from China, so you know their fare's legit. Their dumpling selection covers just about every quintessential Chinese dumpling you can think of, including Beijing Shui Jiao (S$6.50 for 10 pieces), Steamed Chive Dumplings (S$6.50 for 10 pieces) and Cabbage Pork Pan-Fried Dumplings (S$6.80 for 10 pieces). Of course, who could forget the Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (S$4.80 for 6 pieces, S$7 for 10 pieces)? In other news, I personally vouch for the Chilli Oil Dumplings (S$5.50 for 10 pieces), which come chock-full of tasty pork filling and lathered in a tangy mixture of vinegar and fiery chilli oil. The stall also offers an expansive noodle menu starring their chewy, hand-pulled la mian, with delectable options like Zha Jiang Mian (S$4.80), Tomato & Egg Ramen (S$4.50) and fork-tender Braised Beef Dry Noodles (S$5.80). Tue to Sun: 10am – 9pm Closed on Mon 8. Seng Heng Braised Duck (#01-28) If you claim you're not a morning person, Seng Heng Braised Duck may very well change your mind. This stall prepares as few as 20 braised ducks a day, operating for just 2 to 3 hours on average before closing shop as early as 9.30am. But you know what? We'd say it's worth waking up for. The Braised Duck Noodles (S$4.50/S$5.50/S$6.50) are a sensible choice, featuring simple ol' yellow noodles tossed in savoury chilli sauce and crowned with slices of the elusive braised duck. Now, don't be fooled by the meat's drab appearance — it's incredibly tender and surprisingly flavourful. There's also Braised Duck Rice (S$4.50/S$5.50/S$6.50), if that's more your thing. If you're down to ball first thing in the morning, you could splurge on a Whole Duck (S$48) or its Half (S$25) counterpart. Though fair warning: that'd mean less for the rest of us. Mon, Tue & Thu: 7.30am – 9.30am Wed & Fri: 7.30am – 10.30am Sat: 7am – 10.30am Closed on Sun 9. Fei Zai Xiang Shao La Wanton Mee (#01-92) The moment you've got even the slightest hankering for wanton mee or delightful roast meats, I implore you to head straight to Fei Zai Xiang Shao La Wanton Mee. At the helm of this vibrant stall is Roy Chan, a cheerful chef who honed his roasting craft under none other than the famed Fatty Cheong. Fei Zai Xiang's Wanton Mee (S$4) is one of the best I've ever tasted. The mee kia noodles are free of any unpleasant alkalinity, tossed in a tasty dark sauce perfumed with shallots and lard. They're accompanied by vegetables, 2 silky meat-filled wantons and brilliantly charcoal-roasted, caramelised char siew with a succulent mouthfeel. The 1kg Char Siew (S$45) is surely my next target. For a more roast meat-centric meal, you can opt for the Char Siew Roasted Pork Rice (S$5), Roasted Pork Noodle (S$4.50) and even Roasted Duck Noodles (S$5) or Duck Leg Rice (S$8). Tue to Sat: 11.30am – 8.30pm Sun: 10am – 8.30pm Closed on Mon 10. Jia Xiang Mee Siam (#01-35) As you can probably tell from its weathered stall sign, Jia Xiang Mee Siam has been around in Redhill Food Centre for quite some time — more than 5 decades, to be exact. This beloved fixture is a two-dish wonder that doles out bowls of crowd-pleasing Lontong (S$3.50) and Mee Siam (S$3.50) you'll spot on just about every table nearby. This also happens to be LO Pritam Singh's favourite mee siam spot! You'll be pleasantly surprised by just how much Mee Siam you get for only S$3.50. A generous portion of thin bee hoon is bathed in a bright red broth with a punchily tangy profile rounded out by a gently sweet edge. It's accompanied by the usuals: hard-boiled egg, tau pok, tau kwa, taugeh and spring onions, plus a dollop of addictive chilli for extra oomph if you like. The Lontong also promises a treat: the bowl brims with hefty ketupat cakes blanketed in luscious, aromatic coconut curry and piled on by a medley of stewed vegetables that lend a welcome earthy contrast. Daily: 12pm – 6pm 11. Shunli Ah Ma Lor Mee (#01-07) Lor mee enthusiasts have another reason to go 'TGIF', and that's Shunli Ah Ma Lor Mee. This stall opens on Fridays through the weekend, and on Monday too — which also means no Monday blues, heh. Their glorious Lor Mee (S$5) is the reason why cameras eat first. A colourful host of ingredients — fried fish nuggets, ngoh hiang, braised egg, tender braised pork belly slices, plus coriander and minced garlic — are deftly arranged atop the velvety gravy and noodles. It tastes superb, too: chewy yellow noodles well coated in a hearty lor that's deeply savoury with light herbal notes, made even better with a splash of vinegar or some chilli. +65 9106 4876 Fri to Mon: 6am – 2pm Closed on Tue to Thu Facebook 11 best stalls in Alexandra Village Food Centre that'll win you over The post 11 best stalls at Redhill Food Centre to keep on your red-dar appeared first on
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wall Street analyst says he's 'very humbled by this rally' amid risk-on surge
Wall Street analyst says he's 'very humbled by this rally' amid risk-on surge originally appeared on TheStreet. Bitcoin hit a record $123,000 this week, an 'everything pump' moment that's left even veteran traders humbled. As Bloomberg Intelligence's Mike McGlone put it, 'Markets can be very humbling. So I'm very humbled by this rally in Bitcoin.' During a discussion led by TheStreet Roundtable Scott Melker, the panel dove into why risk assets are flying despite looming geopolitical tension and macroeconomic uncertainty. "We're all back to celebrate $123,000 Bitcoin," said Melker. "At this moment, we're trading at an extremely low and obviously disappointing price of $121,845—less than 1% off the high.' McGlone, who joined the meeting from the U.S. heartland, gave a wide-ranging summary of market signals from Bloomberg's morning coverage. One key takeaway came from Aniwon, who expects CPI to undercut estimates with a year-over-year figure around 2.8%.'She thinks a lot of the tariffs have already been factored in,' McGlone noted, adding, 'Retail sales, she expects to show a bit of a pullback.' He also flagged risks in equity markets, with strategist Gillian Wolf noting that 'analysts are dropping earning estimates. Outside of tech, she actually expects earnings to show contraction by the end of this year.' While some have warned of weakening U.S. bond appetite, McGlone pointed to Ira Jersey's insights on unexpectedly strong demand. 'The 30-years recently saw the most direct demand ever,' he said, mostly from domestic investment funds and primary dealers. On the FX front, Jill Freeman is still waiting for a bounce in the dollar but sees 'no catalyst.' Meanwhile, McGlone said the Trump-Powell tension is 'quite significant for the dollar.'But one of McGlone's most pressing points came from his commodities focus: 'Why buy gold when Bitcoin's on a tear, the stock market's on a tear, and interest rates are high? But yet they still are. Gold's hanging in there. Central banks are buying.' In closing, McGlone highlighted the divergence in global copper pricing and China's deflationary money supply surge: 'China's running about $45 trillion money, double the U.S. Despite that, their PPI is minus 3.6%.' Wall Street analyst says he's 'very humbled by this rally' amid risk-on surge first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 14, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 14, 2025, where it first appeared. Sign in to access your portfolio
CNA
14-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
Over S$2.3b in CDC vouchers spent, with more than half going to hawkers and heartland shops
CDC vouchers have pumped over S$2.3 billion into Singapore's economy since its launch, with more than half going directly to hawkers and heartland shops. Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling gave this update, adding that the scheme has not just boosted footfall, but also strengthened community ties. Total usage of CDC vouchers is projected to cross S$1.4 billion by end-2025. Already, some S$43 million worth of SG60 vouchers that were launched earlier this month have been spent at hawkers and neighbourhood shops. Caitlin Ng reports. CDC vouchers have pumped over S$2.3 billion into Singapore's economy since its launch, with more than half going directly to hawkers and heartland shops. Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Low Yen Ling gave this update, adding that the scheme has not just boosted footfall, but also strengthened community ties. Total usage of CDC vouchers is projected to cross S$1.4 billion by end-2025. Already, some S$43 million worth of SG60 vouchers that were launched earlier this month have been spent at hawkers and neighbourhood shops. Caitlin Ng reports.
