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Two women wearing hijabs were denied entry to Vice President Kamala Harris’s January 27 early voting rally in Las Vegas, Nevada. Video footage taken by the women, who reportedly RSVPed and received wristbands at check-in, shows campaign officials barring them from entering. Officials declined to explain their decision and are seen allowing other individuals to enter. The women say they felt targeted because they are Muslim. Their video and a screenshot of the initial email invitation are being circulated on social media by the group Nevadans for Palestinian Liberation (NPL).

On January 30, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a press release requesting clarification on the situation. The release quoted CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw as saying, “The American people deserve to know whether these women were profiled and barred from an event featuring Vice President Harris because they were visibly Muslim.”

CAIR also cited its civil rights data detailing, “3,578 complaints during the last three months of 2023 amid an ongoing wave of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian hate… represent[ing] a 178 percent increase in incoming complaints in the last three months of 2023 compared to a similar period the previous year.”

A few hours after CAIR’s press release, Taylor R. Avery of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on the story. She included a statement from a Biden-Harris campaign aide alleging the women had disrupted former events with Democratic officials and it is policy to disinvite such individuals. The article went on to state, “Earlier this month, pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted an event at which Sen. Jacky Rosen was speaking. One of those individuals were blocked from attending Saturday’s event, according to the aide.”

NPL made their own statement in response to the Biden-Harris campaign’s claims, pointing out that the women did not attend the event together but were grouped together because of their hijabs. Other NPL members not wearing hijabs were reportedly allowed to enter.

Identifying herself only by the initial A., one of the women turned away said: “At an event championing women’s rights, I was targeted by the Biden-Harris team because I am a hijabi woman. I have never disrupted a political event in my life and any insinuation of me doing so is categorically inaccurate. I voted for Biden and Harris in 2020 because I thought they stood with the Muslim community against hate. The violence of the Muslim ban is not just through Trump’s administration; Biden and Harris implemented a domestic Muslim ban that day by not allowing hijabis into their events. With what happened, I know I will not be voting for Democrats this election.”

On January 31, on The Hill’s The Rising, host Briahna Joy Gray highlighted the media’s failure to cover the incident, citing a January 24 NBC article about the Biden campaign’s approach to managing increasing numbers of pro-Palestine protestors at events. The NBC article discussed how volunteers are being trained to identify potential protestors, according to officials, “though they are not able to stop them from attending… At Tuesday’s event in Virginia, for instance, volunteers noticed attendees with pins alluding to their message on the Israel-Hamas war, which allowed officials to be on alert.”

In her remarks, Gray speculated that concerns about pro-Palestine protestors informed the Harris campaign decision to disinvite the hijabi women in Las Vegas. However, it goes against officials’ claims to allow, “critics of Biden’s policies to freely express their views, but not to the extent that overwhelms campaign events or blocks supporters from attending.”

Other media outlets that have covered the January 27 incident include The Guardian, Al Jazeera, and The Daily Mail.

Sources:

Ibrahim Hooper, “CAIR Asks VP Harris to Clarify Why Two Muslim Women in Hijab Were Barred from Nevada Event,” CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations), January 30, 2024.

Taylor R. Avery, Las Vegas Review-Journal, “Viral Video Shows Women Barred From Harris Event,” January 30, 2024.

Briahna Joy Gray and Robby Soave, The Hill, “Harris Staffers Discriminated Against Muslim Women by Barring Them From Campaign Event: Protestors,” January 31, 2024.

Student Researcher: Nicole Mendez-Villarrubia (North Central College)

Faculty Evaluator: Steve Macek (North Central College)

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There has been only one trading day this week in China. But no matter: that one day more than made up all the losses for this year.

Global investors are betting on China for a rebound, more than three years after they shunned the market as regulatory crackdowns hit the country’s biggest tech groups. Chinese markets are closed for most of the week for the so-called Golden Week holiday, as the country celebrates the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic. On the last day of trade before the holidays on Monday, the benchmark large-cap CSI 300 index rose 8.5 per cent, joining in the festive mood with the biggest daily gain since 2008.

Still, investor sentiment remains fragile, especially among foreign investors. Industrial profits at large Chinese companies fell 17.8 per cent August, their first decline in five months, reflecting the ongoing economic slowdown. Producer prices have been falling since 2022, adding to deflation concerns.

That is reflected in the stock market: the CSI 300 index trades at just 12 times forward earnings, a significant discount to global peers. Earlier this year, that figure for the Shanghai Stock Exchange hit its lowest level in a decade.

Even at rock-bottom valuations, investors have continued to stay away. Over the past three years, shares have fallen 45 per cent peak to trough. During this time, investors have been disappointed as every small rebound was followed by a bigger decline. A revival in domestic demand — consumption accounts for more than half of China’s GDP — remains the biggest hurdle to reviving investor confidence and starting a lasting recovery for Chinese stocks.

The difference now is that the weakness in economic data had become too serious for Beijing to ignore. As recent data moved further away from the goal of 5 per cent growth this year, Beijing has made a rare, aggressive pledge to support an economic recovery through stimulus efforts, including $114bn in new funding facilities for stock purchases and cuts in borrowing costs. Given the ongoing property sector downturn, it is unlikely that economic data has bottomed. That means yet more government support measures can be expected in the coming months.

That may not be enough to win over battered foreign investors. But it will help bring back more retail investors — 200mn locals who account for 80 per cent of the total trading volume. That should at least be enough to give depressed markets a decent, near-term boost.

june.yoon@ft.com

Vice President Kamala Harris will be joined on the campaign trail by former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney on Thursday, according to a senior Harris campaign official.

The event in Ripon, Wis.—the town in which the Republican Party was formed in 1854—will be aimed at increasing support for Harris among disenchanted Republicans. It comes less than a month after Cheney, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, endorsed Harris’ presidential bid and called on her fellow Republicans to prioritize the Constitution and accountability in the upcoming election. Harris has said that she was “honored” to have her endorsement.

The event will mark Cheney’s first appearance with Harris on the campaign trail. During her remarks, Harris plans to deliver a message that champions patriotism and the importance of putting country over party, the campaign official says, appealing to both Republican and independent voters who may feel alienated by Trump.

Harris will also highlight the historical significance of Ripon and the roots of the traditional GOP, emphasizing that while there may be differences in policy, her dedication to upholding the Constitution and fundamental American principles remains steadfast, according to the official. She also plans to denounce any calls to undermine the Constitution, asserting that those who threaten its integrity should be barred from holding office. 

Cheney, who represented Wyoming in Congress for six years before she lost in the GOP primary to a Trump-backed candidate, has emerged as one of the most prominent anti-Trump Republicans in the country, positioning herself as a leader of a growing faction of Republicans who reject Trump’s approach and seek to restore traditional conservative values. While in Congress, she co-chaired the House investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, drawing Trump’s ire and straining her relationship with the far-right wing of her party.

“I don’t believe we have the luxury of writing in candidates’ names, particularly in swing states,” Cheney said last month to students in North Carolina. “As a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this and because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris.”

Her father, former Republican Vice President Dick Cheney, announced he would also be supporting Harris, calling it a duty to “put country above partisanship to defend our Constitution.” 

Their support for Harris is echoed by a number of other Republicans who have chosen to endorse Harris over Trump, including former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, and more than 200 people who worked for President George W. Bush, former Arizona Sen. John McCain, and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney. Romney and former Vice President Mike Pence have said they will not be voting for Trump.

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It’s a sleepy August morning when I meet husband-and-wife design duo Mafalda Muñoz and Gonzalo Machado at their gallery Machado-Muñoz in Madrid’s Justicia, the fashionable barrio with a similar feel to Manhattan’s West Village. 

Muñoz and Machado met as teenagers in Madrid. Together for 16 years, they have been married for 11 and are parents to two children. They share a passion for design that was nurtured throughout their childhoods: Muñoz’s late father Paco established his design firm Casa & Jardin in 1951 (at its zenith it utilised the skills of more than 300 artisans) and eight years later founded the furniture company Darro. Many consider him to be the founder of modern Spanish design.

The gallery opened in May with a soft-launch party: it’s what Muñoz calls “an evolution” of the gallery of the same name the pair launched 10 years ago with a focus on contemporary design. The couple have a close, almost symbiotic connection, and there’s also a lot of laughter. “We are together on everything,” says Muñoz. “My parents used to work together too, so it was kind of natural.” The original gallery was about to move to a new city space when the Covid-19 pandemic struck and it was forced to close. But this did not stall the couple’s creative output, and their interior-design business Casa Muñoz has continued to thrive. Among its projects are the apartment of Spanish model Eugenia Silva, an Ibiza townhouse, the restaurant at the Fondation Beyeler art museum in Switzerland and the Casa Taberna hotel and restaurant in Pedraza, Spain, which is run by Muñoz’s half-sister, Samantha Vallejo-Nágera. 

Reopening the gallery after a five-year hiatus has allowed the pair to reflect on their singular perspective. “We feel more mature now,” says Muñoz. Machado adds: “At the time, we were fascinated with the contemporary design world. We wanted to give a voice to Spanish design. Now we want to be without restriction.” The curation at their space spans 20th-century classical design, antiquities, art and objets. “We feel that this is the kind of gallery we would like to visit. A place where you can be amused by an artefact, an artwork or a piece of furniture,” says Machado. “It’s more about our point of view on the arts.” 

The upholsterer we currently work with made my cradle

That viewpoint has garnered an illustrious following. “Gonzalo and Mafalda have an extraordinary sense of taste and definitive style, whether related to their work, their home or how they entertain guests,” says Marta Ortega Pérez, the non-executive chair of Inditex, Zara’s parent company, who is a friend of the couple. “I never fail to be blown away by their exquisite personal touch and encyclopedic knowledge of art, furniture and all aspects related to interiors, as well as their individualistic flair.”

This flair is evident as we walk through the gallery, a peaceful, inspiring but very comfortable space. We sink into woven cord Audoux Minet armchairs to appreciate the Machado- and Muñoz-designed furniture, placed beside both originals and re-editions by Paco Muñoz. Beside us is a vintage Danish cabinet displaying handblown glass orbs and a simple lamp, which catches my eye. Muñoz explains its provenance: “It’s a very important lamp by Paul Dupré-Lafon that was designed for Hermès. It’s one of the few with the original parchment lampshade.” The couple see the gallery as a platform to source furnishings for their interiors projects. Muñoz continues: “We can buy things for the gallery that we can later use.” 

The front half of the gallery is dedicated to rotating exhibitions. Currently displayed is the hand-carved work of Moisès Villèlia, the late Catalan sculptor known for experimenting with bamboo, and lighting by London-based designer Michael Anastassiades. His limited-edition piece from the Cheerfully Optimistic About the Future exhibition at the ICA in Milan works harmoniously with Villèlia’s mobile sculptures. “It’s different uses of the same material and we felt they work together incredibly well,” Muñoz explains.

Anastassiades refers to the pair as “passionate, absolute perfectionists”. Recalling his first meeting with them in 2015 when he was invited to participate in their inaugural exhibition, he says: “I knew from the start that what they intended to deliver was going to be of exceptional standard. We have continued to work together ever since.”

As we continue our tour, Muñoz pauses at a re-edition of her father’s stainless-steel shelves. Paco Muñoz’s legacy, an archive of more than 20,000 designs, is a frequent source of inspiration. They also have plans to relaunch the brand Darro in its entirety in the near future. Several of the craftspeople who made her father’s furniture now make the couple’s bespoke furniture. “The upholsterer we currently work with made my cradle,” Muñoz says.

With the studio and gallery, the pair’s output is prolific: they juggle 10 or so interior projects at any one time. Their time is split between two offices, one in Madrid and the other in Gstaad, Switzerland. And they keep expanding their interests. They are currently working with Belgian lighting brand Authentage on a line of architectural lights. “And we want to do faucets next,” says Machado, hinting they also have interior work in the pipeline from Madison Avenue to Madrid. 

The duo, however, bring their own talents to each project. Muñoz is a skilled interior architect, while Machado, who also studied interior design, is a successful photographer who honed his skills as an assistant for Mario Testino before establishing a career shooting editorial for magazines. He acts as the studio’s creative visualiser. “Gonzalo has special vision,” says Muñoz. “It’s super-intuitive and very impressive.”

“I’m always framing. It’s a disease,” laughs Machado, who enjoys work assignments but finds photographing his own work “torture”. His perfectionism means he sometimes refuses to release the images. Thankfully, Muñoz is more than understanding: “We think precision is one of the most important things when you create.” 

Abrdn Adviser has today (3 October) announced the appointment of Derek Smith to the newly created role of chief technology & product officer.

The CTPO role will bring together Abrdn Adviser’s technology and product teams.

Smith will be responsible for executing the technology strategy and ensuring the continuous enhancement and scalability of the Abrdn Adviser business.

He will join in November from Morningstar Wealth, where he is currently chief technology officer, a role he has held for the past two years.

His previous roles include head of engineering at Virgin Money and Lloyds Banking Group.

Smith’s appointment follows a busy few weeks on the recruitment front for Abrdn Adviser.

Last month, it announced that industry veteran Verona Kenny will join as chief distribution officer and Louise Williams as chief financial officer.

Abrdn Adviser CEO, Noel Butwell, said: “Our ambition is to deliver a market-leading proposition with exceptional client service and we’ve set out to create the best senior leadership team in the market to achieve this.

“Technology is a critical enabler in realising our goals and aligning to continuously evolving customer needs, and Derek brings a wealth of experience to the role of chief technology & product officer.

“He will lead the implementation of our strategy and next phases of platform upgrades as we embark on our next stage of growth and evolution during a period of disruption and digital transformation in the market.”

Smith added: “I am thrilled to join Abrdn Adviser at such a pivotal time.

“My passion lies in leading the creation of innovative digital solutions and journeys that empower financial advisers to deliver high-quality, personalised service to their clients.

“Together, we will build solutions with service excellence and interconnectivity at their heart, supporting advisers to navigate and thrive in the ever-evolving financial landscape with confidence.”