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☆ Biden brags about his environmental record to win young voters, but most have no idea what he's done to fight climate change
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. President Joe Biden has sought to use his pro-environment policies to boost his support among young voters, but most of them have little to no knowledge of his administration's actions to tackle climate change, according to a recent survey. And many of the administration's climate policies are seemingly popular with the American public. The most polarizing Biden policy in the survey was the allowance of tax credits for electric vehicles, but even it had a plurality of support (43 percent) among respondents. Meanwhile, 35 percent of respondents opposed such credits, and 21 percent of respondents indicated they hadn't heard about it.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump's Organizations: Service, CBS, Business Locations: White House, Paris, United States

Six years ago, Illinois farmer John Ackerman didn't hire any contract workers at all. He enjoys mentoring young people, but says it's felt harder lately to justify hiring inexperienced workers when contract workers do the same hard, physical jobs faster and better. Climate change affects all farm workers, but advocates and researchers say this is a reason to focus particularly on these workers. The USDA data showed an uptick in the number of farms using migrant labor, both within farms that already hired contract workers and overall. He’s tried reaching out H-2A workers on nearby farms, but says their supervisors won’t let them talk to him.

Persons: John Ackerman didn't, Ackerman, it's, Alexis Guild, Rebecca Young, ”, Jennifer Vanos, Abigail Kerfoot, Luis Jimenez, farmworkers, Jimenez, He’s, won’t, “, Jed Clark, he's, Stephanie McBath, ” McBath, “ it’s, ” Bruce Cline, Scott Kuegel, ” Jimenez, Dorany Pineda, Joshua A, Bickel, Melina Walling Organizations: U.S . Department of Agriculture, Farmworker, Arizona State University, Centro de, Alianza Agrícola, “, National Association of State, of Agriculture, Associated Press Locations: Illinois, U.S, New York, North Carolina, Kentucky, Crofton , Kentucky, Owensboro, AP.org

☆ Ivory Coast Seizes 100 Tons of Cocoa at the Border With Guinea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

That compares with 1,000 CFA francs a kilogram in Ivory Coast, where the price is fixed and guaranteed throughout the year. Global cocoa prices have hit record highs in recent months amid worries about a bean deficit this season and with concerns growing for the next. Ivory Coast and neighbouring Ghana, the world's second biggest producer, have said smuggling hampers their effort to meet their yearly production target. "This year, despite the high price in both countries compared to Ivory Coast, there is less leakage... People are really finding it hard to get cocoa out of Ivory Coast," said Abel Gbale, a cocoa buyer in Danane, the country's last major town before the borders with Liberia and Guinea. Amadou Konate, a cocoa buyer based in Man, the main city in western Ivory Coast, said cocoa producers earn nothing from smuggling and the middlemen pocket all the money.

Persons: Ivory Coast's, Yves Brahima Kone, Kone, Abel Gbale, Amadou Konate, Ange Aboa, Anait Miridzhanian, Bate Felix, Frances Kerry Organizations: Ivory, Cocoa Council, CFA, Reuters Locations: ABIDJAN, Guinea, West African, Liberia, Ivory Coast's, Ivory Coast, Sipilou, Ghana, Danane

ATLANTA (AP) — A nuclear power plant in Georgia has begun splitting atoms in the second of its two new reactors, Georgia Power said Wednesday, a key step toward providing carbon-free electricity. The unit of Atlanta-based Southern Co. said operators reached self-sustaining nuclear fission inside the reactor at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta. Georgia Power says operators will raise power and sync up its generator to the electric grid, beginning to produce electricity. The new Vogtle reactors are currently projected to cost Georgia Power and three other owners $31 billion, according to calculations by The Associated Press. Georgia Power owns 45.7% of the reactors, with smaller shares owned by Oglethorpe Power Corp., which provides electricity to member-owned cooperatives; the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia; and the city of Dalton.

Persons: Georgia Power, That’s Organizations: ATLANTA, Georgia Power, Southern Co, Plant Vogtle’s, Georgia, Regulators, Associated Press, Westinghouse, Oglethorpe Power Corp, Municipal Electric Authority of Locations: Georgia, Atlanta, Augusta, Vogtle, American, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, Dalton, Florida, Alabama

It allows the city to suspend a landlord’s rental license if police answer four or more “nuisance” calls in a year. Minnesota law meanwhile prohibits landlords from limiting or preventing calls for emergency services and also preempts local ordinances penalizing landlords over such calls. She later learned the calls ran afoul of Peoria’s nuisance ordinance. Last year, Maryland prohibited landlords from evicting tenants over the number of emergency calls to their addresses, as well as prohibited cities and counties from penalizing landlords for emergency calls. Jose Cruz Guzman, who serves on the board of Minneapolis’ Sky Without Limits Cooperative, said emergency calls to an apartment would prompt support from fellow residents.

Persons: ”, Elizabeth Sauer, Jeff Weaver, Sue Abderholden, Scott Baumgartner, Baumgartner, Tina Davies, Davies, they’re, “ I’m, Kate Walz, Jose Cruz Guzman, ___ Hanna, Steve Karnowski Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, Central Minnesota Legal Services, City, FBI, DOJ, Anoka, National Alliance, Mental, Associated Press, Fair Housing, Peoria, American Civil Liberties Union, New, New York Civil Liberties Union, National Housing Law, Housing, Prevention Locations: Minneapolis, Anoka, Mississippi, ”, Minnesota, California , Ohio, Illinois, Peoria, New York, Hesperia , California, U.S, Maryland, California, Topeka , Kansas

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Power Co. said Thursday that vibrations found in a cooling system of its second new nuclear reactor will delay when the unit begins generating power. Georgia Power said the Unit 4 problem has already been fixed but too much testing remains to be done to make the March 30 deadline. The new Vogtle reactors are currently projected to cost Georgia Power and three other owners $31 billion, according to calulations by The Associated Press. But even as government officials and some utilities are again looking to nuclear power to alleviate climate change, the cost of Vogtle could discourage utilities from pursuing nuclear power. Georgia Power owns 45.7% of the reactors, with smaller shares owned by Oglethorpe Power Corp., which provides electricity to member-owned cooperatives; the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia; and the city of Dalton.

Persons: Georgia Power Organizations: ATLANTA, — Georgia Power Co, Vogtle's, Southern Co, Georgia, Georgia Power, Georgia Public Service Commission, Regulators, The Associated Press, Westinghouse, Oglethorpe Power Corp, Municipal Electric Authority of Locations: Atlanta, Augusta, Georgia, Vogtle, American, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, Dalton, Florida, Alabama

☆ Private Equity Is Starting to Share With Workers, Without Taking a Financial Hit
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Lydia Depillis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2018, Anna-Lisa Miller was working with agricultural cooperatives in Hawaii, helping them reinvest in their communities through shared ownership. Then she came across an investor presentation from a different universe: KKR, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. In it, a KKR executive, Pete Stavros, discussed a model he had been developing to provide employees with an equity stake in companies it purchased, so the workers would reap some benefits if it was flipped for a profit. By that time, Mr. Stavros had decided to start an organization to promote his model more broadly, hoping to reach the 12 million people who work for companies that private equity firms own. Ms. Miller saw it as a way to move much faster.

Persons: Anna, Lisa Miller, Miller, Pete Stavros, Stavros Organizations: Project Equity, KKR, KKR doesn’t Locations: Hawaii

☆ Philippines jeepneys: Will the loud, colorful vehicles soon disappear from the roads?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

For years, jeepney drivers have argued that the cost to transition to cleaner vehicles is out of their reach. Groups representing jeepney drivers have held protests in recent months, with the latest gathering set for Tuesday in the capital Manila. But Mar Valbuena, chairman of transport group Manibela, said police attempted to stall jeepney drivers from joining that protest. Jeepney drivers protesting the modernization plan on December 29, 2023 near Mendiola, Manila. The important thing is that the consolidation is done,” Andy Ortega, head of the Office of Transport Cooperatives, told CNN Philippines.

Persons: Virgin Mary, Mar Valbuena, ” Valbuena, Josefiel Rivera, Valbuena, jeepneys, we’d, ”, Joseph Sabado, Russet Tamayo, Teofilo Guadiz III, Jose Santos, ” Guadiz, “, ” Andy Ortega Organizations: CNN, Department of Transportation, CNN Philippines, Russet, Transportation, Transport Cooperatives Locations: Philippines, Manila, Mendiola

☆ Starbucks sued for alleged deceptive marketing of its ‘100% ethically’ sourced coffee
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Parija Bhatnagar | Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Starbucks is being sued by a consumer advocacy group alleging that the global coffee chain falsely and deceptively advertises the “committed to 100% ethical sourcing” claim on its coffee and tea products. There are significant human rights and labor abuses across Starbucks’ supply chain,” she said. Practices sourcing certification. Starbucks developed its own sourcing standards called Coffee And Farmer Equity Practices, or C.A.F.E in 2004. Greenberg said her group is seeking to restrict Starbucks from further engaging in deceptive advertising and to run a corrective advertising campaign.

Persons: “, ”, ” Sally Greenberg, Greenberg Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Consumers League, Starbucks, CNN, SCS Global Services, BBC Locations: New York, Washington, India, Brazilian, Brazil

☆ 2 nuclear reactors that can power 1 million US homes with clean, sustainable energy is $21 billion over budget and years behind schedule
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-19 | by ( Jeff Amy | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It would take effect in the first month after Vogtle's Unit 4 begins commercial operation, projected to be sometime in March. They're currently projected to cost Georgia Power and three other owners $31 billion, according to Associated Press calculations. But even as government officials and some utilities are again looking to nuclear power to alleviate climate change, the cost of Vogtle could discourage utilities from pursuing nuclear power. Overall, the company said Georgia Power would collect an additional $729 million a year from its 2.7 million customers. The five Republican commissioners, all elected statewide, voted on an agreement that Georgia Power reached with commission staff and some consumer groups.

Persons: —, They're, Jeff Amy Southern, Georgia Power, John Kraft, Jason Shaw, Vogtle, " Shaw, Bryan Jacob Organizations: Service, Georgia Public Service, Georgia Power Co, Business, Vogtle's, Georgia Power, Westinghouse, Republican, Georgia Public Service Commission, AP, Jeff Amy Southern Co, Georgia, Georgia PSC, Power, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Oglethorpe Power Corp, Municipal Electric Authority of Locations: ATLANTA, Georgia, Augusta, American, Atlanta, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, Dalton, Florida, Alabama

☆ Germany financial sector facing dark clouds, Bundesbank warns
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Deutsche Bundesbank FollowFRANKFURT, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Germany's financial firms may be well capitalised now but face challenges ranging from rising interest expenditure and weak loan demand to unrealised losses, Bundesbank Vice President Claudia Buch said on Wednesday. "Almost two-thirds of savings banks and credit cooperatives now have unrealised losses throughout their banking book, which comprises loans as well as securities," Buch said in a statement. Buch warned that interest rate expenditure was likely to rise in the future, which will compress margins and weigh on earnings. Banks will struggle to offset higher costs via rising loan volumes since corporate demand is weak amid a recessionary environment. "Even in adverse scenarios, financial institutions should have sufficient levels of capital and liquidity to be able to absorb shocks on their own," Buch added.

Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Claudia Buch, Buch, Banks, Balazs Koranyi, Bernadette Baum Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, FRANKFURT

___Their recommendations include securing land rights for women, promoting women's cooperatives and encouraging women to lead on developing climate policy. The link between phenomena like uterine prolapse and climate change is indirect but significant, said Seema Bhaskaran, who tracks gender issues for the nonprofit Transform Rural India Foundation. “It must prioritize awareness programs that emphasize the specific health challenges women face in the wake of climate change as a critical step towards increasing public knowledge. These efforts will also serve as a call to action for governments, institutions, and communities to prioritize women’s health and well-being as a central component of their climate initiatives,” she added. “Definitely there is a very clear recognition that climate has a health impact and health needs to be considered more seriously,” she said.

Persons: Manju Devi, Devi, hadn’t, ___, Seema Bhaskaran, Bhaskaran, Savita Singh, Singh's, Singh, ”, Babita Kumari, Kumari, Poonam, COP28, Anjal Prakash, Shweta Narayan Organizations: DELHI, India Climate Journalism, Associated Press, Stanley Center for Peace, Security, Press Trust of India, India's, Transform Rural, Foundation, Climate Central, Population Foundation of India, Bharat Institute of Public, Indian School of Business, United Nations, Health, AP Locations: Delhi, Dubai, India, New Delhi, Syaraul, Uttar Pradesh, Nanu, U.S

And while the local government says Berlin has sufficient space to build over 100,000 apartments, there is no sign the housing crisis gripping the city will ease. But as Europe's largest economy teeters near recession, economists warn that high rents will feed inflation and reduce household consumption. In Berlin, local opposition has frustrated plans to build, while regulation creates a two-tier rental market that is cheap for some long-term tenants and expensive for new renters. Rising property demand saw private companies develop luxury apartments that offered a higher yield - in part, Buch said, because government permissioning for more affordable housing projects was so slow. OPPOSITIONSome building projects have since faced local opposition while a recent attempt to curb rent increases backfired.

Persons: Lisi Niesner, Rolf Buch, Buch, you've, Konstantin Kholodilin, Marwa, Monika Neugebauer, Goldman Sachs, Neugebauer, Gesa Crockford, Martin Pallgen, Anna Hohnrath, Hohnrath, Matthias Inverardi, Matthias Williams, Catherine Evans Organizations: Berlin, REUTERS, Rights, Vonovia, Reuters, DIVISION, International Union of Tenants, European, West, Foreigners, Thomson Locations: Berlin, Germany, San Francisco, California, City, Tempelhof, Valencia, Spain

☆ America's electric grid is in shambles. Biden has made the largest federal investment ever to try and fix it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Matthew Daly | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Biden announced $3.5 billion for 58 projects across the country to strengthen the electric grid. This is the largest federal investment ever made in grid infrastructure, said US Energy Secretary. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said it was the largest federal investment ever in grid infrastructure, supporting projects that will harden electric systems and improve energy reliability and affordability. The federal spending, combined with money promised by private partners, could result in up to $8 billion in investments nationally to upgrade the grid, Granholm said. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe largest grant, $464 million, will go to improve five transmission projects across seven Midwestern states, from Iowa to North Dakota.

Persons: Biden, Jennifer Granholm, Granholm, Chip Somodevilla, ″, Mitch Landrieu, Joe Biden, Landrieu, Jonathan Foley, Foley, Tim Walz, Steve Karnowski Organizations: US Energy, Service, Wednesday, Energy, Biden, Resilience, White House, Minnesota Gov, AP, of Commerce, CPS Energy, Consumers Energy, Flint, DTE Energy, Portland General Electric Locations: Maui, California, Georgia, Louisiana, American, Oregon, Iowa, North Dakota, Hawaii, California , Oregon , Utah, Minnesota, Locust Grove, Orleans, San Antonio, Texas , Colorado , New Mexico, Wisconsin, Texas, Michigan, Grand Rapids, Detroit

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Wednesday announced $3.5 billion for 58 projects across the country to strengthen electric grid resilience as extreme weather events such as the deadly Maui and California wildfires continue to strain the nation’s aging transmission systems. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said it was the largest federal investment ever in grid infrastructure, supporting projects that will harden electric systems and improve energy reliability and affordability. The federal spending, combined with money promised by private partners, could result in up to $8 billion in investments nationally to upgrade the grid, Granholm said. Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesThe largest grant, $464 million, will go to improve five transmission projects across seven Midwestern states, from Iowa to North Dakota. In southeastern Pennsylvania, PECO Energy Co. will increase grid reliability and resilience through substation flood mitigation and replacing aging infrastructure.

Persons: —, Biden, Jennifer Granholm, Granholm, ″, Mitch Landrieu, Joe Biden, ” Landrieu, ”, Jonathan Foley, ” Foley, Isabella O'Malley Organizations: WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Energy, Biden, Resilience, White House, Entergy, CPS Energy, DTE Energy, PECO Energy, Portland General Electric, Associated Press Locations: Maui, California, Georgia, Louisiana, American, Oregon, Iowa, North Dakota, Hawaii, California , Oregon , Utah, San Francisco, Locust Grove , Georgia, Orleans, San Antonio, Minnesota, Texas , Colorado , New Mexico, Wisconsin, Texas, Michigan, Detroit, Pennsylvania, New York

☆ On a former cotton plantation in Louisiana, a Black farmers' cooperative is reclaiming the land and money their ancestors lost
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Trisha Gopal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Between 1910 and 1997, Black farmers lost around 90% of their property in the US. In 1920, there were nearly 1 million Black farmers in the United States, accounting for 14% of all farmers. But between 1910 and 1997, Black farmers lost around 90% of their property, while white farmers only lost 2% during the same time period. She hopes to create a platform that addresses economic and racial equity for Black farmers, while also encouraging sustainable agriculture. In the 19th century, after the Southern Farmers' Alliance refused to admit Black farmers except in certain chapters, Black farmers started the Colored Farmers' National Alliance and Co-operative Union.

Persons: Konda Mason, Mason, I've, Mason's, collard, she's, Robert Bimba, Erica Styger, Elisabeth Keller, Keller's, Donna Isaacs, Caryl Levine, Levine, Justice Rice, Rice, Jim Crow, Linda Jones Organizations: Service, Jubilee Justice, Lotus Foods, Justice, US Department of Agriculture, USDA, Agriculture, Southern Farmers ' Alliance, Colored Farmers ' National Alliance and, Union Locations: Alabama, California, Louisiana, Inglewood, Alexandria, New York, Asia, Africa, United States, Mason, Ecuadorian

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — TikTok said it will halt its online retail operation in Indonesia on Wednesday to comply with the country’s decision to ban e-commerce transactions on social media platforms — a big blow to the video platform's fastest-growing market. The Chinese-owned video sharing app said in a statement it will stop facilitating e-commerce sales in TikTok Shop Indonesia by 5 p.m. Wednesday. “Our priority is to remain compliant with local laws and regulations,” said the statement released Tuesday on its website. Political Cartoons View All 1196 ImagesA week before the ban was announced, Southeast Asia’s largest wholesale market, Tanah Abang, came under inspection. But the company said it will respect the regulations and “will take a constructive path forward."

Persons: — TikTok, ”, Zulkifli Hasan, Sellers, TikTok, China’s ByteDance Organizations: Indonesia’s Trade, Trade Ministry, Cooperatives, Enterprises, TikTok Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesia, Indonesian, Shop, Abang, Jakarta, TikTok Indonesia, Asia, Beijing, United States, Britain, New Zealand

Farmers across the agrarian heartland that makes Thailand the world's second-largest rice exporter should be poised to benefit. These pressures on the sector, reported in detail for the first time by Reuters, are squeezing debt-laden Thai farmers despite tens of billions of dollars in subsidies over the past decade. Successive governments have spent 1.2 trillion Thai baht ($33.85 billion) on price and income interventions for rice farmers in the last decade, estimates Somporn. The average Thai farmer's income has dwindled. Unstable income for Thai rice farmersIn the years since Sripai followed her family into the paddy fields, the challenges have multiplied, but current prices offer a rare opportunity.

Persons: Somporn, Sripai, Danai Saengthabthim, Srettha Thavisin, King Chulalongkorn, Nipon Poapongsakorn, Thailand's, KNIT's, Yingluck Shinawatra, Yingluck, Devjyot Ghoshal, Pasit, Katerina Ang, Kay Johnson Organizations: Farmers, Reuters, Research, Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand, Bank for Agriculture, Agricultural Cooperatives, Agriculture, El, National Water Resources, Thailand Development Research, Nipon, Thomson Locations: Thailand, Kaeo, Chai, India, East, Asia, Africa, Rice, Chai Nat, Bangkok, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam

☆ The farming industry is struggling with labor shortages and the climate crisis. But agtech like digital cow collars and AI-quality-control tools are solving problems in unexpected ways.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Sabina Wex | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Still, there are concerns about who owns the farm data and how it's being used. Chemeres said that he saw agriculture tech companies bombard farmers with innovations to mitigate this labor shortage. He believes the future of agriculture tech will be "almost surgical," he said, especially as AI comes into the field and becomes more sophisticated. These concerns came to a head in 2020, when Climate FieldView was accused of sharing farmers' data with Tillable, a platform that connects landowners with farmers. Not all tech companies do this.

Persons: Andy Lenkaitis, Lenkaitis Holsteins, Sarah Lenkaitis, Sarah, Lenkaitis, Bill Oemichen, Jeff Chemeres, Chemeres, Croptracker, Oemichen, that's, Bayer, FieldView, it's Organizations: Service, McKinsey, Credit Services, Data, Services, US Department of, The National Young Farmers Coalition, University of Wisconsin Survey Center, University of Saskatchewan, Bayer, US Locations: Wall, Silicon, Charles , Illinois, Minnesota, California, Washington, German

☆ Italy earmarks 2.9 million euros to tackle blue crab invasion
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows blue crabs that hit the shores of Porto Tolle, Italy, in this recent undated handout image received by Reuters. Fishermen's Cooperative Of Polesine/Handout via REUTERS/File photoROME, Aug 7 (Reuters) - Italy's government has earmarked 2.9 million euros ($3.2 million) to tackle the spread of a particularly aggressive crab species that is threatening the country's role as one of the world's top producers of clams. The "blue crab", originating from the western Atlantic, has spread across several lagoon-like locations in Italy, preying on local shellfish, fish roe and other aquatic life, to despair of the clams aquafarm industry. According to a draft seen by Reuters, the 2.9 million euros will be given to fishing cooperatives and aquafarmers who are trying to curb blue crab numbers with a large-scale fishing campaign. It is also home to "spaghetti alle vongole" (spaghetti with clams), a classic of Italian cuisine.

Persons: Francesco Lollobrigida, Emanuele Rossetti, Alvise Armellini, Angelo Amante, Conor Humphries Organizations: Reuters . Fishermen's, REUTERS, Agriculture, Sunday, Reuters, Fishermen's Cooperative, Agriculture Organization, Thomson Locations: Porto Tolle, Italy, Handout, ROME, China, South Korea, Food

JAKARTA/HONG KONG, July 27 (Reuters) - TikTok said it has no plans to roll out a cross-border business in Indonesia as a government minister on Thursday expressed concerns over how reported plans for a new e-commerce push by the firm could flood the country with Chinese products. "We have no intent to create our own e-commerce product or become a retailer/wholesaler in Indonesia to compete with Indonesian sellers." The current localised TikTok Shop model "empowers and benefits" local sellers, and TikTok will continue with this approach, she added. The company said that its app has 325 million Southeast Asian users that are active every month while 125 million are in Indonesia. The company has said that there are 2 million small businesses on TikTok Shop in Indonesia.

Persons: TikTok, China's ByteDance, Masduki, Fiki, Temu, Anggini Setiawan, Shou Zi Chew, Stanley Widianto, Josh Ye, Brenda Goh, Conor Humphries Organizations: Reuters, Indonesia's, Cooperatives, Enterprises, PDD Holdings, U.S, of Communications, TikTok, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, HONG KONG, Indonesia, United States, Indonesian, Europe, TikTok Indonesia, Asia, Jakarta, Hong Kong

☆ Power shutoffs: Sweltering Americans have fewer protections this summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Despite the growing concern of heat-related illnesses and climate change, people have far fewer protections from power shutoffs during the summer than they do in the winter. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, has about $6 billion in funds for fiscal 2023, which runs through September. The association is calling on Congress to provide an additional $3 billion for cooling assistance this summer, which would help about 6 million households. And it is asking utilities to voluntarily suspend shutoffs this summer for those behind on their bills. Florida Power & Light, for instance, has a longstanding policy that it won’t disconnect customers if it’s 95 degrees or higher.

Persons: David Konisky, ”, Konisky, Mark Wolfe, That’s, Wolfe, it’s, Bianca Soriano, Soriano Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Weather Service, Center for Energy, National Energy Assistance, Association, Energy, Indiana University, Centers for Disease Control, Income, Energy Assistance, Lawmakers, US Energy Information Administration, Louisiana —, Florida, Customers Locations: New York, United States, Washington, DC, Delaware, Nevada, Colorado , Missouri, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Florida

☆ Exclusive: South Korea asks banks to prepare $4 bln to support credit union - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Seunggyu Lim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

An official at the Financial Services Commission confirmed that banks had been asked to prepare liquidity through repurchase-agreement facilities to aid MG Community Credit Cooperatives, but did not comment on the amount. Depositors were lining up last week to withdraw funds from a branch of MG Community Credit Cooperatives after local media reported a rise in non-performing loans tied to real estate projects. Woori Bank, Hana Bank, Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and NongHyup Bank had been asked to make financing available to MG Community Credit, although the actual amount extended to the credit union would depend on deposit withdrawals, the sources said. The sources added that each of the banks was asked to prepare 1 trillion won of financing, or 5 trillion won in total ($3.84 billion), as potential support. MG Community and the five banks did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Kim Jin, 1,302.7800, Seunggyu Lim, Jihoon Lee, Ed Davies, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Financial Services Commission, Community Credit Cooperatives, MG Community Credit Cooperatives, Woori Bank, Hana Bank, Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank, NongHyup Bank, MG Community Credit, MG Community, Community, Interior Ministry, Bank of, Ministry of Finance, Citi, Jungdo, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Namyangju, Seoul, Bank of Korea, Gangwon

☆ Fukushima wastewater: South Korean shoppers hoard salt, seafood ahead of Japan's release of treated radioactive water
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Jessie Yeung Yoonjung Seo Paula Hancocks | Jessie Yeung | Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The government has said the wastewater release will begin this summer, though it has not specified a date. The shortages were so acute that the government was forced to release sea salt from its official reserves to stabilize salt prices, which have soared more than 40% since April, according to the country’s salt manufacturing association. After a thorough safety review, it concluded in a report last week that the wastewater release would have “negligible” impact on people or the environment. The South Korean government said last week it would respect the IAEA’s findings. Photos show protesters holding banners that lambasted the IAEA and the Japanese government and condemned the wastewater release.

Persons: There’s, Chung Sung, Jung Yeon, ”, Lee Gi, I’m, ” Lee, Rafael Grossi, “, Lee, I’ve, … I’ve Organizations: Seoul CNN —, United Nations, CNN, Shoppers, Ministry of, Fisheries, Reuters, National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, Gallup, Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale, Getty, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, South Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Fukushima, Japan, United States, China, Gallup Korea

☆ Feds pave the way for cities and nonprofits to get climate-bill tax credits
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"For the first time, tax-exempt entities will be able to receive a payment equal to the full value of the tax credit for building qualifying clean energy projects," Podesta said. "That's a game-changer for our ability to spread the benefits of clean energy to every community in America." "The Inflation Reduction Act's biggest tools are tax credits, which provide an unprecedent 10 years of policy certainty for the clean energy sector," Podesta said. Conventionally, states, territories, tribes, local governments and nonprofits have not been not eligible for tax credits, because they do not derive profits from which to deduct the value of a tax credit. Taken together, the two bits of guidance stand to grease the flywheel of climate tech investment already being spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act.

Persons: Podesta, John Podesta, Joe Biden, what's, Wally Adeyemo, Adeyemo, Michelle Moore, Moore Organizations: US Department of Energy, U.S . Department of, Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, Biden, Washington DC, White, IRS, of, Washington , D.C Locations: Medicine Bow , Wyoming, America, Washington, USA, Washington ,, U.S, Baltimore, of Refuge, , Maryland , Illinois, Georgia, New York

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