Industry Overview - Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) offer online gambling services to overseas clients, particularly in China [1] - Many scam centers use POGOs as a front for human trafficking and money laundering [1] Legal and Ethical Concerns - Underground tunnels connecting multi-million peso villas were found in the compound, indicating a large-scale operation [2] - A small town mayor was implicated, suggesting the operation was larger than initially suspected [2] - The operation involved layers of lies and deceit, including a 40 million peso villa [1]

Cultural Impact & Language Shift - British rule attempted to suppress the Irish language, associating it with poverty and rural communities while promoting English as the language of government and education [1] - By 1900, less than 20% of Irish people were fluent in Irish due to British-run schools switching to teaching purely in English in the 1830s [2] - Father Eugene Agrroni's lessons in Irish in the "weekly Freeman" helped the Irish language become a symbol of resistance [3] Current Status & Linguistic Features - Approximately 40% of the population in the Republic of Ireland can now speak some Irish [4] - The Irish language lacks direct equivalents for "yes" and "no", using an "ingressive affirmative" (a sharp intake of breath) to signify affirmation [4][5]

POGO Operations & Illegal Activities - Raids uncovered potential scam operations disguised as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in Bamban, Tarlac [2][3] - These POGOs are suspected of being fronts for human trafficking and money laundering activities [3] - Underground tunnels were discovered connecting multimillion-peso villas within the gated community, suggesting a large-scale, organized operation [3] Political Involvement & Corruption - The mayor of Bamban is implicated as potentially being the "biggest catch" in the POGO operations, suggesting a level of political corruption [4] - The mayor's rise to power involved community outreach, including providing relief goods and engaging with senior citizens [6][7] - Allegations suggest the mayor may have misrepresented her citizenship status [10] Community Impact - The community of Bamban is primarily agricultural, and residents were initially unaware of the scale and nature of the POGO operations [5] - The arrival of the mayor and her team brought changes to Bamban, with some residents expressing hope for positive developments [8] - The mayor's campaign involved distributing food and using a helicopter during rallies, which attracted attention and support [7][8]

Cultural Insights - Suggests experiencing a Finnish sauna to understand the Finnish mindset [1] - Highlights the connection between Finnish people and nature, though difficult to articulate [1] Sensory Experience - Describes the use of birch [2] - Conveys the experience of coldness [2]

30 years ago, all of this was just a disused dockyard. You had rusty cranes, empty warehouses. Ireland's economy was was really struggling.There was massive unemployment. Young people were leaving in their droves to try and find jobs elsewhere. And then the government decided to take a massive gamble, which wasn't uncontroversial at the time.They slashed the corporate tax rate to 12 and a half% which is way lower than you find in other developed countries. And it worked. That tax cut along with a suite of g ...

Historian Dr. . Jennifer Doyle is here with my results, which means this is either my big Irish reveal or a very awkward plot twist. >> What do you think you are before we start.>> Um, I mean, I would just say half Irish, half English. >> Okay, let's have a look. [Music] >> Oh. Oh, wow.Okay, 56% Irish. So then that means that my dad must have been a bit Irish as well. >> Yeah, it's roughly in line with your dad having an Irish greatgrandparent.>> Oh man, I wish my dad was still alive. He would have loved th ...

Industry Overview & Growth - The global shipping industry is worth approximately $2 trillion, while live export generates an estimated $120 to $150 million [5] - Australia, the world's largest exporter, shipped 24 million animals in 2019, driven by demand from China and other countries with cultural or religious preferences [4] - The live export industry was found to be two times as dangerous as the rest of the global merchant fleet in the 2010s, according to a 2020 investigation by The Guardian [6] Safety & Vessel Conditions - The average age of live export ships is about 30 years old, significantly higher than the average of 10 to 15 years for cargo vessels [6] - Gulf Livestock 1, a retrofitted cargo ship, had numerous issues flagged by various ports, particularly in 2019 [9] - Mechanical failures, such as an inoperable generator due to a defective seawater cooling pump, were reported but not adequately addressed [26] Regulatory & Ethical Concerns - The sinking of Gulf Livestock 1 highlighted the potential dangers of the live export trade, leading to bans in some countries like New Zealand [31][32] - New Zealand banned live export of cattle, but a new government is considering reinstatement, raising concerns about the country's reputation [32] - Australia decided to pursue only a partial ban, ceasing live sheep exports from May 2028 due to welfare concerns, but will continue cattle exports [33] Animal Welfare & Industry Practices - Exporters in New Zealand were legally allowed to stop feeding cattle for up to 12 hours before loading to reduce their weight [27] - The industry faces scrutiny regarding animal welfare, with concerns about suffering and stress during transport [38] - Some companies are using purpose-built ships for live export, which are more stable than converted vessels, as a safety measure [37]

Public Safety Concerns - Police are investigating an underground location due to community anxiety about what they might find [1] - The investigation involves potential recovery of deceased individuals ("abantu abasishiyile abapha phansi") [1] - The scene is described as difficult and containing many dead people ("kunabantu abaningi abafileyo mara asikwazanga uba like inzima into engifike ngayibona laphaya") [1] Allegations of Criminal Activity - There are allegations of people eating human flesh ("Uyika inyama yomntu, ipheke") [1] - Individuals are described as missing children ("abantwana babantu bebehala") [1]

Acquisition Strategy & Culture - The company prioritizes cultural fit and leadership quality in acquisitions, emphasizing spending time with the target company's people at the beginning [1] - The company avoids imposing changes ("cram down things") post-acquisition, especially in asset management, to preserve the value inherent in the people and investment process [1][2] - The company focuses on demonstrating the benefits of being part of a larger firm to the acquired entity [2] - Investment bankers tend to focus on price and strategic fit but often neglect the crucial aspect of culture [3] Competitive Advantage & Challenges - The company leverages its extensive distribution network, reaching clients in 160 countries [2] - The company highlights the importance of AI and data analysis for asset managers, noting that boutique managers may struggle to compete with the data resources of larger firms [2] - The company spends hundreds of millions of dollars on acquiring data [2] Risk Management - Acquiring companies is inherently risky, and the company has declined numerous potential acquisitions [3]

Data Center Costs - A GPU server node can cost up to $300,000 [1] Energy Consumption - Data centers consume a lot of energy [1] Bloomberg Originals - Bloomberg Originals offers bold takes for curious minds on today's biggest topics [1] - Bloomberg Originals explores every angle of climate change, technology, finance, sports and beyond [1]