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☆ YouTube blocks videos of Hong Kong protest song after local court order
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —YouTube has blocked access to a popular protest song in Hong Kong, a week after a court in the city granted a government request to ban the anthem. The ballad contains lyrics that reference the phrase “liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times,” a protest slogan that was already outlawed in 2020. The Hong Kong government and courts had said the phrase had secessionist and subversive connotations. CNN has reached out to the Hong Kong Department of Justice for comment. Hong Kong was promised key freedoms and autonomy to run its own affairs after it was handed over from British rule to China in 1997.

Persons: We’ll, ”, Hong Kong ”, Jeff Paine, Paul Lam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong’s Organizations: CNN, YouTube, Google, ” CNN, Spotify, Hong, Asia Internet Coalition, Meta, Hong Kong Department of Justice, Hong Kong, “, Volunteers, ”, Hong Kong’s Department of Justice Locations: Hong Kong, Beijing, Hong, China

☆ Average annual child care costs twice as much as rent in 11 states and the District of Columbia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —If you think the rent is too damn high, wait until you get the bill for child care. And the tab exceeded annual typical mortgage payments in 45 states, plus the District of Columbia, according to Child Care Aware. Nationwide, the average annual cost of care rose to $11,582 per child last year, up 3.7% from the prior year. Further exacerbating the shortage was the continued disappearance of licensed child care providers who operate out of their homes. Also, another $15 billion federal pandemic infusion for child care and development block grants, which states use to subsidize child care for working families, will expire this coming September.

Persons: that’s, Sandra Bishop, ”, Anne Hedgepeth Organizations: CNN, District of Columbia, of Columbia, Care, Nationwide, US Department of Health, Human Services, Care Aware’s, Century Foundation Locations: Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Kansas , Massachusetts, Minnesota , Nebraska , Pennsylvania, Rhode Island , Vermont, Wisconsin

☆ Analysis: Cohen gets a breather after bruising cross-examination as Trump looks on
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Blanche took Cohen through a long list of the insults he’s unleashed at Trump since becoming estranged from his former mentor, highlighting his penchant for serial lying. He drew jurors’ attention to a social media post in which Cohen wore a T-shirt that depicted Trump in jail, as he spun a narrative of bias and obsession. A key legal conundrum is whether prosecutors have so far succeeded in validating the legal theory behind the case. That foreboding realization was exacerbated by a new posse of Trump supporters at the courthouse on Tuesday, including House Speaker Mike Johnson. While Cohen’s reluctance to offer yes-and-no answers came across at times as flippant and confrontational, he did not appear to say or do anything to torpedo the prosecution case.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Michael Cohen, don’t, Cohen, ”, Todd Blanche, president’s, didn’t, he’s, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Blanche, ” Cohen, he’d, ” Blanche, douchebag, ” Michael Moore, “, Moore, Juan Merchan, Will Trump’s, ” Shira Scheindlin, CNN’s Jake Tapper, ” Scheindlin, “ Cohen, Mike Johnson, ” Johnson, Andrew McCabe, Cohen’s, ” Moore, Daniels, Susan Hoffinger, reimbursements, ’ ” Cohen Organizations: CNN, GOP, Trump, Middle, Middle District of, Louisiana Republican, Defense, FBI Locations: Ohio, Kentucky, Middle District, Middle District of Georgia, New York, Louisiana, Blanche, Manhattan

☆ Chinese asylum seekers in New York City live in limbo, caught between China and the US
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Tara John | Yong Xiong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

It was his only day off from working 12-hour shifts at a Chinese restaurant in New York City. Evelio Contreras/CNNAfter arriving in New York, Ye spent a week in a Manhattan shelter. For Chinese asylum seekers like Ye, there is a well-trodden route to residency in the US. … It’s impossible for them to be spies.”But the rhetoric around the rise of undocumented Chinese migrants highlights growing tensions between the US and Chinese governments. He received permanent US residence a year later and has gone on to help Chinese migrants in Flushing.

Persons: Ye Chengxiang, “, ”, Ye, Evelio Contreras, Amy Hsin, Jiang Zhen, Yong Xiong, Xi Jinping, Biden, Mark Green of, Wan Yanhai, …, Jiang, “ It’s, I’m, Melanie Stetson Freeman, ’ Wan, Flushing . Li Jiada, Li Jiada, Jesus, Li Organizations: NY CNN, Central America, CNN, Queens College, Customs and, Embassy, Central, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China, Republicans, Republican, House Homeland Security Committee, Communist Party, Christian Science, Customs Enforcement, of, Yorker Locations: Flushing, NY, New York City, China, Communist, Ye, States, Colombia, Darien, South, Central, New York, Manhattan, Flushing’s, Sunset, Mexico, Central America, Queens, Hunan province, Guangdong, Chinatown, , Flushing , New York, San Francisco, Mark Green of Tennessee, Beijing, Flushing ., Flushing , Queens

☆ Young Thai activist’s death in detention after 65-day hunger strike sparks calls for justice reform
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Helen Regan | Kocha Olarn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

She had been in jail since January 26 and was awaiting trial, according to legal advocacy group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. While in detention, Netiporn went on a 65-day hunger strike until April to protest the jailing of political dissidents without bail, the group said. Panu Wongcha-Um/Reuters/FileThe activist faced seven criminal cases, including two lese majeste charges. Those attending included Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, a fellow activist who also faces lese majeste charges for her involvement in the 2020 protests. At least 270 people have been charged with lese majeste during that time, the group added.

Persons: Thailand’s, ”, “, Netiporn, Thalu Wang, Thais, Panu, Panusaya, lese, Srettha Thavisin, Srettha, Strettha, Mongkol Thirakhot, majeste, Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, Akarachai Organizations: CNN, ” Thailand’s Corrections Department, Thammasat University Hospital, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, Thai Corrections Department, Bangkok Criminal Court, Thailand’s Ministry, Justice, Rights, United Nations Human Rights Council, European Union Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Thai, lèse

☆ Portal project: ‘Inappropriate’ behavior shuts down Dublin to New York City connection
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Marnie Hunter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Less than a week after two public sculptures featuring a livestream between Dublin, Ireland, and New York City debuted, “inappropriate behavior” in real-time interactions between people in the two cities has prompted a temporary shutdown. The creators of the sculptures are now “investigating possible technical solutions to inappropriate behaviour by a small minority of people in front of the Portal,” according to a statement from the Dublin City Council. “Dublin City Council had hoped to have a solution in place today, but unfortunately the preferred solution, which would have involved blurring, was not satisfactory,” the City Council said late Tuesday. The Dublin-New York city pairing isn’t the first real-time bridge between cities through these sculptures. The first Portals, according to the organization’s website, linked Vilnius, Lithuania, with Lublin, Poland, in 2021.

Persons: Niall Carson, ”, Benediktas Gylys, Daithí, de Róiste, “, De Róiste Organizations: CNN, New York City, Dublin City Council, City Council, Dublin, AP Organizers, Flatiron NoMad Partnership, Flatiron, Public, Broadway, Fifth, Dublin’s, Mayor, Róiste’s, Smart Locations: Dublin, Ireland, New, New York, “, York, Poland, Brazil, Lithuania, City, Vilnius, Lublin

☆ Tiny backpacks reveal newfound species of the world’s largest hummingbird
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, new research has revealed that there are two distinct species of giant hummingbird in South America — the northern giant hummingbird that lives year-round in the Andes, and the migratory southern giant hummingbird — and they have been evolving separately for millions of years. A southern giant hummingbird is seen flying from its breeding grounds in central Chile. “We wanted to finally solve this mystery.”Designing backpacks for hummingbirdsGiant hummingbirds differ from hundreds of other hummingbird species in many other ways. A southern giant hummingbird is fitted with a tiny backpack-like geolocator tracking device in central Chile. “The two forms of giant hummingbird look almost identical — for centuries, ornithologists and birders never noticed that they were different.

Persons: Charles Darwin, Darwin, Chris Witt, ”, Jessie Williamson, “, ” Williamson, Emil Bautista, Williamson, Christopher Witt, birders, ” Witt, chaskis, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, HMS, National Academy of Sciences, National Science Foundation, Cornell, of Ornithology, Swifts, Centro, Biology, Museum of Southwestern, University of New Locations: New York City, Buenos Aires, South America, Chile, Ithaca , New York, Peru, Biodiversidad, Lima, Peruvian, Chilean, University of New Mexico, Inca

☆ Looking for ‘a Different Kind of Wow’: Next Level Hotel Experiences
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Amy Thomas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Heli-hiking on a remote slice of Vancouver Island in Canada. Concocting your own perfume in southern France. Planning a shoot with a New York fashion photographer. Now that amenities like infinity pools and posh spas (rebranded as wellness centers) are practically de rigueur at upscale lodgings, many properties are trying to distinguish themselves with activities that are ever more bespoke and brag-worthy. Indeed, said Janelle Ruhumuliza, a travel adviser with Embark Beyond, “experiences have to go further than what they were before.” She notes that social media has amplified travelers’ desire to “one-up” what others are doing online.

Persons: ”, Ashley Isaacs Ganz, Janelle Ruhumuliza Organizations: Leisure Locations: Vancouver, Canada, France, New York

☆ Can MLB save the starting pitcher? The search for solutions to baseball’s ‘existential crisis’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Jayson Stark | Ken Rosenthal | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +20 min

Ten active major-league starting pitchers have won a Cy Young Award — and nine of them have spent time on the injured list in 2024. The issue is not only the health of the modern starting pitcher, but the role those starters play in the sport these days. “You’ve got to get the starting pitcher back. But has the starting pitcher crisis risen to that level? If you’re a dominating starting pitcher in this era, it probably means you throw harder than the average pitcher.

Persons: Tom Seaver, Steve Carlton, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, ’, Cy Young, Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes, Yu Darvish, Justin Steele, ”, Max Scherzer, “ You’ve, Patrick Mahomes, isn’t, that’s, weren’t, here’s, It’s, they’d, you’re, they’re, David Ortiz, Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Adam Wainwright, they’ve, “, North America aren’t, I’ve, you’ve, ” Scherzer, Corbin Burnes, Patrick Smith, Rob Manfred, we’re, “ You’re, wouldn’t, it’s, “ that’s, He’s, Manfred, Eamonn Dalton, Conrad Williams , Jr, Matthew Grimes Jr Organizations: Cy, Wrigley, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Cubs, Padres, Major League Baseball, Texas Rangers, NFL, Athletic, MLB, American League, of Fame, didn’t, Atlantic League, Red Sox, National League, North America, Orioles, Newsday, Getty Images, Atlanta Braves, Getty

☆ Balance omega-3 and 6 intake to cut early death risk, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Kristen Rogers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, sardines and various nuts including walnuts. Linoleic acid is the most common omega-6 fatty acid. Also, accurately measuring fatty acid intake is difficult, partly due to reliance on participants’ own recollections of their dietary intake. Considered individually, both high levels of omega-6 and omega-3 were linked with a lower risk of premature death. Some patients request it with the goal of improving their mental health, heart health or risk of dementia, she said.

Persons: ”, Yuchen Zhang, Zhang, chia, ” Zhang, Lauren R, Sastre, Sastre wasn’t, ” Sastre, Kristin Kirkpatrick, Kirkpatrick, “, ” Kirkpatrick Organizations: CNN, University of Georgia’s College of Public Health, Omega, National Institutes of Health, Clinic Program, East Carolina University, Cleveland Clinic, Regenerative, Harvard Health Locations: United Kingdom

☆ In Kyiv, Blinken Adds Rock Notes to a ‘Free World’ Message
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Michael Crowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

At the end of a somber day in the Ukrainian capital, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken slipped into a seat at Barman Dictat, a crowded basement cocktail bar where a punk-jazz band was squealing away. After a few songs, the band’s frontman called Mr. Blinken onstage on Tuesday and, by prearrangement, America’s top diplomat slung a red Gibson guitar over his shoulder. “I know this is a really, really difficult time,” said Mr. Blinken, who had discarded his typical dark suit and tie for blue jeans and a dark button-down shirt. It was a reference to recent Russian military gains. Ukraine’s soldiers, particularly in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, he said, “are suffering tremendously.”“But they need to know, you need to know, the United States is with you, so much of the world is with you,” he said, hitting the core message of his unannounced visit to Kyiv, a trip intended in part to spotlight nearly $61 billion in additional military aid signed into law by President Biden in April after months of delays mainly caused by a small band of right-wing House Republicans.

Persons: Antony J, Blinken, Barman Dictat, prearrangement, ”, “, Biden Organizations: House Republicans Locations: Kharkiv, United States, Kyiv

☆ Ancient trees unlock an alarming new insight into our warming world
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

And it’s an alarming signal as some scientists warn 2024 is on track to be be even hotter still. Under the Paris Agreement in 2015, countries agreed to restrict global warming to 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Using data taken from temperature instruments during this period, the scientists found the Northern Hemisphere summer in 2023 was 2.07 degrees Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial period. To do this, they used detailed sets of tree ring records from thousands of trees across nine regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including North America and Scandinavia, but excluding the Tropics which lack good tree data. While the study can place the extraordinary Northern Hemisphere heat into historical context, it cannot be applied on a global scale, Esper said.

Persons: Bruna Casas, don’t, Richard A, Brooks, Jan Esper, ”, Kim Cobb, Esper, “ I’m, Laura Paddison Organizations: CNN, Northern, Central America, Getty, Johannes Gutenberg University, Brown University, Southern Hemisphere Locations: Paris, Northern, North America, Scandinavia, Europe, Central, Barcelona, Spain, Tokyo, AFP, Germany

☆ David McBride: Former Australian military lawyer who exposed alleged war crimes jailed for leaking documents
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | Angus Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

However, during proceedings against McBride, the court heard that he did not bring the documents to the media’s attention to highlight the alleged war crimes. “David McBride leaked documents to our national broadcaster which contained credible evidence of war crimes committed by Australian forces in Afghanistan. Pender and others pointed out that no one had yet been prosecuted over Australia’s alleged war crimes in Afghanistan – except the man who had brought it to the country’s attention. Australian Federal Police officers raided the ABC offices in Sydney in 2019 seeking documents as they pursued potential charges against the journalists behind the story. The Australian Federal Police is working with the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI) to investigate potential charges.

Persons: CNN —, ”, David Mossop, David McBride, McBride, Mark Davies, Brereton, Mossop, “, ” McBride, Justice Mossop, ” Mossop, McBride’s, Kieran Pender, “ David McBride, Pender, Australia’s, “ Will, Peter Greste, Greste, ” “ David, ” Greste, he’ll, Anthony Albanese, “ I’m, Mark Dreyfus Organizations: CNN, Australian Army, Canberra, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC, Australian Defense Force, Australian Special Air Service, SAS, Human Rights Law, Australian, Journalists, Australian Federal Police, Commonwealth, Public Prosecutions, ADF, AFP Locations: Afghanistan, Egypt, Sydney, New South Wales

☆ China Deploys Dozens of Ships to Block Philippine Protest Flotilla
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Chris Buckley | Camille Elemia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

China has sent dozens of coast guard and maritime militia vessels toward a disputed atoll in the South China Sea, a large show of force aimed at blocking a civilian protest flotilla from the Philippines, as tensions between the countries have flared. The Filipino group organizing the flotilla of about 100 small fishing boats, led by five slightly bigger ones, said it wanted to assert the Philippines’ claims to Scarborough Shoal, an atoll controlled by Beijing that is closer to Manila. But even before the motley Philippine fleet set out on Wednesday morning, China deployed a formidable contingent of much bigger government-run ships to the area, an intimidating escalation of its frequent assertions of control over vast expanses of sea far from its mainland. “What we’re seeing this time, I would say, is definitely of another order,” said Ray Powell, the director of SeaLight, a group that monitors the South China Sea. “I think that the China Coast Guard is concerned that they’re going to try to sort of get too close and so they’re sending an overwhelming force.”

Persons: ”, Ray Powell Organizations: Philippine, China Coast Guard Locations: China, South China, Philippines, Scarborough, Beijing, Manila

☆ China’s Alibaba stock drops almost 6% after earnings report shows profit tumbled 86%
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

China’s largest e-commerce group by market share has had a tumultuous year since announcing the biggest shake-up in its 25-year history in March 2023, splitting into six units and refocusing on its core businesses, including domestic e-commerce. Group net income, however was 3.27 billion yuan ($452 million), compared with 23.52 billion yuan a year ago. The group reported revenue of 221.87 billion yuan in the three months ended March 31, compared with a consensus estimate of 219.66 billion yuan, according to LSEG data. The segment delivered with 45% growth, compared with an expected 39% revenue rise, according to LSEG data. It also saw losses nearly double to 4.1 billion yuan ($567 million) from 2.2 billion a year ago as it invested heavily to remain price competitive and shorten delivery times.

Persons: Joe Tsai, ”, “, Jacob Cooke Organizations: Reuters, Consumers, Tmall, Technologies Locations: Hong Kong, New York, China

☆ Putin to meet Xi in China as world convulses from global conflicts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Pyongyang – which has an economy almost entirely dependent of China – is believed by Western governments to be aiding Russia with war supplies. Xi has ramped up his calls for Europe and other countries to help the world avoid a “Cold War,” suggesting they resist what Beijing sees as US efforts to contain China. They have also criticized Israel and the United States – converging with mounting global backlash, especially across the Global South against Israel’s war. The conflict has also impacted how China and Russia view their relations with countries there, he added. China “wants to use Russia” for its aims, but Russia is making China weak, he said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Putin, –, It’s, China –, Xi, France –, Jens Stoltenberg, Sergei Guneyev, ”, Li Mingjiang, Manoj Kewalramani, Russia doesn’t, Stringer, Gaza —, Sergey Lavrov, presser, Wang Yi, Israel, “, Privately, Shen Dingli, China “, Alexander Dugin, Donald Trump, Li Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, West, NATO, Forum, Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, EU, Takshashila, Boys, Getty, United, Global, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Russia, Weibo, Moscow, CNN Locations: Hong Kong, China, Russian, Gaza, Ukraine, Moscow, Washington, Iran, North Korea, Pyongyang, Russia, Tehran, Beijing, Europe, France, Serbia, Hungary, Bangalore, Rafah, AFP, Israel, United States, Kewalramani, South, Taiwan, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ Gareth Southgate eyes defining moment ahead of possible last dance at Euro 2024 with England
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Amanda Davies | Aleks Klosok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

It’s ultimately where you’re judged and these are the opportunities to make history,” Southgate told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies. Clive Rose/Getty ImagesAnd then one heart-breaking step closer – a penalty shootout loss to Italy in the final of Euro 2020. Laurence Griffiths/Getty ImagesWhen asked whether it was indeed the best chance, Southgate replied: “It’s the next chance, so we’ll only know afterwards whether it was the best chance. Lee Smith/Action Images/ReutersIndeed, Southgate is no stranger at having to navigate the hostile dynamic that has often existed between the England team and the British media. “When you’re on the cusp on a tournament like this then every hour you’re thinking about the team, nothing else.

Persons: Gareth Southgate, He’s, It’s, you’re, ” Southgate, Amanda Davies, “, we’ll, Southgate, Luka, Clive Rose, ”, you’ve, Jadon Sancho, Laurence Griffiths, Trent Alexander, Arnold, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Harry Kane, We’ve, they’re, Lee Smith, effacing Southgate, “ Don’t, hadn’t, Nick Potts, ‘, Sam Allardyce’s, “ I’ve, I’ve, I’m, There’s Organizations: CNN, England, Malta, Germany, England’s Football Association, Lions, Manchester United, Southgate, English, Middlesbrough Locations: Germany, Luka Modrić, Croatia, Italy, Russia, England, France, ” England, Southgate, British, “

☆ Got a spare $324 million? Buy a slice of this strategic Arctic archipelago
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The last piece of privately-owned land in the Arctic archipelago Svalbard is up for sale for a cool 300 million euros ($324 million). The Arctic is of increasing geopolitical importance as climate change melts sea ice. The land is governed by the Svalbard Treaty. Knight FrankAn eventual buyer will in fact acquire Aktieselskabet Kulspids, a privately owned Norwegian limited company which owns the land. The purchaser will have to come from one of the 46 nations that have ratified the Svalbard Treaty, which established Norwegian sovereignty over the archipelago.

Persons: Knight Frank, Knight Frank “, Wedel, Kyllingstad, ”, Jonathan Webb, Zeiler Floyd Zadkovich, Webb Organizations: CNN, “ Locations: Svalbard, Norway, Longyearbyen, Norwegian, Oslo, Svalbard Treaty, China

☆ A Trump judge and Biden’s Justice Department agree that a Texas map is illegal. But that doesn’t mean it will change
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —A county redistricting plan in Texas that a Donald Trump-appointed judge deemed “a clear violation” of the Voting Rights Act is back before a notoriously conservative appeals court. After the 2021 Census, the Republican-led county commission broke up that district, locking in four majority-white districts instead. Their opponents argue that Congress did not intend for multiple “classes” of minorities to be considered together when assessing a map’s Voting Rights Act compliance. Black and Latino voices ‘extinguished,’ judge saysThe 2021 map split up the long-established Precinct 3, spreading those minority voters across the four total commission precincts. “It would be devastating for minority voters as devastating as it was for Galveston’s Black and Latino voters.”

Persons: Donald Trump, Biden, Jeffrey Vincent Brown, –, ”, Valencia Richardson, Christian Adams, ‘, ” Brown, Brown, Mark Henry –, Henry, Robin Armstrong, Armstrong, Adams, Circuit “, Elena Kagan, …, ” Chad Ennis –, ” Ennis, Hilary Harris Klein Organizations: CNN, Republican, 5th, Campaign, “, Senate, Justice Department, Galveston Republicans, Interest Legal Foundation, Circuit, Southern Coalition for Social Justice Locations: Texas, Galveston’s County, Galveston County, White, Galveston, Louisiana, Mississippi, ”

☆ Biden to increase tariffs on $18 billion in Chinese imports in a new warning to Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Kayla Tausche | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden is increasing tariffs on $18 billion in Chinese imports across a handful of sectors deemed strategic to national security – an attempt to cripple Beijing’s development of critical technologies and instead prioritize US production. The increases will apply to imported steel and aluminum, legacy semiconductors, electric vehicles, battery components, critical minerals, solar cells, cranes and medical products. That same trade law also requires the effectiveness of such tariff programs to be evaluated every four years, and the Biden administration decision is the result of that study. “China can’t be the only country that produces clean technology for the world we need,” a senior administration official said. The Chinese government, Biden argued, is providing state money to Chinese steel companies to make more steel than the economy demands, pushing down the price and making it impossible for other companies to compete.

Persons: Joe Biden, “, ”, Lael Brainard, “ China’s, Donald Trump, Biden, Wang Wenbin, Trump, Janet Yellen, Antony Blinken, “ They’re, ” Biden, Sam Fossum Organizations: Washington CNN, White, National Economic Council, CNN, Biden, Trade Organization, Brookings Institute, United Steelworkers, Trump, China’s Ministry, Commerce Locations: China, Beijing, Europe, Brazil, Turkey, Pittsburgh, Midwest

☆ Summer 2023 Was the Northern Hemisphere’s Hottest in 2,000 Years, Study Finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Delger Erdenesanaa | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The summer of 2023 was exceptionally hot. Scientists have already established that it was the warmest Northern Hemisphere summer since around 1850, when people started systematically measuring and recording temperatures. Now, researchers say it was the hottest in 2,000 years, according to a new study published in the journal Nature that compares 2023 with a longer temperature record across most of the Northern Hemisphere. The study goes back before the advent of thermometers and weather stations, to the year A.D. 1, using evidence from tree rings. “That gives us the full picture of natural climate variability,” said Jan Esper, a climatologist at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany and lead author of the paper.

Persons: ”, Jan Esper, El Niño Organizations: Northern Hemisphere, Johannes Gutenberg University Locations: Mainz, Germany

☆ Putin Will Visit Xi, Testing a ‘No Limits’ Partnership
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( David Pierson | Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, hosts President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in China this week, it will be more than two years since the two autocratic leaders declared a “no limits” partnership to push back against what they consider American bullying and interference. Growing challenges from the West have tested the limits of that partnership. Mr. Xi is walking a narrowing tightrope, coming under increasing diplomatic and economic pressure to curtail Chinese support for Russia and its war in Ukraine. “China sees Russia as an important strategic partner and wants to give Putin proper respect, but it also wants to maintain sound relations with Europe and the United States for economic reasons and beyond. It is a very difficult balancing act,” said Shen Dingli, a Shanghai-based international relations scholar.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir V, Putin, ”, Shen Dingli Locations: Russia, China, Ukraine, Europe, Beijing, United States, Shanghai

☆ A deadly heat wave worsened Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. It was fueled by climate change, new data shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The WWA report divided the heat waves into three areas: West Asia, the Philippines and a region spanning South and Southeast Asia. However, the impact of climate change there was greater, increasing temperatures by about 1.2 degrees. Climate change also played a pronounced role in this region, according to the analysis, making the heat 45 times more likely and 0.85 degrees Celsius hotter. “Many cities have seen extreme losses of green space,” Pereira said, increasing the impacts of extreme heat on residents. If not, she added, “extreme heat will lead to even greater suffering in Asia.”

Persons: Jehad, ” Friederike Otto, El, Idrees Mohammed, Otto said, ” Otto, Carolina Pereira Marghidan, ” Pereira, ”, Mariam Zachariah Organizations: CNN, WWA, Getty, Grantham Institute, Climate, Environment Locations: Gaza, West Asia, Philippines, South, Southeast Asia, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Rafah, Anadolu, Delhi, Manila, Asia, West, Raipur, India, AFP, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, , Bangladesh, Thailand

☆ Trump has promised an immigration crackdown if reelected. That could backfire on the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

New York CNN —If voters return former President Donald Trump to the White House, he’s promised to launch an unprecedented crackdown on immigration and even conduct mass deportations. Trump recently told Time that he would aim to deport 15 million to 20 million people, perhaps by using the National Guard. Even though consumer prices are no longer skyrocketing, the cumulative impact of three years of high inflation is painful. “Most Americans view high inflation and high prices as unfair. But immigration remains a major concern for voters in the 2024 election and Trump has made it a centerpiece of his campaign.

Persons: Donald Trump, he’s, Trump, —, Mark Zandi, “ It’s, Joe Brusuelas, ” Brusuelas, You’d, ”, Karoline Leavitt, Joe Biden “, ” Leavitt, “, Joe Biden, Zandi, Trump’s, criminologists, Biden, Jerome Powell, Brusuelas, Goldman Sachs, ” Goldman Sachs, Wendy Edelberg, Edelberg, that’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, White, National Guard, Federal Reserve, CNN, RSM, Trump, Social Security, University of Michigan, Labor Department ., The Hamilton, ”, Hamilton, Security, Congressional, Office, The Hamilton Project, Brookings Institution Locations: New York, China, Covid, Mexico, United States

☆ When she lost weight, the comments about her body didn’t stop
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But her 80 pounds of weight loss while taking Wegovy has not come without challenges of its own, she said. But she warns that losing weight is not a cure for everything that’s not right in your life. Many people try to lose weight hoping to feel better about their body, only to find that they still don’t once they have lost the weight, Conason said. Conason recommends separating your efforts to improve your body image from any efforts you might take on to lose weight. Since her weight loss, Olivares has found that many of her social interactions begin with a comment about her body.

Persons: Allie Olivares, Wegovy, “, ”, Olivares, ” Olivares, that’s, I’m, It’s, ‘, what’s, Alexis Conason, Conason, aren’t, Genesis, ” Conason, —, Ettienne, you’re Organizations: CNN, National Alliance for Eating Disorders Locations: Philadelphia, York City, Miami

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