Medical marijuana licensing: Israeli patients aren't benefitting anymore

Story by By TROY O. FRITZHAND 
The Jerusalem Post,  Saturday, July 22,2023

CANONIC PUTS its plants through rigorous testing, ensuring the best product for their patients© (photo credit: Troy O. Fritzhand)

Despite its size, it’s the third largest medical marijuana exporter in the world, with more than 30 licensed growers around the country – some, like Rehovot’s Canonic, using cutting-edge technology to develop new strains of cannabis to treat physical and mental ailments.

However, at the same time, many of the 120,000 or so Israelis with licenses to use medical cannabis have been facing rising costs, more bureaucracy, and more difficulties in obtaining their supply.

In order to qualify for a medical marijuana license, a patient must be afflicted with a disorder or disease such as PTSD, chronic pain, epilepsy, and Crohn’s.
Medical marijuana system

According to Modi’in resident Harry Rubenstein, Israel’s medical marijuana system has completely abandoned patients like himself.


CANTEK-brand medical cannabis in at their indoor growing facility in Mavki'im, in southern Israel. 

 (credit: RAPHAEL KADISHZON)

Rubenstein, who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis, first became licensed seven years ago when the system required a standard payment by all patients of NIS 370 per month, for which you could receive your prescribed amount in grams. He noted that while inexpensive, this system led to long lines at the few stores at which it was possible to pick up the marijuana.

However, new laws have made it so that patients like him have to struggle immensely, and pay a hefty price, to get their prescriptions. The licensing process requires that patients must reapply for a license every six months or one year. This in itself was a hassle, but now an additional letter is needed from a psychiatrist, for which appointments are filled up for over a year, preventing many patients from renewing their licenses, and as a result forcing them to turn to the much pricier black market for their medicine.

To make matters worse for some, the monthly payment system no longer exists, and now patients must purchase their marijuana in 10-gram batches. The average price for 10 grams is NIS 400, yet Rubenstein’s monthly prescribed amount is 30 grams. This means that his monthly medical cost has increased from NIS 370 to NIS 1,200, something that to him makes no sense.

Despite the long wait for a license, “consultants” can be paid thousands of shekels to speed up the process. Rubenstein said he “doesn’t know who benefits from this system.” He added that it is so easy to get known dangerous drugs, such as opioids, whereas medical marijuana is much more difficult to receive.

The process has become somewhat easier for certain patients. According to regulations passed by the Knesset Health Committee in June, patients suffering from epilepsy, Crohn’s, dementia, autism, malignant cancers, multiple sclerosis, or AIDS, and terminally ill patients who are not expected to live for more than six months, will not require a license to purchase medical marijuana. This, however, does not help patients like Rubenstein, who is forced to “deal with the headache and stress” of the “backward” system.

INTERESTINGLY, THE medical marijuana industry in many ways finds its roots in the Holy Land.

In 1964, Hebrew University researchers Raphael Mechoulam and Yechiel Gaoni first isolated THC, the active compound in marijuana, setting off what ultimately began a gradual but progressive international movement toward medical usage of marijuana, and in certain places recreational. Mechoulam remained the foremost global researcher on marijuana until his death in 2003.

Related video: Some patients find benefits from cannabis (WBAL TV Baltimore)

There are more than 160,000 medical cannabis patients in Maryland.

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In the 1990s, marijuana became legal for medical use, and according to Dr. Arnon Afek, the acting chief physician of the Israel Cannabis Association, as well as the associate director-general of Sheba Medical Center and former director-general of the Health Ministry, the industry has made leaps and bound since then.

From the point of view of the ministry, he said, cannabis should be like any other prescription drug, because it “can really help people.” But for that to happen, it needs more structure.

“When you speak of medical-grade cannabis, it is not the same as growing at home, which is illegal; it must be grown [in] the right conditions.... You have, for example, patients with chemotherapy... or children with epilepsy.... You need structure,” he said.

Regarding the price increase, he said that in the world of medicine today, it is “impossible” to maintain the price levels as in the past. It isn’t reasonable to charge the same amount for varying prescriptions of cannabis. For example, with any other drug, if there were options for 400 mg. or 800 mg., the prices would not be the same.

That being said, Afek sympathizes with patients who have to pay more, and offered a more suitable solution – namely, adding marijuana to the health basket. “The larger question is why do people have to pay if it is a medicine?”

As for the long wait times, he said it is a huge issue, “one of the worst problems the Israeli healthcare system is facing, not just in [the case of] cannabis.” For this reason, he is trying to fix the problem of a lack of physicians and healthcare professionals and is working to open a state-of-the-art private medical institution at Reichman University.

Medical marijuana is medicine, he stresses, so barriers must be in place, and prescriptions should be “based on medical consultations.” This is why psychiatric evaluations are necessary. From his words, it appears the medical establishment is working hard to help patients, even if they may not always feel the benefits.

Tour of the R&D facilities

AT THE TASE- and NASDAQ-traded Canonic, a subsidy of Evogene, CEO Ofer Haviv gave The Jerusalem Post a tour of the R&D facilities (the biggest in Israel) and explained how the company tests new strains of cannabis.

Evogene specializes in the manipulation of plants to produce a better crop. It does this along the farming cycle in everything from corn to marijuana. For cannabis, the keys are genomics and chemistry. According to Haviv, the company “combines the two to find the best match and strain” for patients. The company’s director of plant breeding, Dr. Michi Brog, described the process of closed-environment growing.

In their research, they have discovered how the plant affects the pain levels of specific areas of the human body. In doing this, Canonic is able to grow strains that are nearly perfectly targeted at specific patients’ needs, ensuring that those like Rubenstein can receive the best possible care.

These agricultural advancements are heavily aided by artificial intelligence, something new and unique in the field of cannabis. This works by connecting the metabolites, molecules that aid in signaling, such as THC, with areas such as stress and pain. They call it “Indicator AI,” and it is used in their ChemPassAI and GeneRator AI systems.

Haviv said that it “takes all the data to maximize clinical effects, give a premium appearance, and profitable production.” The data included in the company’s AI system calculations are things such as the plant’s genetics and chemistry. As a result, they have seen a 20% increase in THC over the past two years and a much better product for their patients.

Inside their greenhouses – where they are growing currently, not in fully indoor settings, which are planned for the near future – the pungent smell of marijuana is present. They are mainly selling plants, though producing some oils. Their cannabis is sold under their own brand but also white-labeled to other brands selling in the country. Israel is the only place they sell today, in roughly 110 pharmacies.

That supply also reaches the streets, via apps like Telegrass and other outlets, despite the official illegal status of cannabis in Israel. Recreational usage is everywhere, and in Tel Aviv it’s impossible to walk down a street or by a café and not get a whiff of the sweet smell of burning marijuana. Despite attempts at bills to legalize recreational usage, political considerations of various parties will likely keep cannabis in the official no-go status. But in essence, for personal usage, it’s anything goes, making Israel one of the most cannabis-friendly countries in the world, on par with legal locations like Amsterdam, Colorado, and California.

Haviv laments the rising cost of medical marijuana in the country, something he aims to fight, though this has been difficult due to the increase in international growers selling in the country, who flood the market with very high prices for high-quality product and very low prices for low-quality product.

This was echoed by Modi’in patient Rubenstein, who said that there is no shortage of very high-quality medical marijuana in Israel – if your budget suits it.

For those who need it, though, it’s not a luxury. And the challenge facing the industry going forward is how to provide people like Rubenstein with the proper care for their specific needs without breaking the bank.

How Canada is a children's TV powerhouse, from ‘You Can’t Do That On Television,’ to ‘Paw Patrol’

Story by Natalie Coulter, Associate Professor of Communication Studies, and Director of the Institute for Research on Digital Literacies, York University, Canada

The Conversation• Yesterday

The 'Paw Patrol' balloon makes its way down Central Park West during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, in November 2022.

© (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

The children’s show Paw Patrol, launched by Spin Master Entertainment 10 years ago, is broadcast in more than 30 languages across nearly 180 countries and reaches 350 million households. Retail sales of Paw Patrol merchandise have surpassed US$14 billion.

Yet, despite its huge international success, it isn’t celebrated as a Canadian success in the same way other Canadian TV shows such as Schitt’s Creek or Murdoch Mysteries have been.

A recent Globe and Mail article on the boom in Canada’s children’s TV noted that “Canadians are working on the highest quality content, globally.”

Shows like Big Blue, created by Ghanian Canadian animator Gyimah Gariba, have global reach and have received critical acclaim. Big Blue follows adventures of two Black siblings in an underwater universe and airs on CBC Kids, Nicktoons in the United Kingdom and the Cartoon Network in Africa.

Yet, there is little awareness here in Canada of the country’s global reach in children’s television content production.



Near and dear to our hearts

In the past 70 years, shows such as Fraggle Rock (1983-87 and 2022), You Can’t Do That On Television (1979–90) and Caillou (1997-2010 and 2023) have become internationally renowned.

Many of these shows are near and dear to our hearts and we hold deep nostalgia for them. Mr. Dressup (1967-96) for example, was voted as Canada’s most memorable (English) television show in a Twitter battle hosted by CBC journalist Justin McElroy. The show handily beat The Kids in the Hall (also well-loved, and now back in a new series on Prime).

Children’s media is massively under-researched or ignored in scholarship about Canadian cultural industries, and similarly in overlapping areas like Canadian media studies, media history, children’s studies or even Canadian children’s history.

Redefining values and representation

There is a long history of children’s TV shows produced in French. For example, Bobino (1957-85), featured a whimsical friend and his little sister. Passe-Partout originally ran between 1977-92, featuring playful human characters and a family of puppets that are still cherished today. The show relaunched in 2019 and is still running.

Originally financed by Québec’s Department of Education, Passe-Partout was so popular that adults who grew up watching the original show are often referred to as the Passe-Partout generation.

There is also a rich history of television content by Indigenous creators. Takuginai, launched in 1986 and still running, is produced by the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation. It has over 800 episodes that blend animation, live hosts and puppets. These are featured alongside documentary film clips of Elders and local artists teaching Inuktitut and Inuit culture.



Other Indigenous shows include the stop-motion series Wapos Bay (2005–11), that traces the adventures of four children from a Cree community in northern Saskatchewan. Vistas (2009) is a short film series on nationhood produced in collaboration between the National Film Board and APTN from 13 Indigenous filmmakers.



In the past 70 years, many of these aforementioned shows have contributed significantly to redefining national values and symbols and contributed to a fuller picture of cultural and racialized diversity. But as research from the Children’s Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University indicates, there is still a ways to go with representing children across the country.

Canada as hub

Canada is also an international hub for the children’s entertainment industry.

For example, the children’s media program at Centennial College is world-renowned, as is Sheridan College’s animation program. And Kidscreen — the top trade publication for the global children’s entertainment industry — is produced in Toronto, demonstrating the depth of cultural capital here.

Children’s TV is one of our country’s biggest media exports. According to a recent report by the Canadian Media Producers Association, in 2021-22 Canadian children’s and youth television companies co-produced $73 million of content in partnership with other countries (such as the U.K. and France) making this content the largest contributor to Canada’s television.

Children’s media and policy, funding decisions

We are missing an appreciation of our history. Canadian children’s television has shaped children’s media around the world and has had a big impact on how media should tell stories to child audiences.

For example, much of Nickelodeon’s early programming was Canadian children’s TV often produced by local TV stations. Shows such as You Can’t Do That On Television (1979–90) and Today’s Special (1981-87) were the backbone of the station’s programming schedule, and were revolutionary in positioning the child audience as an empowered citizen.

Without an appreciation for Canada’s long history of children’s media production, the danger exists that the industry won’t be prioritized in policy decisions or in funding opportunities.

For example, the Canadian government is currently struggling to figure out how to regulate streaming content with Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act. It is unclear how the bill will impact the industry and the content that Canadian children have access to.

Museum exhibits: telling the stories

If you are looking for something to do this summer, there are two museum exhibits that rectify this oversight in unknown stories of Canadian children’s media.

The Canadian Museum of History, in Ottawa-Gatineau, is currently holding a special exhibit called From Pepinot to Paw Patrol — Television of our Childhoods, until Sept. 1, 2023, covering 70 years of Canadian children’s TV from coast to coast to coast.

Featuring 100 shows and 85 artifacts, the exhibit aims to create an intergenerational and intercultural experience for the whole family.

On a smaller scale, Myseum in Toronto, in its exhibit From Mr. Dressup to Degrassi: 42 Years of Legendary Toronto Kids TV, on until Aug. 19, 2023, focuses on celebrating children’s TV programs produced in Toronto from the 1950s to 1990s.

These two exhibits are a start in reclaiming the legacies of Canadian children’s media. Let’s hope this new recognition for these rich productions and these not-so-well-known cultural exports will be the start of a new beginning.

Olivier Côté from the Canadian History Museum co-authored this story.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

Read more:

Caillou cancelled by PBS: Kids’ TV is now more diverse, but must do better

How the Online Streaming Act will support Canadian content

Migrants face misery in Tunisia. Rights activists fear that the EU deal will make things even worse

• Saturday, July 22, 2023

Migrants face misery in Tunisia. Rights activists fear that the EU deal will make things even worse© Provided by The Canadian Press

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Migrants in Tunisia’s port city of Sfax who are aiming to make Europe their new home are now sharing the burden and the blame for escalating tensions deeply tinged with racism, amid the fears of European leaders who are trying to stanch the numbers of people arriving at their shores.

The antagonism that exploded in recent weeks in Sfax between Tunisians and mainly Black sub-Saharan migrants is widely seen as a turning point in how this North African nation deals with migration.

European leaders are offering millions to Tunisia amid the abuses, and activists fear a migration summit in Rome on Sunday will pursue an anti-migrant vision that puts the onus on Africa to keep Africans out of Europe.

Hundreds of migrants have drowned at sea trying to reach Italy in fragile boats, but now migrants awaiting their chance to cross the Mediterranean cower in fear, some beaten or bused by authorities to new destinations, others dumped in the desert.

Musa Khalid from Congo was among a group of migrants expelled from Tunisia and found by Libyan border guards huddling in a barren zone last weekend. He said that Tunisian officials took their belongings and money before transferring them out of the Tunisian port city of Sfax and dropping them off without food or water.

“As we tried to enter Tunisia again, they beat us badly. They broke my hand and hit my head," he told the Associated Press near the Al Assa border point in Libya, holding up a wrist wrapped in cloth. "We are in the desert now for several days. Sir, please.”

Human rights activists from North Africa, West Africa and Europe met in Tunis this week and denounced the upcoming Rome meeting, predicting that it will amount to a bartering of values for financial incentives to stave off migrants from European shores.

“Today, the Mediterranean’s calling is no longer to be a bridge between two shores, but a wall separating all of Europe from all of the African continent,” said the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, which organized the Thursday meeting.

Italy is trying to decrease the number of migrant arrivals and stabilize Tunisia, in its worst economic crisis in a generation. Thousands of migrants have arrived in Sfax this year, but there's no solid figure of how many are in the city, or how many have left since the anti-migrant campaign started.

Tunisia has become the main stepping stone to Italy, Europe's gateway, replacing Libya, where widespread abuse of migrants has been reported. Of the 76,325 migrant arrivals in Italy so far this year until last Sunday, 44,151 took the sea route from Tunisia compared to 28,842 leaving from Libya, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.

That is pushing up numbers in the reception center in Italy’s southernmost island of Lampedusa, with officials saying 2,500 people were at the site on Sunday following the arrival of 266 overnight.

Related video: MEP's slam EU deal with Tunisia: 'Serious human rights concerns' and rapid slide towards autocracy (France 24)
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Al Jazeera Stranded Refugees: Dozens stuck at Tunisia-Libya border
2:03

Al Jazeera  Tunisia ‘breaching international law’ over expulsion of migrants
2:17

Al Jazeera   Hear from migrants expelled from Tunisia and left at the border
2:04

President Kais Saied, Tunisia’s increasingly authoritarian leader, stoked racist reactions to migrants in February, saying that sub-Saharan Africans arriving in huge numbers are part of a plot to erase Tunisia’s Islamic identity. He has since tried to walk back such pronouncements, denying racist views and saying the migrant issue must be treated at its roots.

That’s one intent of the Rome conference, which will gather nearly 20 heads of state and government or ministers from the Middle East to the Sahel and North Africa, along with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and an array of financial institutions.

The one-day summit is part of Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni’s efforts to position Italy at the center of issues impacting the Mediterranean. The conference aims to come up with concrete proposals to decrease migration numbers by addressing the root causes, while combating migrant trafficking. It will also discuss energy policies, including ways to diversify energy sources, and climate change.

It's widely viewed by human rights advocates as a road map for what is to come.

The Rome summit comes a week after Saied signed a memorandum of understanding for a “comprehensive strategic partnership” in a meeting that included Meloni and von der Leyen. Financial details weren't released, but the EU has held out the promise of nearly 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to help restart Tunisia’s hobbled economy, and 100 million euros ($111 million) for border control as well as search and rescue missions at sea and repatriating immigrants without residence permits.

Despite signing the deal, the Tunisian president has stressed in the past that Tunisia won't become Europe’s border guard or serve as a land of resettlement.

Human rights organizations say that bartering money for lives is a betrayal of values. For some opponents, such deals are a new form of neo-colonialism.

“The EU risks not only perpetuating (human rights abuses) but also emboldening repressive rulers, who can brag about warmer relations with European partners while claiming credit for securing financial support for their failing economies," New York-based Human Rights Watch said ahead of the Rome summit.

With high hopes smashed, migrants cower in fear of the anti-migrant backlash that has forced many from their shelters in Sfax and onto buses to unknown parts.

Tunisian security forces had dumped at least 500 migrants in the desert border zone with Libya earlier this month, but they were transferred July 10 to other regions of Tunisia, according to the Red Crescent.

Some were forgotten.

Libyan border guards said on June 16 that in the past few days they had found at least six men and women and children stranded under temperatures above 40 C (104 F). That is in addition to a group they came across that day, when they rescued migrants who had been huddling in the hot desert for several days near the Al Assa border point. The scene was filmed by The Associated Press.

“There are people affected as a result of the cruelty and beating ... by Tunisian border guards,” said commander of Al-Assa Desert Border Guard, Maj. Ayman Al-Qadri, carefully adding that he was citing migrants’ statements.

___

Elaine Ganley reported from Paris. Colleen Barry contributed to this report from Milan.

Bouazza Ben Bouazza And Elaine Ganley, The Associated Press

Italy's Meloni seeks broad cooperation to stanch flows of migrants to Europe with aid to Africa

• Saturday, July 22, 2023

ROME (AP) — Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni on Sunday called for new, more equal relationships between Europe and migrants’ countries of origin and transit as she convened a summit of some 20 nations, EU officials and international organizations aimed at stanching flows of illegal migration.

The one-day conference is a Meloni initiative that aims to make Italy a leader in resolving issues impacting Mediterranean nations. Chief among them is migration, as Italy sustains hundreds of new arrivals daily on Europe's southern border, but also energy as Europe looks to Africa and the Middle East to permanently replace Russian supplies.

Human rights groups see the meeting, which includes nations from both northern and sub-Saharan Africa as well as the Middle East, as creating a future roadmap, and worry it will amount to anti-migrant policies that put the onus on Africa to keep Africans out of Europe.

Meloni told the opening meeting that Western arrogance had likely stood in the way of solutions to the migrant issue. She proposed four main prongs for future cooperation: fighting criminal organizations trafficking migrants, better managing flows of migrants, supporting refugees and helping countries of origin.

“The West too often has given the impression of being more interested in giving lessons rather than lending a hand,’’ Meloni said. “It is probably this diffidence that has made it difficult to make progress on solutions.”

She said if flows were better managed there would be more room for legal migration. In her closing press conference, Meloni emphasized that there were no legal means of entry for many people who might have a case for refugee status, because quotas are filled by those who arrive illegally.

"Until yesterday, we had the mentality that said migration cannot be limited, it is a right, borders don't exist. That is not my approach because borders exist, migration must be managed,'' Meloni said.

She said the participants welcomed the conference's concrete, goal-oriented approach, and noted that the United Arab Emirates had pledged 100 million euros to help improve conditions in countries where poverty and a lack of services is pushing emigration.

“In an era where so much attention is given to the right to migrate, we are not paying sufficient attention to the right to not be forced to emigrate, to not be forced to flee their own homes, to not be forced to abandon their land and leave family members in search of a new life," Meloni said during opening remarks.

The conference comes against the backdrop of migrants being pushed back from Tunisia into Libya, where they are stuck in the desert, many exposed to the harsh elements.

Pope Francis, in his traditional Sunday blessing, called on leaders in Europe and Africa to find a solution to the thousands of people who are blocked at borders in North Africa.

“Thousands of them have been experiencing indescribable suffering for weeks, and have been trapped and abandoned in deserts,'' the pontiff said. “May the Mediterranean no longer be a theater of death and inhumanity,’’ the pope said, calling for a sense of “fraternity, solidarity and welcoming.”

The Rome summit comes a week after one of the key participants, Tunisian President Kais Saied, signed a memorandum of understanding for a “comprehensive strategic partnership” in a meeting that included Meloni and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Financial details weren’t released, but the EU has held out the promise of nearly 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to help restart Tunisia’s hobbled economy, and 100 million euros ($111 million) for border control as well as search and rescue missions at sea and repatriating immigrants without residence permits.

Saied told the conference said that Tunisia would not allow Europe-bound migrants to settle in the country and that Tunisia will not be a “corridor for outlaws.”

He called for the establishment of a new global financial institution to tackle the root causes of migration and create prosperity and hope in poor countries.

Migrants pay traffickers thousands to make the perilous journey across Africa’s deserts. Many report suffering torture and other abuse along the way. And hundreds drown each year at sea trying to reach Europe in fragile boats.

More than 1,900 migrants have died or gone missing and are presumed missing in the Mediterranean so far this year, bringing the total of dead and missing since 2014 to 27,675, according to the International Organization for Migration. A further 483 are dead or missing in Africa this year.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of global migration and hub link at https://apnews.com/hub/migration.
The Associated Press

Tunisia migration deal a model for others, EU's von der Leyen says



Reuters
Sun, July 23, 2023 at

ROME (Reuters) - The European Union's pact with Tunisia can serve as a model for other countries, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday, as the EU struggles to stem unauthorised flows of migrants across the Mediterranean.

The EU and Tunisia last week signed a "strategic partnership" deal that includes cracking down on human traffickers and tightening borders.

Europe also pledged 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in aid to help Tunisia with its battered economy and rescue state finances.

"We want our agreement with Tunisia to be a template. A blueprint for the future. For partnerships with other countries in the region," von der Leyen told a conference in Rome.

She said the EU should offer a legal pathway to take in migrants rather than them risking their lives in perilous sea crossings.

New strategic partnerships would incorporate economic development, trade and investment, with mutual advantages in areas such as climate and renewable energy.

"This Mediterranean region has vast natural resources like sun, wind and immense landscapes in abundance. You have the potential and the ambition to be global energy powerhouses in a net-zero world," she said, citing Europe's hydrogen partnerships with Egypt and Morocco. ($1 = 0.8990 euros)

(Reporting by Angelo Amante; Writing by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Keith Weir)

Artificial intelligence boom generates optimism in tech sector as stocks soar

Story by Dan Milmo Global technology editor • THE GUARDIAN - July 22,2023

US tech companies started the year in the doldrums, beset by a cost overhang from excessively zealous pandemic hiring sprees and fears about the impact of rising interest rates. Things were looking grim – then along came artificial intelligence (AI).

Tech stocks and the blue-chip S&P 500 index have since been buoyed by breakthroughs in generative AI – led by the ChatGPT chatbot – and the promise of a new era of growth for the sector. The S&P 500 is up 18.6% so far in 2023 while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite is up 35.7%. Six months is a long time in a fast-moving industry.

Five of the biggest beneficiaries of the US tech resurgence report quarterly results over the next two weeks: Facebook owner Meta, Google parent Alphabet, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft.

Each has individual factors at play in their recent stock performances, but the AI frenzy has provided a general lift to the sector. Chipmaker Nvidia, which reported its three-monthly results in May, is the emblem of the revival – becoming a $1tn company off demand for its products to provide processing power for the new technology.

Big tech is a “torchbearer” for the stock boom around AI, says Dan Ives, managing director at US financial company Wedbush Securities, who predicts that spending on such ventures could reach as much as $800bn (£625bn) over the next decade.

“Heading into the second half of 2023, we see a much broader tech rally ahead as investors further digest the ramifications of this $800bn AI spending wave on the horizon and what this means for the software, chip, hardware and tech ecosystem over the next year,” he says.

Ives adds that Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet are benefiting through their cloud computing services – which rent out server capacity to companies – because cloud services are being used to train and operate generative AI models, the data-hungry networks that power chatbots and image generators.

“We view this as a ‘1995 internet moment’... not a ‘1999 dot bubble moment’. We estimate for 2024 that AI could comprise up to 8% to 10% of overall IT budgets v [approximately] 1% in 2023,” he says.

But some investment professionals urge caution. Hyun Ho Sohn, portfolio manager of Fidelity’s global technology fund, said last week that the tech sector had become a “very narrow, thematically driven market” fuelled by generative AI. Indeed, US tech stocks had a wobble on Thursday after investors reacted poorly to the latest results from Tesla and Netflix.

“It is important to remain cautious – or perhaps realistic,” he says. “Every technology company seems to be pitching an AI angle.”

James Knightley, chief international economist at ING in New York, says the macroeconomic picture for US stocks is tough, thanks to retail sales slowing and industrial production contracting.

“My personal view is that there is little on the macro side that is driving the rally in stocks. It is more a market belief that recession risks are not quite as high as they were previously and that while AI and tech advances have the potential to boost economic activity, it is the companies that are driving this that will gain most of the rewards,” he says.

The AI frenzy aside, tech companies are not immune to the wider US (and global) economy, with Apple forecast to post a drop in revenue. Meta, for instance, is exposed to macroeconomic conditions, owing to its reliance on advertising revenue.

Tony Sycamore, analyst at online trading platform IG, says the good news from Meta’s AI initiatives, its launch of “Twitter killer” Threads and tough action on costs is already reflected in its share price. “The danger of elevated expectations against a 136% rise in the share price is that a lot of good news is already in the price,” he says.

AI, however, is generating a convincing answer to any concerns.

ChatGPT and Threads reflect the challenges of fast tech adoption

 Omar H. Fares, Lecturer in the Ted Rogers School of Retail Management, Toronto Metropolitan University 

Seung Hwan (Mark) Lee, Professor and Associate Dean of Engagement & Inclusion, Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University 

•  THE CONVERSATION , July 21,2023

Meta’s Threads platform experienced a significant drop in users recently.© (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

ChatGPT recently experienced a decline in user engagement for the first time since its launch in November 2022. From May to June, engagement dropped 9.7 per cent, with the largest decline — 10.3 per cent — occurring in the United States.

Meanwhile, Meta’s Threads platform experienced a significant drop in user numbers, going from more than 49 million users on July 7 to 23.6 million active users by July 14. In the same time frame, the average time users in the U.S. spent on the app dropped from a peak of 21 minutes in early July to just above six minutes.

In the tech world, companies are always racing to be the first ones to introduce new innovations, aiming for the “first mover’s advantage.” This refers to a firm’s ability to get a head start over competitors by being the first to enter a new product category or market.

However, being a trailblazer doesn’t guarantee an easy ride. While there are perceived benefits, there are also a plethora of challenges that arise.

The recent declines of Threads and ChatGPT attest to this reality, demonstrating that rapid and widespread acceptance doesn’t necessarily lead to long-term success.

There are a few reasons why a fast adoption isn’t necessarily the key to success including unsustainable growth, inadequate scaling infrastructure and a lack of user retention strategies.

Unsustainable growth

The idea of unsustainable growth stems from a platform’s inability to uphold or maintain the quality of the user experience while scaling up at a rapid pace.

This is where the real challenge lies: being able to effectively scale up a product or service. It is precisely at this junction that the concept of unsustainable growth intersects with the Gartner Hype Cycle.

The Gartner Hype Cycle is a model that shows the stages of emerging technology adoption: from the initial hype and inflated expectations, through disillusionment and skepticism, to practical and mainstream productivity.



A graph illustrating how ChatGPT and Threads fit into the Gartner Hype Cycle.

© (Omar H. Fares and Seung Hwan Lee)

In the context of unsustainable growth, products like ChatGPT and Threads appear to have reached the stage known as “peak of inflated expectations,” where the publicity of a new product generates over-enthusiasm and unrealistic expectations. During this stage, users rapidly adopt the product due to its novelty and the hype surrounding it.

However, this stage often leads to the “trough of disillusionment.” During this stage, the product fails to meet users’ unrealistic expectations, causing a decline in their interest.

It indicates the product’s growth may have outpaced its ability to provide an excellent user experience. Without enhancing the product based on user feedback, declining user engagement will ensue.

This rise and fall underscores the challenge of achieving sustainable growth in the face of rapid adoption. The initial hype often attracts a massive influx of users, but without a clear, scalable strategy for maintaining quality and engagement, platforms can quickly lose their appeal.

Inadequate scaling infrastructure


ChatGPT recently experienced a decline in user engagement for the first time this year since its launch in November 2022.© (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

When a platform’s user base expands at a rapid pace, the question of whether that platform’s infrastructure can scale to the demands of its users becomes critical.

The sudden influx of users that accompanies a successful product launch can be a double-edged sword; it brings a wealth of opportunities for data collection, user feedback and revenue, but also tests the scalability of the platform’s infrastructure.

If the underlying technology, support services or operational strategies are not built to scale, the product might suffer from slow loading times, frequent crashes or a lack of timely customer support — all of which are detrimental to the user experience and a product’s long-term success.

For instance, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, had to limit ChatGPT-4 users to 25 messages every three hours due to infrastructure constraints — even for those with a paid membership. While this helps manage the infrastructure load, it presents a challenge from the user’s perspective.

Users who were accustomed to unlimited interactions with ChatGPT-3 now find themselves paying for a service with limitations. This may inadvertently dampen user engagement and drive some users away, underscoring the delicate balance between managing infrastructure and maintaining user satisfaction.

Lack of user retention strategies

One reason why tech businesses struggle to retain users is because they don’t prioritize user-centered design. By failing to incorporate user feedback in product development, businesses can end up offering a product that doesn’t meet user needs.

In addition, businesses must provide effective support for users. Insufficient or unclear onboarding may leave users feeling lost and overwhelmed, leading them to abandon the product. In the case of ChatGPT, OpenAI provides a basic explanation of platform usage, but users are primarily responsible for exploring it themselves.

Users experiment with prompts without a clear understanding of how to generate impactful responses, resulting in uncertainty and frustration. This lack of guidance may contribute to lower engagement rates, as observed in the recent decline.

Read more: ChatGPT could be a game-changer for marketers, but it won't replace humans any time soon

Lastly, increasing concerns about security threats and privacy have raised questions about how new technologies are protecting their users. The conflict between the need for more personalized experiences and privacy can give rise to a phenomenon called the personalization-privacy paradox.

As individuals grow increasingly uneasy about how their personal information is stored, the lack of proper regulations can lead to a decline in the use of personalized services or technologies.

While rapid user adoption is a promising start, it doesn’t guarantee long-term success. Striking the right balance between growth and infrastructure scalability, adopting a user-centric approach, maintaining user trust and investing in continuous innovation are the cornerstones for enduring success in the competitive tech landscape.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

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Aki Kikinomakaywin 'learning on the land' camp in Thunder Bay gets Indigenous youth excited about science

Story by Taylor O'Brien •  CBC - Friday July 21,2023

Indigenous youth gathered this week at Lakehead University and Confederation College in Thunder Bay, Ont., in a special camp centred on Aki Kikinomakaywin — Ojibway for "learning on the land."

Seventeen young people aged 12 to 16 came from First Nations across northern Ontario to participate in the second year of the program that began July 16. The activities included conducting stream assessments through Indigenous ways of knowing, combined with Western science.

A big goal of the camp is to teach STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) by way of land-based, hands-on activities, and to encourage youth to want to pursue post-secondary education.

For Nicholas Cada, who's from Mississauga First Nation, the camp helped him learn a lot about his community and people. Nicholas, 16, said he may even pursue a career in pharmacy.

"The most interesting thing [I've learned is] probably the nature or the medicine walk we went on recently," said Nicholas.

"Going out into the wild and just looking at different medicines that we use that are still common in pharmaceutical areas, that are just completely natural, is really cool to me."

The camp covers the cost of food and accommodations for the youth, including a charter departing from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., to get to Thunder Bay

Lydia Johnson, project lead for Aki Kikinomakaywin, said this year's camp was months in the making.

"To be here and be with the kids has been amazing, and I think, as you can see, everyone's having a really good time," she said.



Dillon Koopmans, the senior manager of education at Water First Education & Training Inc., teaches young people at Aki Kikinomakaywin how to perform a stream assessment of the river connecting to Lake Tamblyn at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont. (Marc Doucette/CBC)© Provided by cbc.ca

Johnson said leaders work to root the camp in Indigenous culture, stories and teachings.

"We also are attempting to do a two-eyed seeing approach where we weave together Indigenous and Western ways of knowing," she said. "So you'll see through a lot of our activities that we try to bring both of those ways of knowing in."

One of the goals of Aki Kikinomakaywin is to get Indigenous adolescents excited about post-secondary education, through a novel teaching method.

"Being able to show that we can do science, and we can use our culture and use our teachings, and do those things in tandem I think is so important," said Johnson. "And hopefully we'll start bringing a bunch more youth into post-secondary, and also connected youth, into post-secondary."

Sheila DeCorte, from Anemki Wajiw, is one of the knowledge keepers at Aki Kikinomakaywin.

DeCorte said it's important for the campers to learn about the significance of water.

"Water is life, and without water there would be no life," said DeCorte. "So [the youth] need to learn the cultural side of how to protect and care for the water, not only for our generation, but future generations."

Kayden Cherneske, 14, a camper from the Ojibway First Nation of Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg, collected a water sample to do a stream assessment, in order to understand the impacts of land use on water. He said testing on several samples will help him learn if the water is safe to drink.



Kayden Cherneske from Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg collects a water sample for Aki Kikinomakaywin's stream assessment. Cherneske says the samples will be tested to determine if the water is safe to drink.

 (Marc Doucette/CBC)

Dillon Koopmans, senior manager of education at Water First Education & Training Inc., taught Aki Kikinomakaywin campers how to perform a stream assessment of the river connecting to Lake Tamblyn at Lakehead University.

Koopmans said it's important to remember the goal is to help, heal and protect the water when doing work on it.

DeCorte said it's the responsibility of Indigenous youth to protect and care for all living things.

"If they want to go into the Western science of water, then they're going to need to also be aware of the cultural side of things, so that they're remembering to honour and respect Mother Earth — remember to honour and respect the water itself, because it is a living entity, and to respect all beings here on Mother Earth."

DeCorte added it's hoped students gaining knowledge from Aki Kikinomakaywin will want to pursue a career in Western science.

"Or maybe they'll become a knowledge keeper in the opposite side of things. But even if the ones that aren't as engaged, even if they retain one thing all week, then that'll be positive too."

Nicholas said he plans to bring what he's learned at the camp back to his community.

"I know that back where I'm from, we have not so much medical attention. So it's going to be good to go out there and maybe offer some traditional alternatives for popular medicines."

Another camper, Kiaya Nowegijick of the Ojibway First Nations of Gull Bay and Webequie, said she has an interest in medicines and stories, and liked how the Aki Kikinomakaywin leaders conducted the teachings, "how they learn how to live on the land and medicines, and just culture stuff, to reconnect with their culture."

Kiaya, 15, also hopes to share what she learned with her community so they can grow together.

"Even before this, I wanted to be an Indigenous advocate for my community, and to fight for our rights and fight for our land back."

CANADA
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May hospitalized for 'overwork, fatigue and stress,' husband says

Story by John Paul Tasker • Jul 10, 2023

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May was hospitalized last week for fatigue owing to the "idiotic" schedule MPs kept in the dying days of Parliament, her husband said in a note to constituents.

John Kidder said his spouse was "undone" by a punishing workload and spent a few days "under observation" at a hospital in her Vancouver Island riding before being discharged Saturday to recuperate at home.

May, 69, will be off her feet for another week before resuming some of her usual summer duties, Kidder said.

Kidder, who is himself a founding member of the Green Party in British Columbia, blamed May's hospitalization on marathon voting sessions — which had MPs in the House of Commons until midnight some days in June — combined with her constituency duties and her role as Green Party co-leader.

"Does it not seem odd to you that we expect our parliamentarians to work double shifts through May and June, sometimes nineteen-hour days, to sit until midnight almost every day, to keep up with their always demanding constituency work, and still to have minds at all?" Kidder said.

Government House Leader Mark Holland extended the Commons sitting times to clear the legislative decks and pass some key government bills before a three-month summer recess.

Among the bills enacted were C-47, the budget bill, and C-18, legislation that forces tech giants like Facebook and Google to pay news outlets for posting their journalism on their platforms.

The opposition Conservatives tried to stall some bills but the government, with the support of the NDP, introduced a parliamentary manoeuvre called "time allocation" on several occasions to shut down debate and move bills to votes.

Kidder said that in any "decent union job," grievances would be "flying thick and fast" if workers had to deal with what MPs like May endure.

He said it's acknowledged that, in other professions, people "cannot do their best work when they're over-tired," and yet MPs are expected to handle "routine sixteen-hour days in and out of Parliament, constant travel, instant responses to matters of urgency from constituents and the press, to be available for any and all local matters."

He said May recently attended nine high school graduation ceremonies that lasted hours and Toronto's Pride parade, all while carrying out "the additional multiple-pronged job as leader of the Green Party of Canada, itself nearly regular full-time work for any reasonable mortal."



Green Party Leader Elizabeth May walks in the Toronto Pride Parade on Sunday, June 25, 2023. 

(Chris Young/Canadian Press)

"The summer festivities have been cut down because of the idiotic schedule in the spring, that itself because (my opinion) Parliament spends so much time in idiot bickering that actual legislation always takes longer than expected, and always backs up into the late spring. Predictable, just like climate change," Kidder said.

In response to claims that parliamentarians are overworked, MPs voted recently to permanently extend a COVID-era hybrid policy that allows for virtual attendance and voting.

Kidder also told constituents that May got "a close-up and very personal look" at "troubling elements" of Canada's "vaunted health-care system."

He said they both lack a family doctor and struggled to get May seen by a professional when she fell ill. He said public health care is "a messed-up system" staffed by "wonderful people" who endure workloads like May's with "even more personal stress."

After stepping down from the party's leadership in 2019, May returned to lead the party last year after a disastrous result for the Greens in the 2021 federal election.

The party nearly came apart at the seams due to party infighting during Annamie Paul's fractious time as leader. Paul compared her time at the helm to crawling over broken glass — a painful experience she described as the worst of her life.

Quebec human rights advocate Jonathan Pedneault is the party's co-leader.

Brazilian players at the Women's World Cup urge fans back home to skip work to watch their matches

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Brazil’s players urged their fans back in South America to stay home from work and watch them begin their Women's World Cup campaign against Panama.

The fact that their fans even have that option marks a step forward in the players’ ongoing fight for equality with their male counterparts.

Brazil president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva recently announced that civil servants could arrive at work up to two hours after the final whistle of Brazil’s games in the the tournament. He encouraged private businesses to do the same.

The Brazil-Panama match starts at 8:30 p.m. Monday in Adelaide, Australia. There is a roughly 12-hour time difference between the countries.

“I hope people really follow (the games) and don’t use it just to skip work,” Brazilian defender Antonia said from the team's camp in Brisbane. “I hope people really follow us.”

Taking time off work to watch important soccer matches is nothing new for fans of Brazil’s men’s team, but this is a first for the women’s national team

“It’s an important step for women’s football,” Antonia said. “I believe that it is a little behind, but it happened and we have to value that.”

While it’s a step toward equality, it brings added pressure. The team is aiming for its first World Cup title to prove themselves to their country and the world as a top team in women’s soccer.

Related video: Soccer fans hope USA women's team can make history with World Cup threepeat (Tribune Content Agency)  Duration 1:49   View on Watch

“It’s already a very big movement,” midfielder Angelina said of the team’s support in Brazil, “and the expectation is only increasing.”

Brazil has competed in every Women’s World Cup with their best result in 2007 finishing runners-up to Germany. They have won two silver medals at the Olympics, in 2004 and in 2008. Marta, one of the world’s most well-known and accomplished players, will be playing in her last World Cup. Marta holds the record for most World Cup goals scored by men or women with 17 and the most international goals scored for Brazil with 115.

In March, Lula endorsed Brazil’s bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup alongside Brazil’s sports minister, Ana Moser, and the president of the Brazil's soccer confederation, Ednaldo Rodrigues.

“It will motivate the construction of a political conscience of the Brazilian people so they understand women’s effective participation in every field they can and want to take a part of,” Lula said at the time.

Moser will be visiting Australia and New Zealand during the World Cup, cheering on the team but also strengthening Brazil’s 2027 bid. Brazil is competing against South Africa, as well as two combined bids — from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, and from the United States and Mexico.

Brazil’s players recognize that they're playing for a brighter future for women’s soccer in their country at this World Cup.

“Taking this first step," Antonia said. “I believe it is very important and that it continues to evolve, that it continues like this and that people really wake up and start to follow women’s football from now on.”

____

Molly Lee is a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

___

AP Women’s World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-womens-world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Molly Lee, The Associated Press

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M

Washington Commanders co-owner Dan Snyder. Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Dan Snyder fined $60 million following independent investigation

By Adam Gretz  |  Last updated 7/20/23

The NFL owners approved the sale of the Washington Commanders on Thursday. The league then revealed the findings of an independent investigation into outgoing owner Dan Snyder.

As a result of those findings, the league is ordering Snyder to pay the league $60 million after it was found that he sexually harassed a team employee and deliberately withheld millions in revenue from the NFL's other 31 franchises.

The investigation concluded that Snyder had withheld at least $11 million in revenue that should have been shared with other teams, and potentially even more that the investigation could not account for. 

The investigation was led by former U.S. Attorney and SEC chair Mary Jo White.

"The conduct substantiated in Ms. White's findings has no place in the NFL," said commissioner Roger Goodell in releasing the league's findings. "We strive for workplaces that are safe, respectful and professional. What Ms. Johnston experienced is inappropriate and contrary to the NFL's values."

The investigation was launched almost immediately after a former team employee, Tiffani Johnston, first made sexual harassment allegations against Snyder in front of a house committee last year. 

Snyder denied the allegations, while the report released on Thursday said that Snyder and the Commanders franchise were not fully cooperative in the investigation. 

The $60 million payment Snyder is being forced to pay might seem like a significant amount when compared to other punishments handed out by the league, but it comes on the same day that his sale of the Commanders franchise for $6 billion was approved by the league's owners. 

Roger Goodell addresses potential sovereign investment in NFL teams

Story by Adam La Rose, Pro Football Rumors • July 22,2023

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell

© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL witnessed its most recent franchise sale earlier this week and the league remains in a position where (with the exception of the Green Bay Packers) only private individuals are allowed to hold a stake in its teams. Commissioner Roger Goodell was recently asked about the possibility of that model changing.

Sovereign investment in North American and European sports franchises has become in increasingly common in recent years, with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) representing one of many examples of the power of foreign money. The proposed merger involving the rival PGA and LIV golf tours is one instance of the PIF’s expanding reach, something which prompted a question to Goodell about the NFL’s stance on the matter.

“We haven’t made the move as other leagues have to any kind of public investment,” Goodell said during an appearance on CNBC (via Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, on Twitter). “It’s something we’ll contemplate at some point in time, but we really like our basic model now where we have private ownership. Those owners are in the meeting room, they’re part of the league and they’re part of our success.

The level of interest shown in football by the PIF or similar entities remains unclear, so the NFL has little urgency to explore foreign investment for the time being. Developments in that regard could be worth watching closely in other North American pro leagues, however, given the fact that many NFL owners also have a controlling stake in other franchises.

The exploding value of NFL teams has been a notable trend recently and finances were a potential issue raised with the $6.05 billion purchase of the Commanders from the group led by Josh Harris. He assembled 20 minority partners to help fund the deal, but all majority owners are required to provide 30 percent of the sales price up front upon purchase. With the cost of doing so set to continue increasing considerably, the idea of foreign investors joining the league could remain a talking point for the foreseeable future, though Goodell’s remarks point to an acceptance of that being unlikely to take place soon.

ESPN spoke with NBA, NFL about 'strategic partnership,' potential ownership stakes

By Jason Clinkscales | Last updated 7/21/23

NBA commissioner Adam Silver. 

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Leaders at ESPN had early talks with the NBA and NFL about a "strategic partnership," which could lend to potential ownership stakes in the network, per Alex Sherman at CNBC.

Last week while joining other media leaders at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger told CNBC's David Farber that the company is considering selling some of its media operations but charted a different path for ESPN.

Iger said that he would be looking for a "strategic partner," but offered few details at the time other than stating that the union "could take the form of a joint venture or offloading an ownership stake."

Sherman reports that he and ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro have spoken with sports leagues about bringing them into the fold as minority owners, namely the NBA and NFL, which both have heavy presences on the network.

Whether anything comes from those conversations in the immediate future is hard to determine, but Sherman notes that any further partnership between ESPN and either or both leagues would be a boost for Disney:
The move would be a logical one for Disney as it tries to move past the traditional cable subscriber model and underscores how badly the company wants to find a solution for the sports network as its linear subscribers decline. Still, ESPN ratings have climbed in recent years on major sporting events. There’s no better partner for sports content than the leagues, themselves.

Superficially, it may make less sense for the NBA and NFL, which sign lucrative media rights deals with many media partners that fuel team revenue and player salaries with a range of media companies.

As with just about every television channel, ESPN has been greatly impacted by cord-cutting as consumers continue to give up on typically large cable packages (or cable, period) for streaming options.

Sports have been propping up live viewership for traditional media owners, yet they are also the most expensive properties in their offerings, and those costs have generally been passed down to consumers through higher subscription fees and to cable & satellite operators through affiliate fees.

Disney is also in the negotiation window with the NBA as its broadcasting rights agreement is due to expire after the 2024-25 season. The NBA is no stranger to deeper partnerships with a broadcaster as Warner Bros. Discovery manages NBA TV. The NFL is also looking for a way to offload some equity in its media properties, notably the NFL Network.

Nikolai Bukharin: Imperialism and World Economy