Category Archives: Evolution

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SECRETARY MATTIS: Well, good morning, everyone, and welcome to todays event, a conversation between former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice and our current Secretary of State Tony Blinken. At a time when America is navigating its role in a changing world, todays talk in the finest tradition of the great university where we meet offers a unique opportunity to delve into important issues.

Im Jim Mattis, a Fellow here at Hoover, where we seek to improve the human condition by advancing ideas that promote economic opportunity while safeguarding peace. Thanks to their record of devoted service to our nation, little introduction is needed for these two patriots. America is one great, big, promising, exasperating, inspiring, and vexing experiment with all the political volatility inherent to a free and open society.

Admired leadership in our republic calls for certain characteristics: first, a humble awareness of each generations responsibility to improve on this experiment in forming a more perfect union; and second, competence. The two citizens on this stage are exemplars of both characteristics. Dr. Rices contribution over many years of leadership cannot be summed up in a few words. Suffice that through merit, conviction, and a keen perceptiveness of the world we must live in, she rose to the apex of our government, ultimately splitting eight years of leadership between service as our National Security Advisor and as our 66th Secretary of State. Were proud to call her boss and coach of the Hoover team.

Secretary Blinken has also accumulated a lengthy portfolio of foreign affairs experience before becoming our Secretary of State. It wasnt long after graduation from Harvard and Columbia that he entered government service, ultimately serving as the Deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy Secretary of State following his time on Capitol Hill, where he served as the staff director for the Senates Foreign Relations Committee.

In a recent talk with graduates, he suggested that if theyre going to spend a lot of their lives at work, then they should work at something they love. Our nation is fortunate that both these leaders devote their best efforts to something they love, and that is America. In so doing, their leadership by example reminds each of us that government service in a democracy is both privilege and responsibility. As problem solvers during these tumultuous years, their leadership forged trust while navigating maddeningly complex issues. Holding our values foremost, they have dealt pragmatically with a swiftly changing world filled by the good, the bad, and the ugly.

They have done so while listening and maintaining respect for those who disagreed with them, strengthening a necessary attribute for leadership in a democracy. Todays discussion will focus on the evolution and importance of technology, diplomacy, and national security familiar topics here in Silicon Valley and highly relevant across our nation and round the world.

Hoover Institution was established to advance the principles of freedom. We ask bold questions and propose solutions to help guide American policy at home and abroad. In that spirit and consistent with Stanfords role of promoting the free competition of ideas, lets get started. First a conversation, then Q&A. Again, please give a hearty welcome to Secretaries Blinken and Rice. (Applause.)

SECRETARY RICE: Well, thank you very much. But before we get started, I just have to say that that gentleman, Secretary Mattis, served as our Secretary of Defense but also many years of service as a Marine, something also carried by a great patron of this place, George Shultz. And so Id like you to give Secretary Mattis a hand, please. (Applause.)

Welcome. Welcome to Stanford. Welcome to Hoover. Welcome to the Silicon Valley.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Its wonderful to be back. Thank you.

SECRETARY RICE: And its probably nice to be here, right?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Theres something about occasionally getting out of Washington that isnt a bad thing. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY RICE: Yeah, its a good thing. A good thing, right. (Laughter.)

Well, were going to have a conversation and then we will open for a few questions and answers. Im still a professor; I will call on somebody if nobody raises their hand (laughter) so get ready with your questions.

Youve just had a pretty momentous week, and I dont just mean whats going on in the world, but I mean the release of the National Security Strategy. And for those who dont fully follow these things, I think the National Security Strategy is an opportunity for the President to really ask his team: What should we be doing now to prepare for a better future? And the National Security Strategy has a number of elements that Id like you to speak to, and Im going to start with one thats kind of near and dear to the heart of every secretary of state probably going back to our long-long-time predecessor Thomas Jefferson. In case you didnt know it, he was the first secretary of state.

But you start with talking about American values but also the competition between autocracy and democracy. Can you expand a little bit on how you think about this moment? The United States has had many competitors across its history, but this particular moment, how do you think about this big issue?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, first let me just say how wonderful it is to be back at Stanford, to be with my friend Dr. Rice. Jim, Ive been an admirer of yours and your leadership for many, many years, and today you again reaffirmed why you have such a strong, powerful, eloquent voice. Its great to be with you. Thank you.

And first of all, Im wondering: Do you have classes? (Laughter.) What are you getting credit? (Laughter.)

One of the things that I think is almost visceral to us right now is that were at an inflection point. And to put it in broad perspective, the post Cold War era is over and there is now an intense competition underway to shape what comes next. Thats the moment we think that were living in.

Part of this is the renewed but also new great power competition, and thats very much at the heart of the strategy. Part of this is trying to figure out ways, and in ways that we haven t before, how to solve some really big challenges that are actually having a direct impact on the lives of our people, whether it is global health and weve been living through COVID whether its the impact of climate change, whether its just the role of all of the emerging technologies, so many of them coming from here, that are shaping our lives. All of that is reflected in the strategy.

Now, this is Dr. Rice and I both worked on a few of these in our time. Rarely have so many labored for so long

SECRETARY RICE: And you can drop the Dr. Rice if you right, right.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you. But rarely I think we would both say rarely have so many in government worked for so long on something read by so few. (Laughter.) But having said that, it is an important document because it does try to give coherence to what were doing. And its important across the government so that all of the different agencies and departments are kind of working off of the same blueprint, and internationally so that both friend and foe alike have a good idea about what were all about, why were doing what were doing, why were saying what were saying.

SECRETARY RICE: You talked about the great power rivalry, and this is something that I dont think we really ever thought we would see again after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But indeed it has come back and its come back with force, and Id like you to address the two big rivals.

The National Security Strategy talks about restraining Russia and outcompeting China, and thats two very different ways to think about the great powers. So and perhaps you want to weave a little bit of Ukraine into the Russia story, but can you start with restraining Russia some would say a declining power in the great power competition, but one that is on the front pages now every day?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: I think declining power is probably a fair assessment, but one that has an enormous capacity if it chooses to use it to do damage, to be a disrupter. And of course, we see that front and center on our front pages every day in Ukraine.

When we started out and again, weve both been dealing with this for a long time, and Condi knows more has in a sense forgotten more about Russia than Ill know for many years of working these issues. I think many administrations have come in with the hope that we might have a more stable, predictable relationship with Russia precisely because we have so many big things that we want to be working on that go to the betterment of the lives of our people and people around the world.

However, Russia especially under President Putin is a major disrupter and one that can make tremendous trouble. We see that in Ukraine. But we see it in its basic opposition and Putins basic opposition to the order that emerged after two World Wars and then after the Cold War with a basic set of rules and principles that we thought were necessary to try to help keep international peace and security.

This is in direct opposition to what President Putin is trying to do in reconstituting take your pick a Russian empire or a Soviet one. And its manifesting itself in the actions hes taken. Weve seen this play out over the last almost decade now. But for us and Ill just say this very briefly the reason theres so much focus on Ukraine is twofold. One is Ukraine itself. I think it bothers all of us profoundly when one country tries to lord it over another, when it tries to assert a world in which might makes right, in which it changes borders by force, in which it tries to subjugate another country to its will. Thats whats going on.

But whats also going in this: Its not only an aggression against Ukraine. It is an aggression against the basic principles that are embodied in the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and a whole series of norms and rules that many generations labored to build. And are they perfect? Far from it. Have we made many mistakes both in designing them and in their application? Yes. But fundamentally they have helped make sure that we didnt have another global conflict after two world wars. And what Russia is doing, what Putin is doing, is in direct opposition to those.

SECRETARY RICE: Its not your job exclusively, but there are Americans who say: Why Ukraine? Why not Peoria or Des Moines? And you just talked about the rules-based order. Can you sharpen it for Americans as to why this conflict is so important? Because this may go on a while, and we may have to sustain American support and therefore democratic support for a long time.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: At least from my perspective, if we and others are not standing up for these basic understandings, these basic rules, the idea that countries independence should be respected, its territorial integrity should be respected, not changed by force; if we dont stand up for that and we can do that in a variety of ways, which we can come to if we dont stand up to that where its being challenged, then the risk you have is opening a Pandoras box, where aggressors not just in Europe, not just Russia will take a lesson and say: I can act with impunity; I can do this. And thats going to stir up conflicts in many parts of the world.

And the one thing we know from history is that inevitably, one way or another, this pulls us in. And if we can do whatever we can to prevent rather than having to respond and to make sure that some of these rules are upheld even as we try to modernize them even as we try to make sure that they reflect the world that were living in, not just the world that they were written in, which in many cases was 70 years ago I think its clearly in our interest to do that. And thats what were trying to show in Ukraine.

SECRETARY RICE: Right. Lets talk about the other great power. Ill come to a regional power in a moment, but lets talk about the great power, China. Big party congress going on. Lots at stake. Xi Jinping is likely to be coronated for his third term. And hes been a little bit of a different Chinese leader. It used to be said of Chinese leaders, when I was there Hu Jintao, Jiang Zemin before him hide and bide. Just keep developing China the Chinese would always say, Oh, were just a developing country; we dont really do foreign policy.

Well, Xi Jinping has a quite different view of Chinas role. And 30-plus years of kind of a integrationist narrative about China seems to be coming apart. Youve called it outcompeting China, which I think is an interesting concept. So talk about China and the United States in this regard.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Well, youre exactly right. Weve seen a very different China emerge in recent years under Xi Jinpings leadership. It is more repressive at home, its more aggressive abroad, and in many instances that poses a challenge to our own interests, as well as to our own values. But I also think its important not to reduce this to a bumper sticker. This relationship is among the most consequential that we have. Its among the most challenging we have. Its among the most complicated that we have. And what weve seen in recent years is the emergence of or clearly adversarial aspects to the relationship; for sure and Ill come back to it quickly competitive aspects; but there also remain cooperative aspects. And we cant lose sight of those, because some of the really big problems that we have to find ways to solve are a lot harder to solve if the United States and China are not actually engaged in trying to solve them: climate, global health, et cetera.

But the competitive aspect is front and center, because this is, as I suggested, at least from our perspective, a competition to shape what comes next after this post-Cold War period. What does it look like? Whose values are going to be reflected in what we do? And from our perspective at least, we have a basic choice, because we find and I think this has been evident over the especially over the period since the Second World War the world doesnt organize itself. And for the United States, the choice is this: If were not playing a part in the organizing, if were not taking a leadership role in that, then one of two things either someone else is, and it may well be China, and there, again, probably not in a way that fully reflects our interests and values; or maybe just as bad, no ones doing it, and then you tend to have vaccums that get filled with bad things before they get filled with good things.

So we have an interest in engaging, we have an interest in leading, and we have an interest in making sure that, to the extent were in competition over what this new thing looks like, we are bringing everything to the table. In my own judgment, China also wants an order, but its a profoundly illiberal order. The order that we seek again, imperfectly is a more liberal one, and thats what that competition is about.

SECRETARY RICE: Im going to come back to how we do this, because you talk a lot about investing in our own strengths

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Yeah.

SECRETARY RICE: but I want to stay for a moment on the relationship with China. You gave a very good speech a few months ago in which you talked about Id call it a rather nuanced approach to China. As youve said, that theres some areas of conflict, some areas of competition, and some areas of cooperation. Pretty quickly, the Chinese came out and said: not gonna happen let me put it that way because we cant delink these things. Do you have some hope that there might still be room? Maybe after the party congress is over, maybe after our own version of the party congress, the midterms, are over then would there be room, and where would you see those potential areas of cooperation with China?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: The world fundamentally expects this of us, so whether China wants to find ways to cooperate or not on particularly climate, global health, maybe counternarcotics, even if they dont want to, theres a huge demand signal from the world. They expect us to try to find ways to advance these issues, and if we can, together, because its affecting them as well as us.

We know were not going to be able to deal with climate as we should if China is not part of the picture. Its going to have to decide; we cant decide for it. It has to decide whether its in its interests, but its also getting pressure from others around the world to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Same thing on global health. And this is not about pointing fingers for the pandemic its about figuring out how do we build a more secure global health system so that this doesnt happen again. China needs to be part of that answer. But its going to have to judge for itself whether, in its relationship with us, it finds ways to pursue cooperation, whether it just has to be responsive to demand signals that its getting from countries around the world to be a positive actor, not a negative actor, on issues that concern them not just China, not just the United States.

SECRETARY RICE: We had reasonable cooperation at one time on another troublesome part of the world, North Korea. Obviously, its been in the news again recently. Any thoughts on whether or not that scenario its really nonproliferation. Do you really want nuclear weapons in the hands of, shall we say, troublesome regimes like the North Koreans?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: This has been a challenge going back every administration I think we were each involved in, in one way or another, and one that has manifestly not gotten better over the years. I think from the leaderships perspective in North Korea, part of what were seeing is it doesnt like to be ignored.

SECRETARY RICE: Yeah.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: And so when the world is focused elsewhere, this is a reminder that: Were still here. Were still a problem. You have to deal with it.

But theres something else going on as well. Over the last months, going back about a year, we have significantly increased our own work with our allies and partners in the region South Korea, Japan both on a bilateral basis where weve, for example, renewed exercises that wed had for years that were put in abeyance a few years ago we brought them back, military exercises, to make sure that we could defend and hopefully deter any kind of North Korean aggression as well as work thats being done now in ways that it hadnt been in recent years among the United States, Japan, Korea together, which has lots of benefits, including bringing Korea and Japan closer together. I think that Kim Jong-un saw that and didnt like it, and its a response to that.

Weve taken a variety of actions, including at the United Nations, including strengthening even more our defense and deterrence, but it is an ongoing problem. And it does go, Condi, to exactly what youre talking about, which are concerns about broader proliferation. At the end of the day, one of the most important and powerful things about trying to continue to advance nonproliferation, preventing the spread of weapons, as well as arms control ourselves and being responsible actors under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, is making sure that we dont have a world where a whole variety of countries conclude that theyre going to be better off if they acquire nuclear weapons that they dont have. And we know that thats a world thats going to be even more fraught. So we have to find ways to reinforce these norms, these rules, these standards that weve signed on to and that need our engagement.

SECRETARY RICE: Im going to come to technology in just a moment, I promise you, but I will get lots of messages that say you didnt ask him about Iran. Do you want to say just a word about that situation? Its extraordinary moments these days.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: What were seeing is really is remarkable. And it starts with the incredible courage of very young people, especially women and girls, who are standing up for their most basic rights, their most fundamental freedoms, at extraordinary personal risk. And of course, we saw the prominent deaths of young women that led to this.

But whats powerful about it is that this is this is grassroots, this is bottom up. This is a reflection of huge frustration and huge anger that so many in Iranian society have toward the direction of their country and toward their leadership, and theyre demanding change. This is not made in the U.S.A.; its not made anywhere else. To the extent that leaders in Iran try to point the fingers and somehow blame us, they are profoundly misreading and misunderstanding their own people and their own country, and thats going to be to their detriment.

What can we do? First, we can stand and speak in solidarity with those who are simply trying to stand up for their own rights. Second, we can look at the different actors in Iran who are denying those rights and do what we can to penalize them for their actions. So we, for example, had sanctions that we put forward on the so-called morality police. And then maybe most important, and this goes directly in many ways to this community, we want to make sure that we are doing nothing that gets in the way of making sure that Iranians have the ability to the greatest extent possible of communicating with each other and connecting to the outside world, and that comes with technology. So weve issued some licenses to make sure that were not doing that, that people dont feel that our sanctions prohibit them from getting the technology that Iranians need to communicate with each other and with the world to the Iranian people.

SECRETARY RICE: A little bit more activist this time than in 2012?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Each periods a little bit different.

SECRETARY RICE: A little different, yeah. Right?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: And I think I think our voice has been very clear not just our voice, our actions. And not just ours, countries around the world. But fundamentally, this is about the Iranian people. Its about their country. Its about their future. They will decide it. But we want to demonstrate in both practical as well as rhetorical ways our solidarity with them in this moment.

SECRETARY RICE: So youre sitting at Stanford University in the middle of Silicon Valley. A long, long history between this place and the valley. And you are seeing and talking to the people who are really leading the technology revolutions. It goes back a long way here.

So in 2007 when I was secretary, I invited the then-Foreign Minister of Australia Alexander Downer here, and we have a little trip. And I got to got to drive an experimental car called a Tesla. (Laughter.) Alexander wouldnt get in it. He wasnt sure that he wanted well, I think it was probably the Australian secret service that didnt want him in an experimental car. But in any case, thats now a household name, maybe giving us answers to how to think about electric vehicles and climate change and the like.

But it says something very important about another part of the National Security Strategy, which its which says investing in our strengths. Very often, we get into what I call authoritarian envy. They build great airports. Democracy is so messy. But we forget that innovation has been from a place, the United States of America, that is the freest and most open. And so talk about investing in those strengths, protecting those strengths, and how that plays into the diplomacy that we must do but also the national security that we must achieve.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Its quite simply foundational, and let me say a couple of things about this. First, we go back to this proposition that were in a moment of intense competition to shape what comes next. Technology, innovation, entrepreneurship they are at the heart of that. This is how we are going to retool economies for the future. This is how were going to modernize militaries as necessary. This is, through technology, how we are quite literally reshaping peoples lives.

And so it goes fundamentally to our national strength, but it also goes to a positive vision for the future that can be incredibly attractive for the United States around the world. Because as the technologies that are developed here and I was just at the SLAC this morning, which is extraordinary, even for someone who probably understood about 1 percent of what I was hearing this really does go to Americas most positive role in the world.

As were inventing; as youre inventing new technologies that are going to make sure that we can overcome disease and that we can actually strengthen global health and make sure that we dont have a repeat of COVID-19; as youre finding ways to make sure that we have sustainable, healthy food supplies for people around the world who so desperately need it and were living in a moment of intense food insecurity; as youre looking at ways to make sure that we actually develop the technology to ensure an energy future thats not dependent on fossil fuels; as youre looking at ways to make sure we have secure supply chains for technology going forward and good jobs for the future; if we continue to get that right, if we continue to lead on that, if we continue to be seen as a beacon for the world, that goes directly to our standing around the world, our strength around the world in ways that I cant even begin to adequately describe.

So for us it starts with investing in ourselves. If you look at the so-called American Century, the second part of the 20th century, we were making these investments in ourselves in the 50s, the 60s and 70s in education, in research and development, in basic science, in our infrastructure. And we moved away from that. And it is not to say at all that government should be the one making all of these investments. Were never going to compete with, for example, a Chinese model that dedicates all of its state resources to a particular part of the economy, to a particular part of the world. But what we can do and do more effectively is making sure were making these basic investments and then help catalyze, help facilitate, and ultimately help get out of the way for the private sector to really carry things forward.

Weve had two, at least from where I sit, enormous successes in the last few months, starting with the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, a product of extraordinary work over several years by Republicans and Democrats alike to make sure that we were renewing these investments in ourselves. A lot of the focus on chips has rightly gone to renewing our ability to manufacture chips, semiconductors here in the United States, having subcontracted that out many years ago. But there are huge investments in basic science, basic research and development that are contained in the CHIPS and Science Act and the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, which has the biggest commitment to dealing effectively with climate change in the history of our country, more than $350 billion. And again, a lot of thats going to investments in our own innovative capacity.

So I think, Condi, that is at the foundation of our strength, and it shows why the connection between what happens here and what happens around the world is stronger than its ever been. Since we did CHIPS and since we did the IRA, I found the conversations that Im having with counterparts around the world have changed. Theres now this view that, wait a minute, maybe America is getting its act together and this is something that we want to be part of.

SECRETARY RICE: Thats the positive side of it, of course, that we invest in ourselves. But theres also a question thats constantly on the table about how much weve let out of the barn, so to speak, vis--vis the Chinese. They started down this road of indigenous development in some ways hasnt gone all that well. We keep reading about problems in their own high-end chip development and the like.

So how do you see the balance between investing in what we do here and making sure that it doesnt escape to there? And its particularly actually hard for a secretary of state, because one of the things that you dont want to do is make people declare loyalties. Thats the quickest way to lose friends, to say you either choose China or us. That doesnt work very well diplomatically.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: We both know that very well.

SECRETARY RICE: Yes, right.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: And what weve been saying is this: Were not asking people to choose; we want to give you a choice. And that means we have to have something to put on the table. A big part of what were trying to do besides the investment in ourselves, the other the flip side of that is trying to get greater alignment with allies, with partners, with a whole variety of countries who might not even neatly fit into the ally or partner category but who have an interest in making sure that theres a basic understanding about the rules and that everyone plays by them. So we spent a lot of time trying to re-energize and revitalize re-engage our alliances, our partnerships.

Weve also been inventing or energizing some new ones new collections of countries that may be fit for purpose on specific issues; for example, making sure we have resilient supply chains, making sure that were on semiconductors investing together because so much of this work has to be collaborative as well, but also protecting. And in the case of the highest end semiconductors as you know very well, theres only a small number of countries that either are manufacturing the highest end semiconductors or making the tools to manufacture the highest end semiconductors. We want to make sure that we keep those where they need to be. So this alignment with other countries trying to all move in the same direction, trying to work together on shaping some of the norms, the standards, the rules by which technology is used, thats also profoundly part of our national interest and our strength around the world.

SECRETARY RICE: This is a question that could solicit a rather boring answer, but this is a university, so its all right. Were accustomed to boring answers. (Laughter.) So you talked about standards. And maybe whats not fully understood is there are international efforts, international organizations where the standards are actually written

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thats right.

SECRETARY RICE: for things like the internet, for questions about ships and supply chains. And the United States has always had a reputation of being fully uninterested completely uninterested in sending people to these conferences at the assistant secretary level to spend two years, three years writing standards.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thats right.

SECRETARY RICE: Are you interested in this?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: We

SECRETARY RICE: I have to admit: I wasnt. All right. So now. (Laughter.)

SECRETARY BLINKEN: Condi, I have walked out on standards in the biggest way, and we are flooding the zone for exactly that reason. Somewhere in the world on virtually any piece of technology that may be invented here, a group of people is sitting around a table in a windowless conference room writing the rules about how these are going to be used. And whoever writes the rules is going to have a powerful impact on the use of technology going forward.

To state the obvious, technology isnt inherently good or bad; the rules by which its used might be. And we want to make sure that, for example, when it comes to protecting privacy, when it comes to upholding human rights, when it comes to advancing our own security, but also enhancing our competitiveness, the rules reflect that. And as the saying goes, if youre not at the table, youre on the menu. We want to make sure that were at the table doing that. So, yeah, this is sometimes it seems mind-numbing.

We spent a lot of time making sure for example, there are competition for jobs in the international system, the folks who actually turn up at these meetings. Their elections, or their appointments, including in the entire United Nations system were spending a lot of time making sure that people that reflect our views and values are competing and winning those jobs. It really does make a difference. It does seem mind-numbing, but its incredible how at the end of the day thats going to shape the world as well.

SECRETARY RICE: I should probably go back and apologize to my under secretary for economics who used to try to get me to pay attention. All right. So youve convinced me, because after all, this really is when we talk about the competition and going back to autocracy versus democracy, if these are used in a certain way, they will be used in different ways by autocracies. So you take something like facial recognition, which might simply make it possible for you to get through an airport more quickly if youre in the United States, and China has a very different way. So I applaud your interest in this mind-numbing part of it.

Hows it coming with others? You mentioned that we now are in the game, but when you think about particularly relations with the Europeans, weve not always had the greatest alignment with what you think should be our closest allies on things like privacy and the like. So can you talk a little bit about relations with the Europeans? Has it been affected by the extraordinary cooperation that were getting around Ukraine at this point? Someone said that Vladimir Putin had within a matter of months ended German pacifism and Swedish neutrality, which I think is probably true. But is it is it having an effect?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: It is remarkable the extent to which Putin has precipitated virtually everything he says he wants to prevent, particularly in terms of the so-called Western world sticking together and actually strengthening its cooperation across a whole variety of issues. I think we are making progress on this, because youre right, we have to find ways to make sure that on technology we are more aligned with other countries, starting in many cases with close partners in Europe as well as in Asia and then broadening out.

We have all of these different constellations, groupings, partnerships; one of them is something called the Technology and Trade Council with the European Union. And to put it in the simplest terms, this is a way of trying to make sure were actually all rowing in the same direction when it comes to these norms, these rules, these standards, but also a whole variety of other things. If we have export controls on the highest end technology that we think should not wind up in the hands of some of our competitors, including China, if were the only ones doing it and others are not abiding by them, then its not going to work. So we have to try to get alignment there, and we are.

If we want to make sure that when we have concerns about some of the investment thats coming into our own countries that may be going to critical industries, critical companies, ones that are that affect our security, we want to make sure that countries have the tools to look at those investments and decide whether this is something they want to go forward or not. Were working on those together with the European Union. Were thinking about critical supply chains and particularly for semiconductors. Weve seen what happened when these get disrupted. Were designing together an early warning system so that if we see a disruption anywhere in a supply chain for a critical component first of all going to semiconductors but broadening out to other technologies a flashing red light goes off and we can act on it together. All of these things are bringing us into closer alignment.

Now, having said that, we have differences of view, differences of perspective just as we have within our own country, because obviously we dont have a unified technology policy in our own country that are always going to be there. We also have competition with some of our closest friends. We have were competing with Europeans, but we both fundamentally have the same interest in a system where people who play by the basic rules; where privacy is respected, even if we have different perspectives on the best way to do that; where our security is upheld, where human rights are respected, and where we can enhance our competitiveness. So the question is can we find ways to design those together, come into agreement. And then finally this: Competition when its fair, when its on a level playing field, when its a race to the top, is good. Thats what our own system is all about.

So for us its not saying, oh, we have to avoid competition with friends and partners and allies; its, on the contrary, making sure that together that competition is fair, its transparent, it has the rights of workers in mind, it has the environment in mind, it has protection of intellectual property in mind. And if we do that, then countries that dont abide by the same way of doing things will have to decide are they going to get into the race to the top with us and raise their own standards, raise their own game thats good for the world or not.

SECRETARY RICE: So lets go now from out there to Foggy Bottom, to the place that you work, the State Department, and talk a little bit about how all of this is affecting the State Department. Let me just say that when I left the State Department, the there wasnt a smartphone for all intents and purposes, and I think we still when I got there still had Wang computers, believe it or not.

SECRETARY BLINKEN: I remember those.

SECRETARY RICE: Youre all too young to even know what a Wang computer was, so it just gives you a sense. How in the world is a place that some 20 years ago still had Wang computers going to play in this world of technology? What does it mean for diplomacy and what does it mean for the State Department?

SECRETARY BLINKEN: We have to be, and were doing everything we possibly can be, to really be fit for the purpose of this moment and the moments to come. And we both worked on this and looked at this anyone comes into these jobs and theyre looking at their own department or agency and trying to figure out what do I need to change, what makes sense. And we spent some time doing that. And I think we came to a couple of conclusions that are reflected in what were doing.

First is youre only youre in these jobs for a finite period of time. Youre not going to youre not going to change everything and probably you shouldnt, so youve got to pick a handful of things that maybe you can make a difference on, get a start on, hopefully it continues when youre no longer there. Thats one.

Second, one of the biggest challenges we face is that the things that are really having an impact on the lives of everyone in this room and all of our fellow citizens are not necessarily the issues that the State Department has been front and center on or has the expertise on. And again, whether its climate, whether its health, whether its food insecurity, whether its energy, whether its economics, and whether it is cyberspace and digital policy, this has not been our bread and butter. And our bread and butter remains issues of war and peace, preventing conflict, making helping to end conflict where we can, making sure that the American people are secure through diplomacy. But each of these issues is directly tied to that.

So what weve done is were engaged in modernizing the department to make sure that were organized in a way and attract the talent in a way that allows us to play a leadership role on these issues. So, for example and youll Condi, youll appreciate this I think land record speed, we established a new bureau for cyber and digital policy in about six months time. And in fact, the ambassador running that, Nate Fick, who is actually a technologist (inaudible), is with us today. This is how we make sure that we have a place that the expertise can come to in the department and, ultimately, we can grow the expertise so that we can engage effectively on these issues.

Were in the process of doing something similar on global health. One of the most extraordinary achievements in American foreign policy over the last 25 years is something called PEPFAR, something that President Bush and Condi initiated to deal with the HIV/AIDS as well as malaria and tuberculosis crisis. I dont think there has been a program in the recent history of the United States Government that has saved more lives than PEPFAR. Now we have an opportunity to make sure that coming out of COVID and inspired by what was done with PEPFAR we build an even better platform for dealing with questions of global health, and we want to make sure that the departments organized to do that, that we attract the talent.

John Kerry is leading extraordinary efforts on climate, but we want to make sure that those are institutionalized so that, again, we are a leader. Because heres the thing and again, you all know this very well just as if were not leading and were not engaged, were going to have a problem because someone else will do it or no one will do it; if were not finding new ways to cooperate, to collaborate, to work with other countries on these issues, we simply cant get them done. Climate were 15 percent or so of global emissions. By definition, even if we did everything right at home, we have to figure out a way to deal with the other 85 percent. That means, among other things, diplomacy to bring others along.

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Secretary Antony J. Blinken at a Conversation on the Evolution and Importance of Technology, Diplomacy, and National Security with 66th Secretary of...

Dawn Greenings taco ring, fresh from the oven.

Submitted photo | Dawn Greening

Most American cities do not yet have a taco truck on every corner but that does not mean that tacos, and the interesting dishes that have evolved from them, are not all around us.

Ranging from the corporate cultural appropriation of Taco Bells Americanized version to locally owned, more authentic taquerias, there is a wide range of tacos to be had around town, and around the country.

So where did tacos come from in the first place? Smithsonian Magazine reports that Jeffrey M. Pilcher, professor of history at the University of Minnesota, has spent 20 years tracking down the answer to that question.

Pilcher feels that tacos were invented by silver miners in Mexico in the 18th century. Taco was the word the miners used to describe the charges they used to blast through rocks in the mines, little pieces of paper wrapped around a bit of gunpowder. Which is a fairly apt description of a taco, a little tortilla wrapped around some fiery filling. By the end of the 19th century, dictionaries included the phrase tacos de minero or miners tacos. Shortly thereafter, Mexican immigrants popularized tacos in the American Southwest and the last piece of the puzzle fell into place when Glen Bell appropriated them, adapted them to Anglo tastes and applied a franchise business model, thereby creating Taco Bell and making tacos accessible and available to Americans all over the country.

And now home cooks have gotten in on the action and adopted tacos in all kinds of ways.

Tacos lend themselves easily to adaptation. Form the tortillas into a bowl shape and youve got a taco bowl. Crumble the tortilla into bite-size pieces and serve on a plate for a taco salad. Add some liquid for taco soup. Then things get really exciting when tacos meet lasagna. Turns out that combining those two favorites can lead in some interesting directions as the following recipes show.

Taco Ring

Recipe from Dawn Greening

Really good, fast, fun dinner. Serves 16 or 8 really hungry people. To half recipe, just cut ground beef to 1/2 pound and 1 package crescent rolls.

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Chop 1/2 onion and cook with your ground beef. Season to taste with:

Salt

Pepper

Ground Cumin

Garlic

2 packages crescent rolls (16)

Lay your crescent rolls with bottoms overlapping to look like a sun. Drain ground beef, add cheddar cheese and mix well. Spoon the beef/cheese mixture around the bottom of the circle. Fold your points over the mixture, tucking at the bottom. Bake your taco ring at 350F. for 30 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes.

You can add garnishes, we used chopped onion, lettuce, tomato, cilantro, black olives and sour cream.

Taco Salad for a Large Crowd

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

2 envelopes taco seasoning, divided

1 medium head iceberg lettuce

1 package (12-1/2 ounces) nacho tortilla chips, coarsely crushed

2 pints grape tomatoes, halved

2 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

3 cans (2-1/4 ounces each) sliced ripe olives, drained

1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

1 large sweet onion, chopped

2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies

1-1/2 cups Thousand Island salad dressing

1-1/3 cups salsa

1/3 cup sugar

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook beef with 1 envelope plus 2 tablespoons taco seasoning until no longer pink; drain.

In a very large serving bowl, combine the lettuce, chips, tomatoes, beans, olives, cheese, onion, chilies and beef mixture.

In a small bowl, combine the salad dressing, salsa, sugar and remaining taco seasoning; pour over salad and toss to coat. Yield: 26 servings (1-1/3 cups each).

Taco Bowls

Make your own taco bowls using the underside of a muffin tin and corn tortillas.

8 6-inch corn tortillas

Canola oil cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 F. Heat tortillas until warm (see below). Coat each side of 4 tortillas with cooking spray. (Keep the remaining 4 tortillas covered.) Turn a 12-cup muffin tin upside down. Nestle a tortilla in the space between 4 cups to form a bowl. Repeat with 3 more tortillas, making 4 bowls total. Bake until firm and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining 4 tortillas.

Warming tortillas prevents them from cracking and breaking. Here are three ways to warm your tortillas:

1 In the oven: Wrap stacks of 8 tortillas in foil; place in a 375F oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

2 On the stove: Turn a gas or electric burner on high. Using tongs, slide one tortilla at a time over the burner for a few seconds, alternating sides, until its softened and beginning to char. Cover tortillas to keep warm.

3 In the microwave: Wrap a stack of 8 tortillas in a barely damp, clean kitchen towel (or paper towel); microwave on High for 30 to 45 seconds.

Chicken Taco Bowls (for two)

4 taco bowls, see recipe above

6 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Chicken breast boneless, skinless, 1 lb.

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. canola oil

1/2 cup prepared green salsa

1/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup thinly sliced lettuce

1 small tomato, chopped

1 tbsp. sliced ripe black olives

Prepare taco bowls, according to previous recipe. Meanwhile, toss chicken with garlic powder and salt in a bowl. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until it is no longer pink on the outside, about 3 minutes. Add salsa and cook, stirring frequently, until the salsa is bubbling and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle, about 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat; cover to keep warm. Fill each tortilla bowl with about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture. Top with 1 tablespoon each cheese and sour cream, 2 tablespoons each lettuce and tomato and a few olives.

Taco Lettuce Wraps

8 small iceberg or romaine lettuce leaves or 4 large, cut in half crosswise

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 pound lean ground beef

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons prepared salsa

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 cup diced avocado

1 cup julienned jcama(see below)

1/4 cup finely diced red onion

Wash and dry lettuce leaves well and cut out any tough ribs. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, season with salt and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk salsa, vinegar and cumin in a small bowl. Remove the pan from the heat, add the salsa mixture and stir to combine. Serve in the lettuce leaves, topped with avocado, jicama and onion.

Jcama is a round root vegetable with thin brown skin and white crunchy flesh. It has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. To peel it, use a small, sharp knife or vegetable peeler, making sure to remove both the papery brown skin and the layer of fibrous flesh just underneath.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

2 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

2 packets Ranch dressing mix

2 packets taco seasoning

1 32 oz. box chicken broth

14.5 oz. can tomato sauce

2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with chiles

14.5 oz can black beans

1 can corn

For garnish:

Tortilla chips

Sour cream

Cheddar cheese

Saut onions for 2 minutes. Add ground beef and brown the meat. Drain browned ground beef to remove excess fat. Add ground beef mixture and all other ingredients (do not drain corn or black beans) to slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Garnish with sour cream and cheddar cheese.

Cheesy Taco Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef

1 tbsp. taco seasoning

1 box no-boil lasagna noodles or cooked lasagna noodles

3 cups salsa

2 15-oz. containers ricotta

1/4 cups sour cream

1 large egg

3 cups shredded Mexican cheese

Sliced scallions, for garnish

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The evolution of tacos - Elkin Jonesville Tribune

By now, were all well aware of how the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we work. Travelling to an office is no longer the norm, and while the term remote work feels like a buzzword, its actually not a new concept. For years, people have had the ability to work remotely while travelling for work when they checked and responded to emails. If you had a mobile phone or laptop and an internet connection, you were able to work.

Whilst there have always been challenges related to working remotely, particularly around international remote work, the pandemic showed the world that companies are capable of shifting and facilitating rapid change for their employees in large numbers. What the COVID-19 era did was effectively accelerate remote working and make it commonplace.

Before the pandemic, tech organisations had started to allow people to work offsite and had begun to put structures in place to facilitate this shift. Most companies only occasionally employed remote workers, but this was not the norm, and there was no existing framework to follow. As we now know, global remote working is no longer the exception to the rule.

The concept has gained popularity with employees, but has left employers to wade through the difficulties of offering remote working from anywhere to their staff. Finding people is not the challenge, but finding the right match can be.

Global remote working does carry risks. Variables such as country of origin, the individuals role, the level of security, and logistical framework for remote access can vary drastically from worker to worker. At a high-level overview, the risks fall into a number of buckets: tax and social security, legal, and compliance issues such as data protection and cybersecurity, around not only personal data but company data.

An individuals role can have a large impact on issues such as tax. For example, an employee might have a UK employment contract, but physically work in the Netherlands. That can create additional administration and tax headaches for the home employer. Depending on the geographic location, a senior employee negotiating and concluding contracts can trigger a multitude of tax, social security, legal and other consequences which need to be managed.

Corporate multinationals that are facing these challenges often have the benefit of an existing global footprint and a presence in many countries and jurisdictions. This allows them to put processes in place to mitigate the risks.

Smaller organisations are less likely to have a global footprint, increasing the risks they face because they are starting from scratch, and there are costs associated with managing remote working. Additionally, smaller companies do not have the support of a larger global entity in country. They may feel the cultural pressure to offer remote working, but may not understand all of the logistical pressures associated with mitigating the risk. For smaller companies, it can be a case of resourcing from both the human side and the digital side. In any case, smaller companies will also need to find away to manage their cross-border compliance obligations.

Ultimately, remote working is a good thing. It gives both employers and employees flexibility that neither had enjoyed in the past. However, there are considerable improvements that need to be made to the existing framework, most notably in the arena of tax implications, data protection regulations and cybersecurity. In the long run, overcoming these hurdles and challenges will improve an organisations bottom line because it will allow them to attract talent from a larger, more expansive pool. Everybody wins when everybody can work.

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The evolution of the nomad employee and the tax implications - RSM Global

Gundam Evolution is a fast-paced 5v5 shooter FPS title developed and published by Bandai Namco Studios. In the game, players take control of mecha suits from the popular Gundam anime to take on other players online in objective-based battles.

Considering the games fast pace, you must have a flawless FPS and exceptionally low latency/ping to assure a victory. Sometimes, however, despite having a high-end PC and high-speed Wi-Fi, players may face terrible lag issues just because they got connected to the wrong server.

Bizarrely, the server changing option is easy to miss in this game, so here is where to find it if you accidentally connect to the wrong server.

The server changing option, labeled Matching Area, can be found in the top right corner of Gundam Evolutions intro screen. Click on it to get the drop-down box and select the desired region.

Currently, there are only four available server regions to select from, including North America, Japan, Asia, and Europe.

Remember that the server changing option only appears on the intro screen, which contains the textPress Button to Start.If you press any button on this screen and proceed to the games main menu, you wont be able to change regions, and consequently, you will have to restart the game to do so.

Apart from the common latency-related issues explained above, players may wish to change the servers so they can find better opponents or match against opponents with the same skill level.

Also, the players living in a location almost equidistant from all the server regions but with no dedicated server of itself, may want to keep switching the servers to check which one works the best for them at any given time.

GUNDAM EVOLUTION is a free-to-play team-based first-person shooter featuring 6v6 PvP combat developed and published by Bandai Namco Studios. Each playable unit in the game possesses its own unique combination of offensive, defensive and/or supportive skills capable of swinging the tides of battle. The game offers three objective-based game modes: Point Capture, Domination and Destruction. Each game mode presents a unique set of challenges that will require teams to craft and execute formidable offensive and defensive strategies to emerge victorious.

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How to change server in Gundam Evolution? Why is it needed? - Gaming Dope

On Sept. 30, Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with his black mullet tamed and face clean-shaven, sporting the signature Ray-Bans that defined his era as the sleazy rockstar of AM he has lost the Elvis-esque gel-packed coiffure, though.

Its been four years since the Arctic Monkeyss last release, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, an eclectic composition written from the perspective of a lounge singer on the moon reflecting on the dystopian nature of modern reality. However, with the release of the Arctic Monkeys latest single Body Paint, it appears Turner has come back down to Earth and returned to old themes in his exploration of the complexities of love.

In Body Paint, Turner takes on the role of a harrowed lover, aware of his partners affair but unwilling to do anything about it. He introduces his partner as a master of deception and subterfuge, using the sparse lyrics to decry not the affair itself, but rather both partys unwillingness to address it.

In the bridge, he sighs out, And Im keeping on my costume / And calling it a writing tool. The accompanying music video encapsulates the loneliness of being trapped in a one-sided love with shots of cigarettes lit on burning tarot cards and a man watching a helicopter taking off. One scene shows Turner triplicated on screen, with each of his iterations singing in turns until the original blinks and the impostors fade out of existence. The instrumental backing the imagery and lyrics feels just as passive as the songs narrator. The piano glides up and down chords in a lullaby-like manner while the drums soft hits are as predictable as punctuation.

The Arctic Monkeys havent always made the type of music youd hear drifting through a hotel bar at two in the morning, though; their first breakout hit, I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, was part of a more rebellious brand of rock. Its thrashing guitar and pounding drums were the perfect soundtrack for fresh adults running into life head-first; the lyrics referenced George Orwells 1984, William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet and Duran Durans Rio, encompassing the media knowledge of any young adult coming of age in 2005. The songs thesis can be found in the bridge, where Turner declares, Oh there aint no love, no / Montagues or Capulets / Just banging tunes and DJ sets and / Dirty dancefloors and dreams of naughtiness. It was wild, angsty, sleazy it was a picture of young independence.

They released three more albums Favourite Worst Nightmare, Humbug and Suck It and See maintaining the fast chaos of Whatever People Say I Am, Thats What Im Notwith tracks like Pretty Visitors, Teddy Picker and Shes Thunderstorms. These albums helped the Arctic Monkeys become more certain in their sound and make a name for themselves among the British public.

Things changed in 2013. The Monkeys shot to international stardom with AM, an album which placed the fierce electric guitars of rock right next to the rhythmic flow of hip-hop rhymes, all underlaid by R&B-inspired rhythms. This changed the lives of many, many teenagers all over the globe, as its darker, more mature sound and explorations of sex, love and parties was perfectly fit for anyone inclined towards dramatically gazing out of car windows on cloudy days. AM clearly stole the heart of the world as it received a laundry list of awards and nominations and ranked in the top 10 in lists of best albums of 2013 found on Q, NME, musicOMH, Digital Spy, Uncut, Digital Spy and Rolling Stone.

Then, the Arctic Monkeys disappeared. It took five years for the band to return with an entirely new sound in Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, a concept album about the modern world that drew inspiration from science fiction novels and think pieces like Neil Postmans Amusing Ourselves to Death (1965). The standout tracks include single Four Out of Five, a cordial invitation to escape the franticness of modern life, and the eerie She Looks Like Fun whose lyrics reference, a takedown of social media, which seem like a direct endorsement of panopticon theory Dance as if somebodys watching / cause they are; and finale The Ultracheese whose nostalgic reminiscing lays down a foundation for where the Arctic Monkeys pick up with The Car singles Thered Better Be a Mirrorball and Body Paint.

The five-year gap between AM and Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino cemented the image of the Arctic Monkeys as rockstars rebelling against time, young adults fighting their way through love and life. But, Alex Turner is 36 now, not 20, and hes no longer maintaining the image of the unreachable rockstar but rather that a tranquil lover.

Body Paint is nearly five minutes long, despite having less lyrics than 90% of the Arctic Monkeys discography. Each word is packed with meaning and when there is nothing to be said, Turner lets the melancholy piano sing the message for him.

Body Paint is not a new direction, but rather a logical continuation to the Arctic Monkeys work. It tackles themes of love, builds upon the relaxed, lounge pop sound the Monkeys leaned into during Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino, and features Turners evergreen lyricism at its finest.

Teresa Pham is an Entertainment Intern for the fall 2022 quarter. She can be reached at teresaap@uci.edu.

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On Body Paint and the Arctic Monkeys Musical Evolution - New University

StemDrop - A Song for the World

LONDON, United Kingdom October 19, 2022 Samsung Electronics Co, Ltd. has partnered with TikTok to launch StemDrop, a new international music discovery format that will revolutionise global music collaboration, democratise music production and give all music creators a never-before-seen platform to showcase their talent to the world.

Officially launching Thursday 26th October on TikTok, with creative direction from Syco Entertainment, Universal Music Group the world-leader in music-based entertainment and its Republic Records label, StemDrop gives music creators an unprecedented opportunity to collaborate with the worlds finest songwriters. Starting with 5x Grammy award winner Max Martin and his prolific hit-making team of Savan Kotecha and Ali Payami, who will release 60 seconds of an original new single exclusively on TikTok for the world to mix.

Samsung has a rich history of developing transformative technology ideal for those who want to create. From emerging to established artists, you can make your StemDrop look and sound amazing with the creativity and innovation of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4. When youre all done, connect and listen back, with the Galaxy Buds2 Pro.

Creators can film their music video hands-free and at any angle they want by partially folding the Z Flip4 to activate FlexCam granting budding artists unlimited freedom and self-expression when shooting content. The upgraded Z Flip4 camera also comes equipped with a 65% brighter sensor*, resulting in better images in low light, so you can make great content, day or night. In addition, multi-window lets you see two apps at once, so you can check out the lyrics while practising your performance.

Once youve finished recording your StemDrop, seamlessly connect your Galaxy Buds2 Pro to your Z Flip4 and listen back in Hi-Fi quality sound, giving you an in-studio experience from home or on-the-go.

As soon as the song drops, the TikTok community will have access to the stems the individual components of the song such as drums, bass guitar and vocals through the TikTok Sounds page. The StemDrop Player, powered by Samsung but open to all, gives creators the ability to produce their own unique spin of the track. Slow parts of the track down, speed it up, make it acapella creators can make it their own in the very palm of their hand. TikTok stars Ari Elkins, Astrid S and Your Boy Moyo will act as global ambassadors for StemDrop and host daily content on the @StemDrop channel on TikTok.

As the global leader in the smartphone industry, Samsung has a deep understanding of how people express themselves through their devices. More than ever, that means creating short-form content.

Benjamin Braun, Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung Europe comments: From movies, games and music Samsung understands that entertainment is the most exciting when it evolves. This partnership with TikTok, Syco Entertainment and Universal Music Group is a ground-breaking new chapter that will redefine music creation.

As leaders in innovation, we feel a responsibility to constantly find ways to champion creativity the openness of StemDrop does just that. This mission has been longstanding: from the launch of Samsung Spotlight, an initiative to support performing artists in the wake of the pandemic, to our partnership with UMG on Music Galaxy Thursdays, allowing music lovers free access to never-seen-before artist interviews, performances, and behind-the-scenes footage in the lead-up to New Music Friday. Now, our advancements in the foldables market are changing the way we use mobile devices as the ultimate tool for both productivity and self-expression.

Were extremely excited to build on our evolving role in the music industry, to continue leading the way in technological innovation, and to inspire the world to #MakeItWithSamsung.

Speaking on the launch of StemDrop, Simon Cowell said: Hit songs are like diamonds and they can change an artists career overnight. With tens of thousands of songs uploaded every day this idea will give aspiring artists the opportunity to collaborate with some of the most successful songwriters in the world. The premise was always very straightforward What would happen if the best songwriters in the world wrote a song for the world.?

We have no idea whats going to happen. I do know there are so many incredibly talented people who are trying to stand out and I hope and believe this could make a big difference to their careers. It says everything about Max Martin, Savan and Ali that they have decided to give this song to the TikTok community to record and collaborate with them. And I want to thank them so much for believing in this idea. In addition, I want to thank TikTok, Samsung and Universal for their support and enthusiasm. Again, their passionate support of talented people is amazing.

More information on StemDrop and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 and the Galaxy Buds2 Pro can be found on Samsung.com, here.

The official StemDrop channel (@StemDrop) has posted videos today to celebrate the launch of StemDrop and spark excitement among the TikTok community.

Ole Obermann, Global Head of Music at TikTok said: We are thrilled to finally announce StemDrop to the world. Some of the biggest names in entertainment, music and technology are coming together to supercharge music discovery in a way never seen before, using the power of TikTok to unearth new talent. Every day, brilliant, undiscovered artists and songwriters turn to TikTok to share their music and find a global audience; StemDrop will put a spotlight on this talent and act as a springboard to help them build their careers.

Paul Hourican, Global Head of Music Operations at TikTok said: TikToks mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy, and with StemDrop our aim is to provide our creative community, wherever they are, an opportunity to collaborate and create with the worlds most iconic songwriters and their work in a new and original way. The breadth and diversity of musical talent emerging on TikTok every day is breathtaking and were committed to opening doors for artists and propelling new talent to find sustained success both on and off the platform. We cant wait to see what this collaboration brings so thank you to Max, Simon and the teams at Syco, UMG and Republic who have helped bring this to life.

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Samsung partners with TikTok to launch StemDrop, the next evolution of music collaboration - Samsung Newsroom UK

Prepare for adventurewere thrilled to celebrate this weeks launch of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection on PC!

Weve previously equipped aspiring treasure hunters with the PC features and specs so you can enjoy Naughty Dogs Uncharted 4: A Thiefs End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy optimized for PC by Iron Galaxy Studios.

Whether the series is, well, Uncharted territory for you, or if youre a seasoned spelunker whos survived crushing encounters, we thought the Uncharted series PC debut offered a chance to look back on how these two adventures pushed the franchise forward. We unearthed some details about how Naughty Dog took a core pillar of Uncharted gameplay to brand new heights.

With Uncharted 4: A Thiefs End marking the franchises first original PlayStation 4 outing, the team saw a chance to push the franchise forward. Climbing is a prime example of that next-gen evolution; Uncharted 4 introduced a level of control players never had before while grounding Nathan Drakes movements with stunning animations.

With Uncharted 4, we wanted to add more depth to the climbing and look at it more realistically, Animation Director Jeremy Yates explained.

A trip to an indoor climbing gym and lessons from an instructor early in production helped ground that endeavor. That trip resulted in some pretty meaningful lessons for Uncharted 4s new climbing system. The team was equipped with firsthand experience and visual references to understand balance and weight placement, as well as the thoughtfulness that has to go into each movement.

When we climbed on the wall ourselves, one of the first things we noticed was how much your weight is on your feet. That really translated into how the animations work, Lead Game Designer Emilia Schatz said.

The team tried out a host of potential routes to take the system, from including a stamina bar to free-climbing that would allow players to scale a mountain in a route of their own choosing. There was a lot of fun and tension to be had, but the team needed to consider how climbing fit into the overall game.

It almost became too complex. The important thing about any of our systems is we layer them with other systems. So while climbing itself may have been really amazing, we had to remember Uncharted 4 is not only a climbing game, Schatz said.

With some of those systems stripped away, the focus came more clearly into view: leveraging climbing in Uncharted 4 to connect the player to Nathan Drake and eventually Chloe Frazer in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. And that meant giving players more control over Uncharteds climbing than ever before.

We wanted to be able to give the player very fine control and complete analog control over where Drake places his hands. Thats where the reach system was formed, Yates explained.

The reach system in Uncharted 4 lets you do much more than simply hop from one handhold to the next along a clearly defined route. Using the left analog stick on the controller, the player can precisely direct how far and what angle Drake reaches out his hand. In practice, it looks fluid and realistic, but behind-the-scenes, theres a clever system of rings that accounts for Drakes possible moves. Many animations are needed to pull off each movement.

That was a huge challenge to animate and design all those poses, and then from each of those [points], the delta between your base and wherever the handhold will be, that position might have a number of very specific animations, Yates explained.

To ensure what was depicted in-game mirrored real life climbing terrain, the team constructed an adjustable rock wall in the mocap stage and captured parkour athlete Jesse La Flair going through the motions of Nates various movements.

We replicated those rings, and there are holes pre-drilled in all those different positions so we could move handholds around easilyWe had Jesse climb every conceivable combination we could give him, Yates explained, noting that this allowed him to really ground the physicality of Drakes motions.

To help achieve the reach systems fluidity of movement, Principal Programmer Ryan Broner was among those working on getting this in-depth climbing system to function properly.

The big change from Uncharted 3 was being able to hold onto two edges at once, and they could just be any distance apart, Broner said. This meant work had to be done to ensure the upper body would move in the right direction, but, as the team learned at the climbing gym, the feet were also just as essential to consider.

[We worked to have] the feet actually look for an edge instead of having them just dangling and swinging.

Ryan wasreally getting full-body [inverse kinematics] working with all four limbs and your root and how they move together. That helped us create a much more organic system to climb on than weve previously been able to, Yates said.

Imbuing climbing with more natural and variable movement also benefited making the actual paths Drake takes more dynamic and rewarding for the player.

It allowed us to make more organic rock faces. It used to be that the distance you could move handholds from where Nathan Drake was [felt] pretty short, Schatz explained. In Uncharted 4, we were able to space those out, because Nathan Drake could reach quite a bit. By being able to space those out, we could make it so that the handholds themselves, visually, did not always imply a precise route. They were spaced out enough that you had to try it yourself and get used to how far his reach is.

Not only are climbing routes more naturally embedded within the environment, but thanks to a set of tools the team worked with, more complex routes could be carved out to allow players creativity in how they wanted to progress.

The organic integration into the wall was automated. What you see in-gamethats dynamically placed, Yates said, noting that background artists didnt have to go in and virtually sculpt out each handholds spot. In real time we could move the handholds aroundIt was so easy to add those handholds, so it was easier for us to develop what we called Swiss cheese for some of these walls. We tried to give the player the ability to find their own path.

Players can experiment with how they scale each stretch of rock or dilapidated building. Another way players have more agency over climbing is the piton. Born from the experimenting done with a more free-climbing system (you can see the idea of using two pitons at once below), the piton presents a bit of puzzle solving for the player to work through.

The pitons come into play as players hurtle toward specific walls, requiring the right timing and angle to hook the piton into the wall where they want to continue progressing.

We want you to have creativity in how you can move around and place your handholds. You got a sense of, as a player, I need to decide Where do I want Nathan Drakes piton to be so I can jump to this ledge over there, Schatz said. The piton is a really cool thing we wouldnt have been able to do without the analog reach of Nathan Drake [introduced in Uncharted 4].

With all the ideas the Naughty Dog team implemented and the lessons learned from those they didnt Uncharted 4s climbing offers more precise, analog control over Nathan Drakes climbing than ever before. That implementation continued with Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which features Chloe Frazer as its protagonist while retaining all the work that went into Nathan Drakes climbing mechanics. Lost Legacy allowed the team to integrate the piton, which features later in A Thiefs End, throughout more of Chloes adventure.

We were really happy with how it turned out in Uncharted 4and we were able to put it in a lot more in The Lost Legacy, and it was really able to come into its own there, Schatz said.

Following the journey of this features development, the team had some big takeaways.

[Uncharted 4s climbing showed] the importance of feedback in player systems, Broner said. In Uncharted 4, you push the stick, and even if you cant reach anything, you see the body start to move in a certain direction. Getting that feedback allows you to adjust to your intended direction in a way that feels natural, and makes you feel more connected to the character.

We always really strive for the feeling of groundednessbecause when that works really well, you identify more with the character, youre invested more with the character, Schatz said.

Everything evolved about the climbing system, from the reach system to the piton to the sheer fluidity and realism of movement, allows players to become invested in Uncharteds characters like never before. We hope longtime fans can appreciate this essential part of the Uncharted experience on a deeper level, and were so excited for newcomers to experience Nathan and Chloes climbing, combat, and much more.Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is available October 19, 2022 on Steam and Epic Games Store.

View post:

Naughty Dog breaks down Uncharted 4's climbing evolution as Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection launches on PC this week - PlayStation

Recent trailers have teased how Black Panther: Wakanda Forever moves on after the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman, but there are now details on how T'Challa's evolution was originally the focus of the Black Panthersequel. The first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever showed how the African nation is mourning the death of its king, as Marvel Studios has decided not to recast the role after Boseman's death. Director Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole had the hard task of reworking the film's script, which leaned heavily into Chadwick Boseman's Marvel hero.

"Losing your centerpiece, everything changed," Lupita Nyong'o told The Hollywood Reporter. "When you say the world rotated around him, it revolved around him, it did." Coogler then discussed how the Wakanda Forever script was from the perspective of T'Challa. "The script we wrote before Chadwick passed was very much rooted in T'Challa's perspective," Coogler said. "It was a massive movie but also simultaneously a character study that delved deeply into his psyche and situation."

Nyong'o also spoke about the online debate regarding Marvel Studios choosing not to recast the role of T'Challa, which she agrees with. "That is not the death of the Black Panther, that's the whole point," Nyong'o said. "It's laying to rest [T'Challa] and allowing for real life to inform the story of the movies. I know that there are all sorts of reasons why people want him to be recast, but I don't have the patience. I don't have the presence of mind, or I don't have the objectivity to argue with that. I don't. I'm very biased."

The first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever revealed that the movie will mirror real life, with the cast mourning the death of King T'Challa. While T'Challa may be dead, the role of Black Panther will live on, as another character will don the Vibranium costume to protect Wakanda from Namor and his underwater kingdom of Talocan. New materials released to the press reveal how much time has passed since T'Challa's death: 12 months.

"Ramonda realizes that it's been a year since T'Challa's passing and Shuri's still not healing she's not taking steps to move forward in a healthy way," said director and co-writer Coogler. "They take a retreat stepping away from the city, from the technology to sit with no distractions and perform what is essentially a grief ritual. That's when Namor shows up."

Namor (Tenoch Huerta) is the hybrid mutant king of Talocan, a hidden undersea nation that rivals Wakanda. Along with his allies Namora (Mabel Cadena) and Attuma (Alex Livanalli), Namor and the Talocanians prepare to wage war with the surface dwellers.

Instead of hailing from Atlantis, the MCU version of Namor the Sub-Mariner rules over Talocan, which comes from Aztec mythology.Namor has also been confirmed to be a mutant in the MCU.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premieres in theaters on November 11th.

Link:

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Originally Centered on T'Challa's Evolution as a Leader - ComicBook.com

Editors note: The views and opinions expressed below are thoseof the author and do not necessarily reflect the views ofSherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company,Evolve Media.

One of these fights was at strawweight (115 pounds), the other atflyweight (125 pounds). These are by far the most talent-richfemale weight classes, not only in the UFC but the world. The125-pound weight class was only established in the UFC in December2017. Despite the late start, it is already so strong that, inaddition to the UFCs own fighters, there are enough left forBellatorMMA to have its own thriving womens flyweight division, headedby longtime UFC contender and two-time title challenger LizCarmouche. Meanwhile, womens bantamweight (135 pounds), which has seen the biggest starsin womens MMA history, has become a wasteland. How did we gethere? What might the future hold?

However, 135 pounds soon became the premier division. Granted, thiswas a weight class to which many former featherweights could easilycut. Why do that instead of staying at 145 pounds, especially sincetalent was still lacking in those days? In my mind, there were tworeasons. There was initially a desire to avoid fighting CristianeCyborg Justino, who was head and shoulders above every otherfemale fighter and had ruthlessly beaten down her prey. Later,there was a desire to benefit from the intense star power ofRondaRousey, a woman who represented a perfect storm of qualities in terms ofpopularity.

Order UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusivelyon ESPN+

Bantamweight was easily the biggest andmost important division, from the time Rousey ushered women intothe UFC in February 2013 until sometime around 2018. In retrospect,we shouldnt have been surprised. Rouseys last fight was inDecember 2016, and with the UFC introducing the flyweight class ayear later, a lot of fighters who could easily make that weightdecided to fight there. That includes ValentinaShevchenko: in my opinion, the greatest pound-for-pound femalefighter ever. In terms of pure skill, the strawweight class wassuperior, too. Mens lightweights are more skilled thanheavyweights for the same reasons.

Lets look at AmandaNunes, easily the greatest bantamweight champion of all-time.She is 5-foot-8, which might not seem so tall at first glance.However, inlooking at a percentile calculator for height, the averagefemale in the United States stands 5-foot-3.8 with a standarddeviation of 2.8 inches, meaning Nunes is taller than 93.3% ofwomen. In her native Brazil, where the average height is5-foot-2.5, she is taller than 97% of women. For the sake ofreference, Nunes is equivalent to a 6-foot-2 man in terms of howshe compares to those of her own gender; and she isnt particularlytall for the weight class, either. Germainede Randamie is 5-foot-9, Holly Holmand KetlenVieira are 5-foot-8, and JuliannaPena and RaquelPennington are only a hair shorter at 5-foot-7. All of thesewomen are muscular and well-built, too. Thus, in terms of sizerequirements, womens bantamweight can be compared to either menslight heavyweight or heavyweight. Its also no surprise that aweight class requiring such exceptional size is far less talentedand skilled than one in which a much larger portion of thepopulation can compete. Also keep this in mind: Just likebasketball and American football attract a lot of physically giftedlarger men, sports like basketball, volleyball and tennis attract alot of physically gifted larger women.

What about the future? Personally, I see the 115- and 125-poundwomens weight classes being the main divisions for a long time tocome. New, talented fighters are constantly emerging in those twoclasses, whereas I cant think of the last time a real blue-chipbantamweight or featherweight prospect came along. Some peoplethink the 105-pound womens weight class is the future and haveeven clamored for the UFC to add it. I disagree. Atomweight isactually going too far in the opposite direction. Not manyathletic, muscular women are petite enough to comfortably make 105pounds on a consistent basis. At that point, youre probablyselecting fighters who are mostly 5-foot or 5-foot-1, and outsideof Asia, that is well below the mean height. Not surprisingly, thetalent level at atomweight is actually far inferior to that ofwomens strawweight. Consider that AyakaHamasaki, viewed by many to be the all-time greatest atomweightfighter, was brutalized and knocked out by a young LivinhaSouza in less than two minutes. Souza was never known for herpunching power and was actually smaller than Hamasaki for thefight, as she barely had to cut any weight. It could be argued thatshe has never been a Top 20 strawweight, even as she improved overthe next few years. However, she decimated the greatest atomweightever.

That is actually a relatively minor objection. Even assuming thetalent level improves, female atomweights just arent interestingto watch for the same reason few people watch mens boxing at 105pounds. Their blows just dont do enough damage. There are hardlyany knockouts at womens atomweight outside of huge skilldisparities, ground-and-pound or exhaustion. Thus, the contestseither take the form of pure point fighting, with little damagesustained by either side, or grappling. Its just too boring fortoo much of the audience, and thats always going to be true, evenif womens atomweight finds its own version of the legendaryRicardo El Finito Lopez.

I do believe there is hope for the heavier weight classesat leastat 135 pounds. As womens MMA becomes more common, more tall,athletic women will pursue it as a career. We wont see skilledwomens bantamweight prospects as often as we see them at 115 or125 pounds, but they will eventually get there. Sadly, Nunes may beretired by the time these talents become serious contenders, but itwont be a wasteland forever. The same cannot be said forfeatherweight and especially lightweight. There will be occasionalsuperstars like Cyborg and KaylaHarrison at those weights, but the size requirements are tooextreme for either division to thrive for the foreseeable future.

More here:

The Evolution of WMMA Weight Classes - Sherdog.com

Gabrielle Union is not only a beloved movie star, but a celebrated style icon. Through the years, the actress has dazzled Us with her fashion on and off the red carpet.

The Nebraska native first emerged onto the scene in the 90s, starring in several classics like Bring It On, Shes All That and 10 Things I Hate About You. As she rose to fame, so did her reputation as a force in fashion.

On and off the screen, Union never fails to look chic. From gorgeous ball gowns to sleek suits, she always manages to stay on trend. Her street style is just as eye-catching. She can be seen in everything from flowy pants and sports bras to pinstripe blazers and pleated skirts. She has also been known to rock a timeless Canadian suit as well as bold pops of color to catch the eye.

One of Unions most standout looks came at the 2019 Met Gala. The Being Mary Jane alum opted for a diamond-adorned gown by Dundas that featured a plunging neckline and thigh-high slit. Her long hair was pulled back and covered with a face-framing cap. She layered the sheer frock with a matching cape and completed the look with leather gloves and Jimmy Choo heels.

Another noteworthy ensemble was the Vivienne Westwood design she rocked at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2022. The simple A-line gown showed off her figure with a strapless neckline and a tight bodice. The timeless piece was paired with subtle rings and a chunky pearl choker with a rhinestone centerpiece. Her smokey eye makeup matched the black dress but didnt take away from it. She finalized the look with open-toe heels.

Additionally, she shows her love for fashion by working behind the scenes. She has clothing lines with New York & Company and Fashion to Figure and offers hair products at Walmart and Sally Beauty by her brand Flawless by Gabrielle Union.

In September 2021, the Breaking In actress opened up about her clothing line with InStyle, sharing that she wanted to not only create pieces that were versatile for each person but versatile for every occasion. The affordable clothing line ranges in sizes from 0-20 and includes pieces that are perfect for a night out or in the office.

Union always looks like a masterpiece, and were taking a look back at her most iconic looks.

Keep scrolling to see how Unions style evolved through the years:

Originally posted here:

Gabrielle Unions Glamorous Fashion Evolution Through the Years: Pics - Us Weekly