Eric Loh

Forget about decision making. Some of the new laws like in Alabama even ban doctors from providing gender affirming medical care or in some states where doctors and other health care professional can legally refuse to treat LGBTQ. Bigots hatred of LGBTQ has found a ally in the Republicans lawmakers in their crusade.

Wrong. The laws take away the parental decision. The Arkansas bill ban medical treatment for transgender minors. Law also prohibits doctors from providing gender confirming hormone therapy, puberty blockers etc.

Biden is simply echoing the majority of Americans that favouring policies that protect transgender individuals from discrimination.

Denying transgender rights are akin to denying them human rights. Spelt out in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 1 & 2. It is not only sinful, it is a human rights violations.

According to legal experts, there are incredibly damning Fox documents that even stun them. Emails and texts greatly increased the chances that Dominion and probably even Smartmatic will win their defamation suits. Recent Fox's bids to dismiss the defamation lawsuits were dismissed which doesnt 'bode well for Fox.

Fox may want to settle but I don't think Smartmatic and Dominion share the same thought. Both plantiff have little incentive to settle. Their business models are built on public's trust and therefore need clear judgement that find Fox was lying on purpose. It will be worth more than whatever Fox would settle.

HSBC bought SVB UK for a symbolic 1 pound. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/hsbc-uk-silicon-valley-bank-svb-acquisition-3342901

Positive feedbacks from the grassroots could have emboldened PTP to make this strong statement. Also MFP recent announcement that they will water down demands on the sensitive laws regarding LM signal that they may work with PTP to form a coalition government. PTP by making this announcement will pacify the red shirts that the party denounced dictatorship and will not get onboard with PPRP. Something that the red shirts have fought hard and will likely to win their votes. I think PTP and MFP will take a sizable majority to offset votes from the Senate and form the next government.

Certainly coups which has been Thailand mainstay since 1932 will never go away. However the chances of a coup happening has reduced by many changes. Since 2014, there were sweeping changes in the army chain of command. The crack 7,000 Bangkok troops now pledge allegiance to the Majesty rather than to the head of the army. That will take away the power of the head of army to give orders to the troops. Bangkok troops has always been been used for coups due to its proximity to the city and thus ensure swift control and success of the coup. More army units are moving out of Bangkok to Lopburi, Saraburi and Samut Prakarn. The 2nd Cavalry Division in Bangkok is scheduled to move out this year. Authority said it was for traffic reason, I think it is lots to do with the exploitation of these units by corrupt army heads to launch a coup. Next coup will have to endure long journey to Bangkok and may meet with resistance. By and large, coups alway gave excuse that it was necessary for stopping breakdown of law and order. The likelihood of the resurgence of yellow and red shirts that have lead to chaos in Bangkok may not occur. Both camps are disunited due to fear of prosecution and persecution and their leaders are disenchanted with the post coup politics. Keeping my finger crossed that Thailand will breakway from the coup mentality and have faith in democratic right of voters to solve political problems.

Fauci do not make guidelines independently. CDC use a series of steps and checklists to develop its guidelines. CDC is apolitical and is defenceless against political attack. Public health has been hijacked by politics especially from the right.

Tech and life science sector formed big portion of the 3.500 SVB's customers and stand a bigger risk than the wider economy. Few private banking giants like HSBC and Barclays are lining up for a private bailout. In Asia, the fallout seem muted this morning from gauging the banking stocks. Hope it stay this way.

*Deleted post edited out* I supposed that if Trump stop breaking the laws and behave like other decent law abiding Presidents, there will be no need to spend tax payers money to investigate him. Honestly the less he is in the spotlight, the better for the people and the country.

Rattling NATO unity is the strategic pursuit of Putin who has grandeur ambition of annexing more territories and restoring the Russia past glory. NATO is the cornerstone of global security after WW2 and Trump tried to destroy the alliance and even threatened to pull out of Nato. Any rational educated person can see Trump’s actions and policies benefit only Putin. Trump’s withholding military aids that was approved by Congress was against the law that specifically vested Congress with the power of the purse. He should be investigated by the House committee for this criminal act. Cater, Ford, Trump and Biden didn’t start any open wars since WW2. Putin has already started his fascist ambition with the annexation of Crimea and 4 Ukrainian territories that have no global recognition except North Korea. Astonishing that you seem to buy into Putin’s propaganda and misinformation. Just where is your loyalty.

The unrealized losses do affect banks when the decreased equity levels could trigger restrictions on their borrowing and also loans. Smaller banks will be likely to be affected more than their bigger counterparts. I think some impact have been felt in the slowdown in the housing sector. A unpleasant medicine to tame inflation by the FED.

SVB Financial Group has been involved in the Asian markets since the early 1990s and in China since 1999. They have been building relationships with technology companies, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists operating in Asia. This will have global contingent effect but limited. However the contingent in US has not fully realized. Banks are not required to immediately recognize paper losses on bonds, allowing some of the risks to slumber on their books. Many banks could be sitting on unrealized losses because rates have moved up so rapidly.

Here are some facts of the 4 annexed regions. The annexation occured after internationally unrecognised referendums held days prior when organized by the Russian occupation administration. The annexation is unrecognized by the international community with the exception of North Korea.

I shudder to think what will happen to Ukraine if Trump won his second term. With no leader to rally western alliance to give Zelensky military aids, Ukraine will be overrun in days with heavy casualties and refugees crisis in Europe. Biden’s leadership with allies is the only reason Putin’s aggression has been halted. Trump is no peace broker but an ally of Putin with his deep ties with Kremlin and will do Putin bidding to further his fascist ambition in Europe.

As of now, Lake is the forerunner of the crazy squad. I was rooting for Greene as the craziest loony.

One term President can’t be great.

Don't think they care as they are performing to their captive minority audience for the purpose of grifting and partisan loyalty that help them win in the electoral college. GOP is simply not interested in developing popular agenda. They can survive just by catering to their base. Trump has shown that unpopular candidate with little interest in public policy can still win. America politics is an embarrassment.

Not a general election but still GOP underperformed in 2022 House election especially in seats that have candidates with extreme views on abortion and the 2020 election.

Climate change, tax cuts, abortion, election denialism, Ukraine war, vaccine, mask mandate etc. GOP is an unpopular party that will never win if the election is based on popular votes. Their own hope to to win by the the medieval relic electoral college which is also unpopular among general population.

Republicans policies and actions are toxically unpopular and yet they continue to pushed past the boundaries of acceptability by the general public and even some conservatives. It's like a death wish.

Spot on mate. He was played by Trump when he dangled his pardon to stop him from cooperating with federal investigators. Cooperation that would have exposed Trump's wrongdoing. He should just keep grifting the Qanon Magalites and keep his head low and not get into another court case and expose unpleasant information.

It will be peotic justice when Trump's people turn on Tucker after this news and boycott his clown show and give reason for Murdoch to force him to resign. That will make my day.