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After social media outrage over a Budget proposal making it mandatory to get <keyword id="22574399" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="tax-clearance-certificate" source="keywords">tax clearance certificate</keyword>s for going abroad, the government on Sunday clarified that the proposed amendment is not for all, and only those accused of financial irregularities or having substantial tax arrears need such clearance. The <keyword id="19955404" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance" source="keywords">finance</keyword> ministry, in the Finance Bill, 2024, has proposed to add the reference of the <keyword id="20961832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Black-Money-Act" source="keywords">Black Money Act</keyword>, 2015, to the list of Acts, under which any person should clear his liabilities to obtain the tax clearance certificate. "The proposed amendment does not require all the residents to obtain the tax clearance certificate," the ministry said in a statement. As per section 230 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, every person is not required to obtain a tax clearance certificate. Only in the case of certain persons, in respect of whom circumstances exist, which make it necessary to obtain a tax clearance certificate will be required to obtain such a certificate. The ministry said that the Income Tax department through a 2004 notification has specified that the tax clearance certificate may be required to be obtained by persons domiciled in India only in certain circumstances. These include - where the person is involved in <keyword id="22576180" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="serious-financial-irregularities" source="keywords">serious financial irregularities</keyword> and his presence is necessary in the investigation of cases under the Income-tax Act or the Wealth-tax Act and it is likely that a tax demand will be raised against him, or where the person has direct tax arrears exceeding Rs 10 lakh outstanding against him, which have not been stayed by any authority. The I-T department said that a person can be asked to obtain a tax clearance certificate only after recording the reasons for the same and after taking approval from the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-tax or Chief Commissioner of Income-tax. Such a certificate is required to be issued by the income-tax authority, stating that such person has no liabilities under the Income-tax Act, or the Wealth-tax Act, 1957, or the Gift-tax Act, 1958, or the Expenditure-tax Act, 1987, it added.

After outrage, Govt clarifies: tax clearance certificate only for people with tax dues, high-value defaulters

US-based firm <keyword id="20016892" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindenburg-Research" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hindenburg Research" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Hindenburg Research">Hindenburg Research</keyword> on August 10 alleged that SEBI's Chairperson <keyword id="22743118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="madhabi-buch" source="keywords">Madhabi Buch</keyword> and her husband had a stake in "both the obscure offshore entities used in the Admoney siphoning scandal." After putting out a teaser this morning, hinting at a significant disclosure involving India, Hindenburg by the end of the day published a new report that stated, "We had previously noted Adani's total confidence in continuing to operate without the risk of serious regulatory intervention, suggesting that this may be explained through Adani's relationship with <keyword id="20914154" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="SEBI-Chairperson" source="keywords">SEBI Chairperson</keyword>, Madhabi Buch." "What we hadn't realized: the current SEBI Chairperson and her husband, Dhaval Buch, had hidden stakes in the exact same obscure offshore Bermuda and Mauritius funds, found in the same complex nested structure, used by Vinod Adani," the report by the US hedge firm said. The link to the entire report was posted on the 'X' account of Hindenburg Research. "New from us," read the tweet adding "<keyword id="22746637" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="whistleblower-documents" source="keywords">Whistleblower Documents</keyword> Reveal SEBI's Chairperson Had Stake In Obscure Offshore Entities Used In Adani <keyword id="22743230" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="money-siphoning" source="keywords">Money Siphoning</keyword> Scandal" Hindenburg Research said it has made the new allegations based on documents provided by a whistleblower and investigations carried out by other entities. "Madhabi Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch first appear to have opened their account with IPE Plus Fund 1 on June 5, 2015, in Singapore, per whistleblower documents. A declaration of funds, signed by a principal at IIFL states that the source of the investment is "salary" and the couple's net worth is estimated at USD 10 million," the report stated. In January 2023, Hindenburg published a report accusing the Adani Group of <keyword id="20054376" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="financial-irregularities" source="keywords">financial irregularities</keyword>, leading to a significant drop in the company's stock price. The group at the time had rubbished these claims. The Hindenburg report alleged <keyword id="20055139" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="stock-manipulation" source="keywords">stock manipulation</keyword> and fraud by the conglomerate. The case is related to the allegations (part of a report by Hindenburg Research) that Adani had inflated its share prices. After these allegations were published, there was a sharp fall in the shares of various Adani group companies stocks, reportedly to the tune of over USD 100 billion. The US short seller's 2023 January report was published two days before a USD 2.5 billion follow-up public offering was issued by Adani Enterprises. The Adani group has repeatedly denied all the accusations in the Hindenburg Research report.

Hindenburg alleges SEBI Chairperson, her husband had hidden stakes in obscure offshore funds with links to Adani scandal

<ul><li>The NCLT on Thursday termed an <keyword id="6367568" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="audit-report">audit report</keyword> by Vaish Associates on the firm as "bogus", saying it will only rely on the report conducted independently or by a government agency.</li><li>The shares of <keyword id="4243479" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="CG-Power">CG Power</keyword> remained depressed on Friday morning after the <keyword id="107956" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Serious-Fraud-Investigation-Office">Serious Fraud Investigation Office</keyword> (SFIO) ordered an investigation. </li><li> The stock has lost nearly 20% in the last 3 months and more than three-fourths of its value in the last one year.</li></ul>In a relief to CG Power's sacked chairman <keyword id="3910012" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gautam-Thapar">Gautam Thapar</keyword>, the NCLT on Thursday termed an audit report by Vaish Associates on the firm as "bogus", saying it will only rely on the report conducted independently or by a government agency in the matter. CG Power's board sacked Thapar after Vaish Associates' audit report, which itself is based on as many as 23 disclaimers, claimed that Thapar swindled Rs 3,000 crore from CG Power. However, the shares of CG Power remained depressed on Friday morning after the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) ordered an investigation. The stock has lost nearly 20% in the last 3 months and more than three-fourths of its value in the last one year. The Mumbai bench of the <keyword id="6354457" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Company-Law-Tribunal">National Company Law Tribunal</keyword> (NCLT) said it will not rely on this report, unless done independently or after being ordered by the corporate affairs ministry or government agencies like Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO). Only the government's investigation will be taken on record, the bench comprising Bhaskara Pantula Mohan and Rajesh Sharma said.
 The tribunal kept the matter on alleged financial irregularities at CG Power for further hearing on January 23.
 Based on the Vaish's report, the corporate affairs ministry on November 25 sought to reopen the books of the company for the past five years ending March 2019. But, the NCLT had rejected this petition as well on the December 16.
 Markets regulator Sebi banned Thapar and entities associated with him for three years, following which he moved the Securities Appellate Tribunal, which has asked the company to provide relevant documents to him.
 In November, the SFIO began a probe against CG Power and 15 group entities. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/cg-power-imbroglio-gautam-thapar-cites-board-approvals-rejects-fund-misuse-allegations/articleshow/72678838.cms">CG Power imbroglio: Gautam Thapar cites board approvals, rejects fund misuse allegations</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/fraud-hit-cg-power-shareholders-vote-for-raising-rs-5000-cr-debt-appt-of-sudhir-mathur-as-director/articleshow/72830066.cms">Fraud-hit CG Power shareholders vote for raising Rs 5,000 cr debt, appt of Sudhir Mathur as director</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/cg-power-board-okays-appointment-of-pradeep-mathur-as-addl-non-executive-independent-director/articleshow/73041671.cms">CG Power board okays appointment of Pradeep Mathur as addl, non-executive independent director</a>

The audit report alleging ₹3,000 crore scam by Gautam Thapar at CG Power has been junked ⁠— but now the serious fraud office is hot on the trail

<ul><li>Shivinder and Malvinder, who are the founders of <keyword id="46994" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fortis-Healthcare">Fortis Healthcare</keyword>, are being investigated for the siphoning of ₹23 billion worth of funds from their listed companies. </li><li>On September 4th, <keyword id="136456" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shivinder-Singh">Shivinder Singh</keyword> announced that he had filed a case against Malvinder and Sunil Godhwani, the former chairman of Religare, for their role in the “oppression and mismanagement” of their businesses. </li><li>A number of Indian regulators, including the SEBI and SFIO, are looking into the financial irregularities and diversion of funds at the brothers’ companies. </li></ul>Update: On September 13th, following intervention from their mother, Shivinder Singh withdrew the case he had filed against his brother Malvinder and Sunil Gondhwani in the NCLT. The brothers will now settle the case themselves out of court as their family members mediate. However, if the mediation fails, Shivinder retains the option of seeking a redressal through the courts. The decline of the healthcare czars, Shivinder Singh and brother <keyword id="6359351" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="malvinder-singh">Malvinder Singh</keyword>, has been well-documented in recent months. The pair, who are the founders of Fortis Healthcare, have seen the empire they inherited from their father Parvinder Singh unravel spectacularly over the past few years and a fortune worth billions of dollars squandered. The brothers are being investigated for the loss of ₹23 billion from their listed companies, which has resulted in their public shareholdings being frozen. Fortis, which has been posting losses since 2015, has been at the centre of a money-laundering scandal related to the approval of unsecured loans to the brothers. Another financial services subsidiary, Religare Enterprises, which owned by them and was run by a close confidante, Sunil Godhwani, has also been hauled up by authorities for the siphoning of funds to firms that were privately held by the brothers. It has been speculated that the funds have gone towards the real estate investments of a spiritual sect, the Radha Soami Satsang Beas- the leader of which is the brothers’ uncle. The brothers also owe $500 million to Daiichi-Sankyo, which bought <keyword id="82365" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ranbaxy-Laboratories">Ranbaxy Laboratories</keyword> in 2008. The Delhi High Court found that they misrepresented the seriousness of regulatory investigations in the US against the Indian pharma major over the alleged violation of manufacturing standards and falsification of data. To add to their woes, they are also reeling from the losses of Ligare Aviation, a private charter airline business, and Religare Capital Markets, a failed investment banking venture. And now, a lawsuit On September 4th, Shivinder Singh announced that he had filed a case against his older brother Malvinder and Godhwani in the <keyword id="6354457" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Company-Law-Tribunal">National Company Law Tribunal</keyword>, a bankruptcy court, for their role in the “oppression and mismanagement” of Fortis Healthcare, Religare and related firms. Shivinder claims he has no part to play in the downfall of the companies as he left the business in December 2015 to join his uncle’s spiritual sect. He also allocates most of the blame to his brother Malvinder, who was chairman of the Fortis Healthcare over the period when the financial irregularities took place. The statement is in stark contrast to one issued last month by both the brothers that placed <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/current/corporate/singh-brothers-say-sunil-godhwani-orchestrated-transactions-left-them-with-debt-load/story/281563.html">the blame squarely on Godhwani’s shoulders</a>. As things stand, a number of Indian regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and <keyword id="107956" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Serious-Fraud-Investigation-Office">Serious Fraud Investigation Office</keyword> (SFIO), are looking into the financial irregularities and diversion of funds at the brothers’ companies. Heads are expected to roll once their findings are revealed. Meanwhile, Fortis Healthcare will get a short-term lifeline from IHH Bhd, a Malaysian healthcare group. IHH is set to invest around ₹40 billion in India’s second-largest hospital chain for a 57% stake. The investment will ensure that the cash-strapped Fortis continues its operations for the foreseeable future.

The feuding ex-billionaire brothers: Shivinder Singh sues Malvinder over alleged mismanagement of Fortis empire

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Criminal gangs are helping students cheat on exams in India, according to The Wall Street Journal.</li><li>Cheating has, in particular, plagued India's highly competitive medical entrance exam.</li></ul>India's massive examination machine is floundering.This year, the country's primary testing body — the National Testing Agency (NTA) — has faced a series of controversies.They range from exam delays and cancellations to more serious allegations of errors in questions and leaked papers.While NTA officials have denied that any exam papers were leaked the federal education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, told the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv22wl82yldo">BBC</a> in June that "some irregularities" had been found.Now, it seems some are taking advantage of the examination chaos.According to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/india/gangs-are-making-millions-helping-indians-cheat-on-exams-32500cce">Wall Street Journal, some middle-class families are paying criminal gangs thousands </a>to help their children get the upper hand on these exams.<h2 id="5266815a-7004-480f-a5ba-395977759d6c">Cheating in India's medical entrance exam</h2>Cheating has, in particular, plagued India's highly competitive medical entrance exam, also known as the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET).This year, around 2.4 million students in India took the exam, competing for medical college seats totaling about 0.02% of that number."Very few people crack it on the first try," one student, who asked not to be named for privacy reasons, told Business Insider.She spent a year preparing for the undergraduate and postgraduate exams, respectively. During this time, she woke up at 4 a.m. and studied for at least 10-12 hours each day.Some prefer to take an easier route.The Journal found that several students had paid $15,000-20,000 to illegally look at the question paper before the exam. BI could not independently verify the figures.The police made multiple arrests related to exam cheating after results showed that 67 people received perfect scores in the NEET exams this year."Question papers are sold at extravagantly high prices," Ashok Rathore, a police officer who investigated cheating linked to India's medical school exam, told the Journal. "It's a nexus of desperate students, parents, tuition centers and printing presses."<h2 id="378edaf6-be36-458e-8847-661e66638c81">Leaked questions</h2>One student told BI that several Telegram channels dedicated to exam prep saw messages encouraging students "struggling with exams and don't have time for studies" to get in touch for "help.""My friend said he was asked to pay around 15,000 rupees ($180) to enter the private channel where they shared the questions," she said.BI reached out to the Telegram account offering "help". The person said they can provide next year's medical entrance exam questions for around 1 lakh rupees ($1,200).High ranks in these exams mean coveted "seats" in medical colleges operated by the state and national governments. Those with money can still legally obtain places in private medical colleges if they pay fees ranging from $115,000 to $145,000.However, some students with the financial capacity prefer cheating and getting a government seat instead."It makes very good economic sense," a senior medical advisor with knowledge of the matter told BI. "The question paper will be given for about 25 lakh rupees (around $29,000). For that much, they get a free seat in a government college where they only have to pay around 16,000 rupees ($190) per annum.""For the entire five-year degree, that still only comes to around one lakh rupees ($1191), so of course rich students would rather do that instead of paying their way into private medical schools."<h2 id="4ff61c3d-756d-47c9-8f47-2f6be9f1f6a0">Earning a 'merit' seat</h2>The advisor — who preferred to remain anonymous but whose identity is known to BI — also said there is a significant amount of respect that comes with having "earned" a merit seat instead of paying their way into a private "management" seat."Unfortunately, there are very few objective metrics that people have as outsiders to judge the competence of their doctors, especially at a time when everybody in India sits with an MBBS board outside their clinic," agreed Asish George, a doctor who cleared the entrance exam in 2014."For those people, the fact that someone cracked a highly competitive entrance exam and got in would inspire more confidence than someone who paid their way through the whole thing."According to the Journal, authorities in India have tried to install video cameras inside exam halls and increased their monitoring of social media to catch cheaters. But many are still finding ways to illegally gain the upper hand, at a high price. The NTA did not immediately respond to a request by BI for comment.

India's exam system is in chaos, with some families paying thousands to help their kids cheat

The allegations of the US Short seller Hindenburg against <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sebi" source="keywords">SEBI</keyword> Chairperson <keyword id="22743118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhabi-Buch" source="keywords">Madhabi Buch</keyword> and her husband have drawn sharp political reactions from the opposition parties. Reacting to the Hindenburg report, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Ghanshyam Tiwari on Sunday lashed out at the Modi government and said that the tenure of PM Modi will be known for 'Adani-waad'. "The whole world witnessed a different session with different ideologies but the term of PM Modi will be known as 'Adani-waad'. In this Adani-waad, they captured the whole economic system of India in such a way that Gautam Ad(<keyword id="19955648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Adani-Group" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Adani Group" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Adani Group">Adani Group</keyword>) could benefit, it looks like this is the only motive of PM Modi," he said. Referring to the Hindenburg Report alleging SEBI chief Madhabi Buch and her husband's stakes in "both the obscure offshore entities used in the Adani money siphoning scandal", Tiwari stated, "Hindenburg's report regarding the SEBI chief has triggered the integrity of the market regulator. Hindenburg alleged that SEBI is not investigating properly. Questions are being raised on the Adani Group continuously by the opposition. Anybody with a basic investigation can simply question how the Adani Group with different allegations of corruption, whether it is a coal scam or power, through the medium of offshoring, invested in the share markets. SEBI whose duty was to investigate and find out the criminals was deviating from the core issues." Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh alleged that the Modi government is steeped in corruption and is trying to save "their friend Adani". Taking it to a social media post on X, Sanjay Singh wrote, "The Hindenburg revelations were hinted at 3 days before Modi ended the Parliament session. Modi Government is steeped in corruption from head to toe. To save his friend Adani, Modi Ji got the investigation done by the same SEBI Chairman who had committed the scam in connivance with Adani. SC should reconsider its decision." <keyword id="19895371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Congress" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Congress">Congress</keyword> MP Manish Tewari said that a JPC must be constituted to go into the entire Hindenburg saga. "There are certain revelations by the <keyword id="20016892" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hindenburg-Research" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Hindenburg Research" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Hindenburg Research">Hindenburg Research</keyword> which have been put out in the public space. They require closer scrutiny...There seems to be some semblance of an alleged conflict of interest and so therefore under those circumstances there has been a demand in the public space for a while that the entire Hindenburg saga needs to be investigated properly by a <keyword id="21964200" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Joint-Parliamentary-Committee" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Joint Parliamentary Committee" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Joint Parliamentary Committee">joint parliamentary committee</keyword>. It would be in the fitness of things if a joint parliamentary committee is constituted to go into all these issues at length," he said. Earlier in the day, shortly after US-based short seller Hindenburg Research on August 10 alleged that SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Buch and her husband had stakes in "both the obscure offshore entities used in the Adani money siphoning scandal," the SEBI Chairperson and her husband issued a joint statement rejecting the allegations. Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband accused Hindenburg Research, against whom SEBI has taken enforcement action, of character assassination. In the joint statement released to the media they said, "Our life and finances are an open book. All disclosures as required have already been furnished to SEBI over the years. We have no hesitation in disclosing any and all financial documents, including those that relate to the period when we were strictly private citizens, to any and every authority that may seek them. It is unfortunate that Hindenburg Research against whom SEBI has taken an Enforcement action and issued a show cause notice has chosen to attempt character assassination in response to the same." Earlier on Saturday, US short seller Hindenburg had alleged, "We had previously noted Adani's total confidence in continuing to operate without the risk of serious regulatory intervention, suggesting that this may be explained through Adani's relationship with SEBI Chairperson, Madhabi Buch." "What we hadn't realized: the current SEBI Chairperson and her husband, Dhaval Buch, had hidden stakes in the exact same obscure offshore Bermuda and Mauritius funds, found in the same complex nested structure, used by Vinod Adani," the report by the US hedge firm said. Hindenburg Research said it has made the new allegations based on documents provided by a whistleblower and investigations carried out by other entities. In January 2023, Hindenburg published a report accusing the Adani Group of financial irregularities, leading to a significant drop in the company's stock price. The group at the time had rubbished these claims. The Hindenburg report alleged stock manipulation and fraud by the conglomerate. The case is related to the allegations (part of a report by Hindenburg Research) that Adani had inflated its share prices. After these allegations were published, there was a sharp fall in the shares of various Adani group companies' stocks. In January 2024, the Supreme Court refused to transfer the probe into the allegations of stock price manipulation by the Adani group to an SIT and had directed market regulator SEBI to complete its probe into two pending cases within three months. Earlier this year, the SC also dismissed a plea seeking to review the verdict that had sought investigation by the market watchdog SEBI in the Adani-Hindenburg case.

Integrity of SEBI questioned, JPC probe into Hindenburg a must: INDIA bloc targets govt on Hindenburg allegations

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earth-axis-shifted-melting-ice-climate-change-2021-4">Polar ice melt driven by climate change</a> is affecting Earth's rotation, according to new research.</li><li>We may have to adjust timekeeping by "skipping" a second in 2029.</li></ul>The climate crisis has gone so far that it's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/groundwater-pumping-causes-earth-rotational-pole-to-shift-study-finds-2023-7">altering the shape and spin of our planet</a>, and changing our experience of time itself, according to a new <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=6e0ebadf62e8f47a67cc7282306158a72bdd5063f2fb3125a3504cbcc1d89ccf&amp;postID=6605b6fa669ae113e1c59c9b&amp;postSlug=human-activities-change-earth-spin-time-keeping-2024-3&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41586-024-07170-0.epdf%3Fsharing_token%3Dn1K3Lv83uuFdqGIlB55OhNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0M8eI6W1yLpWHEpE-RIkTCyYE2WIbRIkp2z3i1LfYhEU3YrU-85lxnPetCiUSDS5sZh2Yqx8exdxhiHVjsNg32gYMg9UFjTwdCeHAJyzUAmdpjxRja_Ev5m6jX89sSeTy-5GMAG9cTExYZgXc-LYQwOViaP1wIrgTvdQ3Q23voktQ%253D%253D%26tracking_referrer%3Dwww.cnn.com">study</a> published in the journal Nature on Wednesday."Enough ice has melted to move sea level enough that we can actually see the rate of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earth-spinning-around-axis-more-quickly-2021-1">Earth's rotation</a> has been affected," Duncan Agnew, a geophysicist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and author of the study, told <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=195d94915c7be3972827c534262e8b53a0fc3dd3efb23944e2d14f69350381c6&amp;postID=6605b6fa669ae113e1c59c9b&amp;postSlug=human-activities-change-earth-spin-time-keeping-2024-3&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd41586-024-00932-w">Nature</a>.<div type="image" title="3D Render of Planet Earth in blue-black space with sun beams peeking over the top" height="1500" width="3167" msid="108882044" hostid="261" sizebytes="111358"></div>Don't worry — this change in Earth's rotation <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-if-earth-stopped-spinning">won't be catastrophic</a>. However, it does mean that we'll have to adjust our time keeping, which may be a problem for much of the computing we rely on.<h2>Ice melt could delay the dreaded negative leap second</h2>Humans track time in seconds, minutes, and hours, and these measurements are dictated by Earth's rotation on its axis and the sun's position in the sky — what's called the solar timescale.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earth-rotation-slowing-helped-bacteria-produce-oxygen-2021-8">But the solar timescale is not very precise because the planet's spin has never been constant</a> — it changes based on how fluids both above and below the crust move.Therefore, humans invented a more precise way of time keeping with atomic clocks and the atomic timescale.But, every 1.5 years, or so, on average, these two timescales misalign because of the Earth's inconsistent rotation rate. When that happens, we <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/leap-second-december-31-2016-12">accommodate with what's called a leap second</a>: a second that is added to the atomic timescale to realign it with the solar timescale.We've been adding leap seconds this way since 1972, but we haven't needed one since 2016.That's because <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earth-spinning-around-axis-more-quickly-2021-1">Earth has spun faster and faster</a> over the last eight years for reasons scientists are still trying to understand.<div type="image" title="A standing clock on the side of a small town road." height="1413" width="2120" msid="108882045" hostid="261" sizebytes="468964"></div>As a result, scientists predict that we would need the first-ever negative leap second by 2026. Meaning we'd need to subtract a second from the atomic timescale, instead of adding one.But this new research suggests that climate change is slowing down the acceleration of Earth's rotation and will delay that negative leap second to 2029.Losing one second of time may not sound like much. But <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-compute-engine-leap-smear-deals-with-61-second-minutes-2015-6">adding and subtracting leap seconds poses big problems for computing</a>, so much so that the International Bureau of Weights and Measures voted to get rid of them by 2035.Computers, financial exchanges, GPS, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/billionaires-companies-going-to-space-need-rules-2024-3">spaceflight</a> rely on extremely precise timekeeping, so leap seconds can lead to "serious malfunctions in critical digital infrastructure," the Bureau wrote in its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bipm.org/documents/20126/64811223/Resolutions-2022.pdf/281f3160-fc56-3e63-dbf7-77b76500990f">resolution</a>. It added that the negative leap second which may soon be necessary "has never been foreseen or tested.""We do not know how to cope with one second missing. This is why time metrologists are worried," Felicitas Arias, former director of the Time Department at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, told <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=195d94915c7be3972827c534262e8b53a0fc3dd3efb23944e2d14f69350381c6&amp;postID=6605b6fa669ae113e1c59c9b&amp;postSlug=human-activities-change-earth-spin-time-keeping-2024-3&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd41586-024-00932-w">Nature</a>.While Agnew's study suggests we have more time before facing this worrying unknown, it's worth noting that Earth's spin is very difficult to predict, and the new study is not necessarily a definitive forecast."There's a very great uncertainty about this," Judah Levine, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2024/03/27/leap-second-melting-poles-climate-time/">The Washington Post</a>. "A few years ago, there were predictions in the other direction."<h2>How melting ice slows Earth's spin</h2><div type="image" title="Earth's core illustration" height="2680" width="4020" msid="108882046" hostid="261" sizebytes="474888"></div>There are three main mechanisms that control the Earth's spin:<ul><li>One is tidal friction, or the interaction between moving ocean water and the ocean floor, which slows Earth's rotation.</li><li>The second is changes in the ice caps that covered Northern Canada and Scandinavia during the last Ice Age, which made Earth more spherical, speeding up its rotation rate, according to Agnew.</li><li>And finally, currents of magma inside <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rare-element-arctic-lava-suggest-earth-core-may-leaking-2023-10">Earth's spinning, liquid core</a> change irregularly, causing it to rotate faster or slower and altering the entire planet's rotation in the process.</li></ul>But now, a fourth influence has come to scientists' attention: climate change.As average global temperatures rise, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/antarctica-thwaites-doomsday-glacier-melting-collapse-flooding-curtains-2024-3">polar ice is melting at an unprecedented rate</a>, dumping water in the oceans. As that meltwater moves from the Arctic toward the equator — a process that is raising sea levels and causing devastating coastal flooding — our planet grows slightly wider around the middle, which slows its rotation.<div type="image" title="glacier calving splinters of ice fall into ocean" height="1674" width="2500" msid="108882047" hostid="261" sizebytes="255576"></div>Picture a figure skater spinning with her arms above her head. Now imagine that she lowers her arms to extend them out at her sides, causing her spin to slow down. Earth's widening equator is having a similar effect on its spin."To me, the fact that human beings have caused the rotation of the Earth to change is kind of amazing," Agnew told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/27/climate/timekeeping-polar-ice-melt-earth-rotation/index.html">CNN</a>.Perhaps you've managed to escape the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/canadian-wildfires-smoke-us-air-quality-2023-6">mega-clouds of wildfire smoke</a>, historic floods, and debilitating heat waves so far. But this new study reveals that the climate crisis is affecting even the most intimate aspects of our day-to-day lives. Nobody escapes time.

Human activities are changing Earth's spin so much that it might affect how we keep time

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Wagner Group has frequently feuded with Russia's military leadership over its war in Ukraine.</li><li>A new report suggests the group leader took it farther than previously known, offering to give Ukraine Russian troop locations.</li></ul>Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the paramilitary Wagner Group, offered to sell Ukraine the positions of Russian troops in an attempt to take the pressure off his mercenaries in a key battle, a new report said, citing leaked US intelligence.The reported offer, which Prigozhin has denied, suggests he may have been so dead-set on claiming victory in the war-torn city of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have squared off for months at tremendous cost to both sides, but the Russians in particular, that he was ready to effectively throw the Russian military offensive "under the bus," an expert on Russian security and politics told Insider. "Obviously, Prigozhin was looking for shortcuts," said Mark Galeotti, a senior associate fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). "And particularly, shortcuts at the expense of his main enemy of the moment," the defense ministry and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.Wagner mercenaries have played a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-infighting-threatens-hopes-capturing-bakhmut-ukraine-gamble-paying-off-2023-5">key role</a> in Moscow's months-long bid to capture Bakhmut, located in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region. The fight for the city is the longest and bloodiest battle since Russian forces launched their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Desperate for a symbolic <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-desperate-victory-sends-troops-into-ukrainian-defenses-former-general-2023-1">victory</a> amid a faltering winter offensive in Ukraine, Russia poured significant resources into its fight for Bakhmut, which holds <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bakhmut-russia-grinds-for-9-months-city-limited-strategic-importance-2023-2">limited strategic value</a>. Moscow's forces — including its regular military and mercenary army — incurred <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-fighting-cost-russia-tens-thousands-lives-months-us-intel-2023-5">heavy losses</a> in just a few months of fighting, and a lack of progress on the battlefield exposed rifts between Prigozhin and Russia's military leadership. Prigozhin, the notorious Wagner leader and financier, has routinely <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wagner-group-prigozhin-backs-video-cursing-russia-top-general-gerasimov-2022-12" rel="">criticized</a> top military officials over the Kremlin's handling of its struggling war, with a major point of contention being a lack of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wagner-boss-yevgeny-prigozhin-vladimir-putin-cut-him-off-2023-3" rel="">ammunition</a> and weaponry reaching the mercenaries in combat. And according to a new report, amid these tensions, Prigozhin attempted derail Russia's battlefield operations in a major way.<h2>Determined to toss Russia's offensive 'under the bus'</h2>As Wagner continued to take substantial losses around Bakhmut, Prigozhin in late January <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wagner-leader-prigozhin-offered-ukraine-locations-putin-troops-discord-leak-2023-5">offered</a> to give Ukraine the locations of Russian troops so Kyiv could then launch attacks against them. In exchange, Ukrainian soldiers would withdraw from the area, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/05/14/prigozhin-wagner-ukraine-leaked-documents/">reported</a> on Sunday. The report, which cited top secret US military intelligence <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-documents-pentagon-leak-us-troops-ukraine-2023-4">leaked</a> to social media, said Prigozhin made the offer on several occasions to Ukraine's military intelligence directorate, but it was rejected because Kyiv doesn't trust the Wagner boss. Insider was unable to verify the document's authenticity, and the Pentagon declined to comment on the report. Prigozhin, who has long enjoyed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-yevgeny-prigozhin-russian-tycoon-and-vladimir-putin-confidant-2022-10#prigozhin-has-previously-been-described-as-one-of-russian-president-vladimir-putins-closest-allies-2">close ties</a> with Russian President Vladimir Putin, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/15/europe/prigozhin-wagner-bakhmut-kyiv-russian-intelligence-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> offering the intelligence to Ukraine. <div type="image" title="Ukrainian soldiers walk in the position close to Bakhmut, Ukraine, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023." height="2333" width="3500" msid="100260589" hostid="261"></div>Galeotti, an expert in modern Russian intelligence services, security politics, and criminality at RUSI, described the reported move as a "catastrophic blunder" on Prigozhin's behalf, especially now that the information has been made public.Prigozhin "was clearly so determined to try and deliver the victory for the boss in Bakhmut that he was prepared to essentially throw the rest of the Russian offensive under the bus," said Galeotti, who is also an honorary professor at the University College London's School of Slavonic and East European Studies. "Now, if he got away with it, then maybe he would've been in a very strong position, but not only did he not get away with it, this has now become public knowledge," Galeotti said. He described Prigozhin's offer to Ukraine as "another sign of the essentially dysfunctional way that when Putin's power politics gets transposed to the battlefield, it just doesn't work."<h2>'A serious problem for the Russians'</h2>Irregular Russian commanders, such as Prigozhin and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ramzan-kadyrov-private-military-group-wagner-chechen-leader-russia-putin-2023-2" rel="">Ramzan Kadyrov</a>, who leads a band of Chechen fighters, have long been a feature of Putin's war in Ukraine. But these individuals appear to be calling more shots on the battlefield, or at least attempting to amid pushback from the defense ministry, and war experts say they may be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/irregular-russian-commanders-undermine-top-general-war-efforts-ukraine-experts-2023-5">taking advantage</a> of Moscow's military leadership and threatening operations. Prigozhin, for example, went on a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wagner-boss-screams-swears-putins-war-chiefs-shoigu-gerasimov-2023-5">screaming tirade</a> earlier this month against Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Gen. Valery Gerasimov and blamed them for mounting Wagner casualties, later threatening to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wagner-group-boss-says-pulling-his-troops-out-bakhmut-yevgeny-prigozhin-2023-5">withdraw</a> his forces from Bakhmut because they lacked enough ammunition. Prigozhin then <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wagner-chief-troops-withdrawing-from-bakhmut-promised-ammo-2023-5">walked back</a> his threat a few days later, claiming he was promised ammunition from Moscow. Experts at the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, wrote in an <a href="https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/ukraine-conflict-updates">analysis</a> that the reversal was likely a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/irregular-russian-commanders-undermine-top-general-war-efforts-ukraine-experts-2023-5">coordinated effort</a> from Prigozhin and Kadyrov to blackmail Russia's military command into giving Wagner the resources it demanded, even if the defense ministry's priorities were elsewhere. <div type="image" title="Ukrainian soldiers fire a cannon near Bakhmut, an eastern city where fierce battles against Russian forces have been taking place, in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Monday, May 15, 2023." height="1919" width="2879" msid="100260590" hostid="261"></div>"Putin's basic way of running the Russian system is divide and rule," Galeotti said, referring to the Russian leader's tendency to play factions off of one another and compete for his attention. "We have a whole variety of sharp-toothed political entrepreneurs with overlapping responsibilities competing against each other, trying to rip each other down, trying to pitch their own bright ideas to the boss."This strategy has worked for Putin during his decades in power, but "it really doesn't work well when it's transposed to the battlefield and you have all these multiple different sort of private armies and different forces," Galeotti said. "It's been a serious problem for the Russians throughout."While Prigozhin's threat to withdraw from Bakhmut was among the more serious examples of tensions boiling over, his reported offer to reveal Russian troops positions to the Ukrainians seems to be one of the more telling instances of Wagner's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bakhmut-russia-using-battle-decimate-wagner-group-think-tank-says-2023-3">crippling feud</a> with the Russian military leadership. Prigozhin "probably over-promised around Bakhmut, realized he needed a victory when he was riding high last year, made way too many enemies, and appreciated that of course they were all looking for an opportunity to tear him down," Galeotti said. "And I think this is the point. This is a system which essentially encourages ruthless opportunism, but above all, self-interest rather than loyalty."

Leaked details of Wagner boss Prigozhin's dealings suggest he was ready to throw Russia's war 'under the bus' just to win a battle, Russia expert says

<ul class="summary-list"><li>You may experience more turbulence on future flights, especially transatlantic routes.</li><li>Climate change has altered the jet stream and led to more unpredictable clear-air turbulence.</li></ul>A <a href="https://www.insider.com/lufthansa-turbulence-had-people-screaming-and-food-flying-everywhere-2023-3">Lufthansa flight</a> that had to land shortly after takeoff is just the latest example of extreme turbulence.Each year, pilots report an average of <a href="https://ral.ucar.edu/aap/turbulence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5,500 encounters with severe or greater turbulence</a>. And that number has <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017GL074618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased in recent years</a>, thanks to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-impacts-to-last-millennia-ipcc-report-2021-8">climate change</a>.Several other events have occurred in 2023 alone. The pilot had to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southwest-passengers-vomited-passed-bad-turbulence-empty-terminal-plane-aborted-2023-3">abort landing due to severe turbulence</a> on one Southwest flight, while extreme turbulence <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hawaiian-airlines-pilot-says-cloud-shot-up-like-smoke-plume-2023-1">injured 25 people</a> on a Hawaiian Airlines flight. On the Lufthansa flight, <a href="https://www.insider.com/lufthansa-flight-crew-delete-photos-severe-turbulence-2023-3">several people on board</a> were injured.And though death due to turbulence is <a href="https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/index.cfm/go/document.information/documentid/99831" target="_blank" rel="noopener">very rare</a>, a passenger on a business jet <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/a-passenger-died-after-jet-experienced-severe-turbulence-new-england-2023-3">died during severe turbulence</a> on March 4.Experts believe severe turbulence <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017GL074618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may increase in years to come</a> as patterns of severe weather continue around the globe.<h2>Why is turbulence getting worse?</h2><div type="image" title="delta turbulence" height="1350" width="1800" msid="98567739" hostid="261" sizebytes="53224"></div><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-turbulence-causes-dangerous-airplanes-flight">Turbulence</a> is any irregular and unexpected change in air movement that affects an aircraft's altitude and motion.It can range from a mild jolt or bump to severe pitching and rolling that causes <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/conditions-symptoms/home-remedies-for-nausea">nausea</a> or injuries, like your head <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dozens-injured-during-severe-turbulence-on-hawaiian-airlines-flight-2022-12">slamming against the seat</a>.<a href="https://www.weather.gov/source/zhu/ZHU_Training_Page/turbulence_stuff/turbulence/turbulence.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Primary causes</a> of turbulence for commercial jets and airliners include storms, atmospheric pressure, and jet streams. Generally, pilots use their eyes, radar, and reports from other planes to detect storms and other signs of upcoming turbulence before the plane starts to jolt. This gives them time to turn on the "fasten seatbelts" sign and instruct passengers to take their seats.But pilots also have to contend with clear-air turbulence, which is turbulence that has no visible cause.Clear-air turbulence can set the plane shuddering and shaking before the pilot can issue a warning, which makes it especially dangerous — and it's <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-023-06694-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this type of turbulence that's increasing</a> due to climate change.<h2>The link between climate change and clear-air turbulence</h2><div type="image" title="jfk turbulence injuries" height="1080" width="1440" msid="98567742" hostid="261" sizebytes="71848"></div>A main culprit of clear-air turbulence is wind shear, which is a sudden change in the speed and direction of the wind, particularly within jet streams."When the wind is blowing from the west at 100 miles per hour at 30,000 feet and also blowing from the north at only 30 mph at 20,000 ft, or directly underneath, it can be quite turbulent for an airplane moving between those two altitudes," said <a href="https://thedemexgroup.com/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Bennett</a>, chairman of the American Meteorological Society's Committee on Financial Weather and Climate Risk, and co-founder and chief climate officer of <a href="https://thedemexgroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Demex Group</a>.In a nutshell, high wind shear makes for an unstable jet stream and faster wind.Both of these play a major role in clear-air turbulence, and changing global temperatures have already <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31391588/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased wind shear by 15% since 1979</a>.Plus, clear-air turbulence tends to develop around upper-level jet streams, where planes typically fly. These fast-flowing bands of wind are strengthening with global warming, said <a href="https://research.reading.ac.uk/meteorology/people/isabel-smith/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Isabel Smith</a>, meteorologist and PhD student at the University of Reading and lead author of a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-023-06694-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 article</a> on clear-air turbulence trends over the North Atlantic.She's currently researching the shifts in clear-air turbulence driven by climate change.Smith said the increase in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-cities-are-under-reporting-greenhouse-gas-emissions-study-says-2021-2">greenhouse gasses</a> traps heat in the troposphere, the layer of the atmosphere closest to the surface. But this heat should have been released into the stratosphere, which is the next layer up. As a result, globally the troposphere warms while the <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=dba8c1206eee51fd40f67363f3665e9f0e6c066e43c0b776df42e261867bc394&amp;postID=640baa9fd01396148f0c7da6&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fs41586-019-1465-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stratosphere cools</a> at a rapid rate."This increases the temperature gradient between the two layers, which strengthens the jet stream, which in turn creates a more unstable wind flow and increases clear-air turbulence," Smith said.Weather researchers further predict <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017GL074618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clear-air turbulence will double by 2050</a>, with severe turbulence increasing the most."The highest altitude flights <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00376-017-6268-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over the North Atlantic</a> will encounter the most significant increase in severe turbulence," Bennett said.<h2>Airlines could take longer, more expensive routes to avoid turbulence</h2><div type="image" title="singapore airlines turbulence mess" height="456" width="609" msid="98567744" hostid="261" sizebytes="28694"></div>Clear-air turbulence causes a <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2017GL074618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">large percentage of weather-related accidents</a> on flights. And turbulence in general is the leading cause of injury among <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-to-stop-doing-when-you-fly-former-flight-attendant">flight attendants</a>.Even though experts <a href="https://unfccc.int/news/united-in-science-we-are-heading-in-the-wrong-direction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predict the effects of climate change will only worsen</a>, you most likely don't need to worry about increasing turbulence on future flights."While it may seem like flying could become more dangerous because of climate change, it's just not that simple," Bennett said — in part because systems for air routing will likely adjust so flights avoid highly-turbulent areas. "I also expect that newly emerging technology will make it easier to detect clear-air turbulence in the decades ahead," Bennet said. "Even considering the impacts of climate change, it's actually likely that flights will become safer over time as opposed to more dangerous."Smith added that severe turbulence remains very uncommon."If you fly across the Atlantic from, say, New York to London, just <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00382-023-06694-x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3% of the atmosphere</a> is likely to have light turbulence within it. Only 1% of the atmosphere has moderately severe turbulence, and a few tenths of a percent have severe turbulence," she said."This percentage is increasing, so you may encounter more turbulence in the future. But this is much more likely to be light turbulence, which won't cause any serious injuries," Smith said. She adds, however, that airlines always try to avoid turbulence as much as possible. Thus, increasing turbulence will likely lead to more convoluted flight routes, which could mean longer travel and wait times, along with increased aircraft fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.In fact, avoiding turbulence may <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/2/024008" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cost airlines an additional $22 million dollars each year</a>, with extra emissions of 70 million kilograms of CO2, Smith said. Planes could also spend about an extra 2,000 hours in the air annually, a research letter found.As for flying safely, Bennett and Smith offer the same advice: Always keep your seatbelt on when seated, even when the seatbelt sign is off.

Climate change is making plane turbulence worse, and it could make flights bumpier and more expensive

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Josh Harmon has 4.4 million followers on TikTok and 2 million subscribers on YouTube.</li><li>Like many creators, his income comes mostly from brand deals that may be threatened by a downturn.</li></ul>The US economy is showing signs of a looming downturn. Inflation is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inflation-report-cpi-september-prices-rent-fed-rates-recession-outlook-2022-10">surging</a>, and many economists say Americans should brace themselves for <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/powell-recession-warning-indicator-yield-curve-fed-rate-hike-datatrek-2022-12">a recession in 2023</a>. For social media creators like Josh Harmon, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/creator-economy-startups-layoffs-employees-cameo-substack-jellysmack-2022-7">economic outlook</a> is a cause for concern. Companies often cut marketing and advertising budgets first to save money. Harmon – like most influencers – relies <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-tiktok-influencers-get-paid-for-brand-sponsorships-2020-12">primarily on brand partnerships</a> for income.He told Insider that some of his fellow content creators have had brand deals axed mid-production. Harmon <a href="https://www.insider.com/josh-harmon-quit-job-nbc-successful-tiktoker-2022-3">quit his "dream job" at NBC's 'Today' Show</a> in 2020 to become a full-time content creator on TikTok and YouTube. This decision was bolstered by Harmon's various successful brand deals that account for the "vast majority" of his income.Now he's self-employed, "the highs are higher and the lows are lower," Harman told Insider. Because income is irregular, "it doesn't always feel very stable," he added.Nevertheless, Harmon doesn't regret his decision. He shared ways content creators can survive an economic downturn.<h2>Diversify your income streams</h2>It's important to build up a portfolio of income streams in case one dries up.Harmon estimates that brand partnerships account for about 85% of his income, but he's trying to redress this imbalance. He told Insider: "I'm writing a book and I'm working on original music, which then I can sell — and I'm also considering going on tour." <h2>Communicate with your audience</h2>A creator's audience is their biggest asset, according to Harmon.By keeping in regular touch with their fans, creators can make sure they stay engaged — which makes it much easier to secure bigger brand partnerships.They can also directly advertise any merchandise and promote their alternative commercial endeavors, so communication is crucial to building up a portfolio of income streams too. "Find a way to communicate with your fans in a way that isn't dependent on the whims of social media platforms," he said.It might seem old-school, but Harmon suggests launching a newsletter: "Email is definitely not going away."<h2>Invest in your content</h2>"When money is tight, people are often hesitant to make big investments. But if you're serious about being a creator, it's always worth investing in yourself," he said.Harmon bought some expensive lights early on that "paid for themselves in just a few weeks" by allowing him to make better-quality content that attracted a wider audience. Creators can also benefit from hiring staff. "As soon as I went full-time I hired somebody to help me, even though I couldn't really afford it at the time," he said.Harmon told Insider: "If the content stays good, the fans stay engaged."<h2>Manage your finances</h2>If you're self-employed, it's crucial to get to grips with handling your own money. Setting aside some savings is an important first step for long-term stability. "If you have a nest egg, you won't need to panic all the time," Harmon said.It's also vital to plan ahead. Harmon told Insider he's preparing financial forecasts for 2023 by outlining predicted income and expenditure and trying to "line up longer-term partnerships that I can rely on."<h2>Build durable professional relationships</h2>Building reliable relationships offer much-needed stability, so creators have to prove themselves as trustworthy workers."It's a crazy industry, but it's really important to maintain professional standards."Harmon told Insider he always replies promptly and politely to professional partners — and he aims to complete all commercial work ahead of schedule."I know some creators who blow off brand deals, turn them in late, or get into arguments with the people they're working with. That's never a good idea." <h2>Talk to other creators</h2>When times are tough, it's never a good idea to go it alone. "Having a network of creator friends is really important because you can be in the trenches together," Harmon said."The more information you have, the better prepared you'll be. My creator friends and I are very honest – we talk about numbers. We talk about brands."<h2>Don't undervalue yourself</h2>In times of economic anxiety, creators might be tempted to accept lower prices, but they should also think carefully about devaluing their own products. It all comes back to communication, said Harmon. Harmon told Insider creators need to be "clear with companies" about their budgets — and they shouldn't let themselves feel pressured to accept anything less.While Harmon's not certain about the future, he is "very certain about my ability to be creative, make creative content, and find creative solutions."

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