The Taliban say they will close all NGOs employing Afghan women | Associated Press
- Incredibly sad to see a country regress to what might as well be the Dark Ages. The Taliban has effectively barred women from many jobs, and most public spaces, and excluded them from education beyond the sixth grade in Afghanistan. After trillions of dollars, 10 years, and thousands of American lives, Afghanistan is right where it began, under militant Islamic rule. Taliban leaders go as far as to say that windows should not overlook or look into areas like yards or kitchens and that properties must find a way to obscure views to “remove harm” in case a woman is seen.
Social Media Companies Face Global Tug-of-War Over Free Speech | New York Times
- A stark divide between Europe and the U.S. is arising on how online moderation and free speech are policed. The U.S. largely allows social media companies to regulate as they deem fit, with sweeping protections against lawsuits for what their users post. On the other hand in Europe, social media platforms have a lawful duty to remove harmful and illegal content or face large fines. Going a step further, in Europe, the authorities will even investigate, jail, or fine you for speech that ultimately would be protected under the First Amendment in America. With this said, Trump’s top picks to regulate the online landscape are pushing for more regulation around what U.S. social media companies can or cannot regulate, a move which might in turn stoke misinformation.
The Walmart Effect | Atlantic
- New studies come out putting focus on how large retailers such as Walmart hurt local communities by 1) Causing local businesses to close, in turn causing local unemployment to rise, and 2) Increasing the share of low-paying jobs. This combo effect increasing unemployment and replaces any jobs that were lost with worse ones, all at the cost of providing the community lower-cost goods. Does it all even out in the end or are these communities worse for it?
Lebanon’s Economy Reels From War: ‘We Are Starting From Zero’ | New York Times
- A story as old as time, those affected most in war are the ones not fighting it. Lebanon faces an uphill battle to rebuild its country and government, this time without as much support and blank checks as its last national crisis.
US credit card defaults jump to highest level since 2010 | Finacial Times
- A possible precursor to what the economy will look like in the following years, the bottom third of Americans are beginning to default on their credit card debt. With more money going to repay debt payments less is available to be used to boost the economy.