CNN's Dovere: Biden Will Be Remembered as the 'Guy Who Was Just in Between the Trump Terms'
Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. stock outperforms competitors on strong trading dayIndy Autonomous Challenge Returns to CES 2025: Showcasing the Future of Physical AI with Multicar Racing and Groundbreaking CollaborationsProphet and spiritual leader, Primate Prophet Olukayode Adelugba of the C&S Church, El-Messaiah, Lagos has described President Bola Tinubu as a leader committed to laying a strong foundation for Nigeria’s future. Speaking to journalists, Adelugba highlighted Tinubu’s administration as a pivotal moment for the nation’s development. The cleric who predicted Tinubu’s rise to power in 2023, urged Nigerians to exercise patience as the government implements policies designed to address decades of systemic decay. Primate Adelugba stated that Tinubu’s approach focuses on creating a legacy rather than seeking immediate political gain. “What our past leaders were supposed to build over 40 years is what our current president, Tinubu, is attempting to establish now,” he said. “You cannot repair the damage done over decades within four years. Patience is crucial because Tinubu is doing the right thing.” While acknowledging the challenges faced by citizens, Adelugba compared the current situation to the confusion of witnessing an office being rearranged. “Once it’s in order, you’ll appreciate it,” he noted, urging Nigerians to see beyond the short-term discomfort. Addressing concerns about individuals within the president’s circle, the prophet emphasized the need for prayers. “There are many benefiting from the corrupt systems of the past who don’t want change. But Tinubu is determined, and God is guiding him,” he said, adding that the administration aims to foster regional self-reliance and fairness. Adelugba also called on Christians to support the government through prayers, even if they do not fully understand its policies. “We must support what is right and pray for our leaders,” he said. The cleric praised the administration’s efforts in improving security. “The calmness we’re experiencing now is proof that their strategies are working,” he remarked, expressing optimism for continued progress in governance and stability. In addressing divisions within the Christian community, Primate Adelugba explained that these differences are part of God’s design. “Different denominations serve as advertisements to attract people in different ways. What matters is that we do not condemn one another,” he said, urging Christians to focus on their shared mission of love and service. Looking ahead, Adelugba advised Nigerians to trust God’s plan and remain prayerful. “Let God execute His plans. We must trust Him and support those He is using for His purpose,” he stated. On international affairs, the prophet spoke about former U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the political scene. He commended Trump’s love for humanity and predicted success in his second tenure, citing his belief in God as a guiding force. Adelugba expressed concern for the Yoruba people, urging them to recognize Tinubu as a significant opportunity for progress. “Tinubu is a gift to the Yoruba nation. His leadership can achieve their goals without causing division,” he said, calling for unity and patience. As the new year approaches, Primate Adelugba urged prophets to seek God’s guidance and focus on intercession rather than sensational predictions. “Prophecy is not about predicting doom but about guiding people in alignment with God’s will,” he said. Primate Adelugba concluded with a message of hope and prayer for Nigeria, expressing confidence in the nation’s journey to the “promised land.”
SLB Capturi Completes Construction of the World’s First Industrial-Scale Carbon Capture Plant at a Cement Facility
Nordstrom Inc. stock underperforms Friday when compared to competitorsCHIPOTLE fans could be in for a shock as the chain's new finance chief considers price increases on three popular menu items. The Mexican grill restaurant with around 3,500 locations could soon be hiking prices on its burritos and rice bowls as the company battles rising costs. There have already been six price increases between 2021 and 2024 which has seen some customers already launch boycotts claiming that the chain is no longer affordable. The latest discussion about raising prices comes as raw ingredients like avocados, queso and sour cream become more expensive for Chipotle to buy. This increase could be offset by changes to prices on menus, meaning it will directly impact customers. But, to keep fans loyal, the chain is reportedly hoping to give them different offers and discounts. read more on chipotle Regardless of any increased costs, Chief Financial Officer Adam Rymer told The Wall Street Journal that customers still get better overall value compared to rival chains. Rymer, who took over as CFO in October said that any price increase that takes place will be "modest" as he hopes to keep menu items affordable for customers. It is not known when this supposed price hike would take place. Rymer has been with the Mexican restaurant chain for 15 years, previously taking on roles including vice president of finance and compensation analyst. Most read in Money His predecessor ex-CFO Brian Niccol left the chain in August to become the new CEO of Starbucks which saw Rymer's start date move from January to October. As other fast-food chains have been hit hard by inflation , losing custom and staff, Chiptole has managed to push on through the pressures facing the industry. In the company's latest quarterly results, its same-store sales increased by 6 per cent compared to the same time last year. Also, revenue grew by 13 per cent to $2.8 billion year over year. Despite this success, following the latest news of possible increases, outraged customers took to Facebook to share their thoughts. Many highlighted that previous rises in costs pushed them away from the chain. "Is already pricey enough. Haven't eaten Chipotle in months," one wrote. "Stopped eating there several months ago - skimpy servings for the high price we were paying - and we never added meat = vegetarian!" another added. "Good. I need to start eating healthier and more at home," a third noted. Others warned customers to "get ready to pay more for EVERYTHING" and that Chipotle should prepare "to lose customers." One even accused the chain of "greed." But, a senior analyst at Baird claims that the chain's price hikes have not had a huge effect on its customer base yet and that another one would "likely be digestible," per the WSJ. David Tarantino said that one reason for this is that Chiptole customers are typically more well-off than those of other fast-food chains and that its products offer better value overall. He said: "[Chipotle's] price increases are lagging what we're seeing elsewhere, and that leads to a much stronger value proposition." Read More on The US Sun It comes just months after the chain's CEO was forced to issue a change after diners threatened to boycott. The U.S. Sun has reached out to Chipotle for comment regarding the menu price increase.Jimmy Carter passes at 100
. —its land, its power, its women—but The Mamas* of Eastern Congo are asserting that the world, in fact, want a piece of them (and could never capture them, try as they might). Instead, The Mamas are capturing the world and recapturing themselves through the lenses of their own cameras. With the art of photography, they build community, dignity, and self-determination, all while wielding the most potent kind of beauty as a weapon against the state: liberation—the animated subjectivity of the objectified. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the wealthiest countries on the globe. Despite the incalculable that intimidates the constraints of commercialism, the country’s worth has been codified to a strangely monetized . The country hosts numerous major mineral deposits—from cobalt and coltan to diamonds and gold—that power that fuel them. companies like Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Tesla have been complicit in the exploitative supply chain in the Congo for decades, but the hands of consumers aren’t any more clean. Our participation in the development and usage of convenient, luxurious, solution-based innovation—from our interaction with digital content (including ) on our “smart” devices to the use of “sustainable” electric cars that are powered by Congolese minerals–-depend on the pillaging of The Congo. Additionally, the international community is on Congo’s Eastern border—Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and others—and their brutal participation in destabilizing The Congo. Their goal is to exploit the weakness of The DRC’s authority in the aftermath of the ethnic and political conflict of the 1990s. has not been “silent,” as it is often regarded; we simply have not been , even as it rhymes with other genocides that are being amplified in this global moment of polycrisis. Still, the since World War II—seeing 7.3 million people internally displaced, 25.4 million people who are in need of emergency support, and over 6 million people killed, most of whom are women and children. This catastrophe is too large to be ignored. So why has it been? The negligence of advocacy for Congolese liberation, even by the socially conscious world, can be ; many regard Africa—humanity’s motherland, the second largest continent in the world—as a mere mass of land meant for death, or the of its living and breathing land and people. I attribute this to the world’s inability to understand Africa and its people beyond colonial contexts. The brutal disregard for natural and human life is consistent with that of The DRC and is particularly potent as the world fails Congolese women. The war waged on women in The Congo is intentional. Along with resource deprivation tactics and bombardment that is formidably common in areas of displacement, the state also uses . Additionally, voyeurism and other exploitative journalism practices of is commonly overlooked in The Congo. This inhumane practice visually captures and manipulates aesthetics of Congolese women into images of impoverished, oversexualized, and destitute archetypes from the lens of the (usually Western-adjacent) voyeur, furthering agendas of objectification. Though the women in The Congo have been victimized, they refuse to be victims. The Mamas of Yolé! Africa’s initiative for displaced women are a prime example. The Mamas are a group of 50 mothers from 13 villages across Eastern Congo who are currently surviving internal displacement in the Bulengo displacement camp, which holds about 800,000 people. The Mamas began taking photography classes as a part of an empowerment initiative by , a Congo-based arts and culture organization that meets The women’s exposure to photography classes allows them to reclaim their own narratives and assert their own subjectivities in the face of terror. The photography classes of Yole! Africa is led by a brilliant Congolese visual artist, Botembe Moseka Maïté. Born, raised, and based in Kinshasa, Maïté graduated from Académie des Beaux-Arts (The Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa) with a degree in Visual Communications. Her focuses on “capturing time through her photographs” and “creating captivating archives and memories that tell timeless stories.” What was seeded as an art project for an internship with Yolé! Africa blossomed into a revolutionary training program with The Mamas. “We are here because we have to see the school of Yolé!” Maïté tells me via call a day after touching down in Goma with Yolé! Africa founder Petna Ndaliko Katondolo. “Yolé! Ekolojia... it’s currently under construction and we have to check if everything is going well—and meet with The Mamas who were excited to see that their classrooms are about to get ready.” Yolé! Ekolojia is a school that is currently being built in the Bulengo displacement camp, where the Mama’s first participated in Maïté’s photography class. As an extension of Yolé! Africa’s cultural organization, it offers many creative classes that center the experiences and practical needs of the displaced people in the area, from agro liberation farming and shoemaking to filmmaking and other forms of storytelling. “It offers a space of liberation,” Maïté explained, “a space of expression through art for The Mamas and the families of the camp... we teach them about liberation—how to integrate themselves through ancestral knowledge, ancestral ecology—and that’s really the spirit of Yolé! Ekolojia: community building.” When asked if the women have any “self-care regimens” that aid in their survival, Maïté reminded me, “that the space where they are currently is a place designed by violence. And in this space, they don’t really have that right to really think about health, about beauty, about makeup,” she says. “We do it freely, but they can’t. So in the school, they build their own space where they are not victims anymore, but they are actors of their own beauty—a beauty that is like resilience, that is a call of their own freedom. That’s even the beauty of art, because through art, they extract themselves; they feel mentally and physically free.” The unimaginable stakes in the Mamas’ worlds bar them from access to many forms of care, including from themselves. Still, though the form of maintenance is not as concrete, what Maïté described a beauty regimen, and arguably the most potent form. I’m sure I have stars in my eyes as a Piscean Afrofuturist who luxuriates in dreamy optimism for African people globally. However, as an artist, I can testify to the incredible ways in which communal artistic practices and self-expression carry potential for healing and care, even on a cellular level. Art is a kind of maintenance—a more creative health regimen, a more spiritual wellness routine, and a more visceral ritual of adornment and beauty. One example of Yolé! Africa’s curriculum is, in itself, a masterclass in disassembling the visual politics of beauty as a colonial construct. Maïté details that, “The idea was to make a triptych of their own objects. While I was observing them, I thought, ‘why not [include] a piece of theater?’ So I asked them to each bring an object of value for them from home.” While recounting this part of the curriculum, she remembered how the class naturally and creatively reanimated objects for the assignment. “One who came with a jacket said, ‘this jacket, for me, is like a sister.’” Meanwhile, another “came with a spoon and called it ‘my brother who will help me nourish my kid.’” One who came with a mattress, “said that this mattress is her sister. She ran away from war three times with the same mattress. And her sister is always jealous each time she’s dirty.” The reanimation of what we deem inanimate play human-like roles in The Mama’s lives, turning still-life photography into a kind of portraiture. This perhaps reminded the women of their own ability to resist objectification through storytelling. Maïté intuitively offered to the class, “‘Why don’t you guys just give them a new name, give them a new story, and give them a new song?’ It started with storytelling, then presenting the objects, then presenting a song by a group of three. And, at the end, it was a show that we presented in another space in the town. And that was just beautiful.” The photographs in this article are selected works of a few of The Mamas in Yolé’s photography training program. These 50 Congolese women are showing us a more-than-physical beauty with lenses through which we could never even begin to peer. The subjecthood with which the women endow the focal elements of their photos makes a case for their subjectivity and agency as human beings, despite how the world seeks to objectify them. My interview with Maïté left me questioning the significance of aesthetic beauty as we celebrate it in our culture; does it even matter? Are Western beauty tutorials and trends, even when performed by Black people, relevant at all? If beauty is self-expression, then what are we expressing other than our ability to conform to an ideal that is ultimately irrelevant to our liberation? Even as we attempt to flex, force, and forge open the once seemingly immalleable standards of beauty to include greater differences, the concern with its manipulation alone implies our validation of an oppressive concept that was never going to free us. Black thinkers like that is “Black is beautiful.” Morrison’s commentary urges us to realize that liberation from white supremacist, patriarchal constructs isn’t possible through enrollment in yet another white supremacist, patriarchal construct. Her words are a reminder that aesthetic beauty is a concept created to drive an even deeper wedge between people who are deemed worthy of freedom and those who are not. bell hooks says it plain in her collection of essays , suggesting that, “We need to theorize the meaning of beauty in our lives so that we can educate for critical consciousness, talking through the issues: how we acquire and spend money, how we feel about beauty, what the place of beauty is in our lives when we lack material privilege and even basic resources for living, the meaning and significance of luxury, and the politics of envy.” The coloniality of—capital B—Beauty is more pungent than ever in today’s world. The world’s desperate subscription to Beauty and adjacent colonial constructs do not simply distract us from the current season of concurrent disasters; it also grants delusions of status and immunity from affect. These disasters and distractions are intentionally invented by white supremacist, patriarchal empires to work tangentially and symbiotically. This is how “Pretty Girl Core,” fascism, natural disasters, and dead people can alternate all-too-casually on the news feed of any given social networking app during a leisurely 5-minute scroll. To the conscious world, the former increasingly feels like the largest inconvenience of these examples, leaving many to question and critique its relevance—the first step in disrupting this dynamic. Black Beauty content in the digital age transforms its triviality into an ironic cruelty; Black beauty creators are benefitting from unspeakable violence on people with whom we share common origin by the hands of what is in our hands: our smartphones. . Whether or not our Beauty does is not as black-and-white. Both are concepts that we never needed to scream at the world but to prayerfully whisper into a salve for our own apathy. Our participation in irrelevant Beauty content from people who look like us that overshadows relevant liberation work from people who look like us is unethical. The fact that the former is produced by way of the technology that relies on the exploitation of the latter makes this dynamic existentially unbearable. To fully understand the tragedy of this reckless dereliction, we must collectively consider The Congo—not only for the ways in which it is being exploited, but for the beauty that The Mama’s are teaching us to on—the freedom they embody from in front of and behind their cameras. .