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India News | SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav Unveils Mulayam Singh Yadav's Statue on His Birth Anniversary

Imagine in the city where you live, the pedestrian crossing sees the pedestrians, the traffic light counts the traffic and flashes accordingly, and drivers are informed via the municipality’s application on their mobile phones about where there is a free parking spot. Algorithms oversee the green spaces and their watering, any leaks in the water supply system, and the lighting in schools and municipal buildings. This future, infused with plenty of digital technology, may seem distant or utopian, but it is becoming a reality in hundreds of municipalities across every corner of the country. The above, along with a series of other actions, such as raising firewalls for protection against cyberattacks, smart applications, and electronic management systems that transform larger and smaller cities into smart cities, are just some of the features of the digital transformation of municipalities that is already underway, with projects starting or being completed primarily in the next three to four years. The flagship action of the Ministry of Digital Governance, “Digital Transformation of Local Government Authorities (LGAs),” provides all the municipalities of the country with innovative applications and advanced technological tools that improve the management and functionality of the urban environment in Greek cities. Crowding The action began in early 2023 with the issuance of a call by the “Digital Transformation 2021–2027” Program, to which 312 municipalities of the country responded. Its available budget is €235,285,163.00 and is co-funded by the European Union with resources from the European Regional Development Fund. So far, 107 municipalities have been included, with the budget amounting to more than €85 million. As the ministers of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou, and Interior, Theodoros Livanios, collaborate to accelerate the program, it practically shows results, as in the coming period, another 33 municipalities will be included, with a budget of €36 million. The program provides for the implementation of 10 projects per municipality on average, chosen among 38 proposed by the municipalities themselves based on local needs. From the total proposals submitted by the 312 municipalities, it appears that most request integrated protection infrastructure against cyberattacks (Network Firewall, Endpoint Security, etc.) and the provision of a teleworking system. As the above was chosen by 165 municipalities, 149 others chose to implement the central unified platform for managing and collecting data of digital transformation actions of LGAs, while 145 chose the organization of a movement office and the management of the municipal vehicle fleet. The fourth most popular choice is the smart city/municipality guide with a registry of local businesses, chosen by 144 municipalities, and fifth is the electronic payment management system, chosen by 135 of them. However, the actions that are chosen and funded are generally based on seven pillars, which in turn follow the marketplace philosophy, which is a good practice of the European Commission and the methodology developed in the European marketplace, the “Integrated Explore-Shape-Deal Matchmaking Process,” adapted to Greek conditions. The seven pillars where the actions are included concern sustainable mobility, energy saving, the reduction of municipal fees and the energy footprint of municipal buildings, the improvement of citizen and business service, quality of life, strengthening local democracy, consultation and transparency, protection from cyberattacks and ensuring operational continuity, and strengthening digital infrastructures. The Transformation of Cities As municipalities have to choose 10 out of the 38 actions, most aim for projects that are directed at making urban mobility smarter and more sustainable in their cities to facilitate their citizens. Actions such as smart pedestrian crossings and wheelchair-friendly ones, smart controlled parking systems, and the corresponding accessibility assurance system for people with mobility issues have been included in the proposals of more than half of the municipalities, while particular emphasis is given to ensuring quality and safety and protection from cyberattacks, with the corresponding action having been chosen by 165 municipalities. The evaluation process has progressed for two-thirds of the total submitted proposals – projects. But what are these? The smart pedestrian crossing systems consist of a network of sensors-smart communication cameras with traffic lights, designed to ensure the safe crossing of pedestrians in the intervention area. Essentially, what the smart crossing does is provide automatic recognition of the presence of pedestrians and activate automatic light signaling of the crossing where possible or “cooperate” with the traffic lights. Thus, the crossing with its smart systems reads when there is actual intention of pedestrian crossing and warns both them and the drivers. The smart system is wheelchair-friendly and aims to facilitate their movements and access to sidewalks-ramps and buildings that have the necessary installations and infrastructure, with the aim of facilitating their movement. The system will gather all the information to compile an electronic city guide with safe routes for approaching an accessible point for wheelchair users. Essentially, people with mobility issues will know before starting their movement how to proceed to reach their destination as quickly and easily as possible. Other popular actions among municipalities mainly focus on energy saving and reducing the energy footprint of municipal buildings using environmentally friendly tools. These include smart energy management systems for municipal and school buildings and smart lighting systems within municipal buildings. These offer the possibility of remote monitoring of consumption, as well as remote control of building automations. The smart energy management system for municipal and school buildings involves the installation and cooperation—through algorithms—of lighting, water, temperature, and humidity sensors and digital energy meters, with smart devices for the effective monitoring and analysis of the energy performance of the facility through applications. Thus, effective monitoring and reduction of energy consumption are achieved. By controlling the lighting, unnecessary artificial lighting is reduced through motion sensors, while water sensors contribute to water saving. Many municipalities also prefer creating a smart city guide, a central information and communication point for local businesses, where they record and present the products and services offered by each business. The aim of this action is the successful promotion and showcasing of the local network, modern digital promotion and communication of local shops, as well as practical interaction and information with the interested audience. Other actions include smart garbage bins that transmit their fill level to the municipal center and issue timely alerts when they are full, smart warning and risk management systems (for floods, fires, earthquakes, etc.), smart air and water quality measurement systems within the municipality, a platform for managing daycare centers and informing parents with a smart application, the interconnection of lamps with a central computational management center, smart public transport stops, traffic information systems, etc. Impressive is also the smart controlled parking system. This will record in real-time the status of all parking spaces (occupied or free) and inform either drivers about available spaces or municipal police officers about vehicles parked illegally in permanent resident spaces or in spaces preventing parking. The system will collect, process, visualize, and share in real-time the data received from parking sensors and make it available through an app to drivers, who will not need to circle for hours searching for a parking spot but will know where to head to park. Also notable is the system for recording and monitoring traffic data. Sensors are installed in selected points of each municipality. With the data collected throughout the day, vehicle crossing times will be calculated using algorithms, and the data will be sent in real-time to the traffic data management software. The system can dynamically reassess traffic conditions, utilizing new information such as incident reports from users, and inform citizens via signs, applications, and the municipality’s website. “Citizens Deserve It” “The creation of green, friendly, and accessible cities is our main goal. In collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and Minister Theodoros Livanios, we provide municipalities with the necessary technological and financial tools to enhance the smart character of cities. Already, 107 municipalities have joined the ‘Digital Transformation 2021–2027’ program for smart cities, with projects promoting sustainable mobility, energy savings, citizen participation, protection from cyberattacks, and upgrading digital infrastructure. At the same time, through the Recovery Fund, a corresponding program is progressing for the 17 largest cities in the country. Technology creates opportunities to modernize cities and improve the everyday lives of citizens, and we are ensuring that none of these opportunities are missed. Citizens deserve to live in cities that meet their needs and solve their problems.” Explore related questions

Jan. 20th is just around the corner. It is Day 1 in the tariff wars that our next president is intent on launching. The corporate world is trying to dissuade him from that course of action, with no success. It is an economic fact that the cost of tariffs is passed on to the consumer. If tariffs are high enough, some imported products simply cease to be available, which can cause supply chain interruptions. At some point, buyers balk at paying higher prices. When that happens, tariff costs hit business profit margins directly. Everyone loses. In the last column, I explained why Donald Trump is adamant that tariffs are the only way to turn around the trade imbalances that have plagued our country as far back as the aftermath of World War II. In his first term, Trump's tariff policies were partially successful but not without a cost. In his first term, Trump's tariff policies were partially successful but not without a cost. Some countries hit back with their own tariffs. Our farmers were hurt so badly that Trump was forced to authorize a multibillion-dollar package of direct aid to keep many farmers afloat. Yet, the MAGA math suggests that whatever harm is done will be worth it in the long run. However, an important element in this equation is being ignored by Trump and many economists. We will use Germany as just one example. As the powerhouse of Europe, Germany has been enjoying large trade surpluses with the U.S. for many years. Back in the heyday of mercantilism (16th to 18th centuries), a country would take these trade surpluses and convert them into piles of silver and gold that would sit in their monarch's coffers for years. That is not the case today. Germany, as well as China, Japan, and most other European nations have much higher savings and investment rates than we do in the U.S. Why should that matter? Because instead of hoarding their cash profits on trade (the modern-day equivalent of precious metals), they have been taking their current account trade surpluses and recycling those capital flows back into the U.S. and other countries. Those flows find their way into building new plants and equipment in the U.S., creating jobs, investing in our technology, and purchasing our stocks and bonds. This flow of funds allows the American consumer to continue to save less and spend more. The risk is that by raising tariffs, we reverse this process. These offending nations would see their current account trade surplus go down as their exports to the U.S. slowed. That means they would have less capital to invest back in America. I see other differences between the Trump approach and the mercantilists of old. Back in those days of colonial expansion, currencies did not represent the value they do today. Only gold and silver were considered stores of wealth. Today, nations can do more than just raise tariffs in response to a burgeoning tariff war. President-elect Donald Trump, shown during a recent news conference, has already telegraphed his intent to levy tariffs on America's trading partners. Since Trump has already telegraphed his intent to levy tariffs on America's trading partners, exporters have already acted by using their currency to lessen the impact on their trade balance. How? By reducing the value of their currencies against the dollar. If Mexico, for example, is hit with a 10 percent tariff on exports and allows its' currency to depreciate versus the dollar by 10 percent, the price to importers remains the same. No harm is done, and it is business as usual. This is why the U.S. dollar has been strengthening against just about every currency all year. Another area where Trump departs from the mercantilist model is government control. He believes in the heavy hand of government as far as trade is concerned, but he is in the opposite camp where rules, regulations, and taxes by the same government are concerned. Unlike the nations of old, he does not believe that wealth is finite, nor should it be measured by the amount of gold, silver, or even crypto that a nation holds. That puts him at odds with the core belief that supported mercantilism. As for acquiring colonies, his policy appears to be both nationalist and anti-imperialistic. Trump has shown himself to be against foreign entanglements and has no interest in acquiring territory (unlike China, Iran, Russia, and other quasi-mercantilist societies). He does not see it as America's role to right every wrong or spend money or American lives on people and causes which he believes has nothing to do with our interests. That does not mean he plans to withdraw America from the global scene as many might fear. The U.S. is just too big an entity to accomplish that. Instead, because of his mercantilist leanings, if other nations want us to intervene then they must be prepared to pay for that privilege. He has made that point with Taiwan, and with the countries that comprise NATO, and will do so at every opportunity, in my opinion. Many voters see our new president as a strong leader. They applaud his desire to wield more power and authority than others have done in his office. Given the present populist era where distrust of government and our economic system are at historical highs, this is not surprising. Although he has a soft spot for pomp and circumstance and may envy autocratic leaders, he seems less interested in power for power's sake. Time and again, the mercantilist in him, appears to support one conclusion: if there is an advantage to be had (whether in finance, economics, or policy) by simply cutting a deal, that is what he will do.

AP Race Call: Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks wins reelection to U.S. House in Iowa's 1st Congressional DistrictLess than a month after winning the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers are spending big again to add one of baseball’s best pitchers to their star-studded roster. Blake Snell and the Dodgers agreed to a $182 million, five-year contract, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the deal is subject to a successful physical. The two-time Cy Young Award winner broke the news personally by posting a photo of himself on social media in a Dodgers uniform — No. 7. Snell gets a $52 million signing bonus, payable on Jan. 20, and annual salaries of $26 million, of which $13 million each year will be deferred. Because Snell is a Washington state resident, the signing bonus will not be subject to California income tax. Snell would join two-way star Shohei Ohtani and fellow Japanese right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto atop Los Angeles’ rotation, giving the Dodgers the first megadeal this offseason following Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year contract and Yamamoto’s $325 million, 12-year agreement last offseason. Ohtani didn’t pitch this year while recovering from right elbow surgery but is expected back on the mound in 2025. He won his third MVP award — first in the National League — following a huge season at the plate exclusively as a designated hitter. Yamamoto went 7-2 with a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts as a rookie, then won twice in four October outings. Down to three healthy starting pitchers during the postseason, Los Angeles overcame a string of injuries to its projected rotation in winning the franchise’s second World Series title in five years. Right-handers Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler then became free agents this fall, creating more voids on the staff. But the addition of Snell would fill a large one at the top with a legitimate ace. Snell’s $36.4 million average salary would rank as the fifth-highest among active deals next year behind Ohtani ($70 million), Philadelphia pitcher Zack Wheeler ($42 million), New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge ($40 million) and Texas pitcher Jacob deGrom ($37 million). Among expired contracts, it also was exceeded by pitchers Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander (both $43.33 million) under deals they agreed to with the New York Mets. ESPN first reported the details of Snell’s contract. Earlier this month, Snell opted out of his deal with San Francisco to become a free agent for the second consecutive offseason after he was slowed by injuries during his lone year with the Giants. The left-hander agreed in March to a $62 million, two-year contract that included a $17 million signing bonus payable on Jan. 15, 2026, a $15 million salary for 2024 and a $30 million salary for 2025, of which $15 million would have been deferred and payable on July 1, 2027. Snell, who turns 32 next week, went 5-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 20 starts this year, throwing a no-hitter at Cincinnati on Aug. 2 for one of only 16 individual shutouts in the major leagues this season. He struck out 145 and walked 44 in 104 innings. He was sidelined between April 19 and May 22 by a strained left adductor and between June 2 and July 9 by a strained left groin. Snell won Cy Young Awards in 2018 with Tampa Bay and 2023 with San Diego. He is 76-58 with a 3.19 ERA in nine seasons with the Rays (2016-20), Padres (2021-23) and Giants. Because he turned down a qualifying offer from San Diego last November, the Giants were not eligible to give Snell another one and won’t receive draft-pick compensation. Los Angeles expects All-Star right-hander Tyler Glasnow and three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw back in the rotation next year. Other starting candidates if healthy include right-handers Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin and Bobby Miller. Ohtani is coming off right elbow surgery in September 2023 and left shoulder surgery on Nov. 5. Glasnow didn’t pitch after Aug. 11 because of right elbow tendinitis. Kershaw, who turns 37 in March, had foot and knee surgeries on Nov. 7. He declined a $10 million player option in favor of free agency, but is expected to return to Los Angeles. May is coming back from Tommy John surgery in July 2023 and from an operation this past July to repair a tear in his esophagus. Gonsolin spent 2024 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Miller, an 11-game winner as a rookie in 2023, was sidelined early this season by shoulder inflammation. He struggled to a 2-4 record with an 8.52 ERA in 13 big league starts and ended the regular season in the minors. Yamamoto was sidelined by right triceps tightness between June 15 and Sept. 10, then returned and went 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in four postseason starts. ___ AP Baseball Writers Janie McCauley and Mike Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans

Multiple Trump Cabinet Nominees Brutally Targeted with 'Bomb Threats' and 'Swatting Attacks' Share This article The Trump-Vance transition team is reporting that several of President-elect Trump's choices to help lead the country have been brutally targeted and threatened over the past 24 hours. "Last night and this morning, several of President Trump's Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them. These attacks ranged from bomb threats to 'swatting.' In response, law enforcement and other authorities acted quickly to ensure the safety of those who were targeted. President Trump and the entire Transition team are grateful for their swift action," Trump-Vance Transition Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. A swatting attack involves a perpetrator issuing a fake call to emergency services that results in large numbers of armed police officers being dispatched to a target's address. It's intended to harass and terrify the victim. Among those targeted were New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump’s pick to serve as the next ambassador to the United Nations; Matt Gaetz, Trump’s initial pick to serve as attorney general who has withdrawn from consideration; and former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, who has been tapped to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Zeldin said in a social media post that he and his family had been threatened. “A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message,” he wrote on X. A pipe bomb threat targeting me and my family at our home today was sent in with a pro-Palestinian themed message. My family and I were not home at the time and are safe. We are working with law enforcement to learn more as this situation develops. We are thankful for the swift... Susie Wiles, Trump's incoming chief of staff, and Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general whom Trump has chosen as Gaetz's replacement, were also targeted, according to a law enforcement official. The FBI said it was “aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees" and was investigating. The dangerous threats follow a political campaign marked by disturbing violence including the near assassination of former President Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and a second assassination attempt in Florida that was narrowly prevented. This year, there was not just one but TWO assassination attempts on President Trump. Now some of his Cabinet nominees and their families are facing bomb threats. This is dangerous and unhinged. It is not who we are in America. Joe Biden and all Democrat leaders have an... https://t.co/0xZztX4DQo "President Trump and the Transition are focused on doing the work of uniting our nation by ensuring a safe and prosperous future. With President Trump as our example, dangerous acts of intimidation and violence will not deter us," Leavitt said. DEVELOPING... CBN News Analysis from Washington to Be Posted HERE Soon ***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.*** Share This article About The AuthorDec 12 (Reuters) - Bausch + Lomb (BLCO.TO) , opens new tab is exploring a potential sale among other options, it said on Thursday, in a move that would help Canadian parent Bausch Health (BHC.TO) , opens new tab exit the eye-care company. Bausch + Lomb also said its statement was in response to a request from the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) after a series of media reports on its likely sale triggered volatility in its shares. The Financial Times reported on Oct. 14 that private equity firms TPG and Blackstone were working on a joint bid to take the company private for up to $11.5 billion, including debt. A month prior, the FT had reported that the company had hired an investment bank to explore a sale, sending its shares surging more than 37% until the newspaper's report on Blackstone's cooling interest earlier this week led to a sharp fall in its stock price. A sale could end a long process by parent Bausch Health to offload its stake in the eyecare company. In 2022, Bausch Health separated the business into another publicly listed company but retained a majority stake. Bausch + Lomb, which is one of the world's largest contact lens suppliers, is helmed by noted dealmaker Brent Saunders. He was previously the CEO of Allergan before it was sold to AbbVie (ABBV.N) , opens new tab for $63 billion. The company also makes surgical devices, prescription drugs and generic eye products. Sign up here. Reporting by Puyaan Singh, Kashish Tandon, Sriparna Roy and Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona and Anil D'Silva Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Variety’s Faith & Media Impact Report Presented by the Coalition for Faith and Media

The Dolphins' improbable path to the playoffs isn't in their hands, but they must do their partThousands of Afghans on Thursday attended the funeral of the refugees minister, AFP journalists saw, after he was killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul the day before in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The Minister for Refugees and Repatriation, Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, was killed on Wednesday afternoon in a suicide bombing at the ministry's offices in the Afghan capital. Thousands of men, many of them armed, gathered for Haqqani's funeral in his home village of Sarana, in a mountainous area of Paktia province, south of Kabul. The funeral included heavy security, with armoured vehicles, snipers and personnel manning the area and the road from Kabul, which was jammed with hundreds of cars as mourners travelled from surrounding provinces. Senior Taliban officials, including the Chief of Army Staff Qari Fasihuddin Fitrat, and Maulawi Abdul Kabir, political deputy of the prime minister's office, attended the funeral, according to an AFP team on site. The deceased's nephew, the powerful interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, also attended, along with foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. In a speech there, Muttaqi said the latest IS attacks had been planned "abroad", denouncing, without naming them, "countries harbouring" the organisation. "We call on all nations to work together to stop the common enemy, which does not recognise any kind of morality." In September, the Taliban authorities said IS had training camps in Balochistan province of Pakistan, which also regularly faces jihadist attacks. Haqqani, the highest ranked member of the Taliban government to be killed in an attack since their return to power, "was a big loss for us, the system and the nation", said Paktia resident Hedayatullah, 22. "May God protect our other leaders and keep them victorious." "Our leader... who had his life brutally taken away, achieved martyrdom," said Bostan, 53, haranguing the "cowardly attack" that killed Haqqani. The United Nations mission in Afghanistan condemned the attack on Thursday, offering condolences to the victims' families. "There can be no place for terrorism in the quest for stability," the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on X. The European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also condemned the attack, along with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran. Haqqani -- who is on US and UN sanctions lists and never appeared without an automatic weapon in his hand -- was the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the feared Haqqani network responsible for some of the most violent attacks during the Taliban's two-decade insurgency. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying a bomber detonated an explosive vest inside the ministry, according to a statement on its Amaq news agency, as translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. Taliban authorities had already blamed IS for the "cowardly attack" -- the first targeting a minister since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Violence has waned in Afghanistan since the Taliban forces took over the country that year, ending their war against US-led NATO coalition forces. However, the regional chapter of IS, known as Islamic State Khorasan, is active in Afghanistan and has regularly targeted civilians, foreigners and Taliban officials with gun and bomb attacks. bur-qb-sw/nroOur tax doctrine LAHORE: Pakistan’s tax doctrine prioritises revenue collection, often at the expense of economic stability and fairness. The state lacks the resolve to document the economy, instead appeasing traders with the option to pay slightly higher taxes in undocumented modes to satisfy the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Reforms in Pakistan are perceived as IMF-driven, creating an impression that they are undesirable but necessary to maintain engagement with the lender. This apologetic stance tarnishes the reputation of the IMF and highlights the government’s reluctance to pursue sustainable economic growth. Without a fair and transparent tax regime, the informal economy will continue to expand, further widening the gap between government income and expenditures. Pakistan’s growing fiscal deficit leaves little room for borrowing, as debt servicing now constitutes the largest expenditure in the national budget. Addressing this imbalance requires immediate reforms that successive governments have failed to implement. The National Tax Reforms Commission’s interim report of 1986 identified tax evasion, smuggling and corruption as the three fundamental challenges facing Pakistan’s economy. These issues remain unresolved 38 years later. Although the IMF has repeatedly urged Pakistan to document its economy, the government has evaded meaningful action for four decades, perpetuating a broken system. The reluctance of politicians to embrace reforms and the business community’s preference for maintaining the status quo stifle progress. Under the current system, businesses pass income tax burdens onto consumers, while informal sectors flourish, undermining efforts to expand the tax net. The excessive general sales tax (GST) of over 17 per cent exacerbates these challenges. High tax rates incentivise tax evasion through practices like under-invoicing by importers and underreporting by local manufacturers. The coexistence of a robust informal sector further pressures formal businesses to adopt informal practices to stay competitive. The IMF generally recommends prudent measures to enhance revenue for public expenditures. However, when governments hesitate due to political concerns, the IMF resorts to pushing for politically less-damaging but regressive taxation policies. These measures disproportionately burden the poor and exacerbate income inequality. Special interest groups, particularly rent-seeking bureaucrats, benefit from the current system, enabling informality to thrive. This nexus between informal entrepreneurs and corrupt officials obstructs meaningful reform. Breaking this cycle requires strict enforcement and accountability. Tax administration credibility is another critical issue. While tax officials often turn a blind eye to informal activities, they impose excessive scrutiny on registered taxpayers. This inconsistent approach undermines trust and encourages further tax evasion. Effective tax reforms demand political will, robust governance and transparent policies that promote economic equity. Addressing the systemic flaws in Pakistan’s tax doctrine is essential to fostering a sustainable and inclusive economic future.

“House of the Dragon” Season 2 steps up the truly fantastic elements promised in its title. There are way more dragons and Dragonriders in this turn of the same wheel that Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) and Danenyrs Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) will one day attempt to break, many years from the time of George R.R. Martin’s cheekily historiographical telling of the great Targaryen civil war. But for the entire filmmaking team on the HBO series , more spectacle meant focusing on finding ways to make the series look and feel both visually and emotionally grounded. This starts with showrunner Ryan Condal and the “ House of the Dragon ” writing team. Most book adaptations are about synthesis and building visual expressions of what’s conveyed through a first- or third-person narration, but because “House of the Dragon” is a patchwork quilt of different, fictional historians weighing in on events with their own particular biases (shoutout to Mushroom ), Condal and the writers are doing a lot more additive work. For Season 2, that meant not only organically building in the Dragonseeds who will eventually claim their (bastard) birthright but finding moments of emotional context for the decisions our core characters make and then the emotional context of the unintended consequences those decisions create. But every department works in this way — from Ramin Djawadi’s score providing the most immediate route to our characters’ interior life to the VFX team building out dragons so that they each have a sense of real personality to go with their massive scale. Production designer Jim Clay told IndieWire that he believes his role is to create “the psychological climate for the writer’s narrative. And, of course, that plays directly to the actors who must feel. That atmosphere, that mood. [Actors] must feel that they’re really in that space.” In the videos below, watch how VFX supervisor Dadi Einarsson, VFX producer Tom Horton, production designer Jim Clay, and showrunner Ryan Condal all manage to keep “House of the Dragon” grounded, even when those dragons are soaring overhead. Season 2 gave the “House of the Dragon” VFX team a clear gift and a clear challenge: More dragons, please. And so VFX supervisor Dadi Einarsson and VFX producer Tom Horton approached the new designs with clarity as a goal. They wanted each dragon to have its own personality and be as immediately clear to the audience as any other character on the show through their size, color, movement, and expressions. But they also wanted the dragons’ size to be clear to the filmmakers. “It’s very easy in an action sequence in previz to create a very exciting looking sequence when the dragons are low-resolution CG. It all looks great, but when you get all the flesh on the dragons, and the size, and you see a real person on it, suddenly you realize that the dragon is traveling a little too fast, and turning the corner a little too rapidly,” Horton told IndieWire. So for Season 2, the team used motion control cameras on the dragon-riding so that each glorious aerial swoop over a battlefield and each horrified closeup of a rider in trouble could be precisely controlled. “Having the dragons all consistent with one another, having the camerawork feel like it has the constraints of real camerawork. Gives the audience a kind of a base of believability, even though it’s all fantasy and it doesn’t exist, but, you know, having it rooted in something that they’re familiar with helped them suspend their disbelief,” Einarsson told IndieWire. In the video above, watch how Einarsson, Horton, and the VFX team built dragons from digital bones and sinew. There’s no rest for the weary on Season 2 of “House of the Dragon,” and so even though production designer Jim Clay continued to explore familiar places like Dragonstone and King’s Landing, he needed to expand them for Season 2. Clay built out the craggy, sharp corners of Dragonstone to cage Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) in a prison of her own making while he tied the exteriors of the Red Keep to the wider world of King’s Landing, and the common people ever under Aegon’s (Tom Glynn-Carney) shadow. Clay also built a new version of Harrenhal, designed to be as psychologically torturous to Daemon (Matt Smith) as it is wrecked by the history of dragons in Westeros. It’s a great example of physical sets melding with the set extensions and dragon VFX to create a space that threatens to swallow Daemon’s sanity. However painstakingly designed the final VFX ends up being, the work during production still requires the actors and the filmmakers to make huge mental leaps to “see” the fantastical elements and the larger scale of Westeros. So Clay designs the sets of “House of the Dragon” to act as an imaginative bridge everyone can cross confidently — at least with more confidence than the Dragonseeds. “I always feel it must be incredibly hard for the actors to, you know, have to imagine the space in their head and still perform their character. Whereas if I can give them the 360 [degree] surrounding environment, I feel I’m at least setting them off with a bit of a plus,” Clay said. In the video above, watch how Clay starts the filmmaking of “House of the Dragon” off on the right road and crafts a psychological landscape to immerse both the actors and the audience in each unique environment. With “House of the Dragon” Season 2, showrunner Ryan Condal wanted to make sure that each expansion feels at least as satisfying from a structural storytelling point of view as the expanded visuals and spectacle do. Neither the Blacks nor the Greens really want an all-out war, but the choices they make pull them into a spiral from which they cannot escape. It was important, therefore, that the Battle of Rook’s Rest, which kicks off hostilities, feels like a series of reveals and reversals in which characters think they’re in control and realize too late that events are in control of them. “We really have to deliver on this visually, but it can’t just be a visual spectacle. There has to be a character engagement and simple cinematic storytelling engagement that gets people sitting forward in their seat,” Condal told IndieWire. For Rook’s Rest, that engagement is two-fold from a structural, writing perspective. First, there’s traps within traps and the suspense of who will wriggle out of what — wAemond (Ewan Mitchell) and Ser Cristan Cole (Fabien Frankel) think they’ve cornered Rhaenys (Eve Best), but the arrival of Aegon spoiling their plans and maybe the war. Then Condal ties the horrifying reality of what dragons do on a battlefield directly to Cole. “When one of [the dragons] dies or falls or crashes, it’s bad news for everybody on the ground. You see how this very seasoned, experienced soldier is changed by the realization that a nuclear arm went off. He realizes that he is essentially a moot object in this new generation of modern warfare,” Condal said. “What I was really interested in, on a thematic level, is how does this change the game for warfare.” In the video above, watch how Condal changes the game “House of the Dragon” is playing across battlefields literal, political, and emotional. Everything in Season 2 gets more complicated, and Condal makes sure that we feel what each character loses by it.Republican senators express growing concerns over Pete Hegseth misconduct allegationsThe Biden administration has an opportunity this week to help end plastic pollution for good, Greenpeace USA's Sybil Bullock writes in a guest column. 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