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☆ India’s Gautam Adani rebounds from Hindenburg attack with return to the $100 billion club
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hindenburg Research published a blistering report in January 2023, accusing Gautam Adani, then Asia’s richest man, of engaging in fraud over decades. “The group has done exceptionally well on various fronts since the Hindenburg report,” said Manish Chowdhury, head of research at brokerage StoxBox. On Thursday, his wealth once again crossed the $100 billion threshold, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. An ‘attack’ on IndiaHindenburg Research, named after the 1937 airship disaster, had accused the Adani Group of “brazen stock manipulation” and it questioned the “sky-high” valuations of Adani firms. However, since the Hindenburg report, the group has worked on reducing its borrowing.

Persons: David, Gautam Adani, Hindenburg, Adani, ”, Manish Chowdhury, ” Adani, Jeff Bezos, Mukesh Ambani, John D Rockefeller, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Narendra Modi, Chowdhury, “ Organizations: New, New Delhi CNN, Hindenburg Research, Bloomberg, India Hindenburg Research, Adani, GQG Partners, “, America’s, Adani Enterprises, Indian, Bharatiya Janata Party Locations: New Delhi, India, ’, ”, Times

☆ Climate change: The world just marked a year above a critical limit of 1.5 degrees scientists have warned about
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Angela Dewan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The past year was 1.52 degrees hotter on average than temperatures before industrialization, according to data from Copernicus, the European Union’s climate and weather monitoring service. That 12-month average was boosted by the hottest January on record, which was 1.66 degrees warmer than the average January temperature in pre-industrial times. Keeping global warming below 2 degrees, but preferably 1.5, was the centerpiece goal of the Paris Agreement, which most of the world’s nations signed onto in 2015. Extreme weather events already made more frequent and severe by long-term global warming are now being supercharged by El Niño, scientists say. The twin threat also supercharged the California storms this week, scientists said, enhancing rainfall and boosting the storm’s destructive power.

Persons: El Niño, Copernicus, Matt Patterson, ” Copernicus, Samantha Burgess Organizations: El, CNN, Global, University of Oxford Locations: Paris, Chile

☆ Climate change: The world just marked a year above a critical limit scientists have warned about
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Angela Dewan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The past year was 1.52 degrees hotter on average than temperatures before industrialization, according to data from Copernicus, the European Union’s climate and weather monitoring service. That 12-month average was boosted by the hottest January on record, which was 1.66 degrees warmer than the average January temperature in pre-industrial times. Scientists are more concerned with multi-year warming above these thresholds, but the 12-month record shows the world is fast approaching the Paris Agreement’s limits. “Rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are the only way to stop global temperatures increasing.”The climate crisis is driven primarily from humans burning coal, oil and gas for energy. Extreme weather events already made more frequent and severe by long-term global warming are now being supercharged by El Niño, scientists say.

Persons: Copernicus, Matt Patterson, ” Copernicus, Samantha Burgess, El Niño Organizations: CNN, Global, University of Oxford, El Locations: Paris, Chile

☆ NYCB's slide sparks fears of more banking and commercial real estate turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The regional bank reported disappointing earnings, stoking fears of commercial real estate trouble. AdvertisementA smaller lender is facing a firesale of its stock fueled by concerns about its stability, echoing the regional-banking problems last year that stoked fears of a full-blown financial crisis and commercial real estate meltdown. AdvertisementThe increases hit the value of their fixed-income and commercial real estate portfolios. In particular, commercial real estate is under pressure from ongoing remote working, tighter credit availability as lenders have pulled back, and higher debt costs, all of which have weighed on asset values. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told lawmakers this week she expects the commercial real estate pressures to "put a loss of stress" on property owners, although she expected it to be manageable, Bloomberg reported.

Persons: stoking, —, stoked, NYCB, Banks, Moody's, Wall, Thomas Cangemi, pare, Janet Yellen Organizations: Community Bancorp, Service, New York Community Bancorp, Flagstar Bank, Signature Bank, Valley Bank, Silvergate, Bloomberg, Federal

☆ Yemen Houthi Leader Says Group Will Further Escalate if Attacks on Gaza Do Not Stop
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

DUBAI (Reuters) - The leader of Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday that the group will further escalate if the Israeli attack on Gaza does not stop. The Houthis, who control Yemen's capital and most populous areas, have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea since November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians, drawing U.S. and British retaliatory strikes since last month. The attacks are disrupting maritime trade in one of the world's busiest corridors as freight firms reroute around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Suez Canal. The group fired naval missiles at two ships in the Red Sea on Tuesday, its military spokesman said, causing damage to Greek-owned Star Nasia and British-owned Morning Tide. War in Israel and Gaza View All 194 ImagesSpokesman Yahya Sarea identified the Greek-owned, Marshall Islands flagged Star Nasia as American.

Persons: Yemen's, Houthis, Abdul Malik al, Houthi, Yahya Sarea, Ahmed Elimam, Nayera Abdallah, Peter Graff Organizations: Reuters, Tide, Marshall Islands Locations: DUBAI, Yemen's Iran, Gaza, Red, Suez, Israel, India

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A Virginia bank that is seeking to recover more than $300 million in longstanding unpaid business loans to the family of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice is planning to auction off land at a sporting club located at the governor’s posh resort. The notice said that an auction involving the Greenbrier Sporting Club lots is scheduled for March 5 at the Greenbrier County Courthouse in Lewisburg. The Greenbrier Sporting Club is a private equity club and residential community that opened in 2000. Photos You Should See View All 45 ImagesMessages left with the governor’s office and with the Justice companies weren’t immediately returned Tuesday afternoon.

Persons: Jim Justice, Worth Carter, weren’t, Joe Manchin, Manchin Organizations: West Virginia Gov, Carter Bank & Trust, Charleston Gazette, Greenbrier Sporting, Justice, Carter Bank, Republican, U.S, Senate Locations: CHARLESTON, W.Va, Virginia, Martinsville , Virginia, Greenbrier, Lewisburg .

☆ Jim Cramer says the stock market rally has stalled because of two important reasons
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street. But Jim Cramer said, "It is not a broadening rally. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . Every weekday, the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer releases the Homestretch — an actionable afternoon update, just in time for the last hour of trading on Wall Street.

Persons: Jim Cramer, Eli Lilly, Lilly, Jim, David Simon, Tim Cook's, We're, Edwards Lifesciences, Jim Cramer's Organizations: CNBC, Broadcom, Nvidia, Micro, New York Community Bancorp, Signature Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, Linde, Club, DuPont, Air Products, Chemicals, Simon Property, GE Healthcare, Technology, Apple, Vision, Ford, Motors, Tesla, Enphase Energy, CVS Health, Yum Brands, Disney, Wynn Resorts, Jim Cramer's Charitable Locations: We're, New York, Silicon, China, Amgen

☆ Factbox-Policy Pledges of Indonesia's Presidential Candidates
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

(Reuters) - Three candidates are running in Indonesia's presidential election on Feb. 14. The following is a summary of policy objectives they have pledged while campaigning. ANIES BASWEDAN- Target 5.5%-6.5% average annual economic growth from 2025-2029- Create 15 million jobs, including 'green' jobs- Raise the tax-to-GDP ratio from 10.4% in 2022 to 13%-16% by 2029- Target annual inflation of 2%-3% from 2025-2029- Offer incentives for renewable energy projects- Impose a carbon tax with proceeds to be used as an endowment fund to finance development of renewable energy- Increase the 'village fund' to 5 billion rupiah ($317,965) for each village, from the current 1 billion rupiah. - Widen access to global markets for palm oil farmers- Strengthen free trade agreements and Indonesia's role in international financial institutions- Minimise imports of staple foods- Create 2 million new affordable housing units, including for informal workers, youth- Expedite forest conservation and rehabilitation projects- Limit new construction of, and retire existing coal-fired power plants, especially in Java, Bali islands- Review debt of state-owned enterprises, continue debt restructuring programme- Revise Jobs Creation Law with goal to ensure fair wages for workers- Evaluate the $32 billion new capital city project- Evaluate food estate programme, replacing it with contract farming, a scheme to ensure farm products will be sold- Impose a wealth tax on Indonesia's 100 richest people- Audit the nickel industry with focus on its impact on the environment and ensuring welfare of domestic workers- Strengthen the anti-corruption agency by revising the law that regulates it- Ease permitting requirements for building places of worshipGANJAR PRANOWO- Continue programmes of outgoing President Joko Widodo's administration- Target average annual economic growth of 7%- Create 17 million new jobs- Expedite construction of new capital city- Increase the defence budget as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) to between 1%-2%, from about 0.8% presently. Modernise military hardware- Target 30% share for renewable sources in energy mix by 2029- Allow more renewable energy producers to use electricity grids of state utility firms to boost green energy adoption- Set up a dedicated ministry for the palm oil sector- Maintain moratorium on deforestation, accelerate reforestation programmes- Create digital tax collection system under the new tax agency separated from finance ministry- Limit permit issuance of new nickel smelter to avoid a further oversupply- Expand social welfare to cover 15 million families, up from 10 million currently- Provide funding to ensure at least one member of a poor family receives education until college- Strengthen national anti-corruption agency- Maintain foreign policy of non-alignment- Strengthen Indonesia's commitment to support fight of Palestinian people- Revitalise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its decision-making process, especially regarding South China Sea disputes.

Persons: ANIES, GANJAR, Joko Widodo's, PRABOWO, Joko, Stanley Widianto, Ananda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman, Bernadette Christina Munthe, Martin Petty Organizations: Reuters, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Locations: Java, Bali, South

☆ Australia and China: Rebound in Ties Threatened by Death Sentence for Australian Writer
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

China's then ambassador to Australia says that in response to the call, the Chinese public would boycott Australian wine, beef and tourism. Nov. 27, 2020 - China will impose temporary anti-dumping tariffs on Australian wine, China announces. Jan. 3, 2023 - China allows three government-backed utilities and its top steelmaker to resume coal imports from Australia. Oct. 11, 2023 - China releases Australian journalist Cheng Lei after three years in a Beijing prison on national security charges. Oct. 22, 2023 - China agrees to review dumping tariffs of 218% on Australian wine, potentially clearing way for the resumption of imports.

Persons: Yang Hengjun, Anthony Albanese, China's, Cheng Lei, Albanese, Xi Jinping, Jan, Li, Kirsty Needham, Antoni Slodkowski, Gerry Doyle Organizations: SYDNEY, South China, Huawei Technologies Co, Australia's Labor Party Locations: Beijing, Canberra, China, South, Australia, Indonesia, Japan

☆ How the U.S. Became the World’s Biggest Gas Supplier
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Brad Plumer | Nadja Popovich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Became the World’s Biggest Gas SupplierTop exporters of liquefied natural gas 12 billion cubic feet per day U.S. Qatar 10 Australia 8 6 Russia 4 Malaysia 2 2014 2023 12 billion cubic feet per day United States Qatar Australia 10 8 6 Russia 4 Malaysia 2 2014 2023 Source: S&P Global Note: Data reflects annual average liquefied natural gas exports by country. But climate activists worry that soaring exports of liquefied natural gas could make global warming worse. In the early 2000s, natural gas was relatively scarce at home, and companies were spending billions of dollars to build terminals to import gas from places like Qatar and Australia. In the mid-2000s, U.S. drillers perfected methods to unlock vast reserves of cheap natural gas from shale rock. The process of making and shipping liquefied natural gas adds complexity and cost, but if the difference between U.S. natural gas prices and overseas prices is big enough, it is profitable.

Persons: Biden, Fracking, ”, Kenneth Medlock, —, Ben Cahill Organizations: U.S, drillers, Cheniere Energy, Center for Energy Studies, Rice University, “, Asia, Department of Energy, Energy Department, . Energy, Energy Information Administration, Clearview Energy Partners, Center for Strategic, International Studies Locations: U.S, Qatar, Australia, Russia, Malaysia, United States Qatar Australia, United States, Japan, Europe, Asia, Ukraine, China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Texas , Louisiana, Maryland, Georgia, Mexico

☆ Activist Bluebell believes BP is 50% undervalued compared to peers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

The company's segments include gas & low-carbon energy, oil production & operations and customers & products. Its gas business includes upstream activities that produce natural gas, integrated gas and power, and gas trading. Its oil production & operations segment comprises upstream activities that produce crude oil, including Bpx Energy. As of Bluebell's October 4, 2023, letter to BP, BP traded on a price-earnings ratio of 6.7 times, a 44% discount to Chevron and ExxonMobil, which on average traded at 12 times. To make it even clearer how the market views BP's strategy, on February 7, 2023, when BP announced its partial retracement from this strategy, BP's share price rose 8% on the day and 17% on the week.

Persons: Giuseppe Bivona, Marco Taricco, Bivona, –, Helge Lund, Bluebell, BP's, Bernard Looney, Shell, Looney's, Looney, Pamela Daley, Solvay, Glencore, Ken Squire Organizations: BP Bunge, Bpx Energy, Castrol, Bluebell Capital Partners, Bluebell Partners, BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Bluebell, International Energy Agency, EV, Exxon, Shell, Mr, Renewables, Power, BP's Board, BlackRock, 13D Locations: bioenergy, Europe, Bluebell, Paris, Bioenergy, United States, U.S

☆ Bank of America Reverses Its Pledge Not to Finance Fossil Fuels
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Hiroko Tabuchi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two years ago, Bank of America won kudos from climate activists for saying it would no longer finance new coal mines, coal-burning power plants or Arctic drilling projects because of the toll they take on the environment. The bank’s latest environment and social-risk policy reneged on those commitments. Wall Street in particular has come under fire for what some Republicans have called “woke capitalism,” a campaign that has pulled banks into the wider culture wars. States including Texas and West Virginia have passed financial regulations designed to ward off efforts to deny fossil-fuel companies access to banking services. In New Hampshire, state lawmakers have sought to criminalize the business principle known as E.S.G., shorthand for environmental, social and governance.

Persons: ” Organizations: of America, ” Bank, Republican Locations: Texas, West Virginia, New Hampshire

☆ Nextracker CEO says 'solar is unstoppable' as market sees 'unprecedented demand growth'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Solar power is on a path to double every two to three years amid an "unprecedented period of demand growth" for new electricity generation, the CEO of Nextracker told CNBC. "Solar is unstoppable," Nextracker founder and CEO Dan Shugar said in an interview after the company's latest quarterly report. Nextracker manufactures systems for solar panels to track the direction of the sun. While the solar industry is fighting to emerge from the doldrums, Nextracker is significantly outperforming the sector. The company also raised its net income guidance for the year to $374 million to $429 million, compared to $237 million to $266 million previously.

Persons: Nextracker, Dan Shugar, Shugar Organizations: CNBC, Lazard Locations: U.S

☆ The unemployment rate of Black men rose in January, underscoring continued inequality in labor market
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

These workers had the highest unemployment rate when breaking down Black, Hispanic and white workers by gender. By comparison, white men saw a jobless rate of just 3.3% in January, holding steady from December. The overall unemployment rate was unchanged from December at 3.7%. This underscores the impact of job losses among Black men, especially considering the fact that the rate for Black women was unchanged between December and January at 4.8%. The tight labor market experienced during the pandemic helped close the gap in work-related opportunities among Black and white men, she said.

Persons: Elise Gould, Gould, it's Organizations: Fs, Getty, Labor Department, Economic, Institute

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has approved President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Environmental Protection Agency's air pollution office just as the agency is set to finalize rules over climate-changing emissions from power plants and cars and trucks. Joe Goffman is a longtime EPA official who has headed the air and radiation office on an acting basis since Biden took office three years ago. Goffman's 2022 nomination for the air post, one of the top jobs at EPA, lapsed last year without a Senate vote. She called the Clean Power Plan “a direct shot at American energy production" and an attempt to shut down coal- and gas-fired power plants, including those in her home state. An EPA plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions from power plants is little more than the "second iteration of the Clean Power Plan,'' Capito said.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Joe Goffman, Biden, West Virginia Sen, Joe Manchin, Sen, John Barrasso, Bobbi, Michael Regan, Goffman, Joe, Regan, Tom Carper, ” Carper, Goffman “, Shelley Moore Capito, Obama, Barack Obama's, —, Capito, Mr, Goffman's, “, Fred Krupp, Krupp Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, EPA, West Virginia, Delaware Democrat, ”, Republican, Democratic, Supreme, federal, Biden, Environmental Defense Locations: Wyoming, overburdened, West Virginia

☆ The US, Russia and China are in a race to dominate new-wave nuclear energy — and win global influence
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Angela Dewan | Ella Nilsen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Russia's floating nuclear power plant, Akademik Lomonosov, leaving the service base Rosatomflot on August 23, 2019. For some experts, nuclear energy — in all forms, large or small — has an important role to play in that transition. Globally, the construction of conventional nuclear power plants dipped following the Chernobyl meltdown in 1986. Russia has already built or designed nuclear plants — the traditional type — for China, India, Bangladesh, Turkey, Slovakia, Egypt and Iran. “It certainly dampens the excitement abroad,” said John Parsons, a senior lecturer at MIT and a financial economist focused on nuclear energy.

Persons: Akademik Lomonosov, Biden, Lomonosov, Maxim Shemetov, “ There’s, ”, Josh Freed, China —, Vladimir Putin’s, Bill Gates ’, Luo Yunfei, Kirsten Cutler, they’re, Cutler, ” Cutler, They’re, John Parsons, John Kerry, Thomas Mukoya, Way’s Freed, “, ” Parsons, Mohammed Hamdaoui, ” Hamdaoui, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Reuters, European Union, International Energy Agency, Energy, World Nuclear, IEA, US, SMR, US Export, Import Bank, International Development Finance Corporation, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, China, Changjiang, China News Service, Nuclear Energy, US State Department, “, MIT, InfluenceMap, The State Department, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NRC, Rystad Energy Locations: Alaska, Russian, Russia, China, European, Japan, India, South Korea, Europe, Dubai, America, Poland, North Carolina, Southeast Asia, Bangladesh, Turkey, Slovakia, Egypt, Iran, Lomonosov, Siberia, Russia’s, Washington, Bill Gates ’ TerraPower, Wyoming, Changjiang Li Autonomous County, Hainan province, United States, Oregon, Idaho, United Arab Emirates

☆ The Measles Outbreak in Europe is a Warning to America - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( David Wallace-Wells | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2022, there were 941 reported cases of measles in the World Health Organization’s European region. And it appears even more significant compared to recent years, when efforts to limit Covid also resulted in almost entirely eliminating measles in Europe in 2021. But as the year drew to a close, the European measles outbreak kept growing. Almost certainly, the virologist Rik de Swart of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam tells me, these official case totals are significant underestimates. The epidemiologist Bill Hanage, also at Harvard, lamented it to me as a “chronicle of an outbreak foretold.”

Persons: Rik de Swart, Michael Mina, Bill Hanage, ” Organizations: Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Harvard Locations: Europe, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Britain, West Midlands, Rotterdam, Harvard

For instance, the U.S. has blocked shipments of cotton coming from China, a top manufacturer of popular clothing brands, because it was produced by forced or prison labor. While prison labor seeps into the supply chains of some companies through third-party suppliers without them knowing, others buy direct. Cargill acknowledged buying goods from prison farms in Tennessee, Arkansas and Ohio, saying they constituted only a small fraction of the company’s overall volume. For instance, about a dozen state prison farms, including operations in Texas, Virginia, Kentucky and Montana, have sold more than $60 million worth of cattle since 2018. “What for?”FOLLOWING THE MONEYThe business of prison labor is so vast and convoluted that tracing the money can be challenging.

Persons: it’s, Willie Ingram, “ They’d, billy clubs, they’d, ”, Ingram, didn’t, they’re, don’t, Andrea Armstrong, Frank Dwayne Ellington, Ellington, Koch, “ It’s, it’s somebody’s, Alishia Powell, Clark, “, Bunge, Louis Dreyfus, Archer Daniels, Cargill, ” McDonald’s, Mills, ” Bunge, Burger, Jermaine Hudson, ” Hudson, Calvin Thomas, Thomas, Ken Pastorick, Pastorick, Jennifer Turner, Faye Jacobs, Jacobs, ’ ” David Farabough, they’ve, Joshua Sbicca, Cliff Johnson, Jimmy Dean, Sara Lee, Tyson, Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey, that’s, ” Ivey, “ They’re, ’ ”, William “ Buck ” Saunders, Hickman’s, Brooke Counts, Counts, John’s, Jack Strain, Tammany Parish, Russell Stover, Curtis Davis, Robert Bumsted, Cody Jackson, Columbia University’s Ira A, Lipman Organizations: Louisiana State Penitentiary, The Associated Press, Walmart, Cargill, U.S, Kroger, Target, Aldi, Corrections, Loyola University New Orleans, Koch Foods, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Washington, Archer Daniels Midland, Consolidated, AP, Foods, Dairy Farmers of, Big, Sam’s, Tyson Foods, U.S ., Civilian, OSHA, Fair Labor, American Civil Liberties, Colorado State University, MacArthur Justice Center, University of Mississippi, PepsiCo, Brevard County Sheriff, Arizona . Companies, Costco, Correctional, Prisons, Nut, Maine Foods, Taylor Farms, Transitional, Associated Press, Public Welfare Foundation, Columbia, Lipman Center for Journalism, Arnold Ventures Locations: ANGOLA, La, Southern, Louisiana, Texas, In Louisiana, Angola, United States, “, Ashland, U.S, China, Tennessee , Arkansas, Ohio, Dairy Farmers of America, Texas , Virginia, Kentucky, Montana, Baton Rouge, Mississippi, Manhattan, America, Alabama, American, Arkansas , Texas, Florida , Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Arkansas, In Alabama, Florida, Brevard County, Arizona, Wisconsin, California, Colorado, state’s St, Tammany, Idaho, In Kansas, Cal, St, Francisville , Louisiana, Feliciana, Investigative@ap.org

The settlement with environmental groups Clean Air Council and PennEnvironment and the Allegheny County Health Department was filed in federal court Monday for a judge to review, the groups said. PennEnvironment and the other plaintiffs accused the steel producer of more than 12,000 violations of its air pollution permits. The rest is a $5 million penalty that U.S. Steel agreed to pay to fund clean air efforts. It is one of the largest-ever fines nationally in a citizen-enforced lawsuit under federal clean air laws, Clean Air Council and PennEnvironment said. ___This story has been corrected to show the number of alleged air pollution permit violations is more than 12,000, instead of more than 1,200.

Persons: PennEnvironment, polluters, David Masur, ”, Kurt Barshick, U.S . Steel Organizations: —, Steel, Clean Air Council, PennEnvironment, Allegheny County Health Department, U.S . Steel, Valley Works, U.S, U.S . Locations: HARRISBURG, Pa, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, U.S

☆ Commodity markets are in a 'super squeeze' — and higher prices could be here to stay
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A commodity "super squeeze" is denoted by higher prices driven by supply constraints more than a robust growth in demand, he explained. "If it's a supply constraint that's driving high commodity prices, it's a very different story for global growth," he told CNBC via Zoom. Higher prices as a result of a super squeeze are "not as positive." The super squeeze could be deeper, or more prolonged if geopolitical, climate change or energy transition related supply disruptions are larger than expected. He highlighted that extreme weather events and geopolitics have also impacted the agricultural and energy commodity baskets.

Persons: Li Xin, Paul Bloxham, Bloxham, Brian Luke S, Dow, HSBC's Bloxham, Ian Waldie, Brian Luke, Matty Zhao Organizations: Technology, Getty, Visual China, HSBC, CNBC, Paul Bloxham HSBC, Energy, Commission, Commodities, Bloomberg, Dow Jones, of America Securities Locations: SUIXI, CHINA, Anhui, Suixi County, Huaibei City, Anhui Province, China, Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Red, Australia, Asia, Pacific

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is delaying consideration of new natural gas export terminals in the United States, even as gas shipments to Europe and Asia have soared since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A proposed LNG export terminal in Louisiana would produce about 20 times the greenhouse gas emissions of Willow, McKibben noted. “We need to have an even greater understanding of the (global energy) market need, the long-term supply and demand of energy resources and the environmental factors,'' she said. Symons called the gas project "bad for our nation, bad for our health and bad for our economy.'' "The true irony is this policy would hurt the climate and lead to increased (greenhouse gas) emissions, as it would force the world to pivot to coal'' instead of natural gas, Hynes said.

Persons: —, Biden, Joe Biden, “, MAGA, Donald Trump, Bill McKibben, it’s, McKibben, Jennifer Granholm, Granholm, Vladimir Putin, Mike Sommers, Sommers, ”, ‘ ’ Granholm, we’re, Jeremy Symons, Symons, Shaylyn Hynes, Hynes, Trump Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Energy Department, Industry, Russia, Energy, American Petroleum Institute, U.S . LNG, Environmental Protection Agency, Venture, LNG Locations: United States, Europe, Asia, Ukraine, Alaska, Paris, Louisiana, U.S, Calcasieu, Gulf, Cameron Parish, Virginia

☆ Top business leaders bemoan archaic systems in Europe that are curbing climate solutions
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Vicky Mckeever | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ester Baiget, the CEO of biosolutions firm Novozymes, said that "roadblocks" usually stand in the way of companies producing sustainable solutions which needed to be removed. watch nowMicrobes have been put forward as an alternative to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. However, new microbial fertilizers need to go through regulatory approval before going to market. We need to rethink regulation in regions like Europe." Kadri also said there was a "lack of competitiveness in Europe," referring to the difficulties faced by her sector.

Persons: Lukas Schulze, Ester Baiget, Novozymes, Baiget, Steve Sedgwick, Ilham Kadri, Kadri Organizations: Getty, CNBC, Economic Locations: Bergheim, Germany, Davos, Switzerland, Europe

☆ Biden pauses approval of new LNG export projects in win for climate activists
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

President Joe Biden paused pending approvals of exports from new liquefied natural gas projects on Friday, a move cheered by climate activists that could delay decisions on new plants until after the Nov. 5 election. Biden said in a statement: "During this period, we will take a hard look at the impacts of LNG exports on energy costs, America's energy security, and our environment." "We are committed to strengthening energy security here in the U.S. and with our allies," Granholm said. The last review of LNG export projects was in 2018 when export capacity was 4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd). But the commission's panel of three regulators, which almost always approves LNG projects, could approve it as soon as February, which would then put its approval in the hands of the DOE.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jennifer Granholm, Biden, Granholm, Ben Jealous, Sempra, CP2 Organizations: US Department of Energy, Department of Energy, DOE, Energy, Companies, U.S, Sierra, Sempra Infrastructure, Commonwealth LNG, Venture, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Venture Global Locations: Washington ,, Europe, Asia, U.S, wean, Russia, Ukraine, Louisiana, Alaska, Calcasieu, United States, Germany

Why did Biden delay consideration of LNG export terminals? Biden's action would not affect those projects, but could delay a dozen or more LNG projects that are pending or in various stages of planning. A public comment period after that will likely delay any decisions on pending LNG projects until after the November election. Environmentalists hailed Biden's decision, saying LNG exports not only pollute communities and add to the climate crisis but also raise energy prices for U.S. families and businesses. A single proposed LNG export terminal in Louisiana would produce about 20 times the greenhouse gas emissions of Willow, activists say.

Persons: —, Biden, Joe Biden, ”, Vladimir Putin, Ali Zaidi, Jennifer Granholm, ″ Zaidi, Granholm, Biden's, Abigail Dillen, Sen, Ed Markey, Mike Sommers, Mitch McConnell, Israel's, “, “ Biden, ″, Bill McKibben, Donald Trump, Karoline Leavitt Organizations: WASHINGTON, Democratic, Industry, Republicans, Russia, U.S, Energy Department, Energy, Seven, American Petroleum Institute, U.S . LNG, GOP Locations: United States, Europe, Asia, Ukraine, Alaska, U.S, Russia, Louisiana, Texas, Calcasieu, Coast, Kentucky, Gaza, Willow

☆ A local government in China faked signatures on nearly 2,000 traffic tickets amid a $10 trillion debt time bomb
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A local government in China faked signatures and fingerprints in nearly 2,000 traffic tickets last year. AdvertisementA local government in northern China was busted for faking signatures on nearly 2,000 traffic tickets, China's State Council, the country's cabinet, announced on January 19. In total, the bureau faked signatures and fingerprints on 1,964 of the 2,099 traffic tickets it issued last year, according to the State Council statement. China's State Council did not state the motivations behind She County's forgery. The incidents come as China's cash-strapped local governments have nearly nearly $10 trillion in so-called local government financing vehicle, or LGFV, debt.

Persons: Cash, —, Xu, didn't Organizations: Provincial, Service, Council, Authorities, State, Bloomberg Locations: China, Hebei, Hebei province, Shanghai, Beijing

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