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Zakir Hussain, Indian tabla player and composer, dies at 73

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Zakir Hussain, an internationally renowned tabla player and composer who helped integrate Indian classical sound into Western music, has died at age 73.

Hussain died Sunday afternoon in San Francisco of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, his family said in a statement.

Lauded as “the greatest tabla player of his generation,” the statement said, Hussain throughout his decades-long career aimed to blend musical genres and came to be regarded as “a chief architect of the contemporary world music movement.”

For his efforts, Hussain has been awarded with accolades including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, India’s most elite honor for performing artists, SFJazz’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Aga Khan Award, per his family’s statement.

Earlier this year, Hussain became the first Indian to receive three Grammy Awards in one night.

“He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy cherished by countless music lovers around the globe, with an influence that will resonate for generations to come,” the statement said.

Born March 9, 1951, in Mumbai, Hussain gleaned his tabla drumming skills from his father, Allarakha Khan, who served as sitar master Ravi Shankar’s accompanist during the peak of Shankar’s career, according to the Allarakha Foundation.

“A child prodigy,” according to his family, Hussain began studying under his father at age 7, a representative for Hussain confirmed. Like his father, he collaborated with Shankar, as well as a number of other famed Indian musicians including Ali Akbar Khan and Shivkumar Sharma.

After moving to the United States in 1970, Hussain vastly expanded his musical network.

“[Hussain’s] groundbreaking work with Western musicians brought Indian classical music to an international audience,” his family’s statement said, “cementing his status as a global cultural ambassador.”

Alongside prominent guitarist John McLaughlin, Hussain in 1973 formed the fusion band Shakti, which yielded influential albums such as “Shakti With John McLaughlin” and “A Handful of Beauty.”

“The encounters between jazz, rock and Indian music that took place between guitarist McLaughlin, tabla player Hussain, violinist L. Shankar and ghatam (clay pot) percussionist T.H. Vinayakram provided eye- and ear-opening opportunities to experience a breadth of music that reached well beyond the then-commonly accepted musical orbits of the United States and Europe,” the late music critic Don Heckman wrote about Shakti in a 2000 article for The Times.

Hussain also counted Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead among his closest friends and music partners. The two collaborated on albums “Planet Drum” (1991) and “Global Drum Project” (2007), the latter of which won Hussain his first Grammy.

“Zakir Hussain was my brother for over 50 years, my closest collaborator, and my dearest friend. Over the years we have shared places reserved only for those whose lives are totally engulfed by drums,” Hart wrote in a statement to The Times, adding that the pair lived together for a time on his California ranch.

“[Hussain’s] knowledge of both western and eastern world rhythms was unequaled. He had perfect pitch and total recall for the most complicated rhythmic cycles,” Hart wrote. “His instruments were like the rains, dense sheets of sounds performed like blurs of lightning-fast fingers on small, tuned drums. With the skill of a surgeon, he weaved a rhythmic spell with each finger at the most rapid speeds that can be imaginable.

“The world will never be the same without him,” he wrote.

In recent years, Hussain has served as an educator in residence at Princeton University and Stanford University and, in 2015, was appointed Regents Lecturer at UC Berkeley, his family’s statement said. In 1991, he founded the independent record label Moment Records.

Hussain is survived by his wife, Antonia Minnecola; his daughters, Anisa Qureshi (her husband, Taylor Phillips, and their daughter, Zara) and Isabella Qureshi; his brothers, Taufiq Qureshi and Fazal Qureshi; and his sister, Khurshid Aulia.



This story originally appeared on LA Times

Drake Drops Action Against UMG & Spotify Over Kendrick’s ‘Not Like Us’

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Drake has dropped his legal action accusing Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify of artificially inflating the popularity of Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us,” less than two months after he first filed it.

The action, filed in November, accused UMG and Spotify of an illegal “scheme” involving bots, payola and other methods to pump up Lamar’s song — a track that savagely attacked Drake amid an ongoing feud between the two stars.

But in a filing Tuesday (Jan. 14) in Manhattan court, Drake’s company Frozen Moments LLC said it would voluntarily withdraw the action “without costs to any party.” Another similar petition, filed in Texas against UMG and iHeartRadio alleging Lamar’s song was defamatory, remains pending.

An attorney for Drake did not immediately return a request for comment on why the case was dismissed. A spokesman for UMG declined to comment. A representative for Spotify did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Drake shocked the music industry in November when he went to court — a remarkable twist in a high-profile beef that saw Drake and Lamar exchange stinging diss tracks over a period of months earlier in the year. That a rapper would take such a dispute to court seemed almost unthinkable at the time, and Drake has been ridiculed in some corners of the hip-hop world for doing so.

The actions also represented a stunning rift between Drake and UMG, where the star has spent his entire career — first through signing a deal with Lil Wayne’s Young Money imprint, which was distributed by Republic Records, then by signing directly to Republic.

The New York petition accused UMG of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, the federal “RICO” statute often used against organized crime. He accused Spotify of participating in the scheme by charging reduced licensing fees in exchange for recommending the song to users. A day later, he filed a similar action in Texas, suggesting that UMG had legally defamed him by releasing a song that “falsely” accused him of being a “sex offender.”

The filings were not full-fledged lawsuits, but rather “pre-action” petitions aimed petition seeking to secure information so that a full lawsuit can be filed.

UMG had not yet responded to either action. But in a stinging response last month, Spotify called the allegations “false” and flatly denied that it struck any deal with UMG to support Lamar’s song. And the company took aim at the unusual way he filed the allegations, saying he had done so because his allegations were too flimsy to pass muster in an actual lawsuit and would have been quickly dismissed: “This subversion of the normal judicial process should be rejected.”

In Tuesday’s filing, attorneys for Drake said they had met with both UMG and Spotify ahead of the withdrawal. Spotify had “no objection” to the dismissal, according to the filing, but the record “reserved its position” about whether it would challenge the move in some way.



This story originally appeared on Billboard

Parents now ‘rewarding’ kids for exercise – as they spend 14 hours a week on screens

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British children are increasingly favouring screen time over outdoor play, with startling new research showing that kids spend less than four hours a week exercising outside of school, compared to a total of 14 hours spent on electronic devices.

A survey of 2,000 parents with children aged between six and 17 revealed that children spend an average of five and a half hours a week watching TV, five hours gaming, and over four hours browsing social media. In stark contrast, they dedicate just three and a half hours to reading books.

The study, commissioned by AXA Health, underscores the challenges parents face in encouraging their children to be more active. A significant 69% of parents confess it’s difficult to motivate their children to exercise, with over half (53%) resorting to rewards or incentives.

Worryingly, 38% of parents report that their children view video games as a form of exercise, despite the obvious advantages of physical activity in the real world.

Two-thirds of parents believe their own exercise habits directly impact their children. Sky Sports presenter Simon Thomas can attest to this. He and his son Ethan teamed up with AXA Health to promote family fitness, undertaking challenges to test their strength and coordination.

Simon shared: “From the moment they’re born, our kids are mimicking and learning from what we do. One of the big challenges now is being present what I mean by that is being intentional about your time with them because there’s lots of pull on our attention.”

He and his son make a point to go for a run together two or three times a week, using it as an opportunity to bond. “When it comes to exercise, you’ve got to practice what you preach as a parent,” he emphasised.

The study highlights the increasing difficulty of striking a balance between screen time and outdoor play, especially during the colder months.

But Dr. John Burke, chief medical officer at AXA Health, highlighted the crucial role physical activity plays in children’s development:”Getting outdoors, playing sports or otherwise being physical, is just as important outside of school hours as it is inside of them.

“Beyond the physical benefits, such as improved strength and endurance, outdoor play encourages exploration, social interaction, and cognitive growth.”

And parents agree. They reported noticeable benefits when their children spend more time outdoors 41% say their kids sleep better, while 33% see an improvement in their overall positivity.

Dr. Burke further stated: “In an increasingly digital world, ensuring children have regular opportunities to exercise and connect with nature is more important than ever. Some ways we can motivate them to go outside are by encouraging them to try a new activity, by joining in and making it a family activity or perhaps by inviting their friends.

“Making it fun and following their interests is the first step to engaging your child the more you do it, the sooner it’ll be part of your weekly routine.”



This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk

Bill Hader Reacts to What’s Left of Palisades: ‘It Doesn’t Seem Real’

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Bill Hader was among the fortunate ones whose Pacific Palisades home survived the Los Angeles fires. While discussing the damage these wildfires caused in LA with KTLA 5, Hader expressed shock, especially after seeing the devastation in his neighborhood and surrounding areas after his return. The actor even said the destruction “doesn’t seem real” as he reacted to what remained in the neighborhood.

The Palisades fire in LA has burned over 23,000 acres with an update showing 18% containment, reported California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Other active fires that have been affecting the LA neighborhoods include Eaton fire, Hurst fire, and Auto fire.

Bill Hader reacts to Palisades fire ruins: ‘The whole thing is gone’

According to KTLA 5, Bill Hader was at work when the fire sparked in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles on January 7. Only recently did he return to the neighborhood to see that his house escaped the flames. However, Hader claimed he was in complete disbelief to see everything “gone” in the nearby areas. “I’m sorry I’m in shock,” as he described the destruction to the outlet, adding, “It’s just gone.” The actor called the situation “unreal” with “everything,” including the Alphabet Streets, which he described as “the heart of the Palisades,” and the surrounding areas “gone.”

Hader told the station that he was at work when the fire erupted. He claimed he learned about it via a video he received and “rushed back” but found himself stuck in traffic. The multifaceted star returned to the neighborhood to find his home still standing despite facing some damages. He then discussed the evacuation with the television station, expressing relief that his family was able to get out in time. He continued in disbelief, “It’s kind of mind-boggling how fast it happens.” Furthermore, he hoped everyone would remain safe in these trying times.

Subsequently, Bill Hader cautioned people about the deadly LA fires, urging everyone to “just leave” in case of “an evacuation notice.” He even stated instances about “people who were like ‘Well, wait and see’ and things like, ‘I’m in the yellow zone’ or whatever.” Finally, Hader advised people to evacuate before it turned red as it could make leaving difficult afterward.

Recent updates concerning these LA fires showed some progress in containment, with first responders working tirelessly on the ground. More residents and celebrities like Hader continue sharing updates about their well-being and their homes.

Originally reported by Nikita Mahato on Mandatory.



This story originally appeared on Realitytea

Bugging Out, School Daze on ABC, Early Hitchcock, Freeform’s Scam Goddess

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National Geographic / John Cancalosi

A Real Bug’s Life

Get down and dirty with the Earth’s smallest creatures in a second season of the nature series cheekily narrated by Awkwafina. From National Geographic and inspired by the 1998 Pixar hit A Bug’s Life, the five-part Season 2 (all episodes available for binge-watching) includes a behind-the-scenes account of how the filmmakers capture and magnify these intimate images of buggy behavior. Locations include Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain Forest, where fireflies and stag beetles look for love, a tropical beach that provides the backdrop for a young hermit crab’s survival story, an English pond where a delicate damselfly evades predators, and Australia, with a preening peacock spider and a weevil taking the spotlight.

Brenda Song, Kat Dennings, and Tim Allen in 'Shifting Gears' Season 1 Episode 2

Disney / Raymond Liu

Shifting Gears

Launching to strong ratings last week, Tim Allen’s new sitcom heads to high school, where Allen (as custom-car restoration shop owner Matt) grunts and rants at an open house about new-fangled “accommodations” made for anxious students like his own grandson, Carter (Maxwell Simkins). Unsurprisingly, it’s another opportunity for Grandpa Matt to lock horns with sardonic daughter Riley (Kat Dennings), who sets up a former classmate with Matt’s co-worker Gabriel (Seann William Scott).

Janelle James, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tyler James Williams, Quinta Brunson, Chris Perfetti, and Lisa Ann Walter in 'Abbott Elementary'

Disney / Gilles Mingasson

Abbott Elementary

Coming off last week’s sensational crossover with the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the teachers get back to the business of educating, with Janine (Quinta Brunson) rethinking her approach after her class underperforms on a practice test. While Jacob (Chris Perfetti) tries to inspire a bored student, Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) plays mentor when the district sends him a new custodian to train.

Percy Parsons in Blackmail, 1929

Everett Collection

Becoming Hitchcock: The Legacy of Blackmail

TCM explores the formative years of legendary director (and personal obsession) Alfred Hitchcock in England with a series of films, starting with Laurent Bouzereau’s 2024 documentary that identifies themes and cinematic techniques that Hitchcock would carry with him to Hollywood (at 8/7c). Becoming Hitchcock focuses heavily on the 1929 film Blackmail, which bridged the silent and sound eras and is considered England’s first full-length sound feature. The film was shot in a silent version, with separate takes to prepare for an innovative use of sound. TCM screens both versions of Blackmail, the silent edition at 9:15/8:15c and with sound at 12:15 am/11:15c. The tribute continues overnight with 1930’s Murder! at 2 am/1c and 1931’s The Skin Game at 4 am/3c. More movies follow next Wednesday.

Laci Mosley in Freeform's 'Scam Goddess'

Freeform

Scam Goddess

Comedian Laci Mosley turns her Scam Goddess podcast into a series, hitting the road to expose small-town swindlers and big-city hucksters. The journey begins in Dixon, Illinois, where the town treasurer Rita Crundwell bilked more than $53 million from the community to help fund her obsession with horses. Mosley interviews the whistleblower who helped unseat Rita from her high-priced saddle. Future episodes unravel Ponzi schemes, a duplicitous pastor, and fake royalty.

INSIDE WEDNESDAY TV:

  • Celebrity Jeopardy! (9/8c, ABC): Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson competes in the season’s second quarterfinal, which would intimidate me, but will it faze celeb contestants Melissa Peterman (Happy’s Place) and Jackie Tohn (from GLOW and The Boys)?
  • An Update on Our Family (9/8c, HBO): A three-part docuseries, airing weekly, examines the social-media phenomenon of family vlogging, focusing on the rise and fall of Ohio parents Myka and James Stauffer, whose celebrated adoption of a 2.5-year-old Chinese boy they named Huxley backfired when they stopped showing the youth in their videos.
  • Racers Roundtable (10/9c, MAVTV): Racing legends Danny Sullivan and Tony Stewart return with more conversations with their peers, starting with an Indianapolis 500-focused chat with past winners Scott Dixon, Will Power, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and Arie Luyendyk.
  • Love Island: All Stars (streaming on Peacock): Reality stars from the U.K. head to South Africa for romantically charged hanky-panky, with episodes streaming daily at 9 pm/ET.
  • Matlock (streaming on Paramount+): No relation except by name to the current CBS hit starring Kathy Bates, all nine seasons of the 1986-95 Andy Griffith legal drama (including the NBC and ABC runs) are now available for streaming.




This story originally appeared on TV Insider

FTC Plans to Sue Greystar, the Biggest Apartment Landlord: Report

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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is reportedly planning to sue Greystar Real Estate Partners, the largest apartment landlord in the U.S., for allegedly charging tenants millions of dollars worth of hidden mandatory fees.

The fees ranged from tens to hundreds of dollars per month per tenant, added on top of rent, according to a Bloomberg report. They were related to services like pest control, trash removal, and tenant background checks.

According to Bloomberg, the FTC is expected to allege that Greystar falsely advertised rental prices without these fees, and only told renters about them after they filled out an inquiry form, paid an application fee, or, in some instances, paid a holding deposit. Greystar could face the lawsuit as soon as this week.

Related: State Attorneys General Sue RealPage, Landlords Over ‘Astronomical’ Rent Hikes: ‘This Was Not A Fair Market At Work’

“Greystar has worked hard to lead the industry toward improved fee disclosures and has taken proactive steps over the last several years to promote greater fee transparency,” the company said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal. “The most effective path to achieving uniform and consistent fee disclosures across the industry is through clear regulatory guidelines which do not yet exist in the rental space.”

If filed, this lawsuit wouldn’t be the first federal action against Greystar. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Justice expanded its August lawsuit against real estate software company RealPage to include Greystar and five other major landlords.

The lawsuit alleges that the landlords shared confidential information with RealPage to align and artificially inflate rents for millions of tenants.

Related: The DOJ Expands Its Lawsuit Against AI Software Company RealPage to Include 6 Major Landlords

According to the 115-page complaint, RealPage collected detailed information about rent prices and lease terms from landlords who would otherwise be competitors. The software company then inputted the information into its AI-based algorithm, which churned out recommendations for the landlords about how to price rentals.

“We are disappointed that the DOJ added us and other operators to their lawsuit against RealPage,” Greystar wrote in a statement last week. “Greystar has and will conduct its business with the utmost integrity. At no time did Greystar engage in any anti-competitive practices.”

Greystar’s website states that it has over 700,000 rental units and $23.5 billion in equity under management in the U.S.

Related: Is One Company to Blame for Soaring Rental Prices in the U.S.?



This story originally appeared on Entrepreneur

Prague stock exchange gears up for major IPO By Investing.com

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Investing.com — The Prague Stock Exchange is readying itself for its first significant initial public offering (IPO) in over four years. This comes after Doosan Skoda Power, a steam-turbine manufacturer, revealed its intention to offer a minority stake to the public.

Doosan Skoda Power, a Czech subsidiary of South Korea’s Doosan Enerbility Co., is seeking investors as the central European nation transitions away from coal and is set to revamp its energy infrastructure. The country’s new energy plans include nuclear, gas-fired, wind, and solar power stations. The company intends to use the funds raised from the IPO to enhance its competitiveness by investing in new machinery and facilities.

According to a statement released on Wednesday, investors will have the opportunity to purchase up to 33.33% of Doosan’s Czech unit. The offering will comprise approximately 21.5% to 26.5% of existing shares held by the parent company and about 5% to 10% of ordinary shares to be issued by Doosan Skoda.

Doosan Skoda Power’s Chief Executive Officer, Youngki Lim, expressed his pride in the upcoming IPO. He said in the statement, “It is an honor for us to be introduced to the Czech capital market and to link our future even more closely to the development of the energy sector and the entire economy of the CEE region.”

If the IPO goes through successfully, it will mark the first listing on the Czech Republic’s main stock market since the 2020 offering of gunmaker Ceska Zbrojovka, now known as Colt CZ Group SE.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.




This story originally appeared on Investing

LA asset management firms overseeing more than $4T scramble to recover after wildfires

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Several workers at Los Angeles-based asset management firms, which in total oversee more than $4 trillion, are scrambling to find new homes — and some of the businesses are seeking new headquarters — after the California wildfires destroyed their properties.

Anacapa Advisors, a $60.5 million hedge fund, moved into a new four-story office building in the Pacific Palisades just four days before it burned down, according to Anacapa founder and chief investment officer Phil Pecsok.

The LA wildfires burned homes, businesses, schools and places of worship to the ground last week. Getty Images

Pecsok told The Post he left the office last Tuesday when the fires began and went straight to his nearby home — where he fought the flames on his own for nearly eight hours.

His home survived.

However, Jordan Moore, the firm’s operations manager, lost her home and all of her belongings, he said.

All of the firm’s employees are safe and the company successfully activated a detailed business continuity plan that they had put together in case there was an earthquake, Pecsok said.

Anacapa is looking to sublease new offices in Santa Monica or Brentwood. In the meantime, staffers are working remotely while the firm places orders for additional trading screens, Pecsok added.

“Honestly, the fund continues to go along without a hitch even though our lives are completely changed forever,” Pecsok told The Post in a statement.

TCW, a firm that manages $203 billion in assets, said its LA-based staffers are safe and accounted for, and that its headquarters remain fully operational.

“A number of our team members have been displaced and several have lost their homes completely, my family included,” said Katie Koch, president and CEO of TCW, in a letter to her LA colleagues that she posted on LinkedIn.

A Capital Group spokesperson told The Post its headquarters were not impacted and that its employees are safe, though they were unsure how many employees lost their homes or were impacted by the fires. The firm had more than $2.7 trillion in assets under management as of June 2024, according to its website.

Oaktree Capital, which manages more than $200 billion in assets, remains open for normal business operations, according to Todd Molz, the hedge fund’s chief operating officer. Oaktree’s headquarters are located in downtown Los Angeles.

Some asset management firms said their headquarters were lost in the fires, while others said their employees were working remotely due to poor air quality. REUTERS

But many of Oaktree’s 700 staffers have been affected by the fires, Molz told The Post in a statement.

The firm’s LA data center has backup power and is available without interruption in the event of local power outages, he added.

DoubleLine, which is based in Florida, said its LA employees have been working remotely this week because of the poor air quality from the fires.

The Milken Institute, a Santa Monica-based think tank, and Dimensional Fund Advisors, a Texas-based investment firm with an office in Santa Monica, said they were urging staffers to work from home.

Kevin Philip, partner at Bel Air Investment Advisors, which manages more than $10 billion in assets, said he and some of his colleagues were working remotely this week.

AccuWeather raised its estimate for damages from the LA fires to between $135 billion and $150 billion. REUTERS

“COVID really set us up for managing through this and keeping our functionality going,” Philip said.

While experiences during the pandemic likely helped money managers pivot to remote work, the damages from the fires were unprecedented and will take a long time to clean up.

AccuWeather last week raised its estimate for damages from the LA fires to between $135 billion and $150 billion – triple the costs initially expected – after blazes ripped through some of Los Angeles County’s neighborhoods.

JPMorgan analysts predicted insured losses of $20 billion – and estimated that uninsured losses could soar to well over $100 billion. That would make the LA fires the most expensive in US history – equal to nearly 4% of California’s annual GDP.

With Post wires



This story originally appeared on NYPost

LA fires lay waste to DEI agenda: race, gender don’t matter

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Over the last devastating week of wildfires, there are many things we’ve learned that the Los Angeles Fire Department needs — and more women firefighters isn’t one of them. 

This isn’t to slight the contribution of female LAFD personnel who are out there giving it their all in dangerous conditions, but to note that of all the phenomena that don’t care about race and gender, a rampaging inferno must top the list. 

Either someone is there to try to extinguish the flames, with adequate resources (including working hydrants), or not.

Nonetheless, Los Angeles for years has been in the grips of a bizarre obsession with recruiting more women firefighters, as if gender diversity somehow makes it easier to rescue people and put out fires

Back in 2022, then-Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the Los Angeles Fire Department’s “first-ever Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Bureau,” focused “on building and fostering a Department committed to engaging the voices and respecting the humanity of all its members, reflected in how it handles recruitment and hiring, workplace conduct, retention and promotion.”

It’s not clear how the LAFD “respecting the humanity” of its employees was going to help fight fires, nor is it clear that anyone who crafted or celebrated this initiative particularly cared.  

In a widely mocked public-relations video from 2019 that emerged during LA’s catastrophe, the head of the department’s diversity bureau, Deputy Chief Kristine Larson, said that if she’s not strong enough to lift a man out of a burning building, well, “he got himself in the wrong place.”

LAFD Assistant Chief Kristine Larson in an undated video for the department. X/EndWokeness

Perhaps the hypothetical man injured in a fire and needing life-saving assistance will make better choices next time. 

Larson also maintained that people want to see someone responding to an emergency that “looks like you,” although the vast majority of people simply want someone who is responsive and competent. 

Surely, if a Filipino immigrant’s house was saved by the LAFD in recent days, the homeowner didn’t say, “Oh, thank goodness — but I hope at least one Pacific Islander was part of the crew.”

LAFD’s focus on recruiting women hasn’t exactly produced stunning results.

An article in the Los Angeles Times back in 2020 noted that Garcetti took office in 2013 when women made up 2.9% of the force, and the percentage had increased all the way to 3.3%.

According to a LAFD report, the number had risen to 3.6% by the beginning of 2022. 

Across the United States, about 5% of professional firefighters are women.

Is this a problem? There is no reason to believe that it’s more of a problem than other hazardous, physically taxing jobs also being disproportionately male. 

Men are 96% of loggers, 99% of fishers and hunters and 97.1% of roofers.

Of the top 10 most dangerous jobs in America, the lowest percentage of men is in refuse collection, at 87.9%. 

As Mark Perry of the American Enterprise Institute points out, men accounted for 91.4% of workplace fatalities in 2021. Is that a violation of social justice?

In contrast, women dominate in less hazardous professions like office and administrative support, teaching and library work, and health care. 

These different occupational tendencies don’t make men and women better or worse than one another — just different.

We don’t “need” more female loggers any more than we “need” more male librarians (although, obviously, everyone should be welcomed and treated with respect so long as they can do the work). 

Camille Paglia, the great critic, wrote years ago, “It is overwhelmingly men who do the dirty, dangerous work of building roads, pouring concrete, laying bricks, tarring roofs, hanging electric wires, excavating natural gas and sewage lines, cutting and clearing trees, and bulldozing the landscape for housing developments.”

And, she might have added, putting out fires.

That’s only a problem for people who have let a hothouse ideological agenda obscure common sense regarding an absolutely essential function of government. 

Twitter: @RichLowry



This story originally appeared on NYPost

I expect these 3 FTSE 100 shares to fly when inflation really starts to fall

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Image source: Getty Images

A heap of FTSE 100 shares are climbing this morning after the UK’s December consumer price inflation figure came in slightly lower than expected at 2.5%.

It’s instructive to see which ones are on the up. It suggests they’re the ones to benefit from lower inflation and interest rates – when we finally get them. Should investors consider buying them?

Housebuilder Barratt Redrow (LSE: BTRW) has jumped 3.67% today (15 January) as investors digest the positive inflation surprise. It’s about time they saw some share price growth. The stock’s still down 25% over 12 months, and 40% over three years.

Can the share price build on this?

Falling inflation and interest rates make mortgages more affordable for prospective homebuyers. This should boost demand and house prices, driving up sales and revenues. Lower inflation will also cut the cost of materials such as timber, steel and cement, and put a lid on wages too. All would boost profit margins.

Barratt Redrow shares look decent value, with a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 14.2. The dividend yield is a solid 3.88%. I won’t get too excited though. Inflation’s expected to hit 3.2% by spring, as Budget tax hikes and minimum wage increases kick in, along with Donald Trump’s mooted tax cuts and trade tariffs. Investors may have to be patient.

The same principle applies to another share that’s flying this morning, commercial real estate investment trust (REIT) Land Securities (LSE: LAND). Its shares are up 3.65% as I write, as lower inflation and borrowing costs would ease the pressure on a company that had net debt of £3.6bn in September.

They would also make it easier to fund new developments and refurbish its existing estate, as well as supporting rental yields and minimising defaults.

Please note that tax treatment depends on the individual circumstances of each client and may be subject to change in future. The content in this article is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended to be, neither does it constitute, any form of tax advice.

Landsec offers a brilliant yield

Until we get there, volatility’s likely to continue. The Landsec share price is down 22% over one year and 32% over three.

Yet it looks good value with a P/E of just 10.6, while yielding a blockbuster 7.2%. Again, investors have to be patient as inflation remains sticky. Working from home is also hitting demand for office space while struggling consumers spend less at retail centres. The group’s diversification into mixed-use developments could mitigate some of the risks.

It’s hardly a surprise that my third stock in recovery mode is also in the property sector, student housing specialist Unite Group (LSE: UTG). Lower borrowing costs would make expanding its portfolio of properties cheaper and easier, while stable inflation would support predictable rent growth.

The Unite share price has also taken a beating, falling 24% over the last 12 months. It’s not super cheap though, with a P/E of 17.8. The yield’s 4.4%.

Unite could take a hit if Labour tries to reduce immigration by tightening student visas, hitting demand for accommodation.

Today, occupancy levels for the 2025/26 academic year expected to be 97-98%. CEO Joe Lister reckons that “the outlook for student numbers remains positive with a growing UK 18-year-old population and improving trends in international student recruitment”.

I expect all three to spark into life once inflation really starts falling and central banks get cutting. The problem is, that could take time. All three are worth considering, but with a long-term view as I expect further ups and downs.



This story originally appeared on Motley Fool