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☆ As Israeli jets devastate Gaza, air force photos show fighter aircraft armed with what look like unguided 'dumb' bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

But the Israeli Air Force recently published photos of fighter jets armed with what experts said look like unguided bombs. Israeli Air Force personnel "arming and continuing the series of attacks," per an X post on October 12, 2023. Israeli Air ForceIsraeli Air Force aircraft outfitted with bombs. AdvertisementAdvertisementAn Israeli Air Force video posted on Monday also showed fighter jets armed with unguided bombs ahead of footage of airstrikes. The unguided munitions in the photos look noticeably different from those equipped with JDAM kits, which turn unguided munitions into precision weapons.

Persons: —, it's, Israel, Michael Bohnert, Justin Bronk, Bronk, jet's, Momen Faiz, NurPhoto, JDAMs, they're, MAHMUD HAMS, Yoav Gallant Organizations: Israeli Air Force, Service, Attack Munitions, Twitter, Israeli Air Force Israeli Air Force, Rand Corporation, Royal United Services Institute, Royal Norwegian Air Force Academy, US Army Air Force, Israel Defense Forces, Air Force, Boeing, Guardian, ISIS, Hamas, Getty, Israeli Air, Israeli, IDF Locations: Israel, Gaza, Vietnam, Gaza City, AFP

☆ Russia aims to break through Ukraine defences in northeast - Ukrainian general
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Commander of the Ground Forces colonel general Oleksandr Syrskyi reports to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at a position near the front line, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 26, 2023. Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsKYIV, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Russia is aiming to break through Ukrainian defences in the Kupiansk-Lyman sector of the front line in northeastern Ukraine after a sharp increase in fighting there, the commander of Ukraine's ground forces said on Monday. The Ukrainian military reported in its daily update that fighting was raging along the eastern front, particularly around Kupiansk, and near Avdiivka and Mariinka in the Donetsk region. A strategically important town with a large coking plant, Avdiivka is located in the northern outskirts of the Donetsk region, much of which has been occupied by Russia. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said Ukrainian troops are holding their positions in the east.

Persons: Oleksandr Syrskyi, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Syrskyi, Yuliia Dysa, Olena Harmash, Timothy Organizations: Ground Forces, Presidential Press Service, REUTERS, Rights, Lyman, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Donetsk region, Russia, Lyman, Ukrainian, Kupiansk, Avdiivka, Donetsk

☆ Poland holds high-stakes election amid rows over democratic rule
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Justyna Pawlak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Robert Biedron, Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, Anna Maria Zukowska, Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, Adrian Zandberg and Magdalena Biejat of the New Left (Nowa Lewica) alliance gesture during the final day of campaigning for the parliamentary elections in Warsaw, Poland, October 13, 2023. Opinion polls suggest PiS will come out ahead but could lose its majority amid intensifying discontent over its democratic record, which has cost Poland billions of euros in EU aid, and concerns over women's rights and the cost of living. "This election will show whether Poland will be governed by Poles, or by Berlin or Brussels," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told supporters at the party's last campaign rally on Friday. It has built its support on generous social handouts, which it says rival parties will stop. Tusk says his party would maintain social support.

Persons: Robert Biedron, Wlodzimierz Czarzasty, Anna Maria Zukowska, Joanna Scheuring, Adrian Zandberg, Magdalena Biejat, PiS, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Donald Tusk, Tusk, Rafal Trzaskowski, Pawel Florkiewicz, Giles Elgood Organizations: New, Law and Justice, European Union, EU, NATO, liberal Civic Coalition, European, Warsaw, Confederation, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Warsaw, Poland, Slawomir, WARSAW, Ukraine, Washington, Kyiv, Berlin, Brussels, Skarzysko Kamienna, Kalisz

☆ Biden's Saudi-Israel normalization plans appear distant as Israel pounds Gaza in offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

A "big victim" of the escalating Israel-Hamas war "is efforts at Saudi and Israel normalization," Fred Kempe, CEO of the Atlantic Council, told CNBC. Iran's mission to the United Nations has denied Tehran's involvement in the militant group's attack on Israel on Saturaday. "More timely for Tehran is that it is looking to slow down Israeli Saudi normalization and through the attack, it might have achieved that," Vakil said. With the Hamas attack on Israel, "it's very clear that Saudi Arabia will take a more gradual approach to normalization," she said. And Iran is consistently messaging to its Gulf neighbors that any attack on Iran from Israel will lead to a domino attack on the Gulf.

Persons: Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Louiza Vradi, Biden, –, Joe Biden's, he'd, Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Jacquelyn Martin, Netanyahu, Fred Kempe, That's, Bashar Taleb, Sanam Vakil, Israel, Vakil, Ilia Yefimovich Organizations: Reuters, Saudi, Palestinian, Hamas, United Nations, Israel's, Israeli Defence Ministry, AFP, Getty Images, Bloomberg, Atlantic Council, CNBC, Afp, Getty, Saudi Foreign Ministry, Iran, Chatham House, . Locations: Saudi, Athens, Greece, Israel, Gaza, Israeli, Tel Aviv, Getty Images Saudi Arabia, Mecca, Medina, Saudi Arabia, Gaza City, Palestinian, Iran, East, North Africa, Tehran, Saturaday ., Be'eri

☆ Why have guns gone quiet on the Israel-Lebanon border?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Tamara Qiblawi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

After five days of near constant crossfire between fighters in Lebanon and Israeli forces, the guns seem to have largely gone quiet. Hezbollah’s political stance has unambiguously supported the Palestinian militants. Hezbollah has fired back at Israeli border positions with precision-guided missiles. Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP via Getty ImagesThree Hezbollah militants and three Israeli soldiers have been killed in the nearly week-long exchange of fire here. Thursday’s calm on the Lebanon-Israel border – interrupted occasionally by Israeli interceptions of rockets from Palestinian militants – begs many questions.

Persons: Israel’s, Mahmoud Zayyat, Gerald R Ford, Houthi, Bashar al, Assad, Syria’s, Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, Lebanon's, Emilie Madi, Hassan Nasrallah, – Organizations: Lebanon CNN, Palestinian, United Nations Interim Force, UNIFIL, Getty, ISIS, Reuters Hezbollah, Revolutionary Guards Locations: Marjeyoun, Lebanon, Israel, East, Iran, Gaza, Kfar Kila, AFP, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Beirut

☆ Poland set for high-stakes election amid disputes over EU, democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Alan Charlish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Donald Tusk, the leader of the largest opposition grouping Civic Coalition (KO), walks towards an election convention in Lodz, Poland, October 10, 2023. "I know... that they are planning systematically, in cold blood, to take Poland out of the European Union," Donald Tusk, leader of the largest opposition grouping Civic Coalition (KO) told supporters. He repeated these words very often," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told a campaign rally, hammering home his party's message that Tusk is a German stooge. The KO leader said he would unblock billions in funds withheld by the EU over rule-of-law concerns on day one after winning the election. Opinion polls suggest that PiS will remain the largest party in parliament but may fall short of a majority.

Persons: Donald Tusk, Kacper, PiS, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Tusk, Andrzej Duda, Szymon Holownia, Alan Charlish, Jan Strupczewski, Gareth Jones Organizations: Civic Coalition, REUTERS, Sunday, Ukraine WARSAW, European Union, Law and Justice, European, PiS, NATO, Confederation, Thomson Locations: Lodz, Poland, Ukraine, Germany, German, European, Belarus, Warsaw, Brussels

☆ China wants to be a peace broker in the Middle East. How has it responded to the Israel-Gaza war?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Experts say this initial response may expose Beijing’s limited influence in the region, despite official propaganda talking up China as the world’s new peacemaker. Yuval Waks, a senior official at the Israeli Embassy in Beijing, said his country expected a “stronger condemnation” of Hamas from China. State media coverageDespite its claims of neutrality, coverage of the conflict on China’s state-run television appears more slanted. Chinese state media were also quick to blame the US for the conflict now raging in the heart of the Middle East. “China looks at Israel as an opportunity to get points with the broader Arab world and the rest of the developing world.

Persons: Mahmoud Abbas, Xi Jinping, Jonathan Fulton, they’re, Yuval Waks, ” Waks, Chuck Schumer, Xi, “, ” Schumer, Mao Ning, ”, Zhang Jun, Beijing’s, Phil Cunningham, Israel –, Abbas, –, Israel, ” Fulton, Fulton, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Atlantic Council, China’s, Embassy, Reuters, US, Foreign, United Nation, European Union, Global Times, Communist, USS Ford, US Air Force, UN Security Council, Palestinian, Palestinian Authority, West Bank, ”, Israel, Washington, Israeli Locations: China, Beijing, Israel, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Gaza, Palestinian, Palestine, Abu Dhabi, United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, State, ”, Russia, Hamas, Ukraine, Xinjiang, Fulton, Haifa, Iraq, Oman –

☆ We already have the tools we need to fight the climate crisis — but a 'green transition' will still take time, 5 sustainability leaders say
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Insider's climate advisory council convened recently for a roundtable discussion. They told us they're motivated by current innovation on the climate crisis, but labor is a hurdle. The advisory council is part of Insider's One Planet initiative, the optimist's destination for climate action. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. Help wanted: skilled workersLabor is a hurdle for the green transition, said Donnel Baird, the founder and CEO of BlocPower.

Persons: Alyssa Gilbert, Ford, Cynthia Williams, Williams, It's, Donnel Baird, BlocPower, Baird, Omar Elmawi, He's, Elmawi, there's, we're, Elijah McKenzie, Jackson, McKenzie, We've Organizations: Service, Grantham Institute, Climate, Environment, Imperial College London, Ford Motor, EV, Labor, International Monetary Fund, Human Rights, Oil Locations: Europe, Kenya, Africa

☆ ‘They have made those sacrifices’: Israel-Hamas war claims the lives of several journalists reporting from the raging conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Some journalists are making the ultimate sacrifice while covering the war between Israel and Hamas. At least seven journalists have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Hamas launched its brazen assault on Saturday, according to press freedom groups and media reports. Meanwhile, journalists based in Gaza, which has been battered with airstrikes from Israel, are at an even greater risk. For those reasons, and other logistical difficulties, there are very few Western journalists in Gaza. “They have made those sacrifices to show what is happening on the ground,” Mansour added, speaking about the at least seven journalists killed this week while reporting from the Gaza Strip.

Persons: ” Sherif Mansour, “, …, ” Mansour, CPJ, Mansour, ” Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Protect Journalists, BBC, Associated Press, Reuters Locations: Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Latin America

☆ America’s political turmoil hampers its capacity to lead through yet another global crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

But no one could foresee just how quickly the paralysis in Washington would test the country’s reaction to a major global crisis. A situation this dangerous requires a calm, united and thoughtful US response, supported across the political spectrum. This means, at best, the United States will spend the coming months preoccupied by its own political plight. As president, I will once again stand with Israel,” Trump said. A growing sense abroad that America’s political problems are limiting its ability to lead globally could also have a devastating effect on its power.

Persons: –, Kevin McCarthy, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, “ Joe Biden, Israel, ” Trump, Biden, autocrats, doesn’t, Michael McCaul, Xi, Michael Lawler, “, ” Lawler, CNN’s Dana Bash, McCarthy, Jim Jordan, Trump, Steve Scalise, Ukraine –, America’s, Russia –, Antony Blinken, ”, Nikki Haley, Blinken, ” Haley, GOP Sen, Tim Scott of, Biden – Organizations: CNN, Republicans, Israel, Republican, Trump, Hamas, House Foreign Affairs, Texas Republican, GOP, Senate, Democratic, White, Russia, Republican Party, US Treasury Department, Union, United Nations, Press, Washington Locations: Israel, United States, Washington, Ukraine, Iran, Russia, China, “ State, Texas, New York, Kyiv, Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, Gaza, Islamic Republic, Saudi Arabia, Tim Scott of South Carolina

☆ Updated Novavax COVID-19 vaccine shipped to distributors, to be available this week
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Michael Erman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Syringes with needles are seen in front of a displayed Novavax logo in this illustration taken, November 27, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Novavax Inc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Vaccine maker Novavax Inc (NVAX.O) on Monday said it has shipped millions of doses its updated COVID-19 shots to distributors after receiving the go-ahead from U.S. regulators. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the updated vaccine last week for emergency use in individuals aged 12 years and older, but batches of the shots needed additional clearance from the FDA before they could be released. Novavax said it expects the shots to be available at U.S. pharmacies this week. The Maryland-based company, whose COVID vaccine is its lone marketed product, has adopted cost-cutting measures and is counting on commercial sales of its updated shot to help it stay afloat.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Novavax, COVID, Michael Erman, Mark Porter, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Novavax Inc, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Thomson Locations: U.S, Maryland

☆ Morning Bid: Oil jumps as Middle East strife shakes markets
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oil rigs are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsA look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole. With one war already raging in Europe, a new conflict in the Middle East was bound to rattle the markets. If the U.S. tightens enforcement of sanctions, CBA analysts estimate around 0.5-1.0% of world oil supplies could be affected, which would push Brent atop $100 a barrel. A sustained rise in oil prices would be an unwelcome blow to inflation but also a tax on consumers, so the implication for interest rates isn't straightforward.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Wayne Cole, Brent, Luis de Guindos, Pablo Hernández, Cos, Andrea Enria, Fed's Logan, Edmund Klamann Organizations: REUTERS, Oil, Brent, Treasury, Nikkei, Hamas, Street Journal, United Nations, JPMorgan, Citi, Wells, Bank of Spain, Jefferson, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, Wayne, Israel, Europe, U.S, Asia, Tokyo, Iran, Tehran, Washington, Strait, Hormuz, Wells Fargo, Germany, Barr

"The markets will also be following what the scenarios are looking like," he said, and whether, after decades of instability in the Middle East, this outbreak of violence evolves differently. "The question will be is this iteration something that will throw the long-term equilibrium out of balance?" "The conflict poses a risk of higher oil prices, and risks to both inflation and the growth outlook," said Karim Basta, chief economist at III Capital Management, leaving the Fed to sort out whether higher prices or slower growth is the greater concern. To the extent the Israeli war with Hamas heightens concerns about the global economy it could reverse that trend if capital rushes towards the relative safety of U.S. Treasury bonds, as often happens at times of potential crisis. Reporting by Howard Schneider and Ann Saphir; Editing by Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ronen, It’s, Agustin Carstens, Carl Tannenbaum, Karim Basta, Howard Schneider, Ann Saphir, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Bank for International, National Association for Business Economics, Federal Reserve, Northern Trust, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, III Capital Management, Fed, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Sderot, Israel, Ukraine, U.S, Morocco, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Gulf, Suez

☆ She fled Ukraine and found belonging with her Russian boxing coach in America
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Akimova found her footing in a boxing gym run by a Russian trainer who became a grounding force. A Ukrainian refugee named Anzelika Akimova enters her fighting stance at the Eastern Block Boxing gym in Los Angeles. At the Eastern Block Boxing gym in Los Angeles, Russians and Ukrainians alike come to train. Before their paths aligned at Eastern Block Boxing, Poddubnov fought as an amateur boxer in Russia. Salman Poddubnov opened the boxing gym after a stint in prison, where he trained fellow inmates.

Persons: Anzelika Akimova, Arina, Akimova, Joe Biden's, Stella Kalinina, Salman Poddubnov, —, hadn't, ached, didn't, LIRS, Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, we've, Vignarajah, Poddubnov, Vladimir Putin's Organizations: Eastern, Karate, Lutheran Immigration, Refugee Service, Department of Homeland Security, TPS, Soviet Union Locations: Ukraine, Los Angeles, Russian, Ukrainian, California, Russians, Odesa, Kyiv, Akimova, Toluca Lake, North Hollywood, That's, Moldovan, Romania, Czech, Prague, Mexico, Tijuana, Mexicali, Calexico, Russia, Volzhsky, Stalingrad, Eastern, Poddubnov, Soviet, Soviet Union

[1/3] A view of a junction shows the aftermath of a mass-infiltration by Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip, in the Sderot area, southern Israel October 7. A resident reported seeing multiple bodies and bullet-scarred vehicles in the southern Israeli town of Sderot where groups of Hamas gunmen were still fighting Israeli troops 12 hours after the attack was launched. A sea of bodies, inside Sderot along the road, other places, loads of bodies," said Shlomi from Sderot. In one incident, young Israelis told of fleeing a dance party in the early hours of Saturday as Hamas gunmen backed by rocket barrages entered towns and villages by the border. Israeli TV stations carried telephone calls from terrified residents of towns and kibbutzes speaking even as gunmen were trying to break into their shelters.

Persons: Ammar Awad, Ortal, Esther Borochov, Magen David, Ella, I've, Maayan, Ros Russell Organizations: REUTERS, Hamas, Reuters, N12, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Sderot, Israel, SDEROT, Palestinian, Reim, Israeli, Be'eri

☆ Men are getting rich from AI. Women, not so much.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Tom Carter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

New research finds that female-led AI companies are missing out on the global rush to invest in AI. AI startups founded by women in the UK raised six times less than those founded by men in the past decade. This occurs even as the number of female-founded AI companies that are launching, rises. "One of our biggest priorities is ensuring AI models are fair and unbiased," she said. "While AI is heavily male-dominated and we still see a big gender disparity at AI events in San Francisco, we're hopeful this will change as more women become involved in AI companies.

Persons: —, Alan Turing Institute's, it's, Erin Young, Rebecca Gorman, they've, OpenAI's DALL, Angela Hoover, Andi, Dr Young Organizations: Service, Data Science, Turing Institute, Funds, Amazon Locations: California, San Francisco

REUTERS/Paul Ratje/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 6 (Reuters) - A New Mexico judge on Friday rejected a Republican challenge to the state's Democratic-drawn congressional lines, improving the odds Democrats will maintain their hold on all three of the state's districts in next year's election. The Republican state party, which brought the lawsuit, said it would appeal the decision with the New Mexico Supreme Court. "The legislature intended to and, in fact, did egregiously gerrymander the congressional maps," said state Republican party chairman Steve Pearce in a statement. Earlier this week, a federal court approved new congressional lines for Alabama after finding a Republican-created map illegally hurt Black voters. The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments next week over whether South Carolina's Republican-drawn congressional map unlawfully diluted the power of Black voters.

Persons: Paul Ratje, Fred Van Soelen, Gabe Vasquez, Van Soelen, egregiously, Steve Pearce, Joseph Ax, Andrew Hay, Colleen Jenkins, David Gregorio, Chris Reese Organizations: Center, REUTERS, Republican, Democratic, U.S . House, Judicial, District, Democrat, Democrats, New, New Mexico Supreme, The U.S, Supreme, South Carolina's Republican, Thomson Locations: Dona Ana, Las Cruces , New Mexico, U.S, Mexico, New Mexico, Alabama, The

☆ Wildfires are getting worse. Check out the pitch deck that landed climate startup Vibrant Planet $15 million from backers like Microsoft to use AI to manage the risk.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A California-based startup using artificial intelligence and machine learning for land management and climate-risk analysis has raised $15 million in Series A funding. Vibrant Planet, which was founded in 2020, offers a data platform to help landowners figure out how to restore ecosystems and manage against the risk of wildfires. Along with rising temperatures, poor land planning and risk mitigation strategies are also to blame for raging wildfires, according to Vibrant Planet CEO Allison Wolff. The land management platform includes real-time scenario planning. Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, Citi Ventures, Day One Ventures, SIG Climate, and Globivest also participated in the round.

Persons: Allison Wolff, Wolff, Scott Conway, Netflix's, Neil Hunt, Guy Bayes, Globivest Organizations: Netflix, eBay, Google, Integrity, Innovation Fund, Citi Ventures, One Ventures, SIG, NASA, USDA Smart Commodities Locations: California, Europe, Canada, Chile, Lahaina, Maui

☆ China and India are so far into frenemy zone that they may never join forces to topple the dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The economist who coined the "BRIC" acronym said the currency idea seemed "crazy." The bloc is helmed by the major emerging nations of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It also appears that it's just Russia and Brazil that have really pushed for a BRICS common currency. But even if a BRICS currency comes to pass, its use could be limited. AdvertisementAdvertisementPrakash said a BRICS currency would be used in "very narrow and vertical settings, or for BRICS projects."

Persons: —, Washington, Joseph Sullivan —, There's, Jim O'Neill, Goldman Sachs, O'Neill, Xi Jinping, Narendra Modi, Xi, didn't, Li Qiang, Liu Pengyu, Modi, Liu, there's, Abishur Prakash, it's, China hasn't, Palit, Prakash Organizations: Service, White House, Indian, Monetary Fund, China's, UN, China, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore, Affairs Ministry Locations: China, India, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, South Africa, Europe, Africa, Beijing, New Delhi, Johannesburg, China's Washington, DC, BRICS

A vial labelled "Novavax COVID-19 Vaccine" is seen in this illustration taken January 16, 2022. The Maryland-based company, whose COVID vaccine is its lone marketed product, has adopted cost-cutting measures and is counting on commercial sales of its updated shot to help it stay afloat. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will not meet again to discuss the Novavax shot, a spokesperson said. Novavax's original COVID shot received U.S. authorization in July 2022, long after Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were in use. All three of the updated shots target the XBB.1.5 variant of the coronavirus.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, BioNTech, COVID, John Jacobs, Jacobs, Sriparna Roy, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, Pfizer Inc, Moderna, FDA, Pfizer, Moderna's, Thomson Locations: U.S, Maryland, Bengaluru

☆ Trump Suggests Bizarre Plan to Dampen Forests to Prevent Wildfires
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Donald Trump suggested that California keep its vast forests damp to prevent wildfire. AdvertisementAdvertisementFormer President Donald Trump revealed an unusual plan to stop wildfires from raging in California. Trump has previously falsely claimed that California wildfires were sparked by trees that "explode," and he has long subscribed to the theory that wildfires could be prevented if forests were cleared of dead trees and debris. In 2018, Trump suggested raking leaves on forest floors could help prevent fires. Trump did not provide further details about his damp forests plan, but he said California Governor Gavin Newsom would probably roadblock him.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Newsom, couldn't, —, Williams, Columbia University's Lamont, Gavin Newsom, Gavin Organizations: Service, California Republicans, Columbia, Observatory, New York Times Locations: California, Anaheim

☆ US government shutdown could delay news of Social Security increase
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That could mean a delay in the much-anticipated announcement of the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) to the monthly benefits paid out by the Social Security Administration. The new rate will start to be paid to Social Security retirement benefits recipients in January 2024, while payments to SSI beneficiaries typically change at the end of each December. "A delay of the CPI release may have an impact on the COLA announcement by the Social Security Administration," according to a Labor Department memo detailing how a shutdown would affect agency operations. Last year, with annual inflation raging near the highest in four decades, the COLA announced for 2023 payments was 8.7%, the largest increase since 1981 and the fourth biggest ever. Still, whatever COLA is announced for 2024 is unlikely to offer the same buffer over inflation as recipients enjoyed in 2023.

Persons: Price, Dan Burns, Lucia Mutikani, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: U.S . Labor Department, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Social Security Administration, Social Security, CPI, Urban, Clerical Workers, BLS, Labor Department, SSA, COLA, U.S . Federal, Social, Thomson

Here are the key takeaways of an Associated Press investigation into the probe:WHAT DO THEY THINK HAPPENED? Investigators led by the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Maui County have declined to comment on specifics of the probe. They included a heavily charred, hollowed 4-foot-tall stump of a utility pole, two heavily burned trees and the remains of an old car tire. Photos taken after the blaze show charred foliage in the utility’s right-of-way still more than 10 feet high. The utility instead sought to shift the blame to Maui County fire officials for what it believes was their premature, false claim that they had extinguished the first fire.

Persons: ”, Balagso, couldn’t, Munro Tulloch Organizations: Associated Press, Co, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Press, AP, Electric Locations: Lahaina, Maui, Maui County

☆ Ukrainian Heavy Artillery Inflicts 'Hell' on Russian Lines Near Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Buoyed after the capture last week of the key village of Klishchiivka, Ukrainian troops have lauded the 155 millimetre howitzers as key equipment being provided by the United States and its NATO allies. Unit commander Oleksandr said Ukraine's armed forces "very much rely" on heavy artillery, including the Polish-made Krab gun and the U.S.-made M109 self-propelled howitzer. We hear that we keep giving them hell and they keep wondering how much ammunition we have left." Oleksandr, 30, described Klishchiivka - a village on the heights south of the devastated town of Bakhmut - as "one of the places they (the Russians) were clinging to." The gains have been among the most significant in Ukraine's counteroffensive, which began in June and has struggled to break through entrenched Russian lines.

Persons: Anna Voitenko, Oleksandr, Ukraine's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Ronald Popeski, Max Hunder, Mike Harrison Organizations: West, Reuters, NATO Locations: BAKHMUT, Bakhmut, Russia, Klishchiivka, United States, U.S, Klischiivka, West

☆ Ukrainian heavy artillery inflicts 'hell' on Russian lines near Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Anna Voitenko | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian servicemen fire a RAK-SA-12 small multiple launch rocket system towards Russian troops near the front line town of Bakhmut, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine July 10, 2023. Buoyed after the capture last week of the key village of Klishchiivka, Ukrainian troops have lauded the 155 millimetre howitzers as key equipment being provided by the United States and its NATO allies. Unit commander Oleksandr said Ukraine's armed forces "very much rely" on heavy artillery, including the Polish-made Krab gun and the U.S.-made M109 self-propelled howitzer. Oleksandr, 30, described Klishchiivka - a village on the heights south of the devastated town of Bakhmut - as "one of the places they (the Russians) were clinging to." The gains have been among the most significant in Ukraine's counteroffensive, which began in June and has struggled to break through entrenched Russian lines.

Persons: Sofiia, Oleksandr, Ukraine's, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Anna Voitenko, Ronald Popeski, Max Hunder, Mike Harrison Organizations: REUTERS, West, Reuters, NATO, Thomson Locations: Bakhmut, Ukraine, Donetsk region, BAKHMUT, Russia, Klishchiivka, United States, U.S, Klischiivka, West

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